The Unknown & Unheard Show 276!

M. Ward – Me And My Shadow – A Wasteland Companion (2012)

-       8th LP.

-       Also done work Zooey Deschanel in She & Him and with Jim James and Conor Oberst in the Monsters of Folk.

-       AKA Matthew Ward

-       SXSW 2012

Official Site : MySpace : Amazon : HypeMachine

Suckers - Chinese Braille - Candy Salad (2012)

-          2nd full length

-          Eclectic rock that might could be RIYL Wolf Parade or Menomena. (I do)

-          Debut EP and LP each received Best of the U & U honors.

-          SXSW 2012.

Official Site : Amazon : HypeMachine

Quiet Hooves - Too Hard - Stallin' (2012) & Saddle Up (2012)

-       Double album featuring a rerelease of their 1st album plus their 2nd.

-       Eclectic pop/rock. Reminds me a bit Man Man and Menomena.

-       A bit wacky at times, but not  coming off as tacky or trying to hard.

BandCamp : Amazon : HypeMachine

Ramona Falls - Sqworm - Prophet (2012)

-          2^nd album.

-          Led by Brent Knopf, formerly of Menomena.

-          SXSW 2012

Official Site : Amazon : HypeMachine

Moonface - I'm Not the Phoenix Yet - With Siinai: Heartbreaking Bravery (2012)

-       2nd album. First with Siinai as backing band

-       First full length was out last year, Organ Music.

-       Debut EP was out last year and was one 20+ minute track.

-       Wolf Parade's and Sunset Rubdown's Spencer Krug's solo project.

Official Site : HypeMachine

Timber Timbre – Bad Ritual - Creep on Creepin' On (2011)

-          2^nd album, debut was out in 2007 ‘Medicinals’

-          M. Ward + Bon Iver + Tom Waits’ ‘What’s He Building In There?’

-          Eerily cool spooky tracks.

-          Toronto duo

Label Site : MySpace : Amazon : HypeMachine

The Great American Canyon Band - Burn - Tumbleweed EP (2012)

-          Debut EP

-          Husband and wife duo from Chicago.

-          Big building folk rock track.

Official Site : HypeMachine

Devin - White Leather - Romancing (2012)

-          Debut full length.

-          Formerly Devin Therriault.

-          brash 70's style rock

Official Site : Amazon : HypeMachine

Leatherbag - Poor Misguided Boy - Patience (2011)

-       Debut EP. 2 Full lengths as well.

-       Austin band

-       2^nd band I saw at SXSW 2012 and one that I didn’t know at all going in. Ended up being a favorite.

BandCamp: Amazon : HypeMachine

Diamond Rugs - Out On My Own - Diamond Rugs (2012)

-       Debut release from garage/folk supergroup featuring Deer Tick's John McCaualey and Ian Saint Pe of the Black Lips (that’s the guy who produced the Turf War debut album).

-       An appropriately titled first single from a band who says their name is a play on the phase ‘I’m on drugs.’

-       SXSW 2012

Facebook : HypeMachine

Maps & Atlases – Old Ash - Beware and Be Grateful (2012)

-       1st single from forthcoming full length.

-       Chicago experimental folk outfit.

-       Played SXSW 2011 and playing 2012

Official Site : MySpace : Amazon : HypeMachine

Free Energy – Electric Fever - Love Sign (2012)

-       2nd full length

-       Debut full length 'Stuck On Nothing' was a fun, hard not to like 70's pop rock treat.

-       Formerly known as Hockey Night

-       On James Murphy's (of LCD Soundsystem) DFA Records.

MySpace : HypeMachine

Anais Mitchell - Ships - Young Man In America (2012)

-          6th album.

-          folk singer songwriter.

-          Previous album, Hadestown, featured numerous appearances from Justin Vernon.

-          Playing The Bishop in Bloomington April 17th.

Ben Kweller - Gossip - Go Fly a Kite (2012)

-       6th full length.

-       Indie pop/rock singer songwriter that's been making extremely consistent, not overly ground breaking records since 2009.

Official Site : Amazon : HypeMachine

Mr. Gnome – The Way - Softly Mad (2012)

-          Latest single.

-          3^rd album 'Madness In Miniature' was out last here and was recorded in Josh Homme’s studio.

-          2^nd album ' Heave Your Skeleton' was really solid as well.

-          Cleveland, OH band

Official Site : MySpace : Amazon : HypeMachine

Yellow Ostrich - I Got No Time For You - Strange Land (2012)

-          2nd full length.

-          Debut full length was 'The Mistress' and made the 2011 Best of the U & U.

-          Sounds a bit like the Beatles and the White Stripes and even at times Menomena.

-          SXSW 2012

Official Site : BandCamp : HypeMachine

The Unknown & Unheard Show 186!

Stream & Download The U & U Show 186 Right Here, Right Now! (Download) The Tallest Man On Earth – Burden of Tomorrow – The Wild Hunt (2010) - 2nd album is just out. - Extremely unique voice - 2008 self-titled debut was very well received. - The first act I will see at the P4K-fest Official Site : MySpace : Amazon : HypeMachine : DayTrotter Modest Mouse – Never Ending Math Equation – Building Nothing Out Of Something (1999) - Compilation of various singles and b-sides. - They’ve released about an album’s worth of music this year but have just spread it out… a lot of it is pretty damn good too! Official Site : MySpace : Amazon : HypeMachine Free Energy – Dream City - Stuck on Nothing (2010) - Debut full length. - Formerly known as Hockey Night - Produced by James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem. - Will likely be on the 2010 Best Of list. MySpace : HypeMachine Sonny & the Sunsets – Death Cream – Tomorrow Is Alright (2009) - Debut album… getting a proper release finally. Was previously out only on vinyl and digitally. - Raven Sings The Blues is one of my favorite blogs when I want something raw, garage, psychedelic, bluesy or any combination of those in the form of a band no one knows about - Sonny Smith is the leader and has release more work under his given name. Official Site : Sonny Smith Official Site : HypeMachine Kurt Vile – Freeway - Constant Hitmaker (2008) - Debut album. - dreamy pop rock with vocals that bring up thoughts of Devendra Banhart - like Iron & Wine, cut his teeth with lo-fi recordings… this shows up more on ‘God is Saying…’ - Side project from The War on Drugs' lead guitarist. Official Site : MySpace : Amazon : HypeMachine Titus Andronicus – Richard II – The Monitor (2010) - Civil War-themed 2nd album - Out march 9th - Named after the Shakespeare play - This is a enjoyably raucous anthem. Myspace : Amazon : HypeMachine Bear In Heaven - Deafening Love - Beast Rest Forth Mouth (2009) - 2nd album - This is the type of band that typifies what Pitchfork brings to the table that not many other outlets might not. Official Site : MySpace : Amazon : HypeMachine Wolf Parade – I'll Believe in Anything - Apologies to the Queen Mary (2005) - Debut album - Dan Boeckner and Spencer Krug each take their cracks at song writing and lead singing and each are coming of hugely successful releases from their side projects. - Boeckner (Handsome Furs) and Krug (Sunset Rubdown) Official Site : MySpace : Amazon : HypeMachine LCD Soundsystem - Oh You (Christmas Blues) - This Is Happening (2010) - James Murphy led outfit - Score for the interesting-looking not ridiculously silly new Ben Stiller role. - Band known for successfully tapping into many different genres: dance, rock, indie, dicso. - They are responsible for what many critics consider some of the greatest songs of the past decade: All My Friends and Someone Great - This is one of their most dark and brooding. Fits well with Wall-era Pink Floyd, Nick Cave and the heavier John Lennon solo recordings. Official Site : MySpace : Amazon : HypeMachine Girls – Lust For Life – Album (2009) - the hype surrounding this band is extensive. - Their leader’s, Christopher Owens, story is quite unbelievable. - I’m more sold on that than anything. - He grew up in a cult in which his brother died, dad left and mom was prostituted out for the good of the cult. Then he was rescued by a millionaire, moved to San Fran and started this band. - They bring some seriously noisy, fuzzy, nostalgic and make me think of a darker T Rex playing on a beach. MySpace : Amazon : HypeMachine Best Coast - Boyfriend - Crazy For You (2010) - from a forthcoming full length debut. - Warm and fuzzy surf pop… think Beach Boys a little. Official Site : MySpace : Amazon : HypeMachine Local Natives – Shape Shifter - Gorilla Manor (2009) - debut album - Check out their DayTrotter Session Here! Official Site : Myspace : HypeMachine Surfer Blood - Swim (To Reach the End) – Astro Coast (2009) - Debut album - echoey sound is reminiscent of Kurt Vile except these guys have more of a anthem sound. MySpace : Amazon : HypeMachine Sleigh Bells - Ring Ring – Treats (2010) - Debut full length - one of the biggest ‘breakouts’/benefactors of CMJ. - Beta Band sound here, but really dive into the electronics on the other tracks I’ve heard. Official Site : MySpace : Amazon : HypeMachine Pavement - Cut Your Hair - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (1994) - 2nd album - they are reforming for a comeback in 2010 and it has the music world flipping out - they are led by Stephen Malkmus who has released a bunch of quality solo music since the band’s initial split. Official Site : MySpace : Amazon : HypeMachine

The Unknown & Unheard Show 169!

Stream & Download The U & U Show 169 Right Here, Right Now! (MediaFire) Frightened Rabbit - The Wrestle - The Winter of Mixed Drinks (2010) - 4th album, Midnight Organ Fight is their best to date. - This band had a lot of hype from the start, and that combined with a ‘far from album best’ first single pushed me away at first, but the deeper I dug into this album the more I was blown away - Scottish accent stands out, but there seems to be something more than that to his vocals and make them truly unique. Official Site : MySpace : Amazon : HypeMachine We Were Promised Jetpacks – Short Bursts – The Last Place You’ll Look (2010) - Forthcoming 2nd album - Scottish band with a very similar sound to Frightened Rabbit on the mellower tracks but seem a bit more aggressive when they amp up their sound. - Playing Radio Radio this Sunday. Official Site : MySpace : Amazon : HypeMachine Free Energy – Bad Stuff - Stuck on Nothin’ (2010) - Debut full length. - Formerly known as Hockey Night - Produced by James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem. - Will likely be on the 2010 Best Of list. MySpace : HypeMachine Titus Andronicus – No Future Part Three: Escape From No Future – The Monitor (2010) - Civil War-themed 2nd album - Out march 9th - Named after the Shakespeare play - This is a enjoyably raucous anthem. Myspace : Amazon : HypeMachine Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - River Styx - Beat The Devil's Tattoo (2010) - Forthcoming album! Finally! - You just feel cool listening to these guys. - Brilliant lengthy live performers. Official Site : MySpace : Amazon : HypeMachine LCD Soundsystem - Oh You (Christmas Blues) - Greenberg OST (2010) - James Murphy led outfit - Score for the interesting-looking not ridiculously silly new Ben Stiller role. - Band known for successfully tapping into many different genres: dance, rock, indie, dicso. - They are responsible for what many critics consider some of the greatest songs of the past decade: All My Friends and Someone Great - This is one of their most dark and brooding. Fits well with Wall-era Pink Floyd, Nick Cave and the heavier John Lennon solo recordings. Official Site : MySpace : Amazon : HypeMachine Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Moonland – Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! (2008) - brand new album by cave and kind of the follow-up to his Grinderman project - Like a few artists out there… lou reed and tom waits, he has a huge cult following and a unique/distinct sound - The title track from this album is one I cant stop listening to. - Top album honors from Mojo Music Official Site : MySpace : Amazon : HypeMachine John Lennon – Well Well Well – Plastic Ono Band (1970) - official solo debut album - this song is one of 2 bonus tracks on album’s 2000 reissue. - For me lennon is at his best when he sings like this, powerful passionate vocals. Official Site : Amazon : HypeMachine The Tallest Man On Earth - Troubles Will Be Gone - The Wild Hunt (2010) - Forthcoming 2nd album - Extremely unique voice - 2008 self-titled debut was very well received. Official Site : MySpace : Amazon : HypeMachine : DayTrotter Broken Bells – The Ghost Inside - Broken Bells (2010) - Forthcoming debut full length. - Gnarls Barkley producer Danger Mouse teams up with singer James Mercer. - This track has more of a falsetto on the vocals and more of a beat than the others released prior, but still solid pop. - One of the bigger names playing SXSW Official Site : MySpace : Amazon : HypeMachine Field Music – All You'd Ever Need To Say – Field Music (Measure) (2010) - 3rd album - Great step-up album. - Filled out their sound tremendously Official Site : MySpace : Amazon : HypeMachine Dr. Dog - Stranger - Shame, Shame (2010) - Forthcoming 5th album - Finally a new album is on its way from this super talented Philly band. - 2nd single out. Official Site : Myspace : Amazon : HypeMachine Cults - Go Outside - Cults 7" (2012?) - debut single - Download it for free right now! - More electronic than I usually go, but when I do I set the ‘catchiness bar’ extremely high. I thought this met the criteria. Official Site : HypeMachine