the beat farm

Brooklyn’s Crystal Stilts have been turning many heads recently, especially after their acclaimed album “Alight of Night”, which was released back in 2008. Their newest installment “In Love With Oblivion” has just hit stores (April 12) and is shaping to be on of the beat farm’s best albums of the year.

The entire album is filled with great guitar work, especially on production. It seems as if these guys worked very hard to find the appropriate tones for the instruments needed. One of the best features on the album has to be Brad Hargett’s vocals, which have a uniquely “vintage” sound to them i’d say. Either way, there’s only so much I can say before you get bored and just play the song. Check it out, its some great stuff.

Download two great tracks from the album “Half a Moon” and “Shake the Shackles”, and head over to Slumberland to grab a copy of your own!

San Francisco’s Mike Maramag, better known lately as Blackbird Blackbird released two fresh great tracks last week titled “Overboard” and “Erasers”. Just earlier today, he released another fresh track that explores the soundscape that Mike Maramag is capable of. With stronger, but not more fluent vocals, and an almost dark tone carrying out through the song, its certainly an interesting song to add to his roster. Listen to and download the new track below

I threw in the new tracks “Overboard” and “Erasers” as well as last years video for the great track”Pure”.

Need I say more? There’s a new Star Slinger remix, this time of How To Dress Well’s “Ready for the World”.

Another fine example of what this UK producer is capable of. Give this great track a listen below.

Over the past month, a collective of electronic artist from around the world collaborated to make a mixtape for the blog LYFSTYL. With the mixtape split into two parts: Bliss and Allusion, it’s a great bunch of songs from great artists. The artists included on the mixtape are Teen Daze, Moths and many others.

Check out Moths track “Jimmie Francis” below, and head over to the Bandcamp page to download the whole mix for free.

the beat farm has always held interest in Seatlle’s Seapony. They released their “Dreaming 7”” last year, which was filled with dreamy summer riffs and lyrics. Recently, news has spread of Seapony’s next installment “Go With Me”, which is hitting shelves on May 31st.

The new single “Blue Star” is available for listen and download below, check it out. I’ve also included the single “Late Summer” off their Dreaming 7”.

San Francisco’s Mike Maramag, better known for his Blackbird Blackbird moniker (formerly Bye Bye Blackbird) has just released a couple fresh track that is said to be featured on his upcoming full length titled “Erasers”, which doesn’t have a solid release date yet.

The songs carry the typical, mesmerizing synths, teamed with Mike’s great voice. The track “Overboard” actually features a prominent string section, which isn’t typical with Blackbird Blackbird’s history, but certainly sounds great. Give the two singles a listen and download below.

Texas’ Neon Indian has announced that they will be releasing a full length LP in the fall of this year, even after just working on some interesting stuff with The Flaming Lips. It seems as if Chillwave is coming back with a bang this year with releases from Toro Y Moi, Memory Tapes, Moths and many more. Washed Out is also releasing a full length later this year, having just been signed to Sub Pop.

Neon Indian released the below video recently, check it out as a preview of things to come from this great Chillwave outfit.

NEON INDIAN - HEART: ATTACK from gorillavsbear.net on Vimeo.

Its official! Bon Iver’s next installment is set to hit stores on June 21st via JAGJAGUWAR. The tracklist has also been released, check it out:

1. “Perth”
2. “Minnesota, WI”
3. “Holocene”
4. “Towers”
5. “Michicant”
6. “Hinnom, TX”
7. “Wash.”
8. “Calgary”
9. “Lisbon, OH”
10. “Beth/Rest”

And for anyone who missed it earlier this week, here’s the 50 second snippet of things to come on Bon Iver’s newest release.

Untitled from Bon Iver on Vimeo.

It seems like The National have been doing everything lately. Aside from countless shows and music festivals, the great single which was released just a month ago, “Think You Can Wait”, and now this. Matt Berninger has been working with whoever is in charge of the soundtrack for Portal 2, and wrote this fresh track for the game.

“Exile Vilify” is a delicately soft track, with a great vintage sound to it. I can’t picture how this will be incorporated into a game like Portal 2, but its a great track nonetheless. Give it a listen and download below.

As a bonus, listen and download The Nationals other recent single “Think You Can Wait”

This past Saturday was Record Store Day across the globe, meaning that for once record stores are flooding with people. Its a great day to support talented artists, and enjoy some music. Among the plethora of Record Store Day only releases, Yeasayer released their “End Blood” 7”, which features two cuts which didn’t make last years great “Odd Blood”

The A-side features this track, Swallowing the Decibels, which is a great addition to Yeasayers soundscape. Powerful drums are matched with ever growing synths and sounds, and finally topped with Chris Keating’s great vocals. Give the track a listen and download below.

Fucked Up have been releasing free mp3’s from their coming “David Comes to Life” concept album. “A Little Death” is posted for free download on the album website. The album drops June 7 on Matador Records.

Download the mp3 HERE

You can also download it below, thanks to One Thirty BPM

Philadelphia’s great Santigold/Santogold is back in the studio after her great debut album three years ago now. This track features the stylings of Karen O alongside Santigold to make one great track for the springtime.

The song was posted earlier today on Jay Z’s apparent new “lifestyle” website. Since that site was using its own wacky audio player, I grabbed this soundcloud off the always reliable Listen Before You Buy

Recently, the people over at npr have had the privelage to preview a group of artists newest tracks. They’re calling this section “New Mix”, and it features new tracks from Cults, Death Cab for Cutie, My Morning Jacket, and a few more.

the beat farm is definately most excited for Cults debut release, which is hitting shelves May 30th. After the great single “Go Outside”, we’ve been excited to hear anything new from the duo.

Check out the single “Abducted” over at NPR

As a bonus, here’s the groups great first single “Go Outside”

After killing it with a live set down at SXSW, UK’s Yuck have just finished up another session over at Daytrotter. Their debut album was amazing enough, but hearing how solid this group of musicians are just makes you love them that much more.

You can download the session over at Daytrotter

Pretty Much Amazing has also uploaded the single “The Wall” for a preview of the live set, listen below!

For the beat farm’s previous post, I put up a few tracks from 2011 that are perfect going into this great weather. Here’s part 2, which features tracks from BEACH!, Kurt Vile, Toro Y Moi, We Are Trees, and Yuck.

the beat farm will be continuing with regular posts after this, as well as getting ready for the top songs of the year for the first half of 2011. Hopefully by around June the beat farm will also begin featuring album reviews.

Toro Y Moi - New Beat by the beat farm

I know, I know. Spring technically started a couple weeks ago, but I thought I’d supply everyone with a great list of spring tunes. Maybe it’s just me, but happy music is essential coming into the nice weather in the Springtime.

Since Soundcloud can be difficult, I couldn’t upload all the tracks myself (thus making them available for download), but that just means you’ll have to purchase the albums for yourself! Part 1 features tracks by Keep Shelly In Athens, Fleet Foxes, NewVillager, The Dodos and Dirty Beaches with Bonus tracks by Hard Mix and

Bonus:

White Denim - Drug by the beat farm

The OFWGKTA crew has released a new Earl track via their Tumblr. The track is what you’d expect, nonstop lyrical flow from this teenaged genius. The group had this to say in the post:

“Earl.. Is Currently Not With Us. Stop Asking Where He Is, We Like To Keep This Private Because It’s Very Personal For Us. And No, He is Not As Some Boarding School And Blah Blah Blah”

Clearly the young rapper is on a personal hiatus, so this fresh track will do until his re-emergence (hopefully).

Listen to the track below, and visit the groups Tumblr to download it.

Death Cab For Cutie is back with another new track off their upcoming release “Codes and Keys”. If the previously released single “You Are a Tourist” wasn’t enough like the groups previous work for you, than this one should be even more interesting. The group adds an almost erie sound to the piano and vocals in this song, making for some great music.

Check out the single HERE

Baltimore’s Noah Lennox, best known as Panda Bear is now streaming his newest full length “Tomboy” over on NPR. The singles “Last Night at the Jetty” and “Surfer’s Hymn” were released previously, but you can now enjoy the album in it’s entirety. 

Tomboy is being released on April 19th on Paw Tracks, and you can stream the album at the link below until the 12th of April.

Listen to the live set HERE