dnak

Dnak 42

dnak — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:19:23 +0000

Whoa! How did it get to be September? Even though I took a little pause in posting lists, it doesn’t mean there hasn’t been some great music released. Indeed, there were so many tracks for this list that I had to weed it down to get to a more manageable twenty. I listened to it several times on my trip up to the Oregon Coast (along with multiple playings of the new Arcade Fire album), and I hope you find something new in here for your own rotation.

Speaking of Arcade Fire, if you haven’t yet, you must check out the amazing interactive video experience they released featuring their song “We Used to Wait”. Be sure to look at it with either Safari or Google Chrome for best results: http://www.thewildernessdowntown.com

Below the track list, I have some links to the iTunes iMix, Amazon, and Rdio playlists. BTW, shouldn’t there be a super-simple way for me to share this playlist on Ping, Apple’s new social network for music? In any case, I’m on Ping if you are looking for folks to follow.

Clicking on a song name should bring you to a YouTube or MySpace page where you can listen to the song for free.

-Dave

The list is below….

	Artist	Song Title	Album
1.	Arcade Fire	Ready To Start	The Suburbs
	The new Arcade Fire album is truly fantastic, and I encourage you to buy it now, and to attend one of their live concerts. They’re heading on a west coast tour swing this month. Here’s an appropriate track to start off the list!
2.	The Black Keys	Tighten Up	Brothers (Deluxe)
	Cool bluesy rock track from the Ohio duo. Love it.
3.	Mumford & Sons	Little Lion Man	Sigh No More
	This track breaks my rule on the amount of banjo allowed, but I happily make an exception for this London underground folk rock band. This track is off of their debut album released earlier this year.
4.	Clubfeet	Last Words	Gold on Gold
	These guys definitely remind me of fellow Aussie band Empire of the Sun. Electronic bliss
5.	Ra Ra Riot	Boy	The Orchard
	Single from the Syracuse indie/chamber pop band’s sophomore LP, The Orchard.
6.	Cloud Cult	Running With the Wolves	Running With the Wolves – EP
	Enviro-pop? Is that how to classify this Minneapolis band? In any case, this track is a wonderful indie pop surprise.
7.	Perfume Genius	Mr. Peterson	Learning
	Beautiful spare track from Seattle-based singer Mike Hadreas.
8.	Senator and The New Republic	Intermission	Senator and The New Republic
	A new NYC-based group led by Adam Greenburg released their debut album this spring.
9.	!!!	The Most Certain Sure	Strange Weather, Isn’t It?
	The most google-unfriendly band name ever (hint, search for chk chk chk instead). Brooklyn-based !!! just released their latest album w/ this single as a teaser.
10.	Geographer	Kites	Animal Shapes
	What a beautiful sunny track from this bay area trio. I could listen to the electronic hook all day.
11.	The Boat People	Damn Defensive	Dear Darkly
	Australian-based band (called the “Boaties” by their fans) just released their third LP.
12.	Blitzen Trapper	Dragon’s Song	Destroyer of the Void (Bonus Track Version)
	Maybe nothing will top Furr, but Portland’s Blitzen trapper is back with more country-tinged rock. This track has a slight bluesy tinge.
13.	The Joy Formidable	The Greatest Light Is the Greatest Shade	A Balloon Called Moaning
	London-based group brings us female lead vocals over a wash of brash guitars. Check out this video made by a fan that painstakingly syncs a live performance w/ the studio track.
14.	Land of Talk	Swift Coin	Cloak and Cipher
	Another female-led indie rock band, this one out of Montreal, just released their third studio album.
15.	elsinore	Lines	Yes Yes Yes
	I just love the strings in this beautiful uplifting track from Illinois-based Elsinore’s third LP.
16.	The Polyamorous Affair	Strange	Strange Bedfellows
	Berlin/Copenhagen-based duo brings us moody synth pop on their 3rd full length.
17.	Eels	Spectacular Girl	Tomorrow Morning
	Sure, Mark Oliver Everett (“E”) continues to brings melancholy, but this time it’s tinged by a little sunshine. This female assassin video is odd, though.
18.	The Love Language	Heart to Tell	Libraries (Bonus Track Version)
	Here’s the standout track from the first studio album for Stuart McLamb-led North Carolina group.
19.	Best Coast	Boyfriend	Crazy for You
	California noise pop group gives a sun-drenched track laced in reverb.
20.	Arcade Fire	Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)	The Suburbs
	I started this list with Arcade Fire. I’ll end it with Arcade Fire. This is a wonderful track featuring Régine Chassagne. If you didn’t get a chance to watch their live concert they streamed on the Internet, here’s your chance.

Find dnak 42 on Amazon, iTunes, or Rdio.

Rdio

Rdio still has a limited selection of songs available for streaming…. In this case, they have 11 of the songs available.

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Dnak 41

dnak — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 00:03:29 +0000

Happy summer! I hope you’re enjoying the warmer weather, The World Cup, and listening to great music. I found a good mix of indie pop and rock tracks with a dose of electronica, so I hope you find something in this list worth checking out.

With Lala gone as a streaming source, I’ll give you a few different options to choose from. In addition to the iTunes iMix below, I’m bringing back the Amazon MP3 list as well as experimenting with the new site rdio.com. While they don’t have a comprehensive selection yet, rdio looks promising. If you’re a member, you can see my partial list on rdio. If you’re not a member, drop me a note since I have a few invites left.

Update: I’m also playing around with mog, which seems to have much better indie lable coverage… 17 out of 20 songs. If you are a mog user, you can see my playlist on mog.

Also, clicking on a song name should bring to a site (MySpace, band site, or music blog) where you can stream the song for free. Enjoy!

-Dave

The list is below….

	Artist	Song Title	Album
1.	School of Seven Bells	Windstorm	Disconnect From Desire
	We’ll start off the list with the great lead single from School of Seven Bell’s highly anticipated sophomore LP due in July. The track is streaming on Pitchfork right now.
2.	Bat For Lashes and Beck	Let’s Get Lost	The Twilight Saga:Ecplise Soundtrack
	Wonderful collaboration between Beck & Bat For Lashes, and it’s Natasha Khan’s voice that shines
3.	Hooray For Earth	Comfortable, Comparable	Momo
	NYC-based quartet just released the Momo EP, and you can listen to this synth-infused indie track on their MySpace page.
4.	Portishead	Chase The Tear	Chase the Tear
	Portishead recorded and released this fantastic track exclusively for Amnesty International, which gets the proceeds from all iTunes sales.
5.	Sleigh Bells	Rill Rill	Treats
	Brooklyn-based Rill Rill gives us assertive and melodical noise pop on their debut album.
6.	Arcade Fire	The Suburbs	The Suburbs
	Arcade Fire keeps giving us bits and pieces from their upcoming Suburbs LP due in August. You can stream and buy this single from their site.
7.	Avi Buffalo	What’s In It For?	Avi Buffalo
	Another fantastic breezy track from LA-based Avi Buffalo. SubPop is also giving out a free MP3 of this track.
8.	Beach Fossils	Youth	Beach Fossils
	Dustin Payseur gives us hazy reverb-laden vocals over Surfer Blood-like guitar riffs and drums to good effect.
9.	Crystal Castles	Empathy	Crystal Castles (II)
	Dustin Payseur gives us hazy reverb-laden vocals over Surfer Blood-like guitar riffs and drums to good effect.
10.	LCD Soundsystem	I Can Change	This Is Happening
	Wow. I almost forgot that James Murphy has real singing chops. Check out his vocals on this very musical track from LCD, with a live performance below.
11.	Au	Ida Walked Away	Versions
	Epic track with soaring vocals over sprawling instrumentals from this ambitious Portland-based group.
12.	Broken Social Scene	World Sick	Forgiveness Rock Record
	Toronto supergroup keeps bringing us indie rock goodness. You can download this single from the BSS site directly, and here’s a live performance for you to checkout.
13.	Foals	Spanish Sahara	Total Life Forever
	UK group brings us a stunning track, with spare vocals building to a complex instrumental crescendo. Beautiful video.
14.	Delorean	Real Love	Subiza
	Beginning to really like Barcelona-based Ibiza and their flavor of uptempo hazy synth beats. Good stuff.
15.	Tame Impala	Solitiude Is Bliss	InnerSpeaker
	Australian group Tame Impala calls their style “psychedelic hypno-groove melodic rock music”. Check it.
16.	The Kissaway Trail	New Year	Sleep Mountain
	I absolutely loved their lead track “SDP”, and I’m happy to say that I’m really taking to this Danish group’s ambitiously enveloping sound.
17.	The Kissaway Trail	Don’t Wake Up	Sleep Mountain
	Here’s a wonderful live performance w/ a great into by their lead singer Thomas Fagerlund.
18.	The Radio Dept.	The Video Dept.	Clinging to a Scheme
	Another indie-pop track from Swedish group The Radio Dept.
19.	Wild Nothing	Chinatown	Gemini
	Virginia-based Wild Nothing gives us this standout shimmering indie pop track from their debut LP. You can also find the MP3 on pitchfork
20.	Stars	Wasted Daylight	The Five Ghosts
	o-oh oh o-oh. What a beautiful track from Stars featuring Amy Millan’s gorgeous vocals to close out this list. Here’s a live performance.

Find dnak 41 on Amazon or iTunes

Amazon.com Widgets

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Dnak 40

dnak — Wed, 05 May 2010 09:12:36 +0000

This past month has been great for live music in the bay area, particularly with many acts swinging through San Francisco on the way to or back from Coachella. In less than a week, I was able to catch The XX, Hot Chip, Passion Pit, Mayer Hawthorne, Silversun Pickups, and Muse. Passion Pit does a great live show, and if you ever get a chance to see The XX up close, definitely do it.

With a string of electronic-tinged releases over the past month, this latest playlist leans a little more heavily electronic than usual, but there are a few surprises in there, too.

This is the last time the playlist will be available on Lala (embedded below), as unfortunately, Apple is shutting down the streaming service on May 31st. Let’s have a moment of silence….
…
…
…
So hurry and enjoy Lala while you can. I’ve also embedded the iTunes iMix, and I’m hoping that Apple will have a similar service sometime soon.
-Dave

The list is below….

	Artist	Song Title	Album
1.	Delorean	Stay Close	Subiza
	A Barcelona-based group formed in the Basque region of Spain, Delorean has its own brand of club/house, with a sound full of hazy synth that is a great way to begin the summer.
2.	LCD Soundsystem	Drunk Girls	This Is Happening
	Shortly after this first single of their new album leaked online, LCD released this must-watch video of utter mayhem.
3.	The Apples In Stereo	Dance Floor	Travellers in Space and Time
	I’m a big fan of this Denver electro-pop group and am looking forward to giving their new album a thorough listen. Here’s one of the standout tracks, complete with an Elijah Wood-starring video.
4.	Caribou	Odessa	Swim
	Dark, precise, and entrancing electronica from this UK-based Canadian singer.
5.	Band of Horses	Laredo	Infinite Arms
	South Carolina-based Band of Horses (originally from Seattle) is about to release its third studio album, and here’s their sneak peek single
6.	Avi Buffalo	Truth Sets In	Avi Buffalo
	A promising new group out of Long Beach, Avi Buffalo just released its debut LP, with this as the lead-off track. Here’s a live performance:
7.	Woods	Suffering Season	At Echo Lake
	A jangly summer tune is the standout track from Woods’ latest release.
8.	MGMT	It’s Working	Congratulations
	Here’s the lead-off track on MGMT’s latest album, and it’s grown on me.
9.	Crystal Castles	Celestica	Crystal Castles ( II )
	A more mature sound on the Toronto electronic duo’s sophomore LP is evident in this track which features airy female vocals as a counterpoint to the wonderfully pulsating backdrop.
10.	Interpol	Lights	-
	Interpol announced their return with this new single (available as a free download), which is hopefully a sign of an impending new album
11.	The Kissaway Trail	SDP	Sleep Mountain
	A stunning leadoff track from this Danish group’s label debut LP. This may be my favorite track on this playlist.
12.	The Burning Hotels	Boy Or A Girl	Novels
	Indie rock group out of Texas just came out with their sophomore LP.
13.	The National	Bloodbuzz Ohio	High Violet
	I’ve been looking forward to hearing more from this Brooklyn group since their latest album Boxer. Although due later this month, you can listen to the entire album streaming on NPR.
14.	The Depreciation Guild	Dream About Me	Spirit Youth
	Another band out of Brooklyn, but this one will transport you right back to the 80′s!
15.	The Radio Dept.	Heaven’s On Fire	Clinging To A Scheme
	What’s with all of the groups from Scandinavia? This one’s from Sweden, and this is pure indie pop.
16.	Vampire Weekend	Giving Up The Gun	Contra
	The opening instrumental hooked me onto this song, despite the fact that I keep expecting the chorus from Eulogie’s “Bad Connection” to ring in whenever I listen to it. But I had to include this just so I can embed this video. How could I not?
17.	Bear Hands	What A Drag	What A Drag – EP
	A Brooklyn-based band formed at Wesleyan…. The highlight of this track is the unexpected falsetto.
18.	Race Horses	Cake	Goodbye Falkenberg
	A new foursome in Wales gives us their debut album filled with upbeat psych pop.
19.	jj	Let Go	jj nº 3
	Swedish duo gives us more super chillout new-age indie pop. Beautiful stuff.
20.	Horse Feathers	Thistled Spring	Thistled Spring
	Let’s close out with a gorgeous string & piano-laden track from Portland’s Horse Feathers.

DNAK 40 playlist on Lala

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Dnak 39

dnak — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 06:31:18 +0000

Springtime means music festival season is in full swing. There are a lot of new releases and a whole collection of strong bands & tracks to discover. I’m also loving the return of the music video form. Not that they ever disappeared, but there definitely was a lull ever since MTV pretty much abandoned the space in favor of non-music reality TV. I appreciate the creativity I’m seeing out there by musicians and directors who see onilne videos as a great way to promote their art and attract new listeners. In particular, see the new videos below from MGMT, OK Go, and Hot Chip.

This playlist is available on Lala below (after the jump) as well as in an iTunes iMix. Check it out, and I hope you enjoy.

-Dave

The list is below….

	Artist	Song Title	Album
1.	Fang Island	Daisy	Fang Island
	Joyous anthem pop meets progressive rock in this stand-out track on the self-titled album from Fang Island out of Brooklyn
2.	MGMT	Flash Delirium	Congratulations
	Probably one of the most anticipated albums of 2010, Congratulations has already evoked a lot of fan reaction both positive and negative. When it was leaked online, the band reacted by streaming their entire album on their site, so you can preview it now. While there’s not an obvious big track like “Kids”, I’m enjoying the whole album with repeat listens. Definitely checkout the super trippy video for “Flash Delirium”.
3.	Gorillaz	Stylo	Plastic Beach
	The British collaborative group is back with its third album. With this solid release, maybe they’ll stop pretending to be a virtual animated group.
4.	Rogue Wave	Solitary Gun	Permalight
	After a three-year absence during which the band suffered the death of their bassist, Oakland’s Rogue Wave is back with their fourth LP. Tragedy doesn’t seem to have impacted the upbeat pop apparent in this leadoff track.
5.	Frightened Rabbit	FootShooter	The Winter of Mixed Drinks
	Frightened Rabbit’s third LP is out, and you can tell that the Scottish group has expanded to a quintet with a fuller sound and bigger ambitions.
6.	jj	You Know	jj nº 3
	Swedish duo jj keeps their breezy pop vibe in their sophomore album
7.	Seabear	Cold Summer	We Built a Fire
	Another beautiful track from Seabear out of Iceland. Close your eyes and listen to the strings..
8.	Portugal. The Man	The Dead Dog	American Ghetto
	I’m going to ignore the fact that this band originated in Sarah Palin’s home town (Wasilla, Alaska) since they’re now based in Portland, OR, and more importantly, I like this lead off track of their 6th studio album.
9.	OK Go	This Too Shall Pass	Of the Blue Colour of the Sky
	These guys from Chicago deserve an award for their commitment to creating viral music videos. Famous for their treadmill video for “Here It Goes Again”, they may have topped it with their latest video. The crazy thing is that their original video featuring a marching band for “This Too Shall Pass” is actually pretty great too. But if you haven’t witnessed it yet, you must experience this Rube Goldberg Machine epic.
10.	The Besnard Lakes	Albatross	The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night
	Montreal’s Besnard Lakes brings ghostly vocals over an atmospheric reverb in this track from their newly released third album.
11.	The New Pornographers	Crash Years	Crash Years – Single
	I’m a long-time fan of this Vancouver, BC group, and I was excited to hear this new single from their upcoming album Together. We get Neko Case’s lead vocals, whistling, and an infectious hook. What’s not to like?
12.	Dan Black	U + Me =	UN
	You may remember Dan Black from the Passion Pit remix of “Symphonies” that I featured in Dnak 32 last year. You can get his original version of that song along with this great electronic track on his LP. I encourage you to listen to his electronic version as well as his acoustic performance from a live performance in the video below.
13.	Broken Bells	The Ghost Inside	Broken Bells
	Now that the Danger Mouse/James Mercer collaborative album has been released, it looks to be more than a simple side project. Tickets have just gone on sale for a tour. Check out this live performance on Fallon of “The Ghost Inside”.
14.	Broken Bells	October	Broken Bells
	More goodness from the Broken Bells
15.	Hot Chip	I Feel Better	One Life Stand
	Bizarrely hilarious video for another elctro-pop hit from London’s Hot Chip. I’d describe the video as Zoolander meets Zardoz. I’m looking forward to seeing them perform live.
16.	Surfer Blood	Floating Vibes	Astro Coast
	Guitar-driven, hazy reverb surf music from Florida-based Surfer Blood. As you can tell from the live KEXP performance, these kids are young!
17.	Midlake	Bring Down	The Courage of Others
	It’s dark, it’s melancholy, It’s beautiful. More from Midlake’s latest album.
18.	Kaitie Miller-Heidke	The Last Day On Earth	Curiouser
	It’s impossible not to be reminded of Kate Bush when you hear this Australian’s voice. I would never have guessed that she was a classically trained opera singer, but before she turned to indie pop, she performed onstage in both operas and musicals. A beautiful track.
19.	Turin Brakes	The Sea Change	Outbursts
	This London duo gives us acoustic guitar-driven folk rock on the lead track from their brand new album.
20.	Yeasayer	I Remember	Odd Blood
	Definitely one of my favorite albums so far in 2010… I’m closing out this list with this wonderful Yeasayer track from Oddblood.

DNAK 39 playlist on Lala

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Dnak 38

dnak — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 22:23:23 +0000

Surprise! I’m changing the name of my playlists. I should have realized that KNAK is actually a real radio station (based in Utah), so a new name is in order. I thought of calling it “Nak Nak Naking on Heaven’s Door” for a micro-second, but I’m going to keep it simple for now. I’m open to suggestions.

But let’s get on with it. It’s my first playlist of the year, and there’s some great stuff out there. The playlist is available on Lala below (after the jump) as well as in an iTunes iMix. Oh, and please let me know what you think. I’ll keep making these lists for my own enjoyment, of course, but it’s good to know if it’s worth publishing them online.

-Dave

The list is below….

	Artist	Song Title	Album
1.	Yes Giantess	The Ruins	The Ruins (single)
	From the circle of Brooklyn friends where Passion Pit emerged, we have Yes Giantess, and they give us this fantastic synth-pop track that I can’t stop listening to. Still unsigned so the song isn’t available via normal paid channels, but you can download the free MP3 from Neon Gold Records or RCRD LBL.
2.	Broken Bells	The High Road	Broken Bells
	Danger Mouse continues his streak of strong collaborations by working with James Mercer of the Shins on a new project called Broken Bells. This is the lead track on the album, slated for release in March.
3.	Beach House	Zebra	TeenDream
	Baltimore-based Beach House just released their third full-length album (their first on the Sub-pop label). Here’s the opening track.
4.	Beach House	10 Mile Stereo	Teen Dream
	More dream pop featuring vocals from French-born Victoria Legrand.
5.	Phantogram	When I’m Small	Eyelid Movies
	This duo from Saratoga Springs, New York, calls their music “street beat, psych pop”. Here’s a track from their newly-released LP on Barsuk records
6.	Yeasayer	Madder Red	Odd Blood
	Wonderful new album from Brooklyn’s Yeasayer. They gave us a sneak peak w/ their teaser single “Ambling Alp” in December, and the rest of their album looks strong as well.
7.	Yeasayer	O.N.E.	Odd Blood
	Another great track…
8.	Midlake	Acts of Man	The Courage of Others
	I was in love with “Roscoe”, a track from their previous album Trials Of Von Accupanther, so much that I featured it twice in previous lists (regular an acoustic). I was definitely looking forward to their newest album. Pitchfork quickly trashed the release, giving it a 3.6 rating, but in any case, I like their leadoff track.
9.	Eels	Nowadays	End Times
	Mark Oliver Everett gives us more of his melancholy view on life, and this time he’s even more blunt about it, calling this his “divorce album”. But melancholy can be beautiful as evidenced by this track.
10.	Surfer Blood	Swim	Astro Coast
	Strong debut from this young band from West Palm Beach, Florida. Be prepared for a ton of hazy reverb layered on assertive, infectiously catchy guitar riffs.
11.	Vampire Weekend	White Sky	Contra
	I can’t help liking these guys…. their sound is distinctive, fresh, and just as inventive as ever on their sophomore album. And they make fun videos: check out their new video for another track “Give Up the Gun” featuring Jake Gllenhaal, Joe Jonas, RZA and Lil Jon.
12.	Hot Chip	Take It In	One Life Stand
	London electro-pop group Hot Chip continues their hot streak. I loved their previous LPs The Warning and Made In The Dark, and was looking forward to their new release. It doesn’t disappoint. Here’s the closing track on their latest LP.
13.	Systems Officer	Sand I	Underslept
	As a Pinback fan, I’m a little embarrassed that I missed this release from a few months back. Systems Officer is the solo project of Pinback’s bassist, and a few seconds of listening make that pretty obvious.
14.	Husky Rescue	Sound Of Love	Ship Of Light
	How can you not like a band named “Husky Rescue”? This Helsinki band gives us affectless but melodic female vocals over a synth pop track.
15.	Analog Rebellion	I Am A Ghost (Artifact)	Ancient Electrons
	This self-proclaimed Texas lo-fi band sells t-shirts that read “F**K Auto Tune”, which makes me automatically like them. Daniel Hunter’s voice brings immediate comparisons to Ben Gibbard (at least for me, it does), and it’s worth a listen.
16.	Seabear	Bright House	We Built A Fire
	I’m closing out this list with a beautiful ballad by Icelandic group Seabear. Enjoy. Song not yet available on lala, but available on iTunes and listenable on music blogs.

DNAK 38 playlist on Lala

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KNAK 2009 – 30 Best tracks of 2009

dnak — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 09:49:56 +0000

Welcome to my favorite tracks of the past year. I’ve poured over my KNAK lists, and I’ve distilled it down to 30. How did I decide on these, you might ask. Everybody has their own criteria, but for me, most of the following is true:

I’ve kept the song in my rotation for repeated listenings, and I love it whenever I hear it (online, iPhone, radio).
It evokes some response from me, emotionally, mentally, or even physically.
It brings something new to my ears.

But overall, in looking back, these are hopefully the songs that will most remind me of 2009. These certainly aren’t your favorite 30, and they shouldn’t be, since everybody has their own taste. What are you favorite tracks?

So, without further ado… here are my favorites, starting at number 30.

KNAK 37

dnak — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 22:34:59 +0000

It’s tough to put together a playlist in December! It’s not that there aren’t a lot of releases… it’s just that many of these releases are holiday music! And I just wasn’t feeling “White Christmas” by Iggy Pop making it onto a KNAK list. But fortunately, there is some real music being released, especially EPs and singles as a sneak peak for full albums coming in the new year. So this list is mostly a mix of new stuff and some tracks from releases made in the last few months.

And with the news that just broke about Lala, I’m kinda guessing I soon won’t need to duplicate the lists on both services. But until then, the playlist is available on Lala below (after the jump) as well as in an iTunes iMix.

I’m always looking for recommendations and comments.

-Dave

The list is below….

	Artist	Song Title	Album
1.	General Elektrics	Raid the Radio	Good City For Dreamers
	This duo from Paris is preaching to the choir: “Raid the radio. Because we’re tired of hearing the same old song. We gotta change the dial to something new. Bring some truth to this town.” You can also see their HD video on YouTube.
2.	The Good Listeners	Insect Losing Balance	Don’t Quit Your Daydream
	Here’s an LA-based duo that traveled around the country, composed music w/ locals to create their 3rd album and filmed it. (note: song not available on Lala yet)
3.	Frightened Rabbit	Swim Until You Can’t See Land	Swim Until You Can’t See Land – EP
	After a successful sophomore album in 2008, this Scottish band (two brothers from Glasgow) just released this great single, which is hopefully a sign of things to come in a new release next year.
4.	Arctic Monkeys	Catapult	Cornerstore – EP
	The UK band released an EP just 3 months after their latest full length. Catapult is more like their earlier releases: danceable indie rock.
5.	Vampire Weekend	Cousins	Contra
	NYC nerd rock “it” band is giving us a sneak peak of their new album Contra due on Jan 12, 2010. More fun and inventive combination of styles and sound that just works.
6.	Yeasayer	Ambling Alp	Odd Blood
	Let’s move boroughs to Brooklyn’s Yeasayer. Their new album is due out in early February, and they’re good enough to give us a teaser with this wonderfully eclectic single.
7.	Small Black	Despicable Dogs	Small Black EP
	Debut EP from another band out of Brooklyn. Small Black is for you low-fi fans out there… all electronic fuzz!
8.	Elysian Fields	Climbing My Dark Hair	The Afterlife
	Let’s make it a solid NYC playlist block with Elysian Fields, a long-time downtown group featuring lead singer Jennifer Charles’ deep breathy vocals. Song not yet available on lala.
9.	The Moondoggies	Changing	Don’t Be A Stranger
	This song is actually a year old, but I’ve never featured the Moondoggies on KNAK yet, which is something I need to remedy. I just saw these guys put on a great live show in Seattle. It was a little disconcerting to see some kids in their early 20′s from Seattle have a southern rock vibe, but they pull it off. Look to hear more about them in 2010.
10.	Port O’Brien	Love Me Through	Threadbare
	Yet another track off the latest album from bay area’s Port O’Brien. I love these guys.
11.	Wild Beasts	All The King’s Men	Two Dancers
	This is the 3rd song I’ve featured from this UK group’s sophomore album, and I think it’s my favorite. Look out for the falsetto!
12.	Real Estate	Beach Comber	Real Estate
	Here’s a brand new band out of New Jersey, bringing their brand of guitar dream pop to the music scene. And like their myspace URL says, let’s rock the beach.
13.	Bear In Heaven	You Do You	Beast Rest Forth Mouth
	Brooklyn group brings some deep synth beats with this track. Put on your headphones and let it wash over you.
14.	Animal Collective	What Would I Want? Sky	Fall Be Kind EP
	Not content to have put out a critically acclaimed LP out earlier this year, Animal Collective dropped a bonus EP on us, with this 7 minute gem. And with that, KNAK 37 comes to a close..

KNAK 37 playlist on Lala

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KNAK 36

dnak — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:21:59 +0000

It’s an exciting time in the music space. Google jumping in to offer full song preview on its search pages (powered by Lala & iLike) is a welcome development and a sign, I think, that labels are eager to see multiple players in the space besides iTunes. More new music is being released than ever before, whether as full albums, LPs, or online singles. Some of those releases get a lot of marketing push, but most of it does not. The tracks in KNAK 36 probably fall into the latter category, so I hope this post will introduce a few more people to some new music and up and coming artists that deserve to be heard.

The playlist is available on Lala below (after the jump) as well as in an iTunes iMix.

I’m always looking for recommendations and comments.

-Dave

The list is below….

	Artist	Song Title	Album
1.	Minus The Bear	Into the Mirror	Into the MIrror
	Seattle-based Minus The Bear gives us a sneak peak of their new full-length expected in early 2010. And if this single is any indication, we’ll see a more polished and accessible MTB than their earlier releases.
2.	Tegan & Sara	Alligator	Sainthood
	a track from the Canadian female duo’s latest LP.
3.	Atlas Sound	Walkabout	Logos
	Georgia-based Atlas Sound is the solo project for Deerhunter’s lead singer Bradford Cox. This airy track features Noah Lennox of Animal Collective whose voice is a great pairing for Cox’s vocals.
4.	Basement Jaxx	Saga (feat Santigold)	Scars
	The London-based electronic duo that brought us the driving single “Raindrops” as a sneak peak now has their full LP out, and it’s full of collaborations. Here’s one featuring the distinctive stylings of Santigold
5.	Basement Jaxx	My Turn (feat Lightspeed Champion)	Scars
	Another cool track, this one featuring Devonte Hynes (aka Lightspeed Champion).
6.	Choir of Young Believers	Action/Reaction	This Is For the White In Your Eyes
	This Denmark band gives us tribal rhythms and earnest vocals in a dreamy but upbeat track.
7.	Washed Out	Feel It All Around	Life Of Leisure
	A standout track from the debut LP from Georgia-based Ernest Greene. I love the base-driven dream pop. For those Canon 5D Mark II videofiles out there, some adventurers created an underwater video featuring this track.
8.	Port O’Brien	Sour Milk/Salt Water	Threadbare
	The latest album from the bay area’s Port O’Brien is one of my favorites of the year.
9.	Papercuts	White Are The Waves	White Are the Waves -Single
	A beautiful soulful single from San Francisco-based Papercuts.
10.	Maps	Without You	Turning The Mind
	Shoegaze meets electronica in this pretty track from UK-based Maps in their 2nd full length album.
11.	Maps	Everything Is Shattering	Turning The Mind
	Standout track from their latest album.
12.	Islands	Switched On	Vapours
	This is the lead track from Montreal-based Island’s latest full-length release, and it showcases the same quirky indie-pop we’ve grown to expect.
13.	The Big Pink	Dominos	Vapours
	The lyrics are pretty depressing, but I dig the sound of this track from this UK-based duo’s debult LP.
14.	Sea Wolf	Turn the Dirt Over	White Water, White Bloom
	Haunting lyrics on this track from LA-based Sea Wolf’s sophomore album.
15.	The Middle East	Blood	The Recordings of The Middle East
	A stunningly beautiful track from the debut EP from this new group out of Townsville, Australia. Check out the accompanying paper stop-motion video.
16.	Volcano Choir	Still	Unmap
	I’ll close out with this hazy 7 minute track from the Wisconsin-based indie collective featuring low-key auto-tuned vocals contrasted over lo-fi instrumentation.

KNAK 36 playlist on Lala

KNAK 36 iMix on iTunes

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KNAK 35

dnak — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:49:32 +0000

I can’t believe I’ve hit # 35. Lots of good stuff this time, so I hope you find something you’d like to add to your own playlist.

The playlist is available on Lala below (after the jump) as well as in an iTunes iMix.

Please continue to send recommendations and comments.

-Dave

The list is below….

	Artist	Song Title	Album
1.	Mew	Beach	No More Stories Are Told Today I’m Sorry They Washed Away No More Stories The World Is Grey I’m Tired Let’s Wash Away
	This is my favorite track from the 5th LP released by this group out of Denmark
2.	Volcano Choir	Island, IS	Unmap
	Beautiful track from this group out of Wisconsin that is a collaboration of artists including Bon Iver & Collections of Colonies of Bees.
3.	Port O’Brien	Oslo Campfire	Threadbare
	You probably have heard of this bay area band because of their song “All We Could Do Was Sing”, famously performed on a stage full of people banging pots and pans. Their new album is out, and it’s a good one.
4.	Port O’Brien	My Will Is Good	Threadbare
	I’m not quite sure what skipping rope has to do with this song (seen in the video), but this one is already stuck in my head.
5.	Sea Wolf	Wicked Blood	White Water, White Bloom
	LA-based Sea Wolf is back with their sophomore album, and if their opening track is an indication, they return with a fuller sound and more upbeat energy.
6.	Sea Wolf	The Violet Hour	Soundtrack from The Twilight Saga: New Moon
	I hesitate to include a track from the new Twilight film. Even though I’ve never read one of the books or seen the films, the soundtrack is full of an impressive slate of indie projects. And this track is one I’m really liking.
7.	Tegan & Sara	Hell	Sainthood
	Here’s the first catchy single from the album due out at the end of the month from the Canadian pop duo.
8.	The Temper Trap	Fader	Conditions
	This track is from the debut LP by this Australian band. (See also “Sweet Disposition” on KNAK 33.
9.	Throw Me The Statue	Waving At The Shore	Creaturesque
	Here’s the opening track from this Seattle group’s sophomore album. If you’re in the Seattle area, definitely catch these guys live on the local stage.
10.	The xx	Heart Skipped A Beat	xx
	This South London band’s debut album continues to get a lot of well-deserved buzz.
11.	Harlem Shakes	Heart Skipped A Beat	Technicolor Health
	I saw these guys opening for Passion Pit when they came through San Francisco earlier this year, but I’ve never featured this Brooklyn group which I think needs to be remedied.
12.	Muse	Undisclosed Desires	The Resistance
	The lead track “Uprising” (featured in KNAK 34) is being played all over the place right now, but here’s a slightly less in-your-face track from this UK group.
13.	Girls	Lust For Life	Album
	Debut album for a San Francisco pop duo, either adored or criticized for being popular with the hipster crowd. But whatever you think of the band, it definitely has an interesting back story (one of the band members grew up as a member of the “Children of God” cult).
14.	Neon Indian	Deadbeat Summer	Psychic Chasms
	My electronic indulgence in this list, here’s a track from an indie group out of Austin & Brooklyn.
15.	Built To Spill	Hindsight	There Is No Enemy
	Boise-based indie veterans are still making great music after 17 years. This pretty track is off of their 7th album.
16.	The Clientele	Bonfires on the Heath	Bonfires on the Heath
	Title track from this 60′s-inspired UK group’s 4th album
17.	Miike Snow	Black & Blue	Miike Snow
	OK, I lied earlier about indulging in only 1 electronic track, but I realized that I haven’t included this track from Miike Snow’s debut album.
18	Destroyer	Bay of Pigs	Bay of Pigs (EP)
	For fans of Destroyer, this EP is a must buy and is hopefully a hint of what’s to come in Dan Bejar’s next LP. Put on the headphones, lay back, and experience this 13+ minute track to close out KNAK 35. I hope you enjoyed it.

KNAK 35 playlist on Lala

KNAK 35 iMix on iTunes

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KNAK 34

dnak — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 06:24:08 +0000

Summer is drawing to a close, and it’s time for another one of my playlists. I’ve scoured some of the releases for the past couple months, and this is what I’ve added to my rotation. I hope you find something you like!

You can checkout the playlist on Lala below (after the jump) as well as the iTunes iMix.

recommendations and comments are always welcome!

Happy end of summer!
-Dave

The list is below….

	Artist	Song Title	Album
1.	Visqueen	Beautiful Amnesia	Message To Garcia
	We’ll start off the playlist with a couple of great Seattle bands. Visqueen’s Rachel Flotard gives us her powerful vocals and guitars in a collaborative album with Neko Case and The Long Winters.
2.	Throw Me The Statue	Hi-Fi Goon	Creaturesque
	An upbeat track from this scrappy group’s Sophomore album. They’re just wrapping up their nationwide tour, and will be opening for Visqueen’s CD release party in Seattle (The Crocodile) on 10/3.
3.	We Were Promised Jetpacks	Quiet Little Voices	These Four Walls
	Another strong track from this long-named group out of Edinburgh.
4.	The xx	Crystalised	xx
	This 4-member group out of South London has released a critically acclaimed debut album. Highly recommended.
5.	The xx	Islands	xx

6.	Muse	Uprising	The Resistance
	Here’s the lead track from this UK group’s latest LP, and it shows they’re keeping the grandiose ambitions they showed on Black Holes and Revelations.
7.	The Big Pink	Velvet	A Brief History of Love
	Another new group out of the UK getting a lot of buzz. Here’s the lead single from their new album about to come out. You can stream their entire album on http://musicfromthebigpink.com/
8.	Fables	The Dodos	Time To Die
	A lovely pop track from this San Francisco-based indie rock group.
9.	Lightning Dust	Antonio June	Infinite Light
	A pretty track from this Vancouver duo’s sophomore album.
10.	Matt Pond PA	Our Braided Lives	Auri Sacra Fames
	Just a beautiful song off of the new release from this Philadelphia indie-pop quintet.
11.	YACHT	Psychic City (Voodoo City)	See Mystery Lights
	Did you know that YACHT stands for “Young Americans Challenging High Technology”? Here’s the breakout hit from this eclectic portland(OR)-based band.
12.	Datarock	True Stories	Red
	My electro-wave fix satisfied by this Norwegian group. (song not available on Lala).
13.	Wild Beasts	The Fun Powder Plot	Two Dancers
	A critically heralded 2nd release from this UK group (84 composite on Metacritic), here are the first two tracks on this promising album.
14.	Wild Beasts	Hooting & Howling	Two Dancers

15.	Cage the Elephant	Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked	Cage the Elephant
	This Kentucky group has gotten rave coverage of their high-energy shows. Check out a video of their live performance of this song at Outside Lands.
16.	Windmill	Big Boom	Epcot Starfields
	UK-based stargazer pop meets retro futurism.
17.	Julian Plenti	Only If You Run	Julian Plenti Is … Skyscraper
	Solo project from Interpol’s frontman. If you like Interpol, you should dig this release.
18.	Mew	Introducing Palace Players	No More Stories Are Told Today I’m Sorry They Washed Away No More Stories The World Is Grey I’m Tired Let’s Wash Away
	Besides having the longest name ever, the Danish group’s 5th album has garnered wide critical success. This track is a little challenging for the first minute, but definitely give it a try.
19.	Noah and the Whale	Blue Skies	The First Days of Spring
	Even though summer is drawing to a close, I’m ending this list with a song called “Blue Skies”, a beautiful but melancholy track from this UK group’s upcoming album (coming to the US in October)

KNAK 34 playlist on Lala

KNAK 34 iMix on iTunes

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