The Week in Pop began as a Coachella lineup roster, read off in a derisive tone as prelude to a roast dedicated to the “deal breaker” festival headliner. Then I heard that the hordes of Mad Max delusion-seekers crashed the Burning Man servers in a virtual quixotic vision quest stampede. So when I got to the second night of the Coachella line up listings I realized I was wasting my time with my cynical commentary (Arcade Fire. Again? Bright Eyes. Back so soon Olberst? Broken Social Scene. Still relevant to anyone out there?) All this, when there is still a world of pop waiting to be examined out there in no particular order.
<p>San Francisco’s Young Prisms enjoyed a record release show the other night at Bottom of the Hill and debuted their self-titled release on Kanine Records. Now that we’re all past the boring sterility of M83 nü-gaze, Young Prisms’ energy and honest effort to wield the sound of that fabled, self-celebrated scene is a fun outing. I give to you “Sugar” and “Feel Fine”, both of which give the old ‘gaze a genuine community college try, one that substitutes something far better than a facsimile could ever provide.
Young Prisms 'Sugar' by kaninerecords
Young Prisms – “Feel Fine” by Strange Moss
The business class up here seems to be enjoying immensely the Beets' new album and subsequent single “Time Brought Age” on Captured Tracks. With a slow and steady march to the rhythmic interplay between acoustic guitar and tambourine, we can almost hear the mark of time passing with this 3 minute 31 second ballad. There's even some humble synth/woodwind action and slight serenading en español as an added bonus.
The Beets – Time Brought Age by Addict Music
Check the Beets out on tour:
January
15 Brooklyn NY at Glasslands with Tyvek and Eternal Summers
February
18 Vassar at The Mug
19 Allentown at Warehouse space
20 Washington DC at Velvet Lounge
21 Charlottesville, VA at Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar
23 Athens GA at Farm 255
24 Nashville, TN at Glenn Danzig's House
27 Chicago at Permanent Records In-store
27 Chicago at The Hideout
March
01 Toronto at Parts and Labour
Fergus & Geronimo have released their new album Unlearn and have been kind enough to share “Baby Don't You Cry” from the new album on Hardly Art. Really dig what F&G have going on here with one foot in the garage and the other in one of those studios with all that fancy, super-expensive recording gear that you see towards the back at most Guitar Centers. The result is impressive.
Stream “Baby Don't You Cry” at Soundcloud.
Junk Culture has been kind enough to drop a new single before setting out on tour with Girl Talk. No, no, don’t worry, Junk Culture is not embracing the “mash up” scene, but rather the awkward coming of age years, the “Weird Teenage Vibes” that will surely take you back to that sophomore year of confusion and hell.
Junk Culture, “Weird Teenage Vibes”
Catch Junk Culture on the road with Girl Talk and Max Tundra.
February
24 Thu New York, New York. Terminal 5
25 Fri Providence , Rhode Island. Lupos Heartbreak Hotel
26 Sat Boston, Massachusetts. House of Blues Boston
March
01 Tue Montreal, Quebec. Metropolis
03 Thu Plymouth , Michigan. Compuware Sports Arena
04 Fri Chicago, Illinois. Congress Theater
05 Sat Chicago, Illinois. Congress Theater
08 Tue Madison , Wisconsin. Orpheum Theater Madison
11 Fri Denver, Colorado. Ogden Theater
12 Sat Denver, Colorado. Ogden Theater
15 Tue Seattle, Washington. Showbox
17 Thu Portland, Oregon. Roseland Theater
18 Fri Oakland, California. Fox Theater
19 Sat Pomonoa , California. The Fox Theatre
21 Mon Los Angeles, California. Hollywood Palladium
23 Wed Tempe, Arizona. Marquee Theatre
From our MTV sources, their recent premiere of Matt and Kim’s video for “Cameras” presents the electro duo in some kind of Final Fight style action mode. My thanks go out to Jonathan Del Gatto for directing the video that I always wanted to see M&K make. Not because I am the biggest fan of their music, they have always bugged me more than a bit and the slicker their sound has gotten the more Fader friendly they have become and the less I care. Which is indeed interesting given that Fader is offering the new Matt and Kim album Sidewalks on their own private label. Regardless, the video is the most exciting faux lovers spat I’ve seen in a while.
Weekend is about to embark on the honor of supporting Wire on an international tour. Given the Water Borders remix of “Monday Morning/ Monongah, WV” it could be an interesting blend of post-punk and ambient contemporary guitar noodling.
Weekend – Monday Morning/Monongah, WV (Water Borders remix) by Water Borders
Also check out Wire’s “Culture Vulture” (Joakim Edit)” to reminisce on why you had to have their albums Pink Flag, Chairs Missing, and 154 included in your private post-punk canon.
Wire, “Culture Vulture” (Joakim Edit)
Weekend and Wire’s tour schedule can be found here:
January
23 Los Angeles, CA Echo / Part Time Punks with Catwalk and Exploding Flowers
24 San Diego, CA Soda Bar
29 San Francisco, CA Hemlock Tavern
February
08 Edinburgh, UK Voltaire with Wire
09 Glasgow, UK King Tuts with Wire
10 Bristol, UK The Fleece with Wire
12 London, UK Windmill
14 Amsterdam, NL Paradiso with Wire
17 Madrid, ES Moby Dick with Wire
18 Barcelona, ES Sala Apolo with Wire
19 Rimini, IT Velvet with Wire
21 Rome, IT Circolo Degli Artisti with Wire
22 Milan, IT Live Club with Wire
25 Munich, DE Atomic Cafe with Wire
26 Berlin, DE Postbahnhof with Wire
28 Cologne, DE Luxor with Wire
March
01 Hamburg, DE Knust with Wire
April
01 Toronto, ONT Lee's Palace with Wire
02 Montreal, QC Cabaret Du Mile End with Wire
03 Cambridge, MA Middle East with Wire
05 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg with Wire
07 Washington, DC Black Cat with Wire
And finally, hold on to your trucker caps hipsterati because Noah “Panda Bear” Lennox has provided us with a physical chance at one of the summer-leaked glimpses from his forthcoming album Tomboy with the track “Slow Motion.” An aptly titled song that has all the right delay effects and background tape reel squeals spinning their spools, and trippy vocals to boot.
Stream Panda Bear's “Slow Motion” here.
Having already released 7-inch singles on Domino, Fat Cat and the ‘Collective’s own Paw Tracks, “Slow Motion” will soon be released on Kompakt. Tomboy is rumored to be produced by Sonic Boom and will also include new tracks that have not been released in the past half a year singles glut.
Panda Bear, Tomboy tracklist
01 You Can Count on Me
02 Tomboy
03 Slow Motion
04 Surfer's Hymn
05 Last Night at The Jetty
06 Drone
07 Alsatian Darn
08 Sheherezade
09 Friendship Bracelet
10 Afterburner
11 Benfica
