I’ve been sweating it out in anticipation of Chris Brown’s 2011 release F.A.M.E. Finally, FINALLY, it’s out. Obviously I’m messing with you. But shame on you for thinking that I’d write about Chris Brown just because I’m a MASSIVE DEAL in the record industry these days. Yeah, I’m talking to you Tim Watkins.

Here is a little something something to make up for getting your hopes up with all that Chris Brown talk. Hopefully this is more your sort of thing. It’s a band that Katie Brown introduced me to yesterday afternoon called Yellow Ostrich. Hopefully they won’t mind that I haven’t used their official press image.

They’re a New York trio and one of the three is formerly of Beirut so they come preloaded with indie-cred. It’s kind of what I imagine it would sound like if Taylor Rice from Local Natives had a solo project.. Their album is a sometimes chirpy/sometimes experimental thing called The Mistress. Sadly the digital album is exclusive to eMusic (which means it’s almost off limits to any Australians save the few still holding their eMusic account). They have two other EP that are free on their bandcamp which I’ve not listened to yet. Someone download the pair and fill me in.

Yellow Ostrich – I’ll Run

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Yellow Ostrich – Whale

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[FREE DOWNLOAD]

Sometimes I read back over my own posts and I wonder what the hell I’m thinking.

Here’s a little lo-fi surf pop from Oregon Bike Trails, the project of Santa Monica’s Zach Yudin. The production is inch perfect capturing the 60s beach vibe that Wavves have made popular over the past year or so. They pull it off better than the majority of the competition. It is however, impossible to write 60s throwback tracks without coming off as, at best, a little contrived, so you’ll have torohypnol your inner cynic before hitting play. Just enjoy it as pure aesthetic.

There are a few tracks available on their bandcamp but it’s ‘Swimsuit’ that’s been lodged deep within the vaulted halls of my brain. That’s probably false from both an architectural and anatomical standpoint but I’m going to stick with it. You can stream and [legally] download Swimsuit below.

Oregon Bike Trails –

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[FREE DOWNLOAD]

I’m completely getting behind the new track from Parades. If you haven’t already heard of them (which I find hard to believe) they’re Jono Boulet‘s other band. That’s unfair though, because they’re more than that. They’re probably (definitely) the best upbeat post-rock Australia has to offer.

Their first 2008 and 2009 demos got a little attention but it was their cracking live show that brought them to the fore. Then they dropped their debut full length Foreign Tapes to general applause. Now you’re up to speed. Last week they gave up the firstfruits of their sophomore release as a free download to those who sign up to their mailing list here. It’s pretty clear that they’ve become a whole lot more refined over the past few years.

Parades – Water Stories

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Parades – Hunters (from their 2009 Demo)

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Sydneysiders, they’re playing April 8 at the Gaelic. I promise you won’t regret attending.

James Vincent McMorrow – If I Had a Boat

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James Vincent McMorrow – Early In The Morning

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IRISH BON IVER. THERE. I SAID IT. As if it hasn’t already been said enough already. Just to prove my point, here are some blogs that have uncreatively referred to James Vincent McMorrow in such a manner:
Yours Truly, Swear I’m Not Paul, Hear Ya, Quit Mumbling, Rcrd Lbl, Decently Dope. People have told me that blogging is all about collaborations (especially music blogging) and that by being antagonistic to other blogs I’m burning bridges that I may want to figuratively cross later on. To those people I say this: Bridges are stupid and I don’t need them. I can cross bodies of water using the sheer breadth of my stride. Does that sound like the type of dude who needs the help of other blogs? I DIDN’T THINK SO. And even if I couldn’t, is it so implausible that I might rent a boat? Even if the Sydney Harbour Bridge collapsed in on itself from the sheer arrogance of the Oprah ‘O’ that disgraced it late last year there’d be no strife. I’d wander my way through the tunnel we ploughed beneath the harbour.

What I’m trying to say by all this is that he writes nice songs. He’ll be all over your radar by the end of 2011. He’s been written about time after time these past six months and he’s the sort of prodigious talent that can’t help but get massive and you know how I feel about singer-songwriter types.

Open wide your mind and appreciate Sydney based Solkyri. They write instrumental post-rock tracks that are well… they’re pretty rad. They’ve been around for about 5 years (someone correct me if I’m wrong) and they’ve paid their dues to the Sydney scene unlike many of the recent upstart fauxk artists that are falling upon us like a steady drizzle. It’s hard for me to get behind an artist that writes a few demos, gets picked up by a major then drops a debut EP. I’m looking at you Georgia Fair. Also, while we’re here, has anyone noticed a steady decline into cynicism on this blog over the past few months? I’m not sure who to blame for that. Let’s point the figure at musicians. Intertwined with that cynicism is a refusal to take responsibility for my actions. Wow. The vibe is getting weird in here. I’m out.

Solkyri – This Can’t Wait!

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Download ‘This Can’t Wait!’ for free at their bandcamp. Better still, get the whole record. It’s “pretty cool”.