I bet they’re still sleeping together

Is is the Cure? Is it the Smiths? No, it’s exlovers, whose new single, “Photobooth,” evokes the crystalline jangle of ’80s Brit-rock. The chord progression is a close approximation of “Just Like Heaven,” with subtle lead licks mingling with hypnotic open-chord strumming. The vocals, when they enter, are sung in tight harmony, and recall the shoegaze androgyny of My Bloody Valentine. It’s a bit of a pastiche, but that isn’t such a problem when it comes to a song as catchy as this.

“Photobooth” was released as a double A-side single with “Weightless,” which sounds a bit like a dream pop take on Nirvana‘s “Heart-Shaped Box.” Another tune, “Just a Silhouette,” is available here for the cost of an e-mail address.

The band is entering the studio soon to record an EP with Stephen Street (who produced Strangeways, Here We Come).

Hopping and bopping to the Crocodiles’ rock

Almost anyone who has ever written about Crocodiles has compared the duo to breakout lo-fi bands such as No Age, Times New Viking, and Wavves. Like those bands, Crocodiles coat their recordings in white wash distortion and bury the vocals behind a haze of reverb. But Crocodiles are unique in the movement because of their reliance on electronics; all of the drums are programmed, and synthesizers feature almost as prominently as guitars in the arrangements.

On April 28, the band will release its debut full-length via Fat Possum. It’s called Summer of Hate, and while I’m still digesting the album, I’ve completely fallen in love with the first single, “I Wanna Kill.” It sounds a lot like the Jesus & Mary Chain, with an ultra-distorted four-note guitar lick and cavernous percussion (which, remember, is actually programmed, although it sounds almost natural here). But what makes the song so exciting is its devastatingly simple three chord hook; it has a blissful bubblegum melody, which makes the refrain of “I wanna kill tonight” seem all the more gruesome by comparison. Homicide has never sounded so much fun.

You can stream the song from Crocodiles’ MySpace, or download it here, courtesy of Stereogum.

Sufjan Stevens opens the vault

Of the seven major releases of Sufjan Stevens‘s career, only the first one (2000’s A Sun Came) lacks an overarching thematic focus; his other albums have been devoted to the Chinese zodiac, Michigan, God, Illinois (twice), and Christmas. But as a new post on Asthmatic Kitty‘s website reveals, these official releases are only the tip of a very weird iceberg. Prior to the (apparently aborted) 50 states concept, a college-age Sufjan Stevens sat in his dorm room, churning out songs about first names, planets, days of the week, the Apostles, and who knows what else. Many of these songs were recorded on a four track tape recorder, with “pillows and cushions stuffed in the air vents so no one would hear.”

At the bottom of the post, Sufjan is offering one of the songs as a free sample (thus proving that these crazy song series actually do exist). It’s called “Sofia’s Song,” and comes from the series about names. Apparently it’s about Sofia Copolla, although this is not clear from the lyrics alone. The style recalls Devendra Banhart‘s home demos (as documented on 2002s Oh Me Oh My…), with layered vocals and haphazard fingerpicking. It’s a simple folk song that falls well short of the two-minute mark, but it’s touching nonetheless, especially when accompanied by Sufjan’s intimate account of the recordings: “The world of youth was where I tried on new ideas, new outfits, new names, and new rhyme schemes—-a world where the banjo was my journal, where Sofia Coppola was my imaginary confidant, and where singing out of tune was perfectly OK!”

Perhaps, buried in this nostalgia, there is a subliminal explanation for why Sufjan still has not released an official follow-up to his 2005 masterpiece, Illinois. By glorifying the freedom of obscurity, when no one was listening and he was able to experiment without consequence, he hints at the pressure he now feels as one of the most prominent names in indie music.

The song is well worth a listen, and the accompanying post is equally interesting. Click here to check them out.

You gotta move your idiot body around

On June 23, Sunset Rubdown will release its fourth full-length album, Dragonslayer (no word if that refers to slaying a dragon or laying multiple dragons). The first single is called “Idiot Heart,” and Jagjaguwar is offering it as a free download. Rather than the weirdo piano dirges than make up much of Krug’s output, the new song is straight-up guitar rock, recalling the more earthy delights of Krug’s sometimes songwriting partner Dan Boeckner. There is some gentle tinkling from what sounds like a toy piano, but for the most part, the song favours immediacy over atmosphere, with steadily chugging guitars and a thundering rhythm section.

Of course, Krug’s lyrics are as oblique as ever, with cryptic allusions to “The Icarus in your blood.” Even so, “Idiot Heart” is as close as Krug will ever get to writing a song that can be described as “fun.” It doesn’t quite match up to the haunting otherworldliness of his best work, but it’s still well worth the listen.

Download: “Idiot Heart”

Isn’t it funny? Don’t ya think?

For reasons I can no longer exactly recall, I used to be obsessed with Dave Matthews Band. During high school, I spent an entire year listening to almost nothing else, and there are few albums I’ve ever listened to as many times as Under the Table and Dreaming. Since that time, however, any enjoyment I have received from DMB has been purely sentimental; still, nostalgia is a strong incentive, and so I continue to follow the band, regardless of the fact that I don’t really like the music.

DMB has a new album, the unfortunately-titled Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, due out on June 2, and its first single, “Funny the Way It Is,” was released today. The horns are conspicuously absent, due to the tragic passing of saxophonist Leroi Moore last year, and the band cranks the electric guitars to compensate for the absence. Stylistically, it falls somewhere in between the group’s jam band roots and the pop sheen of its more recent works—it has an immediately singable chorus, but still makes room for noodling instrumental sections and a violin solo.

Despite being catchy, the song is hindered by clunky lyrics, with half-baked philosophizing about the sometimes-sweet/sometimes-bitter nature of life (“Somebody’s going hungry and someone else is eating out”). It’s all a bit like rain on your wedding day. Isn’t it ironic? Still, Carter Beauford is a monster behind the drums, and there’s enough going on to make the song an interesting listen for a DMB sentimentalist such as myself.

The song is available here in exchange for an e-mail address.

While we wait for a new B&S record…

Belle and Sebastian are on what appears to be an indefinite hiatus, but frontman Stuart Murdoch is busying himself with a project called God Help the Girl. It’s a self-described “story set to music,” meaning it’s essentially a rock opera, but without any of the pomposity associated typically associated with the genre. A twee-pop opera? I never thought I’d live to see the day.

The project includes some reworkings of Belle & Sebastian songs (“Funny Little Frog” and “Act of the Apostle”), as well as original songs. The characters are voiced by several different singers, including Murdoch himself, Asya from Smoosh, and a couple of unknowns recruited in an internet talent search.

The lead character (the “Girl”) is sung by Catherine Ireton of the Go Away Birds, and its her vocals that feature on the album’s single “Come Monday Night.” It’s a pleasant chamber folk tune, and isn’t too much of a departure from Belle & Sebastian—it could have conceivably fit onto either Dear Catastrophe Waitress or The Life Pursuit. The lyrics and melody are pure Stuart Murdoch; the trouble is that Ireton’s vocals are a little too self-assured, and lack the poignant charm of Murdoch’s gentle lisp. Still, it’s a nice tune, and gives B&S fans something to do while waiting for the band to reconvene.

God Help the Girl is out June 23 via Matador. The “Come Monday Night” single will be released May 11.

You’re Nobunny till some bunny loves you

Nobunny is to rabbits as John Wayne Gacy Jr. is to clowns. Not to suggest that Nobunny is a serial killer, since he (probably) isn’t. But like the infamous murderer, he takes an ostensibly cute costume and perverts it, making it seem more creepy than lovable. He wears a bunny mask at all times, but its white fur is matted and gross, its nose a wolf-like snout. The mask covers only the top part of his face, revealing a scruffy stubble that makes him look like he’s been on a three-day bender. His music is equally unkempt, as he plays sloppy garage blues with ultra-lo-fi recording methods and buried, distorted vocals.

Many of his tunes are Check Berry-inspired 12-bar boogies, but Nobunny is no blues purist. “BoneYard” is equally influenced by bedroom electronica, with a canned electronic beat and warped vocal effects that at times blur the line between human voice and instrument. Similarly, “I Am a Girlfriend” features tinny keyboard leads and sampled spoken-word clips—a refreshing change from the live-off-the-floor anachronism that dominates the modern blues scene.

Both songs appear on Nobunny’s debut full-length, Love Visions, which was released late last year via Bubbledumb.

A complete and nutritious breakfast

There something very bohemian about Language-Arts‘ fusion of folk, hip-hop and jazz, and the Vancouver quartet would probably sound more at home playing in a vegetarian restaurant than a club. I’m not such a fan of the group’s half-spoken pseudo-rap, but there’s no denying “White Socks in Birkenstocks” from the tour-only EP Small Run. The song begins with classical guitar plucking and a deep, droning cello, soon swelling to accommodate keyboards, bass, and surprisingly hard-hitting drums. The hooks come quick and often, from the squeaky falsetto chorus to the layered, wordless harmonies of the breakdown. It’s perfect baroque pop, balancing immediate catchiness with texture and atmosphere.

Download: “White Socks in Birkenstocks”

Language-Arts is offering several free downloads from its website, including three of the four songs from Small Run. “White Socks in Birkenstocks” will reappear on the upcoming full-length Where Were You in the Wild?, due out sometime in 2009.

Goodies from the Too Pure Singles Club

Whenever I tell people that I’m a member of the Too Pure Singles Club, they assume it’s some sort of a Christian dating service. What it actually means is that every month, I get a new 7″ from an artist on the British indie label. I wasn’t too familiar with most of the label’s roster prior to joining the club, but it’s already delivered some gems.

Last month the label sent a double A-side by Peggy Sue, an alt.folk group from Brighton-by-way-of-London. The group’s music is significantly less cutesy and wholesome than the name suggests, with haunting two-part harmonies from frontwomen Rosa Rex and Katy Klaw. “Lazarus” begins as a simple acoustic ballad, but a massive, shuddering drumbeat soon propels it to a pounding climax with strained, half-shouted vocals. “Alice in the Kitchen” is similarly percussion-heavy, with a marching beat that almost overpowers the song’s strummed guitar and mandolin.

This month, it’s “What a Drag” by the Brooklyn quartet Bear Hands. These days, the mixing of hip-hop and rock is strictly taboo, but the single absolves the genre of the crimes perpetrated by 90s nu-metal. The song contains no actual rapping, but the fat (“phat”?) hip-hop beat in the chorus is a defiant middle finger to anyone who said rap-rock was best left in the 90s. But rhythm aside, the song is actually fairly typical of millennial indie rock, with reverb-soaked guitar leads and subtle, textured keyboards.

Shouting from the telephones

Victoria-based quintet the Paper Cranes are fronted by the husband-and-wife team of Ryan McCullagh and Miranda Roach, but their songwriting is anything but blissfully domestic. Instead, McCullagh’s lyrics are fixated on heartbreak and loneliness, while his vocals evoke the brash emotionality of Robert Smith. On their debut full-length, 2008’s Halcyon Days, the group sounded a lot like Hot Hot Heat, mixing spiky new wave riffing with catchy dance-rock beats.

The Paper Cranes have released a brand new single, “Telephone,” as a free download on their website. It’s easily the band’s best tune yet, with a bouncy piano groove and wheezy, Dylan-esque harmonica breaks that give the song a sunburnt, rootsy quality. In contrast to the sunny melody, the lyrics are typically gloomy, describing widows pining for lost husbands (“Rheumatic fingers trace their names / In fog on breath on frosted window pains”). It’s not too big a departure from their previous work, but it shows that the Paper Cranes are learning to hone their hook-writing abilities while keeping the lyrics as poignant as ever.

Download: “Telephone”

The band’s website also promises that a new album entitled Chivalry’s Dead will be out in 2009, but neglects to say whether it’s going to be an EP on and LP.”