“The Nomadic Firs bring psychedelic pop through a bedroom of reflection with their fun colors dipped in a garden of sound.”

~ June Wright with the Indie Lead

Nomadic Firs free internet album on ReverbNation is available for download. Their first full length album will be coming out in the summer. This should hold you over until then. The free download comes with eight tracks that have been recorded over the last three years. The lead single is called Heady May, and it will be on this summers release. The album is  being mastered by the father and son duo at Sonic Bloom recordings out of Michigan.

“Casual” is the new music video from Luke Temple’s group Here We Go Magic. Their new album Pigeons is on my Top Ten for 2010.

Quite simply, Tame Impala is my new favorite band of the moment. This could, and most certainly will stretch across many moments. Their album Innerspeaker just arrived from the UK yesterday, and were loving it at the house.

The High Road is out today!

Get Broken Bells [The High Road +Video]

If you’re not familiar with Koushik its time to start paying attention. His last release Out My Window came out in 2008 on Stone Throw Records(vocal and instrumental release available). Its an album that is widely unknown that needs to be visited by you and others. Its the haze of summer gently humming through the speaks, its indeed my summer time play. When we roll to the lakes beneath the Smoky Mountains, Koushik provides the background. Constant rotation!

“Koushik Ghosh, a first-generation Canadian born to two genetic engineers and brother of Himadri Ghosh from the techno group Teste, goes by just his first name as a producer and singer on Peanut Butter Wolf’s Stones Throw label. DJing since 14, Koushik grew up outside of Hamilton, Ontario, going to Indian classical singing lessons with his mother and listening to bands like My Bloody Valentine and Funkadelic, and later on, Madlib and Jay Dee. After completing his masters degrees in biostatistics and ethnomusicology from the University of Vermont, Koushik went on to release 2005′s Be With (whose sound reflects the eclecticism in his musical tastes), which includes songs off his Be With, One in a Day, and Battle Times EPs. Previous to that he co-wrote and sang two songs on Manitoba (later re-named Caribou)’s 2003 Up in Flames record. Koushik’s long awaited full-length debut, Out My Window came out in 2008 and not very coincidentally, had much in common with Caribou’s 2007 Andorra. ~ Marisa Brown, All Music Guide”

Heligoland, the much, much anticipated, long overdue album from Massive Attack is available for pre-order in a number of formats (releases 2/8/2010). There is a new “LP’ format from iTunes that will include 6 bonus tracks and exclusive art – two of the tracks (unfortunately) are only available on iTunes (and they may just be worth it). This new version will also include an enhanced version of the standard artwork plus new works and photos not available anywhere else. As of now, you can only purchase the entire album not individual tracks. A special triple vinyl / cd format with additional art will also be available – no word yet on where it will be distributed through.

Heligoland is the fifth studio album from Massive Attack and the first studio album since 2003′s critically-acclaimed 100th Window, created solely by Robert Del Naja (3D) as the other founding members split after the 1998 album Mezzanine. Grand Marshall (Daddy G) returns on Heligoland as well as long time vocalist cohort Horace Andy. In typical Massive fashion, the new album features an all-star cast of guest vocals from Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorrillaz), Hope Sandoval (Mazzy Star), Martina Topley-Bird (Tricky), Guy Garvey (Elbow) and Tunde Adebimpe (TV On The Radio). The band also collaborated with DFA’s Tim Goldsworthy on selected tracks as well as guitar from Portishead’s Adrian Utley. The cover, as in Splitting The Atom and various UNKLE albums, is original artwork from Del Naja.

Pre-order Massive Attack, Heligoland CD (Available 2/9)

Pre-order Massive Attack, Heligoland MP3

Pre-order Massive Attack, Heligoland ‘LP’ from iTunes

Pre-order Massive Attack, Heligoland from iTunes

Gust of Wind # 13

Atlas Sound, Logos

Kranky

This Gust of Wind wakes you when the dogs howl rides over the empty streets. You lift up suddenly from dreaming of something you vividly recall, but can’t decisively remember.

Bradford Cox has become a name in the last few years that packs several meanings. Not only is he a part of the exceptionally regarded group called Deer Hunter; he also managed to find time to invent a fresh side-project in Atlas Sound. Both have become regulars on many different lists of praise. This album is just another addition to an already impressive body of work that deserves a thorough listen – Sign me up!

Logos has many personalities throughout. From track to track, there is a plethora of emotions, which seem recorded over a time frame consisting of excessive highs and lows. It’s a connection album with Cox waiving a mirror to see his own reflections in different forms of light. In this case the light is the special guests that contribute to the record. There is a small touch of melancholy in all of this, but certainly enough joy to compound the darkness into something more than a lonely impression.

“Walkabout,” featuring Panda Bear of the group Animal Collective, is one of the brightest spots on the Album. It’s a catchy sample with harmonies leaving a memorable touch. The track “Quick Canal,” featuring Laetitia Sadier of Stereo Lab, is the part of the record where you take off in your own head. Her voice soars well over Atlas Sound’s atmospheric steadiness, and this collaboration is worth exploring in the future. Another track that really sounds amazing is called “Shelia.” Cox sings, “When we die we’ll burry ourselves, because no one wants to die alone,” and as the track fades he belts “Die alone together.” Something we all have pondered momentarily throughout our daily lives.

The original flare, and chameleon sensibility on Logos, gives it enough playing power to stick around as a nice addition to any collection.

- Ryan Boos

Animal Collective has notably been one of the most recognized, top selling and unarguably inventive indie acts of 2009. With their album Merriweather Post Pavilion topping the charts among massive pop bands and cookie cutter rap artists. They’re ending this year with a new EP release, Fall Be Kind is out today. The EP features 5 brand new studio tracks that are every bit as lush and beautiful as those found on Merriweather. The year of Animal Collective continues.

Finally, officially released in the US… Vitalic, Flashmob is out today (11/3) on Different.

If your heavy into  electro, disco, aggressive bass lines or dance pop this album is sure to please. Tracks such as “Poison Lips” will undoubtedly bring a new crowd to Vitalic’s fan base and convince ol’ school dance addicts to explore further into the album… while bringing dark, electro-heads into a euphoric dance club state. “Chicken Lady” combines grimy 8-bit video-gamish sounds, razor-sharp bass and comedic vocal samples for a silly but extremely danceable track. “Your Disco Song,” the albums single, borders on a club killer from Daft Punk that begs for peak play but doesn’t leave you feelin used and exploited. “One Above One” mirrors the likes of Ladytron as straightforward bass flows freely through delicate female vocals. “Still” gets more IDM and shows Vitalic’s keen sense of melody and charming vocal edits and effects. “Terminateur Benelux” pushes you forward with solid bass and far-out synths adding movements with edits and accurately place vocal stabs. The track is then chopped at the limbs in preperation of a funky breakdown… only to mold this beast back into a full fledged killer. The tantalizing subtle nature of “Allen Dellon” begs for peace as the synthy tones are plucked out of a scenic shot from a late ’80s sci-fi action flick.

Vitalic has blown me away with this album, a follow up to his much praised 2005 debut Ok Coyboy; an album that left my tastes in need of a pallet rinse.  Flashmob is a perfect blend interesting electro, fun dance tracks, crushed low-fi samples and production edits that keep you guessing. A must have.