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L’anarchiste

L’anarchiste is one of Salt Lake City’s best bands going right now. What started as a solo project of Rob LeCheminant, has grown into a six-piece multi-instrumental juggernaut. Their new EP, The Traveler, has a bit of everything, from driving rhythms and hand claps, to slow, dark, heavy jams. Check out the slow-build-before-eruption track “Juneau” (below), I guarantee you will dig it. The Traveler is available to stream in full and buy from L’anarchiste’s Bandcamp page. I highly recommend it.

L’anarchiste – Juneau from The Traveler (2013)

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Superchunk

I’m comfortable enough with my lack of indie cred to admit that I had no idea who Superchunk was during their heyday in the 90’s. It wasn’t until the early 00’s that I heard them for the first time. I have been a huge fan ever since.

I Hate Music, Superchunk’s tenth full length album over their illustrious 20 year career, releases Tuesday on Merge Records. It’s an excellent album, sure to please the longtime fan and grab a hold of those who are new to their music. Check out “Me & You & Jackie Mittoo” (below) it’s a 2 minute, high-energy, power pop ride that ends way too soon. It’s classic Superchunk and you will like it.

Superchunk – Me & You & Jackie Mittoo from I hate Music (2013)

Joe’s original Superchunk post

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Medicine

Medicine | To The Happy Few | 3hive.com

18 years after breaking up, the original members of Medicine are back together with a brand new album, To The Happy Few, which was recently released by Captured Tracks. Check out the sunshiny wall of noise “Long As The Sun” below. It’s loud, and tight, like they never stopped playing together, a perfect song for your end of summer mix.

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Heavy Times

The dense, lo-fi, garage rock of Chicago’s Heavy Times has had me captivated for the past several days. Their recently released 3rd LP, Fix It Alone out on Hozac Records, is an 18 songs in 33 minutes frenzy of jangly garage rock, heavy fuzzed-out lo-fi and in your face punk rock that will leave you exhausted and wanting more. Check out the :41 second blast of “Future Creeps” along with the fuzzed out “In My Sleep” below, both songs are killer and represent the album well. Head over to Hozac’s site and snag you a copy before they are gone, I highly recommend it. Enjoy.

Heavy Times – Future Creeps from Fix It Alone (2013)

Heavy Times – In My Sleep from Fix It Alone (2013)

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Barren Girls

North Carolina’s all female garage punk band Barren Girls formed back in 2011. After catching the eyes and ears of Merge Records at a show back in September, they recorded this 4-song EP in their cotton mill practice space. The EP blows by at pretty scorching speeds, with only one song clocking in at over 3 minutes. Alter Ego (below) is the shortest song on the EP, it’s also the most powerful. It’s short blast of strained vocals and hi-energy music sounds like the bands rhythm section is in an all-out race to the finish with guitarist/vocalist Carla Wolff. You will definitely need to catch your breath when it’s over. Enjoy.

Barren Girls – Alter Ego from S/T EP (2013)

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The Everywheres

Halifax, Nova Scotia musician Samuel Hill has been recording music as The Everywheres since 2012. The music is a warm, shimmery, swirling guitar filled, psych-pop album with just the right amount of fuzz, reverb and as Father/Daughter describes, “peyote induced tambourines”. Check out opening track, “Unfortunate Direction” (below), to see what I mean.

The Everywheres self titled debut will be released through Father/Daughter Records on June 25. It’s a must have.

The Everywheres – Unfortunate Direction from The Everywheres (2013)

 The Everywheres (Facebook)

The Everywheres (Bandcamp)

Father/Daughter

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Young Hunting

Los Angeles quintet Young Hunting spent two years traveling all over California, recording their debut LP Hazel in various garages, living rooms, Joshua Tree, even inside a ranger’s station. The hard work and time spent has really paid off. Hazel is a laid back, reverb soaked, pop album. It’s the perfect album to play while kicking back on the porch sipping your favorite beverage. Check out “Maze” and “Baby’s First Steps” below, you’ll be glad that you did. Hazel will be released  June 4th on Gold Robot Records. Snag yourself a copy on vinyl while you can. Enjoy.

Young Hunting – Maze from Hazel (2013)

Young Hunting – Baby’s First Steps from Hazel (2013)

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Mikal Cronin

Mikal Cronin is back with MCII, his second album and first with Merge Records, out on May 7. It’s killer harmonies, fuzzy, shimmery guitar tones, piano, viola, violin and even slide guitar, all add up together to destroy the sophomore slump jinx that plagues so many musicians and bands. “Weight” (below) is my favorite song on the album. It starts off with a delicate piano intro, which is quickly buried by layers of pounding drums and shimmery/scuzzy guitars. “Shout It Out” (also below) starts out with some noodling guitar, which builds into a frenzy during the first chorus and never lets off from there. Do not sleep on this album, it will blow your mind. Download the songs below, load them onto your favorite listening device, crank them up and enjoy. This is the album of the summer.

Mikal Cronin – Weight from MCII (2013)

Mikal Cronin – Shout It Out from MCII (2013)

Mikal Cronin

Merge

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Cayucas

It’s been pretty cold where I live. Mother Nature has been teasing us with hints of spring for the past few weeks. Giving us a warm day followed by a week of cold days. The forecast looks to be in our favor, finally, with consistent warm days coming up in the forecast. The warm, almost tropical sounds of Cayucas debut album, Bigfoot, has been the perfect soundtrack to get me through these cold days. Check out the driving beat, shimmery guitars and Zach Yudin’s echoed vocals on, opening track, “Cayucos” (below), It’s the perfect song for that summer mix tape, and is just a taste of Bigfoot‘s awesomeness. Be sure to snag Bigfoot on April 30, from Secretly Canadian.

Cayucas – Cayucos from Bigfoot (2013)

Cayucas

Secretly Canadian

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The Lovely Bad Things

Orange County’s The Lovely Bad Things are right up my alley. They play infectious, hook-driven garage rock, sounding like a mixture of The Soviettes, Pretty Girls Make Graves and The Pixies. They also appeal to the geek in me by referencing Star Wars and Macho Man Randy Savage on three of their song titles. They even have an image of Bigfoot on the album cover.

The Pixies influence is strong on “Fried Eyes” (below) with spoken-word vocals and the laid-back, Kim Deal bass line. “Hear or Anywhere” (also below) the opening track from their new album, The Late Great Whatever, starts the album off right with sugar-sweet female vocals and pounding drums. The Late Great Whatever is out now on Volcom. For all of the analog lovers out there you can get this on cassette as well from Burger Records.

The Lovely Bad Things – Fried Eyes from The Late Great Whatever (2013)

The Lovely Bad Things – Hear or Anywhere from The Late Great Whatever (2013)

The Lovely Bad Things