Sonny Smith's 100 Records

Sonny Smith, the talented San Franciscan songwriter behind the great Sonny & The Sunsets, created 100 fictional bands and wrote and recorded an original song for each for the unbelievably fun project "100 Records." Along with the music, Smith pairs hilariously low-budget original album covers created by himself and fellow artists. To top it all off, the 100 songs can all be played on a jukebox built by Smith. "100 Records" was recently shown at San Francisco's Gallery 16 and is now at Brooklyn's Cinders Gallery through to September 5th. Check it out if you're in the area. If you're not, like me, then let's hope these songs get a release.

Sonny & The Sunets - "The Hypnotist" (from The Hypnotist 7")

Video: Washed Out - "Hold Out"

John Lipari's video for the Washed Out track "Hold Out" is a cut above the rest, with its timely edits mixing dance-frenzied concert footage, scenic glances out the van window, and plenty of rest stop shots to create the perfect nostalgic document for the band's 2009 spring tour.

Washed Out - "Feel It All Around" (from Life of Leisure)

Miami Horror - "Holidays (Feat. Alan Palomo)"

Yes—whether it's VEGA, Ghosthustler or Neon Indian—anything Alan Palomo touches seems to turn to gold—albeit a 1980s, disco-tinged and dance-friendly variety. Here, Palomo guests on Australian talent Ben Plant's project Miami Horror with that familiar neo-Michael Jackson sense of bass-thumping percussive groove. It's Friday and this song is irresistible.

Miami Horror - "Holidays (Feat. Alan Palomo)" (from Illumination)

Navajo Bixby - "Down Under"

It's been almost a year since I last wrote about Navajo Bixby, the project of New Jersey's Judd Hower. Hower, a master of collage, takes elements from genres like tropicalia, Afro-pop, and 60s surf rock and mixes and matches them into a layered psychedelic-laced cake. On "Down Under," the group's newest track, a tremolo-infused rhythm guitar stretches over a reverb-heavy mix of tambourine, hazy but quickly delivered vocals and an unbelievably catchy guitar riff. Dig in and enjoy.

Navajo Bixby - "Down Under"

New El Guincho - "FM Tan Sexy"

El Guincho's released another free single, "FM Tan Sexy," from his upcoming September 14th full-length, Pop Negro. Pablo Díaz-Reixa recently chatted with Frantik Mag about the record and had some incredibly specific insights to share:

"...Production is based on hi-fi aesthetics from the golden era of recordings. I did some research on radio hits/big selling singles in North America, South America, England and Spain in the late 70′s, 80′s and early 90′s. I found out that a massive percentage of these hits were engineered (sometimes also produced) by just around 40/50 different guys.

I started studying what makes them different but also what they had in common and I found out some really interesting coincidences. The reverbs they used (except for more 'so-eighties' kind of tracks, all the rest were more keen on using different tap tempo delays as verbs rather tan proper springs/halls); the backing vocals production (there are super interesting coincidences between Michael Jackson/Quincy, U2, Bryan Ferry/Rhett Davies era productions, Mariah Carey/Walter Afanasyev, Nile Rodgers, Teddy Riley, Paco Trinidad in Spain, etc.); the way most of these guys used line + reamping style instead of mic’ing everything when tracking; the way they used stereo image and how they distributed sounds on space (this is where I found less coincidences and was therefore more inspired). I mean, I could go on and on about this if you want, I’ve been obsessed with this for last 3 years..."

Read the rest of the interview here.

El Guincho - "FM Tan Sexy" (from Pop Negro)

Magic Kids - Memphis

Like splashing into a cold pool on a hot and humid summer day, the Magic Kids' Memphis is a record that immediately refreshes and reinvigorates—calling upon the innocent and wide-eyed, pop-crazy child that lies secretly inside every jaded music fan. There's absolutely no holding back here by chief songwriters and production leaders Bennet Foster and Will McElroy—both formerly of the short-lived Barbaras—as songs like album-opener "Phone" and "Superball" race out of the tracks with unrestrained exuberance and joy. In many ways, the Magic Kids are throwbacks to the blissful and carefree scene of early 1960s pop music (think "That Thing You Do") that trade current musical personality traits like self-consciousness and self-pity for relentlessly sunny threads of nostalgia, hope and happiness. Even a potentially blue theme like crying is treated with orchestral pop flourishes, sending "Cry With My Baby" into a Zombies-meets-rockabilly affair of pristine vocal arrangements and clean cutting rhythm guitar work. If there's one record that can put an extra hop into your step in 2010, it's surely Memphis.

Magic Kids - "Hey Boy" (from Memphis)

Magic Kids - "Summer" (from Memphis)

Magic Kids - "Superball" (from Memphis)

New Starfucker - "Julius"

To celebrate their recent signing to Polyvinyl Record Co., Portland's Starfucker have released the brand spanking new single "Julius" as a free download. The song will be physically released on blue vinyl October 12th as a 7" with B-side "Helium Muffin." The track will also be featured on the band's forthcoming full-length, due out early 2011. And if you didn't already know, that short-lived name change to Pyramiddd is a thing of the past—it's Starfucker from here on out. Check here for Fall tour dates.

Starfucker - "Julius" (from Julius 7")

Roundup: August

If Sharon Jones and her Dap Kings go straight for the physical and guttural release of funk, then Fitz and The Tantrums find their place in the house of Motown, dripping with sweet ear-catching honey-eyed soul music on their second full-length.

Fitz and The Tantrums - "MoneyGrabber" (from Pickin' Up The Pieces)

After a brief hiatus with the progressive snyth-pop duo Discovery, Wes Miles and the rest of Ra Ra Riot have returned to form with their typically beautiful brand of shimmering pop music on The Orchard.

Ra Ra Riot - "Boy" (from The Orchard)

Jack Tatum's Wild Nothing is set to return with an EP this fall named after the title-track, Golden Haze, which sounds just like its title suggests—dreamy and drifting pop music clouded only by its own fog of synth pads.

Wild Nothing - "Golden Haze" (from Golden Haze EP)

This intelligent and veteran New York City guitar band takes an especially fast and tight turn on their fifth full-length studio release. Just take a listen to the anthemic "Let's Get Out of Here," complete with angular guitar riffs and a pounding bass.

Les Savy Fav - "Let's Get Out of Here" (from Root For Ruin)

Portland's Parenthetical Girls will be releasing their next LP Privilege in the form of five seperate 12" vinyl EPs illustrated by talented Swede Jenny Mörtsell. Each 12" is limited to a run of 500. Check out the dance-floor-ready, synth-blazing single "Young Throats."

Parenthetical Girls - "Young Throats" (from Privilege Pt. II: The Past, Imperfect)

Bethany Cosentino makes mixtape; digs Josie Cotton

Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast recently made a mixtape for the UK's Independent. One of the great pulls is Josie Cotton's "Johnny, Are You Queer?" which was used in the very early Nichols Cage film Valley Girl—a 1980s punk rocker meets privileged rich girl tale that also featured the anthemic track "Melt With You" by Modern English. You can check out the rest of Cosentino's track list and listen here.

Josie Cotton - "Johnny, Are You Queer?" (from Convertible Music)

Little Gold - Completely Fucked! / Chainsaw 7"

"Completely fucked inside your motor home. Whoa, oh oh oh."

Former Woods and Meneguar member Christian Deroeck released his first 7" with Brooklyn trio Little Gold last month on Heart Break Records. A little bit country, a little bit rock and roll, these tracks rip along with pounding drums, blazing guitar riffs and harmonies and hooks aplenty. Order the 7" on orange vinyl here.

Little Gold - "Completely Fucked!" (from Completely Fucked! / Chainsaw 7")

Little Gold - "Chainsaw" (from Completely Fucked! / Chainsaw 7")

She & Him - "Fools Rush In"

M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel of She & Him recently recorded a fun cover of the Johnny Mercer and Rube Bloom classic "Fools Rush In." The song is part of the Levi's Pioneer Session series that also features cover songs by The Shins, The Dirty Projectors and The Swell Season. You can grab the rest of the songs here.

She & Him - "Fools Rush In"

Doris Troy - "Just One Look"

"Just One Look" is an infectiously happy song recorded by Doris "Mama Soul" Troy back in 1963. There are some absurdly terrible covers by Rick Springfield, Linda Ronstadt and the Hollies and it's very sad that these exist—please avoid them. The original, however, is a beautiful guitar and piano pairing that bounces along under the timeless vocals of Troy which prove irresistible to sing along to time and again.

Doris Troy - "Just One Look" (from Sings Just One Look and Other Memorable Selections)

Weekend - "End Times"

San Francisco trio Weekend take Peter Hook bass riffs and sail them out into an ethereal post-punk oblivion. The band, whose debut LP Sports comes out November 9th, will be touring this Fall with their Slumberland labelmates The Pains of Being Pure At Heart. Check out the dates here.

Weekend - "End Times" (from Weekend/Young Prisms Split 7")

The Pains of Being Pure At Heart - "Say No To Love" (from Say No To Love single)

Concretes - "Good Evening"

Stockholm's The Concretes are returning to the music world with the disco-infused album WYWH on October 4th. You can grab the excellent bass-thumping first single "Good Evening" for free now. And if you prefer a more ethereal flare to your disco jams, there's also a tasteful remix by Blackbird Blackbird.

The Concretes - "Good Evening" (from WYWH)
The Concretes - "Good Evening (Blackbird Blackbird remix)"

Sharon Van Etten & Marie Claire Balabanian - "Keep Trying"

The chaps at Yours Truly have a great new video up with Sharon Van Etten. Aside from performing her excellent new single "One Day," Van Etten also performs a duet with Marie-Claire Balabanian of Speck Mountain. The song, "Keep Trying," was originally written as part of a compilation for the web-based label Eardrums Pop.

Sharon Van Etten and Marie-Claire Balabanian - "Keep Trying" (from Between Two Waves Vol. B)

Also recommended:

Speck Mountain - "I Feel Eternal" (from Some Sweet Relief)

The Interns - "One of My Own"

Athens band The Interns, who share almost all of its members with the excellent Futurebirds, have a free EP up now on their Bandcamp page that revels in a beautiful and languid alternative country rock landscape. Check out the reverb-heavy drive of "One of My Own" below and then grab the rest of the tracks here.

The Interns - "One of My Own" (from The Interns EP)

Seu Jorge - "Chega No Suingue"

Born in a favela (otherwise known as a shanty town) in Brazil, Seu Jorge—who famously covered David Bowie songs in The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou and played the tragic character Knockout Ned in City of God—has risen to become one of Brazil's most talented and widely recognized artists. And while an acoustic Portuguese cover of "Life On Mars" may send chills up my spine, there's also something to be said for Jorge's original, largely samba-influenced work—a perfect summertime pairing.

Seu Jorge - "Chega No Suingue" (from Carolina)

Summer Camp - "Round The Moon"

Londoners Jeremy Warmsley and Elizabeth Sankey of Summer Camp are set to release their Young EP on September 6th via Moshi Moshi. The song "Round The Moon"—one of the many bright spots on this John Hughes, 80s-obsessed voyage (please also see track "Jake Ryan" named after this guy)—is now paired with equally retro footage taken from the 1970 Roy Andersson film, En kärlekshistoria (A Swedish Love Story). Preorder the Young EP here.

Summer Camp - "Jake Ryan" (from Young EP)
Summer Camp - "Ghost Train" (from Young EP)

Sharon Van Etten - "One Day"

Sharon Van Etten, the wondrous Brooklyn talent behind last year's Because I Was In Love, released two new songs today on iTunes in preparation for her forthcoming October 5th full-length follow-up, Epic. Preview the track here and once you're inevitably sold, follow the iTunes link below to grab it. Also, if you haven't downloaded her session from Weathervan Music, you should do that now—it's easily been one of the year's best tracks.

Stream: Sharon Van Etten - "One Day" (from Epic)

El Guincho - "Bombay"

El Guincho, otherwise known as Spanish musician Pablo Díaz-Reixa, released a new single from his forthcoming LP Pop Negro a few weeks back and the song, "Bombay," is quite the doozy. Dominated by a steel drum melody, a reverby wall of shakers and a thunderous bass drum, Díaz-Reixa uses his knowledge of Latin and African polyrhythms to transport the listener to a tropical paradise dripped in funk and dance music. Pop Negro is out September 14th via Young Turks.

El Guincho - "Bombay" (from Pop Negro)

Juston Stens & The Get Real Gang's Debut EP

I first posted about the solo project of former Dr. Dog drummer Juston Stens back in Febuary, which promised a low key and charismatic sound via excellent renditions of Tom Petty and Floating Action songs. Now Stens and his Get Real Gang are offering up their debut EP completely free. Just plug in your email below and snag 5 soulful rock and roll tracks. If you dig, there's also a full-length in the works to be recorded later this year with Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys on production detail.

Juston Stens & The Get Real Gang - "Falling" (from Juston Stens & The Get Real Gang EP)

Magic Kids - "Superball"

The Magic Kids have released another single from their upcoming August 23rd full-length debut, Memphis. The song, "Superball," is a ridiculously peppy two-and-a-half minutes of pop sunshine. If you pre-order the album, you can get the MP3s now.

Magic Kids - "Superball" (from Memphis)

Erik Gage - "Little Brother"

Erik Gage, a member of the rabid Portland band White Fang as well as the curator of Gnar Tapes, releases solo music a few times a year via cassette tape. "Little Brother," taken from last year's Inner Cosmic, is a rough gem and a must listen—a bong-filled basement recording full of whistles, acoustic guitar and emotive loosely layered vocals. If you're a fan, make sure to look out for Memories—Gage's forthcoming project with fellow White Fanger Kyle Handley. And if you're a Portlander looking for new music, Gage's Gnar Tapes and local label Marriage Records are wonderful places to start.

Erik Gage - "Little Brother" (from Inner Cosmic)
White Fang - "Tall Shadow" (from Pure Evil)

Arcade Fire :: The Suburbs

The Arcade Fire—one of the great success stories and astonishingly popular groups in independent rock—released their third record today to the usual critical "oohs" and "aahs." This is no Funeral and it certainly isn't Neon Bible. The Suburbs is a new album with its own thoughtful twists and turns in sound and message. Most surprising and appealing are the electronic and synth-driven direction of tracks like the Win Butler led "Half Light II (No Celebration)" and wife/bandmate Régine Chassagne's "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)." The sprightly bounce of the piano in the title track and "We Used To Wait" is also a welcome addition to the band's repertoire, beautifully contrasting the otherwise dark undercurrent of the Arcade Fire sound. Clearly, this is an album you should own—and today you can, for just $3.99 from Amazon.

Arcade Fire - "Headlights Look Like Diamonds" (from The Arcade Fire EP)

Stream: Arcade Fire - "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)" (from The Suburbs)