Best New Music? 8 Records to Look Forward to This Spring

New music! New music! New music! There are so many exciting releases coming out this spring...over at Phrequency.com, I break down 8 records we're most excited about hearing. Head over there to get the scoop!

Here's a hint...

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XPN2 Playlist, 3/26/12

6:00

Said the Whale, “Jesse, Ar”
Little Mountain

The Exploding Hearts, “Modern Kicks”
Guitar Romantic

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Gentleman Jesse, “Take It Easy on Me”
Leaving Atlanta

The Ponys, “Double Vision”
Turn the Lights Out

Mind Spiders, “Upside Down”
Meltdown

Elvis Costello, “Pump it Up”
This Year’s Model

Sugar & the Hi-Lows, “See It For Yourself”
Sugar & the Hi-Lows

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The Reigning Sound, “Lyin’ Girl”
Abdication... For Your Love

The Syndicate of Sound, “Little Girl”
Little Girl (Single)

The Modern Lovers, “Roadrunner”
The Modern Lovers

Guided by Voices, “Little Lines”
Mag Earwhig!

The Men, “Turn it Around”
Open Your Heart

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Exit Clov, “It’s a Cult”
It’s a Cult (Single)

Infadels, “Circus of the Mad”
Universe in Reverse

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, “Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!”
Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!”

Hot Chip, “Ready for the Floor”
Made in the Dark

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The xx, “Crystalised”
xx

Google image result #20 for "Crystalised." Those are Naphthalene vapours, apparently.

7:00

Xylos, “X-Ray”
Xylos

YACHT, “Tripped and Fell in Love”
Shangri-La

Craft Spells, “Still Left With Me”
Gallery

The Shins, “Port of Morrow”
Port of Morrow

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Alex Winston, “Run Rumspringa”
King Con

The Bastards of Fate, “Huge Magic”
Who’s a Fuzzy Buddy?

The Polyphonic Spree, “Section 28 (Guaranteed Nightlite)”
The Fragile Army

Hockey, “Work”
Mind Chaos

Rainbow Arabia, “Nothin' Gonna Be Undone”
Boys and Diamonds

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The Scientists, “Last Night”
Do the Pop!: The Australian Garage-Rock Sound 1976-1987

Harlem, “Tila and I”
Hippies

Mayer Hawthorne, “A Long Time”
How Do You Do

Guster, “On the Ocean”
Easy Wonderful

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Dinosaur Feathers, “Untrue”
Whistle Tips

Tune in again next week for more hot jamz, fresh off the presses.

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Music Video Mondays: The Spinto Band's sore loser + B&S adorableness

Why do fat kids always lose at games? Is it because they're fat, and the world hates them? Or is it simply b/c they know us skinny kids can't take it? Local popsters the Spinto Band explore this question, and more, in their new vid for "Take It," off forthcoming record Shy Pursuit. Let's take a look:

One game this chubster would totes be good at? Hungry Hungry Hippos!


And because Mondays are ALWAYS better with a little Belle & Sebastian, here is the ridiculously adorable new video for "Crash." If this doesn't make you smile, your heart is made of stone!

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Mp3 of the Moment: The Bastards of Fate, "Huge Magic"

"Huge Magic," the new single from Virginia psych-pop band The Bastards of Fate, is just so delightfully wiggly and weird, and comes complete with this bizarre video that makes me think these guys would be a lot of fun to party with:

"Huge Magic" appears on the album Who's a Fuzzy Buddy?, out now.

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Best New Music: Gentleman Jesse

Every once in a while I start thinking about the state of modern music...and get totally bummed b/c there are so few bands these days playing straight-up, balls-to-wall, rock 'n roll (will save your soul!) Enter Gentleman Jesse: Atlanta, GA bartender-cum-rocker, who's been providing big ass rock licks and attitude for nearly a decade now.

Baller

On new record Leaving Atlanta, he ups the ante, with 13 addictive offerings, recorded in his basement, that deal with love, heartbreak, and the shitty state of the modern economy (yes, really!) Check out my full review over at Phrequency.com, and get ready to rock.

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XPN2 Playlist, 3/19/12

Songs for spring!

6:00

The Swimmers, “Give Me the Sun”
People Are Soft

Dom, “Happy Birthday Party”
Family of Love

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The Apples in Stereo, “The Bird That You Can’t See”
The Discovery of a World Inside the Moone

Vaughan Mason and Crew, “Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll”
The Rapture !K7 Tapes

Architecture in Helsinki, “Contact High”
Moment Bends

Dominant Legs, “Already Know That It’s Nice”
Invitation

The Shins, “Bait and Switch”
Port of Morrow

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Ghosty, “Dumbo Wins Again”
Answers

Fruit Bats, “My Unusual Friend”
The Ruminant Band

Fool’s Gold, “The Dive”
Leave No Trace

Jonny, “You Was Me”
Jonny

Blur, “Parklife”
Parklife

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Sonny and the Sunsets, “Home and Exile”
Hit After Hit

Hunx and His Punx, “Too Young to Be in Love”
Too Young to Be in Love

Savoir Adore, “We Talk Like Machines”
In the Wooded Forest

Kaiser Chiefs, “When All is Quiet”
Start the Revolution Without Me


Google image result #4 for "Start the Revolution Without Me." Yes,
apparently this is also the title of a 1970 Gene Wilder film.


7:00

Allo’ Darlin, “Capricornia”
Capricornia (7”)

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Silver Jews, “Suffering Jukebox”
Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea

The Booze, “Kick Me Where it Hurts”
At Maximum Volume

Nickel Eye, “Another Sunny Afternoon”
The Time of the Assassins

The Magnetic Fields, “Goin’ Back to the Country”
Love at the Bottom of the Sea

Oranger, “Springtime”
Quiet Vibration Land

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Jukebox the Ghost, “Schizophrenia”
Everything Under the Sun

The Sunshine Fix, “Sunday Afternoon”
Green Imagination

Witch Gardens, “So Many Parties”
Alice, Agatha, Branch, & Christ

Alex Winston, “Medicine”
King Con

Islands, “EOL”
Vapours

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Electrelane, “To the East”
No Shouts, No Calls

Phantogram, “16 Years”
Nightlife

Passion Pit, “The Reeling”
Manners

The Radio Dept., “Heaven’s on Fire”
Clinging to a Scheme

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TV Girl, “Baby You Were There”
Benny and the Jetts

Tune in again next week for more sweet tunes.

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Photo recap: The Key Studio Sessions

Last night at Philly's Milkboy Cafe, XPN's The Key hosted a free concert, featuring the gorgeous melodies and righteous jams of Turning Violet Violet, Chill Moody, and The Fleeting Ends. Yours truly was on hand to snap some photos...check out my gallery over at The Key.

Turning Violet Violent at The Key Studio Sessions

Nothing like a free show to turn people on to great local music!

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Best New Music: The Shins

It's one of the most highly anticipated releases of the year -- thanks in part to the fact that it's been so long since the band's last record. But! Fear not -- next Tuesday, March 20, America's fave quirky popsters The Shins return with their 4th full length, and first record since 2007's Wincing the Night Away.

How many of these guys are actually still in the band? I don't know,
but the photo is hilarious.

The record, entitled Port of Morrow, sees the band re-grouping, and offering palatable, emotion-fueled songwriting. Stream the whole thing for free right now via iTunes -- then check out my full review over at Phrequency.com.

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XPN2 Playlist, 3/12/12

6:00

The Chimeras, “Gladys”
Her

Jacuzzi Boys, “Koo Koo With You”
Glazin’

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The Wedding Present, “Meet Cute”
Valentina

Bronx Cheerleader, “Camelot”
Real Punks Don't Sing About Girls

The Good, the Bad, and the Queen, “80’s Life”
The Good, the Bad, and the Queen

Pink Mink, “Earthquake on the Loose”
Pink Mink

The Men, “Open Your Heart”
Open Your Heart

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Hospitality, “Friends of Friends”
Hospitality

Spectrals, “Confetti”
Bad Penny

Sondre Lerche, “Like Lazenby”
Heartbeat Radio

Bishop Allen, “Like Castanets”
The Broken String

Peter Bjorn and John, “Young Folks”
Writer’s Block

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The Magnetic Fields, “Infatuation (With Your Gyration)”
Love at the Bottom of the Sea

Django Django, “Zumm Zumm”
Django Django

Reptar, “Sebastian”
Sebastian (Single)


Google image result #4 for "Sebastian." Hmmm...


7:00

Morning Parade, “Carousel”
Morning Parade

CSL SX with I Break Horses, “Violent Sea”
Violent Sea (Single)

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Beach House, “Myth”
Bloom

School of Seven Bells, “Scavenger”
Ghostory

Cut Copy, “Hanging on to Every Heartbeat”
Zonoscope

Tennis, “Petition”
Young and Old

Spoon, “Take a Walk”
Girls Can Tell

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The Elwins, “Stuck in the Middle”
And I Thank You

Gentleman Jesse & His Men, “Highland Crawler”
Gentleman Jesse & His Men

Male Bonding, “Year’s Not Long”
Nothing Hurts

Milk Maid, “Such Fun”
Yucca

Royal Headache, “Really In Love”
Royal Headache

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Dinosaur Feathers, “Beatcha”
Whistle Tips

Vampire Weekend, “Cousins”
Contra

Who Knew, “We Do”
Bits and Pieces of a Major Spectacle

Suckers, “Turn on the Sunshine”
Candy Salad

Girls Names, “Nothing More to Say”
Dead to Me

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Free Energy, “Electric Fever”
Love Sign

Tune in again next week for more cool jamz!

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Music Video Mondays: Bronx Cheerleader + Hospitality

What is it with music videos these days featuring children doing adult things? Here is Canadian group Bronx Cheerleader's take on per-pubescent shoot-'em-ups. Just wish this was available in higher quality!

The song "Camelot" appears on the record Real Punks Don't Sing About Girls, out now.

Note: it has been suggested to me that the stars of this video are not in fact children, but midgets. I confess I can't be sure. What do you think?


And because I appreciate anything that looks like an MTV series trailer, here's the sweet new vid for Hospitality's "Friends of Friends":

The band's s/t record is out now on Merge Records.

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Best New Music: The Magnetic Fields

My penchant for the humorous has been well-documented on this blog -- so it's no surprise I'm head over heels for Love at the Bottom of the Sea, the snarky, synth-y, and oh yeah -- silly new record from freak-pop mainstays The Magnetic Fields.

Love at the bottom of the warehouse floor?

From blistering, sardonic anti-sex parodies, to whimsical tales of drag queens -- and jubilant tributes to "infatuation" -- there are many words you can use to describe Sea, but one of them is probably not "serious." But that's ok. Check out my full review over at Phrequency.com, and get ready for ridiculousness.

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XPN2 Playlist, 3/5/12

6:00

Cheers Elephant, “Doin’ it, Right”
Like Wind Blows Fire

The Walkmen, “Victory”
Lisbon

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Cheap Girls, “Gone All Summer”
Giant Orange

Cloud Nothings, “Cut You”
Attack on Memory

Yuck, “Operation”
Yuck

Black Lips, “Bone Marrow”
Arabia Mountain

Islands, “Can’t Feel My Face”
A Sleep & A Forgetting

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The Magnetic Fields, “Andrew in Drag”
Love at the Bottom of the Sea

Man Man, “Engrish Bwudd”
Six Demon Bag

The Go! Team, “Secretary Song”
Rolling Blackouts

Xylos, “Summerlong”
Summerlong (Single)

Gorillaz, feat. Gruff Rhys & De La Soul, “Superfast Jellyfish”
Plastic Beach

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Gospel Claws, “Avenues”
C-L-A-W-S

Herman’s Hermits, “Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat”
The Very Best of Herman’s Hermits

Beach Fossils, “Shallow”
Shallow/ Lessons 7”

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, “Idiot”
Hysterical

Harlem Shakes, “Nothing But Change Part II”
Technicolor Health


Google image result #37 for "Nothing but Change, Part II."
What is going on here? I have no idea.


7:00

Cults, “Oh My God”
Cults

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Miike Snow feat. Lykke Li, “Black Tin Box”
Happy to You

Frankie Rose, “Daylight Sky”
Interstellar

I Am Arrows, “Park Slopey”
Sun Comes Up Again

I Monster, “The Backseat of My Car (Sticky Black Vinyl Mix)
Neveroddoreven

I’m From Barcelona, “Oversleeping”
Let Me Introduce My Friends

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Os Mutantes, “Bat Macumba”
Tecnicolor

Swedish for Beginners, “This City is Not for Me”
Facts and Fabrications

Said the Whale, “We Are 1980”
Little Mountain

The Vaccines, “If You Wanna”
What Did You Expect from the Vaccines?

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Mind Spiders, “More Than You”
Meltdown

The Vaselines, “Turning It On”
Sex With an X

Quasi, “Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler”
American Gong

The Black Keys, “Stop Stop”
El Camino

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, “Whatever Happened to My Rock ‘n Roll (Punk Song)”
B.R.M.C.

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Phoenix, “Napoleon Says”
It’s Never Been Like That

Tune in again next week for more sweet jamz!

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Music Video Mondays: Said the Whale

Ever worry that your smartphone is taking over your life? (I know I do.) Vancouver rockers Said the Whale explore what happens when real life collides with pixelation in this new vid for "We Are 1980:"

"We are 1980" appears on the record Little Mountain, out tomorrow on Hidden Pony Records.

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