“Josie”

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Three years of struggle, patience and loss. Thorough contemplation and tests of faith. The Darcys persist in 2011-12 with two releases. The first was an original studio album produced by Murray A. Lightburn of The Dears, and featuring 10 hauntingly beautiful songs, meticulously crafted and rich in dynamics and noise. The second and latest is a chilling and unlikely reimagining of Steely Dan’s 1977 classic AJA. These recordings, along with The Darcys’ massive, immaculate live performances, are evidence of a band whose moment has finally arrived. A group strengthened by its time and trials, whose future is built solely on the strength of its ideas and music of genuine depth and substance.

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The first single off the new album, “Josie”, was recently featured on Rolling Stone.com. Giving a nod to one of their favorite bands, The Darcys decided to craft their version of “Josie” in a decidedly different tone.”With ‘Josie,’ we wanted to create an ominous mood to close the record. The Steely Dan version plays like a breezy pop song about a beautiful girl, but the lyrics hint at violence and reckless abandon,” The Darcys’ Wes Marskell says. “Who is Josie to incite all of this? And where has she been? We loved the incongruity between Steely Dan’s feel and lyrical content, but our goal was to subvert the original by undermining that polarity.”

The Darcys – “Don’t Bleed Me”

“Tired”

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Amazon released their annual Best Of Lists this week and we couldn’t be happier about the IODA-distributed inclusions! From IODA faves Chikita Violenta to the soulful folk of Shelby Earl’s Burn The Boats, it’s been a great year for IODA-distributed artists. Congrats to all the artists and labels mentioned. Hit the jump for the rest of our inclusions and more promotracks!

Outstanding 2011 Albums You Might Have Missed:
#1 – Shelby Earl – Burn the Boats [Local 638 Records]
#6 – Chikita Violenta – TRE3S [Arts & Crafts]
#36 – My Goodness – My Goodness [Sarathan Records]
#50 – Loch Lomond – Little Me Will Start A Storm [Tender Loving Empire]
#59 – Delicate Steve – Wondervisions [LUAKA BOP]
#65 – Apollo Brown – Clouds [Mello Music Group]
#66 – Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes – Civilized Man [Daniel Ellsworth Music]
#87 – Blouse – Blouse [ Captured Tracks]
#91 – Crystal Stilts – In Love With Oblivion [Slumberland Records]

The 100 Best Albums of 2011:
#76 – Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes – Civilized Man [Daniel Ellsworth Music]
#84 – Soft Moon – Total Decay [Captured Tracks]

The Best Songs of 2011:
#7 – Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes – “Shoe Fits” from Civilized Man [Daniel Ellsworth Music]
#41 – Parenthetical Girls – “Careful Who You Dance With” from Privilege, Pt. III: Mend & Make Do [Slender Means Society]

Grab some more free Promotracks from these great artists:

Shelby Earl
“Under Evergreen” (mp3)
from “Burn The Boats”
(Local 638 Records)

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Loch Lomond
“Elephants & Little Girls” (mp3)
from “Little Me Will Start A Storm”
(Tender Loving Empire)

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Apollo Brown
“Never in a Million Years” (mp3)
from “Clouds”
(Mello Music Group)

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Blouse
“Videotapes” (mp3)
from “Blouse”
(Captured Tracks)

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Feist just released the first video off her critically acclaimed new album Metals. It’s an eerie, dark accompaniment for “How Come You Never Go There” featuring Feist herself sporting extremely long wavy hair while dancing through ferns.

Take a peek below and over at Feist’s official VEVO channel.

Typhoon
“The Honest Truth” (mp3)
from “A New Kind of House”
(Tender Loving Empire)

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Son Lux
“Weapons VI” (mp3)
from “Weapons – EP”
(anticon)

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Chikita Violenta
“All I Need’s a Little More” (mp3)
from “TRE3S”
(Arts & Crafts)

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Chikita Violenta on La Blogotheque

Sister Crayon – “I’m Still The Same Person”

Daddy Lion – “Morning”

Australian-based Sally Seltmann is an award-winning songwriter and singer who formerly recorded and performed under the name New Buffalo. Her third full-length album, Heart That’s Pounding, is available on April 6 in North America. Seltmann is best known for co-writing the hit song “1234” (performed by Feist), but known also by her acclaimed full-lengths under the name, New Buffalo.

2005’s The Last Beautiful Day featured performances from Beth Orton and the Dirty Three’s Jim White, who played drums on three of the tracks. Seltmann’s stunning second album, Somewhere, anywhere (2007) features guest vocals from her husband Darren Seltmann (The Avalanches) and Kellie Sutherland (Architecture in Helsinki). Sally Seltmann has toured Europe, North America and Australia with such artists as Cat Power, Feist, Bright Eyes, Stars, The Concretes and Broken Social Scene and made fans of such of artists as Jens Lekman, with whom she performed a duet. More recently, Bon Iver covered the New Buffalo song “Emotional Champ” from Somewhere, anywhere.

Following in the success of Heart That’s Pounding, Sally is about to embark on a major North American tour; here’s the dates:

10 Jun 2010 20:00   Jammin’ Java:    Vienna, VA
11 Jun 2010 19:00   World Cafe Live: Philadelphia, PA
12 Jun 2010 20:00   The Saint:   Asbury Park, NJ
14 Jun 2010 19:00   Joe’s Pub:  New York, NY
15 Jun 2010 20:00   Union Hall:   Brooklyn, NY
17 Jun 2010 20:00   Le Cagibi:   Montreal, Quebec, CANADA
18 Jun 2010 21:00   SUPERMARKET:  Toronto, Ontario, CANADA
21 Jun 2010 20:00   Schubas Tavern:  Chicago, Illinois
24 Jun 2010 20:00   High Dive:  Seattle, WA
26 Jun 2010 21:00   The Woods:   Portland, OR
28 Jun 2010 21:00   Rickshaw Stop:   San Francisco, California
30 Jun 2010 20:00  Troubadour:    West Hollywood, CA

And here’s a brand new video for her single “Dream About Changing:”

Kings Go Forth
“One Day” (mp3)
from “The Outsiders Are Back”
(Luaka Bop)

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What we say: Awesome, dirt encrusted, fun loving, soul from Milwaukee  Like a beautiful, dusty 1970s 7” found in a  Midwest yard sale.  Makes Sharon Jones seem like a Vegas revue. – Erik Gilbert

What the critics say: “With a string of prized 45s and an upcoming debut on Luaka Bop, Milwaukee’s Kings Go Forth set their songs in that fleeting moment when soul transmogrified into disco, emphasizing tight percussion, lyrics that address heartache with dignity and composure, and stirring harmonies that draw from the Blue Notes, the Pips, the Impressions, and a thousand regional acts lost to time.” – Pitchfork

Full length , “The Outsiders are Back” out April 13,2010.

Zeus
“Marching Through Your Head” (mp3)
from “Say Us”
(Arts & Crafts)

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What we say: Saw them at the IODA party and spent the rest of SXSW planning my schedule around when I could see them next, whether it was just Zeus or Zeus as Jason Collett’s backing band. A great rock act in the vein of Spoon or Wilco, Zeus has three vocalists who alternate lead singer, guitarist, bassist and pianist roles- they kept us guessing and delightfully entertained. Their album “Say Us” on Arts & Crafts is solid, but to properly enjoy Zeus you need to see them live.

Texas Tornados
“Who’s to Blame Senorita” (mp3)
from “Esta Bueno”
(Bismeaux Records)

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What we say: Another adventure away from 6^th street that I really enjoyed was getting to check out the Texas Tornadoes, an all-start tex-mex supergroup.  Highlights include “She’s About A Mover,” (originally by Texas Tornadoes singer’s father Doug Sahm) which when I was younger remembered as being “She’s a Body Mover.” Members include the legendary keyboard player Augie Meyers of the Sir Douglas Quintet the & Freddy Fender.

Geographer
“Kites” (mp3)
from “Animal Shapes – EP”
(Tricycle Records)

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What we say:  What was a San Francisco native doing at the Bay Area Takeover in Austin? Can’t I see these bands anytime back home? Yes; but I’d just become enraptured with this synth pop trio.  They make soaring pop melodies that sound so fresh and far from overwrought. Lead singer Mike Deni’s vocals are impeccable live.  This is the kind of band you just really want to make it. – Jillian

What the critics say: “Tailor-made for your own personal late-night dance party.” -Spin Magazine

Sleepy Sun
“Sandstorm Woman” (mp3)
from “IODA SXSW Opening Day Bash Sampler 2010″
(ioda)

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What we say: The IODA SXSW party was my first time seeing Sleepy Sun live, and boy did they bring the goods.  They had me at hello, but what absolutely sold me was their totally slamming closing cover of “No Sugar Tonight” by the immortal Guess Who.  Such an awesome, unexpected way to ring out a great day of great music.  The entire crowd was smiling and totally appreciative — especially this guy. Thanks guys! – Matt (Seconded by Adam)

What the critics say: “While much of Embrace draws on the alchemic power of the jam, most notably the billowing white-noise eruption of ‘White Dove,’ it’s a keen grasp of songwriting nuance that differentiates them from the legions of neo-psych charlatans.” – Under The Radar

Artist

The high energy adolescent explosion that is Los Campesinos! returns with their second full length album, Romance is Boring. Hot off the critically acclaimed and publicly adored 2008 mini-album, We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed, the seven-piece group hailing from Wales has pieced together a more filled out and firmed LP that leaves none of their unique and admired qualities behind, but rather develops them into a sound that’s bigger, deeper, more complex, and more direct than anything the group has recorded before. Romance Is Boring is filled out with added brass, strings, drum machines, and electronics, and packed with guest spots from proven musicians such as Jamie Stewart of Xiu Xiu, Zac Pennington of Parenthetical Girls, and Jherek Bischoff of the Dead Science. While they may not quite sound like the giddy sugar rush that was powered by adrenaline, youth, paranoia, and angst in their earlier work, Los Campesinos! looses none of their trademark energy, but rather employs it in new, exciting ways.

First off, their sound has clearly been refined and nurtured, leading it to expand and bloom with the help of veteran producer and Broken Social Scene collaborator John Goodmanson (Sleater-Kinney, Bikini Kill, Wu-Tang Clan). The recording itself is layered, complicated, and masterfully puzzled together to create a wild yet harmoniously arranged flare of color, energy and emotion. The group fits in well with the Arts & Crafts records line up, as they, like all A&C artists, manage to musically capture some of life’s most unique and fleeting emotions and moments that everyone experiences, but also has a hard time describing in words. While you may not be able to quite put a finger on exactly what you feel in these situations, it is music like this that can at least capture the feeling, take you back to those moments and trigger a sort of emotional Déjà vu. Los Campesinos! particular brand of nostalgia is enhanced by their newly added instrumentation which gives a previously absent depth to their sound. The builds are more tremendous, the calm bits are even more private and euphoric, and the energy is now driven more by musicianship than the pure, wild adrenaline of a new hot band on the rise. This, in turn, seems to mark a promise that the groups evolution will continue and they will remain an indie-pop staple for years to come.

Like label-mates Stars, the Campesinos have a dual-headed vocal attack featuring male and female parts. Where they differ from stars is the manner it’s employed: Stars uses their call and response strategy to enact adult conversations about affairs, romance, and enticing city nightlife. Campesinos, however, stage young, philosophic arguments about everything and anything that reads as a series of cut up diary entries from a young man and woman in the throes of early adulthood. In a show of their growing maturity, the group includes slower, personal encounters with songs such as “The Sea is A Good Place to Think of the Future” to show a range against their signature explosions like “There are Listed Buildings.” If you were a fan of the last EP, Romance is Boring will deliver everything you love about Los Campesinos! and show you a side of the group never before explored. A great step forward for a talented unit.

Fresh out of the editing room, here’s their brand new video for the title track “Romance Is Boring” via PitchforkTV:

Here’s a track to go off Romance Is Boring to take with you:
Los Campesinos!
“There Are Listed Buildings” (mp3)
from “Romance Is Boring”
(Arts & Crafts)

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The Most Serene Republic
“Heavens To Purgatory” (mp3)
from “…And The Ever Expanding Universe”
(Arts & Crafts)
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Genre: Alternative
Release Date: 7/14/09
UPC:827590440029
Territory: Worldwide

The Most Serene Republic is a Canadian indie rock band formed in Milton, Ontario, by band members Adrian Jewett, Ryan Lenssen, and Nick Greaves, who had all left school to pursue more artistic ventures. The band takes its name from the sobriquet of formerly independent Venice under the Doges, which was regarded as “The Most Serene Republic of Venice.” The six-piece released its debut album, Underwater Cinematographer, in 2005 on the Juno Award-stockpiling Arts & Crafts label. As the first band on A&C that isn’t related in one way or another to Broken Social Scene (though Ryan and Adrian perform sometimes in their live shows), this group of newcomers draw a curious eye in the labels roster and have subsequently set out to create a discography of unique and engrossing material. They later released a tour EP in spring/summer of 2006, titled Phages, capturing more of the sweep of their highly recommended live performances alongside BSS, Metric, Stars, and The Strokes. Their sophomore album Population was released by Arts & Crafts in 2007 to positive reviews for their complex, precise, and highly layered sound.

With their previous two acclaimed albums and an EP already under their belts, these just now 24-year old musicians have prepped their third full-length, …And The Ever Expanding Universe. Produced by Dave Newfeld (Broken Social Scene, Super Furry Animals), their new record depicts Republic confidently striding forward with a more mature, diverse and exhilarating sound fueled by classical piano, an obsession with musical history, attention to detail, and Joycian stream-of-conscious lyrics.
Here’s what Much Music’s online blog, The New Music has to say about TMSR’s new album, a great description if we may say so:

“Recorded with Broken Social Scene’s in-house producer Dave Newfeld, the band’s third full-length, …And the Ever Expanding Universe, begins with a grand proclamation in “Bubble Reputation,” an urgent opus filled with dizzying twists and turns. From there both “Phi” and “Four Humours” borrow some ancestral inspiration from forefathers Broken Social Scene with heavy distortion and tight Teutonic drumming.

But it’s the album’s central couplet of “All of One is the Other” and “Patternicity” that really introduces the listener to this TMSR’s unlimited ability. The former is a sweeping comedown accentuated by undulating piano keys and languid vocals. The latter is arguably the finest moment of their six-year career: an instrumental juggernaut that eschews the band’s more pop tendencies for classical brilliance and a string-led, dramatic arc that sounds as though it was designed for a BBC natural history series.

Don’t let their aspirations fool you, …And the Ever Expanding Universe is more of a loose, kaleidoscopic pop album than it is a young band indulging in some overexcited prog rock gesturing.” –The New Music

Be sure to pick up this fantastic new record from Arts & Craft’s brave young explorers. Broken Social Scene isn’t the only great indie band in Canada donchyaknow!