KyleParkinson.com

Holy shit, the new Kills album, Midnight Boom, is amazing. Last night, I just listened to it five times in a row, and I plan many more listens today. I have their previous album, No Wow, but I had never gotten too into them. Now I’m hooked.

The London duo — Alison “VV” Mosshart and Jamie “Hotel” Hince — has put together twelve great track, ranging from electronic dance beats to a sparse acoustic tearjerker to close out the album.

Check out two of the tracks:

MP3: The Kills - U.R.A. Fever

MP3: The Kills - Cheap and Cheerful

Be sure to check out the full album when it comes out on March 10. They also have an incredible website. Check it out.

I’ve had Jay Reatard’s 2006 album Blood Visions for a little while now, and I have not been able to stop listening to it. It’s some of the most refreshing, straightforward rock music I’ve heard in a long time.

Coming out of the Memphis garage punk scene, Reatard played in several bands (The Reatards and the Lost Souls) before striking out on his own. Blood Visions is his first solo album, which makes me all the more excited to see what the prolific musician has in store for us.

The album is punk rock from beginning to end, and it will have you dancing for sure. Two of my favorite tracks are “My Shadow” and “Death is Forming,” which you can hear below, but definitely check out the entire album. You won’t regret it.

MP3: Jay Reatard - My Shadow

MP3: Jay Reatard - Death is Forming

One of the most fun albums I’ve come across in recent months is Drug Rug’s self-titled debut. These neo-psychedelic folk-rockers from Cambridge, MA, have kept me skipping through the freezing cold weather lately. The music pushes the envelope while at the same time making me feel entirely at ease, and that’s what I like.

Apparently their live shows are quite something, so if you see them coming to town, be sure to check it out. In the meantime, a couple songs to introduce you:

MP3: Drug Rug - Day I Die

MP3: Drug Rug - Tiny People

It’s been quite some time since my last DJ mix, but the new year brings new motivation. This latest mix was actually recorded on December 31, 2007, but with an eye on the coming year. Went with a few different styles and tempos in the beginning of the mix, but it builds up into a nice beat. The track listing is as follows:

Kate Havenevik - New Day
Tiefschwarz feat. Tracey Thorn - Damage (M.A.N.D.Y. Remix)
Silversun Pickups - Lazy Eye (Jason Bentley Remix)
Erlend Øye - Fine Day
Goldfrapp - Utopia (Tom Middleton’s Cosmos Vocal Mix)
LCD Soundsystem - Get Innocuous! (Soulwax Remix)
Hot Chip - Ready for the Floor (Jesse Rose Mix)
Piano Magic - Incurable
Lo-Fi-Fnk - City (Punks Jump Up Remix)
Dragonette - I Get Around (Van She Technologic Remix)

Enjoy!

MP3: K.Y.L.E. - A New Day’s Eve

The Raveonettes have always been a quiet favorite of mine. I adore their shoegaze/surf rock sound, and their live show I saw at Cafe Du Nord in San Francisco was one of my favorite concerts of the year. But for some reason they never made it into heavy rotation on my iPod, until I got their new album Lust Lust Lust, which I’ve had on repeat for the past week.

Supposedly their most minimalistic and synthetic album to date, Lust Lust Lust has enraptured me with its lyrics and melodic hooks. The Raveonettes prove that the simplest elements can make the most entrancing songs.

To hear for yourself, check out the two tracks below. The album’s second track, “Hallucinations,” begins with the line “Absurd, my obsession with someone new don’t feel like someone new,” so you kind of get where that one is going. “With My Eyes Closed,” the penultimate track on the album, turns the tables: “I close my eyes to hurt you, to leave you . . . It was never meant to be, for me.” Enjoy.

MP3: The Raveonettes - Hallucinations

MP3: The Raveonettes - With My Eyes Closed

Back in June, I woke up in the middle of a foggy SF night and decided to go for a walk. As I put on Beach House’s album to soundtrack my stroll, I was immediately and indelibly changed. I had listened to the album a bunch before, but this was one of those perfect combinations of music and atmosphere. Now every time I hear the opening chords of “Master of None,” I’m gladly back in the SF fog.

Six months later and three thousand miles away, the new Beach House album, Devotion, comes just in time for snowy Brooklyn strolls. The album is officially released in February 2008, and according to the first few listens, it will definitely be one of the highlights of the year. The band’s dreamy indie pop induces a perfectly pleasant trance. Standout tracks for me so far include “Gila” and “D.A.R.L.I.N.G.” Check them out below!

MP3: Beach House - Gila

MP3: Beach House - D.A.R.L.I.N.G.

Brooklyn rockers Federale remind me what rock n’ roll should be.  Their self-titled debut packs a hell of a punch, the likes of which I haven’t heard in a long while. For eight straight songs, they kick out the blues-influenced jams, calling to mind oldies like MC5, as well as modern-day rockers The Black Keys and The Hold Steady.

After a recent tour with The Hold Steady and Art Brut, it doesn’t look like the band is currently on the road, but keep an eye out for upcoming dates in the area.

MP3s to come shortly. In the meantime, hear some of the band’s songs on their MySpace page or head over to Other Music to pick up the album.

White Williams is the project of Cleveland musician Joe Williams, and wow is it good! The debut album, Smoke, came out on November 6th, but I’ve just now given it enough of a listen to appreciate it. Blending samples, synths and drum machines, Williams creates a sound reminiscent of bands like Hot Chip and The Whitest Boy Alive (Erlend Øye’s project). The vocals are eerily similar to Hot Chip at some points, and that’s a great thing.

The songs are a perfect mix of danceable yet intelligently crafted music. Unlike some of his contemporaries (Girl Talk, Dan Deacon), Williams avoids becoming too self-indulgent: the glitchy effects are kept in check and the beats are adequately adorned with catchy melodies. Not to mention the cover of “I Want Candy.”

Check out a couple standout tracks below. And be sure to pick up the album, if only to ogle the cover art featuring bawling twin Sophia Lamars smoking from a hookah.

MP3: White Williams - Headlines

MP3: White Williams - Route to Palm

The official Coachella 2008 dates have recently been announced: April 25-27, 2008. Rumors are starting to fly around about who will play and who will reunite for the festival, as each year usually boasts a few notable reunions.

I, for one, have been having vivid dreams of the festival the past couple nights. I’m counting the days until I can once again be sweating my ass off in the hot Palm Springs sun, and loving every minute of it.

And since Nic Harcourt just played these song on Morning Becomes Eclectic, here are a couple tunes that bring Coachella to mind. The first is Arctic Monkeys covering Amy Winehouse’s “You Know I’m No Good.” The original definitely conjures images of last April, and this cover adds a new touch to it. The second song is The Verve’s “Lucky Man.” Here’s hoping the recently reunited Verve will be gracing the desert stage this April.

MP3: Arctic Monkeys - You Know I’m No Good (Amy Winehouse Cover)

MP3: The Verve - Lucky Man

Thanks to the lovely Ms. Ameer, this past Saturday I attended the Wordless Music Series performances by Grizzly Bear and Michael Harrison at the Society for Ethical Culture. The show was, by all accounts, amazing. Set in a renovated church on the Upper West Side, the concert began with a piano set from Harrison, who was absolutely mesmerizing. I was admittedly tired going into the show and worried that the piano would put me to sleep, but his songs had the opposite effect, as his unique harmonic piano style pulsated with energy.

Grizzly Bear then came on to deliver a fantastic set featuring primarily songs from 2006’s Yellow House and the new Friend EP. Ed Droste’s vocals were incredible, even with the high expectations I had going into it. Daniel Rossen also surprised me with his vocal and musical perfection. Christopher Taylor commanded several instruments (bass, woodwinds) with skill, while drummer Christopher Bear drove the songs with enviable ease. The band noted how Saturday’s performance capped off a year and a half of touring, and they clearly ended on a high note.

Check out Stereogum’s rave review for some more details and photos of the show. And check out the below song from the Friend EP:

MP3: Grizzly Bear - He Hit Me