Chicago’s Cains & Abels (remember: “My Life Is Easy”) have just received vinyl copies of their States Rights debut Call Me Up– AND they’ve got a brand new (and totally FREE) EP, The Price Is Right, up on Bandcamp to boot. Go grab both the vinyl and the new EP, kiddo!

MP3: Cains & Abels – “My Life Is Easy”

Every year, our friends at the Bend, OR Bulletin put together a 2-”disc” wrap-up compilation of the previous year’s music– one disc filled with local Pacific NW artists, and one with a wide national set. This year’s collection will get you tunes from Superchunk, Wavves, Sharon Van Etten and lots more, plus some stuff you likely haven’t heard from the likes of NW artists like Larry and His Flask, The Autonomics, and Tuck and Roll. Check it out.

After nearly 20 years, I can finally get one of My Favorite Albums Of All Time on vinyl without having to pay some absurdly high eBay price. For this week, Teenage Fanclub’s Bandwagonesque was reissued on 140g wax. Merry Christmas indeed!

MP3: Air Waves – “Knockout”

The Catbird family’s own Air Waves (aka Ms. Nicole Schneit) has a new record titled Dungeon Dots out on Underwater Peoples* come 11/30, from whence this new track comes. Hey UP guys, get a pre-order link up for it already!

I’m kicking myself that I didn’t get this posted earlier, but my friend Devin is screening his new documentary feature, Firewall of Sound, at CMJ *tomorrow* (that’s Friday, 10/22). It’s at the Norwood Club, 241 W. 14th St., at 2pm, and you should definitely RSVP if you’re going to attend.

The film is an in-depth look at the independent music industry in a state of transition, with the internet acting as both a blessing and a curse to musicians and label executives. While fans eagerly await the latest leaked album from their favorite artist or the newest amateur concert footage to appear on YouTube, people in the industry are scrambling to figure out how to turn any sort of profit. It features Merge’s Mac McCaughan, musicians Julian Koster and Roberto Lange, a number of other smart people, and me.

→ Catbird Records Moving Sale

Enjoy the latest from the mysterious Unknown Mortal Orchestra– his new “Screwed” mixtape:

MP3: Unknown Mortal Orchestra – “Screwed Tape #1″

UMO has several things in the pipeline right now I believe, though none have been officially announced thus far. At any rate, I imagine we can look forward to owning, at some point in the not-too-distant future, physical copies of these first few gems:

MP3: Unknown Mortal Orchestra – “Ffunny Ffrends”
MP3: Unknown Mortal Orchestra – “Thought Ballune”

Fulton Lights has a brand-new 3-song digital EP out, called (surprise) 3 Songs. It’s a direct descendent of sorts to last year’s Healing Waters, and continues to blaze along the path begun there. Grab the EP for $3 from iTunes, and/or click over to MBV, where we’ve got a streaming player.

To celebrate their just-kicked-off tour, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin teamed up with tourmate Telekinesis to record a cover of Chicago band Green’s “Gotta Get A Record Out:”

MP3: SSLYBY & Telekinesis – “Gotta Get A Record Out” (Green)

And, to celebrate just a little more, we’ve got a super-rare vinyl test-pressing of Yeltsin’s new album, Let It Sway, to give away. Just enter your email address below! (U.S. only)

Contest now closed. Congratulations, Shane!