Nu Rave Brain Wave

On Friday the 13th, I got my hands on a copy of the great compilation released by Cactus-Mouth, Tears on My Pillow: Part II. It features our longtime favorites, School Knights, taking on Del Shannon’s ‘Runaway‘, sounding as tight and as reverberated as ever. They can pretty much do no wrong. One of our favorite Canadian bands, Shimmering Stars, keep to their deep rooted vintage sound with excellent harmonies on their take of Mickey & Sylvia’s ‘Love Is Strange‘ with guest vocals from Sue McClure. Also featured are the great Cloud Nothings, our new favorite Tennessian’s Acid Glasses, and Lizard Kisses. Download two tasters below, or head over to Cactus-Mouth to download the whole thing for freesies.

mp3: School Knights – Runaway (Del Shannon Cover)
mp3:Shimmering Stars – Love Is Strange (ft. Sue McClure) (Mickey & Sylvia Cover)

The Great blog I Guess I’m Floating just released info for their SXSW party called “Floating Fest” which you can attend on Thursday, March 17. Catch the great bands above, for free, if youre 21+ at Lovejoy’s on the corner of 6th and Neches between 12-8pm. Find the schedule below.

12:00 – Eureka Birds
12:45 – Sun Airway
1:30 – Braids
2:15 – Idiot Glee
3:00 – Wise Blood
3:45 – Grouplove
4:30 – Young Man
5:15 – TV Girl
6:00 – Cloud Nothings
6:40 – Unknown Mortal Orchestra
7:15 – Baths

mp3 | Cloud Nothings – Morgan

I love doing year end roundup coverage and I’m still waiting to put up the bands to watch list, so I thought we’d highlight some of the great bands we discovered over the past year. Some of them made our 2011 bands to watch list, some of them didn’t, some of them aren’t even NEW but rest assured they all rule. As per the usual, you can download a great mp3 from each of the bands at the links.

The Strangers Family Band
Les Rallizes Denudes
Best Coast
Happy Birthday
Neverever
Caitlin Rose
Eternal Summers
Wild Palms
Harlem
Exlovers
White Fence
Spectrals
Cloud Nothings
Hey Sholay
The Invisible Hand
Fair Ohs
Monster Rally
Family Trees
Silver Machine
Tennis
Hot Spa
Fergus & Geronimo
The Jim Jones Revue
Superhumanoids
Jeffertitti’s Nile
Mind Spiders
Shimmering Stars
Young Sinclairs
Son of Rams
Guards
The N.E.C
Balkans
Velvet Davenport
Dominant Legs
The Splinters
Unouomedude
The Vaccines
The Babies
Ducktails
Las Robertas
Heavy Hawaii
Francois & The Atlas Mountains
Myelin Sheaths
Pete Drake
Mess Folk
Black Mekon
Man The Hunter
Navajo Bixby
Wetdog
Demon’s Claws
Cheveu
French Kissing
Whatever Brains
The Castillians
Bass Drum of Death
Dead Ghosts
Swampmeat
Sonny & The Sandwitches
Fanzine
Crusaders of Love
Wombs
Moonhearts
Bleeding Knees Club
Straight Arrows
Hello My Name Is Red
Sauna Youth
School Knights
Tree Hopping
The Meanest Boys
Friends
Ghost Outfit

And due to high demand you can download a track from each artist put into a zip folder right here.

Can I take a moment to brag real fast? It’s the beginning of November and I already have my SXSW Badge purchased, hotel booked and will get someone to get my flight in order probably pretty soon. FUCK YEAH. I am the best. And in honor of my bestitude, SXSW have released the first bands to be playing the best week of the year, and it is with much excitement that I am preparing to get myself ready for March. Check ‘em out and get ready for this blog to become completely unreadable for the 1,000s of SXSW posts we’ll be making:

A Place To Bury Strangers
Candy Claws
Cloud Nothings
Erykah Badu
Klaxons
Le Butcherettes
Light Pollution
Micachu and The Shapes
Toro y Moi
Veronica Falls

View the full list so far over at SXSW.

True Panther is coming at you with some great shit today from  Real Estate. Two brand new songs, “Out of Tune” and “Reservoir”. “Out of Tune” was recorded by Jarvis Taveniere and features some synthwork by Daniel Lopatin (aka Oneohtrix Point Never)..  Available on 7″ and Digital Single 10/12/10. Pre-order HERE and listen below:

Out Of Tune by truepanther

Also from True Panther today is the great Cleveland band, Cloud Nothings, who have got four new songs. These songs are exclusive to this single, not featured on the collection on Carpark (which as I mentioned before will be great). Songs are Leave You Forever/Talk To Me/Weird Son/You Were Scared. Available on 7″ and Digital Single 10/12/10. 7″ pressing limited to 500 copies, no repress. Pre-order HERE and take a peek below…

Leave You Forever by truepanther

Another good Midwesterner, Cloud Nothings announced a new compilation. He’s had numerous releases and the best of them will appear on Turning On which will reach your ears on 12th October via Carpark and will feature super, ultra, incredibly catchy, whimsical ‘Morgan’.

01 Cant Stay Awake
02 Old Street
03 You Are Opening
04 Turning On
05 Hey Cool Kid
06 Water Turns Back
07 Whaddya Wanna Know
08 Real Thing
09 Strummin
10 My Little Raygun
11 I Am Rooftop
12 Morgan
13 Another Man

mp3 | Cloud Nothings - Morgan

Photo Courtesy of | Melissa K

I’ve been very hesitant to jump onto the Cloud Nothings bandwagon (well, if you can even call it that – it’s kind of like saying that people are waiting to jump on England National Football team’s bandwagon or something) due to the fact that something about them just screams hipsters in sweaters making really annoying music. But then, at the same time, I’ve also listened to their album and enjoyed it a few times and have been really into their song ‘Morgan’ as well. With bands like this, I often like to check them out live before really making my decision, but with Cloud Nothings, I haven’t gotten off my ass to try and check them out. However, thanks to the NYC Taper, I was able to listen to a recording of their June 24th gig at the Knitting Factory, Brooklyn. Isn’t it funny how buzz bands play one venue in NYC, like Knitting Factory, but if they played K.F. in LA, it would have to be because they were the biggest joke in the world? Anyway, it’s a really excellent recording of a great gig, which somehow has convinced me onto the Cloud Nothings bandwagon and certainly convinced me to see these dudes live. You can too (if you live in OH or IL – and if so, sorry!):

Jul 17 2010 | SUBTERRANEAN w/ KURT VILE Chicago, IL
Jul 28 2010 | BELIEVELAND w/ CAMPFIRES and SWIMSUIT Cleveland, OH
Aug 7 2010 | SQUARE RECORDS Cleveland, OH
Aug 26 2010 | BELIEVELAND w/ DINOSAUR FEATHERS, FATTY ACIDS, and LONNIE WALKER Cleveland, OH

mp3 | Cloud Nothings - Morgan (live at Brookyln Knitting Factory)

From my new favorite blawg ever, because this track is too good not to pass on, GvsB, “Here’s a punchy, insanely catchy new jam from young Cleveland lo-fi pop prodigy Cloud Nothings, taken from the a-side of his brand new white label 7″, out today via Group Tightener. Limited to 250 hand-stamped/numbered copies, which will inevitably be gone soon. Look for a 12″ in the near future on Group Tightener, and catch Cloud Nothings at SXSW / MTYMX.”

DOWNLOAD -> Cloud Nothings – Morgan