The Morning Benders - Excuses and Promises

For your Monday morning pleasure, check out San Francisco band The Morning Benders. Below are the first two songs from their breakthrough record, The Big Echo, out this month on Rough Trade.

I don't know if it's a sign of growing out of touch or just the jaded consequence of consuming as much music as possible, but this year I've found myself less than excited about whats been coming out the indie-rock/pop world. Happily, The Morning Benders have me bucking that trend. Their music is lush and detailed -- and ridiculously easy to listen to. As of last week, I've had their jangly orchestral pop playing on a feverish repeat. It's employment of soaring harmony and jangly melody is nothing groundbreaking, of course; but the way they hem it altogether is what makes their baroque music stand out amongst the throngs of myspace usuals.

David Byrne & Brian Eno - Life is Long and Help Me Somebody

Just a quick flyby, courtesy of the OG's of pretty much all that's happened in independent music's 30 plus years: David Byrne & Brian Eno. The first song is off their still slept-on 2008 release, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, the duo's first collaborative release since their groundbreaking 1981 record, My Life In The Bush of Ghosts, which is where you'd find the second track's origin. Same as it ever was? Give a listen....

Broken Bells - The Mall & Misery

Singer/songwriter James Mercer (the man, the myth, and the legend behind The Shins) and producer-in-demand Danger Mouse (of Grey Album and Gnarls Barkley fame) have teamed up to form the side project Broken Bells. While the result may not be quite as paradigm-shattering as the first time you heard Mercer's band soundtracking the protagonist's self-realizations in that movie about New Jersey that saved your relationship, a few things remain clear: one, dude still knows how to write some great songs; and two, Danger Mouse is getting really good at the producer's balancing act -- coaching the artist he's working with out of their familiar provinces and into new territory, without ever playing an overbearing role.

Case in point: "Mall & Misery," the album's ace closer. Here things start out all spaghetti western -- clearly the influence of a producer-mind like Danger Mouse's -- with cinematic strings and a few sparse twangs plucked from some lonesome-cowboy's guitar. However, as soon as the build-up's gone on long enough to set the mood, in bursts an over-driven Hammond organ and Mercer's opening line, backed by a razor-sharp riff straight outta The Clash's playbook. The upbeat turn of pace is thrilling, but then you realize Mercer is singing about modern dissatisfaction and know that we haven't gotten to far removed from Zach Braff after all. But hey, with Mercer behind the hooks and now Danger Mouse at the helm, this is not such a bad place to be.

The Cults - Go Outside

Eleanor put this song on yesterday afternoon, and between the spring's-here weather and the song's beckoning lyrics, it was one of those times when setting and soundtrack come together just right. The Cults are doing the very fashionable anonymity thing, so it's difficult to dig up any promising details like forthcoming albums or tours. (Ironic that in the age of internet ubiquity, one way to stand out from the crowd is to ensure you still hide within it.) The good news is right now the band is offering up their easy-breezy jam for free download. See below.

The Cults - Go Outside

Dirty Projectors - Two Doves

The word beautiful is beyond hackneyed at this point in letters; so much so that I try to avoid using it at nearly all costs. But there simply is no other word that better expresses this song off The Dirty Projectors' 2009 record, Bitte Orca. It's goddamn beautiful.

Friendly Fires - Skeleton Boy

We've been listening to a lot of glossier, dance floor tractor-beam music over at casa 828 lately, with today as no exception. Threw this Friendly Fires track on earlier while making my chicken dinner and remembered how much these English gents can really bring the noise. There are countless other bands out there making similarly disco-punk music, but few are doing it using real, old-fashioned instruments. Check the video below as well.

Toro Y Moi - Blissa

Go ahead and chalk up "Blissa"---the first song on Toro Y Moi's 2010 album Causers of This---under the ever-legitimizing genre known as "chill-wave," popularized by way of last year's releases from digital dreamscapists Washed Out and Neon Indian. Hate or love their affected, lo-fi sound, though, there are definitely some gems to be found amongst all the haze, and this track is one of them. Something good for a lazy Friday almost-spring afternoon.

Empire of The Sun - Walking On A Dream

Aussie's latest musical export---who for some strange reason have yet to explode stateside (they will). Best way to describe this glam-jam's addictive sound is one-half Prince's unfuckwitable cool, one-half MGMT's universal pop. It doesn't get any less incredible after the 100th play.

Huge shout out to big Reider for turning me on to this one....

Sleigh Bells - Ring Ring

I'm back...with a sticky jam from this Brooklyn duo. Most of Sleigh Bells stuff is much more noisy and much less laidback, but here singer Alexis Krupp sing-raps some swagger bombs over a woozy guitar sample lifted from Funkadelic's classic "Can You Get To That?" Soooooooo nice.

"Ring Ring"

Sleighspace