Today's Hotness: Up Up Down Down, Los Campesinos

>> We had no idea that post-emo superstars Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start were recording a new record, but it's true. The New Jersey-based quintet plans to release a 10-song set next month. No title has been released yet, and no label has been mentioned, so we expect it will be released on the band's own imprint. In the meantime you can help out the Uppers by appearing in a video for one of the forthcoming tunes. According to a MySpace bulletin the band will shoot a video Saturday April 29 at its studio The Gradwell House in Haddon Heights, NJ. The video will be included on the forthcoming record, and the band wants you to know the words if you're going to be in it. You can hear a stream of the new jaunty strummer here -- its got a tricky 11-beat verse and a tumultuous close. And in true UUDDLRLRBAS fashion, it is short and to the point. If you want to hear more from the band, make sure to head over to their MP3 clearinghouse UpUpDownDownloads.com, which we seem to link to every couple months or so whether we need it or not. Here's one of our favorite jams of theirs:

Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start -- "Melanie Flury" -- Girls Names EP
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>> UK-based indie pop septet Los Campesinos have signed with Canadian superlabel Arts + Crafts, according to a MySpace bulletin from the jubilant Brits. The first fruits of the partnership will be an EP released July 3 titled Sticking Fingers Into Sockets, which will be "released in North America and some other places too." Adding more loft to the band's rise is its recent appointment to this year's Lollapalooza line-up. Not sure what all the fuss is about? Well the band has posted a recent single for free download from its web site here -- how about we link to it? And here is a link to a YouTube video of a recent live performance during which the Campies are joined on stage for "You! Me! Dancing!" by folks including our favorite Birmingham noise poppers Johnny Foreigner (well, we think that is what's happening -- the video is small and the people onstage are many).

Los Campesinos -- "You Throw Parties, We Throw Knives"
Los Campesinos -- "Don't Tell Me To Do The Maths"
[these are .zip files; right click and save as]
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