Cut Copy
In Ghost Colours
Modular

When we last heard from our friends in Cut Copy, the Australian electro/rock/dance/pop trio were about to head over to NYC to record their latest album with Tim Goldsworthy, of DFA and UNKLE fame. We got excited. Well, now the boys have something to show for all their hard work, a great album full of killer New Order-ish pop jams peppered with some nice experimental/psychedelic/out there touches. You can tell the boys and Goldsworthy took some chances in making this album—and they certainly paid off.

Spoon
Don't You Evah
Merge Records

In a time of fly by night indie albums, you can always count on the venerable Austin group Spoon to deliver something of genuine quality. This new EP, comprised of remixes and alternate takes of their latest, greatest single “Don’t You Evah”, is no exception. Talents ranging from Diplo to Ted Leo to Matthew Dear all provide excellent reworks of the track, with Leo’s dub-influenced experiment being our favorite so far. Bonus nerd fact: this song is actually a cover of a song by the sadly defunct Brooklyn group the Natural History called “Don’t You Ever”. That one is collected here too. Recommended!

 

The Long Blondes
Couples
Rough Trade

It’s rather fitting that the Long Blondes named their latest LP Couples. After all, when it comes to writing bitingly sincere, funny, catchy power pop songs about relationships, the Long Blondes are ace. Thanks to some fantastic production from producer/DJ/guru Erol Alkan, the band is now back in fine form on their second full length album. Vocalist Kate Jackson’s witticisms have never sounded better and her band are no slouches either in the energy dept. If bands like the Buzzcocks and Au Pairs were still making good records for “today’s kids,” they would sound something like this—or at least they should.

GrandLife - Tribeca New York

"In an honest effort to introduce the unique and various types of music that downtown New York is listening to these days, I have put together a compilation that represents the downtown scene. Most of the bands included in this compilation either have stayed or performed in the Tribeca Grand. As they left an ever lasting effect on the scene we tried to pass this on to you, our guests, to give you a true piece of the city's cutting edge culture through the Tribeca compilation. Enjoy." - Creative Director, Tommy Saleh

Man Man
Rabbit Habits
Anti Records

If you were to pick one left of center rock album to purchase this quarter, Philadelphia chaos crew Man Man’s latest would certainly give you the most bang for your buck. While the group has developed a rabid fan base for their genre-smashing albums and cabaret-style live shows, the men of Man Man seem to be stretching out here and substituting their lovably chaotic Captain Beefheart-isms for some (relatively) straight forward rock arrangements and catchy hooks. Start with stand out track “Top Drawer” and explore from there—it’s well worth the trip.

GrandLife - Soho New York

The craft of song writing is alive and well in New York. The Soho Grand compilation documents the vibrant local NYC rock scene, from Ted Leo & The Pharmacists to the dance groove beats of !!! and the electronic infused rock of Postal Service.