That’s right, guys, Nu Rave Brain Wave is four years old today. To celebrate, I used really poor grammar and absolutely zero effort on a beautiful photograph of me from this year — exactly how I like to be seen, in cashmere and David Yurman about to grab a pug. So thank you all for reading, commenting (if you ever have, and if you haven’t a few “fuck yeahs” every now and then isn’t so hard, now is it?), tweeting, facebooking or interacting in any way with me, or enjoying anything I’ve posted. Shout out to all the bands and people whose music I enjoy and who email me good stuff all the time, without you, I’d just be sitting around watching TV (okay, I do that too, whatever).

Find below, a mix of some of my favorite songs that just sprung to mind when I remembered that today was our birthday! Yeah!

01 Harlem – Goodbye Horses
02 Hypocrite In A Hippy Crypt – Town Crazies
03 Danger Beach – Lakes (feat TV Colours)
04 Amanaz – Khala My Friend
05 The Growlers – Hawaiian Mama
06 Sonny & The Sandwitches – Throw My Ashes From This Pier When I Die
07 Shannon & The Clams – You Will Always Bring Me Flowers
08 Chuck Berry – Time Was (Slow Version)
09 Personal & The Pizzas – Toss That Pie
10 Dune Rats – Colour Television
11 Bob Dylan – From A Buick 6
12 Mojo Watson – You Know You Don’t Want Me
13 The Shirelles – Mama Said

zip file: Nu Rave Brain Wave’s 4th Birthday Extravaganza Mix [40.2 mb]

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.

2010 has been a pretty fun year for music. Every year, I discover more music, better music, and sometimes it cracks me up to see how my music taste grows and differs as the years go by, but I think 2010 has been a great year for new bands and kickass albums. I’ve compiled my list of 10 albums that I really loved, 5 EPs that just got to me, and then 30 songs that I’ve called Top Songs, but they’re just 30 songs that I liked a hell of a lot and came to me as I thought about it and scanned carelessly through iTunes. It’s interesting to note that half of my favorite albums are from California bands.

Top 10 Albums of 2010

10 Ty Segall | Melted | Goner

mp3 :: Ty Segall - Melted

09 Woven Bones | In & Out & Back Again | Hozac

mp3 :: Woven Bones - I\'ve Gotta Get

08 Dead Ghosts | S/T | Florida’s Dying

mp3 :: Dead Ghosts - When It Comes To You

07 Heavy Hawaii | HH | Artfag Records

mp3 :: Heavy Hawaii - Teen Angel

06 The Strange Boys | Be Brave | In The Red

mp3 :: The Strange Boys - Be Brave

05 Fool’s Gold | Fool’s Gold | IAMSOUND Records

mp3 :: Fool\'s Gold - Surprise Hotel

04 Avi Buffalo | Avi Buffalo | Subpop

mp3 :: Avi Buffalo - What\'s In It For?

03 The Soft Pack | The Soft Pack | Mexican Summer

mp3 :: The Soft Pack - C\'Mon

02 Harlem | Hippies | Matador

mp3 :: Harlem - Friendly Ghost

01 Happy Birthday | Happy Birthday | Subpop

mp3 :: Happy Birthday - Girls FM

________________________________________________________________

Top 5 EPs of 2010

05 Monster Rally | Monster Rally EP | Self Released

mp3 :: Monster Rally - Maori Mai

04 Unouomedude | Marsh EP | Self Released

mp3 :: Unouomedude - Buildings

03 Caitlin Rose | Dead Flowers EP | Names Records

mp3 :: Caitlin Rose - Docket

02 Sex Beet | EP | TBA

mp3 :: Sex Beet - Sugar Water

(note: this is totally not the artwork, as this isn’t released yet, but the EP is too good to not be included on this list.)

01 The Growlers | Hot Tropics EP | Everloving

mp3 :: The Growlers - Graveyard\'s Full

________________________________________________________________

Top 30 Songs of 2010:

01 The Babies | Meet Me In The City | Listen

02 Happy Birthday | Perverted Girl | Listen

03 Sex Beet | Stay

04 Friends | Make It Better

05 The Meanest Boys | Strangest Things

06 Tennis | South Carolina | Listen

07 Spectrals | Leave Me Be | Listen

08 Family Trees | Dream Talkin’ | Listen

09 Cee Lo Green | Fuck You | Listen

10 Sonny & The Sunsets | Too Young To Burn | Listen

11 Beach Fossils| Sometimes | Listen

12 Woven Bones | Wanna Tell Ya | Listen

13 Ty Segall | Bullet Proof Nothing

14 Surfer Blood | Take It Easy | Listen

15 School Knights | Lunch Money

16 Happy Birthday | Subliminal Message | Listen

17 The Growlers | Sea Lion Goth Blues | Listen

18 Unouomedude | Buildings | Listen

19 The Strange Boys | Laugh At Sex (Not At Her) | Listen

20 Mind Spiders | World’s Destroyed

21 Fair Ohs | Hey Lizzy | Listen

22 Fergus & Geronimo | Girls With English Accents

23 French Kissing | You Just Don’t Know What Love Is For

24 Sweaters | Fruit On The Vine

25 Demon’s Claws | Fucked on K | Listen

26 Swampmeat | Brand New Cadillac

27 Gaoler’s Daughter | Meet You On The Other Side of the World

28 Shimmering Stars | I’m Gonna Try | Listen

29 My Pet Saddle | Il Fait Beau | Listen

30 Cults | Go Outside | Listen

The 2nd of October is a special day every year. Ghandi and Nat Turner were born on this day. Peanuts was first published on this day. But most importantly, it was the day I was born. And this year, I’m going to be celebrating 22 full years on this earth. Honestly, I never thought I’d make it this far, but I did! This all said, I think October 2nd is going to be one of the best days for live music all year. Don’t believe me? Look whats on:

• Matador 21 will be taking over the Palms to present Pavement, Sonic Youth, Harlem,Kurt Vile and more over this surely Lost Weekend. Tickets are long sold out, but it’s sure to be one of the craziest weekends of music all year.
• Scion, Vice, and Garage bands all over the world are bringing some of the best up-and-comers and current buzzbands are bringing themselves out of the basement and into Laurence, KS for another Scion Garage Fest on October 2nd for a small, free, 21+ festival. The fest will bring Happy Birthday, Best Coast, King Khan & The Shrines, The Oh Sees, Cloud Nothings and Sex Beet to your grateful, waiting ears. And best of all, all you have to do is RSVP. Oh and get to Laurence.
• Yoko Ono and the Plastic Ono Band will overtake the Greek Theatre in Los Feliz with uber special guests: RZA, tUnE-yArDs and Lady Gaga on October 2nd. Pick up tickets before they sell out ASAP.

Um, where will I be? Probably some dismal pub in cold, fucking England.

mp3 | Best Coast - Boyfriend
mp3 | Pavement - Shady Layne (LIVE EUROPATURNÉN MCMXCVII)
mp3 | Happy Birthday - 2 Shy

Some of our favorite Austinites, Harlem, have released a new video for their track ‘Someday Soon’. Watch the video below.

These crazy/hilarious dudes are also playing a date here in LA very, very soon (although you do have to pick between Ariel Pink & these dudes…) so check them out live…

HARLEM \ BLACK APPLES \ AUDACITY
Live | at the Echo
July 9th, 2010
Buy Tickets | Ticketweb

mp3 | Harlem – Friendly Ghost

Harlem | Hippies
Happy Birthday | Happy Birthday
Avi Buffalo | Avi Buffalo
Monster Rally | Monster Rally
Woven Bones | In & Out & Back Again
Fionn Regan | The Shadow of an Empire
The Strange Boys | Be Brave
Best Coast | Sun Was High 7”
Caitlin Rose | Dead Flowers EP
Fool’s Gold | Fool’s Gold
The Soft Pack | The Soft Pack
The Growlers | Daytrotter Session
Gaoler’s Daughter | The Only Way To Travel
Surfer Blood | Astrocoast
Neverever | Angelic Swells

Amsterdam Acoustics : Harlem – Tila from AMSTERDAMACOUSTICS on Vimeo.

Harlem, on their tiny, tiny, itty-bitty-witty Europe tour, (okay, just bitter they didn’t come to Brighton, really) stopped off in Amsterdam and recorded this acoustic version of Tila & I, one of our favorite tracks of their record Hippies (a NRBW favorite). So check that out above – and GUESS WHAT? They’re coming to LA!

JULY 9 | HARLEM
with: BLACK APPLES & AUDACITY
@ THE ECHO
1822 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA

BUY TICKETS AT TICKETWEB FOR ONLY $10 (DEAL!)

DOWNLOAD -> Harlem – Friendly Ghost

Love this band. Check them out on twitter, seriously, they’re the funniest.

The Strange Boys

If you read this blog regularly, you’re aware of our well-documented love of Austin’s own Strange Boys. Although we’ve not fallen for their second album as swiftly as we fell for their practically perfect ‘And Girls’ LP, we know that their live show will always deliver. They’ve got a new lineup – drummer, sax and Tim Pressley from Darker My Love and it will be interesting to see what they’ve got to offer on the live front now that the stage will be a little more crowded. They’re only playing the Wednesday so they can carry on the rest of their US tour, so be sure to check them out early, while you can.

DOWNLOAD ->The Strange Boys – Be Brave

Harlem

Harlem has been one of my favorite new musical discoveries of the year. You can probably guess what they’re like – lo-fi, garagey music with “hidden” pop tunes. Harlem’s new record ‘Hippies’ is filled with some of the catchiest songs I’ve heard all year long – ‘Friendly Ghost’ is witty and prime for shouting along to; ‘Tila and I’ and ‘Gay Human Bones’ stand out as best of ‘Hippies’. I wouldn’t miss Austin-via-Tucson’s Harlem who will be one of the standouts this year.

DOWNLOAD -> Harlem – Friendly Ghost

Magic Kids

Magic Kids are, to me, kind of what Los Campesinos! were in 2008. They’re a little bit twee, a lot quirky, but all in all a ton of fun. They also have extremely catchy songs – well, the two that I’ve been addicted to were, at any rate. If I was to guess, I’d say they’re going to wind up as just a kitchy little band, not go the way LC! have really, but that’s not to say they won’t put on a fun show in Austin, so I’d catch them, but only if you have the time.

DOWNLOAD -> Magic Kids – Superball

Fool’s Gold

Another NRBW live favorite, Fool’s Gold is going to be playing this years SXSW again. We loved their debut album ‘Fool’s Gold’ with its sense of whimsy, rhythm and communal experience – I even gave it like a 7/10 or something on DiS! – and can’t wait to see how they’ve improved as a live band since we saw them last April. If you’re looking to dance or if you want to have a really fun, uplifting, communal live experience – Fool’s Gold will fulfill that need beautifully.

DOWNLOAD -> Fool’s Gold – Surprise Hotel

Surfer Blood

The more I listen to ‘Astrocoast’ the more taken I am with this band – what started out as a casual listen has blossomed into something much more. There’s something instantly likable about their polished tunes – perhaps it’s the voice that owes more to Panda Bear than Cole Alexander, perhaps its the danceable instrumentation, or the delicate heartbreak layed bare throughout the album or even the wit and charm (“Coupled with a weakness for cocaine and liquor”, anyone?) of the entire album. I don’t know which of those things it is but ‘Astrocoast’ is growing on me and lucky for us, Surfer Blood is playing about 5 times a day during SXSW so hopefully everyone will have the chance to catch them.

DOWNLOAD -> Surfer Blood – Take It Easy

She Keeps Bees

Lo-fi, bedroom, sexy… What can I say about She Keeps Bees? The interplay between the members, the blues, the dirtiness of the recordings – it all comes together in a really messy little package that’s practically bursting with delight. Jessica’s vocals are beautiful and tortured on record and I can’t wait to see how they translate live. The simplicity and the timeliness of their songs is sure to make a memorable set – don’t miss out on this band – I was forced to on Valentines Day and I’ve been depressed ever since.

DOWNLOAD -> She Keeps Bees – Gimmie (Live)

Lissie

I’m gonna be straight up honest here – I don’t know a lot about Lissie. But what I do know is that the girl has an enchanting voice. A lot of people reference like 70s Laurel Canyon talking about her – and I have to agree a little bit. There’s something a little country backwoods about her (perhaps it’s because she lives in Ojai) but there’s also something really contemporary, something like female-Fionn-Regan about her. I am basing this recommendation on the strength of her Bob Dylan cover of ‘To Ramona’. Give it a listen. If you’re not taken with her voice, well, you suck.

DOWNLOAD -> Lissie – To Ramona (cover of Bob Dylan)