New York | Rex Manning Day music blog.

Top new tracks: Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Black Flag, Camera Obscura + CHVRCHES remix MS MR

May 17, 2013 in Dream Pop, Electropop, Funk, Garage Rock, Hardcore, Pop, Punk, R&B, Rap, Soul, Synthpop

Lauryn Hill – “Neurotic Society” {Rap}

Looks like that $1 million dollar deal with Sony finally paid off, because Lauryn Hill is back and ready to pay off the taxman yo!! This is the first of five new songs Hill is supposed to release as per her deal with Sony, and although the song sounds rushed and forced, if it helps feed the grandchildren of Bob Marley then I’m game. And no, the irony of the song title is not lost on me.

MS MR – “Hurricane” (CHVRCHES remix) {Synthpop}

Let’s see here…We love MS MR and we love CHVRCHES, so it makes sense that the CHVRCHES remix of the hot new MS MR single is a double dose of awesome. And just in case you didn’t already know, MS MR’s brand spankin’ new full-length Secondhand Rapture was released on May 14th, and you can purchase it via iTunes here.

The Weeknd – “Kiss Land” {R&B}

After weeks of teasing fans about a mysterious debut LP which will be released later this year, Toronto’s Abel Tesfaye surprised everyone by posting his forthcoming album’s title track online yesterday. And in classic Weeknd style, the topic of the song is about (you guessed it) sex, sex and more sex!

Black Flag – “Down in the Dirt” {Punk/Hardcore}

Not to be confused with FLAG (consisting of the Black Flag leftovers Keith Morris, Chuck Dukowski, and Bill Stevenson) the newly membered punk legends have officially unveiled their first single in what seems like a gazillion years. No word yet as to when their new album is going to be released, but if you dig the song you can download it here.

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – “Retreat!” {Funk/Soul}

Sharon Jones and her Dap-Kings have finally given fans a taste of what to expect from their forthcoming album. The 11-piece (yes, there is 11 of them) won’t be releasing their new album Give The People What They Want until August 6th, but if you pre-order the release here you will get an immediate download of “Retreat!” sent directly to your Inbox.

Say Lou Lou – “Fool Of Me” ft. Chet Faker {Dream/Electropop}

Everyone’s been talking about this new track from the twinsies (Eleketra and Miranda Kilbey), who are based out of both Australia and Sweden. The track features the mega Melbourne-based electronic artist Chet Faker, and you can watch the music video for the single here.

Camera Obscura – “Fifth in Line to the Throne” {Pop/Rock}

With all the big releases slated for 2013, we almost forgot that Edinburgh’s Camera Obscura are releasing a new album in June, which is bound to generate a lot of buzz in the music blogosphere. The release is titled Desire Lines, and will be out June 3rd (in Europe) and June 4th (in the U.S.).

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Tags: Australia, Brooklyn, California, Canada, Edinburgh, Glasgow, New Jersey, New York, Ontario, Scandinavia, Scotland, Stockholm, Sweden, Toronto, UK
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Top 5 indie tracks of the week

May 7, 2013 in Alternative, Ambient, Experimental, independent bands, Indie, Instrumental, New Wave, Post-Punk, Rock, Surf Pop, Surf Rock

Bugs in the Dark – “Metal Bird” {Alternative Rock}

We’ve been going through a mad Yeah Yeah Yeahs phase as of late, so any/every band that reminds us of Karen O’s gloriousness is going to get some RMD love over these next few weeks. This track is off the Brooklyn-based group’s latest EP Hang It On The Wall, which you can purchase for $3.99 (or each individual track for $0.99) here.

Lex Plexus/Mr. Scared – “Lasagna Lozenges” {Experimental}

Lex Plexus (AKA Kamloops’ biggest music nerd Sean Luciw) has just released a new split EP with Mr. Scared, with one half of the release consisting of Luciw’s magical “city-dreamscapes” and the other half showcasing Mr. Scared’s “dark ruminations.” You can buy their new Lasagna Lozenges/Hallow-fied EP for $4.99 here, and read more about Sean’s numerous other musical projects here.

Crystal Soda Cream – “Freud und Jung” {Post-Punk/New Wave}

There’s been some pretty epic bands coming out of Austria in the past year, and these Viennese post-punkers are no exception. The trio (consisting of Trees Traumhaft, Sebastian Ploier and Philipp Forthuber) just released their new EP (appropriately titled Escape From Vienna) on April 20th, and you can purchase it for €12 via Bandcamp here.

Morgan Doctor – “The Seafarer” {Instrumental/Ambient}

This Toronto-based musician/drummer first made a name for herself as a member of The Cliks, but now she’s prepping for the release of her third solo album Major Over Minor which is out today via Aporia Records/Outside Distribution. To purchase the album for $15, or each individual track for $1.50, click here

Tape Waves – “Ready Now” {Surf Pop}

This dream poppy duo just released a new EP (which you can buy as a name-your-price download at their Bandcamp page), and will also be releasing their debut 7″ this summer via Box Bedroom Rebels. To stay up to date on any news from the band make sure you give them some “Like” love on Facebook and follow them on Tumblr.

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Tags: Austria, British Columbia, Brooklyn, Canada, Charleston, Kamloops, New York, Ontario, South Carolina, The South, Toronto, Vienna
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Top new tracks: The xx, MGMT, Sigur Rós, Joy Orbison + Unknown Mortal Orchestra covers Lindstrøm

April 26, 2013 in Alternative, Ambient, Dance, Experimental, Free downloads, Pop, Psych Pop, Psychedelic Rock, R&B, Rock

Unknown Mortal Orchestra – “Rà-àkõ-st” (Lindstrøm cover) {Psych Rock}

Just when we thought things couldn’t get more awesome than the mega Norwegian producer remixing UMO, the psych rock giants went and returned the favour by covering one of Lindstrøm’s tracks (which is off his 2012 album Smalhans). The cover is pretty epic, which isn’t surprising given that everything UMO touches turns to psych rock gold.

Joy Orbison – “Donell” {Dance/R&B} + Free download

Fans will be wringing out their panties once they find out that not only has the popular UK producer released a brand new single, he’s also making it available as a free download (so get on that shit). The track doesn’t sound a whole lot different than his previous work, but given that a new Joy Orbison track is a rare commodity these days I’ll quit my bitching.

The xx – “Together” {Alternative Pop}

With all the big-wig names being pinned to the new Great Gatsby soundtrack, it’s easy to forget that London’s beloved xx gave their own little indie touch to the release. Other artists featured on the soundtrack include Beyoncé, Jack White, Gotye, Florence + The Machine and Jay-Z (who served as the soundtrack’s executive producer).

Wild Nothing – “A Dancing Shell” {Electropop}

We only just found out about this new Wild Nothing EP a few days ago, so we were pretty stoked when we saw that the dream poppers had already released the EP’s first official single earlier this week. The release only has seven tracks on it, but if it’s as awesome as their 2012 album Nocturne or this, then it’s bound to be a killer.

Baths – “Ironworks” {Ambient/Experimental}

It’s been three long years since we’ve heard anything from Baths (AKA Will Wiesenfeld), so obviously fans have been buzzing about this new dreamy, ambient tune. The track is off Wiesenfeld’s second LP Obsidian, which is being released on May 28th via Anticon.

Sigur Rós – “Ísjaki” {Alternative Rock}

Sigur Rós’ new LP won’t be released for another couple of months, but they’ve already released not one, but two new tracks off the album. Even though “Brennisteinn” made its debut online last month, ”Ísjaki” is said to be the first official single off their new album, which is being released June 17th/18th via XL Recordings.

MGMT – “Alien Days” {Psych Pop}

Although this track was included on the duo’s limited-edition Record Store Day cassette of the same title, “Alien Days” is the first official single for their brand spankin’ new album which is due out this June. It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly three years since Congratulations was released, so all we can say is it’s about damn time, MGMT!

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Tags: Auckland, Brooklyn, California, England, free mp3 downloads, Iceland, London, Los Angeles, New York, New Zealand, Oregon, Portland, UK
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Top 5 indie tracks of the week

April 22, 2013 in Alternative, Blues, Electropop, Free downloads, Hip Hop, independent bands, Indie, Pop, R&B, Rock

The Scarfs – “Brady Road” {Alternative Rock} + Free download

We were instantly swooned by this band’s Pixies-ish vibes, so don’t let your grammar police hat get in the way of enjoying their tunes. You can purchase their new double A-side as a name-your-price download via Bandcamp, but if you have some time check out their self-directed video for “Anxiety” here.

Hi-Life Wedding – “Fear To Tread” {Electropop} + Free download

Oh, Hi-Life Wedding, where have you been all my life? The duo is currently based in Taipei, Taiwan (!) although the male half of the group (Davos Broman) is from Australia, and Kate Boehms is originally from Missouri. The track is off their latest album Resist The Control and you can download the single for free here.

De’Leon Jackson – “Fuckin Liar” {R&B}

Whoever inspired De’Leon to write this track must have been a cold heartless bitch, as apparently he wrote the song about people (or more specifically men) “being deceived by the ones we love.” Ouch.

Big Terrible – “Substance” {Rock/Blues}

Don’t be fooled by their name, because this Philadelphia-based group is so awesome they’re like “a hammer, inside a glove, inside a hammer,” (their words not mine). This track is off their new album Rotten City, which you can purchase for $5 (or each individual track for $1) here.

Violet Hours – “Alone With Everyone” {Alternative Pop}

This female-fronted band only just formed in February, and their sound has been described as a cross between “60s pop, 50s grandeur and 80s jangles.” The band is currently rehearsing for live performances in the UK and Europe; to stay up to date on their upcoming shows check out their Facebook and Twitter accounts.

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Tags: Australia, Brooklyn, Cleveland, England, Florida, free mp3 downloads, Midwest, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Taiwan, UK
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Top new tracks: Jay-Z, Empire of the Sun, Ra Ra Riot, The Men, Pusha T + Death Grips remixes Prodigy

April 18, 2013 in Electronic, Experimental, Free downloads, Garage Rock, Hip Hop, Pop, Punk, Rap, Rock, Synthpop

Jay-Z – “Open Letter” {Rap/Hip Hop}

In between impregnating Beyoncé, galavanting around Cuba and naming a human being Blue Ivy, the mega rap mogul somehow found the time to release a brand new single. The track has stirred up a ton of controversy as it supposedly references the rapper’s recent trip to Cuba, and even drew a response from President Obama because of its lyrics.

Prodigy – “Firestarter” (Death Grips remix) {Experimental/Electronic} + Free download

It makes sense that a band like Death Grips would remix a track like “Firestarter,” which was a massive Prodigy hit back in 1996 (in case you’re too young to remember). It doesn’t sound a whole lot different than the original, but it’s currently available as a free download so I’ll quit my bitching.

Empire of The Sun – “Alive” {Synthpop}

June is right around the corner, which means that Empire Of The Sun’s new record will see the light of day very, very soon. This is the first official single off their new album (Ice On The Dune), which is being released on Astralwerks.

The Men – “B Minor” {Garage Rock/Punk}

This track will be featured on The Men’s new limited-edition vinyl compilation Todo Muere Vol. 3, which also includes a Zola Jesus cover of Rihanna’s “Diamonds” and Moon Duo’s German-language version of their own track “I Can See.” The compilation is out on Record Store Day (April 20th) and is only limited to 1,000 copies.

Pusha T – “Numbers On The Boards” {Rap/Hip Hop}

Pusha T’s new track has been a hot topic this past week, as apparently the rapper decided to spontaneously release it to compete with other hot new tracks from Timbaland, Swiss Beatz and Jay-Z. Competitive much?

Union Cinema – “Can’t Get Rid Of” {Alternative Rock}

We fell in love with this track as soon as we heard it just because it has some sweet Smiths/Ramones vibes going on. The duo hails from Lima, Peru, and you can purchase the track for $0.99 via iTunes here; (but make sure you give them some “Like” love on Facebook while you’re at it).

Ra Ra Riot – “All I Fear” {Pop/Rock}

Here’s yet another awesome Record Store Day track from the Syracuse-based New Yorkers, which is off the their new 10″ vinyl Binary Mind. The release is out on April 20th (and is only limited to 1,000 copies) and also features three demo versions of Ra Ra Riot’s previously released tracks.

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Tags: Australia, Brooklyn, California, free mp3 downloads, Lima, New York, Peru, Sacramento, South America, Sydney, The Bronx
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Top new tracks: Queens of the Stone Age, Joey Bada$$, Beady Eye + a Snoop Lion/Miley Cyrus duet

April 9, 2013 in Alternative, Electronic, Experimental, Garage Rock, Hip Hop, Pop, Rap, Rock, Top 2013

Snoop Lion – “Ashtrays and Heartbreaks” ft. Miley Cyrus {Pop}

Listening to this track for the first time felt more like having a front row seat at a circus performance, but what do you expect from the spawn of Billy Ray Cyrus? The track is off Snoopy boy’s new reggae album Reincarnated (because you know, he’s a reincarnation of Bob Marley now).

Queens of the Stone Age – “My God is the Sun” {Alternative Rock}

While we patiently wait for the new QOTSA album to drop, mainman Josh Homme posted the album’s first single yesterday…and it’s AWESOME. The track sounds very “Songs for the Deaf”-ish; perhaps this new album will be better than Era Vulgaris? A QOTSA fan can only hope…

Bass Drum of Death – ”Shattered Me” {Garage Rock}

Mississippi’s garage rockers Bass Drum of Death are back with this brand new tune, which definitely has some mean Ramones vibes going on. This is the first official single off the group’s forthcoming self-titled album which is being released on June 25th.

Deerhunter – “Monomania” {Psych Rock}

Deerhunter have a knack for rocking people’s socks off (and if you haven’t heard their tunes before I highly suggest you start here). Drenched in feedback and lo-fi vocals, “Monomania” is the first official single off their new album of the same title, which is being released on May 6th.

Joey Bada$$ – “Day in the Life” {Rap/Hip Hop} + Free download

Produced by none other than the famed hip hop producer Harry Fraud, this track is off the Hot 97 DJ Peter Rosenberg’s new mixtape New York Renaissance, which also features a ton of New York City’s hottest underground MCs and producers like Action Bronson and World Fair.

Beady Eye – “Flick of the Finger” {Alternative Rock}

It’s kind of strange that Beady Eye debuted this new tune when they haven’t even named their forthcoming album, but we’ll take whatever we can get at this point. The album was produced by TV On The Radio’s Dave Sitek, and is set to be released sometime this year.

Cove – “Health” {Electronic/Experimental} + Free download

Ireland’s been busting at the seams with some pretty wicked up-and-coming electronic groups, and Cove is no exception. The trio only just formed in the past few months, and they’ve already released their debut five-track EP (which you can purchase as a name-your-price download here).

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Tags: Atlanta, California, England, Georgia, Ireland, Long Beach, Manchester, Mississippi, New York, Palm Desert, The South, UK
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Top 5 indie tracks of the week

April 8, 2013 in Americana, Experimental, Folk, Free downloads, Hip Hop, independent bands, Indie, Noise Rock, Punk, Rap, Rock, Synthpop, Synthpunk

Daiquiri – “Expiry Date” {Noise Rock/Synthpunk}

This band’s sound is definitely an acquired taste, but if you’re a fan of Tenacious D, Iron Maiden, Queen, or Peter’s epic vampire opera ballad from Forgetting Sarah Marshall, then this band will blow your mind. To purchase their new album Sequel for $7 or each track for $1 click here.

Pajama People – “Wintertime (In My Woods)” {Synthpop}

We’ve been keeping our eye on Pajama People ever since we watched this glorious video, and just when we thought the band couldn’t get anymore awesome they go and release this epic video about a drug dealing gorilla. Their new album isn’t out until April 26th, but in the meantime you can listen to the crapton of their past releases at their Bandcamp page.

Jeffrey Philip Nelson – “New Orleans Girl” {Americana/Folk}

Is this secretly John Paul White trying to pull a quick one on us or something? Because this guy sounds so much like the male half of The Civil Wars it made us do a double take at first. His fifth studio album The Riders Song was just released on April 3rd, and you can purchase it for $9.90 or each track for $0.99 via iTunes here.

X-Phaze – “Pretend” {Rap/Hip Hop} + Free download

One of our favourite underground New Jersey-based hippity hoppers is back with a brand new single which was just released on April 5th. If you dig the tune you can download it for free here, and to read our past coverage on the über talented X-Phaze click here.

Redfoot – “Make It Quick” {Indie Rock}

This track from New York City’s Redfoot takes all sorts of interesting twists and turns in a span of four-and-a-half minutes, and just listening to it will take you to a whole other world. If you like the song you can purchase it for as little as $1 at the group’s Bandcamp page.