FRIDAY ROUNDUP! ‡ MP3s

1. Screaming Females- I Don’t Mind It
Jersey’s “Scremales,” whether you like ‘em or not, have hammered out a distinct niche in the world of rock. Strong female vocals, wailing guitars, and post-punk sensibilities make their songs rough and immediate. This track is from their forthcoming album Castle Talk, which is slated for release on Sept. 14th via Don Giovanni Recs.

2. The Walkmen- Lisbon
The Walkmen have been on a serious roll. Moving from A Hundred Miles Off to You & Me was impressive, and the Brooklyn bunch will surely shoot to awe this time around, too. The bright horns and passionate vocals make “Lisbon” an exciting taste of the forthcoming Stranded.

3. The Sword- Tres Brujas
This August, the Sword will be entering third album territory with Warp Riders. The band sounds a little less heavy than they were on Gods of the Earth. The thick guitars are still present, but there’s not much doom to this band’s sound here. Instead, the Sword have swapped that direction out for something much more ready to rock. If it weren’t for the new studio sound, this thing could have had me guessing it was from decades ago.

4. Fishing- OOOO
Playful beats from Australia on this one. It’s what might happen if you forced J Dilla and Madlib to collab on a soundtrack for the board game Candy Land. Look for releases from this project later this year via Double Denim.

5. Lost Boy- Fast Burn
If I had my old blog up, I’d link to an old post I wrote about this guy back when he messaged my YouTube account months ago. My first impressions were, well, the only way anyone could react to fuzzed out punk tunes with falsetto vocals. The production and performances are tight, though. Here’s to Lost Boy: May you never be found! Figuratively, of course.

7. School of Seven Bells- Windstorm
This trio‘s 2008 release Alpinisms didn’t wow me like I wanted it to, but this track from their latest LP has certainly caught my ear. A lot clearer and straightforward than the shoegazed sounds I recall from their earlier efforts. School’s latest album is Disconnect from Desire, and it’s out now via Ghostly International.

8. Sharon Van Etten- Love More
Here’s another act I hit up on the old blog. She’s a singer-songwriter an upcoming album titled Epic. That should earn it some expectations. Considering “Love More” is on it, I think the album is off to a good start. Sharon’s voice is her strongest attribute. It’s hard not to hang on every gentle move it makes across the mix. The slow build this song embarks on makes it a real tear-jerker, too.

TND TIP: SLEEP SOUNDLY.