gorillavsbear.net

basic space

2009-07-10T16:00:00.001-05:00

[photo]

London youngsters the xx are set to release their ethereal, dream-like minimalist pop debut next month in the UK on Young Turks. On this remix of album standout "Basic Space," UK producer Pariah taps into the same brooding, haunted/hopeful glow and early-morning-rain atmospherics that elevated Burial's transcendent Untrue:

mp3:
the xx :: basic space (pariah remix)

The xx's debut full-length is out August 17 in the UK on Young Turks, with a U.S. release to follow this Fall. Pre-order here.

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white denim signs with Downtown

2009-07-10T12:30:00.002-05:00

Austin's White Denim has signed with Downtown (home of Mos Def, Major Lazer, Spank Rock, Justice, Santigold, et al.). The group's sophomore LP, Fits, will see a proper U.S. release this October on the label.

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gvsb presents: Dungen + Woods | Live in Dallas

2009-07-10T09:15:00.001-05:00

Gorilla vs. Bear presents Swedish psych wizards Dungen, live on Saturday, August 22, at the Loft here in Dallas, with support from Woods. We've got 5 pairs of tickets to give away for this one courtesy of the venue; email us at gorillavsbearcontests@gmail.com if you'd like a pair. Purchase tickets here.

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mp3:
dungen :: satt at se
woods :: rain on

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thanks but no thanks

2009-07-09T19:00:00.002-05:00

St. Louis producer Phaseone has gained a following on the strength of a handful of consistently tight remixes for the likes of Grouper, Burial, Panda Bear, Bloc Party, and others, and as it turns out, the kid makes some pretty huge beats of his own, as evidenced by the upcoming Thanks But No Thanks LP. Looks like you'll be able to get the whole thing for free soon, but for now, here are a couple highlights:

mp3:
phaseone :: tower grove joint
phaseone :: sage

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mp3: sally shapiro | "love in july"

2009-07-09T14:45:00.002-05:00

The new "summer single" from Gothenburg's Sally Shapiro, out July 14 on Paper Bag Records. Sweden holding it down lately, even more than usual:

mp3:
sally shapiro :: love in july

Taken from Sally Shapiro's forthcoming full-length, My Guilty Pleasure, out August 25. Edit: Here's the video (via):

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blog radio on sirius/xm

2009-07-09T11:00:00.001-05:00

Our weekly Sirius XM Blog Radio show airs today at noon Eastern (and again at midnight) on Sirius XMU. This week's episode features brand new music from Girls, Forest Swords, Toro Y Moi, VEGA, Pearl Harbour, and more. You can listen online with a free trial here. Check this week's playlist + some mp3s after the jump...

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gorilla vs. bear blog radio :: july 9

01. toro y moi :: blessa
02. neon indian :: mind, drips
03. jj :: ecstacy
04. jj :: things will never be the same again
05. air france :: GBG belongs to us
06. the xx :: crystalised
07. girls :: solitude
08. ariel pink's haunted graffiti :: kind of kind
09. king tuff :: sun medallion
10. smith westerns :: diamond boys
11. forest swords :: miarches
12. white denim :: sex prayer
13. selda :: ince ince bir kar yagar
14. pisces :: dear one
15. the mayfair set :: already warm
16. fergus & geronimo :: harder than it's ever been
17. grass widow :: to where
18. harlem :: caroline
19. amadou & mariam :: sabali
20. major lazer :: keep it goin louder
21. VEGA :: kyoto gardens
22. toro y moi :: 109
23. julian lynch :: garden 2
24. memory cassette :: body in the water
25. nite jewel :: what did he say
26. cassie :: official girl (CFCF remix)
27. trailer trash tracys :: strangling good guys
28. dum dum girls :: baby don't go
29. best coast :: sun was high (so was i)
30. pearl harbour :: lost @ sea
31. hole class :: this mirror's a window
32. grouper :: rising height

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atlas sound x panda bear :: "walkabout"

2009-07-09T09:20:00.002-05:00

A few months ago, we we noted that awesome new Atlas Sound song "Walkabout" (previously known as "Dovers Jam," but we'll assume it's an early version of the same thing) sounded quite Panda Bear-esque. Turns out that's because Noah Lennox taught Bradford Cox how to sample/beat match, and the two will collaborate on the final version of the song, set to appear on the upcoming Atlas Sound full-length, Logos. Cox tells P4k:"I toured for a period in Europe with Animal Collective, whose band dynamic was very inspirational to be around. On the bus, we often played improvised iPod games. We would take turns formulating a theme or unifying concept and then play three songs. The goal would be for everyone to try and figure out the theme. During one of these games, someone played 'What Am I Going to Do' by the Dovers. I was amazed at the hook-- a weird organ thing with drums and electric bass. I mentioned to Noah [Lennox] that someone should really sample that riff. He agreed and he taught me a little about sampling and matching up beats. This ended up as the collaborative effort 'Walkabout'. "
mp3:
atlas sound :: walkabout (live)

[more on Logos, which also features a collab with Stereolab's Laetitia Sadier]

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blessa

2009-07-08T13:10:00.003-05:00

Toro Y Moi has signed to Carpark Records, and the esteemed label will release his debut Blessa 7" on October 6 of this year, with two full-lengths to follow in 2k10.

mp3:
toro y moi :: blessa

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dum dum girls

In other label news, Dum Dum Girls has signed with Sub Pop. Look for a full-length next year.

mp3:
dum dum girls :: brite futures

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mystery

2009-07-08T12:34:00.001-05:00

SERVICE is set to release Trust in Numbers, the debut full-length from Sweden's Lake Heartbeat, produced by D Lissvik of the duo Studio. Here's a dreamy remix of the group's first single, "Mystery," created by Norway's Ytre Rymden Dansskola. Those that share our obsession with like-minded Swedish pop geniuses the Tough Alliance, Studio, Air France, and most recently, jj, will likely be into this:

mp3:
lake heartbeat :: mystery (ytre rymden dansskola remix)

Trust in Numbers is out in September '09.

previously:

mp3:
fever ray :: when i grow up (version by lissvik)

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related:

Download a label sampler courtesy of SERVICE, featuring tracks from the Embassy, the Tough Alliance, Jens Lekman, and more:

mp3:
Live Forever or Die Trying: a SERVICE Label Compilation .zip (90 mb)

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ducktails x julian lynch

2009-07-08T10:30:00.000-05:00

Our friends at Underwater Peoples are set to release a split 7" -- with cover art by Real Estate frontman Martin Courtney, pictured above -- next week, featuring tracks from Ridgewood, NJ, homies-since-1st-grade Ducktails and Julian Lynch (his debut 7"). The 7" will be accompanied by a DVD with two videos by Richard Law. Here's one of Julian Lynch's two excellent b-side contributions, the laid back, breezy tropical psych-pop jam "Garden 2."

mp3:
julian lynch :: garden 2

The Ducktails/Julian Lynch split 7" is out July 13. Pre-order here. Also, in the deal of the year, grab the label's Summertime Showcase for $4.50.

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two weeks til prom

2009-07-07T22:00:00.003-05:00

Pretty sure at least half of you will despise this, but we already knew that "Two Weeks" vaguely recalled a decent hip-hop beat, and at the very least, this is vastly superior to Weezy's original version:

mp3:
grizzly bear x lil wayne :: two weeks til prom

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24-carat black

2009-07-07T19:30:00.001-05:00

24-carat black

Chances are you've heard 24-Carat Black, even if you've never heard of them, as their work's been sampled by the likes of Digable Planets and Jay-Z. The world's greatest reissue label recently unearthed the group's shelved follow-up to 1973's underappreciated "dark urban concept album," Ghetto: Misfortune's Wealth, and is set to release the previously unheard Gone: The Promises of Yesterday later this month. Here's one blazing track that was too rough to make the final cut for the record; the label explains:

"The worst part of unearthing old music is digging up something in a far-too-advanced state of decay. This was the most disappointing moment from the 24-Carat Black excavation. An uptempo cut with all the right moves, this untitled jam would’ve certainly made our tracklist, if not set the bar for the material we found. Unfortunately, far too much is missing. Note the drop-outs, distortion, and overall crustiness. This is Dale Warren at his most fiery. The driving drums and echo-laden congas give a raw urgency not always present on either set of 24-Carat recordings. There was no working with this material, however, and the best efforts of experienced professionals to restore even small parts of it were for naught. Enjoy it here, as much as it is possible… it won’t likely be presented anywhere else."

mp3:
24-carat black :: untitled

Check this album mp3 sampler, which should give you an idea of this thing's greatness. Buy 24-Carat Black's Gone: The Promises of Yesterday here (and while you're over there, pick up that Pisces record on vinyl).

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forest swords

2009-07-06T19:30:00.001-05:00

Here's the swampy, dubbed-out title track/A-side from Forest Swords' forthcoming limited edition Miarches cassette, out soon on Leftist Nautical Antiques. Awesome slow burning drone-step with soul, set to appropriate images by the battle:

mp3:
forest swords :: miarches

Miarches cassette limited to 125 copies; pre-order here for $4 before they're gone.

[thanks to alex for the tip]

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rain on radio

2009-07-06T14:20:00.001-05:00

Our friends at Half Machine Records are set to release Woods' debut UK 7" single, on which a-side "To Clean" is backed by this exclusive, UK-only acoustic rendition of my favorite track from Songs of Shame, "Rain On." A slowed-down, even more hauntingly sparse and melancholy take on the already great LP version:

mp3:
woods :: rain on radio

Pre-order Woods' To Clean 7" here for only £2.99.

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2009.5

2009-07-06T12:00:00.003-05:00

Our favorite albums of the first half of '09:

01. grizzly bear | veckatimest
01. white denim | fits
03. smith westerns | smith westerns
mp3: be my girl
04. phoenix | wolfgang amadeus phoenix
05. animal collective | merriweather post pavilion
06. fever ray | fever ray
07. night control | death control
08. jj | n° 2
09. pisces | a lovely sight
mp3: dear one
10. st. vincent | actor
11. cass mccombs | catacombs
12. various | underwater peoples records showcase

A selection of our favorite 7"/12", EPs, and otherwise unrepresented songs of the first half of 2009 after the jump...

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7"/12"/EPs:

01. dum dum girls | yours alone EP
02. the bitters | wooden glove EP
03. the mayfair set | already warm/desert fun 7"
04. VEGA | well known pleasures EP
05. girls | hellhole ratrace 10"
06. SALEM | ohK/sweat 7"
07. burial & four tet | moth/wolf cub 12"
08. memory cassette | call & response 7"
09. bullion | young heartache EP

Other songs we love that are not represented by the above releases, in no particular order:

basement jaxx :: raindrops
here we go magic :: tunnelvision
trailer trash tracys :: candy girl
major lazer :: keep it goin louder
neon indian :: deadbeat summer
dirty projectors :: useful chamber
pearl harbour :: lost @ sea
DOOM :: that's that
dum dum girls :: jail la la
ancient crux :: in teen dreams
fergus & geronimo :: harder than it's ever been
the golden filter :: solid gold
woods :: rain on
j dilla :: coming back
grouper :: rising height
best coast :: sun was high (so was i)
pariah :: detroit falls
mos def :: supermagic
highlife :: f kenya rip
kurt vile :: beach on the moon (recycled lyrics)
wavves :: friends were gone
raekwon :: wu ooh
the big pink :: velvet (gang gang dance remix)
sharon van etten :: for you

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mp3: riceboy sleeps | "boy 1904"

2009-07-05T20:50:00.005-05:00

New song from Riceboy Sleeps, the forthcoming album from Sigur Ros singer Jonsi Birgisson and his boyfriend Alex Somers. It should be noted that "Boy 1904" features the "only known recording of the last ever castrato singer."

mp3:
jonsi & alex :: boy 1904

Riceboy Sleeps is out July 21 on XL. Pre-order here.

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video: dum dum girls | "hey sis" (live)

2009-07-05T11:15:00.005-05:00

Dum Dum Girls perform "Hey Sis" at their first ever live show, yesterday afternoon at the Captured Tracks/Woodsist Festival in Brooklyn. Featuring Frankie Rose (Crystal Stilts, ex-Vivian Girls) on drums, Mike Sniper (Blank Dogs) on bass, and Brandon Welchez (Crocodiles) on guitar:

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new Neon Indian :: "terminally chill"

2009-07-02T16:00:00.004-05:00

I guess now that Neon Indian's signed to Lefse Records, it's no longer a secret that this is the new project of Texan Alan Palomo (Ghosthustler, VEGA). Here's another track from the stellar Psychic Chasms LP, which the label says sounds like "a saw-wave cutting a Doobie Brother's song in half."

mp3:
neon indian :: terminally chill

Psychic Chasms is out October 13. Catch Neon Indian along with Phoenix, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and more at Red Rocks in September at the '09 Monolith Festival.

previously:

mp3:
neon indian :: deadbeat summer

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blog radio on sirius/xm

2009-07-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

Our weekly Sirius XM Blog Radio show airs today at noon Eastern (and again at midnight) on Sirius XMU. This week's episode features brand new music from jj, Pearl Harbour, the Flaming Lips, White Denim, Erykah Badu + the Roots, the Smith Westerns, and more. You can listen online with a free trial here. Check this week's playlist + some mp3s after the jump...

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gorilla vs. bear blog radio :: july 2

1. neon indian :: mind, drips
2. the flaming lips :: silver trembling hands
3. white denim :: syncn
4. pearl harbour :: lost @ sea
5. pearl harbour :: sunburn
6. ganglians :: valient brave
7. best coast :: sun was high (so was i)
8. erykah badu & the roots :: i wanna be where you are (mj cover)
9. michael jackson :: maria (you were the only one)
10. j dilla :: time: the donut of the heart
11. white denim :: regina holding hands
12. hole class :: this mirror's a window
13. the bitters :: can you keep a secret?
14. smith westerns :: diamond boys
15. air france :: GBG belongs to us
16. the golden filter :: hide me
17. st. vincent :: laughing with a mouth of blood
18. france gall :: poupee de cire, poupee de son
19. woods :: rain on
20. smith westerns :: be my girl
21. grass widow :: to where
22. wavves :: no hope kids
23. raekwon :: wu ooh
24. pariah :: detroit falls
25. mos def :: supermagic
26. kria brekkan :: bee xlaura
27. animal collective :: daily routine
28. the big pink :: velvet
29. cass mccombs :: you saved my life
30. broadcast :: colour me in
31. yeah yeah yeahs :: y control
32. jj :: ecstacy

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mp3: new Girls | "solitude"

2009-07-01T18:15:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Chocolate Bobka for the tip on this new track from Girls: "Solitude" is the b-side from the group's forthcoming Hellhole Ratrace 10", and is available for free download courtesy of Turnstile Music's new sampler compilation:

mp3:
girls :: solitude

Download the rest of the Turnstile Music comp here for the Perfume Genius track, and check out a clip of Girls' performing "Solitude" live for the first time here.

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jj n° 2

2009-07-01T16:30:00.004-05:00

Sincerely Yours continues to dominate the summer of '09 by springing this debut full-length from the mysterious jj on us today out of nowhere. We just talked about the free single the other day, but I'd be remiss not to mention how essential the LP is, especially if you're in need of more summer jams of the dreamily wisftul, blood-spattered variety, or are just a fan of the label's other artists (Air France, the Tough Alliance, Memory Cassette). Get it here, if only for the awesome and weird play on "Lollipop" that I've had on repeat all day, "Ecstacy."

mp3:
jj :: from africa to malaga

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Other recent sincerely yours related jams:

mp3:
the tough alliance :: hung up on a dream (zombies cover)
air france with roos :: GBG belongs to us
memory cassette :: last one awake (friend version)

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development

2009-07-01T09:45:00.001-05:00

Another highlight from Tiny Vipers' devastating new album, Life on Earth, courtesy of Stereogum:

mp3:
tiny vipers :: development

Read Jesy Fortino's explanation of the song here. Life on Earth is out July 7 on Sub Pop.

previously:

mp3:
tiny vipers :: dreamer

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animal collective loves thriller

2009-06-30T18:20:00.000-05:00

Animal Collective discusses their favorite album of all time, MJ's Thriller (except Avey, he gets sort of hilariously denied by the buzzer):

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this mirror's a window

2009-06-30T10:00:00.003-05:00

Hole Class is a side project of Beth of Times New Viking and Rob of Eat Skull. Recorded on a farm in Ohio between '05 and '08, these songs were apparently self-released on cassette at one point, and are now being put out on vinyl via MEDS Records. Couldn't find much more info on this collection of sub-2:00 lo-fi "gothic country" pop songs, but based on the handful of heartfelt tracks I've heard, I think I already like it as much as either members' "real" band:

mp3:
hole class :: wrong mirror (this mirror's a window)
hole class :: true temper

[buy. thanks to npip for the tip]

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video: Dirty Projectors | "Stillness is the Move"

2009-06-30T06:30:00.002-05:00

Directed by Matthew Lessner.

(via)

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