The Juan Maclean - You Are My Destiny (ft. Nancy Whang)

Generally, I trust everything that comes out of DFA. The can-do-no-wrong New York standout has been pumping glorious off-kilter dance inspired production since its 2001 inception, so at this point its hard to ever ignore it.

The newest DFA material comes from The Juan Maclean, who's been a little quiet since his 2009 LP The Future Will Come. The latest comes with some help from former LCD Soundsystem (a tear shall be shed anytime the demise of LCD is mentioned) member Nancy Whang.

Included in the 12", which will be released April 9, will be a Nic Fanciulli remix. Limited edition White Label's are available now.

Check out the edited version below, along with a video of the full cut.

The Juan Maclean "You Are My Destiny" from DFA Records on Vimeo.

Wednesday Bears: Shut Up And Play The Hits trailer

Earlier today, Pulse Films premiered their trailer for Shut Up And Play The Hits, a documentary surrounding the final days of LCD Soundsystem, whose final show was April of last year. It's somewhat due for the group, who didn't slump through the late-career doldrums and finished on top of their game, maybe a little too soon for those that really appreciated them.

The film will premiere at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Watch the trailer below.

Lego My Friends

New Radiohead. King of Limbs. Saturday.

Last night, I slept happily after witnessing Arcade Fire stun the music world by shafting mainstream pop, effectively giving indie and alternative music an actual landmark moment. But when I woke up to hear that Radiohead were releasing a new album this Saturday, it seemed sort of unreal.

All of this came a week after the White Stripes and LCD Soundsystem announcing the end of their careers, putting a solid bandage on that open wound.

News was released a little while back that the band had actually finished recording the album, which was supposed to be due out some time this year, but no one was sure exactly when or even certain that an album was coming out. Well, here's the rundown:

Radiohead's new album The King of Limbs is due out via digital release this Saturday, February 19. Soon huh?

• You can preorder the MP3 copy for a lowly $9, or the WAV copy (higher quality) for $14.
• One person who orders the digital copy will win their own two track 12" vinyl, signed by the group.

If you aren't the digital type (you're online, aren't you?) or if you wanna splurge a bit, you can order The King of Limbs "Newspaper Album," also available for preorder. The package includes.

• Two 10" clear vinyl records.
• A CD version of the record.
• A shit-ton of artwork (over 600 large and small pieces).
• A digital download of the album.
• All of these are available for preorder now, but the physical pieces will not be shipped until May 9. The Newspaper version with the MP3 download is available for $48, while the WAV version is $53.
• One person will also win their own signed pair of 12" vinyls.

So, the In Rainbows "pay what you want" project seems to have gone by the wayside, which may disappoint a handful of people. Be that as it may, it's Radiohead, so stop complaining. We can say through Radiohead at Ease that the album will likely be eight tracks long. Check the details here.

Preorder your copy of King of Limbs now. Or not, you know, do what you want.

In Memoriam ... LCD Soundsystem

Last week, after the White Stripes announced their untimely (or timely, depending on how you look at it) end, LCD Soundsystem also announced that they'll be on their way out in April when the group plays their final show at Madison Square Garden.

The James Murphy led-group sprang up with the release of "Losing My Edge" in 2002 - an eight-minute speech about whatever "cool" is over Murphy's iconic beat. A handful of singles, and a few years later, LCD released their self-titled debut in 2005. Throughout the years, the group has become an affirmative for-runner for perennial, subtly impossible to quantify singles - from roaring, fun, and restless professions like "Drunk Girls," "Daft Punk is Playing at My House," and "North American Scum," to dearly heart-wrenching affixes, typified by the group's standout song; "All My Friends."

While the group's end isn't quite the shocker that the White Stripes was (the group announced several months ago that 2010's This is Happening would indeed be their last album), the end seems to be too soon. With only three studio albums to their credit in the span of five years, Murphy is ending the band at their respective peak.

The MSG finale, scheduled for April 2 (so it's not a joke), is set be around three hours, filled with special guests. For anyone in the area, go (or try to go) and do yourselves a big favor. See them, in their best. Oh, and wear black and white.

LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends

Thursday Bears: Bears and Bullets Top 25 Songs of the Year (Pt. IV)

We'll continue our top 25 countdown with songs #10 through #5.

#10: Runaway - Kanye West (ft. Pusha T)
Kanye's had more profound moments in his six year career than "Runaway," but its hard to say he's ever been more endearing and earnest than during this nine minute epic. For a genre and an artist that cultivates so much on self-induced spotlight and showmanship, "Runaway" is Kanye's greatest weakness. The intertwined single-key piano loop opens to depths the artist hasn't had the nerve enough to explore until now: that he isn't as self-enclosed as his detractors may say, and that he's "a jerkoff" sometimes, but we've grown attached to it.

Kanye West - Runaway



#9: Not In Love - Crystal Castles (ft. Robert Smith)
The third official version of "Not In Love," originally from 80s new wave group Platinum Blonde, was reworked with the help of Robert Smith to realize its true potential. Crystal Castles's first cover, featured on Crystal Castles II, was a quieter, more ethereal take on the original with Alice Glass' subdued, electronically dulled vocals spilling over a beating synth pulse. With Smith, "Not In Love" is perfectly akin to the days of the Cure, evoking the unhinged, almost eerily perfect vocals transposed in front of Ethan Kath's ghostly production.

#8: I Can Change - LCD Soundsystem
With the release of This is Happening, most LCD Soundsystem fans went immediately looking for James Murphy's follow up to 2007's "All My Friends," Murphy's all-encompassing single that ended up being one of the best songs of the 2000s. "I Can Change" attempts to lampoon that three-year void, coming almost close enough to rival it. It's a demoralizing love tale, professing that "love is a murderer" without an ounce of dry, boring execution. 

#7: Bloodbuzz Ohio - The National
The National have cultivated years of success chiming into to a fan base's disheartening interest the solemn solidarity of despair, illusion and tearful loss. Without it, Matt Beringer and the group cease to be what they truly are, something "Bloodbuzz Ohio" highlights significantly -- a collective movement to find the sordid beauty in everything we may hate to understand.

The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio



#6: Bushwick Blues - Delta Spirit
Delta Spirit may be going through more creative growing pains than I may admit, but "Bushwick Blues" is an epitome of what they can accomplish at their best; roaring, almost undoubtedly epic rock-blues. The earthy love story of a young-hearted, weak and lonely man actually seems profound enough to here to project an image of unrequited retribution - the feeling all of us are able to feel, but never capture quite so well.

Delta Spirit - Bushwick Blues



Stay tuned, we'll return tomorrow with songs #5 - 1.

Tuesday Bears: End of the year lists

It's almost the end of 2010, which means two things: Jesus stuff, and lots of lists. Right on time, Rolling Stone and SPIN Magazine released their annual best songs and best albums lists. I always like to bring these up before Bears and Bullets does its annual end of the year jawn. Ay ya go.

SPIN Magazine's Top Albums of 2010 (Top Ten):

10.) Robyn - Body Talk Pt. 1
9.) Kid Cudi - Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager
8.) M.I.A. - Maya
7.) Grinderman - Grinderman 2
6.) Janaelle Monae - The Archandroid
5.) Jamey Johnson - The Guitar Song
4.) LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening
3.) Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
2.) Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
1.) Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy


Check the full SPIN list here.

Rolling Stone Top Albums of 2010 (Top Ten):

10.) LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening
9.) Eminem - Recovery
8.) Robert Plant - Band of Joy
7.) Drake - Thank Me Later
6.) Vampire Weekend - Contra
5.) Jamey Johnson - The Guitar Song
4.) Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
3.) Elton John and Leon Russell - The Union
2.) The Black Keys - Brothers
1.) Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy


Check the full list and Rolling Stone's 50 best songs of 2010 here, via Stereogum.

Monday Bears: LCD Soundsystem's unofficial robot

Funwunce, a group of video music artists from Houston, made an "unofficial" video for LCD Soundsystem's "Home." As far as unofficial goes, this isn't anything close to amateur-ish.

The video, which is very well crafted and produced, features ol' Boxy the robot, strutting around town looking for friends, but only finding solace in hipsters and the ladies. See for yourself.

LCD Soundsystem - Home (unofficial video)

Thursday-er-Friday Bears: New LCD Soundsystem Video - Bye Bye Bayou

Well, this would have been up yesterday had my computer not assed-out.

Two days after the release of their super-damn-good album This is Happening, LCD Soundsystem (more specifically James Murphy and LCD drummer Pat Mahoney) have released the video for their cover of Alan Vega's  "Bye Bye Bayou."

The cover was released as a single a couple months ago, but isn't one of the nine tracks on the aforementioned album. And even though the group is in the middle of the summer-long season of touring, Murphy and Mahoney seemed to find the time to create the seven minute-plus video. Realistically, it doesn't look like it took that long to  make, though.

This is Happening is out now via Virgin and DFA Records.

LCD Soundsystem - Bye Bye Bayou

Tuesday Bears: LCD Soundsystem gets "Drunk"

I admit I've been talking an awful lot about LCD Soundsystem lately. Be it the pre-release of This is Happening, their upcoming and brutally fantastic follow up to 2007's Sound of Silver, or getting a full taste of the album for free at the band's website, James Murphy and Co. have been making a lot of noise in the blogosphere.

Yesterday, the group released the first video from the upcoming album for "Drunk Girls." The single, in typical fashion of the fun-romps "Daft Punk is Playing at My House" and "North American Scum," stands out as This is Happening's most danceable, funny and accessible song.

The video, directed by Spike Jonze, features guerrilla furries making a, well, drunken mess of the band. The final product ends up being hands-down one of the year's finest music videos.

This is Happening is scheduled for release May 18 in the U.S. via DFA and Virgin Records. You can pre order the album here.

LCD Soundsystem - Drunk Girls

Wednesday Bears: Stream LCD Soundsystem's new album

Only a few days after "Dance Yrself Clean" and "I Can Change" made their way onto the blogosphere, James Murphy and the rest of LCD Soundsystem decided to lets fans stream their new album This is Happening on the band's Web site for free, nearly a month before its scheduled release date.

The news comes a day after Murphy, during a secret show in Brooklyn, NY, pleaded to fans to not leak This is Happening, but apparently to no avail. You can listen to all nine tracks for free off the new album at the band's Web site.

This is Happening is scheduled for official release May 18 in the U.S., via DFA and Virgin Records. You can pre-order the album now on iTunes.

Monday Bears: First Listen - Two new songs from LCD Soundsystem

A new batch of songs from LCD Soundsystem's upcoming May release of This is Happening have been released.

The two songs, "I Can Change," in higher quality, and "Dance Yourself Clean," in a low quality radio-rip, are slightly Knife-ish sounding six-minute-plus tracks that feel a bit more at home and personal than their collectively fun romp "Drunk Girls," that found it's way online a week or so ago.

You can download the songs songs directly from We All Want Someone to Shout For. This is Happening, James Murphy's first full-studio album since 2007's spectacular Sound of Silver, is due out in the U.S. May 18 via DFA and Virgin Records.

Tuesday Bears: Sasquatch! 2010 Lineup Announced

The lineup for 2010's Sasquatch! Music Festival in Gorge, Washington was leaked several hours ago with sources indicating that it's 100% official, with festival organizers likely confirming the list later today (as of now, has been confirmed).

The May 29-31 festival will be headlined by Pavement, who are also headlining Coachella and the Pitchfork Music Festival, My Morning Jacket and Massive Attack. LCD Soundsystem, MGMT and Public Enemy will also be on the bill, with more artists to be announced later.

Full Lineup:

A-Trak
Avi Buffalo
Band of Horses
Booka Shade
Boys Noize
Broken Social Scene
Brother Ali
Camera Obscura
Caribou
City and Colour
Craig Robinson
Cymbals Eat Guitars
Dam-Funk
Deadmau5
Dirty Projectors
DJ Z-Trip
Dr. Dog
Drive-By Truckers
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
Fool's Gold
Freelance Whales
Fresh Espresso
Fruit Bats
Garfunkel & Oates
Girls
Hudson Mohawke
Japandroids
Jets Overhead
Kid Cudi
Laura Marling
LCD Soundsystem
Local Natives
Luke Burbank
Massive Attack
Mayer Hawthorne
MGMT
Midlake
Miike Snow
Minus the Bear
Morning Teleportation
Mumford & Sons
My Morning Jacket
Nada Surf
Neon Indian
No Age
Nurses
OK Go
Passion Pit
Past Lives
Patrick Watson
Pavement
Phantogram
Portugal. The Man
Public Enemy
Quasi
Rob Riggle
Shabazz Palaces
She & Him
Simian Mobile Disco
Tegan & Sara
Telekinesis
The Hold Steady
The Lonely Forest
The long winters
The Low Anthem
The Middle East
The Mountain Goats
The National
The New Pornographers
The Tallest Man On Earth
The Temper Trap
The Very Best
The xx
tUnE-YaRdS
Vampire Weekend
Vetiver
Wale
Ween
Why?
YACHT
Yes Giantess

Pavement, Modest Mouse Headline Pitchfork Music Festival

Pitchfork Media's 2010 music festival announced a portion of their official line up Friday, with recently reunited indie juggernauts Pavement and Modest Mouse headlining the Chicago, Illinois three-day festival.

LCD Soundsystem, Raekwon, St. Vincent, and many others including a long list of artists yet to be announced are performing July 16-18 at Chicago's Union Park. Good for them. What this means to me and anyone who ever reads Bears and Bullets knows that whatever happens at Pitchfork Music Festival will effect Lollapalooza, also held in Chicago in early August. Because of rules and regulations, any artist performing at one festival cannot perform at the other during the same calendar year. So for any devout Lolla-goers, scratch Modest Mouse, Pavement and LCD Soundsystem off your hopeful lists. Sigh.

Official 2010 Pitchfork Music Festival Lineup (as of Feb. 8):

Monday, July 16;

• Modest Mouse

Saturday, July 17;

• LCD Soundsystem
• Raekwon

Sunday, July 18;

• Pavement
• St. Vincent
• Lightning Bolt
• Cass McCombs
• Sleigh Bells
• Here We Go Magic

Stay tuned for more updates ...

The Beatles and Kinks are Playing at My House

Check out this video mash-up of The Beatles "Get Back" and The Kinks "You Really Got Me" to LCD Soundsystem's "Daft Punk is Playing at My House," courtesy of You Ain't No Picasso.

This is one of the many cool mash-ups that can be heard on Faroff's Myspace, who's apparently made quite a name for himself for his mixes, including "Funky Shack," a mix of The B-52's, Lipps, Inc., Soulwax, Patrick Hernandez, and Yello.

Faroff - Brits are Playing at My House