Ratatat are just about ready to unleash their new album, the appropriately titled LP4. The New York duo recorded the tracks for LP4 during the same sessions that they recorded LP3, though they say it is “weirder” and makes use of a wider range of instruments than previous records, including a full string section. Via Paste:
"They recorded the album at the same Old Soul Studios in Catskill, N.Y., where they found the wealth of old synths, harpsichords, grand pianos, and other keyboard instruments evident throughout the last effort. Still, Mike Stroud insists that the two records are to be taken as distinct entities. The most obvious demarcation between the two is the prevalence of strings on LP4 -- something that Ratatat has not attempted on a remarkable scale on previous records.
LP4, Stroud says, will see Ratatat embrace even more "weird, new sounds," courtesy of the studio's arsenal of the intruments. In particular, it will feature an abundance of Japanese strings; the band has even considered touring with a string quartet. And if LP4 continues the duo's trend of endlessly layering, splicing and even reversing tracks, it will likely require some detective work among listeners to parse out individual sounds."
On top of this, the record features several spoken word interludes. LP4 will drop on June 8 via XL Recordings. Expect that Ratatat will tour North America in the summer and fall. There's no word yet on the highly anticipated Ratatat Remixes Vol. III. Tracklist for LP4 is below, plus live video of what is thought to be one of the new songs that will appear on the album.
The Ooks Of Hazzard take on "Kids" by MGMT, armed with seven swinging Ukeleles, one badass Accordion, and one drumset stuffed in a Cajon. They will be releasing the single and posting new material in the very near future. The Ooks of Hazzard are based in Santa Monica/Venice Beach, CA.
This Is Happening, the new LCD Soundsystem album, will be released in the U.S. on May 18, 2010. Written and produced by James Murphy, the album was recorded over the course of 2009 and 2010 at The Manshun in Los Angeles and DFA studios in New York and mixed at DFA from April 2009 through February 2010.
The record is being supported by an extensive world tour that began with their main stage slot at Coachella, followed by an almost completely sold out tour of the UK and Europe. LCD Soundsystem will perform in Austin on Tuesday, June 8 at Stubb's. The show will sell out, and this might be their final appearance in Austin, so you might wanna get on it.
James Murphy has stated that This Is Happening is likely to be the last LCD Soundsystem album. If so, the band would be going out on a high note, because the album sounds great. It sounds exactly like what they should be doing, like the next logical step after the self-titled album and Sound of Silver. You can hear the whole thing right here.
For now LCD Soundsystem is James Murphy, Nancy Whang, Pat Mahoney, Tyler Pope, Gavin Russom, David Scott and Matt Thornley. They definitely left us with a music video worth remembering. Here's "Drunk Girls" :
Dirty Dancing is a duo comprised of multi-instrumentalist Eric Schoen, who previously fronted Electric Pants in Milwaukee, and Lauren Mikus, who previously sang for the NY band The Midnight Hours, whose other members went on to form Vampire Weekend. The two are now based in Austin, and recently released the debut album from Dirty Dancing: "Mediocrity Is The Strongest Inevitability." Clocking in at nearly an hour long, the album is self-produced, self-released, and self-packaged, featuring a versatile collection of songs that each has its own personality.
The Dirty Dancing sound is at times all of the above: lo-fi, noisy, angular and anthemic, with touches of dark wave, a post-punk edge, a reverbed atmosphere, and handclaps galore. Depending on the track, (and there are plenty of good ones), you can hear influences as varied as The Kills, Joy Division, Velvet Underground, The Stooges, The Gun Club, Talking Heads, and even a little T. Rex. Here's a snippet from the band's highly informative interview with Blurt:
"The music on Mediocrity is certainly eye- and ear-opening, demonstrating an impressive versatility while maintaining the requisite shake-those-hips factor. Among the standout tracks, there's the brittle, hypnotic "The Merger," powered by serrated riffs and finger-snap percussion; with its chanted/shouted vocals, it suggests a glam-slam meeting of Love & Rockets and Gary Glitter. The drum machine kick and low, dark melody of "Atlantis" brings the above-mentioned Joy Division vibe to the fore (Interpol fans won't be disappointed either). And "Here and There" is like a minimalist, space-age take on vintage chain-gang blues, right down to the handclaps and shuffling rhythm."
During the all of the SXSW madness last week the people behind Austin Psych Fest 3 announced the initial lineup for the third annual festival. Last year's Psych Fest took place at The Radio Room and featured the likes of A Place to Bury Strangers, Dead Meadow, The Warlocks and Wooden Shjips. That action was all caught on DVD if you want to relive it. The 3rd edition of Austin Psych Fest gets an upgrade in venue and date, taking place on April 23, 24 and 25th at The Mohawk.
8:30 – Christian Bland & The Revelators :: myspace 9:30 – Von Haze :: myspace 11:50 – Indian Jewelry :: website | myspace 1:00 – Daughters of the Sun :: myspace
Sunday, April 25th will kick off with a Crawfish Boil and special Happy Hour prices on the Mohawk patio starting at 3:33. The first 100 people in The Mohawk will get a free pound of crawfish, complete with potatoes and corn, courtesy of The Black Angels and the Reverberation Appreciation Society. The Sunday Crawfish Boil will go down on the sunny deck of the Mohawk’s patio, complimented by a Sunday happy hour, and DJs spinning classic Texas psych and garage vinyl plus some other surprises starting at 3:33.
Austin Psych Fest was founded in 2008 to honor the legacy of Austin's musical history as the birthplace of psychedelic rock through the creation of a music and multimedia art festival. The festival showcases the best of vintage, modern, established and up-and-coming acts that push the envelope in mind expanding music. The music is presented in an environment embracing experimental and innovative visual art and multimedia.
One of the bands scheduled for Saturday of Psych Fest is The Frequency, a Los Angeles based outfit who love Moogs, the sound of a real Fender Rhodes piano, and vintage Fender amps. NME has been raving about their album 'Absence Of Giants', which oozes this organic-electronic-experimental music that sounds like a cross between Pink Floyd and Brightblack Morning Light. The music spans a wide range of genres while crossing in and out of dance, trance, blissful highs and ambient lows. The Frequency's live show is renowned as something not be missed, and they have toured with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and appeared at the Wicker Park Music Festival.
I had the pleasure of introducing some of you to the titillating sounds of Auto Body late last year. If this is your first time, they're a new electronic dance duo comprised of Austin's own Tibaut Bowman (DJ Thibault) and Felix Moreno of the Chicago-based Future Rock. The band played a couple of impressive shows during SXSW, one for the Hype Machine and the other at Do512's Big One.
Auto Body is now ready to unleash their debut album, Priest Party, and man is this thing hot. Armed with a war chest of synthesizers, samplers, and a bass guitar, they create a familiar indie-electro sound influenced by the likes of Daft Punk, Ghostland Observatory, and MSTRKRFT. The release party is going down tomorrow night at The Parish, and it's gonna be a good one. Check out some verbage from the press release:
"On Friday April 9th, 2010 A.D. at The Parish in Austin, Texas... There will be a MIGHTY CELEBRATION. The lights will be taken to the next level. The sound will be taken to the next level. The face-melting will be taken to the next level. Even the levels on the scale that is used to measure these things will be taken to the next level.
The majesty of this occasion has attracted legendary Austin mash-up king Car Stereo (Wars) from his new home in the big apple. That's right, before Auto Body takes the stage to perform their biggest set ever, complete with new arrangements, a mind blowing stage design, and brand new never heard before music, Car Stereo (Wars) will throw down for an hour long set in the very city where he honed his dance floor destroying skills.
And if that wasn't enough, local turntable maestro, Prepmode, will be there with you from the very beginning remixing everything from bangin' Electro to your mom before Machine takes the stage with their signature spread of spaced out synths and samples."
Tickets are on sale at this link, doors are at 9:00, and it is all ages. I'll be giving away a pair of tickets tomorrow around noon on Twitter. Priest Party is streamable right now, and the same site will go live on Friday night with a downloadable version at an "In Rainbows-like name your own price" for the high quality mp3s and lossless .flac files. Physical copies of the album will be for sale at the venue for $10. Get more info at Do512 and Facebook.
Here's an exclusive MP3 from Priest Party. Headphones on, volume up.
