STREAMS OF THE WEEK AOL's Full CD Listening Party Pet Shop Boys, Fundamental Grant Lee Phillips, Nineteeneighties India.Arie, Testimony, Vol. 1 MTV's The Leak Cheyenne Kimball, The Day Has Come MySpace Music Muse, Black Holes and Relevations Lisa Papineau, Night Moves tags: music | stream | pop | alternative | indie rock | soul posted on Friday, June 30, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: PELA "Lost to the Lonesome" "The Trouble with River Cities" (PelaMusic.com) Unsigned Brooklyn indie rockers pull from radio-friendly 80s and 90s alternapop on these two tracks available to download from the band's website. tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | indie pop posted on Friday, June 30, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: EARLY DAY MINERS "Return of the Native" (Secretly Canadian) Eno-inspired Early Day Miners frontman Daniel Burton creates a haunting mood darkening experience on this song from the upcoming CD Offshore. tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | space rock posted on Thursday, June 29, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: EVANGELICALS "Here Comes Trouble" (Toolshed) It's unfair to compare every indie pop band out of Oklahoma to The Flaming Lips, but Evagelicals seem to have the same knack for wacky, smart melodies. This track is from their recently released album So Gone. tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | indie pop posted on Thursday, June 29, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: JUANA MOLINA "Micael" (Domino) From the eccentric electronic folk singer's critically acclaimed album Son, this atmospheric track is both beautiful and bizarre. The CD is already available in stores. tags: music | mp3 | folk | electronic posted on Thursday, June 29, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: SILVERSUN PICKUPS "Well Thought Out Twinkles" (Dangerbird) There's something very likeable about the Silversun Pickups' alternostalgic sound. They're a little bit like Siamese Dream era Smashing Pumpkins through an indie pop filter. Carnavas, their full-length debut, releases on July 25. See also: MP3: SILVERSUN PICKUPS: "Kissing Families" tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | alternative posted on Tuesday, June 27, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: OF MONTREAL "Disconnect the Dots (Mixel Pixel Mix)" "Forecast Facsist Future (IQU Remix)" (Polyvinyl) Two great tracks from an upcoming limited edition vinyl-only Of Montreal remix record called Satanic Twins. tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | indie pop posted on Sunday, June 25, 2006 | [permalink] STREAMS OF THE WEEK AOL's Full CD Listening Party Nelly Furtado, Loose Keane, Under the Iron Sea Brightblack Morning Light, Brightblack Morning Light Corinne Bailey Rae, Corinne Bailey Rae MTV's The Leak Dashboard Confessional, Dusk and Summer MySpace Music Guster, Ganging Up on the Sun tags: music | stream | pop | alternative | indie rock | soul posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: MR. LIF "Brothaz" (Def Jux) Mr. Lif spits out politically-tinged old school style rhymes over a rickety beat on this track from his recently released CD Mo' Mega. tags: music | mp3 | hip-hop | rap posted on Thursday, June 22, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: MICAH P. HINSON "The Leading Guy" (Jade Tree) Rootsy singer/songwriter Micah P. Hinson lacquers this catchy track with a sorrowful shine. The song is from his recently released EP The Baby and the Satellite. tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | roots rock posted on Tuesday, June 20, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: RAZORLIGHT "In the Morning" (Universal Motown) Brit phenoms Razorlight return with their second (self-titled) album next month. Here's a great first sampling that's sure to become the drunken summer theme song for party-loving indie kids everywhere. tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | indie pop posted on Tuesday, June 20, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: DIRTY ON PURPOSE "Light Pollution" (North Street Records) Brooklyn indie space-rock band Dirty on Purpose release their debut full-length Hallelujah Sirens on June 27. This track demonstrates both their soft harmonies and their love for a little bit of atmospheric noise. tags: music | mp3 | indie rock posted on Tuesday, June 20, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: BIRDMONSTER "Resurrection Song" (Insound) Birdmonster has a silly name but it perhaps appropriately describes the blog darling's balance of delicate beauty and raw aggression. The track is from their self-released album No Midnight. tags: music | mp3 | indie rock posted on Tuesday, June 20, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: VIVA VOCE "We Do Not Fuck Around" (Barsuk) Gently melodic, multi-layered psychedelic pop from the duo's upcoming CD Get Yr Blood Sucked Out. tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | indie pop posted on Monday, June 19, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: FAVOURITE SONS "Hang On Girl" (Vice) New York's Favourite Sons flash back to grimey 70s American rock on this track from their full-length debut, which won't reach store racks until September. They barely, if at all, fast forward back into this century, but at least they've got some vigor -- their energy's unrelenting. tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | retro rock posted on Friday, June 09, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: SAY HI TO YOUR MOM "These Fangs" (Insound) Say Hi to Your Mom is one of those rare understated eclectic indie pop bands who rely plainly on their strong melodies to make a great song rather than their use of quirky keyboards. Their new album Impeccable Blahs is out July 25. See also: MP3: SAY HI TO YOUR MOM: Tracks from Ferocious Mopes tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | indie pop posted on Friday, June 09, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: OAKLEY HALL "Having Fun Again" (Jagjaguwar) Oakley Hall's got their own tasty twist on comfort food with their deliberately sloppy roots rock performance on this song from their new album Gypsum Strings. Actually, I assume from the CD's title that the "special something" in this dish is a mild hallucinogenic. tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | roots rock posted on Friday, June 09, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: CSS "Let's Make Love and Listen to Death From Above" (Sub Pop) It's Brazil's answer to Cibo Matto. CSS summons you to dance with their energetic electronic pop, flavored with sharply witty lyrics. You can find the track on their July 11 release Cansei De Ser Sexy. tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | indie pop posted on Friday, June 09, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: FRENCH KICKS "Also Ran" (Startime / Stereogum) Not sure if it's just me, but are French Kicks progressively becoming more and more of a bore? I swear I keep playing this track and then forget that I even listened to it three minutes later. I suppose that's not a good sign that I'll be liking their forthcoming CD, Two Thousand. tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | indie pop posted on Wednesday, June 07, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: WHITE WHALE "The Admiral" (Toolshed) White Whale's sounds is, well, big. And theatrical. This track sounds like it should be the closing number of the first act of some sort of grand hipster musical. It is featured on the Kansas band's upcoming debut WWI. tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | indie pop posted on Wednesday, June 07, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: YO LA TENGO "Beanbag Chair" (Matador) An early preview of what's the come on the indie veterans' upcoming album I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass, which won't hit stores until Sept. 12. tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | indie pop posted on Wednesday, June 07, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: SCANNERS "Lowlife" (Scannersmusic.com) This London band's got a vocalist who sounds like Chryssie Hynde and an alternapop energy that drives this track from their just-released album Violence is Golden. tags: music | mp3 | indie rock posted on Tuesday, June 06, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: PSAPP "Hi" "Tricycle" "Wet Box" (Domino) Psapp's dynamic and vibrant soundscapes (as well as exposure on shows like Grey's Anatomy and The O.C.) have helped rocket the band to buzzing success in the blog world. Frolicsome as a kitten and uniquely atmospheric, Psapp's gaining well-deserved attention toward their forthcoming release The Only Thing I Ever Wanted, which features two of these great downloads. ("Wetbox" is a UK only B-side.) tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | indie pop posted on Saturday, June 03, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: MIDLAKE "Roscoe" (World's Fair) While Midlake draws comparison to harmonic folk rock artists like CSNY, there's an undeniable evolution of a familiar sound on this opening track from the band's upcoming psychedelic roots record The Trials of Van Occupanther. tags: music | mp3 | indie rock posted on Saturday, June 03, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: RAMBLIN' JACK ELLIOTT "Careless Darling" (Anti-) Ramblin' Jack Elliott may not create the most beautiful country harmony with guest vocalist Lucinda Williams on this track, but it's fun to hear the old folk and new folk versions of one song -- simultaneously. Elliott's latest album I Stand Alone releases June 20. tags: music | mp3 | country | folk posted on Friday, June 02, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: APOLLO UP "Situation Hot" (Theory 8) Reminiscent of Urge Overkill's retro alt-rock sound in the early 90s, Apollo Up! combines the theatrical, masculine rasp of lead vocalist Jay Leo Phillips with intriciately melodic hard rock on this track from their latest album Chariots of Fire (available in stores June 13). tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | alternative posted on Thursday, June 01, 2006 | [permalink] MP3: JIM NOIR "Key of C" (Barsuk) Manchester native Jim Noir brings his beaming debut Tower of Love stateside on August 8. Check out this jangly feel-wonderful pop song from the CD. tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | indie pop posted on Thursday, June 01, 2006 | [permalink]