The best 15 tracks from the last two weeks. Indie rock, electronic pop, dream pop, electronica etc.

Superchunk ‘Me & You & Jackie Mittoo’
After last year’s brilliant stand alone single ‘This Summer’, ‘FOH’, the first track from the band’s forthcoming tenth album I Hate Music couldn’t help but be a little disappointing. From the title on down, ‘Me & You & Jackie Mittoo’ is much more the thing. Almost a ‘This Summer’ part II, but gone is the youthful exuberance of making “a break for the bridge after raiding the fridge, pick up your friends in Baltimore” to be replaced by the more exasperated “cram into the back of the van, oh yeah! All of our friends with no plan, oh yeah!” while the former’s “tape full of hits”, has been replaced with one that presumably features the work of Skatalite’s keyboard legend, which seems to be the magic ingredient that takes the downbeat lyric (“I hate music, what is it worth? It can’t bring you back to this earth”) and turns it into something more joyous.
[Superchunk]

Fryars ‘Cool Like Me’
Already a five year veteran at 24, London producer Ben Garrett (featured back in October on ITP #19 with ‘A Love So Cold’) returns with more bedroom Daft Punk-ery.
[Fryars]

Jonathan Rado ‘Hand In Mine’
Second track from the Foxygen man’s forthcoming solo album Law and Order (‘Faces’ was featured back on ITP#35). Here he duets with his gf Jackie Cohen, the excellent results are more Johnny and June than Lee and Nancy.
[Jonathan Rado] 

Obits ‘Taste The Diff’
Brooklyn superior post-grunge band signed to Sub Pop.
[Obits]

Woods ‘Be All Be Easy’
Originally appearing on the Brooklyn band’s 2011 album Sun and Shade as a lo-fi guitar number over an electronic hum, this more polished version finds Jeremy Earl’s vocals warmer, and the instrumentation filled out. Echoes of the early work of The Byrds and The Kinks circa ‘67.
[Woods]

Jackson and His Computerband ‘Vista’
French electronic dancefloor pop on Warp.
[Jackson and His Computerband]

Quasi ‘You Can Stay But You Got To Go’
Sam Coomes and Janet Weiss are celebrating 20 years of Quasi with this fuzzed up indie rock number from their forthcoming double album Mole City.
[Quasi]

Ballet School ‘Heartbeat Overdrive’
This Berlin trio tick many of the tropes that have featured in In The Pharmacy faves of 2013: a little bit 80s electronic pop (à la Mozart’s Sister), hints of shoegazing / Liz Fraser-ish vocals (à la Empress Of), New Order / Cure inspired bass sound (Girls Names, Weekend, Brothers In Law etc.).
[Ballet School]

Radiator Hospital ‘Our Song’
Breathless indie rock from Philadelphia resident Sam Cook-Parrott.
[Radiator Hospital]

Chelsea Wolfe ‘The Warden’
Versatile Californian songstress last heard covering Rudimentary Peni returns with something more haunting and dream-like. A very 80s, 4AD feel .
[Chelsea Wolfe]

Holograms ‘Meditations’
Swedish punks keep moving in a more post-punk direction.
[Holograms]

I Break Horses ‘Denial’
Swedish electronic dreampop.
[I Break Horses] 

Twin Peaks ‘Irene’
Young Chicago band whose ‘Stand In The Sand’ was featured back in May (ITP#32) return with a swooning melodic indie rock number.
[Twin Peaks] 

The Flag ‘Alpha 60 Punch Out’
Minimalist metallic post-punk proto-funk from New York.
[The Flag]

Rone featuring John Stanier ‘Pool’
French producer enlists Battles drummer for a groove centric take on instrumental post rock.
[Rone]

The 10 best songs I’ve heard in the last two weeks. The return of the Pixes, Franz Ferdinand, Big Deal plus the usual mix of indie rock, indiepop, dream pop and electronica.

Pixies ‘Bagboy’
Although Kim Deal has now left the band, she does appear on this their first new song in nine years.
[Pixies]

The Preatures ‘Is This How You Feel?’ 
Hotly tipped Sydney band who split their vocals between Isabella Manfredi and Gideon Benson. Here Manfredi channels her inner Leslie Feist while the band come over all Tango In The Night-era Fleetwood Mac.
[The Preatures]

Franz Ferdinand ‘Love Illumination’

First taste of forthcoming fourth album promises a return to form. Fuzzy guitar, layered vocals, horns and neat, and what’s either a stylophone or Farfisa riff. The best thing they’ve done since their debut I reckon.
[Franz Ferdinand]

Big Deal ‘Catch Up’
Swooning dreampop from the Anglo American duo’s new album June Gloom.
[Big Deal]

Blouse ‘No Shelter’
Whoozy synths were the hallmark of this Portland band’s acclaimed debut. Here, they’ve shed them for something more stripped down, which suits this combination of pastoral psychedelia and dream pop.
[Blouse]

TRAAMS ‘Low’
Chichester indie rock trio channeling some serious Modest Mouse / Isaac Brock moves.
[TRAAMS]

Dent May ‘Born Too Late’
Catchy, summery Beach Boys-influenced pop from Mississippi based musician signed to Animal Collective’s Paw Tracks label.
[Dent May]

Lindstrøm ‘Vos Sako RV (Fred Falke Remix)’
Even when you’re as ambivalent about remix culture as I am, anything with Fred Falke’s name on is worth checking out. More so when it’s a reworking of Norwegian space disco maestro Lindstrøm.
[Lindstrøm]

Arp ‘More (Blues)’
Alexis Georgopolous deals in a number of different styles – experimental classical, funky space disco. Here he channels Euros Childs, The Flamingoes version of ‘I Only Have Eyes For You’, Mazzy Star’s ‘Fade Into You’ and funereal New Orelans jazz.
[Arp]

Big Deal ‘Call and Come’

Too lovely. “What if no one else compares? What if no one else cares?”
[Big Deal]

[Take Away]

The 10 best tracks I’ve heard in the last two weeks. Indie rock, psych pop, space disco, chillwave.

Divine Fits ‘Ain’t That The Way’

Spoon’s Britt Daniel and Wolf Parade / Handsome Furs’ Dan Boeckner teamed up with New Bomb Turks/Gaunt drummer Sam Brown to make my favourite album of 2012, A Thing Called Divine Fits – a new wave inspired album crammed with hook filled tunes. Now they return with a new two track single and (judging by the cover) fourth member Alex Fischel. Here’s the Daniel sung a-side.
[Divine Fits]

Cloud Control ‘Dojo Rising’
Their gently psychedelic debut Bliss Release was a favourite of 2010. The Blue Mountains band are now based in London and this is the first taste of their forthcoming second album Dream Cave.
[Cloud Control]

Speedy Ortiz ‘No Below’

Another month, another new track (their third to be featured here) from Speedy Ortiz. The 90s-influenced female fronted indie rock band from the Northampton, MA.
[Speedy Ortiz]

Ell V Gore ‘Lobotomy’
Toronto band with a psych / garage / darkwave rocker that locks into a motorik groove for the last 70 seconds. Would be happy for this to go on for another 10 minutes or so.
[Ell V Gore]

The National ‘I Need My Girl’

From NPR’s great Tiny Desk Concert series (check it out). This is a stripped down version of one of the many highlights of Trouble Will Find Me.
[The National]

Divine Fits ‘Chained To Love’

The equally excellent Boeckner fronted b-side to ‘Ain’t That The Way’.
[Divine Fits]

Jonathan Rado ‘Faces’

One half of retro indie rock types Foxygen with lo-fi, 60s influenced, melodic indie on Woodsist. From forthcoming Law and Order album due September.
[Jonathan Rado]

Superchunk ‘FOH’

Ebullient stuff from the veteran indie-rock band’s forthcoming tenth album I Hate Music.
[Superchunk]

Saturday, Monday ‘The Road’
Glitchy, instrumental space disco from Sweden’s Ludvig Parment.
[Saturday, Monday]

Washed Out ‘It All Feels Right’
Super-summery chillwave from Ernest Greene, the man responsible for the Portlandia opening theme tune, ‘Feel It All Around’.
[Washed Out]

[Take Away]

The 14 best tracks I’ve heard in the last two weeks. Indie rock, electronic pop, dream pop and a few psychedelic influences.

Outfit ‘I Want What’s Best’
East-London via Liverpool band with psych-tinged, groove-based electronic pop. ThinkHalfway between Django Django and Hot Chip.
[Outfit]

Surf City ‘It’s A Common Life’
Scratchy, catchy garage rock from Brooklyn-based Kiwi expats (formerly called Kill Surf City).
[Surf City]

Hooded Fang ‘Bye Bye Land’
Toronto band with slightly psychedelic slacker indie rock.
[Hooded Fang]

Rose Windows ‘Wartime Lovers’
Second track lifted from the forthcoming debut album from these Seattle-based 60s influenced rockers. The more psych heavy ‘Native Dreams’ was featured last month on ITP #32.
[Rose Windows]

Big Deal ‘Dream Machines’
Girl/Boy dream pop from UK/US duo about to release their second album June Gloom.
[Big Deal]

Andrew Cedermark ‘At Home’
Fuzzy lo-fi indie rock from former Titus Andronicus guitarist.
[Andrew Cedemark]

Chvrches ‘Gun’
Scottish Electropop.
[Chvrches]

Elliphant ‘Music Is Life’
Funky Swedish pop with Jamaican influences from Ellinor Olovsdotter.[Elliphant]

Braids ‘In Kind’
I’ve not been blown away by Braids in the past, preferring Raphaelle Standell-Preston’s other band Blue Hawaii. But this is six and a hlaf minutes of quirky angular art-rock is superb, a real grower.
[Braids]

TV Colours ‘Beverly’
Fuzzy, shouty indie rock from Canberra musician Bobby Kill. From his imminently due debut album Purple Skies, Toxic River.
[TV Colours]

Smith Westerns ‘3am Spiritual’

[Smith Westerns]

Glass Candy ‘Warm in The Winter’
One of many Johnny Jewel projects (this one with Ida No) from the Jewel produced Italians Do It  Better compilation After Dark II. Chromatics ‘Cherry’ (from the same compilation) was featured at the end of last year back in ITP #23).
[Glass Candy]

Susanna ft. Siri Nilsen and Susanne Sundfør ‘Death Hanging’
Susanna is Norwegian musician Susanna Wallumrød of Susanna and the Magical Orchestra fame. Here she enrolls the help of fellow Norwegians – folk singer Nilsen and M83 collaborator Sundfør (ITP #30).
[Susanna]

Pure Bathing Culture ‘Pendulum’
The delightfully blissed out island dream pop of ‘Gainsville’ (ITP #17 ) was one of the highlights of 2012. Here the duo of Sarah Verspille and Daniel Hindman (both members of Andy Cabic’s Vetiver) deliver…
[Pure Bathing Culture]

[Takeaway]

The 16 best songs from the last two weeks with an indie rock / indiepop bias. Album highlights from The National, Vampire Weekend, Beaches, Songs, and Underground Lovers plus new tracks from Laura Marling, The Pastels, Imperial Teen, Dodos, Sigur Rόs, a new Katy Goodman track and mysterious dreampop outfit Badlands. A fare few Krautrock influences this time round.

Imperial Teen ‘Runaway’
Bright catchy powerpop from Roddy Bottum and co.
[Imperial Teen]

Queens of The Stone Age ‘I Appear Missing’
Several tracks from QOTSA’s forthcoming …Like Clockwork album have surfaced (along with accompanying animated videos) but this is easily my favourite, recalling the trippier moments of Rated R and living up to the “codeine cabaret” tag that the band mentioned in connection with their new stuff.
[Queens of The Stone Age]

Vampire Weekend ‘Unbelievers’
A contender for album of the year, Modern Vampires of The City manages the neat trick of being stylistically diverse yet cohesive; a big leap forward while still obviously the work of the same band who made their brilliant debut (and its somewhat disappointing follow up, Contra).
[Vampire Weekend]

Dodos ‘Confidence’
Freak folk band follow up their wonderful No Color album with first single from the forthcoming Carrier.
[Dodos]

Songs ‘The Country’
Fuzzed up melodius indiepop with a healthy dose of 80s Flying Nun from the Sydney bands second album Malabar.
[Songs]

Underground Lovers ‘Au Pair’
Krautrocking track from Weekend, the new album from the re-united and reinvigorated 90s Melbourne dreampop band.
[Underground Lovers]

Hospital Ships ‘If It Speaks’
Indie rock from Lawrence, Kansas.
[Hospital Ships]

Books Of Love ‘Space Time’
Katy Goodman of Vivian Girls / La Sera teams up with Greta Morgan of The Hush Sound for a cosmic indiepop inspired by hiking out near LA’s Griffiths Observatory.
[Books of Love]

Beaches ‘Send Them Away’
What started as a side-project looks likely to surpass all five members’ other bands. Three-guitars, motorik rhythms, fuzzy psych-rock with hints of a shambling indiepop sensibility. Taken from She Beats, which features Krautrock legend and fan Michael Rother.
[Beaches]

English Singles ‘Ordinary Girls’
Very English sounding indiepop from Sacramento fourpiece signed to Slumberland.
[English Singles]

The Pastels ‘Illuminum Songs’
As the Scottish indiepop veterans prepare to release their first new album since The Last Great Wilderness soundtrack 10 years ago, here’s a new non-album track, the b-side to recent single ‘Check My Heart’ (featured on #ITP 31). It’s a half-cover of a song cowritten by the band’s Katrina Mitchell and Japanese popstar Hideki Kaji.
[The Pastels]

Laura Marling ‘Once’
Second single to surface from the still-only-23-years-old English folkie’s forthcoming fourth album Once I Was An Eagle.
[Laura Marling]

Sigur Rόs ‘Isjaki’
Second single (which I believe translates as “Iceberg” ) to be taken from the forthcoming seventh album Kveikur.
[Sigur Rόs]

The National ‘Pink Rabbits’
Highlight of one of the album’s of the year, Trouble Will Find Me.
[The National]

Badlands ‘Sleeping Beauty’

Dreampop with a 60s girl group feel. Little is known of this mystery duo
[Badlands]

Camera Obscura ‘Fifth In Line To the Throne’
The Scottish indiepoppers have a new album Desire Lines due out next month. This is the second track to appear and is much prefer it to slightly underwhelming ‘Do It Again’.
return with
[Camera Obscura]

[Takeaway]

The 13 best songs I’ve heard in the last two weeks. You’ll hear indie rock, electronic pop, psych pop and psych rock, and conceptual art-punk. You might spot the influence of David Bowie, Robert Fripp, Kurt Vile, Nuggets, and Krautrock amongst others. Hope you find plenty here to enjoy.

Chester Endersby Gwazda ‘Skewed’
Baroque indie-synth-pop from Baltimore, download the album from Bandcamp for free.
[Chester Endersby Gwazda]

Rose Windows ‘Native Dreams’
Psych rock heaviosity from this Seattle band signed to Sub Pop. If you’re a Black Mountain fan, you should love this.
[Rose Windows]

Classixx featuring Nancy Whang ‘All You’re Waiting For’
After February’s ‘Holding On’ (ITP #27), Classixx enlist label mate Nancy Whang (LCD Soundsystem / Juan McLean) for another slice of electronic dancefloor pop / garage disco.
[Classixx]

Speedy Ortiz ‘Hexxy’
Hot on the heels of last month’s ‘Ka-Prow!’ (ITP #31) here’s the b-side. It’s another superior slice of 90s-influenced female fronted indie rock from the Northampton, MA band.
[Speedy Ortiz]

Girls Against Boys ‘It’s A Diamond Life’
One of my favourite bands of the 90s returns after a near decade long hiatus. Very happy to tell you that their twin-bass-electronic-noise-rock is sounding as vital as it did during their trio of classic albums on Touch and Go from 93-96.
[Girls Against Boys]

MGMT ‘Alien Days’
Taken from the psych pop band’s Record Store Day release, this is their first new material since Congratulations (2010).
[MGMT]

Ed Shcrader’s Music Beat ‘Radio Eyes’
Conceptual punk from Baltimore. Their Randy Randall featuring ‘When I’m In A Car’ was featured back in ITP #7.
[Ed Shcrader’s Music Beat]

Sophia Knapp ‘Times Square’
Released as one side of a split 7” with Swedish psych rockers AOP, this track from the former Lights member is in a similar vein to Denver’s Tennis – 80s sheen on a 60s theme indiepop.
[Sophia Knapp]

His Clancyness ‘ Machines’
It’s good to hear Kurt Vile’s take on slacker indie emerging as something of a trend with artists such as Free Time and His Clancyness, Here, it nods to 70s Berlin with a motorik rhythm and some Fripp-like guitar. Very nice.
[His Clancyness]

The Hussy ‘Blame’
Garage rock from “two piece trash band from Madison, WI”. Taken from their forthcoming third album Pagan Hiss.
[The Hussy]

Twin Peaks ‘Stand In The Sand’
Chicago band with two minutes of fuzzy rock and roll. Sweet.
[Twin Peaks]

Pure X ‘Thousand Year Old Child’
Laidback indie rock with shoegazing undertones (their official Tumblr is called Mellow Thrasher)http://mellowthrasher.tumblr.com/. From their forthcoming Crawling Up The Stairs album.
[Pure X]

Eluvium featuring Ira Kaplan ‘Happiness’
Experimental and ambient musician Robert Cooper enlists the vocal talents of Yo La Tengo’s Ira Kaplan on this tune that recalls the most atmospheric moments of Lambchop and The National.
[Eluvium]

[Takeaway]

The 13 best songs I’ve heard in the last two weeks. A fantastic Kinks cover; the return of Daft Punk and The National; the even longer awaited return of The Pastels and The House of Love, plus excellent examples of indie rock, electronic pop, indie pop, post-punk, and psych pop. from the US, Sweden, Australia, France, Canada, New Zealand and Scotland.

Woods ‘God’s Children’
The Kinks’ original was the opener to their 1971 soundtrack to the film Percy. Here the Brooklyn folk rock band play it more like The Byrds’ version of ‘Bells of Rhymney’. Wonderful.
[Woods]

Daft Punk ‘Get Lucky’
Built around Nile Rodgers’ funky guitar line and topped off by Pharrell Williams smoothest vocal since ‘Provider’. So good it should help you forget the last 8 disappointing years of Daft Punk.
[Daft Punk] [Nile Rodgers] [Pharrell Williams]

The National ‘Don’t Swallow The Cap’
Two tracks of The National’s forthcoming sixth album Trouble Will Find Me have been released in the last couple of weeks, the introspective ‘Demons’ and this more upbeat number.
[The National]

Tempers ‘Strange Harvest’

Coldwave from New York band.
[Tempers]

The House of Love ‘A Baby Got Back On Its Feet’
Speaking of 8 years, that’s how long it’s been since The House of Love’s solid but unspectacular comeback album, Days Run Away. Now, the last great guitar band of the 80s release a new album She Paints Words In Red. This opening track is superb, some classic jangle and chug, a great vocal melody from Guy Chadwick and Terry Bickers guitar solo half way through. Brilliant.
[The House of Love]

Speedy Ortiz ‘Ka-Prow!’
Female-fronted 90s-style indie rock from Northampton, MA.
[Speedy Ortiz]

Tove Lo ‘Habits’
“I eat my dinner in my bathtub then I go to sex clubs watching freaky people geting it on” – how’s that for an opening line? Swedish electro pop with great melody and killer chorus, “You’re gone and I gotta stay high all the time to keep you off my mind / spend my days locked in a haze trying to forget you babe”. 
[Tove Lo]

The Men ‘B Minor’
Recorded at the same time as latest album New Moon but not included, this is released as part of the Sacred Bones label’s Record Store Day compilation Todo Muere Vol. 3.
[The Men]

The Pastels ‘Check My Heart’
First new material in a while from the Scottish indiepop legends. Up there with their Illuminati-era stuff.
[The Pastels]

Holograms ‘Flesh & Bone’
Swedish post punk’s (their ‘ABC City’ was featured last year on #ITP3) return with the first track from their forthcoming second album Forever.
[Holograms]

Songs ‘Boy / Girl’
Sydney band led by ex-pat Kiwi. Taken from their second album, again, you can hear the lineage of those 80s Flying Nun bands and a hint of Krautrock too.
[Songs]

The Mantles ‘Brown Balloon’
Lo-fi indie pop from San Francisco which channels 60s garage sounds in the same way those Flying Nun bands did back in the 80s. From their forthcoming Long Enough To Leave album on Slumberland.
[The Mantles]

Lightning Dust ‘Diamond’
80s influenced electronic soft pop from the side project of Black Mountain’s Amber Webber and Joshua Wells. Whereas on 2009’s Infinite Light, Wells’ vocals had a trembling country twang to them, here they seem smoother. Their most polished outing yet.
[Lightning Dust]

Takeaway

The 15 best tracks I’ve heard in the last two weeks. New music from Norway, France, Canada, Puerto Rico, The Netherlands and the north (Seattle), south (Louisville), east (New York), west (San Francisco) and mid-west (Chicago) of the US.

Rogue Wave ‘College’
Veteran Oakland indie rock band (formerly on Sub Pop now on Vagrant) return with a track that should appeal to fans of bright, hooky indie rock. New album Nightingale Floors due in June.
[Rogue Wave]

Big Eyes ‘Back From The Moon’
This one actually came out almost a year ago, but only just came to my attention. Seattle based three-piece fronted by former Brooklynite Kate Eldridge (ex-of Cheeky, whose other members went on to be in The Babies and Aye Nako (the former featured in  ITP #14 and the latter featured below). A new album has been recorded and is due for release sometime this year.
[Big Eyes]

M83 featuring Susanne Sundfør ‘Oblivion’
Title track from the new Tom Cruise SF movie with a score by M83’s Anthony Gonzalez and composer Joseph Trapanese. Vocals are from singer/songwriter Sundfør, probably best known outside of Norway for collaborating with Röyksopp on ‘Running to the Sea’ earlier this year. Follow the link to listen to the whole soundtrack.
[M83] [Susanne Sundfør] [Oblivion Soundtrack]

Young Galaxy ‘New Summer’
The Montreal band slow down the pace with a melancholy piece of analog electronic pop.
[Young Galaxy]

Serengeti ‘Direction’
Featured back on ITP #4 as one third of s/s/s (along with Sufjan Stevens and Son Lux) the prolific Chicago hip hop artist David Cohn returns with a track from forthcoming alter ego Kenny Dennis album on Anticon.
[Serengeti]

Aye Nako ‘Molasses’
90s style female fronted alt rock from New York band who list their interests as ”awkward silences, interventions, poor group dynamics, bottled up frustration, drinking, keeping it to ourselves, homosexual tendencies, grooving, posteriors”.
[Aye Nako]

Julia Brown ‘Library’
Seriously lo-fi recording of otherwise quite accomplished and not un-ambitious indiepop. Features members of the similarly fidelity averse Teen Suicide.
[Julia Brown]

Empress Of ‘Tristeza’
The crystalline School of Seven Bells-style dreampop of ‘Hat Trick’ was featured back in ITP#28. This follow up is in a similar vein, though veering more towards electronic pop. Oh, and sung in Spanish.
[Empress Of]

Majical Cloudz ‘Childhood’s End’
The project of Montreal musician Devon Welsh featured in ITP # at the end of last year. Vocals still remind me of an 80s pop singer I can’t quite place.
[Majical Cloudz]

Split Single ‘Fragmented World’
Power pop with hints of of Tom Petty and Fountains of Wayne. Jason Narducy (ex-Guided By Voices amongst others ) currently plays in Bob Mould’s band. Here he’s backed by Spoon / Divine Fits’ Britt Daniel and Jon Wurster of Superchunk / The Mountain Goats (and also currently in Bob Mould’s band). Follow the link to hear two more tracks over on Soundcloud.
[Split Single]

Weekend ‘Mirror’
San Franciscan post-punk in the style of The Cure’s early albums. On Slumberland with similarly inclined label mates Girls Names.
[Mirror]

Las Ardillas ‘Linda Niña’
Puerto Rican punk. Band name appears to be Spanish for ‘the
chipmunks’, ‘the squirrels’ and ‘the gophers’.
[Las Ardillas]

Coliseum ‘Fuzzbang’
A track from the Louisville punks forthcoming J. Robbins produced fourth album Sister Faith, out April 30 on Temporary Residence.
[Coliseum]

Traumahelikopter ‘Down In The City’
Garage punk from the Netherlands (Gronningen).
[Traumahelikopter]

Jenny Hval ‘Mephisto In The Water’
Norwegian singer songwriter / poet / author who previously recorded as Rockettothesky, returns with her second album under her own name Innocence Is Kinky. It’s produced by John Parrish, and musically (*lazy music journalism alert*) you can see where she might share some DNA with PJ Harvey. But her vocals, which always seem to be the heart of her music, are very much her own.
[Jenny Hval]

Takeaway

The 16 best tracks I’ve heard in the last two weeks. Lots of old friends returning, including Vampire Weekend, Low, Kurt Vile, The Knife and Laura Marling. ‘New’ A-grade tunes from the archives of Rilo Kiley and The Postal Service plus acid country from Minneapolis, languorous jangle pop form Melbourne, all-female post-punk from London and Neko Case with a tune from the Stephen King / John Mellencamp musical.

Vampire Weekend ‘Diane Young’
The first of two new tracks from their forthcoming third album Vampires of The City, this one is typically quirky and infuriatingly catchy. A blend of electronic pop, a bit of rumbling Link Wray guitar, distortion, and Ezra Koenig’s Elvis-pastiche pitch-sifted vocals, on the “Baby, baby, baby right on time” chorus. This is going to be everywhere.
[Vampire Weekend]


Low ‘Clarence White’
Two tracks from The Invisible Way were featured back at the start of the year (ITP #24). As the album finally got released this week, here’s another one of my favourites, Inspired by a flood in their hometown of Duluth, not quite sure why it’s named after the sometime Byrds guitarist.
[Low]

Savages ‘She Will’

London based all-female post-punk band prepare their debut album for Matador. Like a more visceral Warpaint.
[Savages]

Neko Case ‘That’s Who I Am’
One of my favourite singers with a track taken from a musical written by Stephen King and John Cougar Mellencamp, Ghost Brothers of Darkland County.
[Neko Case] [Ghost Brothers of Darkland County]

Kurt Vile ‘Never Run Away’

Second track from the John Agnello produced follow up to Smoke Ring For My Halo, Walkin’ on A Pretty Daze. Sounds like this will be one of the records of the year.
[Kurt Vile]

Rilo Kiley ‘Let Me Back In’

Some lovely guitar picking and Jenny Lewis’s voice at its most yearning and melancholy. Taken from the forthcoming Rilo Kiley outtakes album, this is head and shoulders above anything on their last album proper Under The Blacklight.
[Rilo Kiley]

Julian Lynch ‘Gloves’

Like something from the edges of the Elephant 6 collective, with added fretless bass. [Julian Lynch]

Web of Sunsets ‘Fool’s Melodies’
Acid country from Mineapolis – sounds like a lo-fi Tanya Donelly.
[Web of Sunsets]

Free Time ‘Nothin’ But Nice’
Langorous indie jangle rock in similar vein to Kurt Vile from New York based, Melbourne ex-pat Dion Nania.
[Free Time]

Laura Marling ‘Where Can I Go’
Deliciously soulful track taken from 23-year-old English folkie’s ’s forthcoming fourth album ‘Once I Was An Eagle’.
[Laura Marling]

Yellowbirds ‘Young Men of Promise’
Fuzzy psych pop from the band that was previously the solo project of New Yorker Sam Cohen.
[Yellowbirds]

Vampire Weekend ‘Step’
Baroque pop with harpsichord. Ostensibly the opposite of Diane Young, but clearly the work of the same band when you drill down to the use of distortion, judicious use of pitch-shifted vocals, treated drum sounds and sheer number of words per line.
[Vampire Weekend]

The Postal Service ‘Turn Around’

As Jimmy Tamborello and Ben Gibbard prepare to mark the 10th anniversary of GIve Up, they’ve leaked this previously unheard outtake.
[The Postal Service]

The Knife ‘A Tooth For An Eye’

Opening track from their forthcoming, long awaited follow up to Silent Shout, Shaking The Habitual. A superior track to the somewhat aimless first single, ‘Full of Fire’.
[The Knife]

GEMS ‘Pegasus’

From Washington DC, featherlight dreampop in a simlar vein to Beach House.
[GEMS]

Peals ‘Blue Elvis’

Instrumental chillout with a south pacific beach lullaby feel from Baltimore scenesters William Cashion (Future Islands) and Bruce Willen (ex-Double Dagger).
[Peals]

Takeaway

After the last indie rock-heavy instalment, ITP #28 sees a healthy dose of electronic pop while still finding room for plenty of guitars.

AlunaGeorge ‘Attracting Flies’
These guys can’t seem to do a thing wrong. Their fourth appearance on In The Pharmacy, with another 21^st century pop classic. “Little grey fairytales and little white lies / everything you exhale is attracting flies”.
[AlunaGeorge]

Eleanor Friedberger ‘Stare At The Sun’ I didn’t dislike the Fiery Furnaces’ singer’s first debut album, but I did find it lacking in memorable tunes. Here though, the scratchy indie rock matches her breathless vocal delivery and lyrics in both catchiness and charm.
[Eleanor Friedberger]

Little Boots ‘Motorway’ It seems to have been ages since Victoria Hesketh’s debut as Little Boots, an album that failed to live up to the promise of those early singles and YouTube videos. I vaguely recall an underwhelming house-y stand alone single last year that went in one ear and out the other. What a wonderful surprise then to hear ‘Motorway’, which melds classic pop and electronica to great result. Obviously indebted to St Etienne, which is no bad thing. Taken from forthcoming second album Nocturnes.
[Little Boots]

Smith Westerns ‘Varsity’ Wistful indie rock with a classic feel from the Chicago bands forthcoming third album Soft Will.
[Smith Westerns]

Yeah Yeah Yeahs ‘Sacrilege’
It’s Blitz while not a complete misstep, was disappointing in what is an otherwise faultless catalogue, songs and riffs sounded lacking and derivative especially when the previous Is Is EP had pointed towards the band’s signature sound evolving into something singularly their own. So this is not so much a step backward as a step back from inconsequentiality. Although the gospel choir seems a bit overdone, the experience of Nick Zinner’s 41 Strings project seems to have brought a freshness to the arrangement.
[Yeah Yeah Yeahs]

Yacht ‘Second Summer’
2011’s Shangri-La was easily Yacht’s best album so far. This the first taste of their forthcoming follow up album. Catchy Discotronica with a lyric as memorable as the music “can you stand by your man, as the shit hits the fan”.
[Yacht]

Colleen Green ‘Heavy Shit’
Lo-fi punky indie-pop with a post punk edge.
[Colleen Green]

Empress Of ‘Hat Trick’
Electronic dreampop with a woozy psychedelic edge. The work of one Brooklyn-based Lorely Rodriguez.
[Empress Of]

Iron & Wine ‘Grace For Saints and Ramblers’
Sam Beam continues his journey from stripped down troubadour to lusher forms of indie rock, with harmonies and handclaps, taken from his forthcoming fifth album Ghost on Ghost.
[Iron & Wine]

!!! ‘Slyd’
Slippery funky electronica from Thr!!!ler, the band’s forthcoming follow up to 2010’s excellent Strange Weather, Isn’t it?  Follow the link for a free download.
[!!!]

Big Black Delta ‘Side of The Road’
I was expecting this to be some swampy blues number, on account of the name. Rather. This solo project of lo-fi indie rockers Mellowdrone’s Janathon Bates is electronic pop with a 80s Italo disco feel and heavily treated / robotic vocals.
[Big Black Delta]

Roosevelt ‘Around You’ Irresistible electronic dancefloor pop from Cologne-based electronic producer Marius Lauber.
[Roosevelt]

Milk Music ‘Cruising With God’ Noisey indie with an 80s alt-rock feel.
[Milk Music]

Still Corners ‘Berlin Lovers’ Squelchy analogue electronic pop
[Still Corners]

Fyfe ‘St Tropez’
A little bit Beirut, a little bit psych pop, a little bit The National from 23 year old Londoner Paul Dixon.
[Fyfe]