Today's Hotness: Auburn Lull, Jawbreaker Reunion, Gingerlys, Hard Left

>> We have not yet familiarized ourselves with the ample back catalog (it stretches back to 1999) of the perfectly monikered, Lansing, Mich.-based ambient drone outfit Auburn Lull. But if the magnificence of the quintet's latest cassette is any indication, such an exploration will be well worth the time. New release Hiber is the act's first in six years and it is out now on the immaculately conceived Geographic Northern label -- whose products are as gorgeous and special on the outside as the sounds contained therein. And praise be to Eno, what sounds they are! Hiber contains five mostly instrumental tracks (a Will-o'-the-wisp female vocal occasionally appears), two of which are shorter pieces that bridge between three protracted drone suites. Opener "Moterm" melds guitars and synths into the round, sustained tones of a woodblock, mapping the general approach of Hiber as impressively calibrated guitar pedals create masterful texture, depth and space in refreshing ways with each new song. The opener leads into "CA1," wherein a gentle, alien motif iterates across a bed of icy, echoed guitar leads and warm hums. The track evokes the delicate silence of a winter's first snow, gentle reflections of a crisp, sunny day, or caverns of warmth in a freshly made bed. Later, the title track introduces a screwy piano to the mix, unfolding a complicated pattern of single left-hand notes that arguably resemble some section of a solo rendition of a Debussy number -- if ole' Claude had been a shoegazer. Auburn Lull save the best for last, as "Static Partition" makes for fascinating, stereo-panned ear candy. Bizarre, tremolo effects pitch over backwards while a bright, siren-like lead dances between the strange rhythms. White noises and found sounds creep in through the gaps and valleys of the arrangement -- specks of detail that come and go as each song awakens, breathes, and dies. You can hear the entire new collection via the Soundcloud embed below. Buy the tape, limited to 100 copies encased in blueberry-colored plastic, from Geographic North right here. -- Edward Charlton



>> From the same Bard College house show circuit that likely birthed the terrifically original lo-fi rock of the repeatedly Clicky'd Palberta come cohorts Jawbreaker Reunion, whose latest release recently found its way to our inbox. The awesomely titled Lutheran Sisterhood Gun Club materialized in late May as a pay-what-you-like download at Bandcamp, and it is filled with warm, surfy, girl-group-referencing rock. It brims with memorable melodies, especially in the vocals of co-fronting Jawbreaker, Lily. Her lyrics regularly focus on humorous and awkward moments of collegiate life, as in party stompers like "Jeggings," "Bear and Loathing," "Straightedge Revenge" and "Friends Theme Song." Every member of the band contributes to songwriting, and each of the aforementioned tunes perfectly pairs carefree instrumentation with snarky lines that must work wonders during a dimly lit house show. It's when the band looks beyond goofball antics, though, that a certain bruised emotional core reveals itself. Album highlight "E.M.O." in particular is terrifically affecting, with innocent, verses transitioning to a great, high-hat filled chorus. The spiraling lead guitars and haunting lyric "I don't want to wait anymore" elevates the band from a fun, party-rocking concern to an act whose melodies melt hearts. As with aforementioned peers Palberta, there is just the right amount of recklessness to Jawbreaker Reunion's tunes to lend a bit of crackling chaos to their characteristically straightforward pop structures. It's the sum of all of that -- the chaos, the accessible emotional payload, the sheer youthful fun of it all -- that ultimately distinguishes Lutheran Sisterhood Gun Club and makes it something you will press play on over and over again. Listen to the entire set via the Bandcamp embed below. -- Edward Charlton



>> Shelflife Records will release July 8 Valley Stream, New York indie-pop outfit Gingerlys' debut EP, Jumprope, which features four perfectly realized, fizzy strummers. The opening title track lays the foundation for the entire short programme, but the EP really takes flight during its second song, the beautiful, uptempo "Summer Cramps," which echoes wonderfully the detached dreaminess of Chapterhouse's legendary 1991 album opener "Breather." Gingerlys' high-pitched, simple synth lines run over top electric and acoustic guitars while dynamic drumming steadily pushes the buoyant jangle to the edge of panic. Maria Garnica's lead vocals provide a catchy, sultry counterpoint to the relatively clean-cut, conventional instrumentation. Often, her wordless oohs and ahs are the best hooks on the disc, and they are the source of so much of what lends the quintet's tunes a sensual dimension. Her ever-present pillowy synth lines anchor the songs, and remind this reviewer of The Wake's epic 1985 album Here Comes Everybody. Closer "Set You Off" increases the guitar interplay with colorful, chorused leads, and emphasize the dual vocals of Garnica and songwriter Matt Richards, as well, imbuing the proceedings with even more of a C86-revival feel. Fans of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart or Minks take note! Consider grabbing for this great introduction to Gingerlys instead; Jumprope is available in a limited edition of 300 vinyl singles and as a digital download. Pre-order the EP from Shelflife right here and stream it via the Soundcloud embed below. -- Edward Charlton



>> "What's that sound? Boredom!" So goes the refrain of "What's That Sound?," the electrifying debut single from Hard Left, a Slumberland Records supergroup featuring members of Boyracer, Manatee and #1 Smash Hits. The recording sounds as fun as it must have been for this group to conceive. The single, released through the label's Soundcloud account and embedded for your consideration below, is a wonderful throwback to primo early punk, with growled backing vocals a la Gang Of Four, and three chords wrapped in just the right amount of vintage fuzz tone. The band inhabits the retro sound, and leverages its bombast to carry youthful and vibrant political messages to an indie rock community that (in our opinion) collectively could use a lesson in the importance -- nay, necessity -- of protest and politics in music. That said, it's a touch funny to hear these folks in a band like this, as in their youth certain of them were busy providing an alternative to this type of music within the Washington, D.C. -area. But desperate times call for desperate measures, right? Let's hope there is more like this coming, both from Hard Left and others, because -- as the band reminds us -- "Suck-cess is not far away!" Listen via the Soundcloud embed below. -- Edward Charlton

Fear Of Men, with The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart and Ablebody | Brighton Music Hall, Boston | 24 May

Pop fiends, here's your warning: UK-based dream-pop trio Fear Of Men slide into town tomorrow night and bring along an arresting, aqueous sound that has found favor with folks at Clicky Clicky HQ. The jangly and light Brighton, England combo forms the creamy middle of a formidable bill cookie-sandwiched by Brooklyn indie pop heroes The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart and Ablebody, the primary musical vehicle of The Pains' on again/off sideman Christoph Hochheim.

Fear Of Men, touring their expansive and freshly released Kanine Records debut LP Loom (by our reckoning 2013's Early Fragments compilation doesn't qualify as such), provide companionship to The Pains on the second leg of the Brooklyn act's North American trek ahead of the May 13 release of Days Of Abandon, its forthcoming third LP. Fear Of Men formed in 2011 and garnered raves early on with a smattering of demos and 7" singles released on a variety of UK labels including Clicky Clicky faves Italian Beach Babes and Too Pure. The aforementioned Early Fragments collected much of this early work, and was Fear Of Men's first release on Kanine. For its part, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart are touring with a revamped lineup, with only earnest frontman Kip Berman remaining from among the personnel that recorded 2011's life-affirming LP Belong for the very highly esteemed Slumberland label. Word in the digital underground [oh how I like to funk thee -- Ed.] is that Days Of Abandon marks a sea change for the band, so tomorrow's show presents your chance to gain an advance look at The Pains Mach II.

From Boston, the three acts head westwards and back; they wrap the tour in a few weeks at New York's delightful Bowery Ballroom, and the full remaining tour itinerary is posted at the foot of this piece. Details of Thursday's Brighton Music Hall show can be inspected right here, and Fear Of Men's Loom can be purchased directly from the band right here (a two-color vinyl version was on offer from Kanine for Record Store Day, so if you are lucky/particularly motivated you may be able to track one down). A single from Loom titled "Luna," was issued April 7 by another Clicky Clicky favorite label, Art Is Hard, and we've posted an embed of the tune below for your listening pleasure. If you've got the scratch to purchase the single as an import, it is pressed to a 5" flexi-disc (!) and packaged with a 20-page 'zine and, well, that's awesome -- buy it here. Below that stream is another for the tune "Alta/Waterfall," whose mesmerizing hooks and beautiful vocals make the song among the most fetching of the year to date. Kanine Records released Loom yesterday. Below the Fear cuts is the absolutely snappy and '80s-tastic recent single from The Pains, "Simple And Sure;" a slightly darker second single "Eurydice" was released to the wilds of the Internerds more recently, but we're not posting it as the Soundcloud stream seems borked. Finally, we also present for your edification Ablebody's eery and sparkling forthcoming A-side "After Hours," which will be released May 20. -- Dillon Riley









04.24 -- Brighton Music Hall -- Allston, MA
04.25 -- Le Belmont -- Montreal, PQ
04.26 -- Horseshoe Tavern -- Toronto, ON
04.28 -- Empty Bottle -- Chicago, IL
04.29 -- Triple Rock -- Minneapolis, MN
05.02 -- Fortune Sound Club -- Vancouver, BC
05.03 -- The Vera Project -- Seattle, WA
05.04 -- Holocene -- Portland, OR
05.06 -- The Independent -- San Francisco, CA
05.07 -- Troubadour -- Los Angeles, CA
05.09 -- The Casbah -- San Diego, CA
05.10 -- The Crescent Ballroom -- Phoenix, AZ
05.11 -- Sister -- Albuquerque, NM
05.13 -- Larimer Lounge -- Denver, CO
05.15 -- The Record Bar -- Kansas City, MO
05.16 -- Zanzabar -- Louisville, KY
05.17 -- Rumba Café -- Columbus, OH
05.18 -- Club Café -- Pittsburgh, PA
05.19 -- Johnny Brenda's -- Philadelphia, PA
05.21 -- Rock 'n' Roll Hotel -- Washington, DC
05.22 -- Bowery Ballroom -- New York, NY

Today's Hotness: Best Friends, Sapphire Mansions, Radstewart

>> Art Is Hard Records continues to command attention, not only for its fine curation and great taste, but also due to brave and unconventional packaging concepts. Perhaps it's because of their singular methods that we sometimes lose sight of the fact that they still function as a tried-and-true label with a steady supply of CDs, tapes and vinyl. Which, of course, brings us to their latest 7", a stunning double A-side for the manic Sheffield, England quartet Best Friends, due Sept. 23rd. One side of the disc, "Happy Anniversary," reveals the scrappy band wearing a bit more production polish that we've heard from them previously, as well as more mature subject matter (their earlier, surf punk-inspired numbers explored such multi-dimensional aspects of the human condition as "Surf Bitches" and "Dude Love"). While there's still plenty of thick, churning guitars, one can't help but notice the way "Happy Anniversary" unfolds – full of space and a crooned vocal. It evidences a band unwilling to adhere to one approach for too long. After its delicate intro, "Happy Anniversary" introduces a descending surf lead and fuzzy flange on the rhythm guitar that each add thoughtful and evocative texture to the band's brand of bash 'n' pop. Best Friends has consistently exhibited a steady hold on the mid-range of their productions, and this thankfully remains true here: the mix is thick and pleasant, the drums splash along, and the chorus follows the guitar line for a great melodic punch. The flip of the single is quick-paced strummer "Nosebleeds," which -- impossibly -- is even more catchy, melodic and direct than "Happy Anniversary." All of which has us wondering: is this the best single of the year? When all is said and done, it will certainly be a contender. Both sides of the cracking single are embedded for streaming below; judge for yourself. Pre-order "Happy Anniversary" b/w "Nosebleeds" -- which comes packaged with a comic drawn by Nai Harvest's Lew Currie, and the option of adding a t-shirt to the deal, as well -- from Art Is Hard right here. -- Edward Charlton





>> We recently noted the head of a certain terrific American indie label recommending to the attention of friends an act called Sapphire Mansions; the label is constantly putting out first-rate stuff, so we thought we'd best have a listen. Brooklyn-based pop upstarts Sapphire Mansions are preparing to self-release Oct. 23 a debut six-song EP (eight songs if you buy the cassette, or even more if you buy a CD-R) titled Over America. Despite its title, the short set's hazy but spare indie pop suggests the influence of decades-old U.K. and even Kiwi acts as much as it does bands closer to home like The Ocean Blue and The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart. Sapphire Mansions distinguishes itself via the unconventional application of mixing EQs and reverbs, something that makes the quartet's EP a compelling listen. Often the tracks feel at arm's length, squeezed and swirled, so that what would otherwise seem conventional production assumes a foreign quality via, for example, the mysterious, hissing treble in fronter Jay Hough's vocals, or the mechanistic whooshes surrounding drummer Josh Feldman's snare beats. The overall flavor is one of slight unease, giving Over America an intriguing tension, even a sense of danger, despite the sturdy pop skeleton underneath. The EP is refreshing and definitely worth pre-ordering, so that blasting it on the hi-fi can become a reality come late October. Be the first kid on your block to own one by pre-ordering it at Bandcamp; click through the embed below to find out how. -- Edward Charlton



>> This reviewer often takes a sharp turn in terms of rock music consumption once summer starts to inevitably wind down. Gone are the gleeful and blissed records that encouraged lazy afternoons. Instead -- as if in preparation for the cold -- the harsh, aggravated noise of detached garage singles and the cool, mechanical precision of post-punk suddenly seem the best aural accompaniment. Our good and perhaps telepathic friends at Alcopop! may be feeling the same way, based on its recent announcement that it has signed and will release an EP in October from the spectacular Cardiff, Wales-based slack-core foursome Radstewart. The year-old act -- part of the aforementioned Art Is Hard's constellation of acts, as well -- is just the kind of band the world needs right now. Mixing a sense of The Fall's humorous and wordy motorik antics, a pinch of the Velvet Underground's taste in chords, and the goofball chemistry of early Pavement (which, we suppose, also comes by way of The Fall), this young Cardiff unit has hit upon the perfect indie cocktail. The promotional single "Beer Swindlers" is a fuzzy, grinding bit of tongue-in-cheek noise-punk. The singer's deep but nasal speak-drawl imbues the recordings with an agreeable and easy character, not unlike that of popular American peers Parquet Courts (who have seen great success with their updated, millennial take on the roots of punk and DIY). "Beer Swindlers" can also be found on the group's superb self-released and about-to-sell-out three-song CD, the last five of which are on offer at the band's Bandcamp here. If that short disc (and this video for the sublime "Hot Dog") is any indication of what Alcopop! has in store for us, be ready for greatness; we advise keeping an eye on the Alcopop! store for the appearance of pre-order details. Radstewart have landed a plumb spot supporting Sky Larkin's fall U.K. tour, the dates of which one can inspect right here. Listen to "Beer Swindlers" via the embed below. -- Edward Charlton

YouTube Rodeo: Yuck's "Suicide Policeman" Live

From the band's Sept. 7 set supporting arena rockers Modest Mouse at the Melkweg in Amsterdam. London-based Yuck plays a few U.S. dates next month, including an Oct. 20 show in Boston at Paradise Rock Club opening for dream pop sensations The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart. That's a hot bill. We're hoping our blogging schedule frees up shortly so we can get back to more regular publishing alongside Mr. Piantigini. But in the meantime you'd best mellow out with Yuck. Tickets for the Oct. 20 show can be obtained here from TicketKnob.

Today's Hotness: Propeller, Sun Airway, Yuck, Everyone Everywhere

>> If you've been reading along with any regularity, you are surely aware that one of our favorite acts is Varsity Drag, the indie punk concern fronted by Lemonheads co-founder Ben Deily. You may even know that the currently Cambridge, Mass.-based quartet got its start on the West Coast with a different line-up. We gave no thought at all to the chaps who abetted the early incarnation of Varsity Drag until quite recently, when former 'Drag guitarist and singer Greg Randall of the fizzing pop-punk act Propeller contacted us about his new band's recently released collection The Fear Of Rock And Roll. Unsurprisingly, the music of Propeller -- a duo comprised of Mr. Randall and former 'Drag bassist Will Anderson -- sounds a whole lot like the music found on Varsity Drag's debut EP For Crying Out Loud. San Francisco-based Propeller is perhaps not as nervy or manic, instead Mssrs. Randall and Anderson murmur, ooh and ahh through a dozen somewhat more bubble-gummy (yet also more laid back) tracks that suggest, to our ears, things like Big Star and Teenage Fanclub (the cut "Not You," which features Mr. Deily on guitar, sounds particularly Chilton-ish, and in fact The Fear Of Rock And Roll is dedicated to the late, great songwriter). Propeller's facility with melody should not be underestimated, and we've found ourselves listening to The Fear Of Rock And Roll quite a bit. The whole thing, which was released May 18, is for sale at Propellor's Bandcamp yert right here. To further compel you to consume, we're posting below the freebie cut "Broken Ones." It's hot stuff.

Propeller's "Broken Ones"

>> We were very pleased by yesterday's news that Philadelphia-based electropop concern Sun Airway has been signed. The act's full-length debut Nocturne of Exploded Crystal Chandelier will be released by Dead Oceans Oct. 26. We've been writing about Sun Airway for almost two years at this point, and in fact we followed closely the careers of band principals Jon Barthmus and Patrick Marsceill as far back as the debut of Sun Airways' predecessor act The A-Sides in 2005. Sun Airways also graced us with one of the more recent Show Us Yours features of ours, here in February 2009. One of the earliest Sun Airway tracks we heard was the sparkling dreamer "Waiting On You." Have a listen. And check out the album art for Nocturne of Exploded Crystal Chandelier right here.

Waiting on You by Sun Airway

>> Thanks to Jane of Scenesters And Mirror Kissers for directing our attention to the fact that rising London-based phenoms Yuck will support certain The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart tour dates in the U.S. this fall. Importantly, one of the three dates -- which we believe will be Yuck's U.S. debut -- is at Boston's Paradise Rock Club. Be a smaht kid and get your tickets now. Yuck, of course, recently issued a four-song, cassette EP on Charleston, South Carolina-based Mirror Universe featuring the stirring ballad "Weakend," which we wrote about here in June. The EP sold out almost immediately, but we're hopeful Yuck will have more copies for the October live dates, or at least the Boston one. Here are all three Yuck dates with TPOBPAH.

10.20 -- Paradise Rock Club -- Boston, MA
10.21 -- Music Hall of Williamsburg -- Brooklyn, NY
10.22 -- Pi Lam -- Philadelphia, PA

>> There's finally some new music to hear from Philly emo goliaths Everyone Everywhere. According to this item at Pun Canoes, the quartet is on the brink of releasing a split with Into It. Over It. wherein the two bands do the ol' Archers Of Loaf/Treepeople routine: both Everyone Everywhere and Into It. Over It. provide one of their own songs as well as a cover of one of the other band's songs. It's a classic indie rock gambit. Anyway, a new Everyone Everywhere song "Fakin' It" is currently streaming at the band's MySpace casa right here. The production on the track is a little more dense than some of the other Everyone Everywhere stuff, and the chorus on one of the guitar leads is a nice little touch; all in all it's a hot number. Order the (very attractive) split single from Topshelf Records right here.

Footage: Lorelei Cover Lilys' "February 14th" | Slumberland 20th Anniversary

Inveterate, jet-setting shoegaze junky and friend of Clicky Clicky mgrooves flew in from the left coast for the Slumberland 20th Anniversary shows in D.C. and Brooklyn last weekend, and captured the video above of Lorelei encoring with former labelmate Lilys' kaleidoscopic debut single. It's not the entire performance (the beginning is cut off), but it is quite awesome, and we suspect that if you watch until the huge transition at 2:30 you're mind may be blown. So while our dream of Lilys performing a surprise set during the celebration did not come to pass, the seminal Slumberland act was still represented. Lorelei delivered six other tracks, according to this set list also sent along by mgrooves, including the Clicky Clicky fave "Mostly I Sleep" and the classics "Float My Bed" and "Stop What You're Doing." "February 14th" was released as Slumberland's DRYL-7 in March 1991; the single is out of print. As we told our Twitter homies recently, NYCTaper was at the show Saturday night and recorded all of the sets. Pop over to NYCTaper now for live offerings from The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart and a sorta reconstituted Henry's Dress here and here respectively.

Lilys -- "February 14th" -- "February 14th" b/w "Threw A Day"
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[buy Lorelei records from Slumberland right here]

Review: The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart | Self-titled [MP3s]

In our estimation the classic Slumberland sound is a product of just the right proportions of melody and distortion, dreampop and shoegaze. Certainly, there are exceptions and outliers: the first period of work from the amazing, phenomenal, superlative (and so forth) act Rocketship hardly relied on distortion at all, while in places on its self-titled EP Henry's Dress buries melody almost completely under a narcotic, face-melting sonic (c)rumble. As we stated previously here, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart's music bears the hallmarks of the classic Slumberland sound, and so it is appropriate that the venerable label will issue the New York-based quartet's self-titled full-length Feb. 3. Guitarist and singer Kip Berman's not unpleasantly nasal voice comes across like Dean Wareham's, particularly on the single "Kurt Cobain's Cardigan," but like the complementary guitars and synths that characterize The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart's music, it is when Berman's singing is combined with the angelic soprano of keyboardist and vocalist Peggy Wang that the band's songs really take flight.

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart contains an embarrasment of noise pop riches including the now relatively familiar uptempo gems "This Love Is Fucking Right," "Everything With You" and "Come Saturday." But the amazing thing about the collection is that every song could be a single; there is nothing that could be dismissed as just "an album cut." "A Teenager In Love" boasts that Bowie-esque "Modern Love" double bounce, a Motown-ish vibe and is the most minimal-sounding production on the set. "Gentle Sons" is a dense, throbbing anthem with majestic streams of feedback spangling its closing section. "Hey Paul" feeds back over thundering bass not unlike songs of the aforementioned Henry's Dress. And so everything points to 2009 being a break-out year for The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart. The band's "Everything With You" single, released in December, sold out in about two months; it previously issued a self-titled EP in 2007 and the sublime "Kurt Cobain's Cardigan" single in 2008. The Pains of Being Pure At Heart embarks on a one-week tour of the Northeastern U.S. (plus two Canadian dates) Feb. 7, and we've posted all of the pending tour dates below two MP3s, including one for "Everything With You." We plan to cover that Feb. 15 Boston show, so check back around then for more coverage of the band.

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart -- "Everything With You" -- Self-titled
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart -- "Kurt Cobain's Cardigan"
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[pre-order The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart from Insound here]

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart: Internerds | MySpace | YouTube | Flickr

02/07 -- Mercury Lounge -- New York, NY
02/08 -- Kung Fu Necktie -- Philadelphia, PA
02/09 -- Black Cat Backstage -- Washington, DC
02/10 -- Garfield Artworks -- Pittsburgh, PA
02/11 -- Schubas -- Chicago, IL
02/12 -- Neutral -- Toronto, ON
02/13 -- Il Motore -- Montreal, PQ
02/14 -- The Monkey House -- Winooski, VT
02/15 -- Middle East -- Boston, MA
03/13 -- Bell House -- Brooklyn, NY
03/14 -- Talking Head Club -- Baltimore, MD
03/15 -- Local 506 -- Chapel Hill, NC
03/16 -- The Earl -- Atlanta, GA
03/18 -- SXSW - Red 7 -- Austin, TX

Today's Hotness: Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Dananananaykroyd

>> [PHOTO CREDIT: Pavla Kopecna] Word from The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart is that the band's next single will apparently be for the song "Young Adult Friction," track three on the band's brilliant forthcoming self-titled debut full-length. The New York-based quartet plan to film a video for the song Dec. 15 in Cambridge, England during its current tour of the UK and Ireland, which launched last night in London. In fact, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart are looking for extras to appear in the clip, so if you want in on that, friend them up on the MySpace and check out their most recent bulletin (there is a casting on Dec. 7 in London, apparently). The video for the act's most recent single "Everything With You" has been burning up the Internerds of late, and you can watch it right here. Frankly, not a lot happens in the clip, but the song, also on the pending full-length, is brilliant. No word yet on when the single for "Young Adult Friction" will be released, but we expect it will precede by a brief period the planned Feb. 3 issuance of The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart. Although that would be a very short time frame, so perhaps the single will arrive after the record and in time to build hype for a full spring tour (the band just announced a handful of February dates). Slumberland put out the single for "Everything With You," and because the label is awesome, you can download the tune for nothing. Have at it below. We previously wrote about The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart here in October; the band plays Cambridge, Mass.'s Middle East Downstair Feb. 15 with the very, very good act Pants Yell! We'll be there.

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart -- "Everything With You" -- "Everything With You" b/w "The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart"
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[buy "Everything With You" on blue vinyl from Slumberland here]

>> Dananananaykroyd's debut full-length is finished, and the band -- widely considered the best live act in the UK today -- has titled the collection Hey Everyone. Best Before Records will issue the set next year; a single, "Black Wax" arrives in March, which makes us think Hey Everyone will likely hit racks by April, if not in time for SXSW. Hey Everyone touts 12 tracks, including re-recorded versions of "1993," "Infinity Milk," "Some Dresses" and "The Greater Than Symbol And The Hash." These four three toe-tappers were all featured on the Glaswegian sextet's Sissy Hits EP, which Best Before released earlier this year. Dananananayroyd has finally posted the second part of its video diary filmed during the recording of Hey Everyone with The Machine in New Jersey earlier this fall, and it is really funny -- watch it here. The sextet has two live engagements booked for the remainder of year: one in Leeds Saturday and the second on New Year's Eve in Glasgow.

Today's Hotness: The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart

>> In our opinion there is a classic Slumberland sound. It relies on big guitars, upbeat rhythms and twee-leaning lyrics. Leading examples include Lilys' terrifyingly good "Claire Hates Me," from the landmark record In The Presence Of Nothing, and just about any track from Rocketship's similarly amazing A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness. You may now add to that list New York-based quartet The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart's delightful new single "Everything With You" b/w "The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart," which Slumberland released -- on blue vinyl, no less -- earlier this month. The A-side will feature on the year-old band's debut full-length, which the label intends to issue in January. The band will tour the U.K. with The Wedding Present in December; those dates are posted at the band's MySpace dojo right here. The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart have two CMJ-related appearances planned, including a Wednesday night show with the mighty Ringo Deathstarr, and we've listed the details below. Slumberland is offering a free download of "Everything With You," so do yourself a favor and start downloading. We can't wait to hear the full-length, but in the meantime you can stream four songs at the aforementioned MySpace.

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart -- "Everything With You" -- "Everything With You" b/w "The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart"
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[buy "Everything With You" from Slumberland here]

10/22 -- Knitting Factory Tap Bar -- New York, NY
10/24 -- Cake Shop -- New York, NY

>> Scruffy Mancunian indie rockers The Answering Machine will not be playing at CMJ this week. Instead the quartet began Monday recording its debut full-length in "a residential studio in the middle of the English countryside." Which actually sounds like a wonderful way to spend the week, so we are a little jealous. The sessions will be produced by Dave Eringa, who has previously produced records for Manic Street Preachers, Idlewild, Kylie Minogue and -- what's this -- a 1996 set by a band called Lodestar. That can't possibly be the erstwhile Philly band formerly known as Rupert Speed, could it? We'll that would be amazing (sadly, we expect the Lodestar in question is these jokers). One of the last things we wrote about The Answering Machine (here, in April) was that it had tracked as many as 15 demos with remote input from L.A.-based producer Tony Hoffer. Which makes us wonder why the planned album sessions are not being helmed by Mr. Hoffer. Perhaps we'll meet the guys and gal from The Answering Machine one day and ask them. To date the foursome has issued three singles, "Oklahoma," "Silent Hotels" and "Lightbulbs," all of which are worth tracking down.

>> As we Twittered early Friday evening, pedigreed and D.C.-based power-pop phenoms The Julie Ocean have disbanded. In this Washington Post item the quartet -- which featured former members of hitmakers including Velocity Girl, Swiz and Glo-worm -- explained that singer and guitarist Jim Spellman, who is also a presenter for televison news concern CNN (you know the one -- he agreed to be tasered on live TV last year), was relocating to Denver for career-related reasons. The relatively new band only played 20 shows in its 15-month lifetime, but it also recorded the excellent full-length Long Gone And Nearly There, which is a contender for our year-end list. We reviewed the record here in April. The Julie Ocean recently canceled an East Coast tour due due to a death in one of the four members' families.