Lollapalooza and the current state of music festivals


Why can't you get tickets?

There's a permanent sway that has held over the music festival market, drifting in one improbable direction in the past six years. Availability for music festivals, such as Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, and Coachella, have become slim in recent years, selling out earlier and earlier every season. What results is a fundamental change in the way we, as fans, approach the idea of festivals.



What resulted of this furious whirlwind attempt to get tickets started six years ago, at the financial boom of music festivals. Tailing back to 2007 and 2008 and you'll notice a striking contrast between the lineups of those years and after. What happened between, of course, is the financial collapse of 2008. Though what a housing market bubble exactly has to do with festival lineups is perhaps beyond me, it was clear that the entire economic system suffered.

Coachella 2007: Bjork, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against The Machine
Bonnaroo 2007: The Police, Tool, The White Stripes
Lollapalooza 2007: Daft Punk, Pearl Jam, Muse
Bonnaroo 2008: Pearl Jam, Metallica, Kanye West, Jack Johnson
Lollapalooza 2008: Radiohead, Rage Against The Machine, Kanye West, Nine Inch Nails

Since those years reunions have grown scarce, Rage Against The Machine left us again, and Daft Punk became the music festival version of Moby Dick. It's not as if the major three festivals cannot replicate those large-name headliners again (Coachella has done a mighty fine version in the last two years), but you'll be hard pressed to see anything like Lollapalooza 2008 ever happen again.

But the following years the unexpected force of economic fragility and the ever-growing demand of music festivals coincided. So while the viability of the festival seemed to stay afloat because of the demand, say, aside for a bevy of smaller East coast festivals (R.I.P Vineland Music Festival and All Points West) the overall ability to book top flight acts has slipped.

Combining the two elements you'll see larger festivals (Lollapalooza has expanded its size and barriers every year since 2008) for more consumers, who are forced to purchase tickets for either weaker lineups or lineups they haven't even seen yet.

Contrasting 2008 with 2013 is more than just headliners. Lollapalooza, for instance, releases three-day passes in April of every year. It's hard to believe that a festival that sold out its general admission passes in roughly three hours last week took months to sell out a lineup that had Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, and Kanye West in it. That was a reality just five years ago, when fans actually had a chance to say,

OK, we'll go if the lineup is good.

In time that decision had to be significantly altered. Music festivals ceased to be a weekend off and turned into a vacation for most of the consumers, which bode even better for the financial stability of the festival. But those decisions had to be made ahead of time. "OK, we'll go if the lineup is good" turned into "Are we going this year or not?"

Turning the conversation away from a weekend to a vacation altered the demographics as well. Music festivals are populated by two broad groups: Those who travel and those who live within a close proximity. The latter of which always had an obvious advantage, not having to exude travel expenses, hotel, etc. Thus, the ultimate effect of the rampant ticket spree went to them:

Those who live within a close proximity have all the advantage.

Vacations take time, money, and the always casually underrated planning. Combine the obvious factor with the still prevailing fact that the economy is still largely in flux for most prospective festival demographics and the travel crowd has been significantly deterred.

Having to buy a ticket means much less of a hassle for those who live close, hence, why buying one as soon as it is on sale isn't much of a question. Acclimating demand slowly forces out casual outside consumers, which eliminates exposure to something those outside rarely get to see.

I think back to myself as a 19-year-old, sitting on a bench at college, calling my friends about when the idea first came to me. It was April 2008, Radiohead was my favorite band in the world, and Lollapalooza was something I wanted to do for years. I think back then and I realize there's no possible way it would have happened for any of us today. The tickets would be gone and I would have missed something so revitalizing and important to me. Part of it is luck and timing, but another part can't help but feel for that kid today who doesn't get the chance.

Album Stream: Miles Whittaker - Faint Hearted


As one half of Demdike Stare, Miles Whittaker already has an ear for jarring, rhythmic pulse. Venturing off for his newest side solo-venture, Whittaker has produced the earthly, bruising Faint Hearted LP, that's fairly apt to the name. The tracks range from crushing industrial drone to modern twinged German electro-house, with plenty of shaking personality split in between.

Stream Whittaker's entire Faint Hearted below, but do yourself a favor and grab the LP via Modern Love as soon as you can.

Ben UFO - Pleasure Principle/Bleep Mix


In partnership with Bleep and the upcoming Pleasure Principle Festival, UK producer Ben UFO has released this monster hour-plus mix. Originally, Ben had created the session as part of his addition to the Fabriclive series, with Fabriclive 67. However the cut ran on obviously long, so this portion was left aside.

Stream/download the entire mix below.

New Active Child - Evening Ceremony


Although not formally part of any Active Child solo project, "Evening Ceremony, the latest from the Pasadena producer, is a gorgeously paced, low-hum single that would fit anywhere in his catalog.

The track will actually be featured as part of the soundtrack of the new movie The Host, based off the Stephanie Meyer novel (of Twilight fame). Critical assumptions aside, her soundtracks are surprisingly well-put together. The soundtrack will be released the same day as the film, March 29.

Harrison - You Just Gotta


Courtesy of Andrew at Potholes In My Blog is a brand new cut from Toronto producer Harrison, who put out his clever jazzy album Prom King earlier this month over at his Bandcamp. "You Just Gotta" takes a different venture for Harrison, adding looped R&B vocals with synthy dance-cut backing beats. It's another good sign for the young producer, who proudly released Prom King before he turned 18.

Free Time - Nothin But Nice


Australia's Free Time, led by singer-songwriter Dion Nania, are the newest in an ever-growing crop of irrefutably welcoming garage-angled acts. Half laid-back, half effortlessly turbulant thanks to the help of Jonah Mauer's free-form guitar solos, "Nothin But Nice" waves on like Yo La Tengo with energy.

Stream the single below and grab Free Time's upcoming debut LP May 28 via Underwater Peoples.

New Young Galaxy - New Summer


The newest single from Young Galaxy's sweetly anticipated Ultramarine, "New Summer," has arrived. Following "Fall For You" and "Pretty Boy," "New Summer" befits a more melodic, slowly drifting somber archetype. Which, in another word, could just mean its pretty. And it is.

Young Galaxy's Ultramarine is set for release April 23 via Paper Bag.

Honningbarna - Fuck Kunst (Dans Dans)


Too often, punk is hard to explain. So what better way to explain than in a language I don't even understand?

"Fuck Kunst (Dans Dans)," if it weren't obvious on title alone, is from Norwegian traditional punks Honningbarna. It's short blister punk that doesn't require complete understanding to get behind, which comes from the band's UK debut Verden En Enkel. With help from producer Pelle Gunnerfeldt, who's worked with acts like The Hives, The Knife, and others before hand, Verden En Enkel aims to complete the seemingly improbable task of taking contemporary international artists on a wide-scale.

Check out "Fuck Kunst (Dans Dans)" and the album's first single "Offerdans," which premiered over at NME last month, below. And grab Verden En Enkel May 6 via G Records/EMI Norway.



Mvrvy video - Clouds


Fans of French mega-funk producer Marvy Da Pimp may recognize his Mvrvy side-project, in which the grand sensibilities are toned down a bit in favor of more minimal approaches. As part of the move, Mvrvy released this super-captivating video from director Romain Cieutat, who uses clever 3-D animation in flurries to accentuate the sounds.

The track will be released as a B-Side to his upcoming single "Cumulo Nimbus," which will be released mid-April through Marvy's Le Motel project.

New Yeah Yeah Yeahs video - Sacrilege

"Sacriledge," the grand and inspiring first single from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs highly anticipated fourth studio LP Mosquito, has been given a stoic video treatment from director Megaforce. Told in reverse, the story centers around British model Lily Cole, who is the desire of the entire town.

Watch the sort of NSFW video below and grab Mosquito April 16 via Interscope.

New Wavves video - Afraid Of Heights

Celebrating the release of the band's fourth studio LP, Wavves released the new video for the title track "Afraid Of Heights." Starring two cross-dressers (one of them is Stephen from the band), the video goes for the seemingly apt VHS style, taking an unsurprising creepy turn at "Afraid Of Heights" turns down.

Grab the new album today.

Album Stream: Atu - Pictures On Silence


A mixtape with a noble purpose? Tell me more!

Producer Atu offered up his brand new Pictures On Silence LP over at the Soulection Bandcamp page earlier, with a special offer. The first 1,500 downloads will be offered freely, but for those who opt to pay the minimal $5 fee, proceeds will go towards the EveryChild organization and its work in Malawi.

Stream the LP below.

Redivider - Lost In The Outtakes


Courtesy of the always great Potholes In My Blog, your dreary mid-day Monday just got its own befitting mixtape. This recent output from San Francisco producer Redivider comes from several outtakes of his Lost In The LP (available now) features acid-dripped beats and ripe moving bass, all available to stream/download below.

New Toro Y Moi video - Never Matter

Using the, "Hey, listen to this stuff" technique at a flea market, director Steve Daniels gives a more fun (until the end) vibe to Toro Y Moi's "Never Matter." Despite the clear volunteer portions of the video, there is a scripted story here, with Chaz Bundick appearing at the end with a surprise.

"Never Matter" is featured on Bundick's most recent Anything In Return LP. Get it today via Carpark.

DJ Koze's FADER mix


Pampa Records founder Stefan Kozalla, better known as Hamburg DJ/producer DJ Koze, dropped his monster mix over at FADER earlier. Streamlining Kendrick Lamar's smoother than smooth "Money Trees" into lulling R&B, the mix combs through his "no stress mix" without any pretensions. So little in fact there's no tracklist available, but fans will recognize Freddie Gibbs leading into dousing experimental acid house in the mix's latter half.

Stream/download the mix below and grab Kozella's upcoming Amygdala today over at Pampa Records.



Head to FADER for an exclusive full DJ Koze interview.

Leopard of Honour - Visions Of Garuda


Yesterday, little-known Manchester producer Leopard of Honour premiered the glossy and curious "Visions Of Garuda." Full of analog polish and a loving vocal loop, the song sifts through a summery 80s vibe that makes you miss your teen years.

Crate Diggers on J Dilla

Yesterday, Fuse ran the newest and most-welcome addition to the site's Crate Diggers series, focusing on Detroit legend J Dilla. His mother Maureen Yancy, his brother John (Illa J), and J. Rocc are among the featured guests on the documentary, which takes a look at Dilla's early habits and broad-based tastes.

It's a fun look at the increasingly beloved producer and gives fans a new perspective at the mind that was. Check it out below.

The Juan Maclean - You Are My Destiny (ft. Nancy Whang)


Generally, I trust everything that comes out of DFA. The can-do-no-wrong New York standout has been pumping glorious off-kilter dance inspired production since its 2001 inception, so at this point its hard to ever ignore it.

The newest DFA material comes from The Juan Maclean, who's been a little quiet since his 2009 LP The Future Will Come. The latest comes with some help from former LCD Soundsystem (a tear shall be shed anytime the demise of LCD is mentioned) member Nancy Whang.

Included in the 12", which will be released April 9, will be a Nic Fanciulli remix. Limited edition White Label's are available now.

Check out the edited version below, along with a video of the full cut.



The Juan Maclean "You Are My Destiny" from DFA Records on Vimeo.

New Shlohmo - Bo Peep (Do U Right) (ft. Jeremih)


As part of Yours Truly and Adidas ongoing "Songs From Scratch" series, blog-beloved producer Shlohmo and Chicago rapper Jeremih have teamed up for the strikingly lovely "Bo Peep (Do U Right)."

The result is perfect blending of bedroom electro and modern R&B. Plus, the cover art from Saiman Chow adds a glorious touch.

Catch Shlohmo and Jeremih performing together exclusively in San Francisco April 5 at 1015 Folsom. The show (poster here) will also feature Nite Jewel, D33J, and others. Tickets are still available here.

The two will also be performing April 6 at the Fonda Theater in Los Angeles. Tickets are still available here.

Paul White - Street Lights (ft. Danny Brown)


A day after Danny Brown brought us the Skywlkr-produced "Kush Coma," XXX producer Paul White revealed his recent collaboration with rapper on his upcoming "Street Lights" 12".

Noticeably darker than the aforementioned "Kush Coma," Brown turns his serious voice on over lifting war drums and murder stories. For a guy that might come off as goofy as times, it's hard to forget his real Detroit upbringing.

Check out "Street Lights" below and head over to White's Bandcamp to get a pre-order of the 12".

New Anamanaguchi - Planet


The most fun group around, Anamanaguchi, have just released details on the band's upcoming Endless Fantasy LP and the brand new "Planet."

It's the band's third official LP (if you count their work with the Scott Pilgrim soundtrack), which will be released on its own label dream.hax. Spanning a pretty surprising 22 tracks (nearing 77 minutes in total), it's a riveting spin on dream-spilled pop fantasy.

Check out "Planet," the band's follow up to the still-awesome "Meow," and grab Endless Fantasy May 14th.

Lollapalooza Headliners Leaked


Aha! Finally some big Lollapalooza news.

Aside from that Nine Inch Nails news that Billboard leaked out a few weeks back, confirmations for this year's festival were largely stray. Aside from a few small confirmations, like Angel Haze and Imagine Dragons, nothing was firmly stamped down.

As per usual, The Chicago Tribune's Greg Kot released the fest's first "confirmed" headliners. Previously rumored acts Mumford & Sons, Phoenix, Vampire Weekend are indeed on the billing alongside The Killers this year. All four performed at the festival in 2009 and 2010, but only The Killers and Phoenix were previously booked as headliners. M&S have obviously exploded since their 2010 appearance, so the headlining spot isn't surprising, but Vampire Weekend booked as an official headliner may be still curious.

Lollapalooza fans will recognize a slight gap in headliners - an electro act. Since 2011, festival organizers have made a large concerted effort to bring more electronica music to the festival, booking Deadmau5 in 2011 and Avicii and Justice last year. With the four new headliners and Nine Inch Nails, only one headlining slot remains. Nothing is confirmed, but expect that final slot to go to a major electronica act.

The four headliners weren't the only acts leaked, however. Previously rumored Postal Service and The National will also be heading to Chicago this August. Expect the full lineup release in the coming weeks.

Lollapalooza takes place August 2-4 this year. Stick here for more updates and rumors.

CX Kidtronik - Locked In (ft. Billy Danze)


(Notes: You aren't ready for this).

Calling CX Kidtronik's "Locked In" just another "stellar" Stones Throw Release does a disservice to "Locked In."

The cut-throat beats Kidtronik brings, with the help of M.O.P. member Billy Daze are gripping, terrorizing, and Holy Hell mesmerizing. It doesn't take too long for you to get launched in to the all-world frenzy of "Locked In," but the blistering force is over before you're even ready to let go.

Get a listen below and watch out for Kidtronik's Krak Attack 2: The Battle Of Eli Skiff in the future.

Weval - Half Age EP


Dutch producer duo Harm Coolen and Merijn Scholte are two of the newer additions to emerging label Atomnation. Weval (Derived from the Dutch word for "Waterfall") combine elements of acid-like jazz, dripping atmospheres, and minimalist house beats on the duo's debut EP Half Age.

Grab the EP today via the aforementioned Atomnation or listen to the full stream below.


Fletcher - Open Arms


Chicago youngin's Oscar and Harvey Baker and drummer Tom Fry have been getting a little flare of love from their hometown, but have yet to make it much further out. Listening to the trio's EP title track "Open Arms," the influences are obvious; modern alt Brit-pop in the ilk of Arctic Monkeys and the Kooks. In fact, the band revealed in a Filter interview that both the acts were primary influences, so Fletcher aren't ashamed of it.

Check out "Open Arms" below and grab the EP of the same name April 9.

New James Blake - Voyeur


James Blake is seemingly unstoppable right now. The 24-year-old is still a few weeks off from releasing his super-hyped Overgrown LP, and has been teasing with new tracks again and again. This weekend, we got a listen to the brand new "Voyeur," the fourth track heard so far from the LP.

Originally featured on Anne Hobbes' BBC Radio 6 show this weekend, "Voyeur" is simple looped vocal verse with jarring and driving split rhythms pacing the finish. Where it begins in contrast to where it ends, in terms of size and perspective scope is truly remarkable. It goes without much saying at this point that "Voyeur" is shaping up to be one of the year's best and is really transforming Blake into a wholly original and budding star.

Check out the track below and grab Overgrown April 8 on Republic Records.

New Vampire Weekend - Diane Young and Step


After debuting a bevy of songs down at last week's SXSW, Vampire Weekend formally introduced the two tracks to the band's upcoming double A-Side single "Diane Young/Step." The first two official releases from the band's upcoming third LP Modern Vampires In The City have supporting videos as well. "Diane Young" is simply a car on fire, but, "Step" is a Manhattan-inspired lyric video fitting of a sweeter tune.

Check out both below and grab Modern Vampires In The City May 7 via XL Recordings.



New Rustie - Triadzz


Two weeks back we got our first listen to Rustie's new "Slasherr," the glitzy new cut from his Traidzz EP (out today). Celebrating the EP release, the Glasgow producer brought out the EP's title track, which fans may find strikingly reminiscent to his 2011 smash "Ultra Thizz."

See for yourself below and grab Rustie's double A-Side single "Triadzz/Slasherr" today via Numbers Records.

New Strokes video - All The Time

Taking a look back through the year's with The Strokes' newest video for "All The Time," we get a formative home-video montage of what it's been like to grow up with the New York garage stars. Fittingly so, the perspective is given with a song that seems to truly fit the Strokes Is This It? early styles.

Grab the band's upcoming fifth studio album Comedown Machine March 26 via RCA.

New James Blake - And Holy Ghost


It's been a little more than a week since James Blake dropped "Digital Lion," another new cut from his increasingly anticipated Overgrown LP, but we've already got another new track to dig into.

"And Holy Ghost," a dizzying and spaced-out crawl with no Blake vocals to speak of, premiered via Benji B's BBC Radio 1 show earlier, but you can listen to the track below via Blake's 1-800 Dinosaur Soundcloud page.

Overgrown is due out April 8 via Polydor and Republic Records.

Hyetal - Northwest Passage


Over at Abeano, we got a taste of Hyetal's "Northwest Passage." While the artist has done his due diligence with Julio Bashmore as part of their Velour side-project, Hyetal (with vocals from Gwilym Gold) proves his value on his own with thumping rhythms and some clever lost-in-space off-key construction.

The 12" single is slated for release April 29 via True Panther Records. Listen below.

New BenZel - Semi Detached (ft. Cass Lowe and Chance The Rapper)


Super-young Japanese producer duo BenZel (seriously, the guys are 15 and 16-years old) released the poppy and atmospheric "Semi Detached" with some righteous help from singer Cass Lowe and Chance The Rapper. 15 and 16. I cannot stress this enough, guys.

Check out the glorious track below.

New AraabMuzik - Motion Picture


Not shortly after the release of his For Professional Use Only 20-track free mixtape, AraabMuzik is already moving forward. Today, the producer released yet another new track with the announcement of a few new tour dates.

Check out the dates here, which begins April 10 at Brooklyn's Output club and listen to "Motion Picture" below.



Lollapalooza Rumors Update


It's been some time, but with only a few weeks left before the official Lollapalooza 2013 lineup is revealed, its time to get up to speed.

As I have mentioned before over at The 405, Billboard released word last month that the recently reformed Nine Inch Nails would be performing (although unconfirmed). The band would likely fill the legendary billing for the festival, taking up either the top or second highest billing on the list.

Of the other North American festivals, no lineup has more of a resemblance than Montreal's Osheaga Festival. Last year, three of the major acts (Justice, Florence + The Machine, and The Black Keys) ended up playing both festivals, which both take place the first weekend of August. A huge amount of mid-tier and undercard acts crossed over as well, which amounted to 25 acts playing each (a 20 percent carryover rate).

Among this years Osheaga headliners are The Cure and Mumford & Sons. Considering The Cure have been rumored softly for Lollapalooza for nearly five years, and the continual rise in popularity of M&S, both would seem like logical inclusions.

Among regular Lollapalooza veterans, Phoenix, Vampire Weekend, MGMT, and The National all have gaps in their tour schedules and did not play in last two years. Additionally, a few hard-to-get names have similar tour gaps and will be appearing at next month's Coachella; New Order, The Postal Service, and the Wu-Tang Clan.

For up-to-the-date info on who might be playing, stick with us. Or, even better, keep tabs on Consequence Of Sound's Festival Outlook page.

Dead Leaf Echo - Birth


New York three-piece Dead Leaf Echo have been drifting around since beginning in 2006. Never gaining huge word-of-mouth nation-wide, the band was still highly regarded in their native city, and hit up SXSW in 2010 alongside a few more familiar acts like Japanther and A Place To Bury Strangers.

With another trip to Austin this week, fans will have another chance to witness one of shoegaze's best lesser-known acts. Wednesday, March 13, the band will be performing at Lucy's Retired Surfers Bar at 4 p.m. The next day, the band will be performing at Todd's Mansion at 6 p.m. Saturday, the group will be appearing at Buffalo Billiards with The Ocean Blue at 9 p.m. And next Sunday, finally, the band will be performing with The Warlocks at The Volstead at 2 p.m.

For a preview, check out the band's single "Birth" from their debut Thought & Language here.

New The Knife - A Tooth For An Eye


In the newest video from The Knife's extremely anticipated new album Shaking the Habitual, directors Roxy Farhat and Kakan Harmansson look for the uncommon in role reversal. A group of men is led in charge by a young woman, who guides them through vulnerable and largely uncomfortable maneuvers. In sense, per the explanation Farhat gave, it allowed them to grace their weaknesses when they least expected it.

Shaking The Habitual is slated for release April 8 and 9. Pre-order (you must) the album here, and watch the video/stream "A Tooth For An Eye" below.



New Four Tet - For These Times


Released as part of Non Plus Record's fourth anniversary compilation Think and Change is this new house- oriented cut from Four Tet. The new track may be getting a little less play than his remix of Justin Timberlake's "Suit & Tie," which also hit waves today, but for Kieren Hebden fans there's never too much to go around.

Check out the track below and grab Think and Change today.

Album Stream: And So I Watch You From Afar - All Hail Bright Futures


Courtesy of the fella's over at Noisey, stream Ireland's And So I Watch You From Afar's third studio album All Hail Bright Futures.

The album release comes after the band's move to Sargent House, which houses other notable acts like Omar Rodriguez Lopez and Boris. The largely instrumental 12-track piece, which is available to stream below, is set for release March 19. The band will be heading out on a European tour with an additional fourth member (Niall Kennedy) on guitar), starting on March 22 at the Amplified Bar in Newry, Ireland.

Check here for the full list of tour dates.

Union Transfer, Mar. 8 - Django Django (Preview)


Nailing down where alternative music's waves are flowing towards is really a matter of two directions, more often than not. Sure there are sub-genres going through strings of mutant mitosis every week, creating splendid off-breeds of the sounds we all know and love. But to put it simply, there are two primary directions: revivalism and new.

Django Django are unflinchingly new. The London band's post new-wave is branded with neo-futurism to a degree that makes MGMT look like its falling behind. Sprinting through the band's 13-track self-titled debut from last year and its hard to say there's much resonance from sound to sound other than the uncommon ambition to sound like no one else is doing it.

Handclaps, bizarro Afrofusion, glam, and even mulling electro spacing are all here. Sometimes all on the same song like "Firewater," which drifts and dreams like its plowing through the desert before sunset. It's a long-winded description for something that seems like ambition, which will certainly be on play tonight.

Alongside the group at Philadelphia's spectacular Union Transfer will be Minneapolis band Night Moves, which were featured on the site last August. Tickets for the show are still available here, with doors opening at 8 p.m.

Engine - Lands Of Sleep

LA's Engine will be one of the umpteenth millions of bands worthy of your time at this year's SXSW festival, combining modern American rock flare with spacey western springs. For a quick preview, check out the band's curious video for "Lands Of Sleep" and keep your ear to the ground for more news from the group.

New James Blake - Digital Lion


"Digital Lion" was actually the second of two James Blake tracks released today. The first, "Voyeur," was unfortunately taken down, but the former will suffice for the time being. The new track has a modestly increased pace from anything we heard from the 24-year-old's self-titled release two years ago. That may have to do with the inclusion of none other than Brian Eno, who lends his help on the production.

Check it out below courtesy of Blake's 1-800-Dinosaur (not sure what that means either) Soundcloud, and pre-order Overgrown here.

New Dan Deacon video - Crash Jam

Before Dan Deacon starts his series of tour dates alongside Animal Collective tonight in Boston, the Baltimore native premiered the curiously frenetic new video for "Crash Jam." The America cut was spliced together by fellow Baltimore artist Ben O'Brien, you sped up P90x videos for the collided effect.

Check it below and grab America today via Domino Records.

New Phoenix video - Entertainment

Back when we first heard "Entertainment," the lead single from Phoenix's upcoming studio LP Bankrupt!, it wasn't hard to pick up on the classical Asian vibe. Indeed, the song was compared to Siouxsie and The Banshees' "Hong Kong Garden" for the similar, unmistakable lead aesthetic, of which director Patrick Daughters utilizes.

The video features a narrative of love-drawn actors spliced across different eras, which gets very soap opera-y at one point. Check it out below and grab Bankrupt! April 23 via Loyaute and Glassnote Records.

New CHVRCHES video - Recover


In a description I probably never thought I'd say, check out the brand new sci-fi adventure fantasy video for CHVRCHES excellent single "Recover." I'll let the grand whatever of the video speak for itself, but don't forget to grab the Recover EP March 25 in the UK and 26 in the U.S. Pre-orders are available here.

Album Stream: Deptford Goth - Life After Defo


Streaming over at Pitchfork is British singer-producer Daniel Woolhouse's (aka Deptford Goth) new LP Life After Defo. Judging from the name and his and his 2011 Youth II EP, the subtle textures and enriching bedroom harmonies on Life After Defo are a more than pleasant surprise.

Check out the whole LP here, and head off to iTunes for grab the MP3 version of it via Merok Records. For a little preview, check out "UNION" below.

Seatraffic - Superficial Heart (YR SKULL Remix)


A few days back, San Francisco producer YR SKULL debuted his remix of Seatraffic's warming "Superficial Heart" over at Fader. The single is the first of many from Seatraffic, which is planning a few more singles in the coming weeks.

In the wake of the original release, Seatraffic has released an EP and performed alongside acts like How To Dress Well, Beacon, and Ruby Suns around in the duo's native San Francisco.

Check out the original version and the remix below, courtesy of Seatraffic's Bandcamp and catch the band at SXSW next week.

Party Supplies - Rhythm Roulette (Mass Appeal)

Thanks to the fellows over at Mass Appeal, which is just a damn good site in its own right, we have Party Supplies giving a little inside look at his beat-making process. In the video, Party Supplies (Justin Nealis) is blindfolded and grabs three random LPs from a record store's Soul section in hopes to curate a beat out of the surprise elements for the site's new series Rhythm Roulette.

The three LPs aren't terribly familiar (O'Connor's Come Alive, Tender Aggression's Fly Disco Fly, and Instant Funk's Instant Funk V), but Justin turns them into something more palatable for Blue Chips fans.

Check it out below.

Here Is Your Temple video - So High


Laced in frozen electro shoegaze is the brand new video from Sweden's Here Is Your Temple for "So High." Featured on the group's So High EP, which is available to stream via Here Is Your Temple's Soundcloud, the video premiered over at CLASH yesterday.

Fitting the Nordic vibe, "So High" features a lot of fur, snow, and a wolf to make the imagery come full circle. Check it out below and grab the EP via Bolero Recordings and Publishing April 15.

New Surfer Blood - Demon Dance


Following a fairly offensive summer, it would have made complete sense if Surfer Blood were lost in shamed obscurity. Despite the overwhelmingly negative press, the band is back and seems to finding its form again.

Earlier today, Surfer Blood debuted its newest single "Demon Dance" over at NPR, and its an undeniable smash. Checkered history aside, the band continues to shill out catchy, captivating garage pop.

Check the track out below and catch the band on its super length tour this summer with special dates alongside Foals (dates listed here). Head over to Warner Music for pre-orders of the band's new LP Pythons, out June 11.

Halasan Bazar - Sometimes Happy, Sometimes Sad


Little-known Copenhagen pysch-rock outfit Halasan Bazar, who are a few weeks from releasing its Space Junk LP, have debuted the swirling "Sometimes Happy, Sometimes Sad."

The track, which is available to stream and/or download below, floats freely through Americana-inspired garage folk. That attribution makes a little more sense when you find out that the band's new LP - with members from Denmark, Australia, and Northern Europe - is being produced by San Francisco label Crash Symbols.

Grab Space Junk April 2 as both a 12" LP and digital download.

New Goldroom - Only You Can Show Me (ft. Mereki)


Before he heads on over to SXSW (March 13 at Lipstick 24 and 16 at The Brew Exchange), Goldroom premiered his brand new cut "Only You Can Show Me" with vocals from Los Angeles artist Mereki. The single is available now over at Beatport, and is available to stream below.

New Rustie - Slasherr


Nearly two years after the release of his breakout LP Glass Swords, Glasgow producer Rustie has released the crystallized banger "Slasherr." The track, which premiered last weekend on Annie Mac's BBC Radio 1 Show, is out digitally today and will be featured on Rustie's upcoming March 18 EP Triadzz, via Numbers. Check it out below.

New J. Period - Hold On (Kanye West and Consequence)


Although the compilation is current available in the U.S. (for whatever reason), J. Period's brand new G.O.O.D. Music: Remixed & Unreleased features this Kanye West and Consequence cut, "Hold On." It's a short track, so there's nothing extraordinarily huge here, but it's Kanye and good production so you should be on board.

Clipping - This Song Is a Drug Deal (Foot Village Remix)


Combining two unhinged forces - Los Angeles chaos-rap outfit Clipping and the drum apocalypse that is Foot Village - and we have a more blistering version of "This Song Is A Drug Deal." The pace is pushed to absolute extremes, which fits the Clipping angle fairly well.

Speaking of, the group will be performing at  SXSW soon at The Terroreyes/The Needle Drop show, March 14 alongside BADBABNOTGOOD, Anamanaguchi, Antwon, and others. Check out the promo here and email RSVP@terroreyes.tv for a spot.

City Calm Down video - Sense Of Self

From City Calm Down's upcoming Movements EP is the surprisingly catchy and captivating "Sense Of Self." The video stars a homeless junkie wanderer just having a grand ol' time despite her surrounds being less than lovable. Check it out below and grab the EP March 25 (currently out in Australia and New Zealand).