Sometimes you have to break it all up to find the hidden harmony in the cacophonous whole. Taking some '60s-era garage rock jangle and harmonious pop charm, The Blank Tapes sounds like time-traveling troubadours. And while this sounds like familiar territory, it doesn't sound dated or forced. SIKE! It's from the 1960s, of course it sounds authentic. SIKE! It's from 2012. SIKE! Which one is the truth and which one is the lie?
Just last week, I shared "Pararelevant" from The Get Up Kids new album, There Are Rules, their first LP of all new material since 2004's Guilt Show. The band released another new song from the album entitled "Automatic" for download on iTunes yesterday. Hear the song below.
While the iTunes single includes only "Automatic," the 7" features B-side "Past is Past." The 7" will be officially released on January 11th, leading up to the January 25th release of There Are Rules. However, for those interested in grabbing the "Automatic" 7" right now, there's no need to wait until the official release date. You can pick up a copy through a special pre-order by visiting The Get Up Kids online merch store (link below).
BUY: Pick it up digitally on iTunes. The 7" is available now here.
EDIT: The contest is over. Thanks to everyone who entered. Congrats to Laura O. on winning the 7"! Enjoy!
Enchanting songstress Tristen (nee Tristen Gaspadarek) recently released a 7" entitled Eager For Your Love, featuring "Baby Drugs" and the title track. Tristen made the 7" available for free download at her site (you can download it below, too), but who doesn't love hard copies of these types of things?
If you'd like to win a FREE copy of the Eager For Your Love 7" as well as a 11x17 tour poster, please e-mail contest@mixtapemuse.com with your name and e-mail address. You'll have until 9:00 am/EST on Friday, December 9th to enter. The winner will randomly be selected from the pool of applicants and notified by the weekend. Enter now!
To get a taste of Tristen's music, check out the upbeat, Americana character of "Baby Drugs" below.
On September 28th, Dirty Projectors will release a 2xCD/digital expanded edition of their critically-acclaimed album Bitte Orca. The new, limited-edition Bitte Orca set comes with premium packaging and a bonus disc featuring unreleased live material and b-sides. Included on the bonus disc is an EP-length live acoustic performance recorded at New York’s Other Music in June of 2009.
You can download a live version of Bitte Orca's "Temecula Sunrise" from that Other Music performance right here. And below, you can get yourself a free digital 7" of "Ascending Melody" b/w "Emblem of the World".
See the tracklisting for the expanded edition of Bitte Orca and scope the band's upcoming tour dates after the jump.
Illinois math rockers Loose Lips Sink Ships are releasing a split 7" entitled Eating Happens with Victor Villarreal (Joan of Arc, Cap'n Jazz, Ghosts & Vodka, Owls) on August 27th through Whaleplane Records. The split features Loose Lips Sink Ships' whimsically-titled A-side "Sarah Palin's Parasailing" b/w Victor Villarreal's beautiful acoustic gem "Prophesying Hypothesis". You can now pre-order it, and you better because it's going to be a limited pressing of 500 hand numbered copies -- that and it's awesome. The cover photo was taken by Randi Stella and Adam Minorczyk created the back cover collage seen here. Hear the whole thing below.
Loose Lips Sink Ships' "Sarah Palin's Parasailing" packs a week's worth of emotion into just over four minutes of some of the most adventurous and dynamic math rock around. It's a story in a song that has no need for words or any hint of vocals because instrumentally it's already so expressive.
Victor Villarreal's "Prophesying Hypothesis" is a gorgeous fingerpicked folk tune that features heartfelt vocals over a lovely acoustic backdrop. A severe thunderstorm just passed through this area, and as I was typing this, the sky went from being nearly pitch black to bright and sunny. I'd like to think that "Prophesying Hypothesis" made that happen.
BUY: Preorder the Eating Happens 7" here before it's gone.
