Just two months ago Cloud Nothings were just a name with their first cassette//cd-r coming out on Bridgetown Records…no shows played, but a few big ones lined up…the first of which was with Real Estate and Woods here in Brooklyn (and I finally caught them in January with Alex Bleeker and the Freaks). Dylan Baldi’s Cloud Nothings were suddenly getting written up all over the internet (including several times by me), and their fuzzy upbeat punk pop was blasting out of stereos…I even had friends across the country ask me to send the digital files of Turning On because their tapes weren’t portable enough (yo dudes…get a walkman).

Now here we are at the end of February, and Cloud Nothings have two more releases out, and a reissue of that first tape but this time it’s on LP.

First up is their split tape with Campfires out on Bathetic Records. I know at this point more and more people are realizing that bands are doing tapes, and while the format might seem to be out of date even Pitchfork just reached out to the format in a big way (see Marc Hogan’s wonderful feature on cassette culture titled “This is Not A Mixtape“…as well as tape releases often making it on to the 4kst).

This tape features four new songs by Cloud Nothings, and as I expected it is full of the same fuzzy pop as the first full length. Campfires are very much of the same mind set, and offer five songs…making the split well worth the $6 post paid.  A great introduction to Campfires…I can’t wait to her more.

The Fader posted one track from the split, and I’m happy to repost it here for you.  ”Little Raygun” sets the tone for the tape, and is the third song on side A:

[mp3] Cloud Nothings- “Little Raygun”

• Buy the Cloud Nothings//Campfires split from Bathetic Records here.
  • pick it up fast…this tape is limited to 100 copies.

In addition to this split Group Tightener Records has released a extremely limited 7″ single by Cloud Nothings which includes “Morgan” a single from the upcoming 12″ on Group Tightener, and an exclusive b-side: “Another Man.” This is the second release by Group Tightener, and it is limited to 250 copies, and is hand stamped and numbered.

While these are both unreleased tracks You might be familiar with “Morgan” if you saw my videos from Cloud Nothings show at Monster Island back in January. Can’t wait to hear this record, and the recorded version of this tracks…here is a re-post of that video:

Buy the Cloud Nothings’ Morgan/Another Man 7″ from Group Tightener Records here.

Last but certainly not least is that SpeakerTree Records has just started mailing out the LP repress of Cloud Nothings fabulous debut full length Turning On.

Turning On was originally released back in December by Bridgetown Records. I featured this release on my column This Week In Mail Order, and you can read the full write up here. The LP version of Turning On will feature one additional track, “Strummin” as the closer to the album.  This LP press is limited to 500 copies, and to remind you how good this release is check out “Can’t Stay Awake”:

[mp3] Cloud Nothings- “Can’t Stay Awake”

A also captured the exclusive LP track live when Cloud Nothings were in town so you can preview that here:

Buy the LP from SpeakerTree Records here.

• If you don’t have a record player….Bridgetown Records has repressed Turning On on CD…buy that here.
  • and for a limited time you can order the LP release from Bridgetown as well…I highly recommend contacting Kevin at Bridgetown because he is offering some cool combo packages.

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• More on Cloud Nothings (photos, video, mp3s, and reviews) can be found here.
• The photo at the top of the post is from the White Lodge.
• More this week in mail order can be found here.
• CLOUD NOTHINGs are on TOUR and are playing everywhere…go see them!  The dates can be found here.

Just when I thought I had all the So Cow news posted yesterday, Josh from Ireland’s own Pop Goes the Radio commented on my post.

Pop Goes the Radio posted three tracks from upcoming album on Meaningless Friendly due out very soon on Tic Tac Totally.  Here is what Tic Tac Totally has to say about the new album:

So Cow “Meaningless Friendly” LP/CD is just 2 weeks away folks! The album will be released mid-tour (see below for dates!) just in time for SXSW. The new record expands brilliantly on the promise/premise of the “S/T” LP from last year, which featured 18 of his best collected tracks. Here offering 13 fresh ones of the great off-kilter TVP’s-meets-Home Blitz-pop wandering So Cow delivers. In the meantime we have a digital album release set up for 2/16/10 on iTunes, so no worries if you’re fiending either!

“Extra Friendly” LP+7″ edition
Check back REAL soon for this! This package gets you the new LP, plus a limited edition 7″ EP with 3 bonus tracks.Exclusively through TTT and ltd. to 300 copies. Look out!

Keep your eyes on Tic Tac Totally’s Website…I know I will.  I need to get a copy of that limited edition 7″.  This is the most exciting music news, at least for me, in 2010 so far!

In the mean time check out these tracks.

“Girl Racer” reminds us that So Cow at it’s core is one man, Brian Kelly. Using not much more than minimal electronics, and electric guitar Kelly crafts a near perfect pop track .  This track really resonates in the part of my brain that loved “Shackleton.”  Even though this track has perfect pop sensibility that doesn’t prevent Kelly from adding some psychedelic guitar to the background.  Apparently if you are from Tuam, or Ireland in general, there are references in this song that us Americans just don’t get, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that it is an awesome introduction to So Cow’s new album.  A version of this track originally appeared on a compilation CD about Tuam which Pop Goes the Radio might be posting in the future.

[mp3] So Cow- “Girl Racer”

“Random Girls” is a track that I’m sure many of us boys can relate to…so many ladies in this world, and so many crushes (I’m lucky to already have my special lady).  This track shows a little more of what North America is in store for on So Cow’s tour.  This track features a full band, and an intense guitar solo toward the end.   Kelly’s musicianship is what made me fall in love with So Cow in the first place, and this track is a perfect example of that.  There are sure to be plenty of ladies crushing on these Irish boys as they make their way through the states and Canada.

[mp3] So Cow- “Random girls”

If “Girl Racer” and “Random Girls” are any indication of the rest of the album we are sure in for a treat.  I’ll let you head over to Pop Goes the Radio for the third track called “Dunno.” This final track is one I remember from So Cow’s last American tour. Check it out here.

Meaningless Friendly is now on sale from Tic Tac Totally.  Buy it  here .

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New Yorkers, So Cow will be in the City on:

• Feb 13 Monster Island Basement Brooklyn, New York
  
• Feb 14 Cake Shop New York, New York

The tour starts tonight, February 11th,  at Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park.

For a full list of tour dates click here (or if you are on the main page of my blog…scroll down…they were posted yesterday).

• much more on So Cow can be found here.
• more This Week In Mail Order can be found here.

For those of you who haven’t already decided which So Cow show you are going to on their 2010 North American tour I thought I would remind you of those dates one last time before it starts.  Tomorrow is the first day of their almost three month long American tour! Starting at Asbury Lanes in Asbury park (I’m guessing the Asbury Park and Philly shows are tentative due to the blizzard, but those are just my thoughts) .  So Cow is playing pretty much the entire country so there is no excuse to miss them this time around:

• Feb 11 Asbury Lanes Asbury Park, New Jersey
• Feb 12 Kung Fu Necktie Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Feb 13 Monster Island Basement Brooklyn, New York %
• Feb 14 Cake Shop New York, New York +
• Feb 17 O’Brien’s Boston, Massachusetts
• Feb 19 AS220 Providence, Rhode Island
• Feb 20 Casa Del Popolo Montreal, Quebec
• Feb 21 Rancho Relaxo Toronto, Ontario
• Feb 22 The Casbah Lounge W Hamilton, Ontario
• Feb 23 The Bug Jar Rochester, New York
• Feb 24 Beachland Ballroom Cleveland, Ohio
• Feb 25 Cafe Bourbon Street Columbus, Ohio
• Feb 26 Lager House Detroit, Michigan
• Feb 28 Eagle’s Nest Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Mar 01 7th St. Entry Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Mar 03 Badlander Missoula, Montana
• Mar 04 Empyrean Spokane, Washington
• Mar 05 East End Portland, Oregon
• Mar 06 Comet Tavern Seattle, Washington
• Mar 08 Mama Buzz Cafe Oakland, California
• Mar 09 The Crepe Place Santa Cruz, California
• Mar 10 The Hemlock Tavern San Francisco, California
• Mar 11 The Smell Los Angeles, California
• Mar 12 Bar Pink Elephant San Diego, California
• Mar 13 Trunk Space Phoenix, Arizona *
• Mar 14 El Paso Block Party El Paso, Texas
• Mar 16 The Mohawk Austin, Texas
• Mar 17 – Mar 20 SXSW Austin, Texas
• Mar 22 The Conservatory Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• Mar 23 Record Bar Kansas City, Missouri
• Mar 25 Hi-Tone Cafe Memphis, Tennessee
• Mar 26 The Belafonte Hattiesburg, Mississippi
• Mar 27 529 Atlanta, Georgia
• Mar 30 Snug Harbor Charlotte, North Carolina
• Mar 31 2702 Lawndale Durham, North Carolina
• Apr 01 Black Cat Washington DC #
• Apr 02 Ruintown Baltimore, Maryland
• Apr 03 Terrace Club Princeton, New Jersey
  • % = w/ Blank Dogs, Frankie Rose and the Outs, Sisters
  • + = w/ Preacher and the Knife, White Blue Yellow and Clouds, Babies
  • * = w/ Nobunny
  • # = w/ Smith Westerns

I’m looking forward to catching these guys at Cake Shop, one of Manhattan’s finest venues.  If you are in the city is a great way to spend Valentines Day.

So Cow has also announced that their second LP Meaningless Friendly this year on Tic Tac Totally and it is due out sometime in the next couple weeks! I can’t wait to hear it…and if you haven’t heard So Cow’s So Cow yet I highly recommend picking it up…it was my favorite album of 2009.  Here is another one of my favorite tracks from last year’s amazing LP…just one of the many reasons you should be catching this tour:

[mp3] So Cow- “Shackleton”

• buy the self titled album  here.

not to mention So Cow always comes packing a wonderful array of cover songs…this is one they rocked while they were in the states last year:

[mp3] So Cow- “Mess Me Up (Nobunny cover)” via the FMA

• get the whole set here.

So which show will you be at?

Links:

• much more on So Cow can be found here.
• more on Nobunny here.

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FMA credits:

With the year coming to an end most people are thinking about favorite albums of 2009, but when Rose Quartz posted this new track by Eddy Current Suppression Ring I was taken back to Primary Colors, an album that if I had heard it in 2008 would have made my best of list.

2009 has been a big year for them too with their first album finally getting a proper release outside of Australia by Goner in the US, and Melodic in the UK (actually the UK got it as a double CD with Primary Colors)…but that isn’t the end for Eddy Current, at least not yet.  They have decided to release the first single from their third full length album.  Titled “Anxiety” it shows very little of it, and brings the post hardcore (or punk depending on which scene you were into) rock and roll that we got from the first two albums and maybe more.

RQ asks will this be Eddy Current Suppression Ring’s Marquee Moon, and you know what… that is a great question.  Eddy Current might be the single most under rated rock and roll band in the world, and it’s about time that they get the recognition that they deserve….god knows they are better than the Hold Steady.

[mp3] Eddy Current Suppression Ring- “Anxiety”

If you haven’t picked up a copy of Primary Colors yet I highly recommend doing so…it will get you through the wait until this third full length comes out.

Links:

• buy Eddy Current releases here.
• more on Eddy Current here.
• photo by Alicia via the Reeling Flickr (found via)

It’s been a while since we heard from one of my favorite artists of 2009, but Brian Kelly and So Cow are back with a new set of cover songs!  This time it includes:  The Soft Boys, The Go- Betweens, Del Shannon, Tall Dwarfs, Local Living Guy,  Amature Amplifier, I Love JH, and Shonen Knife.

here is a sample:

[mp3] So Cow- “Jenny (I Love JH cover)”

[mp3] So Cow- “Lee Remick (The Go-Betweens cover)”

get the whole thing here:

[free album download] So Cow- In The Sitting Room

Rumor has it tours and a new LP (maybe some singles) in 2009 (so excited)!  If you are in Europe you might be able to catch So Cow before the end of the year…check out the tour dates on his myspace.

I’ve written about So Cow many times this year, including a This Week In Mail Order post, you can read all of those here.

If you haven’t purchased So Cow’s amazing self titled (American) debut I highly recommend it.

Buy it from Tic Tac Totally here, or if you need to buy other things too…at Insound! (It makes a great Christmas present)

as a bonus here is the video from I Love JH with the original of “Jenny”:

Links:

• more on So Cow here.
• So Cow website/myspace
• buy So Cow releases here
• I Love JH myspace

It’s still about two months away from the release of the album, but today Nana Grizol bring us the second single from their second album Ruth. In true Nana Grizol fashion “Galaxies” highlights Theo Hilton’s voice and wonderful lyrics.  ”Galaxies” is almost minimalist in the sense that it starts with just guitar, minimal beats, and vocals but as the song continues the slow but incremental addition of different instruments brings the song around to show the collectivist elements that I associate with E6.  ”Galaxies” just hints at the subtleties that are to come from Ruth, and give us all a reason to be excited.  Nana Grizol  keeps with the same tradition that made me love them on Love It Love It!, but they are slowing down a bit and refining what they due, at least on some of the songs.  Don’t worry though the rocking punk aesthetic that was present though out Love it Love it is still there on Ruth.  Ruth will be out on January 12th on Orange Twin.

[mp3] Nana Grizol- “Galaxies”

Nana Grizol is still on tour too…catch them live:

Links:

• previous posted
  • [mp3] Nana Grizol-  ”For Things that Haven’t Come Yet”
• more on Nana Grizol here.
• more on Elephant Six here.
• buy Nana Grizol albums CD or digital here or on LP here..

This week is CMJ, and while most people are going to things every hour of the day I’m being very selective (shows aren’t conducive to studying)… but one of those things that I will be attending is happening tonight!

Group Tightener Records is having their showcase at Monster Island!

If you don’t know Group Tightener yet…you probably soon will…they are about to release the first Best Coast 7″. Best Coast is the lo-fi pop act of Bethany Cosentino, and has been drawing a lot of attention lately.  Cosentino was formerly a member of Pocahaunted, and has now moved on to make music that is a little more condusive for the laying in the sun.  While I personally have been moving away from the fuzziness something about Best Coast draws me back.

On top of  Best Coast playing I have heard a lot about Highlife (and the one single that has been released is pretty awesome….see below…features Sleepy Doug Shaw of White Magic) as well… and if these two weren’t enough… Alex Bleeker, Fluffy Lumbers and Ducktails will also be performing… and if you have been following the Great Pumpkin this year you know how big of a fan of Ducktails I am.  Group Tightener and Todd P have put together a line up that can’t be beat.

If you are still on the fence about the show hopefully this will help convince you:

[mp3] Best Coast- “Something in the Way”

“Something in the Way” isn’t on the Group Tightener 7″, but you can order that here.

[mp3] Highlife- “F Kenya Rip” (via Transparent)

[mp3] Ducktails- “Pizza Time”

“Pizza Time” is on the out of print Beach Point Pleasant 7″,  but you should really just pick up all the Ducktails stuff here.

[mp3] Fluffy Lumbers- “Cruisers”

“Cruisers” is not on the Weird Hug 7″, but you can buy that here.

[mp3] Alex Bleeker and the Freaks- “Never Goin’ Back” (via Chocolate Bobka)

If you are looking for something to do before the Group Tightener showcase…you should check out Alphabar NYC…it’s a drinking club that meets every other Wednesday.  Tomorrow is Alphabar’s first time in Brooklyn, and I is for Iona.  Drink specials start at 8pm.  Click on the links for more info, and join the facebook group.

Hope to see you there…this should be a great Wednesday!

Links:

• more on Ducktails here.
• more on Alphabar NYC here.
• Buy Ducktails releases here.
• Buy the Best Coast 7″ here.
• Buy Fluffy Lumbers releases here.
• Group Tightener’s website.

UPDATE 10/22/09: Check out videos of Best Coast live from Monster Island here.

As always The Creative Intersection is keeping me up to date with the Elephant Six news, and when this track popped up on my reader I just had to re-post it.

Nana Grizol are working on  a new album, and if Love It Love It is any indication this should be an indie pop gem.  I’ve said it before…this band reminds me a lot of music that I used to like college…up beat indie rock… but with really honest lyrics (which looking back on it probably wasn’t the case with a lot of the bands I liked in college), and a killer horn section (the remnants of Neutral Milk Hotel’s horn section actually).  Theo Hilton is an excellent song writer, and his music can really put you in a great mood.  I went through a phase toward the end of the summer where this band was all I wanted to listen too, and I’m glad to be hearing something new.

The first single from their to be released second album titled Ruth was just released through impose:

[mp3] Nana Grizol- “For things That Haven’t Come Yet”

Ruth will be out in January 2010 on Orange Twin Records.  But before that Nana Grizol is going on tour!  I’m very excited to see that they will be hitting up Cake Shop for a Sunday show early next month.

• 10/23/09 – Go Bar – Athens, GA
• 11/04/09 – NightLight – Chapel Hill, NC
• 11/05/09 – Saint Mary’s College – Saint Mary’s City, MD
• 11/06/09 – TBA – Washington, DC
• 11/07/09 – SUNY Purchase – Purchase, NY
• 11/08/09 – Cakeshop – New York, NY
• 11/09/09 – The Space – Hamden, CT
• 11/10/09 – Apohedion – Portland, ME
• 11/11/09 – TBA – Brattleboro, VT
• 11/13/09 – The Dakota – Toronto, ONTARIO
• 11/14/09 – Barn Show – Geneseo, NY – More Details Soon!
• 11/15/09 – Garfield Art Works – Pittsburgh, PA
• 11/17/09 – Empty Bottle – Chicago, IL
• 12/03/09 – Caledonia Lounge – Athens, GA w/Madeline, HAM1

Links:

• more on Nana Grizol here.
• more on Elephant Six here.
• buy Nana Grizol’s Love It Love It on CD or digital here or on LP here.