Suuns - Images du Futur

While we're not exactly sure that we agree with Spinner's estimation that the band is "like Liars or Clinic", we couldn't be happier to have discovered that they're streaming the new record from Suuns, Images du Futur, over at the site. A couple of weeks back we tweeted the band's video for "2020", a killer track off the new record. Well, now in addition to that gem, we've got a whole disc of audio, and a new video for "Edie's Dream" (above).

In short, we're very, very, excited about the release. The band has taken their experimental sonics from the first record, and honed them down into arrangements that are simpler, even more engaging, and as acoustically edgy as their predecessors. At the same time, the deceptively poppy grooves from the first disc have only become more prevalent. Much like the work of many of the great visual artists of the modern era was honed after a comprehensive understanding of traditional craft, so it is clear that Suuns have the ability to deliver catchy, de rigueur rock and roll. Instead, they've chosen to cast aside easier options, and instead deliver a record that focuses on texture, groove, and hidden melodies that stick in your head for days.

We'll be honest: A new Suuns record is not a hard sell for us, as we already loved the band from the get-go. That being said, the record is even better than we had expected, and the fact that it's paired with a serious bout of touring has us seriously excited. The Montreal-based band is even better in their live incarnation, and the fact that some of the dates are with The Besnard Lakes is simply an added bonus. To miss out on this tour would be a serious mistake, and may be what we would guess is your last chance to see them in truly small rooms. But don't take our word for it: stream the disc below and see for yourself!

Suuns 2013 Tour Dates
03/02/13 Saint-Tite, QC - A la Fut w/ We Are Wolves
03/08/13 Saint-Hyacinthe, QC - Le Zaricot w/ We Are Wolves
03/12/13 Laval, QC - Studio Theatre w/ We Are Wolves
03/23/13 Toronto, ON - Lee's Place
03/29/13 Joliette, QC - Cabaret Arena w/ We Are Wolves
03/30/13 Terrebonne, QC - Moulin Neuf w/ Plants and Animals
04/04/13 Montreal, QC - Sala Rossa
04/05/13 Quebec City, QC - Le Cercle
04/09/13 London, ON - Call The Office
04/10/13 Windsor, ON - Phog Lounge
04/11/13 Hamilton, ON - Casbah
04/12/13 Kingston, ON - The Grad Club
04/13/13 Ottawa , ON - Ritual
04/15/13 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
04/16/13 Washington, DC - Black Cat
04/17/13 Pittsburgh, PA - 6119
04/18/13 Cleveland Heights, OH - Grog Shop w/ The Besnard Lakes
04/19/13 Grand Rapids, MI - The Pyramid Scheme w/ The Besnard Lakes
04/20/13 Chicago, IL - Schuba's w/ The Besnard Lakes
04/21/13 DeKalb, IL - Otto's Nightclub w/ The Besnard Lakes
04/22/13 Bloomington, IN - Bishop Bar w/ The Besnard Lakes
04/23/13 St. Louis, MO - Firebird w/ The Besnard Lakes
04/24/13 Fayetteville, AR - J.R.'s Lightbulb Co w/ The Besnard Lakes
04/25/13 Dallas, TX - Club DaDa w/ The Besnard Lakes & Black Mountain
04/26/13 Austin, TX - Austin Psych Fest
04/29/13 Rome, IT - Lanificio 159
04/30/13 Modena, IT - Mattatoio
05/02/13 Zagreb, HR - Culture Factory Club
05/03/13 Krems, AT - Donau Festival
05/04/13 Munich, DE - Atomic Cafe
05/05/13 Berlin, DE - Comet
05/06/13 Cologne, DE - Studio 672
05/07/13 Metz, FR - Les Trinitaires
05/08/13 Zurich, CH - Rote Fabrik
05/09/13 Paris, FR - Trabendo
05/10/13 Lille, FR - Le Grand Mix
05/11/13 Brussels, BE - La Nuit de Botanique
05/12/13 Amsterdam, NL - Melkweg
05/13/13 Brighton, UK - The Haunt
05/14/13 London, UK - XOYO
05/15/13 Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club
05/16/13 Dublin, IE - The Grand Social
05/17/13 Liverpool, UK - Kazimier
05/18/13 Bristol, UK - The Exchange
05/22/13 Victoria, BC - Lucky Bar
05/23/13 Vancouver, BC - Media Club
05/25/13 George, WA - Sasquatch Music Festival
05/26/13 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge

Stream: Suuns - Images du Futur

Video: David Bowie - "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)"

Here we go: things are kicking into overdrive for the release of David Bowie's new record The Next Day, and that includes today's release of the latest single from the record, "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)". The tune, which was released as a video(above) starring Tilda Swinton and directed by Floria Sigismondi, opens with an almost-"Station To Station"-esque instrumental interlude, only to then break down into a rock jam akin to much of Bowie's last big single "New Killer Star".

As with Reality, these rockers tend to kill live, which is what makes it all the more disappointing that Bowie won't be doing more than a show or two in support of his new record. Nonetheless, the track provides a stark contrast to last month's "Where Are We Now", and leaves us with a real question about just how the new record will come together, and whether it will fulfill a hefty spot as the apex of the second half of Bowie's career. A title which currently, in our opinion, continues to be dominated by 2002's Heathen. Either way, we're stoked and ready to digest an album's worth of material.

"The Stars (Are Out Tonight)" is available on iTunes and will see physical release on Record Store Day as a limited edition single.

Johnny Marr — "Upstarts"

There's no denying that Johnny Marr long ago solidified his place in the world of cool, ranging from his tenure with the Smiths, to playing guitar for Modest Mouse at the height of their most recent success. Even so, we still were unprepared for the awesomeness that Marr was set to deliver with his new solo work. Culled from the forthcoming record The Messenger, "Upstarts" is a three-and-a-half minute dose of some of the best power pop we've heard in a long time. It's an utterly delightful slice of a sound that is at the same time classic and new, absent of a specific place or era. On top of that, Marr and Co managed to create a killer vintage-feel video for the song that is spot-on. Needless to say, we are very excited about this record.

Stream: Johnny Marr - The Messenger (Full Album)

Phoenix - "Entertainment"

Well, here it is. The first single from Bankrupt!."Entertainment" is a bombastic dose of classic Phoenix, with a solid dose of synth thievery from the vibe of Siouxsie's "Hong Kong Garden". Which isn't to say it's derivative, or that it's anything less than great. It's undeniably fantastic to hear the latest from these Frenchmen.

"Entertainment" picks up stylistically right where Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix left off, and demonstrates its skill as "Girlfriend"'s able bodied cousin. In short, it is a showcase for the band's intricate riffing and rock-solid songwriting, while Thomas Mars' vocals sail about it all. 

We'll stop gushing now, and just go listen to it on repeat. You should probably do the same — check it above.

Stream The New Frightened Rabbit

We'll admit it: after our heavy-duty adoration of Frightened Rabbit's second record, The Midnight Organ Fight, we were a bit let down by the band's third effort, The Winter Of Mixed Drinks. Not that there was anything "wrong" with it per se, but it just simply didn't have the passion or balls-to-the-walls aplomb that we had grown to love. Instead, it felt more like a go-through-the-motions effort that rehashed the most obvious parts of the band's sound.

As such, it was with great hesitation that we sampled the band's new single "Woodpile" (video above) when it dropped last December. We need not have been worried. The track brings the band back to their awesome, impassioned vigor of old, and creates a haunting soundscape that culminates in a screeching guitar avalanche that encourages you to sing along at full volume

Fast forward to this week, and there's even more good news: the whole album is fantastic. Whatever steps they took to ensure this, they were the right ones. Pedestrian Verse drops in February, but it's streaming now over at the Guardian UK, and you should most certainly go have a listen. Everything about the record is on-point, and we couldn't be happier to have a new musical addiction

Stream: Frightened Rabbit — Pedestrian Verse

John Cale Live On KEXP

Around these parts, our affection for John Cale knows no bounds. And, despite the fact that we have undying love for his classic records(like Paris 1919 which was recently so well revived at BAM), we have been equally smitten with his latest record, Shifty Aventures In Nookie Wood. The record finds Cale in a true return-to-pop-form, deviating from his more recent noisy work, and instead embracing the art-pop he has always delivered so well. It's truly a fantastic listen.

So, you can imagine our delight when we recently stumbled across the knowledge that Cale had made a mid-December stop at KEXP, and recorded a killer set. Not only does he deliver the seventies classics "GUTS" and "You Know More Than I Know", but also stripped-down takes on the new tunes "I Wanna Talk To You" and "December Rains". It's all there in glorious HD, with the 70-year-old Cale sounding fantastic. Check it out above!

The Flaming Lips - "Sun Blows Up Today" (Video)

It's been a good long while since we've heard a new jam from The Flaming Lips, so we were stoked to learn that their new record The Terror is due April 2nd, and the lead single just droped on the interwebs! "Sun Blows Up Today" is a synth laden psychedelic trek that recalls a hybridization of some of their more recent fuzzy guitar work, and the subtle melodies of The Soft Bulletin in short — it's killer, and we're loving it. Stream the vid (complete with lyrics!) above...

The Strokes — "One Way Trigger" (NEW TRACK)

Happy late Friday afternoon. Thought we were gone for the weekend, eh? Well, so did we, but guess what? The Strokes just dropped a new tune via their official website. It's in the vein of a lot of Angles material, but also a bit more classic than anything on that full-length. Including a quirky little synth line, some acoustic guitars, and Julian's killer falsetto, it's definitely worth a spin, or 100. Yum. Stream or grab the mp3 over at the band's official site.

UPDATE: MP3 Below!

mp3: The Strokes - One Way Trigger

Menomena - "Toomer"

This January, a fair number of tracks have been cropping up from bands that are on the HAD favorites list, not the least of which is the latest from Menomena, "Toomer". The track is culled from the sessions for last year's Moms, and is certainly true-to-form for the band. Built around a  lilting percussion track, hypnotic vocals, and smooth analog synths, it somehow manages to be even more engaging than anything on that full length. It's a mystery why it didn't make it on the record, but we're certainly glad that it's seen the light of day! Stream the track below...

Phoenix Return With Bankrupt!

There's not much news to report yet, but suffice it to say that we are jump-out-of-your-chair excited about the return of Phoenix. After being off the radar for the better part of the last year or two, the band has update their web-site with a flashing logo and a hypnotic synth line. Both point to the release of the band's new record, apparently entitled Bankrupt!, which is scheduled to drop in April. That's all the news we have for now, but suffice it to say, we are very, very, excited.

David Bowie Drops New Single, Album In March

If you're a long-time reader of HAD, you'll no doubt recall that one of our undying obsessions is that of the Thin White Duke, David Bowie himself. Given that he's been a bit of a recluse in recent years, there hasn't been much news to speak of, and we've had to satisfy ourselves with perusing the archives, and enjoying memories of live shows gone by.

Well, starting now, that's all going to change: on this, his 66th birthday, Bowie has released a new track entitled "Where Are We Now?" (video above), and announced a full-length record The Next Day, due to drop March 12th. To state it lightly, for any fans of Bowie this is huge, huge news!

So what does it all mean? Thus far details are sketchy, but the track (which is currently available on iTunes) and record are apparently produced by long-time cohort Tony Visconti, which is a good way to get things started. Bucking the trends of Bowie's last few records, the lead single is decisively a ballad, and it's a good one at that.

With a strikingly simple studio arrangement, "Where Are We Now?" is loaded with nostalgic lyrics about Bowie's time in Berlin, and recalls the instrumentation of his mid-seventies work, notably "Wild Is The Wind", off of Station To Station. The songs conclusion breaks from the ballad structure, with a march-influenced drum beat, and a sense of general rebirth. A good thing, indeed.

Suffice it to say, we are ridiculously excited about this development, and will keep you posted. In the meantime, check the video above and enjoy it!!!

John Cale Readies New Record, BAM Appearances (Video)

Around these parts, our love of John Cale has only increased in recent years, as the once-Velvet rocker has expanded his musical vocabulary to all sorts of electronics, and released some of the most pleasing records of his career. As such, we couldn't have been more delighted to learn that Cale has a new record on tap for next month.

Shifty Adventures In Nookie Wood drops on October 1st, and the first taste we've gotten is fantastic. The track "Face To The Sky" is a meditative ballad, with a killer abstract video to go along side. You can check out the video below, and enjoy the loveliness. If the rest of the record follows suit, we're sold.

On top of the new album excitement, Cale is also scheduled to arrive at BAM in January after a fall European tour. Over three nights, he will deliver two performances of his classic solo record Paris 1919, along with a one night tribute to his frequent (and sadly, deceased) collaborator, NICO. It's always good to know there's a highlight in store to make our January a bit less bleak. Excitement abounds!



John Cale Winter 2012-13 US Dates
Wed. Jan. 16 – Brooklyn, NY @ BAM [Life Along The Borderline - tribute to NICO]
Fri. Jan. 18 – Brooklyn, NY @ BAM [When Past & Future Collide: Paris 1919]
Sat. Jan. 19 – Brooklyn, NY @ BAM [When Past & Future Collide: Paris 1919]

Blur Deliver Two New Songs, And They're Awesome

The past few years have been on-again, off-again on the Blur front. 2009 saw the band reunite for a series of "comeback" shows, but little more than that in terms of follow up. Then 2010 saw the release of "Fool's Day" for Record Store Day, the band's first new material in seven years. Finally, 2012 saw the band committing to a performance at the London Olympics, and hinting at new material. And yet, all the while, Damon Albarn simultaneously was confirming or denying the band's continued existence, depending what media source you chose to believe.

Well, now little of that matters, because the day has arrived: the band has dropped two new singles (videos with lyrics above) entitled "Under The Westway" and "The Puritan", and if you're even a little bit of a Blur loyalist, you will not be disappointed. The first track is a classic Blur ballad, along the lines of "The Universal", but incorporating some of the scratchy guitar sounds the band discovered on 13. The second song is even more "classic" Blur in its feel, recalling the bouncy brit-pop of the band's earliest days on Modern Life Is Rubbish.

All of this confirms what fans have known all along: that the band are more than able to create amazing new work, and that it's a bit of a travesty that they've been silent for so long. Seeing them play the two tracks live (still streamable here) was a dream come true, and their chemistry is undeniable. Given that, we can't wait to see them perform at the Olympics, but moreover, we can only hope and pray that the experience will push them to at least take one last stab at creating another brilliant record.

Lotus Plaza - Spooky Action At A Distance

Given Bradford Cox's prolific output, and penchant for high drama, you wouldn't be blamed for assuming that he was the driving force behind the innovative sounds of Deerhunter, the band which he fronts when he's not performing as Atlas Sound. The fact of the matter, however, is that the band has another, equally important, component in guitarist Lockett Pundt. His outside work, entitled Lotus Plaza, is a window into the other half of Deerhunter's creative output. One listen makes you realize the degree to which the shared band is a creative effort, and how much Pundt has to offer. His latest record with Lotus Plaza is nothing short of a complete win.

As soon as the needle drops in the groove on Spooky Action At Distance, the textures and composition all point to Pundt's contributions to Deerhunter. The sparkling, interleaved guitars, the driving drum beats, and the oddly dry-yet-reverbed sound of the vocals. It is a sonic signature that is tough to imitate, and yet is oddly and deeply tied to Bradford Cox's own solo work.  It's almost as though the artists are travelling a shared path, but Pundt's is the edgier counterpart to Cox's more mellow sibling. While Cox's work can sometimes drift into ethereal bliss, Lotus Plaza stays more grounded in the world of traditional songwriting, with occasional doses of feedback and noise.

And, for what it's worth, that buys the record a lot more repeat listens.  Lotus Plaza has an accessibility and re-listenability that is shared with Deerhunter, and it's largely created by Pundt's fantastic songwriting.  The beats and melodies combine to create a body of work that is fun but complex, and more rewarding with each go round. It is a record that drives you to listen harder, and in turn be rewarded, in a way that only truly great rock records do.

Suffice it to say, we highly recommend you add Spooky Action At A Distance to your listening queue, if you haven't already. We're sure the result will be your presence in your local music hall, as Lotus Plaza starts their tour this week. See you out there!

mp3: Lotus Plaza - Strangers


Lotus Plaza Spring 2012 Tour Dates
4/13/2012 - Chicago IL lincoln hall
4/14/2012 - Ann arbor MI yellow barn
4/15/2012 - Toronto ON the garrison
4/16/2012 - Montreal QC casa del popolo
4/17/2012 - Ithaca NY the haunt
4/18/2012 - Albany NY valentine's
4/19/2012 - Brooklyn NY glasslands
4/20/2012 - Philadelphia PA johnny brenda's
4/21/2012 - Raleigh NC king's
4/22/2012 - Knoxville TN the pilot light
4/24/2012 - Atlanta GA the ear
4/25/2012 - Birmingham AL the bottletree
4/27/2012 - Austin TX psych fest
4/28/2012 - Dallas TX club dada
4/29/2012 - Memphis TN hi-tone cafe

Liars - "No. 1 Against The Rush"

We've got crazy levels of affection for Liars around these parts, so when studio videos started surfacing of the band working on their latest WIXIW, we were totally stoked. But nothing, to be honest, could have prepared us for just how awesome the product of those studio sessions would be. "No. 1 Against The Rush" is an awesome dose of synthy goodness wrapped around the band's signature ethereal songwriting style. The beat may be the most dance-influenced thing we've ever heard from the band, but the track manages to balance the poppy vibe just perfectly with eerie textures that save it from becoming repetitive in the least. We're sure you'll agree that it deserves multiple repeat listens on this sunny Monday morning. While an mp3 has yet to surface, you can stream the new awesomeness via the link below.

Stream: Liars - No. 1 Against The Rush

Menomena - "Forgive Yourself"

This morning, while walking down the street jamming to Menomena's "TAOS", we realized we hadn't checked in on the band in a while, and so we decided to do some digging. Turns out they finished recording their new record at the end of February, and celebrated the occasion by dropping a massive mp3 of a track from the session, "Forgive Yourself".

Not that Menomena is a band to be bound to any one style or structure, but for any band, this one is a doozy.  Clocking in at 30+ minutes, the track is an epic soundscape with variety of White Album-ian proportions. In short, despite the departure of one of their members, the band is clearly not short on ideas or inspiration. Listening is a bit of a roller coaster ride, but if you're a fan of the band, it's a welcome one. What's more, it has us super excited for the new record. Happy Friday!

mp3: Menomena - Forgive Yourself

Kendall Elijah - "The Wild"

Given that we tend to be late to the game with hip hop records, we were a bit surprised to see that this jam from Kendall Elijah hasn't got more recognition. We stumbled across it while browsing cull.tv, and we were immediately taken with its expert sampling of string sections, and a flow that is some of the smoothest we've heard in a long time.

A newcomer out of Maryland, Elijah dropped his Eli Dynamite EP last year, and recently released the video (below) for "The Wild". However, the track is by no means an anomaly. The entire EP is full of killer material. Reminiscent of the best of mid-90's rap, the entire disc is downloadable for free at Bandcamp.  Snag it today - you won't regret it.

mp3: Kendall Elijah - The Wild

Elton John Returns To His Roots With 3-Piece Band

We'll admit: it's rare these days that we get excited for any kind of Elton John news at all.  While ol' four eyes is one of our all time favorites, we love his 70's gems and even have a soft spot for the 80's and early 90's, it's hard to swallow much of his output post-1995. However, based on a new report from Rolling Stone, we're hoping that's all about to change. 

According to the article, John has headed back into the studio and wrote a 12 track record in two days with producer T-Bone Burnett overseeing the efforts. Burnett convinced John to return to the setup that dominated his first two records and his 1970 tour: piano, bass, and drums. What's more, Taupin delivered a "stack of lyrics" to John from which to cull material. In short, this is a literal return-to-form from the early days of John's writing and performing.

Now, of course, there are no guarantees. John claimed a few years back to be creating the "follow-up" to the classic Captain Fantastic, and it was anything but.  However, given his recent work with Leon Russell, and the fact that Burnett was on hand, well, we definitely have our hopes up. If nothing else, we're certainly waiting with bated breath for the release of The Diving Board this fall, and in the meantime, we can always flash back to the early 70's...

mp3: Elton John - Rock Me When He's Gone (Live In Tokyo 1971)

Damon Albarn To Deliver Dr. Dee

We're happy to admit that we tend to go apeshit for anything Damon Albarn produces.  After a quick listen to the video preview (above), his latest project Dr. Dee has us particularly excited.  Based on the life of John Dee, an advisor to Elizabeth the First, Dr. Dee is a stage production that will see its debut in London come June.  In the meantime, the record will drop May 8th, and supposedly features "Albarn's voice with early English choral and instrumentation alongside modern, West African and Renaissance sounds".  Make of that what you will, but if it sounds as good as "The Marvelous Dream", which is featured in the preview, then it's sure to be one of our favorites of the year.  So. Stoked.

Plants And Animals Drop Another Track From Forthcoming Record

Plants and Animals at Bowery Ballroom, from the HAD Archive

It goes without saying that we here at HAD are stoked on the forthcoming Plants and Animals record.  The band has been on our "must play" list ever since they dropped their first full length in 2008, and as they've evolved, they've only gotten better.  Case in point: the newest track from their forthcoming The End Of That.

"Song For Love" embraces the more acoustic songwriter-y vibe that was hinted at in "Lightshow", and even more on display when the band played the Rock Shop on a rainy night in early December. But here's the thing: the band manages to embrace this more conventional aesthetic without eschewing the bits that make their music so distinctive and perfectly unique.  They rock out on the choruses, display utterly perfect technical chops, and create arrangements that are as compelling as they are perfect. In short, this record is fast proving to be another perfect step in the evolution of a band that is getting better by the day.


On top of the killer new track, we also managed to stumble over a killer HD vid for the band's cover of Wolf Parade's "I'll Believe Anything", which was the B-Side to "Lightshow".  If you've seen the band live then, as expected, you'll be psyched for this.  If you haven't, well, check the vid above and enjoy the magic.  Once you're done with that, check out the band's North American tour in support of the record, which starts early next month.

Plants and Animals Spring 2012 Tour 
8th Mar Ritual Nightclub Ottawa, ON
9th Mar Le Cercle Quebec, QC
10th Mar Le Cabaret du Mile End Montreal, QC
14th Mar St David's Church (SXSW) Austin, TX
17th Mar Spill Bar (SXSW) Austin, TX
20th Mar Lucky Bar Victoria, BC
21st Mar Rickshaw Theatre Vancouver, BC
22nd Mar The Crocodile Seattle, WA
24th Mar Mississippi Studios Portland, Oregon
27th Mar Starlite Room Edmonton, AB
28th Mar Republik Calgary, AB
Thu 29th Mar Amigos Cantina Saskatoon, Canada
30th Mar West End Cultural Centre Winnipeg, MB
31st Mar 7th Street Entry Minneapolis, MN
4th Apr TT The Bear's Place Cambridge , MA
5th Apr Kung Fu Necktie Philadelphia, PA
6th Apr Red Palace Washington, DC
7th Apr Local 506 Chapel Hill, NC
8th Apr 529 Atlanta, GA
10th Apr Crowbar Tampa, FL
11th Apr The Social Orlando, FL
13th Apr The Bottletree Birmingham, AL
14th Apr Hi-Tone Cafe Memphis, TN
18th Apr Mercury Lounge New York, NY
19th Apr Mohawk Place Buffalo, NY
20th Apr APK Live London , Ontario
21st Apr Lee's Palace Toronto, ON
11th May Schuba's Chicago, IL
12th May The Frequency Madison, WI
15th May Hi-Dive Denver, CO
16th May Kilby Court Salt Lake City, UT
18th May Bottom of The Hill San Francisco, CA
19th May Satellite Club Los Angeles , CA
21st May Casbah San Diego, CA
25th May Lambert's Austin, TX


mp3: Plants and Animals - Song For Love