After we saw the Dutch music/media site 3voor12 put together their Song Of The Year 2011, we thought that’s the only list left we didn’t pay attention to. So we made one.

Incubate’s Song Of The Year 2011 is a Youtube playlist with 100 songs. We didn’t make a top 100, because we didn’t know how to compare the drones of Natural Snow Buildings to the indiepop of Metronomy, to name two. So it’s no top 100 list, but it’s a nice way to get to know some music that the media kinda forgot about most of the time. We only had one rule while putting this together: only 1 song per band/act.

You cannot possibly like EVERY song here. It ranges from the death-metal of Ulcerate to the happy-pop of Retro Stefson. From the ambient of Tim Hecker to the indierock of The War On Drugs. And from the acoustics of Stranded Horse to the blunt hardcore of Trash Talk. Luckily for you, there’s a skip button, when you click ‘play all’ :-)

Have fun with it! Under the video is the complete list with all of the 100 songs.

(When you click the rectangle left of ’360p’ you can skip through the playlist)

In no particular order:
1. U.S. Girls – Island Song
2. The War On Drugs – Baby Missiles
3. Suuns – Bambi
4. Trash Talk – Awake
5. Rubik – Laws Of Gravity
6. Odonis Odonis – Blood Feast
7. Metronomy – The Look
8. Future Of The Left – Polymers Are Forever
9. Black Lips – Mr. Driver
10. Austra – Lose It
11. Rustie – After Light
12. Atlantis – She Loves All
13. M+A – Liko Lene Lisa
14. Esben And The Witch – Marching Song
15. True Widow – Blooden Horse
16. Cave In – Serpents
17. Zomby – Natalia’s Song
18. Battles ft. Matias Aguayo – Ice Cream
19. Blut Aus Nord – Epitome II
20. Boef En De Gelogeerde Aap – Echte Helden
21. Russian Circles – Mladek
22. Burial/Four Tet/Thom Yorke – Mirror
23. Teen Radiation – Surfer’s Paradise
24. King Creosote & Jon Hopkins – Bats In The Attic
25. Sleepingdog – Scary Movie
26. LUIK – A Fool
27. Touché Amoré – Home Away From Here
28. Stranded Horse – Jolting Moon (Live Acoustic)
29. Textures – Reaching Home
30. The Weeknd – Wicked Games
31. Balam Acab – Oh Why
32. Pterodactyl – School Glue
33. John Maus – Believer
34. Dirty Beaches – Lord Knows Best
35. Oathbreaker – Origin
36. HEALTH – Goth Star (Pictureplane cover)
37. Wooden Shjips – Lazy Bones
38. The Men – Bataille
39. EMA – California
40.  Charalambides – Before You Go
41. Korallreven ft. Julianna Barwick – Sa Sa Samoa
42. YOB – Prepare The Ground
43. Pinch & Shackleton – Burning Blood
44. Man Man – Piranhas Club
45. Ice Age – Broken Bones
46. Purling Hiss – The Hoodoo
47. Baby Dee – Brother Slug And Sister Snail
48. Holy Other – YR Love
49. Oneohtrix Point Never – Replica
50. Ulcerate – The Destroyers Of All
51. Retro Stefson – Kimba
52. Traumahelikopter – Roomservice
53.  Dead Neanderthals – Cubic Aesthetics
54. Rats On Rafts – Lalalala
55. Pariso – Birds
56. Julio Bashmore – Battle For Middle You
57. Kurt Vile – Jesus Fever
58. Rivulets – No Talking
59. Actress – Rainy Dub
60. Thurston Moore – Circulation
61. The Caretaker – Camaraderie At Arms Length
62. Graveyard – Hisingen Blues
63. Glassjaw – Gold
64. The Black Keys – Lonely Boy
65. Necros Christos – Doom Of Kali Maa/Pyramid Of Shakti Love /Flame Of Master Shiva
66. Gallops – Eukodol
67. Fair Ohs – Everything Is Dancing
68. Shazalakazoo – La Inconformable
69. Tombs – To Cross The Land
70. Leyland Kirby – They Are All Dead, There Are No Skip At All
71. Red Fang – Wires
72. Motor City Drum Ensemble – L.O.V.E.
73. Jürgen Müller – Sea Bed Meditation
74. Laurel Halo – Hour Logic
75. Peaking Lights – Amazing And Wonderful
76. Angel Olsen – Tiniest Lights
77. Kerouac – Fiends
78. Naked On The Vogue – Clock Of 12′s
79. Tim Hecker – Piano Drop
80. Light Asylum – Dark Allies
81. Wolves In The Throne Room – Astral Blood
82. Grouper – She Loves Me That Way
83. Royal Headache – Surprise
84. The Black Atlantic – Darkling, I Listen
85.The Soft Moon – Total Decay
86. Scooter – David Doesn’t Eat
87. Zola Jesus – Vessel
88. The Skull Defekts – Peer Amid
89. Memory Tapes – Yes, I Know
90. Nguzunguzu – Water Bass Power (Timesup Sand Mix)
91. The Fall – Mask Search
92. Circle Takes The Square – Enter By The Narrow Gates
93. Slugabed – Moonbeam Rider
94. Gross Magic – Sweetest Touch
95. Rainbow Arabia – Boys And Diamonds
96. Mastodon – Black Tongue
97. Klaus Beyer – Jedermann Hat Was Zu Verstecken Ausser Mir Und Mein Affen
98. Miracle Fortress – Miscalculations
99. Touchy Mob – Crooked Mist
100. Natural Snow Buildings – This Ice Fortress

Kieran Hebden, Steve Reid, Mats Gustafsson – Live At The South Bank

Now, this is something you cannot miss. A live album from one of the rare performances of this supertrio. You may know Kieran Hebden under his moniker Four Tet, Mats Gustaffson you may know from Incubate 2011 (he performed alongside Chris Corsano) and Steve Reid is a fucking jazz legend, so you better know him! The performance is captured on June 20th, 2009, in the foyer of Queen Elizabeth Hall at London’s Southbank Centre, part of the Meltdown Festival curated by Ornette Coleman.
It’s not only a masterly album of proficient craftsman, it’s also one of the last recordings of Steve Reid, who unfortunatly died of throat cancer in April. He had the pleasure of playing with Sun Ra Arkestra, James Brown, Fela Kuti and Miles Davis.
Even if you do not like jazz, you will probably like this. Absolutely stunning.
For fans of: Four Tet, Steve Reid, Mats Gustaffson, Chris Corsano, Sun Ra Arkestra.

Listen to Kieran Hebden, Steve Reid, Mats Gustaffson – Live At The South Bank on Spotify

Korallreven – An Album By Korallreven

If we have to believe the American blogs the only good music that’s being made right now is chillwave and dreampop related. Ofcourse, this is complete bollocks. But if you have to listen to one, ONE, dreamy popalbum, make sure it’s ‘An Album By Korallreven’. Korallreven aren’t from the US at all. Our Swedish friends have been around before this entire hype was catapulted when Cults self-titled album hit the charts. They don’t have vintage effect photos with Helvetica letters. They do have ambient soundscapes and some good melodies. ’Sa Sa Samoa’ up front.
For fans of: Cults, Toro Y Moi, Washed Out, Blouse

Listen to Korallreven – An Album By Korallreven on Spotify

Coliseum – Parasites EP

Punk has never been the genre containing a lot of renewal. So that’s why we have to cherish bands like Coliseum. A band that has it’s own sound and hold on to that. With influences of hardrock, a bit of sludge and a healthy dose of rock ‘n roll. They have done it for 3 albums now, and now their latest EP ‘Parasites’ remains on that road. So maybe there isn’t that much renewal after all. Fuck it, who cares. This rules.

Listen to Coliseum – Parasites EP on Spotify

Steve Hauschildt – Tragedy & Geometry

One of those albums that made it to a lot of yearlists within the Incubate crew, was Emeralds – Does It Look Like I’m Here? One of the creative minds behind that collective is Steve Hauschildt. Now, his first solo-album ‘Tradegy & Geometry’ has found it’s way onto Spotify for your entertainment. The Emeralds atmosphere is very present, but Hauschildt keeps his album chilled-out. Even ambient at times. Nevertheless, the hypnotics bleeps and the collage of sounds created here, will probably appeal to Emeralds-fans all over the world.
For fans of: Emeralds, Oneohtrix Point Never, Ital Tek, Demdike Stare

Listen to Steve Hauschildt – Tradegy & Geomertry on Spotify

Chris Watson – Le Tren Fantasma

Chris Watson is one of the leading personas in field recordings today. Not only does he work for BBC and did he play amongst Cabaret Voltaire, he also made ‘Weather Report’. An album, The Guardian listed as one of the thousand albums you have to hear before you die. It’s a masterpiece in the field recording and ambient scene. The follow-up to that critically acclaimed album has now arrived (pun intended). It’s called ‘El Tren Fantasma’, The Ghost Train. And again, the El Tran Fatasma tracks (pun intended) are very intruiging. Witness it yourself!
For fans of: Toshiya Tsunoda, Jacob Kirkegaard, Jana Winderen.

Listen to Chris Watson – El Tren Fantasma on Spotify

Bill Ryder-Jones – If…

Anybody still know that band The Coral? They released some great albums (such as the self-titled debut), but were never really picked up. Bill Ryder-Jones was the creative mind behind The Coral and now his solo debut is out. Fans of aforementioned band should watch out though: this is something entirely different. It’s a largely intrumental, orchestral album recorded with the help of the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. It’s a concept album based on Italo Calvino’s post modernist novel ‘If On A Winters Night’. It’s a gorgeous post modern record. Subtle and haunting.
For fans of: Jóhann Jóhannson, Ólafur Arnalds, Mark Zimmer, Philip Glass

Listen to Bill Ryder-Jones – If… on Spotify

Future Of The Left – Polymers Are Forever EP

We booked Future Of The Left on Incubate 2009. We already blogged about this EP. So are we fans? Yes we are. And this EP is wicked. And that’s just the B-sides. The full-length follow-up to ‘Travels With Myself And Another‘ is planned for early 2012.
For fans of: Future Of The Left, Mclusky, Arab Strap, Les Savy Fav

Listen to Future Of The Left – Polymers Are Forever EP on Spotify

Christina Vantzou – Prelude For Juan

Swelling violins, more violins, softer, louder, ambient synths. The only thing you need to do to enjoy this lovely smooth drone sound, is to close your eyes and enjoy. Christina Vantzou‘s album ‘No. 1‘ is set to be released this Monday on Kranky. To promote that release Vantzou gives us an understated video of  the track ‘Prelude For Juan’. Watch it below.

Deafhaven – Violet

We know and love the Deathwish Inc. label for their great hardcore-related bands. It comes as a suprise then, that this fine, fine black-metal release is coming from their label. The first track ‘Violet’ is the ultimate missing link to post-rock and black metal. A heavy but brilliant affaire by Deafhaven. If you haven’t yet, check out the ‘Roads To Judah‘ debut, released in April. Especially if you like the last Wolves In The Throne Room effort.

Demisery – Thralldom

The new band of Keith Merrow (the guy who released the awesome ‘Awaken The Stone King’) is a hefty tech-metal outfit under the moniker Demisery. For those who like their metal progressive, death or are getting sick of this ‘djent’ hype, should definitely check out the first teasertrack below. The album ‘Hive Of Mutation‘ is “coming soon” so you have to wait for that one.

Softspot – Notorious Debris

The EP is called ‘• † o u r • c a s s e † † e •‘ , so that has to be witchhouse, right? Wrong. Softspot is an experimental indie outfit from Brooklyn, NY (where else) fronted by Sarah Kinlaw. It’s pretty hard to describe the music they make. There is a Gang Gang Dance-feel to it. Or maybe a light-hearted EMA. Beautiful melodies, Kinlaw’s haunting voice and an amazing climax. We love this track.

Future Of The Left – Polymers Are Forever

We already posted about this over a week ago. But now you can listen to the first track. It’s great. We love this band. Listen to it on their Soundcloud.

An EP, titled ‘polymers are forever‘ will be released on 11th November on Remote Control (Australia) and on 14th November on XtraMile (Britain and Europe) with an initial small amount of imports being shoveled the way of the USA, that land mass which is a little to the left of Wales. Pleased doesn’t quite cover it. The possibilities, literally, are end-ful.

Running order is ‘polymers are forever’(*1), ‘with apologies to emily pankhurst’(*2), ‘new adventures’, ‘my wife is unhappy’, ‘dry hate’ and ‘destroywhitchurch.com’. It has a running time somewhere in the region of twenty one minutes and is ‘very nice’ ((c) my mother, last week). The first three songs are taken from the album sessions (see below) whilst the final three are earlier demos we didn’t have the time, money or inclination to re-record. At this stage I have no earthly idea if the EP will end up being pressed on vinyl but the chances, as ever, are dramatically increased the more people ask.

Just saying.

‘polymers are forever’ (the song not the entire EP) will appear on the album ‘the plot against common sense‘, which will be released in early 2012. More about this later(*4). We are really VERY VERY HAPPY with this record, which is perhaps ONE DAY away from being finished, whenever we can fit that in; I would like to apologise in advance to my bandmates and the cat(*5) for how drunk I get upon its completion.

(*1) I have read some pretty demented comments about this song after just one radio play (and subsequent streaming). Gary Numan? Obvious Cure references? LIMP BIZKIT? None of these are things. None. Of. These. Listen again. With ears. EARS. (*3)
(*2) this is the DELIBERATE title of the song. A reviewer for a magazine, who shall remain nameless changed ‘emily’ to ‘emmeline’ on a setlist she was given earlier this year. How cute.
(*3) laptop speakers do not count.
(*4) and I ask you to interpret the word ‘later’ generously.(*7)
(*5) the odd seizure and shitting-on-the-doorstep episode aside, Chicken is doing well.
(*6) one balls reference per blog – new policy.
(*7) this is code for ‘be patient’.

Hardcore punk and related stuff is what AsIce is all about. They have come up with a guide to Incubate for all of you that dig the harder music in life.

Check their Incubate guide here!

Thanks 3voor12!

Visit the SPECIAL Incubate 3voor12 site.

For anyone that wants to know what Incubate 2009 day #3 brings: you could take a look here.

Today is pretty much indie Tuesday. Future of the Left (remember McLusky? No? Remember My band is better than your band? Sing It!), the touring circus of Bonaparte and Drums are for Parades are for all you people dying to party NOW and do not want to wait for the weekend to start. For those of you that want a little more singer-songwriter, a little less action, you should head to Paradox to hear the beautiful songs of Tom Bugs, Silver Pyre and Gravenhurst. Yes these are the artists you will see on the bigger festivals in just a few years. See them now: pay less, and enjoy the smaller club shows!

Do not forget the performance of Nuno Lucas and Hermann Heisig, the exhibitions which you can attend with you incubate wristband, the short films, the humansacrifice gig, Kraaklink, the Darts meet Arts event and anything we forgot to tell you here.

Tuesday 15 September timeschedule

• Kunstpodium T
  • 16:00 – 19:30 Putting the Arts back into Darts
  • 20:00 – 21:00 Aart Strootman Kraaklink young composers event.
  • 21:00 – 23:00 Putting the Arts back into Darts
• De NWE Vorst
  • 20:30 – 21:30 Nuno Lucas Performance
• Cul de Sac
  • 23:30 – 00:30 Bonaparte ENTRANCE IS FREE
• Argument Vertoningsruimte
  • 19:30 – 20:00 humansacrifice
• V39
  • 20:30 – 21:15 Drums Are For Parades
  • 22:00 – 23:00 Future of the left
• Filmfoyer
  • 20:00 – 21:00 Taking No Shorts
• Paradox
  • 20:00 – 20:45 Tom Bugs
  • 21:00 – 21:45 Silver Pyre
  • 22:00 – 23:00 Gravenhurst

Exhibitions:

De Pont 11:00 – 17:00 Hermann Nitsch

Bibliotheek Tilburg Centrum: 11:00 – 21:00 Hermann Nitsch

Scryption 10:00 – 17:00 Hermann Nitsch

Argument Vertoningsruimte 14:00 – 18:00 Fritz Welch

On learn something every day you can learn something everyday, with doodles. Not every thing you learn is good by the way: We now fear for Incubate artist Future of the Left…

Via Archibald.

Kwadratuur.be Made a dossier about Incubate. So all the news concerning Incubate artists on their site will be highlighted there. Check it out here.

Including an streaming audiotrack by Blues Control and one of Amolvacy (when you’re there, click ‘play’ on the right)

Also they asked some prominent people in the Belgian art world to comment on which artists they recommended for Incubate 2009. A bit like our Incubate Gospel series. So why not incorporate them in our series, as they have some fantastic tips for you guys.

If you can read Dutch MUST check out the full article here!

Here a small summary:

Serge De Pauw – staff of Trix, working for Gonzo Circus
Troum, Gregg Kowalsky, Der Blutharsch, Shackleton, Wardruna.

Peter Deschamps – Also of Gonzo Circus
Mark Ernestus & Tikiman, Joker: “The future of dance music on Incubate”, The Caretaker, Jandek, Hermann Nitsch: “There are no reasons to miss this”

Steve Marreyt, Tommy Denys, Dave Driesmans – from Kraak
Hermann Nitsch: (Organ concerto), Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou, Aluk Todolo, Blues Control, Jandek, Cheveu.

Tom Vangheluwe – Music booker @ De Kreun
Soap & Skin, Jandek, Kayo Dot, Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou, Uri Caine, Drums Are For Parades, I Love Sarah, Subtitle, Pneu.

Patrick Smagghe – Music booker @ 4AD
Finn., Kim Janssen, Jessica Bailiff and Annelies Monseré, Future of the Left, Drums Are For Parades, Tv Buddhas, Orchestre Poly-Rythmo De Cotonou, Pierced Arrows.

read the full article here

It has been a while since we’ve ‘released’ a mixtape for our festival, but here is the new one! We’ve selected 35 songs from Incubate 2009 artists. All songs are shared by the artists/labels through their own websites or the great Last.fm as a free download, so Brein/RIAA or whatsoever, eat your fucking heart out (if they have one left anyway)!

You are free to mix the songs in every random order you want, we don’t claim any copyright and won’t release it on physical cd. Just the songs. For your pleasure!

Download ‘em all here and have fun listening! (right click and then ‘Save As’ or ‘Save Link As’):
1. Future of the left – Arming Eritrea (2:57)
2. The Notorious Hi-Fi Killers – In To The Light (3:58)
3. tUnE-YaRdS – Sunlight (3:47)
4. Fol Chen – Cable TV (3:04)
5. The Terrordactyls – Devices (2:26)
6. Pintandwefall – Volga (2:03)
7. Obstacles – Death Exercise (3:13)
8. Instruments (Make Music) – American Football Or American Football? (6:09)
9. Bodi Bill – I Like Holden Caulfield (3:50)
10. finn. – Electrify (3:00)
11. Pompeii – Rabbit Ears (3:53)
12. Caspian – Of Foam and Wave (6:16)
13. The Caretaker – Cloudy, Since You Went Away (4:12)
14. Rummelsnuff – Halt Durch! (3:19)
15. Blues Control – Tangier (7:59)
16. K-Branding – Nubian Heat (4:01)
17. Khuda – Lust (3:52)
18. Altar Of Plagues – I Am The Offering (6:12)
19. ON – Vital Times (3:49)
20. Misery Signals – The Failsafe (5:22)
21. Katadreuffe – Miniature Matadors (4:17)
22. Pulled Apart By Horses – High Five, Swan Dive, Nose Dive (3:01)
23. Hauschka – Freibad (4:30)
24. Jozef Van Wissem – It Is All That Is Made (4:42)
25. James Blackshaw – Cross (8:38)
26. Holy State – Skeleton Coast (2:58)
27. Kayo Dot – Marathon (10:14)
28. Jessica Bailiff & Annelies Monseré – Common Ground (2:23)
29. Troum – Dhànu-h (4:43)
30. Big City Orchestra – Crypt (6:06)
31. Virgin Passages – This is Not the End of the World Again (6:49)
32. Pirate Love – Lonely Streets (4:00)
33. Die!Die!Die! – Sideways Here We Come (4:31)
34. Dananananaykroyd – 1993 (4:44)
35. Antoni Maiovvi – The Chase Part 1 (6:27)

It might happen a link is (temporary) not working. Please contact our internetz department in that case :-)

update: someone was kind enough to put all this music into one file. Look in this comment box!

Even the municipality of Tilburg posted a link to this stuff! Great work guys!

It has been a while since we’ve ‘released’ a mixtape for our festival, but here is the new one! We’ve selected 35 songs from Incubate 2009 artists. All songs are shared by the artists/labels through their own websites or the great Last.fm as a free download, so Brein/RIAA or whatsoever, eat your fucking heart out (if they have one left anyway)!

You are free to mix the songs in every random order you want, we don’t claim any copyright and won’t release it on physical cd. Just the songs. For your pleasure!

Download ‘em all here and have fun listening! (right click and then ‘Save As’ or ‘Save Link As’):
1. Future of the left – Arming Eritrea (2:57)
2. The Notorious Hi-Fi Killers – In To The Light (3:58)
3. tUnE-YaRdS – Sunlight (3:47)
4. Fol Chen – Cable TV (3:04)
5. The Terrordactyls – Devices (2:26)
6. Pintandwefall – Volga (2:03)
7. Obstacles – Death Exercise (3:13)
8. Instruments (Make Music) – American Football Or American Football? (6:09)
9. Bodi Bill – I Like Holden Caulfield (3:50)
10. finn. – Electrify (3:00)
11. Pompeii – Rabbit Ears (3:53)
12. Caspian – Of Foam and Wave (6:16)
13. The Caretaker – Cloudy, Since You Went Away (4:12)
14. Rummelsnuff – Halt Durch! (3:19)
15. Blues Control – Tangier (7:59)
16. K-Branding – Nubian Heat (4:01)
17. Khuda – Lust (3:52)
18. Altar Of Plagues – I Am The Offering (6:12)
19. ON – Vital Times (3:49)
20. Misery Signals – The Failsafe (5:22)
21. Katadreuffe – Miniature Matadors (4:17)
22. Pulled Apart By Horses – High Five, Swan Dive, Nose Dive (3:01)
23. Hauschka – Freibad (4:30)
24. Jozef Van Wissem – It Is All That Is Made (4:42)
25. James Blackshaw – Cross (8:38)
26. Holy State – Skeleton Coast (2:58)
27. Kayo Dot – Marathon (10:14)
28. Jessica Bailiff & Annelies Monseré – Common Ground (2:23)
29. Troum – Dhànu-h (4:43)
30. Big City Orchestra – Crypt (6:06)
31. Virgin Passages – This is Not the End of the World Again (6:49)
32. Pirate Love – Lonely Streets (4:00)
33. Die!Die!Die! – Sideways Here We Come (4:31)
34. Dananananaykroyd – 1993 (4:44)
35. Antoni Maiovvi – The Chase Part 1 (6:27)

It might happen a link is (temporary) not working. Please contact our internetz department in that case :-)

update: someone was kind enough to put all this music into one file. Look in the comment box!

1. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavillion

2. Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca

3. Fever Ray – Fever Ray

4. The Low Frequency In Stereo – Futuro

5. Land Of Kush – Against The Day

6. Blues Control – Local Flavor

7. Neokarma Jooklo Trio – Time’s Vibes

8. Dan Deacon – Bromst

9. Tomàn – Where Wolves Wear Wolves Wear

10. Bill Callahan – Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle

11. Black Dice – Repo

12. Iran – Dissolver

13. Future Of The Left – Travels With Myself And Another

14. Woods – Songs Of Shame

15. Yoñlu – A Society in Which No Tear Is Shed Is Inconceivably Mediocre

16. Micachu & The Shapes – Jewellery

17. The Phantom Band – Checkmate Savage

18. Zola Jesus – New Amsterdam

19. K-Branding – Facial Heat

20. Japandroids – Post-Nothing

21. Zu – Carboniferous

22. Bronnt Industries Kapital – Hard For Justice

23. jj – jj n°2

24. Baïkonour – Your Ear Knows Future

25. Magnolia Electric Co. – Josephine

Lord Cut-Glass is the new vessel of Alun Woodward, formerly singer of Scottish band The Delgados. His first solo album is released this week on Chemikal Underground. If you’ve heard The Delgados earlier, this one will probably strike you as more upbeat and cheerful than its predecessor. Lord Cut-Glass is an album full with rich arrangements and nice pop tunes.

Scuzzy noise-rock three-piece Future of the Left features members of Mclusky and Jarcrew. When both these band fell apart, FOTL was born. Their debut album Curses was released in the fall of 2007. A live album, 2008′s Last Night I Saved Her from Vampires, became the band’s 4AD debut; early the following year, the single The Hope That House Built signalled Future of the Left’s heavier attack on their second album, Travels with Myself and Another, which arrived a little while ago.

White Denim is a bluesy, garage-rock trio, hailing from Austin, Texas. Their new album Fits fuses together garage rock, dub, soul, country, post-punk, blues, psychedelic and folk with home-based recording, intense looping work and unusual song structures. A very inventive threesome, Fits is an album you should really hear, definitely one of the best surprises this week.

Tinkering about somewhere between the earthy and the ethereal, Sweet Billy Pilgrim scrape strings and tap away at laptops trying to make beautiful things with steady hands and empty pockets. A track of their latest album, Twice Born Men, was already featured on the Wire Tapper 21, and this is probably indie at its best. Ian Mathers of Stylus wrote, “Sweet Billy Pilgrim’s debut album has swallowed me whole.” That’s even more likely with Twice Born Men, a richer, sadder, and even more engrossing experience.