We All Want Someone To Shout For

Black Books are 5 piece from Austin, Texas that psych rock fans should keep an eye on. They released a great little EP called An Introduction To… and it does exactly what it implies. It’s a great introduction to what the band is all about: Smart psych rock that deserve the My Morning Jacket comparisons that they’ve been receiving. These are tripped out rock jams that everyone can enjoy. This is quite an introduction.

After one run through, I’m incredibly impressed. This is the perfect way to start your career. They main the skills and focus of seasoned veterans. They’re ready to break out. If this EP is any indication, Black Books are going to be a big name soon.

Take a listen to the An Introduction To… EP below. If you like it, grab it for 4 bucks on bandcamp.

Who doesn’t love a feel good song with a smart poppy chorus? Especially when it’s delivered with such sincerity as demonstrated by hot rising artist, Tristen.

Charlatans at the Garden Gate is her debut release, and if “Baby Drugs” is any indication, then this may be the sleeper album of 2011. “Baby Drugs” is as happy of an upbeat of a pop song as you can find. It’s like your placed in the beautiful California sunshine, with nothing on your mind but great music and good times. It shines through your speakers, putting an infectious smile on your face.

“Baby Drugs” has a timeless feel to it, and that’s what makes it so special. It could have easily been released in the 50′s-60′s. This is a true summer jam.

If you head to Tristen’s website, you can download four songs from the album for free. You can’t beat that. “Baby Drugs” will motivate you to go the extra mile, I promise.

[mp3]: Tristen – Baby Drugs

Love it’s music video as well:

Tristen – Baby Drugs from Tristen on Vimeo.

The Henry Clay People are releasing their This Is A Desert EP this May. They’re giving away EP track “California Wildfire”  for free on their site. It’s a fuzzy guitar romper that reminds me of The Thermals in all kinds of good ways. It’s a perfect partner in crime for this lazy Saturday that I have instore.

Take a listen:

[mp3]: The Henry Clay People – California Wildfire

You can also watch the music video for “The Winter Song”, another song from the EP, via Consequence Of Sound’s Cluster One:

Here’s The Dodos strange new music video for “Black Night”. Underground fighting ring in black and white featuring some interesting characters. It works quite well for the song. Check it out below via Pitchfork.TV:

AOL Spinner caught the bands entire Pop Up Show at the First United Methodist Church. You can watch a stream of that and check out the bands spring tour dates after the jump

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It seems only right that I am premiering an exclusive new song from SO3, one of the first bands I posted on my blog back in 2008. You know, when I still used blogspot and zshare. Yikes.

Well they believed in me then, and I believed in them. It was a mutual respect of believing in something new, and we haven’t looked back since. With the new layout, the band decided to make their brand new song “Invincible” available as a special download for me to give to you guys. It’s a honor to be able to give you guys the first listen of this great track.

I’ve been following the boys since summer 2008, and they’ve come quite a long way since then. “Invincible” displays their artistic growth in more ways than one. The band’s sound radiates cool collected confidence with crisp riffs and tight interplay between all three members. The song is an easy breezy listen with an easy going chorus that has sunny spring weather in mind. Good music can make a person feel invincible, and that’s exactly what “Invincible” does. If you don’t smile to this, then you need a vacation. Bad.

Grab the mp3 below and blast this one. It does better as the volume goes up.

[mp3]: SO3 – Invincible

Vist SO3 on facebook, bandcamp, myspace or twitter. You can support them on iTunes as well

Jordan Martin is an independent musician from McKinney, TX who can do it all. His main instrument is the guitar, but he’s fallen in love with the synth as of late. His talent with various instruments is displayed through his music. One minute Jordan is playing you the fragile acoustic song “Don’t Be Afraid”. Next he’s creating a new world with the blipped out electronic found on the emotional “Down Down Down”. He puts it all together on the instrumental “Diaspora” which is a harrowing collection of all his talents put into one place.

In the next couple of weeks he will be posting EP’s on his bandcamp that will feature these songs. For now, you can grab them below:

[mp3]: Jordan Martin – Down Down Down
[mp3]: Jordan Martin – Don’t Be Afraid
[mp3]: Jordan Martin – Diaspora

Jordan posts all of his songs at his website. There’s lots more stuff on there, be sure to check it out if you like these songs. I’d keep on eye out on Jordan. He’s got a lot of talent and is making all kinds of great music. Once it all comes full circle for him, he’s going to be a force to be reckoned with.

Baby Baby is an exciting band from Carrollton, Georgia who have quite the single out. It’s a fiery track properly titled “Fire”. It’s one of the catchiest numbers I’ve heard all year. The band sounds like a crazy mix of The Blood Brothers and Kings Of Leon. If that makes no sense, maybe this description will:

They create balls to the wall awesome rock and roll. Baby Baby bring a fun aspect to music that it’s seriously lacking. Music is supposed to bring friends together so we can party, get drunk, and go crazy. That’s the spirit and energy that “Fire!” bring to the table. It will make you dance, and rock out at the same time. It’s a lethal combo that I can’t get enough of.

This song is flat out fun. I will have no problem blasting this all summer long.

[mp3]: Baby Baby – Fire

“Fire!” is taken from their upcoming new album, Money, which will be released on Tuesday, May 24th via Gospel of Rhythm Recordings.

I’m a huge office fan, so I really got a kick out of his video with Blitzen Trapper. It features Rainn as a super fan of the band. He tries to join them but they say no, and that’s when his rampage begins.

The whole video is funny but the “I’m on NBC” part had me in stitches. Rainn is the man. Watch the video below:

The Blitzen Trapper Massacre from Brian Adrian Koch on Vimeo.

The Flaming Lips & Neon Indian are the last two bands that I would have expected to collaborate. That’s exactly what makes their collaborative effort so great. Sometimes taking the unexpected route produces the most exciting music, because artists are able to create music that they wouldn’t have made without the outside influence.

Not too long ago The Flaming Lips & Neon got together in New York and recorded four songs for a EP that they’re calling The Flaming Lips with Neon Indian. “Is David Bowie Dying?” is the first song from the EP, and it’s available to listen to now thanks to our friends at Disco Naïveté.

It sounds exactly like what a collaboration between the two should sound like. One part freak-psych rock, the other part blipped out chill-psych. It’s a dark track that comes off as haunted dream state. I wouldn’t walk around near any cemeteries while listening to this, that’s for sure.

Take a listen below:

The Flaming Lips & Neon Indian – Is David Bowie Dying by weallwantsome1

I had the pleasure of catching Mississippi duo Bass Drum Of Death in January when they opened for Smith Westerns at Glasslands Gallery. They impressed the hell out of me, and I had a feeling good things were on the way.

“Young Pros” is a song from the album that the band gave away for free. It’s catchy garage pop with addictive woo-ooo’s that you’ll be singing around town. As feel good of a jam as possible.

[mp3]: Bass Drum Of Death – Young Pros

Fat Possum is releasing their debut LP GB City on April 12th.