Hear The Love Language's New Album Right Now

One of Mixtape Muse's favorite bands of the past few years is Raleigh, North Carolina's The Love Language, the garage rock/indie pop brainchild of Stuart McLamb. I was a big fan of his 2010 sophomore album, Libraries, and I've been quite anxious to see what The Love Language would be with the release of their next album. Well, that day is just a week away.

Next Tuesday, Merge will release The Love Language's third full-length, Ruby Red. But don't wait until then to check it out. You can hear Ruby Red in its entirety right here now. Pre-order it here.

LISTEN: Redd Kross

What do the Go-Go's, Black Flag, Tenacious D, and Bad Religion all have in common? California power pop band Redd Kross. Honestly, they're a few clicks shy of being the musical equivalent of "The Seven Degrees of Kevin Bacon." Ok, maybe not quite, but seriously.

If you want to talk about an under appreciated, underrated band, look no further than Redd Kross. If you've never heard of them, it's a shame, especially seeing as how they've been around since 1980 -- or 1978 if you include an early incarnation of the band called The Tourists. The band released six studio albums before slipping into the unfortunate "indefinite hiatus" zone following a tour behind their 1997 album, Show World.

SEE & HEAR: Wye Oak - "Holy Holy"

Earlier this year, Baltimore's own Wye Oak released one of the best albums of the year with Civilian. It's now September, and it still seems people are sleeping on it. C'mon.

Anyways, one of the best tracks off of the album entitled "Holy Holy" recently received the music video treatment. For however uplifting, or affirming, their music can be, the most alluring thing about Wye Oak's sound is the beautiful shades of melancholy that ebb and flow throughout. "Holy Holy" is one of the more upbeat songs on Civilian, and it's nice to see that director Jeremy Johnstone kept the balance of light and dark in the song by setting the video in an amusement park/the boardwalk (what appears to be our state's own Ocean City Boardwalk) as well as through the use of a slightly washed out tone/coloration. A fun and wonderfully executed video...

Watch on YouTube

LISTEN: Amor de Días (feat. Alasdair MacLean of The Clientele) - "Bunhill Fields"

MP3: Amor de Días - "Bunhill Fields"

Whispered magic. Lupe Núñez-Fernández sings in a charming, breathy tone that's both welcoming and slyly melancholic. The electronic beat that backs the acoustic guitar, cello, and brass instrumentation starts off simply enough before picking up the pace; it's like a gentle breeze that becomes a strong wind, carrying you through the Bunhill Fields.

Amor de Días is Alasdair MacLean, frontman for The Clientele, and Lupe Núñez-Fernández of indie pop duo Pipas. Their debut album, Street of the Love of Days, is set for release on May 17th through Merge Records. Dream pop duo Damon & Naomi guest on the album, and Amor de Días just happen to be going on tour with the group. Scope the dates and the debut's tracklisting after the hop.

Listen to Wye Oak's New LP Right Now

By Natasha Tylea

In case you happened to miss it on our Twitter or don't keep tabs on NPR Music, you can listen to Wye Oak's new album, Civilian, right now before it's released next Tuesday. I've only had a chance to listen to it once all the way through, but just that one listen proved this album to be something special. Of course, I may or may not be a little biased since I live in Baltimore, but still. You'll be hard-pressed to find a band that is capable of creating the same type of mesmerizing, powerful, emotive, and deep music as Wye Oak. I'll quit my blabbing and save that for my review of the album. Check out Civilian below.

LISTEN: Wye Oak - Civilian

The band is also featured in a new article on NPR blog The Record that deals with the growth and character of vinyl records. Read "Slow and Steady: Vinyl Survives" here.

AND if you happened to miss it, MM recently shared the title track from Civilian. Check it out here.

MP3: Wye Oak - "Civilian"

Until roughly a week or so ago, I was completely unaware that Baltimore's own Wye Oak had completed their third album, and had it set for release on March 8th through Merge (City Slang overseas). Singer/guitarist Jenn Wasner explains the songs on the album “are, as a whole, about aloneness (the positive kind), loneliness (the horrible kind), moving on, and letting go (of people, places, and things).” As for the album's title, Civilian, Wasner says, “this collection of songs is called Civilian because I believe everyone wants to be normal, but no one truly is.” Touche, touche. Hear the title track below.


MP3: Wye Oak - "Civilian"
via City Slang's Blog

Wye Oak once again prove that it only takes two people to create something truly great and monumental in scope. Jenn Wasner's soulful voice can penetrate the coldest of souls with its almost shy yet confident inflection and sultry tone. It's a voice that can measure up, and even soar above, the commanding presence of the band's evocative, entrancing sound. From humble beginnings, the song progresses into a euphoric wall of sound as Wasner's guitar lines harmonize and fight one another over keyboardist/drummer Andy Stack's foundation of rolling percussion and subtle but striking organ. And don't even get me started on those background vocals in the break. If you don't find yourself swept away by those, then damn.

See a live performance of "Civilian" after the hop.

VIDEO: Destroyer - "Kaputt"

As previously reported, Destroyer is set to release Kaputt on January 25. We've already heard Kaputt cut "Chinatown," and now we have a video for the title track. Women in bathing suits, '80s smooth pop/jazz, old man crawling through desert sand, and what looks like a young John Hodgman -- all the ingredients for an intriguing video. It tackles temptation, illusion, life and death -- among other things. I'm going to go ahead and say that the whale is a metaphor. I'm also going to go ahead and say this video is thought-provoking and beautiful.

Destroyer's tour dates after the hop.

In the Meantime, Enjoy This Song by The Love Language

Feeling rather uninspired today, but I'll be posting something later. In the meantime, enjoy this song by The Love Language from the new album, Libraries. It's one of my favorite albums of the year and will definitely make my Top 10. Furthermore, this is also one of my favorite songs of the year. Furtherfurthermore (see, I'm just making up words now), this song is really comforting and kind of like a reassurance that everything's going to be ok. Thanks, McLamb.*

You should really buy this album. Get it on Amazon here (CD) or here on vinyl (highly recommended if you're into that kinda thing). And, as always, you can pick it up direct from Merge right here.

*I also would like to state, for the record, that I will be writing a piece on this album in the near future. It deserves more words and coverage than what I'm offering here. It's a damn good record. A damn good record.

MUSINGS: Arcade Fire, Hype, & My Eastern European Roots

In 2007, Arcade Fire released their second full-length album, Neon Bible, not only to critical acclaim, but to immense hype, as well. It seemed everywhere I turned there was some mention of the album and whether it was brilliant or just plain bad. I, like most people it seemed, purchased a copy of the album based on the strength of the few songs I had heard. However, I maybe made it through three-fourths -- possibly all the way through -- once or twice and didn't return to the album for some time.

Call me ridiculous, but with everyone talking about Neon Bible, I lost interest in it. It's hard for me to get invested in something when all I do is hear about it or see it pretty much everywhere (LOST being one of the few exceptions). It's possible it was one of those mentalities where here was this terrific band that people knew about, but that still maintained a certain level of obscurity that was appealing (Is it a music snob thing? Oh, God, I hope not!). Upon the release of Neon Bible, everyone and their mother and their dog knew about Arcade Fire, and "Keep the Car Running" became one of those anthems you hear in a sports stadium; it was subsumed as some sort of sports anthem for a new generation (at least that was my impression).