The Owls: "Peppermint Patty"

The Owls were a brand new surprise for me this past weekend – I'd never listened to them before, and now I'm totally hooked. Their new single, "Peppermint Patty," from the forthcoming album Daughters And Suns is an absolutely beautiful slice of pop music pie. The soft acoustic guitar sooths and the harmonies between Maria May and Allison Labonne that open each chorus of the song could even bring the Brawny man to tears. Daughters And Suns will be out October 23rd on Magic Marker Records, and it's sure to be stunning and lovely.

[MP3]: The Owls :: Peppermint Patty (Tremendously Recommended!)

Here's another wonderful song, from their 2004 EP, Our Hopes And Dreams.

[MP3]: The Owls :: Air

Pick up Our Hopes And Dreams from Magic Marker.
The Owls on MySpace!

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Best Fwends: "Orange Marker"

Best Fwends doing what they do.

So it's been a while now, and though there are many albums this year that I love more than Best Fwends' Alphabetically Arranged, I still haven't found one as ridiculously fun. I also couldn't think of a better song to post on a sunny Friday afternoon than the song "Orange Marker", incidentally from Alphabetically Arranged. I've put up "Skate of Live" as well, for good measure. Now go, go and dance and wear neon colors, and have an awwsome Friday!

[MP3]: Best Fwends :: Orange Marker (Super Recommended!)
[MP3]: Best Fwends :: Skate or Live (Largely Suggested!)

Buy Alphabetically Arranged from Moshi Moshi Records!
Best Fwends on MySpace!

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The State of Samuel: "The Residents of Gloom"

As if this Fall has not already been filled with enough fantastic indiepop news, on October 16 the new State of Samuel record is out! Thew new album, Here Come The Floods will be a co-release between Canada's Humblebee Recordings and Total Gaylord Records here in the US. From what I've heard so far of the new record, it's sure to be one of the finest, jangliest of the year. "The Residents of Gloom" and "Square Roots" are brilliatly catchy and concise – as usual – and I do believe you should check them out immediately! Oh yeah, and apparently the always lovely Betty Marie Barnes of Saturday Looks Good To Me makes an appearance somewhere on Here Come The Floods.

[MP3]: The State of Samuel :: The Residents of Gloom (Highly Rec'd!!!!)
[MP3]: The State of Samuel :: Square Roots (Highly Rec'd, too!)

You can pick up Here Come The Floods from CDbaby or Humblebee!
The State of Samuel on MySpace!

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New Tullycraft! "The Punks Are Writing Love Songs"

THE DAY HAS FINALLY COME! The day we've all been waiting for is here; the new Tullycraft single has arived. Not only is it here, but it's nothing short of amazing! "The Punks Are Writing Love Songs" is a picture perfect Tullycaft song; you've got the fast jangly guitar and the always creative harmonies, but then we hear what may just be the catchiest pop hook of the year, topped off with enough HEYs to make your head spin. So hurry up – download it, put in the car, and drive the road with your fist in the air. The upcoming LP, Every Scene Needs A Center, will be out October 23rd (two days before my birthday!) on the always wonderful Magic Marker Records!

[MP3]: Tullycraft :: The Punks Are Writing Love Songs (Highly Rec'd!)

Here's a clip of another excellent new song, "Georgette Plays A Goth":



Tullycraft on MySpace!

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Summer Cats

When I got a sampler from Cloudberry Records a month or two ago, I threw it the computer and listened to it pretty much nonstop for a while; then I guess I got distracted, because up until a few days ago I had completely forgotten about it. Revisiting it I realized that there's a lot on it that should be mentioned; in due time of course.

The cause for going back to the sampler was Victoria, Australia's Summer Cats. The Summer Cats are a wonderful three boy, two girl indiepop band that love The Cat's Miaow and sound a good bit like the Acid House Kings – all good things. Their songs melodies are soaked in acoustic/electric sunshine and full to the brim with some really brilliant boy/girl vocal harmonies. They released an EP on Cloudberry Records earlier this year, and they've also put out a split 7" with Portland's Eux Autres. I've been listening to their song "Wild Rice," from their Cloudberry EP, over and over again, and I still think it's just completely excellent; and I also still think the beginning reminds me of the beginning of The Orchids' song "Apologies," too. Anyway, definitely give this song a listen.

[MP3]: Summer Cats :: Wild Rice (Really Highly Recommended!!!)

Cloudberry still has a few copies of the EP left.
If you want one, you can grab it HERE.
The split can be ordered from the Summer Cats' MySpace, HERE.

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Modular: "Playa Biquini"

Pablo and Mariana of Modular.

When I think of space age synth pop – cause I really think about it so often – I inevitably think of Stereolab. Thing is, there's plenty more bands out there right now doing this relatively pigeon-holed genre justice; maybe not Stereolab-sized justice, but justice nonetheless. I say this after recently coming upon the Buenos Aires-based band, Modular. Named after the legendary Moog Modular analog synthesizer, the band basically sounds like what you would hope: woodwinds, brass, buzzes, beeps, farfisa organ, along with the ever important jangly guitar and moog, for good measure. This track comes from from their 2005 record, El Triangulo de las Bermudas. Hope you like!

[MP3]: Modular :: Playa Biquini (Highly Recommended)

I'm really not sure how you would buy any of their records, but I assuming your best bet would be to message them on MySpace.

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A Smile and A Ribbon: The Boy I Wish I Never Met

Hot on the heels of Warm Morning's Silver Rain, comes A Smile and A Ribbon's ridiculously excellent The Boy I Wish I Never Met LP; the second Shelflife release since their joyous rebirth earlier this year. I've mentioned A Smile and A Ribbon here before and after hearing the new album, I think I can safely say they're one of my favorite new bands of this year. The Boy I Wish I Never Met is as cute, concise, and charming as indiepop pop can get, blending the beautiful sounds of 50s and 60s girl groups with the carefree naivete of 90s twee. The record's title track "The Boy I Wish I Never Met" is one of the best pop songs of the year, I think. Check it out. If you like it, I'd highly suggest picking up the record. It's a CD/7" combo and Shelflife only pressed 300 of them so they'll probably go fast!

[MP3]: A Smile and A Ribbon :: The Boy I Wish I Never Met (Highly Rec'd!)

Buy The Boy I Wish I Never Met CD/7" from Shelflife
A Smile and A Ribbon on MySpace!

"Hey la, hey la, my bunny's back"

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Video: Chris and Mollie: "Transition Trade"

Stills from the "Transition Trade" video.

Chris and Mollie are an excellent indiepop band from California that I've been meaning to mention for a long time now, because I just love them. They're influences range from Jonathan Richman to Beat Happening to Elliot Smith, all it all meshes together to create some extremely catchy folk-tinged indiepop tunes – including the one this post is about.

Chris has just recently finished up a completely awesome video for their song "Transition Trade" – probably my favorite track off their album The Palm Tree, which the band self-released earlier this year. I'll let Chris explain the rest. "It was a couple months in the making and is a mix of video and a lot of hand-drawn animation. It was designed with the intent of being shown on the web, but for reasons you will soon discover it won't be going up on the typical social networking cites ( i.e., YouTube, Google Video, etc)." I love the video, and the song, and I think you will, too.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE!

[MP3]: Chris and Mollie :: Transition Trade (Highly Recommended!!)

Chris and Mollie on MySpace!

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The Slightly Premature "Fall is Here!" Mix

I'm in love with chilly weather and I don't care who knows it!

The title pretty much says it all, guys. I got my first breath of brisk Fall air today and I was ecstatic. I love more than anything in the world, I've been waiting months for it and I'm sure I'm not the only one. So that's why I made this mix. It's the essence of Fall, it's got lows and highs, acoustic guitars and fuzzy electric ones, boy voices and girl voices, it's pumpkin pie and a wool scarf in musical form, it's the sound of wonder and amazement, and it's early!

DOWNLOAD IT! As always, this mix is lovingly tagged as a compilation, complete with artwork similar to the image above. I think it's wonderful and I hope you do, too.

[ZIP]: The Slightly Premature "Fall Is Here!" Mix (27mb, 10 MP3s)

TRACKLIST:
A1. Times New Viking :: Teenage Lust!
A2. Bratmobile :: Gimme Brains
A3. Tiger Trap :: Sour Grass
A4. Pants Yell! :: The City Life
A5. Math and Physics Club :: White and Grey
B1. Allen Clapp :: Milky Way
B2. The Lil' Hospital :: Big Sister In Hollywood
B3. Heavenly :: Different Day
B4. Junebug :: Farewell To Emma
B5. Gaze :: Bob Again

Please enjoy!

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Requests for reposts of the old mixtape projects

I've gotten a lot of requests recently for me to repost the old Mixtape Projects [Sleepytime and Summer Drive], but I've got a problem. I would love to repost them for you guys, but I no longer have the original zip files I made for the "Mixtape Projects On-the-Go" post, and I unfortunately no longer have some of the songs that appeared on those Mixtape Projects...

So, the reason for this post is to ask if anyone out there still reading has saved the zip files from the "On-The-Go" post and wouldn't mind sending them to me so I can repost them for everyone. Okay, so if you've got them, please get in touch, you'll be making a lot of people happy!

Thanks,
Matt

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No Age: "My Life's Alright Without You"

Dean Spunt and Randy Randall are No Age. They're rad.

When i went to order my Abe Vigoda 7" from Post Present Medium a month or two or so ago I saw another 7" from another LA band by the name of No Age. Next Day I looked them up on myspace, and I've loved them ever since. They're crazy dudes, and they seemed to never stop releasing music this year. Since the first of the year they've released 4 EPs and 1 single – all of which combine (mostly) to form the FatCat-released full-length, Weirdo Rippers. Weirdo Rippers dances the line between noisy garage pop and just plain noise; sometimes standing clearly on one side or the other, and other times just straddling the damn thing, some songs seem almost split exactly down the middle. Let me note, though, that is in no way a flaw, it's a gift, it's one of the finest noisepop gifts I've been given all year. Check out some songs, and rock them out, really really loud.

[MP3]: No Age :: My Life's Alright Without You (Highly Rec'd!)
[MP3]: No Age :: Every Artist Needs A Tragedy (Highly Rec'd!)

Pick up Weirdo Rippers from FatCat Records.
No Age on MySpace!

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Manhattan Love Suicides: "Keep It Coming"

Brand new video for the Manhattan Love Suicides' "Keep It Coming", taken from their forthcoming limited edition Keep it Coming 7" EP. As expected, "Keep It Coming" oozes with that fuzzed out, feedback-laden, JAMC and Shop Assistants inspired sound that the MLS do so so well, and the video's pretty cool, too. The 7" is out in October on Lost Music Records in the UK. You should DEFINITELY pick it up.



In other MLS 7" news, their recently released, also limited edition, Kick It Back 7" EP is out now on Magic Marker records in the US and Squirrel Records in the UK. Grab that one, too. I Hiiiiiiighly Recommend everything they do.

Manhattan Love Suicides on MySpace!

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New Lil' Hospital Tracks!

Frank, Kevin, and Mat, purging paper throw-up.

Wow, I haven't done anything here for over a week! I've been busier than expected with school and work, but I'm gonna try to keep up here as best I can. Welly well well, let's get right back into it then.

The Lil' Hospital is a super excellent indiepop band originally from Philly, now calling Brooklyn, NY home. BUT YOU ALREADY KNEW THAT. Unless you DIDN'T, in which case you DO now. They released a fantastic album last year on Total Gaylord Records called Heavy Metal, that you could imagine sounds nothing like the name implies. Infact the band draws it's influences more from folks like The Television Personalities and early My Bloody Valentine. Anyway, Kevin's been slaving away on new stuff for the past year or so and he's kindly allowed me to preview two of the freshly recorded tracks here on Skatterbrain.

[MP3]: The Lil' Hospital :: She Goes With Satan Now (Highly Recommended!!)
[MP3]: The Lil' Hospital :: Saddest Things (Highly Recommended, too!)
These new songs seem to be following the Lil' Hospital guidelines pretty well, and then some. There's the jangly, sometimes twinkly guitar; then you've got the bouncy bassline; and Kevin's great lyrics are still great (and funny, as usual): "There's this girl from work that I am interested in, but word on the street is that she's into satan." I love the direction both of these songs are headed in, though. There's no HUGE changes in style, but the subtle changes are apparent and I'm liking them. The songs appear to sound a bit noisier and where most of Heavy Metal hovered around picked, twinkly area, these songs have got a big more garage-y feel to them. That should make sense, I think, once you hear the new songs. I'm so excited to hear more, and I'll let you know when I do!

The Lil Hospital on MySpace!

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Tillmanns: "Heavy Rotation"

'85 in '07

If there's one band out there right now absolutely nailing that 1980s Factory Records sound it's Göteborg's own Tillmanns. The Tillmanns lie somewhere between The Stockholm Monsters and The Wake, specifically around the Here Comes Everybody era. The duo have just released their first LP, A Careless Lifestyle, on Sweden's consistently flawless Fraction Discs and the first single, "Heavy Rotation," is a repeat-worthy kind of excellent!

[MP3]: Tillmanns :: Heavy Rotation (Real Highly Recommended!)

You can pick A Careless Lifestyle, as well as their previous 7", from Fraction Discs right over here. Might I also suggest Liechtenstein's "Stalking Skills" 7" while you're poking around over there. ;)

Tillmans on MySpace

ELSEWHERING:
My pal Chris just started a pretty SWEET contest over at Culture Bully today. What kind of contest? Well it's his "second annual month-long Choose Your Own Giveaway contest where you have the opportunity to choose the prize you want each and every day during the month of September! Today’s options are: The New Pornographers, Bon Iver, The Twilight Sad, Pela & Kate Walsh." Can't beat that! Head over to Culture Bully for more details on how to enter. He also just launched a brand new site design, so go tell him how great it looks!

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