Today's Hotness: Arctic Splash, Black Swan Runners

>> A world in which Joey Sweeney doesn't have an active band just feels weird. Or at least it feels weird in a different way from a world in which Mr. Sweeney does have an active band. We came up listening to his songs, going to the shows of his various bands (Barnabys, The Joey Sweeney Rock Band, and so forth), and then when he got himself growed up sometime during the last decade it seemed like he had finally put music down after shelving the quasi-eponymous The Trouble With Sweeney. So we were pleased to get a tip a couple months back that Sweeney has quietly bowed another project, Arctic Splash. The Philadelphia-based quintet made its live debut just last summer, and has apparently been at work for quite some time on a debut release, which at least last fall was contemplated as a three-song 12"/download jawn. What's the stuff sound like? It's hard to say: this live clip from the band's first show captures a band at its loosest; the demo "Denim Tuxedo" (someone alert Jon Wurster...) is spare and soulful; and the acoustic demo "Baptised In Vibe" embedded atop this piece is yet more spare, but more reminiscent of Sweeney's later stuff. Long-time readers with superlative memories will recall our occasional rants about Sweeney's unheralded rock period (1994-1996, or thereabouts), and obviously we'd like to see a return to the sweaty, glasses-pushing-up-the-nose Sweeney. Arctic Splash probably won't be that, but we're still quite excited to hear the debut release. Let's get it released, Team Splash, eh?

Denim Tuxedo (Demo) by arcticsplash

>> We're also jazzed for the debut release from Black Swan Runners, a new band from former Retriever and CoCo B's guy Kevin Castillo. We've been a fan of Castillo's music since college, which if you don't know was a long time ago. And we were a bit surprised that CoCo B's didn't have more of a break-out moment with its dazzling rocker "Give Up The Money/1982," from its very solid 2007 self-titled set. Be that as it may, there is new music coming from this new entity Black Swan Runners. Although how different is the new band? The personnel listed at the BSW Facebook page is the same as the personnel in the CoCo B's bio? No matter, we don't really care, so long as the rock is good. And based on some teaser video clips, we think we've got reason to be excited when the band's debut release comes out next month. The as-yet-untitled collection is in the can, after having been mixed by Alex Newport (who we talked about at some length here) and mastered by the seemingly ubiquitous Jeff Lipton. All we know right now is that one jam might be titled "Carolina In A White Coat," and whatever the title is, the tune is awesome. There's a bit more of a synth-and-electronic-beats thing going on in this clip, but the song seems no less affecting. We haven't discerned an official release date yet, but we'll keep you apprised.

Today's Hotness: Coco B's, The Hold Steady, Pink Floyd

>> Loyal readers may recall a couple pleas [1, 2] for MP3s of an old Retriever single from 1995. As we noted in March we finally thought to search for the erstwhile L.A.-based act's stuff on EMusic and turned up a very nice compilation track. And then we forgot about Retriever again until this past weekend, when we wondered what would happen if we simply Googled around a bit for information about the band. And lo and behold, the Internet served up all the information and MP3s we could ask for, and provided links so we could buy even more Retriever goodness. And along the way we learned that Kevin Retriever has a new band you may have heard of called Coco B's, which were featured just the other day here at the RCRDLBL music blog thingamajig. The good news for us is that Coco B's sound just like Retriever, so we're totally on board with the quartet. RCRDLBL has a few Coco B's MP3s you can download at the link supra (definitely pull down and listen to "Give Up The Money/1982," which sounds a bit like a gentler Quicksand). But the link we'd like you to really think about clicking is this one, where you can download a whole lotta Coco B's demos, and also a whole lotta Retriever jams, including the one that got us started on this hunt in the first place, "Q-Tip" (released on a split single with Rock Band #47 in 1995). Since they're offering, we're also linking to "Evil K," the hot number we discovered on the comp at EMusic. Coco B's next gig is June 12 at Alex's Bar in Long Beach, CA.

Retriever -- "Q-Tip" -- Retriever/Rock Band #47 split single
Retriever -- "Evil K" -- Greatest Moments Of Doubt
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[make yourself happy and buy Coco B's and Retriever records right here]

>> Did you know that The Hold Steady's forthcoming fourth full-length Stay Positive will be issued digitally by EMusic June 17? Well, it looked like it was true for a couple shining days, but now an update to the 17Dots blog indicates that the chaps at Vagrant are having second thoughts. Even so, this updated blog post hasn't completely recanted the claim yet, so there is still some hope that in fewer than two weeks you will be knee deep in Mssrs. Finn and Kubler's freshest batch of boozing anthems. We were not initially taken with the lead single "Sequestered In Memphis" (would it kill you guys to turn up the rhythm guitar just a little more in the verse?) but it has since wangled its way into the forefront of our minds with its ultra-simple lyrical hook. The physical release of Stay Positive is slated for July 15. "Yeah, sure, I'll tell my story again..."

>> We love the weird post-Barrett, pre-Dark Side Of The Moon Pink Floyd catalog, as well as bootleg recordings of the quartet during the period (which were showing up online with surprising frequency this spring). So it was with great interest we read this NME item about Floyd guitarist David Gilmour deigning to perform June 15 with a Floyd tribute act for a performance of the 1970 epic Atom Heart Mother. You know, the one with the cow on it. Atom Heart Mother includes two very long proggy pieces, and then three short songs, one written by each of the writing Floyd members. It is really a wonderful record. One of the shorter tunes is Gilmour's ballad "Fat Old Sun," which was covered by the early '90s Montreal-based four-tracking concern Mennen with great, gritty success. We really thought this track came from a Purr Mama Resistor cassette comp, but we just checked the site and it isn't on any of them. We must have gotten it straight from the source. Check it out.

Mennen -- "Fat Old Sun" -- A Four-Track Joint
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>> Notable British indie rockers Fields will make their live return at the end of the month, playing the Proud Gallery in London June 28. A MySpace blog post indicates the band will be playing new material. Who's going to YouTube some of that for us?

Today's Hotness: Ringo Deathstarr, New Radiant Storm King

>> Texas-based shoegaze quartet Ringo Deathstarr plans to spend at least part of its late spring and summer recording new music, according to a MySpace bulletin from the band. This is very good news, as the band's sadly small body of recorded work is excellent, but, well, sadly small. The Deathstarr also plans another East Coast tour at the end of the summer, which makes us happy, as we were sick when the band played Boston earlier this year. We'll try to take vitamins between now and the band's return to ensure our attendance. In the meantime Ringo Deathstarr heads west in the first week of April to convert the unwitting. No word yet on who will release the planned Ringo Deathstarr recordings.

>> Legendary Western Massachusetts rockers New Radiant Storm King have been working on a ninth record, which will be released by Darla in the fall. The band will showcase new songs during two performances in early April, including a show at PA's Lounge Sunday April 6. New Radiant Storm King plays The Brass Cat in Easthampton the previous evening. Both dates also feature sets from Dr. Powerful, a band that counts among its number former members of even more legendary angular North Carolina rockers Polvo. No title has been announced yet for the next New Radiant Storm King record, its first since the release of The Steady Hand two years ago. We reviewed that latter set for Junkmedia right here.

>> We're pretty sure we read a MySpace bulletin from exemplary Philadelphia-based rockers The Swimmers last week reporting that they would have a Daytrotter session posted at the venerable music site Friday. We just checked Daytrotter.com and found nothing. Maybe The Swimmers were simply recording the session that day -- this seems likely, as the band is on tour in that general area of the country. The band's recently issued Fighting Trees has been getting a lot of play around :: clicky clicky :: HQ and we reviewed it here.

>> Fans of London-based indie rock act Fields who missed last week's MySpace blog post about the goings-on of fronter Nick Peill, drummer Henry Spenner and plastic dinosaur Godzuki certainly missed alot. Amusing photos and travelogue here. Notable items include the fact that, among other equipment, the studio Fields is using for final tracking and mixing of its planned sophomore full-length contains a piano owned by Phillip Glass and drum gear of The Walkmen. Wild and wildly amusing.

>> We're still hoping that someone out there has ripped their copy of Retriever's "Q-tip" single, which was released in 1995 or so and which we first requested here. In the meantime, however, we finally thought to search for Retriever stuff on EMusic and lo and behold the site is selling one track by the band. The song "Evil K" is the lead track on Zum #10 A CD Compilation. It scorches. You should download it from EMusic here. It is also notable on that comp includes tracks from Boyracer, June Of 44, The Raymond Brake and Vehicle Flips, although only the Vehicle Flips and Retriever tracks rise to the level of remarkable. Not that you asked, but the best June Of 44 release is the 1997 Anatomy Of Sharks EP, and one of the band's best numbers is the harrowing lead track from said EP, "Sharks And Sailors." Here it is.

June Of 44 -- "Sharks And Sailors" -- The Anatomy Of Sharks
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[buy June Of 44 records from Newbury Comics right here]
[we just noticed the copy of The Anatomy Of Sharks we bought used is autographed by two members of the band; how cool are we?]