Listen to a New Battles Song Now

Finally! It’s been over three years since NY’s prog-math-rock juggernaut Battles released its debut album, and really haven’t heard a fresh thing from the band since. We heard a while back that the quartet would be contributing a song to the soundtrack for the third movie in the teeny bopper-friendly Twilight series, Eclipse, and now we can finally listen to the song. Praise be!

After scrolling through songs by UNKLE, Beck and Bat For Lashes, Band of Horses, The Black Keys, Vampire Weekend, and other respectable tunes from the ‘indie’ elite, you’ll find “The Line” by Battles. The track starts out sounding quite similar to “Tonto” from Mirrored, but—what’s this?!—you can understand what Tyondai Braxton is singing and its not in a squealing impish pitch. We could go into more detail about how awesome “The Line” is, what with its accelerating tempo, epic turns of melody, and almost pop-friendly nature, but we’ll just let you make your own assessment of it here. And listen quick, because this is coming down tomorrow.

Listen: Extra Life - “Head Shrinker (Tyondai Braxton Remix)”

It’s been quite a while since we’ve heard anything from Battles frontman and future-classicalist Tyondai Braxton, so despite us not having much background on the Brooklyn band Extra Life, we went ahead and posted this remix of the outfit’s track “Head Shrinker” anyway.

Braxton’s treatment of “Head Shrinker” is far more on the experimental, noisy side of his music rather than the orchestral endeavors he followed on last year’s Central Market, but somehow melody still finds its way into the mix. Truthfully, we’re not sure what exactly this version has to do with the original song, but we’ll take it in lieu of that new Battles album we remain waiting patiently for.

Listen:
“Head Shrinker (Tyondai Braxton Remix)”

Download as MP3

Listen: Tobacco - “Sweatmother”

Black Moth Super Rainbow frontman (if you could even call the faceless and relatively nameless guy such a thing) Tobacco (apparently, that’s him up there) has a new album of psychedelic electro-tinged hip-hop coming May 25 on Bay Area label Anticon, and a taste of said record—which, oddly enough, features Beck—has been bestowed upon us.

From Maniac Meat, “Sweatmother” initially sounds like an homage to Nine Inch Nails, that is until Tobacco’s trademark synth and vocoder sounds make their way into the mix. It all sounds quite a bit similar to what the producer does with his main musical squeeze, but maybe just a tad less radio-friendly (if you could even call BMSR’s hazy jams such a thing). Check out the artwork and tracklist for Maniac Meat, and download “Sweatmother,” below.

Listen:
“Sweatmother”

Download as MP3


01 Constellation Dirtbike Head
02 Fresh Hex [ft. Beck]
03 Mexican Icecream
04 Lick the Witch
05 Sweatmother
06 Motorlicker
07 Unholy Demon Rhythms
08 Heavy Makeup
09 Grape Aerosmith [ft. Beck]
10 New Juices From the Hot Tub Freaks
11 Six Royal Vipers
12 Overheater
13 Creepy Phone Calls
14 TV All Greasy
15 Stretch Your Face
16 Nuclear Waste Aerobics

Listen: Guilty Simpson - “Cali Hills”

It takes about 45 seconds of Detroit MC Guilty Simpson delivering his dedication to producers J. Dilla and House Shoes over Madlib’s super-compressed beat before “Cali Hills” really gets to the point. Simpson’s guttural deadpan tells the story of his beat-junkie peers moving out to LA from their hometown, as he stayed behind to figure out his own rap game—trying to maintain his connections with those close friends the whole time. It’s a bit of a divergence from the drug rap featured on Simpson’s debut full-length, Ode to the Ghetto, but is nonetheless a heartfelt change to be heard on his forthcoming Madlib-produced second album, OJ Simpson, released May 18 via Stones Throw Records.

Listen:
“Cali Hills”

Download as MP3

Listen: Caribou - “Odessa (Nite Jewel Remix)”

It’s things like this that make us giddy like a schoolboy/girl/what-have-you. The first single from Ontario-based producer Caribou’s forthcoming album, Swim, gets treated to a moody remix from LA’s synth-toting songstress Nite Jewel. The pairing isn’t only perfect in concept, but the track turned out to nearly rival the original version of “Odessa.”

Producer/singer Ramona Gonzales starts her version off with a swirling soundscape that sounds not unlike a tribute to Boards of Canada. The rolling bass synth and ambient textures surrounding Dan Snaith’s vocal performance are just about the only thing heard for two minutes until a slow-grooving dance beat and Gonzales’ subtle voice bring along the rest of the party. It’s an exciting rendition of an already beautiful song that starts off Swim when it’s released April 20 on Merge Records.

Listen:
“Odessa (Nite Jewel Remix)”

Download as MP3

Listen: HEALTH - “In Heat (Javelin Remix)” / Javelin - “Oh! Centra”

There are a ton of great albums about to be dropped upon our unprepared ears late this spring/early this summer, but few are as exciting as the feel good vibes to be heard from Brooklyn’s Javelin. Like a revamped version of The Avalanches on a bucket of anti-depressants or Girl Talk if Greg Gillis was into obscure tapes instead of Top 40 radio, Javelin make party jams for the lighthearted dancefloor obsessive.

Javelin’s remix of “In Heat,” from Get Color by LA’s HEALTH, is hardly any different from the approach the duo takes on its original tracks. Elements of the original song are juxtaposed with found sounds that came from God knows where; it all coalesces into something far more fitting Javelin’s repertoire than that of the noise-rock outfit. While we’re at it, check out “Oh! Centra,” a stand-out jam from Javelin’s forthcoming full-length, No Más, also below.

Listen:
“In Heat (Javelin Remix)”

Download as MP3

“Oh! Centra”

Download as MP3

Listen: Atari Teenage Riot - “Activate!”

They’re baaaaaaaack! Alec Empire and co. have decided to ride the wave of reunion that’s been washing through the music world lately, and resurrect the politically charged digital-hardcore of Atari Teenage Riot. With a new addition to the group, MC CX KiDTRONiK, joining in on the riot, ATR have recorded a brand-new track of punishing speed techno.

“Activate!” was recorded in Berlin at the band’s own Hellish Vortex Studios for a show popping off tonight in Camden at the Electric Ballroom. It shows the future-punx back to their same distorted, angsty, rave-ready tricks—all updated for the 21st century. So bust out as much black clothing as you can find, maybe a bit of hair gel or a ski mask, and get ready to activate!

Listen:
“Activate!”

Listen: CANT - “Ghosts (Class Actress Remix)”

One of the more exciting releases heard so far this month, Journal of Ardency by Class Actress, piqued our interest in the Brooklyn disco-pop duo, and it has yet to wane. Their debut was released on Chris Taylor’s (of Grizzly Bear) label, Terrible Records, who also performs solo under the moniker CANT. Here, Elizabeth Harper and Mark Richardson remix “Ghosts” by CANT, with unlikely results.

Most of Journal was filled with sugary pop hooks smoothed out even more by Harper’s silky voice, but this remix seems to take their less-traveled sinister route. The track kicks in with huge bass thumps and industrial percussion that wouldn’t be out of place in any Nine Inch Nails number, but slowly transforms into more of a melodic affair. If nothing else, it’s an interesting sidestep for a group that seems to refuse any kind of simple classification. Listen and download Class Actress’ remix below, and check out a live acoustic rendition of “Let Me Take You Out” from the Journal of Ardency EP up top.

Listen:
“Ghosts (Class Actress Remix)”

Download as MP3

Listen: Beach House - “The Arrangement (Live)”

It’s no secret how we gush over Beach House. The Baltimore duo revel in the subtleties of its basic instrumental arrangements, which allow Victoria Legrand’s voice to overtake any song its placed in, as well they should. Here, we have a song that didn’t make it on Teen Dream, Beach House’s breath-taking third album which was reviewed so lovingly by Luke Winkie here, called “The Arrangement.”

This recording was performed live for an upcoming Sirius XMU radio show, but the song itself will be officially released April 17 (Record Store Day) on the exclusive Zebra EP, along with another brand new track and reworked Teen Dream cuts. You can stream Beach House’s live performance of “The Arrangement” below.

Zomby Shares Three New Tracks

Not many can say they know what UK dubstep, future-garage producer Zomby looks like, but just about everyone that knows his name could identify the artist’s tracks instantly. The elusive man behind the mask has kept a fairly steady flow of material coming from his studio since 2008, and yet it’s still exciting when new material surfaces. Like today, when we came across not one, but three brand new jams on Zomby’s Myspace page.

The three tracks, entitled “Galapagos,” “Balloon People,” and “Operator,” sound more like snippets, as they end abruptly or fade out shortly after the two-minute mark, but nonetheless offer a detailed glimpse into what Zomby has been working on. “Balloon People” and “Operator” each sound like lost outtakes from his break-out debut album, Where Were U in ‘92?, but with a more evolved take on those retro-garage tracks. “Galapagos,” however, sounds like Zomby turning a new leaf, or coconut, rather. The bouncing beat is matched with a plethora of percussion elements and steel drum melodies that take Zomby into unfamiliar tropical territory.

Download: Dâm-Funk - “Passion”

If you couldn’t tell from the epic scope of Dâm-Funk’s debut album, the double-disc Toeachizown, the boogie-obsessed producer spends just about every waking moment searching for funk’s future. Suffice it to say, producer Damon Riddick has a driving force inside of him; an unquenchable thirst to make music at all times. The fact is evidenced in part by this impromptu acoustic performance of “I Wanna Thank U (4 Steppin’ Into My Life),” and, additionally, by his series of previously unreleased and unmastered MP3s given away on the Stones Throw website.

“Passion” is the second track in this series (the first being “Speak the Truth”), and comes straight from Dâm’s studio to your iTunes with nary a change made. The song sounds fit for Toeachizown, but with a vocal chant unfamiliar to his catalog. You can download Dâm-Funk’s latest epic here.

Listen: Lone - “BFBM1”

One of our favorite electronic albums from last year, and perhaps the most subtly soulful beat-heavy album from ‘09, Ecstasy & Friends, the sophomore effort from UK-based producer Lone, has garnered numerous listen-throughs from us since its release last November. Today, Lone’s releasing label, Werk Discs, posted a link on their blog to a fresh new jam from Matt Cutler’s production cache. The unreleased track, enigmatically titled “BFBM1,” debuted over on URB.com along with a lengthy and insightful interview with the beatsmith. Check that out here, and the new track below.

Listen:
“BFBM1”

Download as MP3

Listen to a New Battles Song Now
Listen: Extra Life - “Head Shrinker (Tyondai Braxton Remix)”
Listen: Tobacco - “Sweatmother”
Listen: Guilty Simpson - “Cali Hills”
Listen: Caribou - “Odessa (Nite Jewel Remix)”
Listen: HEALTH - “In Heat (Javelin Remix)” / Javelin - “Oh! Centra”
Listen: Atari Teenage Riot - “Activate!”
Listen: CANT - “Ghosts (Class Actress Remix)”
Listen: Beach House - “The Arrangement (Live)”
Zomby Shares Three New Tracks
Download: Dâm-Funk - “Passion”
Listen: Lone - “BFBM1”

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