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The Wrens - "In Turkish Waters"
In January, The Lifted Brow, a biannual "50% fiction and 50% everything else" Melbourne-based magazine, is putting out an issue that includes two CDs with exclusive music from Spiral Stairs, the Magnetic Fields' Claudia Gonson, Frightened Rabbit, and Dan Deacon, among others. One of those others is the Wrens, whose "In Turkish Waters" debuts in this week's Drop. Wrens bassist/vocalist Kevin Whelan told us about the track:
This is a Wrens demo that I worked up for the band in our kitchen in our New Jersey band house. Eventually another Wrens version will see the light of day ... hopefully, the light of that day will be before 2015...
He also let us know that the Wrens are looking to a full length release in 2009.
As far as the magazine, it's The Lifted Brow No. 4, subtitled "The Fake Bookshelf," and includes "107 new songs, stories and comics based on the titles on a fake bookshelf." This is a 300-page issue -- with fiction by Spencer Krug, Carey Mercer, Jonathan Meiburg, Rick Moody, Times New Viking's Beth Murphy, etc. -- along with two hour-long CDs. If you pre-order now, it'll ship in January. You can get the full tracklists, contributor lists, and info about the launch at The Lifted Brow.
Premature Evaluation: Beach House - Teen Dream
When we meditated on Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally's gorgeous sophomore album Devotion we had the following to say: [Y]ou can't fall back on Mazzy Star or Galaxie 500 references because they've pushed themselves into their own, unique solar system.... (more)
New Jonathan Boulet Video - "A Community Service Announcement"
This dude's the latest signing to Australia's Modular label, landing with a tidy package of promotional offerings: a catchy, moistly breezy indie-pop debut single that couldn't be better titled for a meet-the-artist track; a subtly arresting/marginally tricked-out video; and a... (more)
New El Guincho - "Antillas (XXXchange Remix)"
When we first heard onetime BTW Pablo Díaz-Reixa, aka El Guincho, we were drawn in by "Antillas," a song we described as "a five-minute bundle of clattering loops and sunny harmonies." It was from the self-released Alegranza!, before he'd signed... (more)
Muse To Headline Coachella 2010?
According to Consequence Of Sound, a previously reliable source pins Muse to the coming year's desert fest headlining slot. Glenn Beck just bought a ticket. The dates are April 16-18. Oh and these Coachella headliner rumors? Needs more Pavement.... (more)
Parents Just Don't Understand Horrorcore
From hardcore to heavy metal to gangsta rap, local TV news teams have long warned parents about the terrifying new sounds rotting teenage brains. This week it's San Fran's KPIX on the horrorcore scene. Not all juggalos are murderers, dad!... (more)
