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Blank Dogs - "Tin Birds"
Incorporating a few releases with relatively bigger labels into his large discography of limited-edition 12"'s, 7"'s, etc., Brooklyn BTW Blank Dogs is quite literally getting easier to watch. See, for instance, the forthcoming In The Red-imprinted Under And Under which includes 20 new lo-fi hits (15 on the CD) and also finds Mr. Blank Dogs opening up his bedroom and collaborating with outside musicians like Crystal Stilts and Vivian Girls on his murky new wave. As you'll note via the above image, he's also removed the mask, but thankfully, the submerged melodies remain just as shadowy. As do his responses to our questions about Under's "Tin Birds," the immediately catchy song that premieres in this week's Drop.
Some of the words are difficult to make out. What's the narrative? There appears to be some sort of inevitable failure involved. I changed the lyrics so many times that it's difficult for me to remember what the song was initially about. There's definitely failure in there, though.
What does the tin bird represent in the song? Metallic toys you buy in Chinatown. They look like they're from another era, not new looking at all.
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)