Score: 9/10 Fat Possum Records El-P New York hip-hop veteran El-P makes listeners work for the many rewards found on his consistently outstanding solo [...]

It's interesting to note that for Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand - the duo known as Beach House - Bloom isn't exactly the bright, luminescent, or flowery album title some of us may have imagined. In fact, as explained in an interview with Pitchfork, for the Baltimore-based musicians it has a slightly darker tone, encapsulating the temporal and "cyclical nature of all things". That doesn't mean, however, that listeners should expect a darker listening experience from their latest album. The most passionate of fans could no doubt point out subtleties it would take months for me to notice - which ...

The Observers Dir. Jacqueline Goss [Anthology Film Archives; 2012] by Alex Peterson Rating: The first line on the bio page of filmmaker Jacqueline Goss’ personal website reads, “I like stories about people who set out to objectively measure or chart something and then fail in interesting ways when they get tangled up in the natural color and noise of the world.” Yes, she does. The quote is a mouthful, but it sums up what The Observers , Goss’ almost feature length narrative, is attempting to capture. Such a simple goal coupled with such attention to detail and such impressive eyes and ...

The solo warped outpourings of Tennessee's Ryan Boos, Nomadic Firs' self-titled record is something of a anomaly in that it had been gestating for six years, is a pastiche of colours and ideas that have coalesced into finite songs, and yet is cohesive much farther beyond what is thought possible from such an amalgam of sounds and grooves. Reminiscent of the breakout hazy debut album by Unknown Mortal Orchestra (especially on 'Vines'). There is a rustic underbelly to these jams that echoes from Boos' rustic life (he owns a petite farm with his wife), and it is these pastoral ...

Recommended Show: SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2012 NORTH HIGHLANDS @ ACE HOTEL 20 West 29th street New York, NY 10001 FREE, 9:30PM Did someone say free? A show from North Highlands is awesome enough, but a free one? That's even better! Poliça @ Maxwell's Fred Armisen @ Union Pool Beats Antique @ Brooklyn Bowl Rusko & Redlight @ Terminal 5 My Roaring Twenties @ Manhattan Inn Patti Smith & Lucy Wainwright Roche @ City Winery Diane Birch, Rewards, & The Amendments @ Glasslands MV and EE, Steve Gunn, & Herbcraft @ 285 Kent Avenue Chat Logs, Mini Prophets, Spaces, & Teen Demon @ Death By Audio United Waters, Yek Koo, Prehistoric Blackout, & LA ...

A Bag of Hammers Dir. Brian Crano [MPI Media Group; 2011] by gammareay Rating: In the first scene of director Brian Crano’s A Bag of Hammers , Alan (Jake Sandvig) begins to ask the question, “Who would win in a fight—” But before he’s even had the opportunity to name the opponents, Ben (Jason Ritter) immediately replies, “Ultimate Warrior.” Alan complains that Ben hasn’t heard the options yet so he can’t answer, but Ben stays firm: regardless of who is fighting, Ultimate Warrior would win. This game continues throughout the next few shots as the characters stand ...

Marling's songs unfold in quiet ways, with lyrical depth that rewards repeated listening and a clear alto voice that gives her songs gravity. Watch her perform "Sophia," from A Creature I Don't Know , in a studio session from opbmusic.

Over 11 tracks, Shifted's debut LP exhibits a feathered, skeletal sound, an ambient-industrial hybrid with attention to detail that rewards in its measured establishment of mood and slow, generous climax.

With the first annual Great GoogaMooga just a week and a half or so away, fest organizers have revealed the daily schedule of music, comedy and food and beverage-centric panels that will take place over the course of the two days. Of particular note on Saturday is comedian Marc Maron hosting a WTF Podcast, Noshing With… Ruth Reichl, David Chang, Aziz Ansari and James Murphy, and Beer vs Wine with Garret Oliver and Alan Benton. While we’ve got the New Orleans Brass Brunch with the Dozen Brass Band">Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Liquid Brunch: The Art of Daytime Drinking ...

Music fans in the digital age are always one step ahead of the curve. Long gone are the days when a secret track at the end of an album was considered an added extra and music marketing teams strive continuously for the next ingenious way to launch a band, promote a track, and ultimately sell records. As music can be sourced for minimal and often no cost, how do artists make the fan experience both unique, rewarding and cash generating? Fan power can be harnessed through choice and participation. Kaiser Chiefs launched their latest album by allowing fans to design ...

Festival season is now so close you can nearly touch it, and The Great Escape is not only one of the first, but is also guaranteed to be one of the best. This year's event is taking place from Thursday 10th May and culminates on the Saturday 12th of May. Across the three days three hundred plus bands will be providing Brighton rock, indie, electronica and more in 30 venues on the south coast. Listing all the great acts playing may break the internet but some names we’re excited about include: Perfume Genius, Niki & The Dove, Alt-J, Shabazz Palaces, Grimes, Friends, Zulu Winter and Django Django. There will be shows in the Brighton Dome, in churches and pubs around the city. Add to that an array of fringe events, club nights and a daytime conference - plus a bar on the famous Brighton pier - and you have all the ingredients for a very special time indeed. Amazingly tickets are still available and you can get them here . For a full of who’s playing and for more info visit escapegreat.com . See you there, yeah? Listen to our Great Escape playlist by clicking here . ***** Editors Picks: James Canham (Live Editor): Retro Stefson Possibly the most interesting and entertaining live act I've ever personally witnessed, Retro Stefson would need no introduction in their homeland of Iceland. Renowned on the Reykjavík circuit for their unique mix of pop ethics and peculiar, yet stunning, execution they're definitely one to catch. [ Listen ] Performances: 10th May - Latest Music Bar - 23:15 11th May - Above Audio - 14:30 11th May - Green Door Store - 19:30 Fever Fever Art punk isn't dead, and with bands like Fever Fever it never will die. On top of their fantastically literate lyrics their layers of dissonant yet raw guitar and pounding drums give the festival one of the best and most interesting performances. [ Listen ] Performance: 10th May - The Hope - 20:30 AlunaGeorge With an EP coming soon on the illustrious Tri-Angle records, and with an arsenal of future pop hits to hand, now is the time to see AlunaGeorge before they make it huge. Every song they've released so far is dredged in a fantastic drape of smooth and sexy vocals with rich synthy backing, and their near-midnight show at Coalition on the Friday is shaping up to be one of the best of the festival. [ Listen ] Performance: 11th May - Coalition - 23:30 Seams While Seams will be playing the sounds at his Corn exchange, the real reason anyone will be going is to see his fringe jumping excitedly on stage. We've loved him from the word go (especially his remarkable Tourist EP, a piece of work focused and composed from sounds heard in Berlin, the city he's now based in) and by all reports his live show is just as great as his recordings (mainly because of his fringe...). [ Listen ] Performance: 12th May - Corn Exchange - 21:30 Micachu & The Shapes Along with many others we've eagerly awaited the next move from Micachu and The Shapes . After a few interesting diversions (most notably their chopped and screwed mixtape performance piece with the London Sinfonietta Orchestra) they've finally got a sequel to 2009's Jewellery in the pipeline and, with any luck, we'll hear something new from the makers of one of the last decade's most fascinating albums. [ Listen ] Performance: 12th May - The Haunt - 21:45 ***** Alt-J Editors Picks: Wil Cook (Music Editor): As they prepare to drop one of the albums of the year, Alt-J are the band to be excited about. Engaging, melodic songs full of depth, songs that linger on longer than you expect. Remnants appear in your head for days after and they are welcome. I cannot wait to see this band play live. [ Listen ] Blind Tiger Friday 21:15 Jonquil I have been screaming from the rooftops about Jonquil since 2006 when I caught them playing in a horrible little bar in Ipswich. It's been fascinating to watch them evolve from a folk band who evidently had a bit of a crush on Boards of Canada into this massive summery behemoth of a band. I love this band more than I could ever put into words for you, which says a lot, because I love to talk. [ Listen ] Prince Albert Thursday 22:15 Green Door Store Friday 14:00 Cloud Nothings Since releasing the wonderfully nihilistic Attack on Memory earlier in the year Cloud Nothings have been on my "must see" list. It's a crunching punk rock pop fix that simultaneously restores my faith in my ability to feel alive and reverts me back to a mindset where I wanted to die. Basically, they are the hipster Nirvana. I just hope they are as ramshackle and urgent in the flesh as they are on this record. [ Listen ] Above Audio Thursday 21:45 Perfume Genius I'm not who St. Mary is, but she doesn't half know how to book a gig, last year she hosted Dustin O Halloran and Richter">Max Richter for one of the shows of the festival. This year it's the turn of Perfume Genius who plays after Loney, Dear making one of the sexiest double bills of the three days. The chance to see songs like Hood and Dirge performed in the beautifully intimate surroundings of the church is not something that you should pass up. [ Listen ] St. Mary's Church 21:15 Tall Ships One of my favourite memories from last year was the mass sing-along during Vessels, mid afternoon in the Pav Tav, it placed in my mind an idea that has been reaffirmed several times since, Tall Ships have it. They have whatever it is that every band is trying to achieve when they write songs, that feeling. Y'know that feeling when your hairs prickle up with your skin bumps as you realise that you are lucky to be alive and in a world full of potential. Yes, that is quite a bold statement, but have you seen Tall Ships play? If you haven't, then you really need to catch them soon, this years Great escape is the place. [ Listen ] Pav Tav Friday 1am The Hope Saturday 22:15 ***** Editors Picks: Tim Boddy (Photography Editor): Gang Colours The 405 have been following Will Ozanne's Gang Colours closely since the release of the violently monikered EP, In Your Gut Like A Knife , last summer. Recently the chap from Southampton released full-length debut album The Keychain Collection on Brownswood Recordings, to positive appraise. It's the kind of album that rewards enormously on repeated listens, the reflective soundscapes burying deep into the skin, and cut-up homages to garage swirl smoothy through the bloodstream. The result is rather Beautiful stuff, like if Mount Kimbie went into ballad territory - but with a very definite Gang Colours personal grace to proceedings. [ Listen ] Swords">Forest Swords Oh Swords">Forest Swords , where have you been? The solo project from Liverpool-based Matthew Barnes has been quiet of recent, following the release of 2010's gorgeous and beguiling LP Dagger Paths . Beguiling in that a myriad of differing styles are sewn into each other; Barnes' passion and knowledge ...

School Of Seven Bells recently dropped by KEXP. Watch ‘Reappear’ here. Follow School Of Seven Bells on Twitter. Like ‘em on Facebook. Purchase School Of Seven Bells items via Insound. Watch ‘Passage’ here. Like Exitmusic on Facebook. Purchase Exitmusic items via Insound. Photos by wagz2it. MP3: School Of Seven Bells – The Night (Rewards Mix) [...]

Recommended Show: TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012 DAN DEACON, DAS RACIST, MEN, TOM MORELLO, and more @ UNION SQUARE PARK Union Square New York, NY 10003 FREE, 4PM No matter what your political opinion, today's Occupy Wall Street concert in Union Square Park is sure to rock. Bird Dog & The Prawns @ Cake Shop The Shins & Real Estate @ Terminal 5 Zula & Netherfriends @ Death By Audio Astro Disco & Manchildblack @ Le Poisson Rouge Doe Paoro, Rewards, & Larry Gus @ Cameo Gallery Bob Schneider & Laura Warshauer @ Bowery Ballroom Suckers, Acrylics, Turn To Crime, & Paper Twin @ Glasslands Hurricanes of Love, Invisible Circle, Con Tex, & Fuckton @ Big Snow ...

Here’s another friendly reminder about the Escape to Total Rewards game, there’s still plenty of time to play and win one of 90,000 prizes which includes one hundred totally sweet grand prizes! All you have to do is sign-up for free and start playing right away, you have nothing to lose so why not take [...]

This is your friendly reminder to make sure you’ve signed up for Total Rewards, which happens to be the most popular loyalty program around! To get you in the mood to possibly visit Las Vegas (home to many of the spectacular properties that partake in Total Rewards), here’s DEV and Enrique Iglesias taking over ‘Sin [...]