Coldplay Release Their "Magic" At "Midnight"

When Coldplay released their debut album Parachutes, I was young and rather taken by its mood, songwriting, and tonal beauty. The albums that proceeded that debut grew the band's fame into superstardom and everyone became a Coldplay fan -- or made jokes about how you liked Coldplay ("40 Year Old Virgin" anyone?). There seems to be some invisible line that divides bands and groups, and with the release of Coldplay's smash hit "Clocks," they crossed over to the status of "group."

What does that even mean? Maybe I just fashioned these categories in my own mind? Well, for me anyway, it's when a band just seems bigger than anything, bigger than themselves. It's not necessarily related to ego in any way, it's just a status certain bands reach where they become so ingrained in popular culture, so beloved by the masses, that people seem to lose sight of what makes a band so great: the relationship the members share. For the most beautiful, memorable, and meaningful, music that is created is that which is bred in the bond a collection of individuals share with one another. As the great Tom Petty said in Dave Grohl's "Sound City" documentary, "[Music] is all about people relating to each other and doing something that's really from the soul."

Cloud Nothings Share Their "Psychic Trauma"

Hey, listen...I hate to be that blogger who posts the hot track of the day, but I'm going to because I said I'm really only motivated to write and share things I'm stoked on. Enter "Psychic Trauma," the latest track released from Cloud Nothings' forthcoming album Here and Nowhere Else, out April 1st on Carpark/Mom+Pop (US) and March 31 on Wichita (UK/EU).

The title pretty much says it all, with a rattling, guttural, explosive brawl between noise rock and post-hardcore. In the past few years, Cloud Nothings' 2012 LP Attack On Memory has been one of the few newer records to come out that actually held my attention for repeated listens. There's something about the rough but calculated punch of passionate, aggressive rock music that's just as musically energizing as it is emotional. And based off of "Psychic Trauma" and first single "I'm Not A Part of Me," it seems like Cloud Nothings haven't missed a step in delivering another collection of exciting, guitar-driven jams. If you're feeling frustrated, I recommend spinning some Cloud Nothings from 2012 on and you'll probably feel that frustration slip away.



Pre-order Here and Nowhere Else here.

LISTEN: black channels - "Oracles"

Finding beauty in comforting, welcoming sorts of things is all well and good, but finding beauty in darkness, in the haunting aspects of life, is a rather remarkable thing. That unexpected discovery of warmth in a seemingly unsettling void of nothingness makes beauty all the more enrapturing, inspiring, and lovely. Hanging on the fence between light and dark, you can see the true nature of both sides and how the contrast between the two defines all that surrounds us.

WATCH: Brontide Perform New Song for CutLooseTV

In 2011, UK instrumental math rock/post rock/post-hardcore trio Brontide released one of the year's best albums with their debut LP, Sans Souci. That album was consistently strong throughout, playing out like one giant riff-fest with each song connecting to the next; it was a behemoth of musical proficiency and dizzying, exciting arrangements. Naturally, quite a few people around the globe, including me, have been anxiously awaiting the band's follow-up album, one that's been teased since the tail end of last year. No official release date has been offered, but new music has started to surface online.

PREMIERE: Upstairs Downstairs - "Parkas Indoors"

Kicking of this fine week, Mixtape Muse has the honor of premiering the video for Upstairs Downstairs' single "Parkas Indoors," off their new, self-titled sophomore album. Animator Ric Carrasquillo's stop-motion work provides a clever, pensive visual treatment for this charmingly melancholic and melodic track that sounds like the sun sneaking glances through the clouds. With nothing more than some tape and imagination, Carrasquillo creates life out of seemingly mundane things to evoke a sense of lost time, regret, and longing for something more. It's a strong complement to the San Francisco quintet's dreamy indie folk pop song. As a pair, they produce something rather thought-provoking, with the implication that sometimes it's the little things that mean the most. Watch the magic below.



"Parkas Indoors" is from Upstairs Downstairs new self-titled sophomore album, out tomorrow on 20 Sided Records.

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LISTEN: The Martha's Vineyard Ferries - "She's A F***ing Angel (From F***ing Heaven)"

I’d be lying to you if the title of this song alone didn’t provoke me to hit play. Aside from the quaintly wonderful band name, calling your song “She’s A Fucking Angel (From Fucking Heaven)” pretty much leaves no doubt as to how you feel about a girl -- and, no, surprise this was written right after a phone call drummer Chris Brokaw had with his fiancé. You can dress the lyrics up in as much metaphorical mystery as you want to, but, ultimately, this title is a bull’s-eye of honesty. And how fitting, then, that the actual song itself sounds like the heartfelt, no B.S. indie rock that most discovered in high school or college to hang all their emotions on. As if that didn’t all make things feel full circle, The Martha’s Vineyard Ferries has quite the indie rock pedigree: Elisha Wiesner (Kahoots) on guitar, Bob Weston (Shellac, Volcano Suns, Mission of Burma) on bass guitar, and Chris Brokaw (Come, Codeine, The New Year) on drums. Rad.

You Must Listen To This Song Now, Listen to What "The Fox" Says

Song of the summer? Song of the year? I'm at work, and I really can't set this up too much. Best thing to do is just hit play.

LISTEN: The New Zealand Soul of Ladi6

New Zealand's critically-acclaimed Ladi6 recently released their third album, Automatic, and it's one of the best modern R&B/hip-hop infused albums I've heard all year. With an underlying ethereal chill that's as striking as the snowcapped Alps that rise high into the New Zealand skyline, this trio conjures up the perfect amount of soul to lift their mix of seductive '90s R&B and groove-heavy hip-hop above many of their contemporaries -- and the pop hooks don't hurt either. In the crack between summer heat and winter's bite, you'll find the vibe of Ladi6.

Check out two standout tracks from Automatic below.

LISTEN: Die, My Child - "Your Turn To Burn"

While the band name and song title might suggest this would be a rather dark, abrasive listening experience, that couldn't be farther from the truth. It sits somewhere between new wave chill and pop infection, working a kudzu-like melody over a deep synth riff. Pain has never sounded so enjoyable. And with influences like Soulja Boy, Alan Jackson, Frederic Chopin, and Slayer*, it makes sense that their music would encompass more than one feeling.

Die, My Child, the Waco, TX duo of Cameron Everett Smith and Jake Taylor, recently released their new album, Little Bibles. You'll find "Your Turn To Burn" and plenty of other gems on it.  Hear the whole thing below.

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.

Killer Mike and El-P Make Run the Jewels, Offer Up LP for Free Download

With new albums from Kanye West and Jay-Z dropping recently, there are a lot of hip hop releases that, unfortunately, will most likely get overshadowed because of the storm of hype that sets over the industry. Personally, having listened to a number of tracks from both Yeezus and Magna Carta Holy Grail, I feel like the hype is a bit unwarranted. I'm not saying there aren't elements of each that are solid, but, overall, they're not quite the standouts people are making them out to be -- especially when you consider what Ye and Jay have already released. There's no denying either MC's skills on the mic and leadership in the studio, but I guess I was expecting more from each release.

LISTEN: Robocut Slum - "Test Take 1"

Via

Do you ever stop to think about how the human body is the greatest percussion instrument of all time? Think about it. The heart holds it down like a kick drum as our breath, blood flow, blinking, breathing, and more all create their own rhythm to the beat of this kick drum heart. They say that no two people are alike, and I'd bet that the same could be said for our individual body rhythms. We're all living to our own beats, and when things click maybe that's love, maybe that's happiness.

Download Italians Do It Better's "After Dark 2" Comp Right Now

When Johnny Jewel hits the road, he feels the love. While on a tourstop in Amsterdam earlier today, Jewel posted Italians Do It Better's new compilation After Dark 2 in its entirety for FREE download. The 15-track release contains contributions from the likes of Glass Candy, Desire, Chromatics, and more. Hear and download After Dark 2 below.

LISTEN: Trails and Ways - "Como Te Vas?"

MP3: Trails and Ways - "Como Te Vas?"

When a question becomes an answer, or when an answer becomes a question, how do you know where it all starts and where it all ends?

You may not believe it -- may not want to believe it -- but one divergent path will always find its way back to where you've been before. Life is a cyclical maze -- in many respects a result our own creation and in many respects a result of fate's will. Take for example the past: it's always going to be there even if it's in your rearview. You may never physically encounter the things you've left behind, but you'll forever carry them around in your heart and mind as experiences and influences for your future self. It's not so much about acceptance in moving on as it is about being receptive to change. And once you learn to navigate these sorts of tides, you'll come to appreciate every moment, good or bad, as something to build upon.

LISTEN: Aleos

Moments are, in their own way, the stitches of that fine fabric we call time. Separate they can mean nothing or everything, but together moments weave together to define a person, an era, a history. We could quantify a moment as a second, a minute, a day, or a month, because everyone seems to define time in the duration of a feeling or a memory. And let's face it, sometimes those things last more than what one could literally define as a "moment" in time. But hey, maybe I'm waxing poetic. Point is, moments have more to them than we realize -- just imagine all the ones that have passed at this stage of your life and how they've collected to define where you are right now.

Serfs Offer Up Debut EP "Common Feelings" for Free

Charlotte, NC quartet Serfs released their debut EP, Common Feelings, today for free download. The 5-song effort is a blend of garage rock jangle, the crushing-yet-vulnerable dynamics of shoegaze, the chaos of noise pop, the snarl of punk, and the charm of indie pop. "The songs on this record were born out of a personal crisis I went through last year," says vocalist and guitarist Phil Pucci. "The record is largely about friendship and on a bigger scale, my contradictory desires to at the same time fit in and run away from Midwood, the part of Charlotte where I live."

SEE & HEAR: Boards of Canada - "Reach For the Dead"

With a group like Boards of Canada, atmosphere is everything. The elusive, mysterious Scottish electronic duo of Michael Sandison and Marcus Eoin will release their fourth studio album, Tomorrow's Harvest, on June 10th in Europe and June 11th in the U.S. via Warp. It marks the duo's first release of new music in seven years. They just shared a Neil Krug-directed music video for the album's first single "Reach for the Dead," which you can catch below. It's a sweeping journey through valleys, desert, and abandoned structures. Matched with the soothingly eerie soundtrack, it feels rather lively despite each shot capturing rather lonely, forgotten corners of the world.

The sequence that starts around 3:26 is pure magic and visually mesmerizing.

Holy Ghost! Debut New Single "Dumb Disco Ideas"

Photo by Harry McNally

Holy Ghost!'s excellent self-titled debut album (and my #8 album of 2011) is one of the few releases of the past few years that I've continued to return to. It's got pop appeal, fantastic production, and beats to keep you dancing for days. Needless to say, their next album is highly anticipated around these parts.

The NYC duo just released their new single "Dumb Disco Ideas" from their forthcoming sophomore album, Dynamics. Accompanying the song is a time lapse video of the band's gear set up on a rooftop deck. As day turns to night and night back to day, the band's lightboxes illuminate to the beat. The song itself is an eight minute disco-funk epic that might as well soundtrack your nonstop day/night party.

Hear "Dumb Disco Ideas" below.

"...Like Clockwork" Queens of the Stone Age Reveal More New Music

For those who may not have heard, Queens of the Stone Age are set to release their long-awaited follow up to 2007's Era Vulgaris on June 4th via Matador. The new album, entitled ...Like Clockwork, is the band's sixth full-length and features a number of guests including longtime collaborator Mark Lanegan, former bassist Nick Oliveri, Alex Turner, and Dave Grohl. Earlier today, the band revealed a colorful, dark animated video for a new song called "I Appear Missing." See and hear the track below.

LISTEN: Hey Anna - "Dance Until Three"

MP3: Hey Anna - "Dance Until Three"

Shortly before my grandfather passed away a number of years ago, he gave me a collection of cassette tapes featuring big band and pop songs from the World War II era. A lot of the groups featured on these compilation tapes were girl groups, the kind with the sweetest, most golden harmonies -- to the point that they sounded just a notch above angelic. Outside the fact that their harmonies were immaculate and they were the epitome of charming, their songs were infectious. Way before auto-tune and modern day recording magic, these ladies were crafting pop perfection during a rather depressing period of history -- so, of course, their sound was all the more rewarding and welcomed.

I always wonder what these girl groups might sound like in a modern context, but outside of the mainstream pop paradigm. With "Dance Until Three," I feel like Hey Anna are the embodiment of that dream, filtered through an indie pop lens.