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ISLANDS
A Sleep & A Forgetting

It’s said that Phil Collins would never have left Genesis and ventured out on his own if his relationship with his first wife hadn’t crumbled. If Adele’s boyfriend hadn’t smashed her heart, her hit 21 may have never have made its way to the top of the charts. And Beck’s tear-jerking and game-changing Sea Change was recorded after he split with his girlfriend of nine years. For Islands frontman Nick Thorburn, the band’s latest album, A Sleep & A Forgetting, is about more than a breakup: it’s about completely losing a way of life and having to start all over again. He started writing it on Valentine’s Day last year after breaking up with his longtime partner, leaving his New York home and moving to Los Angeles: he started messing around and writing songs on a piano he found in his new abode, and a year later came Islands’ fourth record. But though the subject of A Sleep & A Forgetting is one of the most common human experiences, the album is not a generic tribute to a breakup: it’s an inspired look at the grieving human heart. And one of the best Islands records so far, to boot.

ARTIST: Islands
TITLE: A Sleep & A Forgetting
LABEL: ANTI / Epitaph
RELEASE DATE: February 10, 2012
TIME: 37:43 min.
WEB: http://islandsareforever.com/

01. In a Dream It Seemed Real [03:21]
02. This Is Not a Song [03:56]
03. Never Go Solo [04:45]
04. No Crying [03:05]
05. Hallways [02:54]
06. Can’t Feel My Face [02:46]
07. Lonely Love [03:40]
08. Oh Maria [04:08]
09. Cold Again [03:19]
10. Don’t Love You [03:20]
11. Same Thing [02:32]

Islands – Hallways

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SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS
Ghostory

Recorded in-between tours, Ghostory exemplifies a fervent progression of School of Seven Bells‘s growth as artists, preserving the common themes found on their last two releases but exposing them in different fashions: the familiar ethereal and enigmatic tones are omnipresent, surrounded by layers of influences from `80s pop, shoegaze and ambient electronic sounds. However, Ghostory comes with a story in mind: the tale of a young girl named Lafaye and the ghosts that surround her life. This album is truly School of Seven Bells‘ defining work, beautifully crafted and haunting, with the story of Lafaye permeating the psyche long after the music stops.

ARTIST: School of Seven Bells
TITLE: Ghostory
LABEL: Vagrant / Ghostly International
RELEASE DATE: February 28, 2012
TIME: 45:13 min.
WEB: http://sviib.com/

01. The Night [03:47]
02. Love Play [04:11]
03. Lafaye [04:14]
04. Low Times [06:32]
05. Reappear [04:10]
06. Show Me Love [04:44]
07. Scavenger [04:26]
08. White Wind [04:42]
09. When You Sing [08:34]

School of Seven Bells – Lafaye

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SLEIGH BELLS
Reign of Terror

Brand new release from the Brooklyn duo consisting of Derek E. Miller (songwriter, guitarist, producer) and Alexis Krauss (vocals). Sleigh Bells‘ unique sound is likely the result of Miller and Krauss’s contrasting musical backgrounds: Miller was formerly the guitarist for the post-hardcore band Poison The Well and Krauss was a member of the teen pop group RubyBlue as a teenager. Guess what it could come out, then listen to Reign of Terror.

ARTIST: Sleigh Bells
TITLE: Reign of Terror
LABEL: Mom & Pop
RELEASE DATE: February 21, 2012
TIME: 36:30 min.
WEB: http://reignofterror.tv/

01. True Shred Guitar [02:20]
02. Born to Lose [03:53]
03. Crush [03:20]
04. End of the Line [03:38]
05. Leader of the Pack [02:43]
06. Comeback Kid [03:01]
07. Demons [03:04]
08. Road to Hell [03:22]
09. You Lost Me [04:31]
10. Never Say Die [03:40]
11. D.O.A. [02:58]

Sleigh Bells – Comeback Kid

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THE CRANBERRIES
Roses

The Cranberries are back, with their first studio album in over ten years! The original Irish four-piece fronted by Dolores O’Riordan, who lit up the charts for over a decade with classics such as Linger, Dreams and Zombie is now releasing Roses: eleven brand new songs, produced by the band’s old friend and collaborator Stephen Street (The Smiths, Blur and more recently Kaiser Chiefs).

ARTIST: The Cranberries
TITLE: Roses
LABEL: Downtown
RELEASE DATE: February 28, 2012
TIME: 44:24 min.
WEB: http://www.cranberries.com/

01. Conduct [05:10]
02. Tomorrow [03:55]
03. Fire & Soul [04:32]
04. Raining in My Heart [03:27]
05. Losing My Mind [03:39]
06. Schizophrenic Playboy [03:39]
07. Waiting in Walthamstow [04:18]
08. Show Me [03:26]
09. Astral Projections [04:44]
10. So Good [03:53]
11. Roses [03:41]

The Cranberries – Tomorrow

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WE HAVE BAND
Ternion

If prizes could be awarded for sheer variety of sonic scope, We Have Band would nab every one going. For the dynamic two lads ‘n’ a lass trio, their sophomore effort Ternion plays out as a mish-mash of clever indie ingenuity, electronica and synth-pop. But even that doesn’t do them justice, because, frankly speaking, just so much is going on in every track: like a zoo of assorted instruments let loose, Ternion’s disparate elements are free to play to their own devices.

ARTIST: We Have Band
TITLE: Ternion
LABEL: Naïve
RELEASE DATE: February 28, 2012
TIME: 84:35 min.
WEB: http://www.wehaveband.com/

01. Shift [04:38]
02. After All [04:13]
03. Where Are You People? [03:50]
04. Visionary [04:59]
05. What’s Mine, What’s Yours [04:11]
06. Steel in the Groove [05:00]
07. Tired of Running [04:38]
08. Watertight [04:00]
09. Rivers of Blood [03:12]
10. Pressure On [04:57]
11. Ternion Aside [26:57]

12. Shift (acoustic) [03:56]
13. After All (acoustic) [03:19]
14. What’s Mine, What’s Yours (acoustic) [03:35]
15. Watertight (acoustic) [03:10]

We Have Band – Where Are You People? (walls remix)

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VAGUE-À-BONDE
Involution / Evolution

Involution/Evolution is the debut album of Vague-à-Bonde (a.k.a. Nicole Alicia Brenny, former member of Waxx Maxx). Involution/Evolution was written and produced by Nicole herself entirely in her own bedroom, but that doesn’t mean any lo-fi attitude. The album is beyond doubt a professional product: by the end, what we hear here is an intelligent and brilliant songwriter that showcases her range of talents in 8 tracks that fall somewhere between Fleetwood Mac and K-Pop, the ethereal and the corporal. And, considering she is an independent artist self-releasing her first full-length, it is quiet a feat.

ARTIST: Vague-à-Bonde
TITLE: Involution/Evolution
LABEL: self-released
RELEASE DATE: February 22, 2012
TIME: 32:04 min.
WEB: http://vagueabonde.tumblr.com/

01. Voices [03:09]
02. Best Nights [04:23]
03. Ghosts [03:06]
04. MV [03:57]
05. Pop [04:23]
06. 1221 [03:53]
07. Something [03:58]
08. Sky [05:15]

Vague-à-Bonde – MV

removed by request

TENNIS
Young & Old

Brand new release from the Denver-based indie-pop band Tennis, made up of husband-and-wife duo Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley. For this album, guitarist Riley, vocalist Moore and drummer James Barone headed to Nashville to work with The Black Keys‘ Patrick Carney.

ARTIST: Tennis
TITLE: Young & Old
LABEL: Fat Possum
RELEASE DATE: February 14, 2012
TIME: 33:05 min.
WEB: http://www.myspace.com/tennisinc

01. It All Feels the Same [03:23]
02. Origins [03:28]
03. My Better Self [03:45]
04. Traveling [03:02]
05. Petition [03:12]
06. Robin [03:05]
07. High Road [03:03]
08. Dreaming [03:15]
09. Take Me to Heaven [03:25]
10. Never to Part [03:27]

Tennis – My Better Self

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AIR
Le Voyage Dans la Lune

Revered Parisian electronic duo Air (Nicolas Godin and JB Dunckel) were asked to compose an original score for the restored version of the classic 1902 silent film Le Voyage Dans La Lune (“A Trip to the Moon”) by Georges Méliès. This new album is the fully realized outcome of that collaboration. Georges Méliès is one of the central characters in Martin Scorsese‘s new blockbuster hit Hugo and his life and work (including the iconic “A Trip to the Moon”) is attracting a whole new wave of interest as a result. Features vocals and lyrics by Victoria Legrand of Beach House on Seven Stars and Au Revoir Simone on Who Am I Now?.

ARTIST: Air
TITLE: Le Voyage Dans la Lune
LABEL: Astralwerks
RELEASE DATE: February 7, 2012
TIME: 31:21 min.
WEB: http://en.aircheology.com/

01. Astronomic Club [03:13]
02. Seven Stars [04:23]
03. Ratour Sur Terre [00:33]
04. Parade [02:33]
05. Moon Fever [03:34]
06. Sonic Armada [05:05]
07. Who Am I Now [03:01]
08. Décollage [01:38]
09. Cosmic Trip [04:10]
10. Homme Lune [00:18]
11. Lava [02:53]

Air (feat. victoria legrand) – Seven Stars

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LANA DEL REY
Born to Die

Sometimes stars emerge. Sometimes stars are thrust upon us. And sometimes stars simply slip into the atmosphere as if propelled by something otherworldly. It is into this last category that the astonishing presence, voice, look and feel of Lana Del Rey (born Lizzy Grant) falls. Musical stardom is not an option with Ms. Del Rey: it is her vocation. She calls herself the “gangsta Nancy Sinatra” and defines her genre as “Hollywood pop/sadcore”, a dramatic new loop for pop music. Lana Del Rey‘s direct influences were visual as well as musical: David Lynch, soundtracks for ’50s black and white movies, the whirring sound of the Ferris at Coney Island, fame itself. She lived in a New Jersey trailer park and decked her homestead in flags, streamers and seasonally inappropriate Christmas lights: this was Lana’s world now and it needed to sparkle. Whether or not it will work? That much we don’t know, but Born to Die says it seems likely that it will.

ARTIST: Lana del Rey
TITLE: Born to Die
LABEL: Interscope
RELEASE DATE: January 31, 2012
TIME: 41:27 min.
WEB: http://www.lanadelrey.com/

01. Born to Die [04:45]
02. Off the Races [05:01]
03. Blue Jeans [03:30]
04. Video Games [04:42]
05. Diet Mtn Dew [03:43]
06. National Anthem [03:51]
07. Dark Paradise [04:03]
08. Radio [03:35]
09. Carmen [04:09]
10. Million Dollar Man [03:50]
11. Summertime Sadness [04:25]
12. This Is What Makes Us Girls [03:58]
13. Without You [03:49]
14. Lolita [03:39]
15. Lucky Ones [03:47]

Lana del Rey – Born to Die (gemini remix)

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PACIFIC UV
Weekends

We left pacificUV playing their wonderful Chrysalis EP, which was said to be only an anticipation. So now we’ve got to the point. The full-length Weekends is finally out: 12 tracks to lost yourself in, either you take the usual approach and enjoy the grand concept of the album, that follows the arc of the natural trajectory of the weekend itself, or you view it more like a sweet pop record and appreciate each singular track for its individual beauty and softness. That’s it, whichever route you choose, one thing remains unflinching: this album is guaranteed to please.

ARTIST: pacificUV
TITLE: Weekends
LABEL: Mazarine
RELEASE DATE: January 31, 2012
TIME: 39:10 min.
WEB: http://www.pacificuv.com/

01. Friday Night Dream [01:43]
02. Funny Girl [03:30]
03. Just For Kix [03:03]
04. Baby Blue [05:46]
05. I’m Here (but it’s not me) [04:15]
06. Ballerina [03:52]
07. Saturday Night Dream [01:46]
08. High [03:10]
09. Be My Only Shallow Love [03:15]
10. Feels Like I’m Going Home [03:52]
11. Sunday Night Dream [02:21]
12. Unplug Me [03:50]

pacificUV – Ballerina

removed by request

RS HOT SPOT – #02
stay updated with radioSpin

Not so much before ending their tour promoting their first full-length A Bunch of Love Songs and Zombies Lava Lava Love release a bunch of remixes of a bunch of songs taken from the album. Remixes features four re-works and experiments, filling their indie-pop tracks with drum-machines and synths, by Tarick1 (Andrea Calcagno of Numero6), Jacopo Gobber, The Darth Faders (Matteo Gosi and Filippo Mannello of Beaucoup Fish) and Nata Ieri (a.k.a. Natasha Romano of Qali). Remixes is dowloadable in digital format on the band’s Bandcamp page according to the name-your-own-price method: that means you can get it for free, but you’re highly recommended to pay something (it’s up to you, of course), because all the profits from the selling of this EP will be donate to ABEO (Associazione Bambino Emopatico Oncologico), an association supporting children suffering from oncological diseases, based in Verona (Italy).

Lava Lava Love – Sparkling Wine (nata ieri remix)

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PORCELAIN RAFT
Strange Weekend

Remiddi‘s androgynous vapor of a voice weaves like a ghost between Nick Gilder and The Alessi Brothers, Julee Cruise and Judee Sill. In more contemporary terms, Porcelain Raft stands confidently on a high hill between the sounds of M83 and Beach House.
Strange Weekend is made of looping and anthemic tracks, gauzy and chiming atmospheres: soft elctronics for sweet minds.

ARTIST: Porcelain Raft
TITLE: Strange Weekend
LABEL: Secretly Canadian
RELEASE DATE: Jauary 24, 2012
TIME: 34:21 min.
WEB: http://porcelainraft.com/

01. Drifting In and Out [03:14]
02. Shapeless & Gone [03:45]
03. Is It Too Deep for You? [03:46]
04. Put Me to Sleep [03:54]
05. Backwords [04:08]
06. Unless You Speak from Your Heart [03:35]
07. The End of Silence [03:10]
08. If You Have a Wish [02:19]
09. Picture [03:03]
10. The Way In [03:27]

Porcelain Raft – Put Me to Sleep

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THE BIG PINK
Future This

The Big Pink represent far more than simply the duo behind the admittedly fantastic earworm single Dominos from their 2009 release A Brief History of Love. That album and Future This, their second full-length, places the band as one of the main representatives of the radical shift that the indie rock scene (and their label, 4AD, in particular) has taken over the last decade.

ARTIST: The Big Pink
TITLE: Future This
LABEL: 4AD
RELEASE DATE: Jauary 17, 2012
TIME: 44:28 min.
WEB: http://musicfromthebigpink.com/

01. Stay Gold [03:37]
02. Hit the Ground (superman) [04:56]
03. Give It Up [04:50]
04. Morphine [03:24]
05. Ask Quietly [03:16]
06. What If [03:32]
07. Jump Music [04:38]
08. Lose Your Mind [04:09]
09. Future This [03:57]
10. 77 [04:42]

The Big Pink – Hit the Ground (superman) (king krule remix)

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