Kurt Vile's Career Defining New Album

Kurt Vile may have already ended the race for 2013 album of the year. At the very least it's a top 5 contender. Vile is Philly brethren, and we've been following him for a (surprising) amount of time. Oh how the blog years stack up. We can't say enough about his expansive and overwhelmingly excellent new album Walkin' on a Pretty Daze (4/9 Matador). Go stream it right now - or sift through the experience of the streaming track below. I foresee the purchase of this double LP next Tuesday evening.

New Kurt Vile

[mp3] Kurt Vile: "Jesus Fever"

While there have been others who have been following Kurt Vile for longer than we have, we've invested a good amount of time in this prolific artist, and it's been a pleasure watching his songwriting talents grow and progress. Needless to say, that puts a good amount of pressure on his newest record Some Ring For My Halo dropping March 8th on Matador, but based on last year's EP and this new track, it doesn't look like he will be disappointing anyone. VIA

Kurt Vile is Playing in My House, My House

VILLLLLLLE from Yours Truly on Vimeo.

[mp3] Kurt Vile: "Beach on the Moon"

This is exactly what it looks like -- Kurt Vile playing in a small basement room of a San Francisco house. There isn't much else to say other than the two songs he played are off his to-be-released (and amazing), debut album for Matador, Childish Prodigy -- "He's Alright" the other "Breathin' Out." You want lo-fi, you got it. This video came to us courtesy of Yours Truly, a cool blog, covering great acts and bringing us raw and energtic underground videos such as this. Thanks!

Overnite Religion

[MP3] Kurt Vile: "Overnite Religion"

GVB directed us to the Matablog this morning which has the newest MP3 from the upcoming Kurt Vile record, Childish Prodigy, that comes out on Matador October 6. Vile has been EVERYWHERE this year, releasing music on Woodsist, touring, and generally being awesome. He fits perfectly in the this year's crop of lo-fi folky/rock goodness and may have two albums, Childish Prodigy and God Is Saying This To You, challenging for top spots in our year end list.

The Ultimate Mood Enhancer

[mp3] Woods: "To Clean"

Um. So, yeah. Continuing with the summer mood enhancer theme, is this pretty much amazing festival coming 4th of July weekend in New York. Holidays in the city are usually huge let downs, but the quality of this Woodsist/Captured Tracks showcase is too much to even list in one blog post. How big a year are THOSE guys having? It includes: Woods, Blank Dogs, Crystal Stilts, Kurt Vile, Vivian Girls, Thee Oh Sees, Dum Dum Girls, Ganglians, The Mayfair Set, Real Estate and much more. See after the jump for all of the bands and details, and yes, they really are all playing in one place. Tickets are on sale now, so hurry up. We'll see you there.

Full line-up:

Friday July 3rd @ 979 BROADWAY BACKYARD

9:45pm : CRYSTAL STILTS
9:00pm :: Blank Dogs
8:15pm ::: Psychedelic Horseshit
7:30pm :::: caUSE co-MOTION!
6:45pm ::::: the Mayfair Set
6:15pm :::::: Gary War
5:45pm ::::::: Little Girls
5:15pm :::::::: Kid Romance
4:45pm ::::::::: Beachniks
4:15pm :::::::::: the Gutsies
Saturday July 4th @ 979 BROADWAY BACKYARD

9:45pm : THEE OH SEES
9:00pm :: VIVIAN GIRLS
8:15pm ::: Kurt Vile
7:30pm :::: Woods
6:45pm ::::: Tyvek
6:00pm :::::: Dum Dum Girls
5:15pm ::::::: the Fresh & Onlys
4:30pm :::::::: Brilliant Colors
3:45pm ::::::::: Ganglians
3:15pm :::::::::: the Great Excape -- reunion, pre-Home Blitz
2:45pm ::::::::::: the Beets
2:15pm :::::::::::: Real Estate
1:45pm ::::::::::::: German Measles
1:15pm :::::::::::::: Beach Fossils

979 BROADWAY BACKYARD
979 Broadway btwn Myrtle Ave & Ditmars St Bushwick, Brooklyn
JMZ-Myrtle, L-Jefferson, G-Myrtle-Willoughby DOORS -4PM- $15 all ages
RAIN OR SHINE

ADVANCE TICKETS ARE NOW AVAILABLE: $25 FOR 2-DAY PASS PLUS $2 SERVICE FEE. SINGLE DAY TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR ONLY, FOR $15.

Kurt Vile Signs to Matador

[mp3] Kurt Vile: "Beach on the Moon"

Big up to Philly songwriter Kurt Vile who's had a pretty awesome 2009, and caps it off by inking a fresh deal with Matador records! Mexican Summer is great, but Matador marketing budgets are greater. Congrats! His amazing God is Saying This To You is out now and his follow up Childish Prodigy will be out this fall (on Matador, duh).

God Is Saying This To You

[MP3]
Kurt Vile "Beach on the Moon"

The cover of Kurt Vile's record God is Saying This To You looks as it sounds. It conjures up sepia-toned, rural images of hazy landscapes passing one by out the window of a train. Vile's songs float along with a psych/folk lilt to them sounding no more produced than a set of demos. Yet, haven't we all heard countless demo records that are head and shoulders above the fleshed-out studio versions? I mean, Nebraska was originally just demos for the E-Street Band. Kurt Vile just happens to also be a Philly native and part of the band War on Drugs whose Wagonwheel Blues was quietly one of the best records of 2008. Vile's first record Constant Hitmaker should not be passed by either. God is Saying This to You is out now digitally on the vinyl and digital only label Mexican Summer.

Woods & Tyvek Tonight @ Death By Audio

[MP3]
Woods "Rain On"
Woods "The Dark"

Again, I've been meaning to post on this all week, but clearly you can see we're dealing with a backlog of some great music. Woods have been slowing gaining momentum for what seems like some time now, and things are finally beginning to come to a head. Their record Songs of Shame comes out on April 14th via Woodsist, who has been having a quietly great year. It's yet another entry into the lo-fi, psych-folk cannon of 2009, but like the new record from Kurt Vile, it's the songs that come through in the end regardless of production methods. We don't know a ton about Tyvek, but we've been hearing good things...sort of hazy, distorted punk. Twitter tells us that it's Woods @10 and Tyvek @11 tonight. The Whip and Late of the Pier are also playing two highly anticipated shows tonight and tomorrow in the city. Lots to see and do.