Why? Get Mumps

Nipping at the ragged heels of their eagerly devoured Sod in the Seed EP (which you can download for FREE here), WHY? at last unleash their fifth long-player, Mumps, etc, a meticulous work of morbid fascination and offbeat romanticism dubbed Mumps, etc. Though there is a mysterious sickness (perhaps of the mind) that lurks about these thirteen songs, one might also imagine the title as describing the musical state of these three Midwestern men as they bring their sound into glisteningly buff focus.

Yoni Wolf, brother Josiah and Doug McDiarmid are in the pocket, the unbreakable rock core at the center of a spinning ball of sonic kaleidoscopie. And all the things we love about them are still true: the grinning sun-warped choruses, that jangly Western lope, those confessionals cut with wry wit and crude details, set dancing down the odd knots of complex poetic daisy chains. It's just that ... well, all of it sounds better than ever this time around.

You can hear this for yourself as WHY? is on tour.
Here are the dates...
10.05 Düsseldorf, Germany: New Fall Festival
10.06 Evreux, France: L'Abordage
10.07 Paris, France: Maroquinerie
10.08 Brighton, England: Old Market
10.09 London, England: Electric Ballroom
10.10 Manchester, England: Central Methodist Church
10.11 Bristol, England: Fleece
10.12 Glasgow, Scotland: SWG3
10.13 Oxford, England: The Bullingdon
10.15 Berlin, Germany: Volksbühne

10.18 Cincinnati, OH Lois & Richard Rosethal Center for Contemporary Art Black Box Theatre
10.20 Pittsburgh, PA Altar
10.24 Richmond, VA Canal Club
10.25 Athens, GA 40 Watt
10.26 Jacksonville, FL Jack Rabbits
10.27 Orlando, FL The Social
10.28 Tampa, FL Crowbar
10.29 Tallahassee, FL Club Downunder
10.30 Mobile, AL Alabama Music Box
10.31 Baton Rouge, LA Spanish Moon
11.01 Houston, TX Walter's
11.02 Dallas, TX Sons of Hermann Hall
11.03 Austin, TX Fun Fun Fun Fest
11.05 St. Louis, MO Luminary Arts

Download:  Jonathan's Hope
Download: Probable Cause
Revised 3.0 Version (with Twitter button)
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Herve Knows Night Turns Into Day

The third single from Hervé’s acclaimed debut album, Pick Me Up, Sort Me Out, Calm Me Down, comes in the shape of the club thumping Night Turns Into Day, featuring the vocal charms of Lottie Tricity.

Hervé, under his various guises, has built a reputation on club anthems and the title track is no exception, with blistering bass, pounding kicks and big room keys all coming to the fore. All this power is complimented perfectly by the subtle vocal musings of Lottie, who lifts the track into slightly more pop territory, without loosing any of its club bite.

Download: Night Turns Into Day (Mighty Mouse Remix)
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Neov's Windvane Released

Hailing from a small village in eastern Finland, two brothers Anssi and Samuli Neuvonen started making music way back when they were children.  They formed the band Neufvoin, released a few well-received EPs and toured throughout Europe. But, after a series of line up changes, the members started a new life in 2012 under the name Neøv.

Several areas of the band's hometown, Kuopio, are built on islands as the city is surrounded by lakes. As one might suspect such an environment worked it's way into the sound of the band.  Their songs are expansive but quiet, grandiose but intimate.  And when it boils down to it...good.

They've just released a new single and Korallreven remix of 'Windvane.' Windvane previews the band's debut album, Orange Morning, to be released this winter and produced by members of Rubik.

Download: Windvane
Download: Windvane (Korallraven Remix)
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Lost on Indian Trails

Indian Trails was formed in early 2011, when Nico and Antti thought they wanted to try and do something musically lighter after five years of mostly hard-rock band experiments. In early summer of 2011 Jouni Mathias was found via internet and after first practice he joined the group and the band was officially born.  Leo Richard and Joel Alex joined the band at early winter 2011

The groups first single and song they wrote together was "Lights," which was later recorded and now released. After a year of so of writing music it was time to record first EP.  Called Brighter Night was released in April.

Download: Anchor
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Hyperheart Will Fill You Up

Unlike so many Swedish bands, Hyperheart doesn't sound frivolous, jolly, or jangly,  Oh no, Hyperheart are far to detached and electronic for that.  This is a group who embraces the stark conditions in which their country is often thrown in and use it to their advantage.  The result is clinically precise synth pop that sounds as expansive as a snow covered continent.

Hyperheart's latest single Fill Me Up is just like that...detached and epic but none the less absolutely gorgeous.  If you can imagine the Tindersticks and Depeche Mode lost in a land of synths and snow you know exactly where Hyperheart are coming from.  It's all a bit harsh and blunt but in that tough love kind of way.

Download: Swallow
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Lets Release A hitRECord

hitRECord, Joseph Gordon-Levitt's open collaborative production company who have just released a double vinyl album Move On The Sun. As part of their quarterly subscription series, the hitRECorderly, 78 artists including Wilco’s Nels Cline, Cibo Matto & Joseph Gordon-Levitt himself came together to make Move On The Sun, a genre spanning spectacle in the form of a double vinyl album.

Gordon-Levitt (Dark Knight Rises, Looper, 50/50, 500 Days of Summer) launched hitRECord in 2010 as a professional production company that uses the Internet to collaborate with artists (100,000 and counting) from all over the world, forming a community around the art they make together. Artists of all creative focuses (video, audio, image, text) can log on and contribute to hitRECord. As with all hitRECord productions, if and when an artist’s work is used, hitRECord splits the profits 50-50.

Download: Moving Hollows - Move On The Sun
Download: Ryan Patrick - Electric Loss
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Caviare Days Whip Up A Tasty Treat

Caviare Days consists of Swedish sisters Lina and Maja Westin. Their driving force lies in creating a well-tailored but dirty rock, that is more baroque than minimalist and more organic than mechanical.

Their full length album, to be released Oct 9 2012, is produced by Mats Björke of Mando Diao and Jorge Elbrecht of New York based Violens. It is mastered by Frank Arkwright at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. In 2012, Caviare Days are involved in an exiting collaboration with the fashion brand GANT together with the New York based designer Michael Bastian. They created the soundtrack for the mod inspired Fall collection, presented during New York Fashion Week in February and to be released in August.

Download: You'll Qualify
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Harlan Relives 1984

LA-based artist Harlan is pleased to announce his second release, the 1984 EP, out digitally on September 25th. This follows his previous Native Son EP which was the perfect blend of funk, soul, and R&B.

Harlan grew up studying classical music. While studying cello at Berklee School of Music, Harlan decided one day to pick up his roommate's guitar, having never played before, and wrote his first song. Soon the cello was replaced by the electric guitar and a musical style influenced by funk, soul, rock, R&B and 90's hip-hop began pouring out. Harlan's music is filled with memorable hooks and stone cold grooves and sounds something like Frazier Chorus meets Prince.  Check out a few tracks below and relive 1984.

Download: 1984
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Fossil Collective Goes On and On

Not ones to let time stand still, Fossil Collective return with a new EP, On & On on Dirty Hit and an accompanying lengthy UK tour this October.

It follows the release of their acclaimed debut EP Let It Go, that saw the band tour with soul singer Ren Harvieu and Benjamin Francis Leftwich, as well as completing their first solo UK jaunt.

October tour dates
Fri 12 Oct Doncaster, The Leopard
Sat 13 Oct Manchester, Deaf Institute
Sun 14 Oct Newcastle Cluny
Mon 15 Oct Glasgow King Tuts
Tue 16 Oct Liverpool Shipping Forecast
Wed 17 Oct Bristol Louisiana
Thu 18 Oct Birmingham Hare & Hounds
Fri 19 Oct Nottingham The Bodega
Sat 20 Oct Oxford East Oxford Centre - Gathering
Sun 21 Oct Cardiff SWN
Mon 22 Oct Norwich Waterfront
Tue 23 Oct Cambridge Portland Arms
Wed 24 Oct Brighton The Hope
Thu 25 Oct Exeter Phoenix Arts Centre
Fri 26 Oct London Old Queen's Head
Sat 27 Oct Leicester Academy 2
Sun 28 Oct Leeds Brudenell Social Club
Mon 29 Oct Sheffield Soyo
Tue 30 Oct Manchester Apollo (supporting The Civil Wars)

Stream: On & On
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Beaten By Them Build Kinder Machines

Kinder Machines is the third full-length album from SF/NYC/Melbourne quintet Beaten by Them. Formed in San Francisco in 2005, the band has since been quietly at work, creating original and enduring experimental and cinematic post-rock music.

Recorded live to analog tape on a farm in the wine-producing region of Sonoma, California, the album is an invigorating collage of acoustic instruments and multi-layered rhythms that puts melody in the forefront.

Kinder Machines sounds huge, and is presented in a unique limited edition, individually numbered hard-cover book CD package and is released on October 16th.

Download: Salvador Divinorum
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Street Party In Soho Take Their Time

Street Party In Soho are a young band hailing from Newcastle Upon Tyne.  Although less than 1 year old they are already making waves Tyneside and are now ready to cross the bridge and go global. 

Taking their influences from such bands as Bloc Party,Bombay Bicycle Club and The Libertines, the band sound a bit like a more northern version of Maximo Park.  In fact at times during their single Take Your Time you'd swear Paul from Maximo was singing.  Needless to say, this is good stuff done properly.

The band release their debut single Take Your Time on Monday 29th October.Catch the band live around the UK this month and next.

Tour dates:
September
Friday 28th Newcastle - Dog & Parrot (single launch)

October
Thur 18th Northampton - King Billy
Fri 19th Sheffield - The Redhouse
Sat 20th Liverpool - Lantern Theatre
Sun 21st Manchester - Retro Bar

Download: Take Your Time
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Viva Le Modulaire

French house via Mexico...as odd as that sounds that's exactly what Modulaire is all about. Take a bit of nu-disco, a bit of Stardust, some Latin spice and you have the groups new EP Glamour.

The sound Modulaire creates is a strong fusion between filter and phaser with the mandatory funky basslines, and freshly washed out synthesizers. It's energetic, sparkly, shiny, and looped into infinity leaving Glamour to sound like the best thing to come out of 1998/99 that was never released.

Modulaire create the sort of tunes that someone like Bob Sinclair would love to have in his arsenal.  And while he doesn't have them you can below.

Download: Glamour
Download: Carolyn
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The Pauses & Great Deceivers Release Record & Tour

 

Leading Florida indie label New Granada Records will pair two of Orlando's most consistently celebrated indie rock bands on one 12-inch split: The Pauses and Great Deceivers. Representing the Orlando vanguard, both bands have made scene ripples and music press fans recently - The Pauses last year with their J. Robbins-produced debut album, A Cautionary Tale, and Great Deceivers over the past couple of years with two regionally acclaimed albums, House of Stairs and Seasons in Reverse. But even to those familiar with either of them, the expansion in sound from both bands here makes this 12-inch split doubly momentous.

On The Pauses side, "The Beginning of Things" is one of their most distinctly anthemic songs to date and mirrors their trademark intelligent angles with new shades of stuttering, nearly hip-hop electronic patterns. But, mysteriously, no Auto-Tune. In contrast, the quieter "Formerly" is acoustic reverie gently diffused with spare symphonic flourishes.

For their part, Great Deceivers have traded in their subtly moody dreamscapes for a more muscular, extroverted rock sound. Their signature nuance and complexity are still there, but newfound power and size drive these bracing tracks into Yuck's hood. Just listen to the noisy '90s guitar climax on "Phantom Strength" and the grainy brawn of "Foresight is 50 50."

The Pauses Fall Dates:
9/06 - Jacksonville, FL @ Underbelly’s – Record Release Show w/Great Deceivers
9/07 - Orlando, FL @ Will’s Pub - Record Release Show w/Great Deceivers
9/08 - Tampa, FL @ New World Brewery - Record Release Show w/Great Deceivers
9/09 - Lafayette, LA @ Atmosphere
9/10 - Austin, TX @ Mohawk
9/12 - Scottsdale, AZ @ The Rogue Bar
9/13 - Los Angeles, CA @ Silverlake Lounge
9/16 - Portland, OR @ Tonic Lounge
9/17 - Seattle, WA @ The Comet Tavern
9/18 - Boise, ID @ The Boise Venue
9/20 - Denver, CO @ The Walnut Room
9/21 - Lawrence, KS @ Jackpot Saloon
9/22 - Atlanta, GA @ Five Spot

Download: The Pauses - Beginnings of Things
Download: Great Deceivers - Phantom Strength
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Michna Is Moving Mountains

The Moving Mountains EP -- set for a September 18th release on Ghostly International -- is the first new material the world has heard from New York producer Michna in nearly four years, since the release of his highly-acclaimed debut album Magic Monday in 2008. The new EP represents another great leap forward in terms of both songwriting and production, providing a neat summation of Michna's versatility by covering more musical ground in 20 minutes than most artists do in an entire album.

It's been quite a while between releases, but Michna's been anything but idle during this period – he's done everything from painting to production for the NBA to remixes for DM Stith, Joy Orbison and Kelis.

Download: Wanted Exotic
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The Hermit Crabs Know Time Is Relentless

A very welcome return of Scottish pop favorites The Hermit Crabs! The first release since the celebrated ‘Correspondence Course’ EP in 2009, the new ‘Time Relentless’ EP shows the band in remarkably fine form across four new songs mixing acoustic and electric guitars with nice bursts of percussion and keyboards.

Lead track ‘On The Spectrum’ is the comparison of two relationships set to jangling guitars, with an ace chorus about taking photographs, kissing in the rain, and talking about the blues. ‘Time Relentless’ combines classic Hermit Crabs orchestration with lyrics taken from a poem by Scottish cyclist Graeme Obree from his autobiography ‘The Flying Scotsman’. Keyboards and chiming guitars set the perfect tone for the stunning imagery of the poem. ‘Stop This Now’ is an upbeat two-minute pop hit about another relationship, showcasing twinkling guitars and exquisite harmonies, while final track ‘So Blue’ is an autumnal, mid-tempo tale about supporting a friend through a somber time, with layered instrumentation that builds to an especially melodic conclusion.

Limited to 1000 copies in custom minijacket sleeve, ‘Time Relentless’ is another Scottish pop triumph for the Hermit Crabs!

Download: Stop This Now
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It's An Endless Summer for Bondax & Justin Martin

Bondax are Adam and George; two 18 year old school friends from Lancaster, already with a wealth of support from the likes of Annie Mac, Nick Grimshaw and Pete Tong at Radio 1 behind them.

Bondax release 'Baby I Got That/It's You' on 16th September through Just Us/Relentless so keep your eyes peeled for the official video dropping next week!

Dirtybird's very own Justin Martin has stepped up to remix Bondax's huge tune, 'Baby I Got That'

Entitled 'Justin Martin's Endless Summer Mix' - just in time for the last rays of our kind-of-but-not-quite Indian Summer - Justin Martin has transformed 'Baby I Got That' into a blissed-out, hands in the air extended edit; perfect for Ibiza terraces, party vibes and chilled out sun-kissed moments. We live in hope there will be more of those to come...

Download: Baby I Got That (Justin Martin's Endless Summer Mix)
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It's a Nerd Revolt

From the very first conversation, m.0 and the iLL.F.O. bonded over a love of synthesizers. It was the start of a friendship that would inspire them to reach for their dreams.

But it was more than just starting a band. They shared a vision of what a 21st century artist could be. The tools kept getting more powerful, and you could broadcast your work instantly. Having total creative control, you can share ideas and express yourself... which might empower others to live their dreams too.

From all these late-night conversations, the seeds of Nerd Revolt were planted.

With their eponymous debut album, Nerd Revolt has unveiled a more confident and refined sound. Dark, complex, and synth-heavy, their self-produced record captures an emotional journey and tells an inspiring story of liberation. the iLL.F.O. (lead vox + synths + programming) delivers hypnotic, confessional lyrics and psychedelic soundscapes, while m.0 (synths + programming) holds it down with his production, sound design, and engineering skills.

Watch out because this revolt is just gaining traction.

Download: Fallen
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Acid House Kings Celebrate 20 Years

As you may or may not know, Acid House Kings have been around almost since the invention of acid house. And in that time, this twee/indie pop band has released some of the most monumental jangly pop the world has ever heard. If you're a fan of the genre than it's a good chance you know classics like, "Say Yes If You Love Me," and will never forget them. Their albums are all like that...classic.

Well the fine folks at Labrador have decided to help celebrate the bands 20th anniverary by reissuing three classic out of print albums on 180g vinyl and deluxe digital editions. They're reissuing 97's Advantage Acid House Kings, 02's Mondays are like Tuesdays and Tuesdays are like Wednesdays and 05's Sing Along with Acid House Kings.  You can of course purchase them here.

While you're ordering why not have you're own 20th Anniversary celebration with a bunch of remixes and fun below.

Download: This Heart Is A Stone
Download: This Heart is a Stone (Azure Blue Remix)
Download: This Heart is a Stone (Johan Hedberg 4/4 Mix)
Download: This Heart is a Stone (Invisible Twin Remix)
Download: This Heart is a Stone (Chill Mix)
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