Indie Music Is Coming... to the Game of Thrones soundtrack. HBO is releasing a soundtrack for the show's second season, and who better to contribute to it than the indie-brooding, oft-melodramatic band The National!? "The Rains of Castamere," penned by series creator George R.R. Martin, is a sinister two and a half minutes with actual relevance to the plot of GoT (for ye non-bookreaders, the Lord of Castamere is Tywin Lannister). And Matt Berninger's baritone voice is perfect for such a grim, fantasy/medieval/mythic tale. Hear the track below:
I'm loving this band right now. They have the feel of Beirut meets the Harlem Shakes to me, which is a pretty nice combo. One of the members is also in the band, Kisses, who have pumped out some good tunes as well. Check out the tracks below and pick up their album, Remembrance of Things to Come. Princeton - Remembrance of Things to Come Princeton - Grand Rapids (RAC Remix) Princeton - Florida
Here is the first listen from the Seattle band's upcoming debut LP, The Palace Garden , which will be released June 19th in the US. Met these young guns a year ago and they have a great, "beachy" electro-pop sound that seems to be evolving into a more polished style. These lads have a bright future.
Our friends, Andre and Karl of RAC, selected the Magician as one of the artists to remix their original song, Hollywood . The result is an upbeat, dance / pop track you typically expect from the Belgian artist.
"Welcome to the inner workings of my mind" goes the chorus of MS MR's "Hurricane" with palpable vindictiveness. The track works with the same kind of modern electronic R&B that Polica's Give You the Ghost did last year, and it's equally engaging and awesome. The NYC duo's single officially drops on July 2nd, but you can hear it below.
"Rusty Chains," a bonus track off of Perfume Genius' 2012 album, Put Your Back N 2 It , has the same tenderness and honesty that made the album so incredibly good. The vulnerability in Mike Hadreas' voice is beautifully inviting and coupled with a singular piano and minimal percussion, it's not hard to feel like you're in the same room with the guy. Hear it below, and maybe have a handkerchief nearby. Just in case. Oh and if you haven't heard it, Perfume Genius' "Hood" is a must-listen -- it may be the best song of the [...]
The Brooklyn trio Lemonade have a knack for producing the brightest chillwave around and "Softkiss," the latest track released from their upcoming album, Diver , lives up to the band's reputation. The pairing of 80's synths and captivating melodies with a bit of club music attitude is simply delicious. This one deserves repeat status. Diver is out May 29th via True Panther Sounds . Lemonade - Softkiss
Mr Little Jeans, she of gender confusion and rampant under-punctuation, struck gold (no pun intended) about a month ago with her Robyn-esque track, "Runaway." Now, the song may have gotten a little sweeter -- Fool's Gold has remixed it. With the increased tempo and added global percussion, the remix is an even more danceable club jam. Hear euphoria below:
This just in: Yeasayer is back. The new track "Henrietta" surfaced online today after the band shipped CD's of the song to fans on their mailing list, according to We All Want Someone To Shout For . It's no "O.N.E." or "Ambling Alp," but "Henrietta" is a nice laid back groove that only gets stronger as the seconds tick by. Hopefully this song is a sign of things to come, and that the Yeasayer floodgates will open up wide.
Just in time for summer, Best Coast's sophomore album The Only Place was released today and needless to say, Bethany Cosentino and Bobb Bruno are back to their lo-fi surfer music ways. Take a listen to the title track, Cosentino's poetic ode to California. I've never lived there, but when she sings, "Why would you live anywhere else" I somehow have to agree with her.
The Brooklyn-based Family Band recently dropped "Night Song," the first single off their upcoming sophomore album via No Quarter . It's a slow-burning track laced with a dripping guitar loop, an intense feeling of dread and the hushed vocal stylings of frontwoman Kim Krans. It's entrancing in the scariest way possible (see picture above). Grace & Lies comes out on July 24th. Family Band - Night Song
Another dope track from the UK tag-team of Disclosure. These guys are certainly making quite the splash this year. Check out their new single, What's in Your Head below:
Here is a nice, new track from the Australian duo known as Flight Facilities. Accompanying the air-tight production are the vocals from Hot Chip's drummer, Grovesnor. "Colour" me surprised on how good his voice is...
Some things to chew on for the weekend... This is the start of a new EB segment for the good tracks that didn't end up getting their own post. They have nothing to do with each other, but they're worth a listen. Fill up before taking off from work. Clams Casino - All I Need (Instrumental) Drake ft. the Weeknd - Crew Love (Star Slinger Remix) The Gossip - Perfect World (RAC Remix) Beck - I [...]
Four Tet has released two new tracks that will appear on his 12" release, TEXT015. This image kind of sums up how I visualize this song. Check out Jupiter below, it gets funky around the 2:00 minute mark.
I have soured on Passion Pit in the last year or two because their sound got a little tiresome. Don't get me wrong, they have a handful of excellent tracks, I just grew tired of the band's style and high-pitched vocals. They released a new song today, Take a Walk , and it's pretty damn solid (to my surprise.) Here's to good music and a more diverse sound coming forth from the band in 2012.
One of my favorite artists in the last few years is back, clean-shaven, and he hasn't skipped a beat. Check out the first listen from his upcoming album, Confess , below: Twin Shadow - Five Seconds
Ear Blessings
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Video: Jay-Z and Kanye West – “No Church in the Wild”
