Into the Night : New EP from Azari & III

With each passing release, Toronto producers Azari & III have continued to skyrocket to the forefront of the house scene, beginning with their smash single "Reckless With Your Love" and their collaboration with Friendly Fires called "Stay Here." They've since been snatched up by Tiga's Turbo Records and released the Indigo EP. Their forthcoming debut LP drops in January, and I know I'm not the only one who would welcome them on the festival circuit in 2k11. [Get on it, Goldenvoice]


[ To refresh your memory: 
"Reckless With Your Love" >>>  
"Stay Here">>>  ]


Their take on the Chicago house vibes endures on their newest release, entitled "Into the Night".

Scion A/V Presents: Azari & III - Into the Night from Scion A/V on Vimeo.
Grab the FREE EP here [via Scion A/V]



And for good measure: "Indigo" >>>  
Buy it

Album of the Week: Room On Fire - The Strokes

I just had that feeling when you go track down the artwork for an album you got from a burned CD. "It's a great gesture," you think to yourself as you shake your head when you notice that the names of these new tracks are nowhere to be found. The reason I would go through such a hassle? I wanted to hear the Strokes at the highest possible original quality. It's the kind of ritual that seems silly if you had to re-download the tracks and paid more to get them as a finished version. But above all we must remember, it's the Strokes.


Room on Fire contains some of the biggest Strokes hits aside from their first album consensus-perfection Is This It, released on Sept. 11, 2001 (and taking it's own place in musical history that day.) Not that I would have noticed, being in the 5th grade. I wasn't exactly concerned with indie and garage rock fading into obscurity at the preference of modern techno and electronic acts such as the Prodigy and the Chemical Brothers in its place. But it did "save" garage rock or at least remind the public it existed. Fast forward to the release of Room on Fire. We see a band faced with the impossible task of trying to have a second bolt of lightning strike upon them. However, this denim-clad crew decided they were still up to the challenge, and just decided to have a great time and make the most fun record they could while doing it. (Think if the new Kings of Leon album came after Only By The Night but was truly their second album. Actually, that still doesn't make it any better.)


The result is some of their loosest riffs and most beautiful melodies that evoke smoky images of Brooklyn rooms on risque nights. The dichotomy of their love-hate relationships coupled with the struggle for an identity as a young adult creeps into each lyric. The blaring melancholy in the voice of Julian Casablancas as "The Way It Is" plays and peers back to the age of the blues and soul singers exorcising their demons on stage. They even made it onto Rolling Stone, but not with a typical photo putting one member in the spotlight but being considered a legitimate band rather than a gimmick. To be a band like that means to endure to the point of becoming literary or art history in years to follow; to jump off the mouths of well-to-do trendsters and self-promoted intellectuals.

For these reasons, Room On Fire is the Album of the Week. The songs speak for themselves so much that they are memorable best as an entire experience: the true definition of a fine body of work. As they say, pictures are worth a thousand words, and with that in mind here is a video of "Reptilia"

TV Girl

The chillwaves are here to stay, and San Diego provides the newest darling of the genre, a project entitled TV Girl. The band consists of Trung Ngo on guitar, keyboards, and backup vocals and Brad Petering on lead vocals. Their eponymous debut EP is available on their bandcamp website as a free download. Standout track "I Don't Care" fits right into the chillwave canon, preaching lo-fi vibes to create a track worthy of being the soulmate of "Local Joke." Check out the 4-track EP below.

Weekend Vol. 1

The lack of production/disappearance of Album of the Week can be attributed to a fall we collectively sustained rappelling down Mt. Vesuvius last week. Don't fret as they will both make a gallant return soon enough.

^ Never even been to Mt. Vesuvius

In the meantime, here's a taste of what is fueling our weekend (besides the new Girl Talk on continuous blast). Time to jam these tunes and go 4Loko.

Recommended Downloads: GIRL TALK NEW LP

Girl Talk's new LP, All Day, just dropped out from heaven today--AND FOR FREE. His followup to the 2k8, #fuckingepic last LP, Feed the Animals. Download the new album here. You can download the file as separate MP3 files, a seamless MP3 or (coming soon) in FLAC. All this is courtesy of a great label, Illegal Art.

Also be sure to check out Girl Talk's massive tour here. Thinking about maybe doing the trifecta with Girl Talk…

Arcade Fire on SNL

[videos via The Audio Perv & Gorilla vs. Bear]
It's always a treat to see one of your favorite bands play Saturday Night Live, and it's even better to know that no lip-syncing is involved [via Ashley Simpson-Wentz]. Arcade Fire made their SNL return to play cuts off of their latest brilliant effort The Suburbs. They also played a short set after the show for those in attendance which is pretty epic. Check after the jump for videos of "We Used to Wait", "Sprawl II" and a digital short featuring the band.

Mixtape On The Moon

Hi Friends! Check this freaky naughty mixderp from these people I totally haven't ever heard of before [via my sister]

For those of you who can't read, it reads: 

BENZI & DIPLO

PRESENT

MANSIONS ON THE MOON

PARADISE FALLS

Randy and I only listened to this mixtape once over but knew we had to post it for all'y'all'all to enjoy. It is full of jams reminiscent of our good pal Flying Lotus. Keep an eye out for 'Glimpse of the Future' feat. Xaphoon Jones (he is soooo crazy..crazy..crazy..crazy?) and 'Satellite' feat. deadmau5.

FREE DL OF THE MIXTAPE HURR

You guys Betr Cech it out!

Eh,

Charlie?

OUT NOW: LCD Soundsystem - The London Sessions

The only thing better than listening to tasty LCD Soundsystem jams is dancing along to the live versions. Enter the newest release from James Murphy and company, digital live album The London Sessions.
Since their world tour has all but wrapped up, and the future of the band is uncertain as far as any future albums or tours, this live album comes at the perfect time to taste the magic. 
The sound has been meticulously engineered and mixed by James Murphy, who undoubtedly would never settle for anything less than quality that captures the band at their explosive best. To get a taste of what their legendary performances sound like (or to relive an unforgettable night if you've already seen them), this is a must-buy for any fan.


The setlist covers tracks from all three LCD albums, including the essential live cut of "All My Friends" [!!!], classics such as "Daft Punk is Playing at My House", and a couple tracks off of Album of the Year front-runner This Is Happening. Fans will also enjoy the inclusion of b-side and live staple "Yr City's a Sucker."


Full Tracklist and a clip of "Daft Punk is Playing at My House" after the jump.

New Artists to Love in 2k10

We all know the feeling. It's a knowing glance from someone across a room, something ever so subtle, yet in that moment the deepest calm and content washes over you. No words are necessary; it's all in the eyes. Maybe it took you by surprise or perhaps it's what you've been searching for all along. You simply didn't know where to look. This is the profound power of a new friendship, one formed in the innocence of curiosity and resulting in a discovery of more in common than you were comfortable in sharing. This intimacy is one of the true beauties of discovering new music. A genre you had never encountered or had written off suddenly saves the day, soundtracking a period of your life that had previously been wandering aimlessly for answers. The only certainty is that something clicks, and this kind of connection always remains.


Some of these artists will be familiar, some will be new, but all of them had new releases in 2010. Either way, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. [Videos after the jump]

ALBUM OF THE WEEK >> UP FROM BELOW

HERE IT IS YOU ASSHOLES

Sorry 'bout that, the publisher has been on my ass all day about this post but IT'S FINALLY HERE SO YOU CAN SHUT UP NOW. So I called dibs on AotW this time and I only had one alby on my mind...the beautiful Up From Below by Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros.

Where the hell are they all coming from?

Oh.

Tasty, yes? Check the rest after the jump

2420 - Vol. 1

site of the 2420 official after-party

Here are 24 tracks that have been burning through our collective eardrums since the last playlist. 

20 for 20 has been updated to 2420 to accomodate our expanded staff [yo Kanye!]

Hopefully this makes the Mondays sting a little less.

track list after the jump