A Change Is A-Comin'

OK, so now that this shit happened twice within one month, it's become clear that the site has outgrown the model I was using. Good news, since now we're like, totally popular, but bad news cause it's gonna be a pain in the ass to restructure the downloads. Anyways.....all that means to you right now is you have to click the zShare link to preview & download songs til my fileden gets unfrozen.

On ANOTHER note, I've got a new job, working as the LA Editor for Green Shoelace, which promises to become a multi-layered online music resource, but currently acts as a collection of the best concerts in the city, week to week. So come here to listen to great new bands, then go there to see them live. Sign up for the newsletter while you're at it, so you don't even have to click the site to get up to date (you lazy fuck). Anyway, in the words of the great Paula Abdul, "I'm just here for the music", so let's move on.....

-----------------Song of the Week--------------------------


Florence and the Machine - "Dog Days Are Over" (zShare link)





Florence & The Machine first hit this site with a beautiful cover of Cold War Kids' "Hospital Beds", and now finally return with the lead track off their/her (I always get confused by these semi-one person bands) new EP. It's a stunning debut, and hopefully a taste of what's to come from the full length album. And with a voice like that, expect to hear a lot more of Florence in the years to come.

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The Horrors - "Scarlet Fields" (zShare link)


So Florence has a fucking awesome voice. This we knew......now onto the surprises. First up comes a completely out-of-left field contender for Album of the Year: The Horror's Primary Colors. I remember seeing the band a few years ago at MisShapes in NY (Don't judge me.....but yes, I spent many a week at the party that can now be identified as Ground Zero for the hipster movement...sorry guys), and they didn't seem anything special to me; just another Loveleigh-approved buzz act with some cabaret elements thrown in for good measure. I'd heard rumblings they'd switched up their style to a more interesting, shoe-gazey style, but considering they were playing against that genre's pioneers at Coachella (My Bloody Valentine....my rant on that is buried below), I missed seeing them. Now that I've finally heard the album, I can safely say I can't wait to get another chance. With the gimmickry toned down to a merely amusing level, not to mention flat-out brilliant song arrangements, this might be the best shock of '09. If you're a fan of MBV, Catharine Wheel, Jesus & Mary Chain, or even Joy Division, you owe it to yourself to check it out. It's the work of devout fans, but make no mistake, it's the real deal. If you have the stamina, check out the epic highlight, "Sea Within A Sea"'s video below. And if you're unconvinced by the 4 min mark, just keep listening.....





And to check out a slightly more compact example of the band's newfound genius (not to mention some great, "how the fuck did they get that sound?" homemade guitars, check out "Scarlet Fields" up above.

Cobra Starship feat Leighton Meester - "Good Girls Gone Bad" (zShare link)

And finally, we come to the second surprise. Cobra Starship is no stranger to the guilty pleasure game - hell, they formed as an indie supergroup in a contest to create music for "Snakes On A Plane". But they may have outdone themselves by recruiting the hottest girl on television (and aspiring singer, natch) Leighton Meester. The actress' voice is clearly put through the Katy Perry-o-matic sound filter, but you're still left thinking she might have as good a career as many of the current pop-tarts, partially thanks to the killer hooks Gabe gives her to sing. And if Passion Pit's "Little Secret" will be the song playing at every Echo Park bbq this summer, this little ditty might be equally inescapable at dance floors from h.wood to MyHouse (not to mention my house, literally). Don't even fucking lie: you'll be listening to this way too many times.