First Unitarian Church, Oct. 2 - King Tuff (Preview)

Jumping from freak-folk outfit Feathers, to J Mascis side-project Witch, Kyle Thomas has been at refining his methods for some time.

But even before Feathers, Thomas penned his very early career as King Tuff, releasing hardly known CD-R's in the mid-2000s. Those DIY efforts, along with a ton of luck, eventually became Thomas' debut LP Was Dead in 2008.

What came from it was a shining example of garage punk mixed with Thomas' propensity for T. Rex-era glam rock. Not a posthumous anecdote for the lack of glam appeal today, rather, Was Dead melded Thomas' bubbling folk inspirations into a sugary portrayal of garage glory. The method climbed to a bigger realm last year with Thomas' self-titled release, showing his ability for bigger and more grand efforts. In between the album's charming, subdued takes, Thomas exposed his frenetic side with the likes of "Anthem" and "Bad Thing," two undeniable joy-rides that split between '70s nirvana and modern punk thrill.

Thomas' style should fit dubiously well alongside Jacuzzi Boys and Wavves, which will be headlining tonight's show at Philadelphia's First Unitarian Church. Tickets are still available here, courtesy of R5, beginning at 8 p.m.

Album Stream: Sweet Valley - SV

Wavves frontman Nathan Williams, unbeknownst to at least myself, has a pretty damn talented little brother in Kynan. The brother duo have teamed up before as Sweet Valley, offering up plenty of good albums, which now includes the brand new SV. The effort is comprised of hectic production and next-level energy, and is available to download for free. Its a must-listen, and is also available to stream below.

New Wavves video - Afraid Of Heights

Celebrating the release of the band's fourth studio LP, Wavves released the new video for the title track "Afraid Of Heights." Starring two cross-dressers (one of them is Stephen from the band), the video goes for the seemingly apt VHS style, taking an unsurprising creepy turn at "Afraid Of Heights" turns down.

Grab the new album today.

New Wavves - Demon To Lean On + tour dates w/FIDLAR

Last night, Wavves frontman Nathan Williams released some more information on yet another release hyped for early 2013. Wavves new studio LP, Afraid Of Heights, is set for release through Mom + Pop Records March 26. The first official single from the album, "Demon To Lean On," is also available to stream below.

But the more exciting news to go along with it is FIDLAR joining the upcoming Wavves tour. Full dates are listed after the bump, but local fans should be excited for the April 9 show at Johnny Brenda's.

New Wavves - Sail To The Sun

Surf punks Wavves premiered their brand new single "Sail To The Sun" earlier today. For fans familiar with the band, the track may be a little more polished than they're used to. They had to see this coming, however, with the band's recent string of singles sounding more and more tightly produced, pushing aside the turbulent lo-fi the band first gained recognition for.

Check out the video for "Sail To The Sun," which was produced by John Hill, below. Or, just stream it.

Bears and Bullets Top 25 Songs of 2011: Part I

With less than a week remaining in 2011, it's finally that time again for Bears and Bullets to unleash its 25 favorite songs of the year. As it was for the previous three years, there are certain rules that qualify a song for the list.

1.) The song must have been released during the calendar year.
2.) Even if the song was technically released during 2011, if it was leaked prior to January 1, 2011, then it also does not qualify for the list.

Last year, Vampire Weekend, in a decision that surprised even me, landed the #1 overall spot with "Giving Up the Gun." Something tells me that this time around it'll be a little more predictable. Let's see.

#25: Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire - The Last Huzzah! (Remix - ft. Despot, Das Racist, Danny Brown, and El-P)
Maybe it's the extensive collaborative effort put forward by Youtube rapper Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire that makes "Huzzah!" stand out more than anything else. Maybe it's the fact that the aforementioned eXquire lets the more well-known names stand up to the plate first, including El-P, who just flat out steals the scene with his '16-Step' verse that makes everyone take a little more notice. Maybe the points are drowned out through the sheer number of people getting their voice out here, but damn if every voice has something worth-while to say. Having one of the best videos of the year helps too.



#24: Kurt Vile - In My Time
"In My Time" seems split on itself. On one side, Kurt Vile ranges through the memories of his youth, both in a positive light  as "young and crazy"  hinting at "discreet mistakes," but never finding solace in his adult life. On the other, he isn't concerned with why he was who he is. It's the kid in all of us (or at least the adult version of one we try to be), flailing between responsibility and self-inflicted reality. There's no definite answer, as "In My Time" drifts endlessly toward the end, repeating its cycles. The question doesn't need to be answered. It never has.

#23: The Field - Then It's White
Not every good song needs emphatic moments of resound brilliance. For The Field's "Then It's White," the surrounding stills of looping echoes and piano seamlessly gravitate through the nearly eight minute session. There's a feeling of emptiness throughout, but not because the listener is waiting for something else, but because "Then It's White" reminds what those empty moments mean. The people, the sounds, the movement. It's all there without a word to be said.

The Field - Then It's White by Bears and Bullets

#22: The Joy Formidable - Whirring
Everyone's favorite surprise act from last August's Lollapalooza, The Joy Formidable made heads turn (or faces bleed) with "Whirring," a jarring, near-seven minute blast that spends nearly half of its time cruising through wonderfully surprising shoe-gaze. There's a bit of nostalgia here, to more-attuned versions of My Bloody Valentine and Sonic Youth playing through, but to an audience that doesn't expect it. It may not be the genre's prime anymore, but songs like "Whirring" make you forget what you're missing.



#21: Wavves - I Wanna Meet Dave Grohl
With Wavves Life Sux EP, Nathan Williams (slightly) ditched the super-DIY attitude of the group's previous work to something with a little more form behind it. That isn't to say that the band has completely ditched their "who gives a fuck, let's smoke" sensibilities (they wouldn't be Wavves without it), but just tried to sound them out a little more clearly. The song isn't totally about Dave Grohl, sans the chorus, but rather Williams deferring to his childhood dream while meandering through life's daily misery of living with his mistakes. I'm not gonna go out on a limb and say he's growing up, because I doubt it too, but it sounds like it for a minute.

Wavves - I Wanna Meet Dave Grohl by Bears and Bullets

We'll continue tomorrow with songs #20-#16 ...

Thursday Bears: New videos from Mastodon and Wavves

I've been doing my fair share of Mastodon-related posts recently what with The Hunter about to hit it's 9/27 release in the U.S. Plus, as I've said before, I like Wavves more than most do. Check out both group's new videos below.

Wavves Life Sux EP is available now via Ghost Ramp.

Mastodon - Curl of the Burl



Wavves - Life Sux EP

New Wavves - I Wanna Meet Dave Grohl

Is there something against Wavves? I get the sense that the group is perceived much more as an indie group that people think they like but actually don't. Whatever the case may actually be, I like Wavves. But, then again, I like a lot of lo-fi messy music, so it's not totally fair.

Anyway, the group is prepping the release of their Life Sux EP, out September 20 via Ghost Ramp with "I Wanna Meet Dave Grohl," totally about Dave Grohl. The new EP will also feature Bethany Cosentino (surprise) of Best Coast and Damian Abraham of Fucked Up. Check out the first single below.

Monday Bears: Bears and Bullets Top 25 Songs of 2010 (Pt. I)

Greetings. Now that the Northeast, particularly New Jersey, is covered up in a invariable snowstorm, keeping most of us housed up indoors, this seems more than the perfect time to unleash Bears and Bullets annual list of the Top 25 Songs of the Year. Last year Grizzly Bear's "Two Weeks" ended up toping our list in a year that seemed sweltered by indie music's perennial power houses, like Phoenix and Animal Collective. So this year may be a bit more refreshing, considering 2010's somewhat unpredictable month by month catalog of new music.

As with last year, lets clear up the two rules that qualify music for the list: first, the song must have been released during the calendar year. Second, songs heard prior to 2010, such as Yeasayer's "Ambling Alp" are disqualified because it had been out for a much longer period of time, even though it was released on the band's album Odd Blood, released earlier this year.

So, lets begin.

#25: Stranded - The Walkmen
The first listen to Lisbon yielded "Stranded," an achingly sad and mature bar tome brimmed with some of the most harrowing and enchanting horns heard from the Walkmen in years. Lead-singer Hamilton Leithauser's now well-known voice, once detached and coarse from 2004's "The Rat," seems calmed and skimmed, but still powerful enough to make plaster wilt in "Stranded." The band's work, and specifically Leithauser, always seemed to overflow with stern honesty, but here, as the band continues to grow, it begins to sound too beautiful to capture. Almost.

The Walkmen - Stranded - MP3

#24: Round and Round - Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
I may still be somewhat amazed at Pitchfork's decision to place "Round and Round" at number one on their songs of the year list, but that doesn't take much away from it. It's a deceivingly well-crafted five minutes staunchly brewed with a buzzing rhythm, sparse sound clashes splashing in the backdrop with Ariel's constantly changing approach. The chorus, where the ghostly tone goes by the wayside, is huge and clamoring, preceded at the end with a high-pitched "sentimental/everything is my fault,"  is where "Round and Round" stands tallest, before blending backward to its creative axis. Na Na Na Na.

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Round and Round



#23: Post Acid - Wavves
At some point, Wavves must have gotten tired churning out buzzy, lo-fi, messy songs about Mickey Mouse and pot when they made "Post Acid," a quick, almost clean bursting pop-punk protocol with an eschewing chorus that deserves shrill yelling. It's painlessly fun, but not as drab and callously single-minded as most of Nathan Williams' work. In another word, you can enjoy it without trying.

Wavves - Post Acid - MP3

#22: Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra) - The Vaccines
When we first heard the Vaccines back in October, "Wreckin' Bar" immediately jumped out (and was good enough to make the Our Newest Obsession series). It's a short, endlessly joyous minute and a half surf rock jangle that keeps spinning on constant repeat, much like "Post Acid," but with more of shiny punch. It always happens since I've begun making these year-end lists; that a song like "Wreckin' Bar," with only a little recognition to its name and even less word of mouth claws its way in, and deservedly so.

The Vaccines - Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra) - MP3

#21: Vultures - The Pass
The list's first official dance track (or easily danceable track) came up a few months ago after the Pass entered their video for "Vultures" into a blogger contest. While the video, with all of its indie blogging references (again, we go unnoticed. Sigh), is pretty enjoyable, the song should truly stand out. It's an infectious dance rock track in a year where the subtle sub genre went largely unnoticed. Oddly enough, when you're listening, it ends up feeling "like the first time," no matter what it was for. The better songs, in the end, usually have that effect.

The Pass - Vultures



Stay tuned, we'll return tomorrow for songs #20 - 16.

Wednesday Bears: Lollapalooza 2010 Review - Day One

Lollapalooza 2010 has come and gone. And as with every year, I'll post my day-by-day in depth review of everything that happened, to me at least.

Day One:

By now, I feel comfortable calling myself a Lolla veteran. Despite the new shake-ups organizers made to the park - moving some stages and increasing size and ticket revenue - certain things about the festival have now become somewhat predictable. Now that's not me saying that I don't enjoy my time, because I certainly do, but the surprise factor has somewhat been diminished. Regardless, August 6, the festival's first full day, was one of the best I've ever had the privilege of being a part of.

The sun was out in pristine blue sky, as Chicago usually seems to this time of year, at a hot, but bearable 80 degrees. Walking in I noticed two distinct things that we're a bit different: one; the size expansion. The Lolla-area had been extended to Michigan Avenue, allowing several stages their own space, more bathrooms and easier in and out access to the park. The other was the overwhelming amount of Lady Gaga fans. They had come in black and pink droves, with colored hair, flaring costumes and skin-tight everything, parking themselves at the south side of the park for the entire day, hoping to save a seat in the enormous crowd that was growing throughout the day. It was a big change of pace for a festival that had never billed a pure mainstream pop act of this caliber. For once, the festival wasn't a haven for mislabeled hipsters and older fans looking for a fun weekend. More on that later.

So, officially, my third Lollapalooza began with Wavves at around noon. For those familiar with the band and their studio work, you'd understand the risks seeing them. Luckily, or in another sense, predictably, the band is better live than advertised. With a weekend short on surprising acts, Wavves was a good start. The noise rock trio, headed by notorious frontman Nate Williams, were a bit out there (if you know the cover of their King of the Beach album you can pretty much figure it out) for the majority of the show, accusing fans for being Ben Stein and whatnot, but they settled into their own, making them a bit more endearing than before.

Wavves

Leaving Wavves with a little time to spare, I made my way to the opposite end of the park to catch the Walkmen, the first of my many heavily anticipated performances. While the first five minutes of the show were clouded with immense, for some reason, technical difficulties, the band broke into with the first of many new tracks from their upcoming album Lisbon.

Decked in their usual casual yet formal clothing, the group, thanks most to Hamilton Leithauser's booming vocals, gave maybe the best early performance of the day, mixing in new work and more familiar singles like "In the New Year" and "The Rat" throughout the show. All in all, a pretty damn good start for just being 2:00 p.m.

The Walkmen

My eventual down-time was few and far between, but between 2:00 and 4:00 I had my first breather. I took short trips to see Ana Sia, my first visit to the updated Perry's Place, and a couple minutes with noise-gaze trio Cymbals Eat Guitars, but eventually found myself waiting for the New Pornographers to start.

Kicking off with my favorite song of theirs, "Sing Me Spanish Techno," Neko Case (draped in a sun-protecting hat), AC Newman, Dan Bejar (who came in and out often) and the rest of the group performed almost every hit they've had in their near ten-year careers, spanning from 2001's Mass Romantic to this year's Together. Needless to say, the group sounded flawless on stage, despite the direct sunlight on Case's fair frame. Friday afternoon had again spurned what would turn out to be one of the weekend's best shows.

The New Pornographers

Once 5:00 rolled around, I was caught in my first of several weekend dilemmas. Do I stay at the north side of the park and catch the Dirty Projectors? Or Fuck Buttons? Well, I knew I wasn't going to Matt & Kim on the south side so there wasn't too much worry there, so I tried my time at both and wound up just grabbing my spot for Hot Chip.

It's unfortunate to note that this was probably the only stain on day one. As I mentioned before, the plethora of Gaga fans camping out at the south end of the park eventually begun to choke the area around the main stage. And by 6:00 any person hoping to grab a spot for either Hot Chip or Gaga had to really manage their way through the sidelines. It's a shame too, because the group put on one of the best shows of the weekend, but half of time I was trying not to bump shoulders with 40,000 others. Still, it was another great show for the day.

With the first night a few hours away from closing, I geared up for day one's headliner, The Strokes. I stayed a short time at Jamie Lidell's bearded and disheveled performance, trying to rest my legs in anticipation of two and half hours of straight standing (and/or jumping). Yeah, it didn't really do much to help.

Jamie Lidell

For those who weren't aware, or don't regularly read this thing, this was the first show the Strokes had done in the United States in nearly four years. While there wasn't any new material to speak of (could be a good or a bad thing), the band seemed like they haven't spent too much time apart, performing almost their entire track list from Is This It? and several other songs from their last two albums. It's hard-pressed for Lolla headliners to put on disappointing performances, and aside from the late start and somewhat early exit (making a scheduled hour and half show into an hour and 10 minute show), The Strokes easily delivered. So for fans electing to, or adamant about staying away from anything Gaga, their night ended pretty well.

The Strokes

Best Performances: The Strokes, The New Pornographers, Hot Chip, The Walkmen
Worst Performances: None

Highlights: "Reptilia" by the Strokes, "Bleeding Heart Show" by The New Pornographers and "In the New Year" by The Walkmen
Lowlights: The Gaga crowd at Hot Chip

Day Two Review Tomorrow ...

Thursday Bears: New Wavves - Post-Acid

Noise-something duo Wavves recently released single "Post-Acid," a more concise, joyful sound not previously heard from Nathan Williams, via Green Label Sound.

The single will be released on the band's upcoming King of the Beach LP, expected for release August 3, via Fat Possum Records.

Wavves - Post-Acid - MP3

Monday Bears: Monday's Lollapalooza updates

I should probably rename Bears and Bullets to Lolla and Lollapalooza this time of year, on the count of my rampant obsession with anything and everything about the annual Chicago festival.

One day before festival promoters release the official lineup, Chicago Tribune writer Greg Kot (thanks in most part from Consequence of Sound) has given word of what should be the final lineup. Again, this is not the official lineup released by Lollapalooza promoters, but more than likely the final lineup.

First, a couple corrections from the last Lolla rumor post from Wednesday -- Speculated acts David Byrne and Dangerdoom will not be appearing this year. Disappointing, yes.

A few surprise acts climbed their way into the final rumored lineup, including Erykah Badu, MUTEMATH, Stars, Health, Wavves and the Walkmen slated to make a 2010 appearance. The final lineup, including the electronic acts at Perry's Place, should resemble something like this (according to Kot):

Soundgarden, Green Day, Lady Gaga, Arcade Fire, The Strokes, Phoenix, Social Distortion, MGMT, Jimmy Cliff, Hot Chip, the Black Keys, the National, Spoon, Devo, Cypress Hill, Cut Copy, The New Pornographers, Erykah Badu, Slightly Stoopid, Grizzly Bear, Gogol Bordello, Chromeo, Wolfmother, Yeasayer, X Japan, MUTEMATH, Metric, Dirty Projectors, AFI, Mavis Staples, Matt & Kim, the xx, Drive-By Truckers, Blues Traveler

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Temper Trap, Jamie Lidell, Frightened, Rabbit, Fuck Buttons, Deer Tick, Blitzen Trapper, Stars, Raphael Saadiq, The Cribs, Minus the Bear, Switchfoot, The Walkmen, Mumford & Sons, Wild Beasts, Rogue Wave, Los Amigos Invisibles, the Big Pink, the Dodos, Hockey, Cymbals Eat Guitars, B.o.B, Dawes, Warpaint, The Antlers, The Soft Pack, Rebelution, Balkan Beat Box

Wavves, American Bang, The Ike Reilly Assassination, Company of Thieves, Nneka, Harlem, The Constellations, Miniature Tigers, Mimicking Birds, The Kissaway Trail, HEALTH, Javelin, The Morning Benders, Foxy Shazam, Violent Soho, Royal Bangs, NEON TREES, Freelance Whales, Semi Precious Weapons, Dan Black, The Band of Heathens, Dragonette, My Dear Disco, Shawn Fisher, Neon Hitch, Skybox, The Ettes, Jukebox the Ghost, These United States, MyNameIsJohnMichael

Perry’s DJ stage lineup:

2ManyDJs, Empire of the Sun, Digitalism, Perry Farrell, Tiga, Felix da Housecat, Rusko, Erol Alkan, Kaskade, Flosstradamus, Wolfgang Gartner, Joachim Garraud, Mexican Institute of Sound, Caspa, Peanut Butter Wolf, Dirty South, NERVO, Cut Copy (DJ Set), Beats Antique, Steve Porter, Didi Gutman of Brazilian Girls, Ancient Astronauts, Ana Sia, Team Bayside High, Dani Deahl, FreeSol, DJ Mel, BBU Vonnegutt, Only Children, Lance Herbstrong

Stay tuned until midnight tonight (or sometime tomorrow) for the Official Lineup.

Thursday Bears: New Black Lips Video - Let It Grow

The Black Lips (in band news not related to the whole Wavves incident) released the video for "Let it Grow," the fifth from this year's 200 Million Thousand LP.

The video showcases an aging American tourist, immersing himself in what appears to be rural New Mexico. The bald, stocky figure visits the most cheaply wonderful sights anyone with a disposable camera could even dream of, including a meeting of UFO minds.

The cat in the video? Well, make up your own interpretation. Mine? The cat's the alien and the human is his servant.

Black Lips - Let it Grow

Wavves go Daytripping

Wavves were featured on another episode of Pitchfork TV's daytripping as the band ventured to Fort Fader, Texas on their SXSW duties. But nevermind the band for a moment, just, I've never really gotten used to John Norris' "MT-Free" hair. He's the only person I know who's probably aging backwards.

Other appearances include the band opting (and watching) Bun-B and Nathan Williams discovering just how hot Solange Knowles really is.