Today's Hotness: The Radio Dept., Sunvisor, The Hush Now

>> [PHOTO CREDIT: Max Weiland] Despite liking very much specific tracks ("A Window" from the 2006 collection Pet Grief immediately jumps to mind), only now are we fully appreciating the wonderful Swedish dream-pop concern The Radio Dept. The band, which has been around for an impressively long 15 years in one form or another, issued April 21 its heart-felt, wistful third record Clinging To A Scheme on Labrador. This most recent Radio Dept. record, four years in the making, is filled with great tracks, our favorite being the cleverly titled "The Video Dept." In typical fashion Labrador has been promoting Clinging To A Scheme with free MP3s, and the latest is for the odd and pretty "Never Follow Suit." The reggae-tinged track is underpinned by firm beats and lashed to chords slanted on the upbeat, but a pretty synth line and understated vocal are the true focal points. "Never Follow Suit" will be issued as a single June 16 with two b-sides on CD and digitally, but you can download the A-side for free right now because that is how Labrador rolls.

The Radio Dept. -- "Never Follow Suit" -- Clinging To A Scheme
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[buy Clinging To A Scheme from Labrador here]

>> Long Island, New York-based electropop duo Sunvisor sent us a delightful preview track from the band's planned debut EP, which is due this summer. The song is called "Sky Dive," and we expect those among you who are proponents of Ulrich Schnauss or Morr Music-styled dreaminess will find "Sky Dive" quite appealing. The tune was Forkcasted yesterday, and for good reason: "Sky Dive" touts a perfect balance of effervescent beats and blissed synths that pleasantly pushes and pulls the buoyant track toward a conclusion that sadly comes too soon.

Sunvisor's "Sky Dive"

>> Word from Boston dream pop titans The Hush Now is the quintet began tracking a planned forthcoming EP this past weekend. The band was cutting basic tracks live all in one room of a house studio in Malden, MA. Ryan's Smashing Life had a photographer on the scene to snap this picture Sunday. No word on when we can expect to hear the finished product, but The Hush Now will apparently be playing certain of the new material at one of its numerous pending live dates. The band is slated to play two after-parties in the front room at the House Of Blues June 2nd and June 3rd as soon as The National finish its headlining set. The Hush Now is also scheduled to play McGann's Pub in Boston June 11. The band's most recent set Constellations was self-released earlier this year; we reviewed it here.

Today's Hotness: The Coctails, Los Campesinos, Ulrich Schnauss

>> Wha? Apparently defunct indie pop superlatives The Coctails are reuniting to perform at the group's former label's Sweet Sixteen party tonight; there are a few more details here at the Carrot Top Records site. Said party will occur both tonight and tomorrow at Chicago's The Hideout, and proceeds after expenses will benefit the Accelerated Cure Project for Multiple Sclerosis. To catch you up, The Coctails were Chicago pop icon Archer Prewitt's band prior to his joining Sam Prekop in The Sea And Cake. There is a very informative Wikipedia entry right here, and we highly recommend it to your attention. Most importantly, The Coctails released several wonderful records during its initial seven-year run between 1988 and 1995, the most wonderful perhaps being its self-titled set. That collection was released on CD in 1996 and opens with an amazing quartet of songs, "When I Come Around," "Circles," "City Sun" and "Cadali." Because it is one of our very favorites, here is "Cadali."

The Coctails -- "Cadali" -- The Coctails
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[buy Coctails records from Carrot Top right here]

>> Things we're not sure we knew about Cardiff, Wales-based indie pop septet Los Campesinos!' forthcoming sophomore set We Are Beatiful, We Are Doomed include: it will be released Oct. 27; it will not be promoted with any singles; it will have a single world-wide pressing and when it sells out it will be deleted; it will be packaged in a rectangular box; the box will also contain a DVD containing a self-made documentary of summer festival dates in Norway and Japan; the box will also contain a 30-page 'zine and exclusive poster. What's more, Los Campesinos! is touring the UK and Ireland in October with Times New Viking and No Age, and the three bands have created a web site at ShredYourFace.com that aspires to be the hub for all things related to the tour. Apparently there are myriad opportunities for fans to publish their own editorial and visual content to the site, and the site will also act as a clearinghouse for contests and insidery-information. Three tracks from We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed are already streaming at the band's MySpace dojo right here, including the surprisingly dense and glorious title track, so check 'em out.

>> Something else we didn't know: London-based label Independiente will make available Oct. 17 remastered and expanded versions of two records from electropop genius Ulrich Schnauss. Far Away Trains Passing By, originally released in 2001, will be packaged with a bonus disc, and 2003's A Strangely Isolated Place will include two bonus tracks. In addition to the physical articles, both sets will be available via the usual digital music storefronts. The reissue of Far Away Trains Passing By appears to have the very same track listing as the 2001 Domino issue in our collection, except the Independiente version contains one additional track on disc two, "A Million Miles Away." Disc two of that collection deserves special notice because it contains our all-time-favorite Ulrich Schnauss jam, "As If You've Never Been Away." The bonus tracks included with the reissue of A Strangely Isolated Place are two remixes by former Cocteau Twins guy Robin Guthrie for the tracks "Gone Forever" and "On My Own." This week Independiente issued the digital-only Schnauss EP Stars, and to celebrate all of this the label is letting fans download "A Letter From Home" from A Strangely Isolated Place for free, so have at it.

Ulrich Schauss -- "A Letter From Home" -- A Strangely Isolated Place [2008 Reissue]
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[pre-order Ulrich Schnauss records from Independiente right here]