the pace, the time, i can't survive

Current TV premiered a very special studio performance by Portishead last Friday night. The group played seven songs from their new record, Third. You can watch the entire set here... and download the mp3 version of the performance below, enjoy!

1. Intro
2. Silence
3. Hunter
4. We Carry On
5. The Rip
6. Machine Gun
7. Magic Doors
8. Threads
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

Third comes out on April 28th, you can pre-order it here

lil' jon, he always tells the truth

Vampire Weekend will be releasing the A-Punk 7” Single on Record Store Day (April 19). It includes "Oxford Comma (Rehearsal Version)" as the b-side. Remember to go support and celebrate with your local record stores on April 19!

Canadians, don’t forget to vote for “The Best Record Store in Canada” over at CBC Radio 3... it is now down to the Top 10!

Oxford Comma (Rehearsal Version)
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

our sleepless forest: our sleepless forest

Our Sleepless Forest’s self-titled debut is like one big dream compressed into a 43-minutes album. The tone and the environment that the album creates is completely refreshing; the drone sound produces calmingly peaceful and airy atmosphere. The best feature of the album is that the only vocals come from animals and a short segment of a person talking in "The Tinderbox". All there is really to say is that Our Sleepless Forest is surely one beautiful and surreal sounding ambient journey.

I know that a lot of people are feeling pretty hectic, frustrated and not getting much sleep lately because school is almost over and the due dates for final projects/essays/exams are coming up very soon. My suggestion, the next time you feel stuck and aggravated, close your eyes for a few minutes and unwind yourself with the songs below.

The Tinderbox [wicked-cool song]
Aircastles [wicked-cool song]
Afraid of You [wicked-cool song]
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

visit Our Sleepless Forest's MySpace here
buy Our Sleepless Forest here

cover song of the moment

Russian Red: Girls Just Want to Have Fun (Cyndi Lauper cover) [wicked-cool song]
**all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

the cemetery is my home

Watch M83's new video for "Graveyard Girl" below.


Graveyard Girl [wicked-cool song]
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

Saturdays = Youth comes out on April 15th, pre-order it here

serafina steer: cheap demo bad science

I love both Regina Spektor and Joanna Newsom, but they can be a little overwhelming from time to time. So naturally, the combination of the two may not be the best idea, right? Well, not if the mix is a toned-down and mellower version of the two. That is exactly how I would describe Serafina Steer. Her record, Cheap Demo Bad Science is the perfect marriage of the two. In addition to her soft and tranquil voice, Steer captures the humbleness of Joanna Newsom and the spontaneous delivery of Regina Spektor. As for the instrumentations, Steer employs a similar minimalistic approach to Nancy Elizabeth's. Cheap Demo Bad Science is not extraordinary nor is it the most original album ever; it is really just a lovely sounding record, and that is good enough for me.

Uncomfortable [wicked-cool song]
Peach Heart
Cheap Demo Bad Science
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

visit Serafina Steer's MySpace here
buy Cheap Demo Bad Science here

my favourite record store is located at 493 queen street west

For those of you who are keeping up with the CBC Radio 3’s Searchlight competition for "The Best Record Store in Canada" , it is now down to the top 20! Go see if your favourite store is on the list. Keep voting at CBC Radio 3 by clicking on the "The Top Twenty" banner on the left.

does it offend you, yeah?: you have no idea what you're getting yourself into

There are countless dancepunk/electro bands out there that aim to achieve the same success and credibility as The Rapture, !!!, and The Faint. Although many failed to do so, one or two bands do emerge with great potential once in a while. It did not take long for me to get into You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into, the debut album by England's Does It Offend You, Yeah? In fact, I was pretty much crazy about the album by the halfway point during my first listen! Not only does YHNIWYGYI feature some exciting high energy dance tracks ("With A Heavy Heart (I Regret To Inform You)", "Let's Make Out"), but it is also balanced by grand melodic 80s synth pop ballads ("Dawn Of The Dead", "Epic Last Song"). Perhaps the finest quality about the album is that it works perfectly as a whole; it is brilliantly assembled as each song flows naturally into the next. Does It Offend You, Yeah? have effectively combined familiar sounds to produce something fresh and creative, YHNIWYGYI is a highly entertaining debut record.

With A Heavy Heart (I Regret To Inform You) [wicked-cool song]
Dawn Of The Dead [wicked-cool song]
Let's Make Out [wicked-cool song]

Non-album bonus:
Bloc Party: The Prayer (Does It Offend You, Yeah? Remix) [wicked-cool song]
Muse: Map Of The Problematique (Does It Offend You, Yeah Remix)
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

visit Does It Offend You, Yeah?'s MySpace here
buy You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into here

la seule chose qui m’agace c’est de changer les piles!

I hate the 80s. I’m just going to admit that right now. I don’t buy into neo-retro-reebok sneakers, I’m not really a fan of shirt-dresses and MC Hammer tunes don’t make me feel nostalgic. That said, I love Yelle. Her electronica-dance sound has a lot of the elements that you would find in an 80s radio hit, but the rendering of these elements is such that Pop Up is overflowing with fun. And if you understand French, the lyrics add a whole new dimension. Yelle covers all her bases, ridiculing misogynistic rappers in “Je Veux Te Voir”, singing the praises of her vibrator in “Mon Meilleur Ami” and contemplating switching teams if men don’t work out in “Les Femmes”. Yelle was also featured in one of the biggest songs of 2007 in France: “Parle à Ma Main” by Fatal Bazooka. The video for the song is hilarious, and you can watch it here.

Yelle is a breath of fresh air for people who usually don’t enjoy dance music. Pop Up is fun enough that even those who don’t speak French will find themselves vogue-ing to it in the light of their iMacs.


Je Veux Te Voir
Ce Jeu
Dans Ta Vraie Vie

Bonus: Parle à Ma Main by Fatal Bazooka feat. Yelle & Christelle
***Comme toujours all files expire in 7 days

Yelle is about to embark on a U.S.A. & Canada tour:
Apr 22 in Seattle @ The War Room
Apr 23 in Portland @ Rotture
Apr 24 in San Fransisco @ Independent
Apr 26 in Indio @ Coachella Festival
Apr 29 in Chicago @ Mansion
Apr 30 in Toronto @ The Great Hall
May 2 in Montreal @ Club Soda
May 3 in New York @ Highline Ballroom

Buy Pop Up Here.

the rushing river rattlesnakes your legs

Watch The Acorn's beautiful video for "Flood Pt.1":


Flood Pt.1 [wicked-cool song]
***all files expire in 7 days or until bandwidth reaches its limit

visit The Acorn's MySpace here
buy Glory Hope Mountain here