The Big Beat 'cast 33: The 2011 Rookie Class

While others may be rushing to post their Best-Of-Everything lists, The Big Beat recognizes that the year’s not quite over yet.  So while I feverishly listen to more music, study charts and make lists (you’d think I was preparing for a fantasy football draft), I thought this’d be a good time to take another listen to some of the artists that have yet to release their full-length debut.  The rookie class of 2011.  Virtually all of ‘em are poised to make a bigger splash in the new year, so listen up for what the future holds in store.

The Big Beat 'cast 33 - 29 November 2011 by Mike Taylor on Mixcloud

THE HISTORY OF APPLE PIE "Tug" (Roundtable), free download

SULK "Wishes" (self-released), single

LANA DEL REY “Video Games” (Stranger), "Video Games" / "Blue Jeans" single

HELLA BETTER DANCER "Hundred Balloons" (Roundhouse), from Swimming EP

FRANK OCEAN "Thinking About You" (Zone 4), from (V/A) Legs Up Face Down Part 2

STAY+ "Stay Positive" (Double Denim), single

PURITY RING "Ungirthed" (self-released), single

CURXES “Creatures” (self-released), from “Creatures”/”Jaws” single

DAUGHTER “Love” (Communion), from The Wild Youth EP

WORLD TOUR "Sparks" (Cascine), single  

GUNG HO “Twin Rays” (self-released), single

BNLX "Burn The Boats" (Susstones), from EP #5

ALABAMA SHAKES "I Found You" (self-released), from Alabama Shakes EP

FIDLAR “Bummed” (n/a), n/a

ELEPHANT "Wolf Cry" (Memphis Industries), from "Ants" / "Wolf Cry" single

KEEP SHELLY IN ATHENS "Campus Martius" (Planet Mu), from Campus Martius EP

BOS ANGELES "Beach Slalom" (self), from "Days Of Youth" / "Beach Slalom" single

ABADABAD "Indiana" (self-released), single

FRIENDS "I'm His Girl" (Lucky Numbers), single

TROPICAL POPSICLE "The Age of Attraction" (Volar), from The Age of Attraction EP

OUTFIT “Vehicles” (Double Denim), from "Two Islands" / "Vehicles" single

TASHAKI MIYAKI “Somethin’ Is Better Than Nothin’” (Sounds of Sweet Nothing), single

SPIRIT SISTERS "Up" (self-released), free download

HALLS "Kaleidoscope" (self-released), from Halls EP

SLOWDANCE "Sweetness" (self-released), from Light & Color EP

FIXERS "Amsterdam" (self-released), single

FEAR OF MEN "Phantom Limb" (Sex Is Disgusting), from Hanna Schygulla Demos
MAN WITHOUT COUNTRY “King Complex” (Lost Balloon), from King Complex EP

COLD SPECKS “Holland” (paradYse), single
HOSPITALITY "Betty Wang" (Merge), from Hospitality

The Big Beat 'cast 32

Be listening to DIY Radio today at 4pm Eastern, 3p Central & 2100 BST for an all-new edition of the Big Beat'cast.  The show's back to a healthy two hours this week but in preparation, I was faced with a bit of a quandry....

What to do when the stream of new music trickles to a drip and you’re not quite set for the year-end list-o-mania?  You go to the vault!  Since 1991 is getting all the attention, and because you can only celebrate a 25-year anniversary once, we’ll take a fond look back at the music of 1986.  It’s a year when college radio broke all the cool bands, major labels actually cared about music and the influence of a little cassette tape was felt far and wide.  This week’s Beat'cast is both a history lesson and an audio archive.  So follow me into the wayback machine, with the course set for 1986….. do you remember?  

If you're unable to tune into DIY today, or just can't wait, press play below.  The tracklisting is after the jump.    

DIY Radio: The Big Beat (22nd November 2011) by Diy on Mixcloud

The Big Beat 'cast 31

Hiya Gang! Steve Kirk, who I grew up listening to on WING-AM in Dayton, Ohio.


This week's Big Beat'cast has kind of a laid back, chilled vibe to it which speaks to the surge of electronic-based artists at the forefront of today's indie scene. Example: the largest crowd I saw at this past weekend's Fun Fun Fest may have been for M83 (and whose Hurry Up, We're Dreaming debuted at #15 on the US album chart).

On TBB 31, I'll spin more from the new discs by JAMES BLAKE, YOUTH LAGOON, ALABAMA SHAKES, and DAUGHTER; give you new tracks from CLOUD NOTHINGS, FACTORY FLOOR, and KEEP SHELLY IN ATHENS.  Plus, I'll give first spins to new artists FOTOSHOP, ST. LUCIA, and REHEARSED LIVING. But I suppose the big story this week is the reemergence of veterans MAZZY STAR, ORBITAL, and the "classic lineup" of GUIDED BY VOICES.  The show kicks off with the first new music in years from each of them.

And speaking of GBV, I'm headed back to Ohio to see family and friends later this week. I haven't spent any appreciable time in Dayton in several years, so I'm looking forward to see what's changed, what hasn't and if the hostess at The Pine Club is still the craggy ol' you-know-what she's been since I was a kid. (I've heard it's gone downhill in recent years, but it's one of the few touchstones of the old Gem City I still, ahem, pine for. Nostalgic sap.)

Also - all of the hyperlinks below are downloads.  I just got tired of putting [MP3] or [DOWNLOAD] in front of 'em.  But you probably knew that, right? 

DIY Radio: The Big Beat (8th November 2011) by Diy on Mixcloud

GUIDED BY VOICES "The Unsinkable Fats Domino" (GBV Inc.), from Let's Go Eat The Factory
MAZZY STAR "Common Burn" (Rhymes Of An Hour), single
ORBITAL "Never" (n/a), free download
DAUGHTER "Medicine" (Communion), from The Wild Youth EP
JAMES BLAKE "A Case of You" (Universal/Republic), from Enough Thunder EP
FOTOSHOP "Too Little, Too Late" (self-released), from Lifeforms
CLOUD NOTHINGS "No Future/No Past" (Carpark), from Attack On Memory
EVANS THE DEATH "I'm So Unclean" (Fortuna POP!), from "Threads" / "I'm So Unclean" single
WASHED OUT "Call It Off" (Weird World), from "Amor Fati" single
ST. LUCIA "We Got It Wrong" (self-released), from St. Lucia EP
MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND "High Low Middle" (Asthmatic Kitty), from All Things Will Unwind
SPECTRALS "Big Baby" (Slumberland), from Bad Penny
ELEPHANT "Assembly" (Memphis Industries), from Assembly EP
REHEARSED LIVING "Expectations" (self-released), free download 
GIRL IN A COMA "Smart" (Blackheart), from Exits & All The Rest
M + A "Liko Lene Lisa" (Monotreme), from things.yes
COLD CAVE "Youth & Lust" (Matador), from Love Comes Close
FACTORY FLOOR "Two Different Ways" (DFA), single
ALABAMA SHAKES "I Found You" (self-released), from Alabama Shakes EP
DIRTY PROJECTORS "Cannibal Resource" (Domino), from Bitte Orca
LUSCIOUS JACKSON "Citysong" (Grand Royal/Capitol), from Natural Ingredients
FRIENDS "I'm His Girl" (Lucky Numbers), single
KEEP SHELLY IN ATHENS "Lazy Noon" (Forest Family), from Our Own Dream EP
YOUTH LAGOON "Cannons" (Fat Possum), from The Year of Hibernation
120 DAYS "Dale Disco" (n/a), n/a
THE MOOR "Warm Winter" (Dilettante), from The Moor


Tracks via: Stereogum, Pitchfork, Tympanogram, Superfan2011, mu-sique, Audiocred, Pasta Primavera, Some Of It Was True!, Tastes Like Caramel, Rollo & Grady 

The Big Beat 'cast 30

Be listening to DIY Radio today at 5pm Eastern*, 4p Central* & 2100 BST for an all-new, 2-hour Big Beat'cast.  I'll introduce you to a few bands that turned heads at the recent CMJ Festival in New York like ALABAMA SHAKES, FIDLAR, and TROPICAL POPSICLE.  You'll also hear from a bunch of bands playing this weekend's FUN FUN FUN FEST here in Austin: M83, WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS, SPOON, NEON INDIAN, LYKKE LI and THE DAMNED to name just a few.  Plus, hear the latest from THE STRANGE BOYS, WASHED OUT, THEE OH SEES, KEEP SHELLY IN ATHENS, and the solo debut of KATE JACKSON of The Long Blondes.  Just press play to start with one of the best tunes of the year from THE BLACK KEYS.   It's like having a kickass jukebox on shuffle. 

If you can't wait, just press play and go.

DIY Radio: The Big Beat (1st November 2011) by Diy on Mixcloud

 

THE BLACK KEYS "Lonely Boy" (Nonesuch), from El Camino (video)

TROPICAL POPSICLE "The Age of Attraction" (Volar), from The Age of Attraction EP

M83 "Claudia Lewis" (Mute), from Hurry Up, We're Dreaming

SLOWDANCE "Cake" (self-released), from Light & Color EP

ALABAMA SHAKES "You Ain't Alone" (self-released), from Alabama Shakes EP

CONNER YOUNGBLOOD "Australia" (self-released), free download

KATE JACKSON "Wonder Feeling" (Vinyl Factory), from "Wonder Feeling"/"The Atlantic" single

THE STONE ROSES "Waterfall" (Silvertone), from The Stone Roses

SULK "Wishes" (self-released), single

ABADABAD "Indiana" (self-released), single

STILL CORNERS "Endless Summer" (Sub Pop), from Creatures Of An Hour

SIMIAN GHOST "Bicycle Theme" (Heist Or Hit), from Lovelorn EP

NEON INDIAN "Hex Girlfriend" (Mom + Pop), from Era Extraña

ESCORT "Caméleon Chameleon (Club Remix)" (Escort), original version on Escort

LYKKE LI "Get Some" (Atlantic), from Wounded Rhymes

THE BUDOS BAND "Ride Or Die" (Daptone), from The Budos Band II

GARY CLARK JR. "Don't Owe You A Thang" (Warner Bros.), from The Bright Lights EP

THE STRANGE BOYS "Doueh" (Rough Trade), from Live Music

SPOON "Believing Is Art" (Merge), from Girls Can Tell

FIDLAR "Got No Money" (n/a), n/a

GRIMES "Oblivion" (Arbutus), from Visions

PURITY RING "Belispeak" (Fat Possum), from split 7" (with Braids)

KEEP SHELLY IN ATHENS "DIY" (Forest Family), from Our Own Dream EP

THEE OH SEES "The Dream" (In The Red), from Carrion Crawler/The Dream

SHAPES HAVE FANGS "Rattle and Confuse Me" (Reverberation Appreciation Society), from Dinner In The Dark

THE DAMNED "Neat Neat Neat" (Stiff), from Damned Damned Damned

WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS "Human Error" (FatCat), from In The Pit Of The Stomach

WASHED OUT "Call It Off" (Weird World), from "Amor Fati" single  

THE GOOD NATURED "Skeleton" (Astralwerks), from Skeleton EP (video)

Tracks via : mu-sique, Rollo & Grady, Le Choix, The Vinyl District, Some Of It Was True!, Epitonic, Alive Through The Music, Pitchfork, Listen Before You Buy, Gorilla Vs. Bear, Austin Town Hall  

* Air time is normally 4p Eastern, 3p Central, altered this week only due to the UK's daylight savings change.  It'll resume airing at that time in the USA next week.