Voltaire Twins Are Back

Originally a side project of sorts, twins Jaymes and Tegan Voltaire became the Voltaire Twins after winning the Triple J Unearthed Parklife competition in 2008 and receiving a personal invitation to support Ladytron. Fast forward a few years and with a single and EP release under their belt, the band has now toured Australia numerous times and played everywhere else at least once.

Last fall, the indie/electro foursome released the Romulus EP throughout Australia and it's just now arriving on these shores. Better late than never, the EP is a melodic treat that features syrupy sweet boy/girl harmonies, lush synths, and choruses that will linger for ages.  It's fantastic stuff that's slightly dark, texturally rich, and sounds like they spent a million dollars on it.   Not bad for a brother sister team up then.

Download: Animalia
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The Quiet Americans Take Their Medicine

Fresno, California band The Quiet Americans are anything but quiet. This loud fuzzed out band was formed in 2010 by songwriter Luke Giffen and drummer Eli Reyes. The Quiet Americans combine bright melodies and animal like drums with fuzzed out guitar squall. Sort of like Link Wray meets Dinosaur jr. filtered through an echo chamber.

The six song EP Medicine is their first release and is out on local cassette collective Coattrack Records. The recording of Medicine was a family affair, Eli is married to Luke’s sister, and Luke’s little brother Ross contributed moog synth to the record. The entire record was tracked to an old Tascam 8 track reel to reel recorder, in their practice space and sounds like the best thing ever recorded on it.

Download: Selia
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Cygnets Prepare For Dark Days

Edmonton's Cygnets is the culmination of many years of hard work, as songwriter and musician Logan Turner worked privately writing and recording hundreds of songs before deciding to explore a group dynamic. This collaboration was finally realized in close friends Chris Bruce and Dan Snow. Bringing textured, inspiring guitar work and bright, catchy synthesizer hooks, they compliment and enhance Turner’s ambitious songwriting style and singular, melodic vocals.

Quite possibly the best British band who aren't actually British. Cygnets are one pogotastic, jumpy, synthpop band who take 80's new wave, The Futureheads, and maybe even Depeche Mode smash it all together and come up with songs like, "Teenager."  It's fantastic stuff that's jumpy, nervous, and as catchy as the flu.

The forthcoming follow up LP ‘Dark Days’, due for release on March 6^th will also be available at absolutely no cost.  If the whole thing is as good as "Teenager," we're in for a treat!

Download: Teenager
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Lancelot...Knight of the Round Table

LANCELOT is the new project from 21 year‐old Sydney producer Lance Gurisik.

Formerly recording as AEONS, in 2011 Lance dropped the drums, kicked aside the USB keyboards and embedded himself in the studio to create his own dense style of house music.

With a fetish for analogue gear, Lance draws upon his broad knowledge of classical music styles and forms while recording and writing for dance floors – the result sitting somewhere between new‐wave pop and downtempo, tropical house.  I'm happy to report there's not a dub or step in sight and it's fucking marvelous.

For the past 3 years Lance has been composing orchestral music, studying at the elite Sydney Conservatory of Music.

After hours, Lance snuck into the faculty recording studios, laying down a swathe of well‐regarded, official remixes for artists including New Navy (Future Classic), Toucan, Fabian (Binary), Penguin Prison, Sparkadia (Ivy League), Faker (EMI), Tim and Jean (Universal) and Fallulah (Sony DE). This winter he recorded three original tunes for the upcoming We Can Dance EP.

Now, with a freshly framed graduation certificate and sharp new hair‐cut to boot, LANCELOT is plunging straight into the club.

LANCELOT’s We Can Dance EP is set for digital‐release worldwide on LA‐based label Binary (Fabian,
Keenhouse, Nightwaves) on Beatport on February 20th, followed by a worldwide release on March 5th.

Download: Spoken Word
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Watch Out For the Superhumanoids

LA-based Superhumanoids are pleased to announce that they will be supporting Active Child and Balam Acab on their upcoming North American tour. The dates will follow previously announced tours supporting Cold War Kids and Class Actress. A full list of dates is below.

Superhumanoids make dreamy pop that shouts summery '60s harmonies, garage rock's raw tonality, slick new-wave electronics, and the adventurous dissonance of '90s indie rock. Originally the solo bedroom project of Cameron Parkins, the LA band quickly evolved into a multifaceted outfit featuring Sarah Chernoff (Vocals and keys), and Max St. John (Bass, vocals, and programming)

Tour Dates...
2/09 Los Angeles CA, The Echo!
2/10 San Diego CA, The Casbah!
2/11 Costa Mesa CA, Detroit Bar!
2/26 Portland, OR, Doug Fir Lounge^
2/27 Portland, OR, Doug Fir Lounge^
2/28 Portland, OR, Doug Fir Lounge^
3/01 Seattle, WA, Columbia City Theater^
3/02 Seattle, WA, Columbia City Theater^
3/03 Seattle, WA, Columbia City Theater^
3/05 San Francisco, CA, Bottom of the Hill^
3/06 San Francisco, CA, Bottom of the Hill^
3/07 San Francisco, CA, Bottom of the Hill^
3/13 - 3/17 Austin, TX, SXSW
4/27 Pomona, CA, The Glass House*
4/28 Phoenix, AZ, The Crescent Ballroom*
4/29 Tucson, AZ, Club Congress*
4/30 Santa Fe, NM, Sol at Santa Fe Brewing*
5/02 Norman, OK, Opolis*
5/03 Dallas, TX, Sons of Hermann Hall*
5/04 Austin, TX, Mohawk*
5/05 Houston, TX Fitzgeralds*
5/07 Atlanta, GA, The Earl*
5/08 Carboro, NC, Cats Cradle*
5/09 Washington, DC, Black Cat*
5/10 New York City NY, Bowery Ballroom*
5/11 New York City, NY, Mercury Lounge*
5/14 Montreal, QC, Il Motore*
5/15 Toronto, ON, Lee's Palace*
5/16 Chicago, IL, Lincoln Hall*
5/17 St Louis, MO, Firebird*
5/18 Lawrence, KS, The Jackpot Saloon*
5/19 Denver, CO, Bluebird Theater*
5/20 Fort Collins, CO, Aggie Theatre*
5/22 Salt Lake City, UT, Urban Lounge*

! w/ Class Actress
^ w/ Cold War Kids
* w/ Active Child, Balam Acab

Download: Geri
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I Got A Cultfever

Cultfever is J. Peter Durniak and Tamara Jafar, two artists whose chance encounter in a Manhattan recording studio spawned a musical partnership of two distinct voices connecting over a shared vision in sound. Within a few months of their first meeting, Durniak, an audio engineer at the studio, and Jafar, an audio intern at the studio and political activist, decided to move in together, converting their apartment living room into a shared studio space. Soon after, late-night recording sessions and musical sketches began to evolve into the songs that make up their eponymous debut.

During the recording process, the duo conceived of the album as a series of cinematic vignettes rather than trying to focus the project around a narrowly tailored theme. Giving themselves that space to explore they now have a better idea of the strengths and weaknesses in the interplay of their individual tastes and styles.

The end result of this experiment is a collection of nine distinct tracks, ranging from the atmospheric textures of album opener “Knewyouwell” and mid-album highlight “Devil in the Drum” to the bombast and unhinged romanticism of “Spill” and closing track “Collector.”  Fantastic stuff all around.  Hear for yourself....

Download: Knew You Well
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The Mary Onettes Know Love Is Forever

It's been a long, long time since I've heard anything from The Mary Onettes. They may have recorded a few albums since I last heard them, I have no idea. But I was pretty well pleased with Labrador alerted me to the fact that they have returned with a new album. After I did a happy dance, I figured the right thing to do was to share this good fortune with you guys.

The Mary Onettes new record, Love Forever sees the band hooking up with an outside producer for the first time. Produced by Dan Lissvik,  the record is out on February 28th on digital and limited edition vinyl.

Gone is the echoing reverb, the 80's guitars and the big, splashing drums. "Love Forever" the lead track is a wonder of genre-blurring fearlessness drawing on ambient textures, avant-garde rhythms and intricate arrangements. It's a song that soars Heavenward on the vocals and ethereal guitar work. While it reminds me a bit of the Cure on a sunny day, it's a bit of a departure and the first sign that Spring is right around the corner. It's beautiful stuff that only a Swede pop band could record.

Download: Love's Taking Strange Ways
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