Surfer Blood

Great song. Auxiliary percussion man does work.

Pay Them A Listen: Tokyo Police Club

Something about this Ontario quartet is that they know youth. Their sharply quick, punchy tunes are intense and contain a certain nostalgic quality to it---being young.

Their first EP A Lesson in Crime was surrounded with a lot of talk, mainly for it's brevity, but their debut album Elephant Shell [Saddle Creek] proved their worth to our ears. They are releasing their sophomore effort sometime this spring/summer, and they've put out a spankin' new track off it for free on their website.

Here it is---"Breakneck Speed".

Sigur Rós' Jónsi's Debuts Solo Record

Jónsi Þór Birgisson isn't content with just writing music anymore, he's expanded to scoring films too.

Alright, maybe not, but his songs contain epic soundswells encasing the majesty and the size of the Swiss Alps that it feels like he was born to make music like this. He's got the voice of myths; it guides you through the green grassy fields and to the woods with your horse and your hunting bow. It sounds so natural that all you can do is dream.

His album Go [XL] has such a cinematic feel to it that it calls for a complete experience in full and all together at once. His words, unlike in Sigur Rós, are primarily in English, which expands the accessibility of his songs. Each one is absolutely HUGE. This ENTIRE record definitely deserves a spin at least. Go, listen, feel, imagine.

Sound: post-rock "pop" inspired lovely joyousness, but so much more.

Check out "Boy Lilikoi" below. The album drops tomorrow, April 6th.

New Wu

One the most anticipated releases of 2010. Wu-Massacre: Method Man, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon show once again that Wu-Tang Clan will always be one of the most influential and relevant hip-hop collectives. Dig that "La La" sample too. Sounds pretty similar to the vocal sample on "Holla".



Gunshowers

Me and My Cousins...

Everyone should already know about this but Vampire Weekend released their sophomore album this year. On this track, they speed it up--tampering with the schema of jaunty calypso pop we're all used to. "Cousins" is furious and sharp but the New York boys keep themselves intact. Video directed by Garth Jennings.

Bonus: Check out this 2009 track from Discovery. Vampire Weekend keyboardist, Rostam Batmanglij, takes a quick break from the usual rapid fire riffs to team up with Wes Miles of Ra Ra Riot. This beat has it all from an enormous bass drop and punchy synths to reggaeton sections and tasteful falsetto.

HYPE ME CAPTAIN: Delorean

Every week, I'll be throwin' down an artist or track that should be common knowledge.

This week kids, we've reeled in a big one.

Delorean is a band from the Basque coastal region of Spain, and they are sailing out from those shores in all directions like mad. They began as four punk rock teenage kids that found synthesizers and an affinity for electronic music. This sprouted a colossal change in sound, and what was born grew out to be the treasure of Zarutz's music/club scene.

Their sound is one that sounds familiar, but only so that you can draw inexact comparisons because they have gloriously created a chillwave sort of sound that is completely danceable, yet you can take it to the beach with you and your friends, along with your beach towels and sunscreen. This is synthpop reinvented and revamped. They've combined their native Spanish Balearic house beats with melodic pop sensibilities and a touch of Euro-trance to make one animal of a cocktail.

Picture it. Chillin' by the Mediterranean on the soft white sands of some secret cove with your lover. Or your friends. Summertime. Relaxation. Good times. This shot will be heard at bangin' clubs and in speedin' cars 'round the world, no doubt. I'm calling this one.

Pick up (complimentary) their ridiculously infectious single "Stay Close" here and watch their sunny video below.

Their debut album "Subiza" comes out June 8th on TruePanther.

Bump This Newcomer: Two Door Cinema Club

The British really have their way with dancey electro-pop. This Irish trio throws themselves into the mix with a furiously pulsing style that is reminiscent of the more synth-inclined Bloc Party and a different species of Phoenix.

There's a lot of reason to like them. Two Door Cinema Club's got jangly strats, catchy (but) repetitive hooks and rhythms, lyrics spoken towards a certain girl(s), and overall good melodic sensibilities. Alex Trimble's voxbox has brought up Ben Gibbard comparisons, but his singing is a little lighter and smoother, like a Thomas Mars (Phoenix) and a Matthew Murphy (the Wombats). Their short-lived tracks exist like quick lovers: you get captivated, but then it ends, whether you like it or not.

You can listen to their 3 singles over and over, and you don't really tire of them. With each spin, you rediscover the reason why your ears asked you to click the repeat button in the first place. It's like making a PB&J as an 18 year-old.

Peep: "Something Good Can Work", "I Can Talk", "Undercover Martyn".

(I've listened to each of them at least 5 times while writing this, and I'm not done.)