Silver Swans

"Realize the Ghost" [Audio]

Everyone has a different side, especially musicians, and it's always great to hear that. We all know Ann Yu as the vocalist for LoveLikeFire and are unique ability to create dramatic and memorable songs, but in her side project Silver Swans (with Jon Waters), she shows her keen sense of anchoring dancefloor fillers with beautifully swirling hollow vocals and intricate electro instrumentals that lift you into a dream state...a constant, yet enjoyable struggle between vocals and electronics.

Their debut album Realize the Ghost is out in January on San Francisco-based Tricycle Records.

them:youth "Bows and Arrows"

Myspace // "Halo" [Audio]

Splitting the difference between bands like Delphic and Doves, London-based them:youth may be young, but they are already creating quite a buzz throughout the capital. John Kennedy and Zane Lowe are already on board, and the band's first single dropped on the uber-hip Another Music=Another Kitchen. The good times for them are only going to get better.

Lemons

Myspace // "Vamos a Considerar" [Audio]

Monterrey, located in NE Mexico, is the hottest spot right now in the country for new music, and it's across genre lines as well, from dance to acoustic to indie. It's truly an exciting time to be a fan of MX indie rock. Lemons, who have just released their debut EP del Uno al 5, plays an immediately classic sound reminiscent of the Strokes or the Kooks. I am really pleased with what I've heard so far, so let's hope they make it to the States sometime soon.

Fuck Her, or the Terrorists Win

Last FM // "Hipsters" [Audio]

The two musicians that form the nucleus of Mexican group Fuck Her, or the Terrorists Win have their hands in a lot of quality groups, like Album, Club Comfort, and Mr. Raccoon, but this act, which only began as a quick project on the side, has already created a ton of buzz. It's not out of the question to call them the MX Postal Service, as sonically they are very similar. As well, Roberto Polo is similar to Ben Gibbard in many ways. While there are currently no plans to record more material, there are also no plans NOT to record more. To grab the bands only EP, visit The Poni Republic. It's free to download, like much of the music on this brilliant site.

Jamie T "Chaka Demus"

Myspace

You might remember new track "Sticks N' Stones" from earlier this summer, a pure dose of summer fun showing that Mr. Treays had not lost his step one bit. Jamie T's second album, Kings and Queens, hit UK shelves last week -- this is the latest single from the disc.

"Chaka Demus" is also available as a standalone EP which contains the title track and three songs not found on the album.

Cancel the Astronauts

Myspace // "Intervention" [Audio]

Scottish group Cancel the Astronauts has a firm grasp on playful indie rock, falling somewhere between the style of bands like the Strokes and the irreverence of some of their local counterparts like Come On Gang and We Were Promised Jetpacks, describing their music as "twisted love songs." Their debut EP is out now, and if you want a little sampling before making the purchase, head on over to their Last FM page to download several of their demos.

Manic Street Preachers "Jackie Collins Existential Question Time"

Myspace

Coming out earlier this year in the UK, Journal for Plague Lovers continues on the same path as the Manics' previous effort: a late career call to arms reminding fans why the band has always been vital, and washing away the band taste that Know Your Enemy left in everyone's mouths.

While I was in England on the album's release date (on my 30th birthday, no less), other Stateside fans will get the opportunity to buy the new album at non-import prices this Tueaday when it official hits stores. Alternately, buying it here from the band will net you a ten song remix compilation as well. While the band's remixes have never been spectacular, this time around folks like Saint Etienne, Four Tet, and Patrick Wolf had their chance to do a reworking, so this one may be worth checking out.

Additionally, for the first time in a decade, the band will be touring the US, starting in Seattle. Dates below:

September
Mon-21: Seattle, WA @ Neumo’s
Tue-22: Vancouver, Canada @ The Commodore Ballroom
Thu-24: San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
Fri-25: Los Angeles, CA @ The Avalon
Mon-28: Denver, CO @ The Bluebird Theatre
Wed-30: Minneapolis, MN @ The Varsity Theatre

October
Thu-01: Chicago, IL @ The Metro
Fri-02: Detroit, MI @ The Majestic Theatre
Sun-04: Toronto, Canada @ The Phoenix Concert Theatre
Tue-06: Philadelphia, PA @ World Café Live
Wed-07: New York City, NY @ Webster Hall
Thu-08: Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club

May 68: New Song and We Have Band Tour

Photo by Tom Cockram

Myspace // "Carla" [Audio]

Manchester dance pop/rockers May 68 are back with a new demo, and a string of tour dates with We Have Band. We been loving their music for the past several months around the Exitfare offices, and we're glad that more people are starting to catch on.

Thursday 10th September - MANCHESTER @ Ruby Lounge
Friday 11th September - LIVERPOOL @ Korova
Saturday 12th September - SHEFFIELD @ Plug
Tuesday 15th September - LONDON @ ICA
Friday 18th September - MANCHESTER (Friends of Mine) @ KRO Bar w/ LoveLikeFire

France + the Habsburgs

Myspace // "Jenny is Connected" [Audio]

The influence of the Fall's Mark E. Smith can be felt far and wide, and I've always enjoyed the bands that wear their love for him on their sleeves, but even moreso, those bands that improve upon what he created are tops in my books. Some would way that's not hard to do, but bands like Elle Milano, Hatcham Social, and Sunderland's France + the Habsburgs have done wonders with Smith's aesthetics, totally reinventing the system to come up with something entirely their own.

Noise Beat Propaganda

[Photo Credit: Dsek World]

Myspace // "Can't Let You Go" [Audio]

Mexicali is a border town on the Mexican side of the US/Mexico border, a city that straddles two worlds, one a developed nation and the other a developing one. Noise Beat Propaganda is a band that has their feet firmly planted in both worlds, even singing in both Spanish and English. The band's recently release debut EP We're in Love, Yeah Right, came out earlier this year on Poni Republic, and at times reminds me of such hyperactive indie bands like Johnny Foreigner, but there's is definitely something quite a bit different going on here.

Download the EP for free from Poni Republic.