New Fleet Foxes "Helplessness Blues" Stream/Free Download

Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues by Bella Union

Color Theory: The Sound videos with lyrics

Color Theory has uploaded several videos that feature the lyrics for each track from the December 2010 release
"The Sound". Below is the irresistible "Two (Radio Edit)". The videos are a nice collection for fans and new listeners as well. Crisp (be sure to watch the HD versions for the best quality audio), modern electronic piano-pop that will appeal to Like Sugar readers/listeners.

Hooverphonic "The Night Before" live video

"Hooverphonic kicked off its Belgian tour with new singer Noémie Wolfs playing an exclusive showcase at the intimate Club 69." Below is Hooverphonic's live performance of "The Night Before". I think Noémie is a perfect match for this band. I count myself quite lucky, for an American, to have seem them live some years ago.

Modern Synthpop by Kid Kasio

Synthpop as I like it:


My love for this sound is re-kindled tonight. OK, not really re-kindled, but more hopeful. Synthpop is not fading away and that makes me happy. Kid Kasio is doing it right, an upbeat 4 minute pop tune that reminds me of Howard Jones. Follow him on Twitter. You should be able to download this song from The Hype Machine.
Edit: Add him on Facebook here and keep an eye on kidkasio.com!

Gang of Four: Stream new album "Content" in full

Play the album via this link or below.


Edit: Sorry about the auto-play,I disabled it.

Stream New Cut Copy Track "Need You Now"

Cut Copy - Need You Now by cutcopymusic

The Radio Dept. Release Singles Collection

The Radio Dept.'s "Passive Aggressive: Singles 2002-2010" is a double-album with 28 songs that collect all single A-sides on disc one and a large part of the B-sides on disc two. All singles are sold out at Labrador.

I am listening / rocking out to a banging Mix-tape by a former partner DJ. He calls it "Winter Thy Enemy". Get it here.

All Credit to guyfromnewcastle: Glasvegas & Bicycle Thieves

The new Glasvegas is giving me goosebumps (or goosepimples?)... anyway, I see that the best in Scottish music-uploaders has posted a new song on YouTube: guyfromnewcastle covers that scene better than anyone and I am indebted.
Even NME is linking to his upload. Nice.

He's also got this wonderfully dark B-Side from Bicycle Thieves:

Listen to The Go! Team "Rolling Blackouts"

Listen to The Go! Team album "Rolling Blackouts" before it arrives on February 1st, courtesy of The Hype Machine.http://hypem.com/#!/artist/The+Go!+Team

Synthnews on an American Holiday

A new Freezepop limited edition album is due out January 25th, 2011 and is titled "Imaginary Friends". Get it from Darla.

I won't be attending, but I do like the art of this Lowe tour poster. So, enjoy Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece!


Denmark's Mew has a new compilation titled "Eggs Are Funny" and it's now available in the U.S. on iTunes/Amazon. I am streaming it right now from their Facebook page.

Been listening to De/Vision's "Easy To Love Me" almost every day. I can't remember the original legal/free download URL, but this one should suffice. I think this track would have been among the best album tracks. Wonder why it was not included. I am looking forward to the Legends Of Synthpop Tour 2011, featuring De/Vision and Iris and Mesh!

This blog is starving for comments, so please say hello.

Ladytron full stream and some Firefox AK news

From Firefox AK's MySpace blog: "Firefox AK is near completion of her new album "Color the Trees". Recorded and produced in Stockholm by Andreas Mattsson (Popsicle/Hello Saferide etc), Lasse Mårtén and Björn Yttling (Lykke Li, Peter, Björn & John etc) and set for release in April. First single will be "Boom, Boom, Boom" due for release Feb 4th".

Listen to the entire Ladytron "Ace of Hz" EP on YouTube:

The 15th, Wire, Red Barked Tree

Fell asleep early and woke-up at an odd hour. Moved myself to The Computer. Loaded-up the new Wire album "Red Barked Tree" and found my first love of 2011. Wire has always been that band that my fellow DJs lauded. I was rather over-enthusiastic about "The 15th" when Fischerspooner covered that track.
Yeah, so I am all about Wire right now and I will be mentioning a couple acts when I can properly type (how soon is that? I'm caught up in Frank Gallagher's life at the moment, thank-you. Season 8 of Shameless). Need some more listens for now. Just search PyroFighter and Ghosthouse and get an early taste of my ramblings.

Shameless

Found something worth posting. It's a shoegaze track from an LA band called No Joy. The first few seconds instantly remind me of The Cure's "Prayers For Rain". Listen / download via Bandcamp here.
Ah, well now, what else. I have been more focused on T.V. and films of late. Saw the American version of "Shameless" and I hated it. I will admit that I thought "The Office" would never translate... but Shameless is too rooted in it's culture. Americans just do not have the same attachment to the pub, the Estates, the class system... William Macy is a great actor, but he's never going to be the Frank Gallagher I love. Oh well, call me an Anglophile. Maybe it's the Talbot in me. I was much more happy with the real Shameless episode 1 of Season 8.

Britpop's Not Dead

This band is keeping my hope alive for all that guitar-driven late 90's music that competed for my love of all that electronic non-sense of the day. Okay, not all of it was non-sense, to me. I found a foot in both camps and that was not the usual thing to do in those days. I loved pure electronic music as much as I loved the more organic efforts. It was always that way with me... I embraced the Madchester scene while blasting Skinny Puppy between Inspiral Carpets and The Charlatans and The Ocean Blue. All of this while hanging out with hard-core Goth people. They all had their dirty secrets too. If you met them today, you'd be right to poke holes in their facade.