These New Puritans, Hidden

There is a lot of hype surrounding the new These New Puritans album Hidden. Download a free track from the upcoming album (available only for 7 days), not due out in the states until March 3, 2010.

Download These New Puritans “Orion”

Here’s an AMAZING track and video from the upcoming album as well. “We Want War” Available now on iTunes.

If you missed it out last week is the new album from Eels, End Times.

Download Black Moth Super Rainbow’s Remix of Air “Sing Sang Sung” off the new album Love 2. BMSR definitely add a bit of their signature experimentalism to the track… as well as a little dark-danceability and just enough fuzzing static to keep it gritty without pushin it over the distortion edge.

Devendra Banhart’s new album What Will We Be is released today. This will be his first release on a major label (Warner Bros.), which sometimes results in major changes for artists. A musician with such a plethora of experience, talent and diversity, such as Devandra, should weather the evil storm well.

Released today: The Big Pink, A Brief History of Love. The first full length album from the London duo. Their music encompasses everything great: pop, rock, indie, electronic, soulful vocals and distinct production beats.

No More Stories, the new album from Mew is out today. The full title is a poem: No More Stories Are Told Today I’m Sorry They Washed Away No More Stories The World Is Grey I’m Tired Let’s Wash Away.  This new release should please followers and entice new fans. Download “Reapeaterbeater” from my summer download list.

The last remaining member of the Smashing Pumkins, Billy Corgan, has his eyes set on releasing new material by October. He has to find a replacement for the recently departed long-time drummer. Let’s hope whatever fans he has left are still interested by the time a new record drops.

Sebastien Grainger & The Mountains

Sebastien Grainger, better known as the singer and drummer for dance-punk duo Death From Above 1979, has moved on to a solo effort while ex-DFA 1979-partner, Jesse Keeler, forges ahead as 1/2 of MSTRKRFT.

Sebastien’s first solo release definitely takes a slightly different direction than the intense vocal effects and distorted bass-guitar riffs predominantly heard from DFA 1979. Some moves he made were for the better…and some not so much. He still dives into washed-out amplified vocals on “Niagara” and “Love Can Be So Mean” could have been and earlier DFA song, re-visited with added melodies. “Renegade Silence” is similar to DFA but with a lot more soul and funk. Tracks such as “Who do We Care For” show improved song structure and have definite potential for major alternative radio air play. “I Hate My Friends” pushes a little too close to early 80′s commercial rock and seems to nip at the toes of the likes of REO Speedwagon. Sebastien has dropped a lot of electronic elements found in DFA and has opted for slower ballot style tracks like “(Are There) Ways to Come Home” and “Love is Not a Contest.” All-in-all Sebastien Grainger & The Mountains is a solid release for a solo artist stepping away from his previous persona. It does lack the fun, electro-rock party anthems that hooked me on DFA 1979, but Sebastien has grown as an artist and forges into new territory with more complex vocal variations and smart, although somewhat commercial, song structure and melodies.