New Music From Julian Casablancas

Julian Casablancas takes us to the '11th Dimension.'

Rockers who turn synth poppers produce music that usually makes most people cringe.  Remember Trans by Neil Young?  No? Okay, good.  No need to fret kids, your favorite Stroke Julian Casablancas has not succumbed to the past sins of our grunge godfather.  His latest album, Phrazes For The Young, is just Mr. Casablancas flexing his creative chops in between Strokes records, Except this time it's under his own terms.

"11th Dimension" catches you off guard with the aerobic video sounding intro synths, but the song quickly gains ground and re-affirms that Casablancas is still one of the 2000's stand out pop song writers. Mixing the playful drum technique of The The and the rave period synths of New Order,  "11th Dimension" could have found itself placed firmly between any track on the three Strokes albums.  But I'm glad it didn't.  The chugging mechanized guitar is still there, the cold doubled vocal is still there, and the truly simple and affective pop song writing persists.  Phrazes For The Young is sure to please even the indifferent die hard fan.   

Posted by Joe Roth on Oct 28, 2009 @ 9:00 am

julian casablancas, 11th dimension

80kidz Remix Metric

80kidz take on Metric's 'Help I'm Alive.'

Tokyo based 80kidz have already found success by creating remixes for CSS, Simian Mobile Disco, Phenomenal Handclap Band and Dan Black - and now have taken on indie star Metric's "Help I'm Alive." You can listen below.

Posted by Wes Soltis on Oct 27, 2009 @ 10:06 am

80kidz, metric, help i'm alive

More Free Music From Drew Danburry

Get Drew Danburry's 'Geraniums' for free.

Drew Danburry likes giving out free music, and today Danburry dropped Geraniums on his website for everyone to download. You can download Geraniums and all of his earlier releases here. Geraniums is the EP for his upcoming 2010 releases entitled Goodnight Gary and Goodnight Dannii.

"Sweet Ghost" is available on the Geraniums EP, while "JP Haynie" is a track that didn't make the cut on the upcoming Goodnight Dannii. You can listen to both below.

Posted by Wes Soltis on Oct 27, 2009 @ 10:00 am

drew danburry, geraniums

We've Got You Covered: The Maccabees and The Black-Eyed Peas

We swore we'd never post anything about 'Boom Boom Pow' on this site, but The Maccabees made us change our mind.

The Maccabees are an English based band originally from south London. While seeing very little (if any) success in the States, The Maccabees have released two albums that have reached the top 20 in the UK charts.  Their latest release, Wall Of Arms, was released in May on Fiction Records.

The Maccabees were having trouble coming up with a name, so they opened up a Bible and pointed to a random word – which happened to be Maccabee. Despite this “God-given” name, The Maccabees take an atheistic approach to lyrics.

We don’t know when they recorded this cover of “Boom Boom Pow,” but we can assume it was sometime before 3008 and 2000andlate. 

Posted by Wes Soltis on Oct 27, 2009 @ 9:00 am

the maccabees, boom boom pow, black eyed peas

In Remembrance: Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Misunderstood and gone forever. Godspeed You! Black Emperor won’t be forgotten.

Staying North of the border once again this week, we remember Godspeed You! Black Emperor.  The Canadian, experimental, post-rock collective responsible for such albums as Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven and Yanqui U.X.O. were once of the most sophisticated bands out there...

Read On

Posted by Andrew Scott on Oct 26, 2009 @ 9:00 am

godspeed you! black emperor