Monthly Archives: July 2012

Listen: The xx – “Angels”

On September 11th, the xx will release their second studio album Coexist through Young Turks featuring eleven brand new tracks. On lead single “Angels”, which will be the opener to the new album, the Londoners channel their indie contemporaries Beach House for a beautiful and blissful three minutes. Producer Jamie xx has mentioned that the new album would be a bit more dance-oriented and with roots in club music, but “Angels” is missing out on that sound and instead (and perhaps more approriately), the song is dreamy and angelic. Judge for yourself below.

Coexist Tracklisting:
01 Angels
02 Chained
03 Fiction
04 Try
05 Reunion
06 Sunset
07 Missing
08 Tides
09 Unfold
10 Swept Away
11 Our Song

Listen: Dispatch – “Circles Around The Sun”

Dispatch frontman Chad Urmston took to the band’s Facebook page to explain the story behind “Circles Around The Sun”, the band’s first single from their upcoming album of the same name. Circles Around The Sun, out August 21st, will be Dispatch’s first official studio album in over twelve years. Below, you can listen to the song and read Chad’s explanation.

“‘Circles Around The Sun’ is the legend of our friend Larry Perry, who passed away this past year. In the early 1960s the space race had captured America. Looking to outdo the Soviets without putting their necks on the line, NASA, in an unprecedented, controversial move, took a very disabled young man away from his family to ready him for space flight. Both the USSR and USA had sent dogs and chimps into space, but the USA wanted more. Larry cannot walk or speak but was in perfect health and, more importantly, in the eyes of the government, expendable. Unbeknownst to them, from a very young age, Larry had always been an adrenaline junkie and the scientists and government officials were actually fulfilling the biggest adventure he could ever dream – to be launched into space. To everyone’s surprise, Larry returns from space triumphant and smiling.” – Chad

Stream: Passion Pit – Gossamer

It’s been a long wait for Passion Pit fans everywhere for the indie outfit’s follow-up to 2009’s Manners. Today, NPR’s First Listen gives us a full stream of Gossamer, which you can listen to below. You can probably imagine how difficult it is to top their breakthrough debut record, but somehow, the group manages to do so by being a little more reflective, a little less circumspect in their songwriting, and a whole lot more daring. Gossamer will see its official release on July 24th and if you preorder the record  on iTunes now, you’ll receive bonus material that won’t be available anywhere else.

PREORDER PASSION PIT’S GOSSAMER ON iTUNES

Video: Blur – “Under The Westway”

Damon Albarn-fronted Blur are back with two new songs for the 2012 Summer Olympics, despite the fact that Albarn has repeatedly hinted that he won’t be making any new music with the band. The pair of songs, “Under The Westway” and “The Puritan”, will be released as a single on August 6th. Today, we get the official video of “Under The Westway”, which features footage of the band recording the song in the studio. Watch below.