Despite only recording and releasing a three-song EP thus far in their career, Adelaide, Australia’s Atlas Genius have garnered a burgeoning buzz.  Brothers Keith, Steven, and Michael Jeffery have already had their songs reach the top five of SiriusXM Satellite Radio’s Alt-18 Countdown, fourth on Hypemachine, and designated an iTunes Single of the Week for Australia and New Zealand.  The band is putting the finishing touches on its first full album and is coming to Soho in Santa Barbara on Friday, August 17th with Animal Kingdom courtesy of Club Mercy.  Check out two studio versions of songs Trojans and Back Seat, followed by an acoustic version of Symptoms for Sirius below.  They present breezy pop that fosters a bit of Foster the People, though the lyrics (on Trojans particularly) and playing portend depth and promise.  Time will tell.  Come out to Soho on 8/17 and see for yourselves.

Here’s a bit of sunshine for your Saturday morning.  Lyrically, Baby Blue by We Were Evergreen isn’t going to win any Pulitzers.  But it’s a perfect song to have on this blue morning to ease you into the day and assuage the darkness of yesterday.  Check them out courtesy of The Line of Best Fit.

Drive-By Truckers’ leader Patterson Hood will soon release a new solo LP, Heat Lightning Rumbles In The Distance.  The album’s first single, Come Back Little Star, can be streamed now via Rolling Stone.  Hood told Rolling Stone:  “[Kelly Hogan] began the lyrics as a song for our late, dear friend Vic Chesnutt, and I rewrote it with the intention of her recording it for her album.  She ended up letting me put it on my album and it’s a highlight to me….It may be my favorite song I’ve ever recorded.”  We’re not going to disagree with Hood, though there is a lot of stiff competition within Hood’s fine song collection.  Come Back Little Star can be streamed HERE.

We’re not gonna lie.  We like virtually everything Brandi Carlile does (musically).  Comes now Carlile performing on The Artist Den’s new, stripped-down “Spotlight” series with longtime collaborationists Tim and Phil Hanseroth.  Check them out below performing three songs from her latest album, Bear Creek.  Check out especially the first song, a new favorite of ours entitled 100.  A superb song sung so very well.

To borrow from a fabulous Fruit Bats lyric, we can merely manage mouthfuls of the musical Niagara Falls that geyser past us these days.  Entire albums spew by un-apprehended.  Only later may we find ourselves (and others) reaching cups way downstream into Lake Ontario and pulling up quenching music that had previously escaped our agape gullets.

Such is the case with Allo Darlin’, the shimmering, London-based, jangle-pop band whose members hail from Australia and England.  A frequent musical co-conspirator (thanks J-Hawkes) kindly tossed Allo Darlin’s new album, Europe, at us and regaled with concert tales of the band (regrets, we’ve had a few more).  We somewhat skeptically listened in (after all, how could WE possibly have missed any good music?).  And now, weeks later, we rank it amongst the most affecting and best albums of the year.  And we’re not alone in this, with the album making many discerning critics’ Best of 2012 So Far lists.

It doesn’t hurt Allo Darlin’s cause that we are hopeless jangle-pop addicts.  Allo Darlin’ have taken a page or two out of the musical playbooks of some of the best purveyors in that genre:  The Church, Heavenly, The Concretes, Belle & Sebastian, The Bangles and The Go-Betweens come to mind (odd that many bloggers cite only Australia’s Go-Betweens and leave it at that—you don’t think they’re just plagiarizing each other do you?).  Though there’s nothing new under the sun, Allo Darlin’ stamp their unique imprimatur on the sound with strong melodies throughout, some added softer and harder musical touches, and especially through the emotive lyrical atmospherics conjured by leader Elizabeth Morris.  Morris, guitarist Paul Rains, drummer Mike Collins and nimble bassist Bill Botting are a tight-knit pop ensemble that have evolved impressively from their first album (which was no slouch in its own right, but featured much more of Morris’ ukelele playing).  In addition to Morris’s uke, guitar and vocals, the lads play and sing with aplomb throughout, whether on the slower numbers or the more uptempo.  While the sound is often summery, the lyrics are frequently wistful and filled with nostalgic melancholy, though leavened with countervailing optimism and encouragement.  You know, like life and living.

The album begins with Neil Armstrong, another song by Morris referencing (loosely) a historical figure (she’s previously done so with Woody Allen, Stephen Hawking, and Henry Rollins, amongst others).  With a proto-jangle musical backdrop, Morris name-checks the astronaut and assesses the heavens while expressing her desire for faith and belief (“Well I am tired of feeling confused, and lest my words be construed, I can’t separate what’s real but I know that I believe in you…And I won’t fly until the day that I die, but we can’t keep out dreams in jars so I’ll keep yours close to mine.”).  Next up is a perfect pop song, Capricornia (the official video for which you can check below).  Despite its upbeat sound and feel, Morris bemoans the loss of friends (“Could you ever understand how you ended up here? Any friend you’ve ever had has disappeared, and the tug of heart string is the line that pulls you home”), but vows to never let them go (“And I will come to you, when you fall down and when the lights go out, and we set the world to rights”).  Another musically upbeat song follows, the title-track Europe, which alludes to the trying economic and political times “on the Continent,” and the tangential effects on the band.  Regardless, Morris vows to soldier on (“But it feels like we’ve made it, and before these memories faded, you will ask again if this is really happening…when i pick you up off the floor, because you’re what i came here for”).  Some People Say slows things down a bit, but Morris nonetheless manages to provide solace (“I’ve got you and a bottle of wine…I have a feeling that this day will be amazing…And when you listen to these songs, if you’re ever lonely, you’re not alone”).

Northern Lights kick-starts matters anew with Paul Rains’ fluid guitar work shining “like a light upon your face.”  Wonderland follows in a similar musical mode, but with a sonorous multi-tracked chorus (“Feels like the world is ending, but I’m with you and I don’t care”).  With a strong sense for the dynamics, the band then steps out of the spotlight to leave mostly Morris and her ukelele on Tallulah, one of  the centerpieces of the album.  Tallulah is the most well-formed song here with its comparatively straightforward, but resonant, nostalgic narrative in which Morris reminisces about Australia and a friend (“As the radio played another terrible song, but lucky for me you found a tape with Tallulah on [TLR—Tallulah Gosh, an earlier Morris band, or the vaunted Go-Betweens’ song?], and it’s been a long time since I’ve seen all my old friends…And I wonder if you would wanna go there with me, when I’m finished over here, if you’re not finished with me”).

The Letter follows at mid-tempo with beautiful melody and pensive penmanship (“And If I told you I was never cool, and all I wanted was just to have you, and when I see you I will put my arms around you, it will be hard to let you go”) and just-so homages (“And I pictured you singing the Silver Jews”).   The band kicks it up again with Still Young, another punchy rocker featuring Rains’ intricately helixing guitar playing, Mike Collins’ driving drums and Bill Botting’s agile bass playing.  Morris sings to her hard-drinking youth, and the band closes with the rousing call-and-response of “We’re still young, we’re still young.”  The album closes with My Sweet Friend, the musically soothing sounds of which belie disquietude (“On the day a famous pop star died…But maybe I’m not right, can I call you up when I cannot get to sleep at night?”).

What is particularly impressive about Europe is while you may be initially thrown off by a couple of cringe-worthy lines (“The way she dances on the stage is so awesome”–can we please have a pact that no songwriter can ever use the word “awesome” in a song?), we still find ourselves repeatedly humming and singing particular lines and stanzas of these songs, as if they were hymns.  In short, Europe is an affecting, near-perfect pop album, and particularly for this summertime season.  Do yourselves a favor, and go pick it up and stream it over at Bandcamp HERE.

Below are the official videos for Capricornia and Tallulah:

And while you’re at it, check out an unplugged version of Europe:

This is for those (Millennials or Gen-Y) that think Vampire Weekend was the first band to incorporate African music elements into American pop music.  But seriously, this is for those (Gen-X and Boomers) that think Paul Simon was the first to use African music in pop.  Thirteen years before Simon’s much-vaunted Graceland was released, Fleetwood Mac’s Bob Welch, Mick Fleetwood and the McVies were dabbling in African-influenced pop music.  As Exhibit A, we give you their 1973 song, Forever (penned and sung by Bob Welch) off of their fine album Mystery to Me.  Listen in and hear, amongst other things, juju elements a la the great King Sunny Ade.  Bob Welch, you are missed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiavWgXBI3A

The Antlers are streaming their new record Undersea via their Facebook page.  Undersea will be released via Anti- on July 24th. The band made Undersea after a year of touring and entered their studio.  The result is the ambitious sound of Undersea, only four tracks in length, but enlarging nonetheless.  Check it out at the link above.

The xx will release their new album, Coexist, on 9/11.   Today they released the first single, Angels.  Check out the uber-romantica of the song below (via Pitchfork).  They’ll be hard-pressed to top their masterful first album, but we’re all ears.

The xx have also announced additional tour dates, including a return visit to California in October.  Check out the new song below, followed by Coexist’s songlist and the tour dates below:

Coexisit:

1. Angels
2. Chained
3. Fiction
4. Try
5. Reunion
6. Sunset
7. Missing
8. Tides
9. Unfold
10. Swept Away
11. Our Song

The xx 2012 Tour Dates:
07/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ Fonda
07/25 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox at the Market
07/28 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix
07/29 – Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
07/31 – Boston, MA @ Wilbur Theatre
08/02 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5
08/09 – Sibinek, CR @ Terraneo Festival
08/10 – Budapest, HR @ Sziget Festival
08/11 – St Pere, FR @ La Route du Rock
08/18 – St. Polten, AT @ Frequency Festival
08/19 – Biddinhuizen, NL @ Lowlands Festival
08/31 – Laois, IE @ Electric Picnic
09/07 – Isle of Wight, UK @ Bestival
10/05 – Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre
10/06 – Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theater
10/07 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
10/10 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Pool at the Cosmopolitan
10/11 – San Diego, CA @ Soma
10/12 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
10/13 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Forever Cemetery
10/14 – San Francisco, CA @ Treasure Island Music Festival
10/16 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
10/17 – Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theater
10/19 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
10/20 – Chicago, IL @ Congress Theater
10/21 – Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst Theatre
10/24 – Quebec City, Quebec @ Imperial De Quebec
10/25 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues
10/28 – Bronx, NY @ Paradise Theater
10/29 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
10/30 – Baltimore, MD @ Ram’s Head Live

Everyone’s jumping on the Frank Ocean-liner.  The Afghan Whigs have today made their cover of Ocean’s Lovecrimes available as a free download at the widget below or HERE.  In the Whigs’ defense, they have been covering the song live well before all the recent hoopla. Ocean originally released the song in 2011 on his debut mixtape, Nostalgia, Ultra.

Lovecrimes follows the Whigs’ recent release of See And Don’t See and their performance of the song on The Jimmy Fallon Show.  The band also announced today the addition of new shows in California and elsewhere.   If you haven’t seen ’em live, they are phenomenal (well, they were 20-ish years ago and they played well on Fallon, so time will tell so to speak).  Tickets for all shows go on sale this week.

THE AFGHAN WHIGS 2012 TOUR DATES

7/25/12 Melbourne, AUS Hi-Fi Bar
7/26/12 Sydney, AUS Factory Theatre
7/27/12 Byron Bay, AUS Splendour In The Grass – SOLD OUT
8/3/12 Chicago, IL Lollapalooza – SOLD OUT
8/4/12 Chicago, IL Metro – SOLD OUT
8/7/12 Helsinki, FI Circus
8/9/12 Oslo, NO Oya Festival – SOLD OUT
8/10/12 Goteborg, SE Way Out West Festival
8/11/12 Rees-Haldern, GR Haldern Pop Festival – SOLD OUT
8/14/12 Warsaw, PL Palladium
8/15/12 Prague, CZ Lucerna Music Bar
8/17/12 Hasselt, BE Pukkelpop
8/19/12 London, UK Koko
9/22/12 New York, NY I’ll Be Your Mirror Festival
9/26/12 Boston, MA House Of Blues
9/27/12 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
9/28/12 Washington D.C. 9:30 Club – SOLD OUT
9/29/12 Pittsburgh, PA Mr. Small’s Theatre
10/3/12 Toronto, ON Phoenix Concert Theatre
10/5/12 New York, NY Terminal 5 – SOLD OUT
10/12/12 Austin, TX Austin City Limits Music Festival – SOLD OUT
10/19/12 New Orleans, LA Tipitina’s
10/20/12 Atlanta, GA The Masquerade
10/21/12 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle
10/24/12 Detroit, MI Saint Andrew’s Hall – SOLD OUT
10/25/12 Cincinnati, OH Bogart’s – SOLD OUT
10/28/12 Minneapolis, MN Varsity Theatre
10/30/12 Denver , CO Ogden Theatre
11/2/12 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom
11/3/12 Seattle, WA Showbox
11/7/12 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
11/9/12 Los Angeles, CA The Fonda

New Additions In Bold

On Twin Shadow’s new album, Confess, leader George Lewis, Jr. has taken a brush with mortality (Dylan’s motorcycle motif) and melded the resulting survival theme to a driving ’80s new wave and synth-pop soundtrack.  The self-produced result is a thoroughly captivating mix that combines and transcends Peter Gabriel and Police elements to great effect.  To get a feel for the new album and to get primed for their August 18th show at Soho in Santa Barbara, check out below a few of their performances this past week for Alternate Side (Live at WFUV).   You can get tickets for the Soho show from Club Mercy HERE.  This could be the club show of the summer.

Five Seconds:

I Can’t Wait:

I Don’t Care: