Gold Soundz: May/Launchpad

So this makes for the inaugural lap of what should become a monthly installment slash update of the Gold Soundz player au droit: Here we'll feature (mostly) newer music worth your aural attention. Whether its indie rock, electro jams, ringtone rap, or psychedelic folk rock--all that glitters and then some will grace this, our digital jukebox, courtesy of those progressive-minded folks over at Imeem.

A few highlights from this Month's Gold:

"Bold With Fire" - French Quarter, from French Quarter (2007) on Gilgongo.

The first track from 19 year-old Phoenix singer songwriter's (how can this be a)debut record. Stripped down acoustics, loose, kitchen sink percussion, and a gently nasal croon come together in a song that, kinda like Bon Iver, is able to arrestingly yield something so great from sparingly simple ingredients. The rest of the record is worth seeking out, too.


"Taking The Farm" - War On Drugs, from the upcoming Wagonwheel Blues (6/19/2008) on Secretly Canadian.

Maybe the upcoming record I'm most excited about hearing this year. This is the only song I've heard so far, but I'm sold on its self-assured strength alone. "Taking The Farm" blasts Americana through a post-punk amplifier: Sonicaly dense and distored walls of sound rumble and thunder like a freight train through an open canyon, thrashing about twang and jangle round every turn, while lead-vocalist Adam Granduciel sings about the industrialization of the landscape in Avey Tare-esque yelps and hollers.


"While You Wait For The Others" - Grizzly Bear, from upcoming ??? on ? (2009?)

New song recorded on air at KORW from a band I won't dessicrate by trying to summarize. Like Nick once said: "Man, those guys are musicians." Haunting and enrapturous.


"Steel Your Girl" - Neon Neon, from Stainless Style (2008) on Lex records.


"With The Fishes" - French Kicks, from Swimming (2008) on Vagrant.


"Ships and Clouds" - Jim Noir, from Jim Noir (2008) on Barsuk.


"Electric Feel" - MGMT, from Oracular Spectacular (2008), on Columbia.


"Your Girlfriend's Car" - Throw Me The Statue, from Moonbeams (2008) on Secretly Canadian