SUBURBAN SHORES

Streaming: Japandroids, Celebration Rock

Earlier this year, we shared with you “The House that Heaven Built,” the thunderous first single from Japandroids’ sophomore album, Celebration Rock, due out June 5. Today, you can stream the record in full over at NPR’s First Listen.

Japandroids recently revealed that immediately following the release of their excellent first record, Post-Nothing, the Canadian duo nearly split up. It’s a good thing they didn’t, because Celebration Rock is one of our favorite records of the year. It’s really amazing how much raw, scorching energy can come from just two guys with a guitar and a drum set. Stream the album below, and make sure to grab it from your local record store on June 5.

LINK: Japandroids, Celebration Rock

New Tunes: “Asunder,” Fang Island

In 2010, Fang Island pretty much exploded after a few electric performances at SXSW- almost anybody present at the show that year had the group at or near the top of their “top sets” list. The Providence-based band is known for their energetic live act, but their stuff inside the studio ranks amongst the most crisp sounds in indie rock today. This week, we finally got our first peek at their sophomore record, Major.

“Asunder,” the first single off of Major, kicks off with a powerful guitar riff that stays consistently aggressive throughout the track. Like most Fang Island songs, “Asunder” is layered with hook upon hook, finishing up with a rush of clap-along indie power rock. Download or stream the track below.

New Tunes: “Hacker,” Death Grips

I’M IN YOUR AREA!

The chorus of “Hacker,” the closing track off of Death Grips’ debut album, The Money Store, is simple, but the chaos surrounding it makes it one of the most enthralling tracks of 2012. The Sacramento-based noise rap project is so unlike anything you’ve ever heard that it might even make you uncomfortable upon first listen, reminiscent of what we felt the first time we heard Sleigh Bells back in 2009. 

Underneath the disorienting tracks that make up The Money Store, “Hacker” stands out as one of the more accessible songs on the record (we use “accessible” lightly, here). It’s inventive, raw and one of our favorite songs of the year. Check it out below.

New Tunes: “Get Me In A Room,” Hallelujah The Hills

The Boston Phoenix recently claimed that Hallelujah the Hills might very well be Boston’s most important band, and we can’t disagree. It’s been nearly three years since their last record, Colonial Drones, but on May 22 they’re back with the band’s third LP, No One Knows What Happens Next.

Hallelujah the Hills have dropped a few tracks from their new record in the first months of 2012, and now we have a video for one of the record’s standout tracks, “Get Me In A Room.” It’s a head bopper for sure, with a chorus that is just dying to be sung along with. Check out the video for “Get Me In A Room” below.

New Tunes: “Two Angles,” S. Carey

Contrary to popular belief, Bon Iver is not a man- Bon Iver is a band. It’s a band filled with talented musicians just like drummer S. Carey, who’s latest EP, Hoyas, comes out tomorrow.

While the illuminatingly gentle percussion of Bon Iver’s “Holocene” provides an appropriate backbone to Justin Vernon’s peaceful falsetto, “Two Angles” takes a turn towards electronic. It’s as ambient as folk music can get- a looping, sonic background over mumbled lyrics and horns. It’s one of the most unique songs we’ve heard all year. Check it out below.

New Tunes: “Take A Walk,” Passion Pit

Expectations are high for Gossamer, the sophomore LP from Boston’s Passion Pit. Following the success of Manners (our #1 record of 2009), the band has been hard at work for the past couple of years on the follow up record.

Today, the band gave us our first preview of Gossamer with with “Take A Walk.” While it lacks the youthful playfulness of “Little Secrets” or “Sleepyhead,” the new single is a more mature direction for the band. The falsetto is gone, but the foot stomping percussion and endless synth lives on. Check out “Take A Walk” below, and grab Gossamer on July 24

Streaming: Beach House, Bloom

On May 15, Baltimore’s own Beach House will release Bloom, their fourth LP. The record has been online for months now, but now, you can finally bask in all of its glory (legally) over on NPR’s First Listen. Barring any major surprises, this will be the best album of 2012. In every sense of the word, this record is truly a masterpiece. Enjoy.

LINK: Beach House, Bloom

New Tunes: “Monoliths,” Lotus Plaza

In 2010, Deerhunter released Halcyon Digest, their brilliant fifth record (and Suburban Shores’ #5 record of the year.) While the majority of the album was led by the enigmatic Bradford Cox (Atlas Sound), guitarist Lockett Pundt’s “Desire Lines” stood out as one of the record’s top tracks, with its lush “whoa-oh’s” and epic, complex finale.

When Pundt isn’t actively recording with Deerhunter, he plays lead man for his own band- Lotus Plaza. Earlier this month, the band released Spooky Action At A Distance, their second LP. It’s a beautiful guitar-driven record from start to finish, filled with hints of shoegaze and pop. “Monoliths,” the record’s second single, is one of the most memorable, melodic, and feel-good tracks of 2012. While we can’t wait for the next Deerhunter record, music like Spooky Action At A Distance sure makes the wait enjoyable.

New Tunes: “Runaway,” Mr. Little Jeans

Last year,  a semi-anonymous singer known as Mr. Little Jeans posted a fantastic cover version of Arcade Fire’s “The Suburbs” on Soundcloud. Like most cover songs, she probably figured at the time it would go mostly undetected, but Pretty Much Amazing posted the the track, which went on to blow up the indie blog world. Following PMA, the “The Suburbs” started seeing rotation on Sirius XMU, and now, a there’s real interest in a singer that can do much more than sing awesome cover songs.

Fast forward to 2012 and Mr. Little Jeans (aka Monica Birkeness) is back and prepping for what looks like her debut LP. With it, she offers “Runaway,” a hypnotic track that with a chorus that you really won’t be able to get out of your head. Check it out below.

New Tunes: “Mind Control,” Friends

Following up on last year’s infectious “I’m His Girl,” Suburban Shores named Friends one of the top bands to watch in 2012. This week, the band proved that they’ll live up to our expectations, with the release of “Mind Control,” the adventurous first single off of their debut album, Manifest!, due June 5.

“Mind Control” is a thunderous explosion of energy, sure to be one of the most memorable songs we’ll be listening to all summer. If Karen O. of the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s and David Byrne from Talking Heads somehow got together and had a magical music baby, it would sound an awful lot like Friends. Listen to the track below.