Smith Westerns - Soft Will

Chicago garage-rock trio Smith Westerns make their highly anticipated return this summer, with their new album Soft Will. The band's third full-length is due for release June 25th via Mom + Pop records.

Soft Will is set to see Smith Westerns progress from guitar riff-orientated 2011 breakthrough Dye It Blonde, with a spacier, more ambient vibe. The latest track to be debuted from the album is the psychedelic Beatles/Pink Floyd sounding 3am Spiritual. Opening up the record, 3am Spiritual sets the tone for what we might expect, having also heard lead single Varsity's effortless cool. It is clear that the Omori brothers haven't left their epic hooks behind, with newer songs maintaining the glam, swooping hooks of their sophomore album.

Check out 3am Spiritual below.





Soft Will Tracklist:
01. 3am Spiritual
02. Idol
03. Glossed
04. XXIII
05. Fool Proof
06. White Oath
07. Only Natural
08. Best Friend
09. Cheer Up
10. Varsity


Smith Westerns website

Also, find Smith Westerns on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Tribes - Wish To Scream

So, Tribes are back!

After the success of 2012's Baby, incessant writing and recording has dominated life for Johnny Lloyd and co. During summer 2012 the Camden boys shipped out to LA and recorded new album Wish To Scream, a 1970s American glam-rock and blues inspired record.

The production of Wish to Scream alone is a complete contrast to Tribes' debut, with the band ditching their Pixies/Pavement tones for something distinctly more retrospective. Similarly to Mystery Jets' Radlands, the influence of recording in the USA is vividly audible, with Lloyd's epic slide guitar riffs and ballads oozing San Francisco sunshine.

The new LP is a must-buy, soundtracking the summer with soon-to-be festival favourites such as Shangri-La and Dancehall. Tribes certainly haven't lost their touch.

Hear Wish To Scream for free below.




Wish To Scream is out 20th May on Island Records.

Pre-order on iTunes here
Pre-order on Amazon here
Pre-order from Banquet Records here
Pre-order exclusive UK formats at Tribes' website here

Also, be sure to find Tribes on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Kurt Vile - Wakin' On A Pretty Daze

Copy and paste the link below into your web browser for a free stream of Kurt Vile's 5th solo album, Wakin' On A Pretty Daze. Following up 2011's Smoke Ring For My Halo, it's possibly his best LP yet.

http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=175497508&m=175528187


Be sure to check out Kurt's new single from the full-length too, Never Run Away:

The album is released April 8th in the UK and April 9th in the US.

Preorder the new record now from Matador / iTunes / Amazon (CD) / Amazon (LP)

FREE DOWNLOAD of Never Run Away is available here

Wavves - Afraid Of Heights

San Diego surf-rockers return with their fourth LP, Afraid of Heights. Listen to the entire album right here, for free.

NME: 7/10
Pitchfork: 7.8/10

Parquet Courts - Light Up Gold

Listen to NYC slackers Parquet Courts' debut album Light Up Gold right here, for free!

NME: 9/10
Pitchfork: 8/10
Guardian: ★★★★★
The Fly: ★★★★★

Top 10 Albums Of 2012

1. Howler - America Give Up

Minneapolis four piece Howler conquered 2012 with the January release of debut LP America Give Up. Their effortless garage punk style takes massive influence from bands such as Jesus And Mary Chain and fellow Minnesota legends Hüsker Dü and with Is This It-style hype around the band prior to the release of the album it isn't hard to see how Howler made 2012 their year.

Stand out tracks Back Of Your Neck and This One's Different became anthems after months on end of touring, huge crowds swarmed to the shows and even Johnny Marr himself is a fan. Stage invasions that would give the Libertines a run for their money became routine, Jack Daniels became a lover and self designed clothing became a franchise.


Buy America Give Up from Rough Trade here
Buy America Give Up from Banquet Records here
Buy America Give Up from iTunes here
Howler's website: here

2. Mystery Jets - Radlands

3. The Maccabees - Given To The Wild

4. The Vaccines - Come Of Age

5. Tribes - Baby

6. Jake Bugg - Jake Bugg

7. Spector - Enjoy It While It Lasts

8. Django Django - Django Django

9. Beach House - Bloom

10. First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar

Mystery Jets

Mystery Jets are back! After the success of 2010's Serotonin, the Twickenham five-piece have returned with  new song Someone Purer, a preview of LP number four. Opening with a melancholic guitar line and lyrics to match the mood, the song tells a tale of childhood fear "I was scratching at my skin / Hoping changes would begin". Soon follows a catchy chorus echoing that of Serotonin from the band's third album of the same name;  with Blaine Harrison's emphatic vocals gliding over a collision of fuzz guitar and crashing cymbals and drums. "Give me rock'n'roll" Harrison cries out, voicing the needs of a generation whose guitar bands have been replaced with 'dubstep' and X Factor boy bands.

The band set up a home recording studio in a country house by the Colorado river in the Westlake area of Austin, Texas where they spent two months writing and recording songs for the new record.  Two other confirmed tracks are Radlands and Sister Everett. Lead singer Blaine Harrison traveled to California in early July to get inspiration and imagery for the songs with Sister Everett based on the band's experience in meeting a nun from the Church of Latter Day Saints on their journey over to Texas. Blaine says she was trying to convert guitarist William and handed him her business card as they landed, from which the title of the song was taken.

Mystery Jets announced that a tour will start on 28th March, continuing through April with a final gig at Brixton Academy on the 18th May.

The band's new album, Radlands is released on 30th April on Rough Trade Records.

Buy tickets here
Pre-order the album from Banquet Records here
Pre-order the album from hmv.com here

Mystery Jets Website here
Mystery Jets Facebook here
Mystery Jets Twitter here

NME: 8/10