Liquid Jesus

The National

noreply@blogger.com (Liquid Jesus) — Sun, 19 May 2013 22:44:00 +0000

The National - Don't Swallow The Cap
The National - Graceless

Been looking forward to new material from The National since the release of their last LP, the complex and bittersweet High Violet, which we loved loved loved. So raise a glass to this one, guys, 'cause Trouble Will Find Me has more dark hymns of headiness and swirling melodies and the immediately recognizable baritone delivery of intimate/nuanced/oftentimes quite bewildering lyrics and subject matter to accompany you to the bar on your next emotionally-exhausted-based bender.

Want more? Check out the video for Sea Of Love, after the jump.

Trouble Will Find Me will be released on May 20th 4AD

Mokhov

noreply@blogger.com (Liquid Jesus) — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:54:00 +0000

Mokhov - Magic Times
Mokhov - Sun Clouds

Electronic producer Mokhov makes music that sounds like it's been retroactively crafted as a soundtrack to every single cross-country drive I've ever been on. Or something like that. I usually ignore blurbs penned by artists trying to hype themselves, but in this case the self-proclaimed Boards Of Canada and Four Tet similarities are actually fairly accurate 'cause I can definitely hear influences from both, and I can easily see fans of also-similar-sounding peeps like Tycho and Yppah getting down with the dreamy beats and atmospherics on Magic Times as well. So there.

Magic Times is available courtesy of Mokhov

No Joy

noreply@blogger.com (Liquid Jesus) — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:28:00 +0000

No Joy - E
No Joy - Blue Neck Riviera

If you happen to have the patience to peruse through the past few hundred or so of our picks, it will probably become more and more apparent just how much we enjoy the Mexican Summer roster and back catalogue, 'cause good god! they've put together a ton of quality releases over the years... A few of our top faves include Washed Out and Lilacs & Champagne and The Soft Pack and Best Coast and The Fresh & Onlys and I'm sure there's more. Montreal's very own No Joy and their excellent shoe-gazey sophomore release, Wait To Pleasure, is a perfect addition to that list, don't you think?

Wait To Pleasure is available courtesy of Mexican Summer

Baths

noreply@blogger.com (Liquid Jesus) — Tue, 14 May 2013 19:42:00 +0000

Baths - Worsening
Baths - Miasma Sky

Look look look! New beats courtesy of Baths (aka electronic wizard Will Wiesenfeld) plus more quirky melodies and tons of stop-and-then-start-again glitchy goodness on Obsidian, following up the acclaimed Cerulean debut long player from a couple three years ago! Yes, I'm excited. As if you couldn't tell.

Obsidian will be released on May 28th, via Anticon.

Grip Grand

noreply@blogger.com (Liquid Jesus) — Thu, 09 May 2013 21:00:00 +0000

GG DOOM (Grip Grand x MF DOOM) - But How? (Jesus Pizzas)
GG DOOM (Grip Grand x MF DOOM) - Gonads

On the unauthorized But How? remixtape, producer Grip Grand crafts a pretty fucking solid reinterpretation of the man in the mask out of random MF DOOM acapella tracks and a crackly combo of golden age television bits, vintage radio snippets, and off-the-wall beats, natch.

But How? is available as a FREE download, courtesy of Grip Grand.
Click HERE to get it.

Black Milk

noreply@blogger.com (Liquid Jesus) — Tue, 07 May 2013 18:00:00 +0000

Black Milk - Piano Moog
Black Milk - Drunk Tweets

Detroit hip hopper slash producer Black Milk shows off his sci-fi-styled skill side on the aptly titled Synth Or Soul collection of beat oddities, but I guess it's really not a question of either/or as the name suggests, 'cause he does a pretty good job of melding synth hooks with soul grooves and weaving a serious set of quirky instrumental beats out of pretty much any sound snippet he gets his hands on.

Synth Or Soul is available courtesy of Computer Ugly

Still Corners

noreply@blogger.com (Liquid Jesus) — Sat, 04 May 2013 22:19:00 +0000

Still Corners - The Trip
Still Corners - Berlin Lovers

Still Corners and their lush melodies + looping basslines tend to remind me a bit of likeminded Chromatics - with similar swirling vocals and minimalist motorik beat tendencies to boot - though I feel like less discerning listeners might lean towards lumping this dreamy duo in with other, less memorable nostalgia-pop acts instead of acknowledging the truly savvy/sexy/synthy and downright gorgeous twelve tracks on their new sophomore release, Strange Pleasures.

Strange Pleasures will be released on May 7th, courtesy of Sub Pop

!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Liquid Jesus) — Fri, 03 May 2013 23:12:00 +0000

!!! - One Girl / One Boy

For real. The fine fellas in the !!! powerhouse keep the Strange Weather, Isn't It? afterparty going strong by slinging out more slinky/sexy beats and some fierce as fuck, catchy-ass funk grooves on their brand new THR!!!LLER full length. Even if their brand of unabashed, infectious disco punk isn't quite yer bag, methinks you'll at least consider a good booty-shaking whilst listening, 'cause you'd hafta be a real special kind of pussy buzzkill not to.

THR!!!LER is available courtesy of Warp

Lilacs & Champagne

noreply@blogger.com (Liquid Jesus) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:18:00 +0000

Lilacs & Champagne - Sour / Sweet
Lilacs & Champagne - Le Grand

We wore out the digital grooves offa the debut self-titled effort from Grails peeps' producer project Lilacs & Champagne a little over a year ago, so follow-up LP Danish & Blue is an especially tasty treat, ya hear? More psych sounds in a loungey beat haze, all cult film OST style, with tons more dusty samples, crackling audio fragments, and brooding atmospherics for y'all to sink yer lil' teeth into.

Danish & Blue will be released on April 23rd, via Mexican Summer

Alpine

noreply@blogger.com (Liquid Jesus) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 22:26:00 +0000

Alpine - Hands
Alpine - Gasoline

Light 'n' breezy siren-song Aussie act Alpine is finally getting a stateside release of their kinda/sorta-ish self-titled and shimmering A Is For Alpine full length after charming the pants offa everyone else in the world who's already heard it. Colonic digs it 'cause it's cutesy and airy and inventive all at the same time, and we think you guys are gonna love it, too.

A Is For Alpine will be released on May 21st, via Votiv Records

The Knife

noreply@blogger.com (Liquid Jesus) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 01:39:00 +0000

The Knife - A Tooth For An Eye

I'm sure you've got an opinion about this one already, but for what it's worth The Knife released their Shaking The Habitual double (or triple, depending on your preferred format) album a couple weeks back and because of just how massive this thing is - both in runtime and in conceptual scope - I've been stuck wading through its layers of chilling synth and quirky percussionary accoutrements and twisting bits of noise abstraction and esoteric constructs ever since.

Shaking The Habitual is available courtesy of Rabid Records

The Appleseed Cast

noreply@blogger.com (Liquid Jesus) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 19:46:00 +0000

The Appleseed Cast - Great Lake Derelict
The Appleseed Cast - North Star Ordination

While they might be the seemingly odd man out offa the otherwise bonkers Graveface roster, mid-west indie outfit The Appleseed Cast are gonna absolutely shine regardless of whatever company they may keep. Don't agree? Check out the soaring post-rock hymns and warm, melodic subtleties and gorgeous, echoing choruses on this, their eighth full length, Illumination Ritual. And then try to tell me otherwise.

* For the locals: The Appleseed Cast will be performing on Tuesday, July 16th at Crowbar in Ybor City

Illumination Ritual will be released on April 23rd, courtesy of Graveface Records

Fol Chen

noreply@blogger.com (Liquid Jesus) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 22:47:00 +0000

Fol Chen - A Tourist Town
Fol Chen - You Took The Train

These weirdos in Fol Chen are getting real good at perfecting their brand of sugary lullaby-esque pop with layers upon layers of glittery, quirky synth-beats and staggering stop-n-go changes. Hard to describe, guys - just remember that The False Alarms is half-n-half tracks of bubbling playfulness, and then about-face, straight into arrangements alternately icy and foreboding, with (all the while) sauntering, sexy vocals that just make me melt.

Want more? Check out the video for 200 Words, after the jump.

The False Alarms is available courtesy of Asthmatic Kitty

The Thermals

noreply@blogger.com (Liquid Jesus) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 02:33:00 +0000

The Thermals - Born To Kill
The Thermals - You Will Find Me

I still can't believe that I get this excited about the Thermals and their big chords and chunky guitar/bass combos and sweaty, adrenaline-fueled, sing-along-styled anthemic choruses, even after listening to 'em, and completely digging the shit outta every single one of their albums, for the past ten or so years. We've gone over all of this before, but if you want to hear something that truly gets me going, without fail, this is it.

Desperate Ground will be released on April 16th, via Saddle Creek

Mixed Blood Majority

noreply@blogger.com (Liquid Jesus) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 03:41:00 +0000

Mixed Blood Majority - Fine Print
Mixed Blood Majority - Ritual (ft. Kristoff Krane)

This whole Mixed Blood Majority collaboration pairs up Crescent Moon and Joe Horton (Kill The Vultures and No Bird Sing, respectively) with Doomtree affiliate Lazerbeak - Minneapolis peeps, all. Featuring percussion-heavy production skills and a sometimes straightforward, sometimes minimalist series of beats alongside the witty, often biting banter between two veteran lyricists, natch.

Mixed Blood Majority is available courtesy of Mixed Blood Majority and F to I to X

Lapalux

noreply@blogger.com (Liquid Jesus) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 15:39:00 +0000

Lapalux - Guuurl
Lapalux - Straight Over My Head

Brainfeeder producer Lapalux wobbles/churns in and out like a fever dream throughout most of the new Nostalchic full length and I can easily foresee some of y'all getting mighty confused while attempt to discern between the solid, soulful bits 'n' pieces and the more bewildering moments of borderline noise and disarray. Yeah, sure, some tracks are more accessible than others, obviously, but I always really hate it when peeps complain about "listenability" or whatever, so now I'm not quite sure why I even mentioned it at all.

Nostalchic is available courtesy of Brainfeeder

Bleached

noreply@blogger.com (Liquid Jesus) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 17:29:00 +0000

Bleached - Next Stop
Bleached - Searching Through The Past

The sister sirens in Bleached compose infectiously energetic power-pop with a very noticeable nod to '70s punk/rock 'n' roll plus lil' bits of twee tossed in, so yeah - sorry if I just can't help but recall some of my more formative years whilst listening to their nostalgic Ride Your Heart debut. Think lovely vocals and catchy garage/surfy sounds, and wistful love songs tinged with a teenage angst that lasts years and years longer than it should.

Ride Your Heart will be released on April 2nd, via Dead Oceans

Amp Live

noreply@blogger.com (Liquid Jesus) — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 00:24:00 +0000

Amp Live - Color Me (Intro)
Amp Live - D.H.E.A.

The unpredictable and all-around WTF approach of Amp Live's new Kaleidoscope Theory has tracks shifting and drifting into one another without warning as the beat-maker/producer half of Zion I steps back from the full-frontal electrofunk of Murder At The Discotech and into a whole 'nother set of innovative complexities and song structure switch-a-roos on this freeform jazz-influenced, impromptu-esque extended-play recording.

Kaleidoscope Theory is available in its entirety as a FREE download, courtesy of Amp Live and Plug Research. Click HERE to get it.

Myka 9 & Factor

noreply@blogger.com (Liquid Jesus) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 19:43:00 +0000

Myka 9 & Factor - Sovereign Soul
Myka 9 & Factor - Bask In These Rays (ft. Astronautalis & Ceschi)

Myka 9 and Factor released Sovereign Soul a couple three months back or so, but I've been listening to it again a whole lot lately and wondering why I never shouted it out way back when, when I should've. Who knows? For a better idea of what yer missing, just take wordsmith-wizard tongue-twister anecdotes and a palette of quirky/catchy beats with bits of funk and soul and squealing guitar licks, and then toss in a whole slew of conversational acrobatics featuring the likes of Open Mike Eagle, Ceschi, Astronautalis, Moka Only, and more. And then this is what you get.

Sovereign Soul is available courtesy of Fake Four, Inc.

Black Bug

noreply@blogger.com (Liquid Jesus) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:40:00 +0000

Black Bug - Reflecting The Light
Black Bug - Police Helicopter

Reflecting The Light is full of dark and ominous arrangements from the weirdo Black Bug duo (trio?), with bits of playful nihilism oozing out from everywhere, so niceties be damned, you know? Think raw power of dirty punk chords vs. dismal and oh-so eerie noir synth progression (somewhat reminiscent of the booming aesthetics of The Soft Moon and maybe even a lil' bit of a stripped-down Mind Spiders, perhaps) vs. a warped lo-fi goodness that creeps man, it creeps. I'm rocking this one so hard I want it inside me.

Want more? Check out the video for Mask, available after the jump.

Reflecting The Light will be released on March 26th, via Hozac

Flume

noreply@blogger.com (Liquid Jesus) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 20:05:00 +0000

Flume - On Top (ft. T. Shirt)
Flume - Insane (ft. Moon Holiday)

Been listening to this debut LP from Aussie producer Flume for the past couple weeks and now I can't seem to get some of these glitchy snippets and dirty quirk bangers outta my head. I can't complain too much, though, 'cause this self-titled long-player is chock full of fresh tracks and diverse beats, loopy electronics, eclectic collaborations, and a nifty palette of sampled goodness to hold it all together.

Flume is available courtesy of Mom + Pop

Javelin

noreply@blogger.com (Liquid Jesus) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 17:26:00 +0000

Javelin - Nnormal
Javelin - Airfield

Hi Beams shows off a little bit more of this fabled electronic duo's ever-evolving song-writing coherency and pop-making skills than the 8-bit synth-beat free-for-all on No Más (man, the weirdos in Javelin use to really get us going, huh?), all while retaining the same levels of impromptu dance-party fun that always made it so much, er... fun to listen to 'em in the first place.

Hi Beams is available courtesy of Luaka Bop

Spray Paint

noreply@blogger.com (Liquid Jesus) — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 19:33:00 +0000

Spraypaint - Yawn Factory
Spraypaint - Dripping The Rails

I'm not entirely sure of how to go about describing the unabashed noise and creeping chord progressions and yelpy distortion from these Spray Paint fellows... Wire meets The Monorchid, perhaps? Hard to say, but their new self-titled LP sure is tickling my fancy anyways, one short stab of herky-jerky dissonance at a time, and what's especially delightful is their refreshing-yet-discordant avant-whatever attitude of punchy, weirdo no-fi and off-kilter dueling guitars and a don't-give-a-fuck demo-tape approach that I miss from the days of actual demo-tapes.

Spray Paint is available courtesy of S.S. Records

The Men

noreply@blogger.com (Liquid Jesus) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 19:48:00 +0000

The Men - I Saw Her Face
The Men - Electric

New Moon showcases the ever-evolving ambitions of Brooklyn dudes The Men, shifting away, incrementally, from the sweaty raucousness of last year's Open Your Heart LP and slipping into a decidedly different sound that dabbles in jangly americana melodies, drinking ballads, and harmonica/slide guitar twang combos. Which, apparently, has been garnering massive amounts of both critical praise and perplexed disappointment, like, all over the place. But I don't think that The Men give a shit about what you or anyone else has to say, anyways.

New Moon is available courtesy of Sacred Bones

And So I Watch You From Afar

noreply@blogger.com (Liquid Jesus) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 21:01:00 +0000

And So I Watch You From Afar - Big Thinks Do Remarkable
And So I Watch You From Afar - Like A Mouse

I bet the fine gentlemen in And So I Watch You From Afar are a lot of fun at parties 'cause the new All Hail Bright Futures full length is a veritable party packaged in itself, and it's a fun frenzy of dueling instrumental attacks and marching beats and horns and occasional gang vocals. And more! Just beware of falling debris caused by all of the stops and starts and turn-on-a-dime hooks, hammer-ons, and guitar noodle goodness, plus all sorts of other technical shit that I don't completely comprehend. Because I'm a dumbass.

All Hail Bright Futures will be released on March 19th, courtesy of ASIWYFA and Sergeant House