Just ’cause they’re label-approved doesn’t mean they suck. Here are the notable up-for-grabs MP3s sent to us by PR flacks this week.

  • Belle And Sebastian – “Another Sunny Day” (MP3)
  • Division Day – “Color Guard” (MP3)
  • Eels – “Bus Stop Boxer” (Live With Strings) (MP3)
  • Elefant – “Lolita” (MP3)
  • Magnet – “Hold On” (MP3)
  • Pretty Girls Make Graves – “The Nocturnal House” (MP3)
  • Robert Pollard – “Dancing Girls And Dancing Men” (MP3)
  • Tapes ‘N Tapes – “Omaha” (MP3)
  • Test Icicles – “Circle Triangle Square” (MP3)

    Tell us who you’d like to hear more of!

    Also, via Ryan, new Lilys at MySpace!

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    Comments (29)
    1. Mas Eels. I think it’s sort of a giant shame that everyone overlooked the Blinking Lights album at years end.

    2. in the case of elefant it is crap and all the bloggers who cut and pasted the press release were led to the water to drink from the dirty river of approved “indie” rawcck

      eels on the other hand is pretty cool, ironic though that the promo copy of the disc shipped by Vagrant was copy protected thus bloggers had their hands tied by this “independent punk” label

    3. Blinking Lights prolly would’ve made more lists if it wouldn’t have been a double album.

      Speaking of double albums… love the Robert Pollard!

    4. i’m kind of surprised by the blinking lights praise. maybe it was because it was a double album, but i just found it annoying to listen to. it was almost preachy, and just about how much more emotionally in touch Mr. E is than me and how artistic he can be with his feelings that are apparently unique to only him.

      it actually totally turned me off eels after having listened to them for a while

    5. just adding to ^^^^, it may have come off a bit harsh.

      i mean, it’s all nice and cute and fluffy at first, but by track 34 i wanted to smash things.
      ok there i’m done, i promise

    6. sweet dude, thankx

      and btw, i realllly want some m.i.a. i cant fidn it anywhere n i dun have a credit card…so i cant buy it…gimme sometin…belle n sebastian r good thanks

    7. The world needs more Laura Cantrell. Lots more Laura Cantrell. I know you didn’t link to her, but there are two free mp3s (and many others by many artists) on the Matador Records download page (from whence the wonderful lil’ Belle and Sebastian mp3 you linked to came from, apparently):
      http://www.matadorrecords.com/music/mp3s.html

    8. really dig the division day, thanks for always posting good stuff.

    9. richard kirk  |   Posted on Jan 14th, 2006

      free stuff

    10. drewseph_4  |   Posted on Jan 14th, 2006

      i vote for mucho Elefant.
      thanks for the mp3s…

    11. I would like to hear more from Love Is All… They’re a little hard to track down.

    12. jack  |   Posted on Jan 14th, 2006

      that test icicles track is ridiculous. it’s like they mixed the rapture w/the blood brothers. a dream come true

    13. brian  |   Posted on Jan 14th, 2006

      im so glad division day is getting their name out.

    14. Pret-a-Porter  |   Posted on Jan 14th, 2006

      TAPES N TAPES. Although Omaha is not their best song.

    15. The Tapes N Tapes and Magnet were very nice, esp. the former; the Magnet got a bit cheesy, but at the start was quite solid. And despite the apparently massive scorn for Elefant, it sounds okay to me. Some new Kelley Stoltz stuff might be interesting – the free tracks of his that they’ve had over at Sub Pop are nice.

      I’m a bit dubious of the B&S. Maybe I just like their old stuff too much.

    16. Richard  |   Posted on Jan 14th, 2006

      I second any Laura Cantrell plea. Though her website is rife with downloads (sure to induce something akin to religious conversion in the casual listener), there can never be enough Laura Cantrell downloads.

    17. Peck  |   Posted on Jan 14th, 2006

      Love Is All links: (not sure if you have heard these)

      http://www.myspace.com/loveisall8
      http://www.myspace.com/whatsyourrupture

      The rest of the album is worth hunting down, as well.

    18. wow, that’s why i read stereogum. i’ve never heard of pollard, but i hunted down a few more songs and i likey. like, thanks, stereogum!

      love is all is definitely worth checking out. i won’t be cherishing their stuff years from now, but it’s awesome to jump around to.

    19. trackeightytwo  |   Posted on Jan 14th, 2006

      Eels’ Blinking Lights was a bit lengthy and could definately weigh you down while simultaneously smothering you with syrupy melodies, but that doesn’t mean I don’t dig ‘em. The Eels with Strings tour was simply amazing (I saw them in Toronto), making me wish that the album had been recorded the way they were performed live…But now I hear there will be a live disc and DVD of the Eels with Strings, so I’m pumped. So in summary, more Eels. And more other stuff too. I like stuff.

    20. kylie  |   Posted on Jan 14th, 2006

      man, the new belle & sebastian album is so effing stellar! i can’t wait for the U.S. tour.

    21. kenicke  |   Posted on Jan 15th, 2006

      more division day!!!

      saw them live in san jose, they rock my socks off.

    22. fed ex pope  |   Posted on Jan 15th, 2006

      why no love for pretty girls make graves? you guys suck.

    23. erm, might i suggest… the weird weeds? you just might like them sam i am…

    24. john boy  |   Posted on Jan 15th, 2006

      that divison day remind anybody else of the eighties somehow? naked eyes “promises promises” maybe? kajagoogoo? something familiar sounding there. still pretty good though…

    25. Adam  |   Posted on Jan 15th, 2006

      The Division Day song is epic… holy shit!!!

    26. madcap  |   Posted on Jan 16th, 2006

      wow, never heard of bob pollard?! guided by voices=best band on the planet. pollard=genius grandmaster of all things rock.

    27. snatch  |   Posted on Jan 16th, 2006

      Belle & Sebastian takes the chequered flag out of that lot…easily

    28. More Pretty Girls Make Graves please!

    29. purple dinosaur  |   Posted on Aug 1st, 2006

      Test Icicles Rock!!!!!!!!!!!!
      Such a shame they broke up! Oh well, plenty of other great bands out there! Boa vs Python is a great song of theirs. Thanx for the free mp3 anyway :o )

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