Tips for Twat have made a name for themselves in the local avant-pysch scene for creating twitchy, off kilter pop freak outs, which they are seemingly continuing on their new tape In An Anus, out soon on the Soothing Almond Collective record label. The first song from the tape, “Positive Taint,” is a hair under three minutes of jittery drums, mad cap guitar squeals and wild eyed “singing.” Definitely not for the faint of heart, so if the New Standards is your idea of a wild band, you probably should quietly remove yourself (although I am guessing the bands name realistically weeded out most people who are in that boat). Help the band celebrate the release of their new tape along with the stacked lineup of Velvet Davenport, Cage III, The Liz and Myrrh at the Nomad Pub as the first installment of the month long Thursday residency from the Soothing Almond Collective label.

Tits for Twat- Positive Taint

-Josh

Ever since I first heard Gauntlet Hair last year via some killer singles, I was confident that if the band was able to capture the same intensity they put into those singles, they would have a good chance of blowing up in 2011. Based on the first taste of their forthcoming Dead Oceans released self titled debut LP, the boisterous and infectious echo laden pop of “Top Bunk,” the group seem well on their way to living up to that hype. The song buzzes and hisses underneath the layers of effects, sounding like a more warped Yeasayer or a more focused Animal Collective. Looking forward to hearing the whole LP, which drops on Oct 18th.

Gauntlet Hair “Top Bunk” by DOJAGSC

According to the City Pages, local trio Teenage Moods’ Mood Ring LP has been available for a dog’s age.  According to other sources, it will just now become available this Friday.  Whatever the case may be, Teenage Moods have a new record and you can get it this week if you haven’t already gotten what may or may not have been previously un-gettable.  Check out the leadoff tune from the track here and if you dig it, head to the Hexagon Bar on Friday night (Aug 5th) for a taste of the live version (as well as the limited edition vinyl version).  “Tulip Tattoo” is a pop-driven, guitar and bass garage jam.  And it comes on a very pretty plate.

– Jon Behm

01 Tulip Tattoo by 25DIAMONDS

Sleep ∞ Over, despite their hard to type name, are a band that are very easy to like. The group is essentially one woman (Stefanie Franciotti) who creates hazy, atmospheric bliss pop. The first song below is the blistering new track “Romantic Streams,” which is the first single from the bands forthcoming debut LP Forever, which drops this fall on the Hippos in Tanks record label. Also below are a collection of other tracks from the group, which for some reason I have neglected to post until now even though I have enjoyed them all quite a bit. Check out the new track and a few stray singles below and keep an eye out for the bands LP, which will surely make waves when it drops this fall.

Sleep Over -Romantic-Streams

-Josh

Megaufaun have always done a good job of twisting in left field arrangements to their homespun songs, and their latest effort is more of the same. “These Words” sounds more like old Menomena than new Megafaun, but is a great song none the less. Their new, self titled LP is out this fall on Home Tapes, so look for more deconcrusted pop gems in the very near future from this talented trio.

Megafaun “These Words” by Hometapes

Minnesota’s Electric String Quartet joins the ranks of Zoë Keating, Chris Murphy, and the would-be Owen Palletts of the world. David Gerald Sutton (note the sole member of the quartet) uses a simple formula to admirable effect: With an electric violin, a looping station, and a few distortion pedals, Sutton builds contemporary chamber music into post-rock grandeur.

I stumbled across Electric String Quartet opening a show at the 7th St. last week—Sutton’s classical dramatics, shy earnestness, and improvisational confidence nicely complemented the seaside Scottish folk of King Creosote and Jon Hopkins. Dawn to Dusk is ESQ’s debut EP, and “Pizzicato” is an illustrative track from the release. String plucking, lyrical melodies, and outlying counter-phrases climb a tottering crescendo. At the top, Sutton tosses you off the cliff with fast-strummed rock riff. Mogwai-lite, yes, but an effect I’ve never heard with just a looped violin.

You can stream the rest of Dawn to Dusk at Electric String Quartet’s Bandcamp page.

– Will Wlizlo (Utne Reader)

Electric String Quartet -Pizzicato

Been on a pretty heavy Tri-Angle Records kick lately, so I was excited to see they had dropped a new song from a band I had not heard of before. The track, “Warn U,” is from electronic solo artist Ayshay, and follows up on the gargling dark electronic pop that the label has been chruning through lately. The song is more ominous and sinsiter, with less R&B flavor, than a lot of the other material the label is churning out. While it doesn’t knock me out like some of the other stuff they have been doing, it at a minimum is interesting and worth listening to.

Ayshay – WARN-U by TriAngleRecords

We last heard from local band Sleeping in the Aviary with their underrated 2010 LP Great Vacation!, and the band are now back with their latest LP, You and Me, Ghost.  The first song sly kiss off “Talking out of Turn,” which fans of the band may have heard during one of their fun and raucous shows around town in the last half year.  The track combines everything that makes the band so great, with the angular pop riffs, the charging intensity, the irreverent lyrics mashing into three of the most fun minutes released from the local scene this year.  You and Me, Ghost will drop on Sound Records on September 6th,

Sleeping in the Aviary- Talking out of Turn

-Josh

Canadian hip hop radio show (formerly) The Real Frequency recently brought one of its more popular segments, The New North, to a compilation album that features some of the best up-and-coming hip hop acts out of the Toronto scene.  Notable amongst the comp’s offerings is “Flawless,” a pairing of wordsmith Shad with upstart producer Frank Dukes.  The brass-inflected beat is far darker and more aggressive than anything Shad has rhymed on before (his previous work is generally marked by upbeat, old school sensibilities and heart-on-the sleeve confessionals) and he does a great job of filling the part. 

     — Jon Behm

 Shad – Flawless

Shad:          Site

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