MGMT chat with NME

MGMT's Andrew Vanwyngarden sat down for a Q&A with NME recently. He did not explain, nor apologize for the diarrhea bomb that is "Flash Delirium".

VIDEO: Yeasayer - "O.N.E."

I'll admit it. It took quite a few listens of Yeasayer's new album Odd Blood for it to really grow on me. Then one day it just clicked, THIS ALBUM IS FUCKING AWESOME! I can't explain it, nor will I even try. But since warming up to it, "O.N.E." has skyrocketed near the top of my list for Best Tracks of 2010. Check out the new official video below.

New MGMT - "Flash Delirium"

So much for not releasing any singles for their new album, Congratulations. Although I guess you would call this more of a sample song than a single. I don't see this getting played on the radio AT ALL. That's not to say I don't like it, it's interesting. At times it can feel a little disconnected and I hope it's not supposed to be one of the stand-out tracks. Coming from a huge MGMT fan, this just seems a little blah.

MGMT - "Flash Delirium"


Download it.

Band of Horses New Album

Band of Horses released one of my favorite albums of all-time with the release of Cease to Begin, so needless to say, I've been itching for the follow up worse than an Atlantic City Hooker looking for a Trick. The band's third album Infinite Arms, now has a May 18th release date and BoH have also given us a peek at the cover art. Reports of the band searching for a label to release the album have ended, as BoH now have 3 labels on board to release the album. Brown Records/Fat Possum/Columbia.

Ode To LRC - Band Of Horses

VIDEO: Phoenix "Litszomania" (Elementary School Choir)

I'll never get tired of all the cool things that have been done to "Lisztomania" since it's release. Here's a video of a New York City Chorus teacher and his clearly passionate 5th grade class performing the song.

Interview: The Whipping Post vs. Shark?

Whipping Post favorite Shark? were cool enough to grant me an interview before they head off to SXSW to melt some unsuspecting faces. The guys give us a peek into who influenced them at a young age, trying to make it as a successful band in Brooklyn, and the decision to give away all their music FO' FREE.

The Whipping Post: Seriously, what is it about Brooklyn bands, they're everywhere.....and good! Is it something in the beer?
Kevin Diamond: It's a matter of people of a like mind searching for a hub. The hub can be anywhere: Portland, San Fran, Brooklyn, Baltimore.
Andy Kinsey: We're in the middle of an amazing period that will never be repeated.

WP: With so many bands in the Brooklyn scene, do you find it hard to set yourselves apart? Is there a lot of competition?
KD: It's actually one of the main benefits to being in Brooklyn. You meet so many like-minded bands and musicians and you end up playing together a lot, putting each other on your bills, and it's like some kind of support system.
AK: We're all in it together, so it's pretty simpatico.

WP: You're hitting SXSW soon. What are you looking forward to the most?
KD: Excited to check the city out, going to Todd P's MtyMx festival immediately afterwards. That should be a blast.

WP: You're sound is so unique to everything else out there today. What types of recording techniques do you use to get that "lo-fi underground garage" sound?

KD: All the recordings we have right now were done (mostly) by me alone, in our practice studio or in my apartment. I'd say the main technique I utilize is a combination of trial and error and happy accidents working in unison. Most of my favorite recorded moments were initially mistakes. We've recently begun recording together as a band, which is adding a bit of polish that I think is welcome, though I'm sure I'll make a mess all over the final product before I show it to anybody. I love a good mess.
AK: 8 track cassette recorders, elvis mics, pure luck and coincidence.

WP: What bands influenced you growing up?
KD: I was a new wave kid growing up. That was my doorway into post punk, and then punk. I guess I did it all backwards. Divo, XTC, Oingo Boingo, Talking Heads.
Andy Swerdlow: I listened to a lot of blues growing up. Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf. I used to go to the record store and find the dirtiest sounding band I could.

WP: Any current bands influence you? Not someone who you necessarily enjoy listening to, but someone who you might hear and say "man I'd like to try that out in the studio"?
KD: There's a band from Atlanta called Carnivores that I'm in love with. We played with them recently. Ty Segall, Screaming Females, Jeff the Brotherhood, Blank Dogs. Cloud Nothings are amazing cause that kid is only 18. My music sucked when I was 18.
AS: Radiohead has been doing some amazing things with distortion for a long time. Surfer Blood got some really great vocal sounds.

WP: You guys are quickly becoming known for your live shows. How do you keep up that enthusiasm day in day out?
KD: Oh man, it's not hard to keep enthusiastic about it; it's the best part for me. Even if there are two people in the audience, which happens a lot in BK, I want those two people to have the best time in the world.

WP: What do you wish people would take away from one of your shows?
AK: A hangover

WP: Do you guys have day jobs?
KD: Doesn't everybody?
AK: Yes and no. a combination of unemployment, mac & cheese, and physical labor.
AS: sloppin' mashed potatoes on yo' plate!

WP: There are a few very basic types in every successful band: your rebel, your shy bashful type, and your heartthrob. So who's who?
Shark?: Rebel - Kevin. Shy and bashful - Andy K. Heartthob - Andy S.

WP: Alright time for the lightning round....Beatles or Stones?
Shark?: Kinks

WP: Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, or Aziz Ansari?
Shark?: The red haired cable guy from the Verizon commercials.

WP: Britney.....still do-able?
Shark?: Don't know about that one, but Toxic is one of the best songs ever recorded.....so yes.

WP: Ad-lib: I (blank) when I hear (blank)
Shark?: I SHIT when I hear AFRO POP

WP: Musical guilty pleasures?
KD: I love pop shit. Party in the USA is one of the best songs of all time. NOBODY DOESN'T LIKE THAT SONG!

WP: If the band turned into Survivor, who gets kicked off first and why?
KD: Swerdlow because he never showers!
AK: NOT Swerdlow, he makes McGyver look like a handyman.

WP: Best band of the 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90's. One per decade.
KD: Zombies, Devo, Replacements, Pavement.
AK: CCR, Wire, Pixies, Breeders.

WP: Offering up all of your music for free over at your bandcamp page is like a gift from Jesus. What made you decide to give it away?
KD: It doesn't cost me anything to make it, so why charge people for it? I'd rather have people hear it, like it, come to a show and enjoy themselves. When it comes to renting out a studio, paying for a producer and an engineer, and pressing CD's and stuff, then we'll charge cause otherwise we'd go broke.

WP: What's your ultimate goal as a band?
KD: FUN FUN FUN! I want asses shaking and heads bobbing and drinks beign drank!
AK: To rule.
AS: Melt faces and/or pants!


Make sure to visit the Shark's bandcamp for your copy of Noise Maker.


Shark? - "Tesla"


Download it play it over and over and over and over....

VIDEO: Summer Camp - "Ghost Train"

Here's the new video from one of London's indie-pop favorites, Summer Camp. Their Ghost Train 7" arrives in April. Pre-order it here.

Two-A-Days: Lookbook and East Hundred

Without me consciously knowing about it until earlier today, I've become a huge fan of the guy-girl indie pop duo as of late. The Minneapolis duo Lookbook released their debut full-length, Wild At Heart, a few weeks ago FO' FREE (well, pay what you want). Go grab it. High energy synth pop with an 80's heartbreak vibe, it reminds me a lot of The Sounds. Lookbook just wrapped up their latest tour, so you've got some listening time before they come back around!

Lookbook - "Yesterday's Company"


Lookbook - "Over and Over"


Download "Yesterday's Company"
Download "Over and Over"

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In keeping with the female fronted theme, I'm just going to come out in say it....I'm in love with East Hundred's Beril Guceri. I still routinely play the demos I received in 2007 and although it's been more than a year since their Passenger release, this unsigned (still?!?!) band's music refuses to age. Heartache and hope lead to success. Here's hoping to some new East Hundred in the near future.

East Hundred - "Plus Minus"


East Hundred - "Slow Burning Crimes"


Download "Plus minus"
Download "Slow Burning Crimes"

MP3 Grab Bag

While everyone else is waiting for the Drake album to drop, I'm sittin' here itching for some new YONAS. Formerly known as CAUSE, he has a lot to share with the world. And to prove it, he's offered up his latest album, I Am Us, FO' FREE download over at his myspace. Listening to his "Ayo Technology" remix from a while back got me in the remix/cover mood. So I thought I'd throw a few out there. Happy Friday. And as always, you're going to start needing a lala.com account to listen to most of these. Quick, easy, free, and you're done.



Want them forever and ever?

1.) Yonas (Formerly Cause) - "Ayo Technolgy" (Remix)
2.) Florence + The Machine - "You've Got The Love" (The xx Remix)
3.) Amazing Baby - "Heart of Stone" (Ravonettes Cover)
4.) Editors - "Feel Good Inc." (Gorillaz Cover)

The Whipping Post - Official like a referee with a whistle.

VIDEO: OK Go - "This Too Shall Pass"

I caught myself watching OK Go's new video for the 27th time in 3 days and realized I never posted it. The band is known for it's off the wall videos and this one is no exception. It starts off with a simple fall of a domino, triggering a 4 minute hell storm of a life-size game of Mouse Trap. Definitely a must watch.



How many failed attempts do you think this took to get down?

NEW! Kidz In The Hall Ft. Just Blaze and Colin Monroe "Take Over The World"

This song comes off the Kidz In The Hall 3rd album, The Land of Make Believe.

"Take Over The World"


Keep it.

Two-A-Days: Phantogram and Beach Fossils

Phantogram's debut LP, Eyelid Movies, has been in seriously heavy rotation since it was released in February. The guy/girl duo take the chillness of The xx, combine it with the moodiness of Metric, and add just a touch of YACHT's electro-laden beats. I can't get enough of these two lately.



Download that hotness.

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Beach Fossils is a band from Brooklyn (where else?), who crafts some really catchy lo-fi guitar tunage. These songs should be a soundtrack to a movie where the only scene is kids driving an old beat up convertible down a long stretch of desert highway with the sun shining down on their glistening faces and the cool breeze generating nothing but smiles. The band's debut full length will be released sometime this spring.

Mumford and Sons - "Cousins" (Vampire Weekend Cover)

Mumford and Sons stopped by BBC Live Lounge and performed a great cover of Vampire Weekend's "Cousins". Probably the best track off what was a blah album by VW, Mumford and Sons really take the song and make it their own, taking things nice and slow through the first chorus and then take off at 100 MPH.

Mumford and Sons - "Cousins"


Download it for keeps.

Black Keys Announce New Album

The rumors are true. Black Keys will be releasing a new album, Brothers, to be released in May. Hopefully its more like Thickfreakness and less like Attack & Release.


Brothers Tracklist:
1.) Everlasting Light
2.) Next Girl
3.) Tighten Up
4.) Howlin' For You
5.) She's Long Gone
6.) Black Mud
7.) The Only One
8.) Too Afraid To Love You
9.) Ten Cent Pistol
10.) Sinister Kid
11.) The Go Getter
12.) I'm Not The One
13.) Unknown Brother
14.) Never Gonna Give You Up
15.) These Days

Thickfreakness - The Black Key...

Stream/Download New Morning Benders and Portugal. The Man Albums

Try it before you buy it. One of my favorites, Portugal. The Man, couldn't wait until the official release date (today) to give people a taste. The released their new album, American Ghetto, for stream and download yesterday. Also, The Morning Benders released Big Echo for full stream today; an album I'm sure will see 487 online reviews by the end of the day. You'll try to escape it, but it won't be possible. I've taken a listen to both albums and they're great. Listen for yourself, then buy it.