New Sunset: "Moonlight"

[mp3] Sunset: "Moonlight"

[mp3] Sunset: "Late Night Dawning"

Several months ago Some Velvet Blog turned us on to the piano-driven and pleasantly distorted world of Austin's Sunset; the pop-minded but sufficiently psych-addled brainchild of the extremely talented Bill Baird. Admittedly, we fell out of touch with the band until today, we saw a new track debuted on Gorilla vs Bear. After a quick listen to "Moonlight", above, and a few emails, we're currently very much enjoying Sunset's new album Loveshines But The Moon Is Shining Too, due digitally on September 7, with a double LP to follow on October 12, via Autobus Records. Certainly an album we recommend picking up next week, if you can't hold out for the vinyl.


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I Shall Be Released: The War On Drugs - Future Weather

[MP3] The War on Drugs - "Comin' Through"

For awhile, The War on Drugs existed as a mysterious band hidden behind an unearthly sounding albeit well-crafted debut LP, Wagonwheel Blues and an unpredictably boundless track "Needle in Your Eye." It was that track that defined this band for us at Stark. It was unlike anything coming out at that time: the sound was as large as Arcade Fire, but as dirty and raspy as Jay Reatard birthing a child with Pavement. That was 2008. How far have they come? If their newest single, "Comin' Through" available above is any indicator, The Drug's sophomore release, Future Weather (dropping Oct. 26 on Secretly Candaian) will reflect a different time in this band's life. They seem to have found their mature sound -- one that is as expansive as "Needle," but restrained and layered. It's clear that The Drugs are moving in the right direction after two years off the grid. If you aren't at the Knitting Factory right now watching them, catch 'em tomorrow night at The Rock Shop with Light Pollution and Xylos. For more tour dates and a full track listing, continue after the jump.


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TOUR DATES:
08/31/10 Brooklyn, NY- The Rock Shop w/ Light Pollution and Xylos
09/07/10 Charlottesville, VA- Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar
09/08/10 Charlotte, VA- The Milestone
09/09/10 Raleigh, NC- Hopscotch Festival w/ Public Enemy, Panda Bear, Bowerbirds
09/14/10 Asheville, NC- Grey Eagle

THE WAR ON DRUGS FUTURE WEATHER TRACK LISTING:
1. Come to the City
2. Baby Missles
3. Comin' Through
4. A Pile of Tires
5. Comin' Around
6. Brothers
7. Missles Reprise
8. The History of Plastic

Band To Watch: Deluka

[mp3] Deluka: "Nevada"

We've surprised ourselves...somehow, as we have been subconsciously and consciously "following" the UK-turned-US electro-rockers Deluka. After playing a few games of seven degrees of separation, receiving an advance of their debut LP You Are the Night (releasing digitally Sept.21 on Vel Records) and catching the tail end of a show at Pianos a couple months ago, Deluka have seeped into our constant rotation; they are much more than a bleep on our radar these days. Fronted by the mysterious, highly charismatic and fashionable, Ellie Innocenti, a tight backing band and an energetic, iconic bassist to-boot, Deluka's infectious hooks and melodies have invaded our psyche. From tunes such as "Nevada," "Name on My Lips" and "Cascade" featured above, Deluka are a lasting finish on the palate. There is no sipping here..it's a full on chug -- one drink leads to another and then you are drunk on your thrid show and an alcoholic by your fourth. Be sure to catch this foursome when they come to town (West Coast you're next) -- you can find us selling grilled cheese with a finger in the air, Phish-style. Are we... fans? Unknown at this point, but we do know this: Deluka are good folks and good bowlers.

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New Olof Arnalds Video: Crazy Car

[mp3] Olof Arnalds: "Innundir Skinni"

Perhaps we haven't sat long enough with it yet, but Olof Arnalds' new record Innundir Skinni, just doesn't seem to pack the same emotional punch as her previous effort. We are still fully on board with this remarkable talent though, and Innundir Skinni will continue to stay on the playlist until we've given it its full run. This new video for "Crazy Car" debuted by Stereogum certainly helps push the album down the road towards acceptance and love. Olof also looks amazing these days. Glad she grew her hair back!

10 Best Lessons Learned at This Year's Jelly NYC Shows

Photo Credit - Our good friend Sheena Beaston

We have thoroughly enjoyed a whirlwind summer of Sunday concerts brought to us by the fabulous folks at Jelly NYC and Tell All Your Friends PR. ONE MORE LEFT?! We learned a few things. Did a few things we regret. Looked at a lot of pretty things. Heard some good music and some shit music. Found ourselves needing an agent to approve candid press photos. Chewed some things that energized us briefly. Learned that publicity is a fine art and rain is a bastard. And that we would never wish working the door at the All Saints Lounge upon anyone (Shelly we solute you.) This year's Jelly shows were the equivalent of going to day camp -- good times, noodle salad.

And for all that, we've decided to compile our list of the 10 Best Lessons Learned at This Year's Jelly NYC Shows:

10. Vita Coco trumps all.
9. Energy drinks should be relegated to liquid form only!
8. Lee Fields can still bring the funk and soul even in the rain, so can Chromeo?
7. The @Allsaints_ Lounge will turn you on to fashion and make you desire to date models exclusively if applicable...thanks for that.
6. The Strange Boys record well. Period.

Check out the Top 5 after the jump! Cumulative summer photos to come. Retweet this! Again, special thanks to @tayfpr and @jellynyc!


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5. Everyone we know is a lush, including us and we love that.
4. Plastic Adirondack chairs can only support a certain size person.
3. Grog gets you drunk while protecting from scurvy.
2. Even the rain doesn't keep the New York Times away.
1. Mad Men is much much better when drunk.

Frankie Rose and the Outs

[mp3] Frankie Rose and The Outs: "Little Brown Haired Girls"

We've been listening to a lot of The Ronettes around here of late, and it comes as no surprise that there are a veritable bevy of girl groups out there right now, not only referencing that seemingly ageless Phil Spector production quality in their press releases, but striving to copy it in their own music. Usually we take a quick listen and pass it off as another imitation. But, like the enigmatic sounds of the excellent collective Gigi, Frankie Rose and The Outs channel this oft-copied sound in a way that's tasteful, and at the same time origional. Many of Rose's previous groups ie. The Vivian Girls, have caught a lot of flack on this site for their pretentious lo fi for lo fi's sake recordings. Yet, there seems to be a different mindset at play with Roses' newest incarnation that comes from a more pure place, laced with true harmonies and a dialed-down reliance on the reverb effect. Frankie Rose and The Outs' self titled album comes out 9/24 on Slumberland.

Bruner: Songs for a Friend

Buy/Stream

Another gem of a find from Numero Group. This time it is a collection of lost recordings from Pieces lead singer Linda Bruner. These songs are at once immediate and striking. We discovered this record on one of our favorite sites, that has to remain a mystery (no, we're not kidding), but thanks to Jakob for his write up after the jump.

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Showcase: TONIGHT

STARK ONLINE
I ROCK I ROLL
JINNERS
PRESENT: UNSOLVED MYSTERIES, HIGH HIGHS, TELETEXTILE
TONIGHT: UNION HALL

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Fever Ray Covers Gabriel's "Mercy Street"

[mp3] Fever Ray: "Mercy Street"

One of our dark horse favorite Peter Gabriel tunes!! Via NME

"It's an interpretation of Peter Gabriel's 'Mercy Street'. We made it more intense and faster to fit our excentric pecussionists and energetic live musicians. It is a monotone track but we worked with the dynamics trying to make it sparkle. I listened to it a lot when I was around 15, and it still moves me. It made me start reading Anne Sexton too."
-Karin

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Greg Thomas Drops Atlantic/Pacific

[mp3] Greg Thomas: "In Sequence"

Full disclosure, Greg Thomas is a long time friend and supporter of Stark. That does little, though, to take away from the pure song-writing talent and natural vocal intonation, of someone who is quickly becoming a rising player in the highly competitive New York singer songwriter market. Just ask Idolator. Yet, Greg is not just some crooner with a guitar. At a full-to-capacity CD release show last night at The Living Room, he showed off his more than capable band, featuring a talented atmospheric lead guitar player, and a tightly in-the-pocket rhythm section.

Admittedly, Greg has pushed our tastes a little bit outside the box. He wears his influences proudly on his sleeve, and counts John Mayer, Sigur Ros, and Wilco as some of his heros. Funnily, that's a very apt description of Greg's music. He flirts with a mainstream, major-label friendly sound, yet manages to keep up his "cred" with a dark undercurrent to his songs, and a fantastically hazy production to some tunes on his new record Atlantic/Pacific, available now. Buy HERE. While we would like to see Greg get after it a little bit more vocally on the choruses (belt it out dude!) - he had a table full of crusty indie rock bloggers head bobbing, toe-tapping and proudly singing along (Karp).

The full room was a testament, not only to Greg's rock solid character, but to the recognition of a new talent that puts all those whiney dudes and chicks with acoustic guitars at places like The Living Room and Rockwood to shame.
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Funeral Party: TONIGHT

[mp3] Funeral Party: "Finale"

It has almost been three years since Funeral Party last graced the Stark site, but since the first time we posted their killer track "Carwars" we have been jonesin' for more. Say no more, mon amor. Funeral Party are gearing up to release their debut record, Golden Age of Knowhere in January of 2011 on RCA Records. With tunes like "Carwars" "New York City Moves to the Sound of LA," "Finale" and more, Funeral Party are resurrecting the early 90s power-garage pop sound and sprinkling it with a dusting of 2010. Lead singer, Chad Elliott's vocals leave nothing to the imagination and are grippingly harsh, yet appealing at the same time. The band's East LA upbringing is greatly showcased in songs like those mentioned above; reigning them in is producer Dave Sardy (Band of Horses, LCD Soundsystem) who commercialized their sound (in a good way), while keeping it gritty and fluid. Funeral Party are proving to be a big time Band to Watch in 2011.

Early show at Mercury Lounge with New Politics. Funeral Party are on at 7PM.
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Brahms Remix and Mercury Lounge Show

ANOTHER TIME from TRAPPEDINACUBE on Vimeo.

[mp3] BRAHMS: "Another Time (Laurel Halo Remix)"

We're pretty psyched for a STACKED bill tomorrow night at Mercury capped off by Brahms and including: Class Actress, Sherlock's Daughter, Sun Airway, and a Lemonade DJ set. Check out the new remix above. From the PR

After touring the country with Passion Pit, completing a sell out residency at Pianos in New York and turning their Northside showcase into a bona fide 600 people deep dance party... BRAHMS are back with a hallucinatory techno infused remix of live favorite "Another Time" reworked by Brooklyn based, Laurel Halo.

BRAHMS are currently locked in their Brooklyn studio mixing their debut EP, to be released this Fall and fine tuning tracks for what will become their first full length.

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Lissie: US Tour Dates

[mp3] Lissie: "In Sleep" (live)

[mp3] Lissie: "Record Collector"

To celebrate today's release of Lissie's sprawling, captivating, beguiling, yet ultimately very satisfying debut release Catching a Tiger, Fat Possum has announced a new set of US tour dates (she's been in the UK forever) and debuted the above live version of album cut "In Sleep" at RCRD LBL. (PS we hate the myspace interface). Definitely looking forward to hearing these songs fleshed out live and having Lissie back in the states. What do the Brits know about country music anyway? (Kidding, love ya guys.)
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Lissie North American headlining tour:

OCT. 6 SAN FRANCISCO, CA GREAT AMERICAN MUSIC HALL

OCT. 7 LOS ANGELES, CA TROUBADOUR

OCT. 9 AUSTIN, TX AUSTIN CITY LIMITS FESTIVAL

(12:15-1pm, ZYNC Card stage)

OCT. 10 HOUSTON, TX HOUSE OF BLUES - Bronze Peacock

OCT. 11 DALLAS, TX GRANADA THEATRE

OCT. 13 DENVER, CO BLUEBIRD THEATER

OCT. 15 MINNEAPOLIS, MN TRIPLE ROCK SOCIAL CLUB

OCT. 16 DAVENPORT, IA REDSTONE ROOM @ RIVER MUSIC

OCT. 17 CHICAGO, IL LINCOLN HALL

OCT. 20 WASHINGTON, DC 9:30 CLUB

OCT. 21 PHILADELPHIA, PA JOHNNY BRENDA'S

OCT. 22 NEW YORK, NY HIRO BALLROOM

OCT. 23 BOSTON, MA T.T. THE BEAR'S



Previously announced European dates:



AUG. 21 HYLANDS PARK, UK V FESTIVAL

AUG. 22 WESTON PARK, UK V FESTIVAL

SEPT. 6 BELFAST, UK THE OPEN HOUSE FESTIVAL

SEPT. 7 DUBLIN, IRL ACADEMY 2

SEPT. 8 BELFAST, UK OPEN HOUSE FESTIVAL

(McHughs Basement Bar)

SEPT. 10 ISLE OF WIGHT, UK BESTIVAL (New Band Stage)

SEPT. 11 LIVERPOOL, UK UNIVERSITY*

SEPT. 12 LEEDS, UK 02 ACADEMY*

SEPT. 13 LONDON, UK HMV HAMMERSMITH APOLLO*

SEPT. 15 EDINBURGH, UK CORN EXCHANGE*

SEPT. 16 LEICESTER, UK DE MONTFORT HALL*

SEPT. 17 PORTSMOUTH, UK GUILDHALL*

SEPT. 20 BERLIN, DE LIDO

SEPT. 21 KOLN, DE LUXOR

SEPT. 22 MUNCHEN, DE 59:1

SEPT. 23 ZURICH, CH HARTEREI FESTIVAL

SEPT. 26 HAMBURG, DE KNUST

SEPT. 30 BERGEN, NO USF VERFTET

OCT. 26 GLASGOW, UK ORAN MOR

OCT. 27 MANCHESTER, UK ACADEMY 2

OCT. 28 BRISTOL, UK THEKLA

OCT. 30 NORWICH, UK WATERFRONT

OCT. 31 BIRMINGHAM, UK ACADEMY 2

NOV. 1 LONDON, UK HEAVEN

* supporting The Script
After the jump.

You Only Live Once. Band to Watch: Unsolved Mysteries

Unsolved Mysteries "You Only Live Once" from Ryan Dickie on Vimeo.

[mp3] Unsolved Mysteries: "Foolin Yourself"

We don't really play songs "on repeat." We like pleasure delay. Only give us that one song when we really need it, or want it. Further, Stark gets a lot of music. Most of which gets a good listen, before being relegated to the scrap bin with the thousands of other hook-less wonders out there right now. I swear one of these nights we're gonna get super super super blazed and see if the music on Altered Zones sounds any better then.

We digress. "You Only Live Once" by Unsolved Mysteries. despite having that whistle a little too high in the mix, is an undeniably catchy and hook-filled song -- the power of which has helped propel them to quickly rising prominence on the NY live scene...and yes, repeat listens on Friday afternoons in the office. With connections to the fashion world, and we're sure, a pretty damn good looking fan base, Unsolved Mysteries have worked hard to promote their latest full length Tragic Trouble and have a new EP on the way soon. They will headline the Stark/Jinners/I Rock I Roll party this Friday at Union Hall with Teletextile and High Highs. See you there kiddies. Gonna be a great one. Thanks Xav.
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Cloud Nothings Sign to Carpark

[mp3] Cloud Nothings: "Hey Cool Kid"

We always love to write about good things happening to good bands, and good labels. Today comes word that Cloud Nothings, one of the few bands out there very much deserving of their "buzz" status, have signed to Carpark Records and will release a compilation of all of their scattered releases over the course of 2010. Turning On comes out October 12. From the press release:

The incendiary Turning On EP, the ultra limited and rollicking Group Tightener seven inch single, and two killer songs from a super-hard-to-find cassette only release are now available in one handy package! These thirteen songs are the perfect introduction to the heavenly world of Cloud Nothings, and an ideal primer for the highly-anticipated full length this winter.

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Old 97s Announce New Album

Super exciting news today, as The Old 97s announce their new album, their eighth studio record, The Grand Theatre Vol. 1 - due October 12 on New West. We're just taking our first spin now... From the press release:

The band, who Rolling Stone says have “evolved...into master-class rock & roll songwriters,” recorded over two dozen brand new songs during studio sessions and will be releasing a second volume
in 2011.

The Grand Theatre Volume One was predominantly written during Rhett Miller’s 2009 solo tour abroad. The lyrics are filled with character studies while the sound – expertly rounded out by band members Murry Hammond, Ken Bethea and Philip Peeples – is Garage-Rock-meets-60s-British Invasion without abandoning the classic 97’s sound

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Penguin Prison Remix Passion Pit's "Little Secrets"

[MP3] Passion Pit - "Little Secrets (Penguin Prison Remix)"

It has been a bitch-slap of a wake up, coming back to NYC from a long and resting vacation, but remixes such as this one recently posted by Stark fave Neon Gold Records (We know. Get off our backs. We like their taste in music!) helps us get through. We tend to shy away from those indie-turned-mainstream bands, but we were on the Passion Pit train back when they weren't popular, so we feel entitled to post on them at our discretion. The main focus of this post is the remixer: Penguin Prison. For those not on-board with these UK electro-popers, time to get on board. While they are sans a debut record, this group has managed to snag the ears of some high-end industry folk landing them a spot on the Neon Gold Records roster, booking through the Windish Agency and a string of great live shows including a support run for Francis and the Lights (don't get us started about them though.) PP manages to scale down the in-your-face feel of this Passion Pit staple off Manners, but the vibe is still appealing. Look for more from Penguin Prision in the near future.

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New Summer Camp: "Round The Moon"

SUMMER CAMP - Round the Moon from Paddy Power on Vimeo.

[mp3] Summer Camp: "Only Have Eyes For You"

Here's a brand new tune from Summer Camp's upcoming EP Young which comes out next month on Moshi Moshi. It's a wistful synth-laden tune used as a backdrop for a classic 80s story of teen angst, unfulfilled passion and cigarettes. While a little bit darker than John Hughes would've liked probably, there's no doubt he would've appreciated the tune and loved the homage to an era that we 90s kids can only live through film and music vids like these.
VIA

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Marissa Nadler Covers Record

[mp3] Marissa Nadler: "Daisy Where Did You Go"

After receiving a nice little note from Ms. Nadler, we're happy to say that her fantastic 17 track handmade covers record is back on sale on her Etsy page. Also available are the acoustic demos from her most recent record Little Hells. The covers record features some of Stark's all time favorite tunes, including a heavy dose of Townes Van Zandt. Straight to the heart. Included are "Pancho and Lefty" "Colorado Girl" and "Our Mother The Mountain" as well as other covers such as "No Surprises" "Sunday Morning Coming Down" and "Hickory Wind." Nadler also has two new tracks available on reverb nation, including the above "Daisy Where Did You Go." Reverb nation has her record label listed as "free agent" which is an interesting development... All the proceeds from the covers record go towards the recording of her new album, so buy, and buy fast.

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Site and Sound Does Blair

Site & Sound: Blair from VanLou Media on Vimeo.

[mp3] Blair: "Hearts"

Clocking in with a rare vacation post, we wanted to share Site and Sound's new feature on perennial Stark favorite Blair. We had the pleasure of watching a similarly stripped down set from Blair when she opened for The Futurebirds last week at Cake Shop. This video shows Blair performing "Rampage" at Sycamore in Brooklyn. Blair's more nuanced approach to her songs gives her soft, yet powerful voice room to move and breathe, and gives the lyrics and melodies center stage. While, all of the above make for a compelling video feature (as always), we have to say, for us Stark folk we love to see Blair cut loose and sling the rock around with a full band live. In the end though, it's an artists creativity, versatility, and willingness to strike out on their own that makes them great; luckily for us all, Blair possesses all of those characteristics in spades.

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