Lightships – Do Your Thing (Moondog Cover Version) (2012)

Lightships, the new musical outpost from Gerard Love, release their debut single, the beautiful “Sweetness In Her Spark” on Monday the 26th of March 2012. Taken from the album Electric Cables (out on Monday the 2nd of April), “Sweetness In Her Spark” is a laid-back piece of jangly beauty – a flute-peppered pop masterpiece in three and a half minutes. The single will be backed by a cover of “Do Your Thing”, written by avant-garde composer, instrument inventor and famous Viking enthusiast Moondog.




The Magnetic Fields – Quick! (2012)

The Magnetic Fields release Quick! from their recent album Love At The Bottom Of The Sea on Monday the 7th of May 2012. The song is a strident while utterly heartbroken eulogy for a stricken relationship, constructed around a glacial synth-bass line and featuring the pitch-perfect Stephin Merritt couplet: “Torture me for your amusement/Oh but who will pay the rent?”




Dirty Projectors – Gun Has No Trigger (2012)

Dirty Projectors are back with “Gun Has No Trigger”, the first track from their new album. Speaking recently with SPIN.com, frontman Dave Longstreth described the new album as “stripped down,” reminiscent of their 2010 collaboration with Björk, with many of the songs “centered on horror and fear.” [Source]




Lower Dens- Propagation (2012)

Propagation is taken from Lower Dens’ forthcoming album, Nootropics, out May 1st (North America) / April 30th (Rest of the world) on Ribbon Music.

Order the limited edition Brains / Propagation 10″ featuring exclusive B-Side ‘Hours’ out now: http://ribbonus.dominorecordco.com/ribbonus/singles/13-01-12/brains/

Pre-order Nootropics on limited edition gold colored double LP with black swirl: http://ribbonus.dominorecordco.com/ribbonus/albums/16-02-12/nootropics/




[Dedicated to Ryoko Ife with a happy birthday!]

The Stranglers – Time Was Once On My Side (2012)

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U.K. punk survivors The Stranglers — singer-bassist Jean-Jacques Burnel, drummer Jet Black and keyboard player Dave Greenfield, plus former Toy Dolls guitarist Baz Warne — just released Giants, their 17th studio album and first in six years, and are previewing the disc by streaming the single “Time Was Once On My Side.”

Below, you can check out the radio edit of the single. The full 10-track album is due out March 5 in the U.K., and also will be available in a limited edition set with a second disc featuring a 14-track live acoustic set recorded last November. Giants also will be released simultaneously on vinyl.

To support the new disc, the band is embarking on a two-month, 41-date tour of the U.K. and Europe, starting tonight in Leeds. The band spend March in the U.K., playing 18 shows there before heading to continental Europe for 11 dates in France and concerts in Italy, Germany, Belgium and more. [Source]




New Music United Top 20 Chart (March 30, 2012)

Here are the 20 most popular blog singles on New Music United this week with notes by the editor:

  • The Raveonettes claims the number one spot with their brand new blog single. They are one of the many Danish artists featured prominently on New Music United. Also, check my favourite song with them here.
  • Mikael Simpson is “the king of New Music United” and he is back in the top three with a brand new remix by his roommate Anders Trentemøller! Listen to the original version and a remix by himself here.
  • Dave Gahan from Depeche Mode on lead vocal carries the new blog single from Soulsavers into the top three.
  • I predict the “new” blog single from legendary krautrockers will enter the top 10 next week. It is already at number 11 (after just being posted last night). Listen to another gem from Can here.
  • Yukihiro Takahashi! Bryan Ferry (and, as always lots of Roxy Music)! Herbie Hancock! R. Stevie Moore (twice!!)! Show me a music chart will all of the above elsewhere and I will buy you a big, Italian ice cream.

Please share the blog links. Please leave comments. Please support the artists by buying records and mechandise, subscribing to streaming services and purchasing concert tickets.

This chart is posted with a special nod to my music friend Kjeld Tolstrup. I know he is listening up there.

The Raveonettes – Night Comes Out (2012) NEW 1
Mikael Simpson – Lad Det Staa (Trentemøller Remix) NEW 2
Soulsavers feat. Dave Gahan – Longest Day (2012) NEW 3
Abba – Dancing Queen (1976) 4
M83 – We Own The Sky (2009) 5
Roxy Music – If There Is Something (1972) 6
Herbie Hancock – Rockit (1983) NEW 7
R. Stevie Moore – Pretend For A Second That You’re Very Intelligent (1978) NEW 8
Bryan Ferry – Help Me (1986) NEW 9
Orbital feat. Zola Jesus – New France (2012) 10
Can – Millionenspiel (from The Lost Tapes) (1968) NEW 11
Steely Dan – Aja (1977) 12
Jack White – Sixteen Saltines (2012) 13
The Magician Feat. Jeppe – I Don’t Know What To Do (2011) 14
The Stranglers – Giants (2012) 15
Duran Duran – Come Undone (1993) 16
R. Stevie Moore – Post Break-Up Sex (2012) 17
Yukihiro Takahashi – Something In The Air (1981) NEW 18
Lee Ranaldo – Off the Wall (2012) 19
Roxy Music – Just Another High (1975) 20

Photo: Grandmixer DST (featured on the Herbie Hancock track) by Ethan Hein.