Florida based fuzz-pop outfit Surfer Blood are getting all kinds of crazy attention with the recent release of their debut LP Astro Coast. Are they worth the hype? Check out two tracks from the new album:Surfer Blood - Floating Vibes [mp3]Surfer Blood - Swim [mp3]
read more »Toronto's Dinosaur Bones are currently in the studio with producer Jon Drew(Tokyo Police Club, the Arkells) on dual projects: their long-anticipated debut LP and 7" being released February 1. If this body of work is half as good as their debut album in 2008, it should be something special.My Divider(from 2008's Dinosaur Bones EP)Dinosaur Bones: MySpace • FacebookDinosaur Bones EP available via Amazon• • • •Don't know too much about English duo B For Butterfly other than Matt May and Emily May's music is some of the smoothest and most reflective I've heard in some time. Had a bad day? Play some of his work and realize what a reassuring effect smooth instrumentals and reflective vocals can have on you.Treading On SnailsB For Butterfly: MySpace • Facebook• • • •Another duo producing a soothing sound is Canada's Memoryhouse. Denise and Evan's new The Years EP is dreamy without the fluff and the pristine, unique background instrumentals only add to the beauty and comforting nature of the music.Sleep PatternsMemoryhouse: MySpace • Free album download here• • • •New Jersey's Eric Sarmiento has gigs with the Candles, the Pistol Arrows, a Suncrush for Sweethearts, and the New Tribe on his resume, as well as a couple of solo projects. He's recently returned from travels to such diverse locales as Japan and Oklahoma and some of his ideas and thoughts are in the form of new music. As always, his work is crisp, smooth and exceptionally well-done.Strange PowerEric Sarmiento: Website • MySpace • Eric's music available via Amazon• • • •Portland's Pierced Arrows are finishing up work on a February 2nd release of their newest album, Descending Shadows. The obligatory album-release tour will commence shortly thereafter and will run through the end of March and if you haven't seen them live, you should; it's an awesome show. The guitar and vocal pairing that Fred and Toody Cole forged with Dead Moon and Kelly Halliburton's equally dynamic drumming are in top form, and this should be one kick-ass album.Paranoia • Let It RainPierced Arrows: Website • MySpace • Watch Vice Records for the release• • • •Florida's Surfer Blood has their debut album out, Astro Coast, and the quartet should make a name for themselves with the release just by the guitar work alone. Slightly fuzzy, impressively catchy. Floating Vibes is a great track, I hope it gets the airplay it deserves. This is why you don't see many bands from Nebraska making surfer music. Duh.Floating Vibes • SwimSurfer Blood: MySpace Astro Coast available via Kanine Records• • • •The Treats are an eclectic rock band from from Madison, WI. The new full length, Sir Unicorn, was released January 16th and is an impressive myriad of their brand of rock & roll, blues, folk, country, hard rock, and psychedelia. Andrew Isham (guitar, lead vocals), Don Isham (drums, backing vocals), and Tim Payne (bass, backing vocals) play their music loud and gimmick-free and that's becoming a bit rare these days. Highly recommended.Yahweh Won't Look The Other Way • OnThe Treats: MySpace • Sir Unicorn available via CD Baby• • • •Brooklyn psychedelic rock band Von Haze will be releasing a self-titled album on March 16. Von Haze makes sexy dark rock and has drawn some comparisons to The Knife and Brightblack Morning Light. After a listen I have no doubt their music will end up being a soundtrack to something, it just feels right for that. Excellent.Sooner or LaterVon Haze: MySpace • Von Haze music available via iTunes• • • •Last but certainly not least, the absolutely lovely Sarah Elizabeth Foster has a new album out. Titled Gardening From The Ground Up-Part I, it's a perfect showcase of the lush vocal talent of this lady. Originally from Houston, Sarah has been studying music since the age of four and is a classically trained vocalist, pianist and ballerina. Gardening From The Ground Up is her debut album and is a wonderful mix of folk, pop and even a bit of classical. Obviously not one to let time idly pass by, she's already working on a follow-up album. Simple elegance, simply exquisite.Missing You NowSarah Elizabeth Foster: Website • MySpace • Gardening Fround The Ground Up-Part I Available via Amazon
read more »Verð að viðurkenna að ég er einkennilega spenntur fyrir nýju Spoon plötunni. Hef alltaf haft dulda aðdáun að þessari sveit þó svo ég hafi aldrei almennilega verið sáttur við plötur þeirra í heild sinni. Nýja platan Transference hljómar að mínum dómi heldur vel þó svo að ég hafi einungis nett runnið yfir hana nokkrum sinnum. Þetta hreina rokk hefur eitthvað aðdráttarafl. Þeir eru hvassir, beittir og ákveðnir í allri sinni umgjörð. Hljómur fagur og hressar hugmyndir eiga sér stað. Dansa á mörkum popps og rokks. Ef til vill er það þessvegna sem að Spoon sker sig úr öðrum. Sveitin nær að búa sér til sinn einkennandi tón, sem einna helst getur verið líkt við Buzzcocks eða The Jam, en samt ekki.Spoon - Before DestructionFlorida-bandið Surfer Blood hefur opinbert sýna frumraun, Astro Coast. Þeir áttu eitt hressilegasta indie-rokklag ársins í fyrra með smáskífulaginu Swim, og ekkert bendir annað til þess en að þeir eigi bjarta framtíð fyrir sig. Platan er alls ekki slök þó svo hún sé ekkert gallalaus. Hefðu t.d. getað sleppt óeðlilega svipuðum tónum og Vampire Weekend hefur gert þekkt fyrir að skapa. En góð skemmtun er þessi fyrsta plata sveitarinnar eins og búist var svo sem við. Þetta er líklega eitt af þeim böndum sem ég myndi kjósa að hata, en ég get það engu að síður ekki. Floating Vibes hljómar t.d. skuggalega nálægt Sebadoh! (Bakesale) og svo er lagið Neighbour Riffs annarlega aðlaðandi.Surfer Blood - Floating VibesSurfer Blood - Neighbour RiffsOg svo er það rúsínan í bjúguendanum. Four Tet er lox að fleygja frá sér nýju stykki. Kieran Hebden er að sjálfsögðu einn fremsti raftónlistarmaður heims í dag og á nýju plötunni There is Love In You blandar hann grófum, skítugum sándum saman í gríðar heilsteypta heild af sinni alkunnu schnilld. Þetta er reyndar plata sem krefst þess að hlusta á í heild sinni, með góð heyrnatól, kaffi við hönd og horfa út í beljandi rigninguna. Þessi plata verður án efa ein af þeim betri á árinu en eyrun á mér hafa enn ekki fundið neitt afkáranlega ógeðslegt við hana.Four Tet - This UnfoldsFour Tet - She Just Likes To Fight
read more »We are three weeks into the new year and some pretty amazing albums have already been released. This week the new Spoon is an absolute must get, but there are a few others that might surprise a few people. The new Eels album has E taking a look back on broken love, and the result is an absolutely heartbreaking but gorgeous album. This weeks new release list also plays host to a couple of former SDM “Bands to Watch” with the second album from Seattle’s Feral Children and the debut from West Palm Beach, Florida’s Surfer Blood. Both of these albums are worth picking up and hopefully both bands will have a great 2010. Anyways, if we’ve left anything off the list I’m sure you will let us know. Enjoy. New Releases, Album Art, Streams and MP3’s After the Jump… Aziz Ansari | Intimate Moments For A Sensual Evening <object id="lalaAlbumEmbed" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="300" height="254" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="data" value="http://www.lala.com/external/flash/PlaylistWidget.swf"/><param name="wmode" value="transparent"/><param name="allowNetworking" value="all"/><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/><param name="flashvars" value="albumId=360569445187453765&host=www.lala.com&partnerId=memberalbum.62296%4040450"/><param name="src" value="http://www.lala.com/external/flash/PlaylistWidget.swf"/><param name="name" value="lalaAlbumEmbed"/><embed id="lalaAlbumEmbed" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="254" src="http://www.lala.com/external/flash/PlaylistWidget.swf" name="lalaAlbumEmbed" 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data="http://www.lala.com/external/flash/PlaylistWidget.swf"></embed></object> The Colossus – RJD2 Spoon | Transference MP3: Spoon – “Got Nuffin” <object id="lalaAlbumEmbed" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="300" height="254" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="data" value="http://www.lala.com/external/flash/PlaylistWidget.swf"/><param name="wmode" value="transparent"/><param name="allowNetworking" value="all"/><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/><param name="flashvars" value="albumId=1801721326119947844&host=www.lala.com&partnerId=memberalbum.62296%4040450"/><param name="src" value="http://www.lala.com/external/flash/PlaylistWidget.swf"/><param name="name" value="lalaAlbumEmbed"/><embed id="lalaAlbumEmbed" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="300" height="254" src="http://www.lala.com/external/flash/PlaylistWidget.swf" name="lalaAlbumEmbed" 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read more »Among the bands heavily speculated to hit it big via hype this calendar year, Surfer Blood may be one of the most often mentioned. Of course by the time many publications put out those "hot in 2010" lists, more than a few Surfer Blood tracks were already circulating around the internet and generating a little bit of buzz. Now that their debut album "Astro Coast" finally arrives in stores this week, expect that little bit of hype to pick up dramatically in the coming weeks and months.So, since Surfer Blood are destined to become "your new favorite band" in a reasonably short amount of time, what can I tell you about them? First of all, they're from South Florida, so between the band name and the album title and the cover art featuring a picture of a killer shark, they've got a serious theme going. Add in song titles like "Swim" and "Take It Easy," and it throws more fuel on the fire. So given all those clues, guessing what the band actually sounds like shouldn't be that difficult of a challenge. Yes, Surfer Blood seeks to put surf rock in its place. To the casual listener, that might seem to be the case. But perhaps surprisingly, there's more than just a fin skimming across the surface that makes this band a threat to be dealt with. Yep, here is a band that seeks to have depth. Whether or not they succeed in that quest is another thing entirely.The deal with "Astro Coast" is that you get 10 tracks of rock music that bounces through a number of genres, from surf rock to punk rock to lo-fi/shitgaze to alternative rock to flat out experimental. These guys are tough to pin down, and that's either because they want it that way, or they're just indecisive and can't seem to fully settle on a particular style. View it as a positive or negative, but there's pretty much something for everybody to like on this album as a result. Personally, I think the reason why Surfer Blood is attracting so much attention is because despite the fluctuation in styles, everything they do, they it well. That just breaks down to sheer talent, which it quickly becomes clear that this band has in spades. So one minute they're sounding like Weezer, the next Pixies, then throw in some Pavement or Built to Spill and you're starting to grasp what's going on here. It's like reliving the 90's rock scene all over again. That being said, there's a tendency to say Surfer Blood is just ripping off the music of their youth, and not particularly searching for something original. I'm not going to disagree with that, save to say that there are definitely moments when it sounds like the band is searching for their own way, and even when they are blatantly ripping off other great bands, they're doing so with a style that's less carbon copy and more pure homage. Take from that what you will, I suppose.From my own personal best guess, I'd say that Surfer Blood will wind up with about the same degree of popularity as other similar-sounding 90's revivalist bands from last year, most notably Japandroids and Cymbals Eat Guitars. Hopefully you don't consider that a bad thing - I for one like Surfer Blood quite a bit. "Astro Coast" may not be everything that the initial hype pushed into my head, but it is a solid debut from a band that's clearly talented. My hope is that they find more cohesion and a greater sense of self for their sophmore record. Until then though, enjoy these 10 tracks of variety that make up this debut album. If the 90's were an important time in your musical taste development, as they were mine, you'll find lots to identify with and relate to via Surfer Blood.Surfer Blood- Floating VibesSurfer Blood- SwimBuy "Astro Coast" from Amazon
read more »Here are the mp3’s we discussed this past week. First from our live session with The Mother Hips: The Mother Hips band intro Exclusive: The Mother Hips – Esmerelda Exclusive: The Mother Hips – White Falcon Fuzz (video) Exclusive: The Mother Hips – Third Floor Story (video) Exclusive: The Mother Hips – One Way Out Exclusive: The Mother Hips – Lion And The Bull Exclusive: The Mother Hips – Pacific Dust (video) Download The Mother Hips Live Session as a zip. And the rest: Surfer Blood – Floating Vibes Surfer Blood – Swim (To Reach the End) Tim Bluhm – California Way Vampire Weekend – Horchata Rogue Wave – Good Morning Rocky Votolato – Red River
read more »mp3: Phantogram-When I'm Smallmp3: Surfer Blood-Floating Vibesmp3: The Silent League-Yours Truly, 2095mp3: Terra Naomi-You For Memp3: Real Estate-Beach Combermp3: Woods-To Clean
read more »You can now stream Surfer Blood’s highly anticipated debut, Astro Coast @ AOL’s Spinner. Download album tracks “Swim” and “Floating Vibes” below: Surfer Blood’s Astro Coast is out 1/19 on Kanine Records. Buy it at Insound. Tags: Album Stream, Surfer Blood Surfer Blood (2)
read more »Monday: Beachniks + My Teenage Stride @ Bruar Falls 8pm FREE [info]If there's a better way to kick off the week than to attend a free show please let me know what that might just be. Tonight Cake Shop is opening its doors wide to anyone over 21 for a free show featuring some very solid acts. We really like both Beachniks and My Teenage Stride, and seeing both for free on a Monday seems like a no brainer to us. It should to you too!Beachniks - "Coney Island"My Teenage Stride - "Creep Academy"Tuesday: The Joy Formidable, Morning Fuzz, + Locksley @ Pianos 8pm $8 [tix]After spending the weekend opening for Passion Pit at the cavernous Terminal 5, The Joy Formidable will be playing a couple of venues that are more appropriate for their intimate sound. First up they play Union Hall on Monday, but honestly Tuesday's lineup of them, Morning Fuzz and Locksley will save you exactly $2 in admission and will probably be just as good of a show. So yeah, the recession is still going where I'm standing so that $2 could make a big difference.The Joy Formidable - "Whirring"Locksley - "All of the Time" (Daytrotter Session)Wednesday: The Drums, Surfer Blood, + The Depreciation Guild @ Bowery Ballroom 7:30pm $12 [tix]If you like your music to come with a Pitchfork stamp of approval tonight's show should be right up your alley. Both Surfer Blood and The Drums have been tabbed as "Rising" or "Best New Track" by the revered (or reviled) website and we happen to agree that both bands make music worth seeing. You may remember Surfer Blood headlined our CMJ show back in October and they certainly did nothing but endear themselves to us even further. This is sure to be one of the most talked about the shows of the week so get off the couch and away from the computer for a few hours and enjoy this one!The Drums - "I Felt Stupid"Surfer Blood - "Floating Vibes"The Depreciation Guild - "Dream About Me"Thursday: Zee Avi @ The Bell House 7:30pm $12 [tix]I've been saying it for a while now but the internet has truly made this world a smaller place. How else could explain the buzz that has started to become deafening surrounding Malaysian singer/songwriter Zee Avi. Her heartfelt songs would never have been heard in the Western world if not for the power of YouTube. Those early videos led to a tour with Pete Yorn and even more recognition and now she's back doing her own headlining gig tonight. Should be a great one for those in the know, which should be everyone!Zee Avi - "Bitter Heart"Friday: The Yummy Fur, Bishop Allen, + German Measles @ 171 Lombardy Street 8pm $13 [tix]Formed in 1992, The Yummy Fur actually predate the famous bands they went on to spawn. Consisting of members of Franz Ferdinand and The 1990's, the band made some fantastic (though hard to find) Fall-inspired, lo-fi, twee, punk rock and to celebrate the release of "best of" compilation they have reformed for a few shows. Their only slated New York appearance is tonight, but there's a halfway decent chance they'd return if this tour is successful. Still, you probably don't want to leave it up to that kind of chance so just go see them tonight.The Yummy Fur - "Hong Kong In Stereo"Bishop Allen - "Little Black Ache"German Measles - "Wild Weekend"Saturday: Aa, Dinowalrus, Prisms, + Graffiti Monsters @ Cake Shop 8pm $8 [info]At this point it seems ridiculous that we still adhere to the idea that records need to come out on Tuesday's. What's the point? Thanks to the internet records can be released at any time, so Dinowalrus is putting that idea to use releasing their brand new Kanine Records debut % at their record release show tonight! Beyond being your first chance to grab the album this is sure to be a great show, the half dozen times we've already seen them has already proved that, but also thanks to a well rounded lineup that should make for a great night! Just don't blow all your money on booze before picking up the new album!Aa - "Glow Wreath"Dinowalrus - "Electric Car, Gas Guitar"Sunday: Vampire Weekend + Titus Andronicus @ United Palace Theater 7pm $30 [tix]On Friday afternoon I just happened to click on a link to try and purchase tickets to see Vampire Weekend, I had been trying for weeks to get into one of their three upcoming New York shows, and amazingly there were tickets on sale! I scooped up two and checked a few minutes later and there were none available, but maybe, just maybe if you wish hard enough luck will shine your way too. I'm almost as excited to see new material from Titus Andronicus as I am to see the new stuff from Vampire Weekend, almost! Should be an amazing way to spend a Sunday night even if it means missing the "24" premiere!Vampire Weekend - "Cousins"Titus Andronicus - "Four Score and Seven (Part One)"<script type="text/javascript"> sr_adspace_id = 4549407; sr_adspace_width = 728; sr_adspace_height = 90; sr_adspace_type = "graphic"; sr_ad_new_window = true; </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://ad.afy11.net/srad.js?azId=4549407"> </script>
read more »Surfer Blood are a band of non-surfers from Palm Beach, Florida that you’ll soon hear at parties, in coffee shops, and on television. You’ll find their sound both modern and familiar. Depending on which song you land on, you’ll hear similarities to The Shins (Floating Vibes), Foreign Born (Take It Easy), Weezer (Twin Peaks), Built To Spill (Harmonix) and even Joey Ramone (Swim). Not bad company to keep, eh? This young band has all the tools for greatness: searing guitars, crazy good percussion, vocals on par with James Mercer (The Shins) or Jim James (My Morning Jacket), and they tie it all up with succinct songwriting and addictive hooks. And while Surfer Blood’s music makes you feel good, there’s enough fuzz and reverb to keep it more punk than pop. What else can I say? The entire album is as catchy as crabs. Both kinds. I’ve been listening to this album nonstop for over a week. Surfer Blood’s debut album, Astro Coast, will be released on January 19th via Kanine Records. Visit them on MySpace for tour dates that include stops in Chicago at Schubas on January 14th and SxSW in Austin, Texas in March. MySpace | Facebook | Twitter | Kanine Records Surfer Blood – Floating Vibes Surfer Blood – Swim (To Reach the End)
read more »On my desktop “post-it” feature, I have a never-ending list of bands to check out. Constantly, I go to the many Myspace music pages and after further listening, re-arrange the artists according to priority. And every once in a while, there’s a band who effortlessly rises to the top of the list, who you can’t believe you haven’t heard before. Surfer Blood, with their uplifting summer anthems and haven’t-I-heard-this-before hooks, became that band the other week. The band’s first single, “Swim (To Reach The End)”, pretty much speaks for itself. Right away. The first moment combines the powerful type of wail that sounds like it’s breaking your speakers (a la Win Butler in “Tunnels”) with a defining, pounding set of power chords that Free Energy must have shared with this Florida-based crew. The song quickly develops out of its initial fuzziness with the help of a few chimes and a chorus that you’ll be singing along with after first listen. It stalls for a bit midway through, but that’s only to set up for the big build about 2 minutes in that wisely takes us right back to the chorus. Short, sweet, and rocking (like a good Thermals track), Surfer Blood is ridiculously good at making arena-ready rock, and this is only their first full length. Speaking of the album as a whole, it’s full of gems, and you need only to head to their Myspace page to discover a few of them. Particularly, the familiar, chilled-out melodies of “Floating Vibes” show off Surfer Blood’s versatility, but also utilize the oldest tricks in the indie -rock bag (hand-claps), proving (if you doubted it at all) that this band knows what it’s doing, and will be around for a while. MP3: Surfer Blood “Swim (To Reach The End)” MP3: Surfer Blood “Floating Vibes”
read more »New Music AheadSomeone You Should Know January 19 Release DateLO-FI FUZZ INDIE MASTERS - With just a few weeks until the arrival of Astro Coast - the new record from Surfer Blood, we are definitely anxious. The name of the band? Let's just saw that it's not a celebration of "take it easy" attitude... it's more a critical look back at some of the band's high school days --> fast times growing up in and dealing with surfer-dude culture.)The Palm Beach, FL band's cool drone and lo-fi sound have earned them a lot of positive buzz in music blogs... And we all know that blogs are the spoon that stirs the coffee. Here's the new track from Surfer Blood: Surfer Blood - Floating Vibes Surfer BloodMyspace / Blog
read more »Who: Surfer Blood from Florida. What: Riding high off the response from releasing their first single ‘Swim‘ (named #37 on Pitchfork’s 100 Best Tracks of 2009 and our best of 2009 list), Surfer Blood are giving us a second taste off the upcoming debut on Kanine (called Astro Coast) in the form of Floating Vibes. Fill your holidays with these songs from a fuzzy Floridian five-piece with a knack of writing really catchy tunes. Song: Floating Vibes.
read more »Surfer Blood was just in town last month and is sure to make a splash in 2010 with their debut album Astro Coast (pre-order here) set to be released in January. Having already impressed at this year's CMJ, the band will surely be one of the bands to cause a stir during SXSW. Check out their second single, entitled "Floating Vibes".Surfer Blood - "Floating Vibes" (mp3)[Surfer Blood Myspace](Photo Cred: Greg Granaghan)
read more »Floating Action, from Ashville, have a new self-titled LP on Philly’s Park the Van Records. MP3: Floating Action- 50 Lashes Floating Action’s live Daytrotter sesion Floating Action at the North Star this past October: From Columbus, Ohio, Flotation Walls have a new LP Nature: MP3: Flotation Walls-The Flickering Projection MP3: Surfer Blood- Floating Vibes Extry new goodies: MP3: Bloodgroup- My Arms (from Iceland) MP3: The ARE- Million MP3: Delphic- Doubt (Riton Re-Rub)
read more »Ok so about that blog hiatus....Yeah I'm not being very good about not doing that....Well aren't you glad I broke the little vacation to bring you this semi-exclusive contest.We're giving away 4 pairs of tickets to 4 lucky winners to see Cold Cave, Surfer Blood, Abe Vigoda, and Former Ghosts this Friday Dec. 4th at the Eagle Rock Center for the Arts. The show is being presented by our dear friends at FYF Fest and Eagle Rock Music Fest. They consistently bring you shows that walk the line and we are happy to support anything they do.MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE SHOWTO ENTER: E-mail your FULL NAME to tonightinla@rockinsider.com. Winners will be chosen at random and will be notified by 3pm on Friday. Dec. 4th.Cold Cave - Life Magazine Surfer Blood - Floating Vibes Abe Vigoda - Don't Lie
read more »DUM DUM GIRLS (San Diego, CA) SIGN UP FOR THE ROCK INSIDER WEEKLY CONCERT NEWSLETTER AND GET THESE LISTING DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR E-MAIL INBOX SIGN UP FOR THE MAILING LISTDum Dum Girls to to headline Spaceland Nov. 28th w/ Tartans, and Pearl HarborHappy Monday everyone! With Turkey Day this Thursday it is definitely a light week for shows. I'm also certain that most of you will be tightening up your belts in preparation for the holiday spending season and will undoubtedly be attending far less shows in the coming weeks.That's why we're hooking you up with even more concert tickets for free. Want to win a pair of tickets to see Dum Dum Girls this Saturday at Spaceland with LA Record cover girls Pearl Harbor and the absolutely amazing Tartans?E-mail your full name to tonightinla@rockinsider.com SUBJECT LINE: Dum Dum Girls Tickets.Some great shows this week in the Southland. New Jersey Glo-fi project Real Estate are in town in support of their debut LP which recently recieved Best New Music honors from Pitchfork. The band will be playing TONIGHT at Spaceland w/ Happy Hollows and again TOMORROW at Echo Curio with my votes for the next locals to break Best Coast & Pearl Harbor. Rounding out shows this week: Lissie fresh off a three night stint opening for Ray LaMontagne will play the Bootleg Theatre Tuesday with Leslie & The Badgers, KISS will play Staples Center on Wednesday, Japandroids and Surfer Blood will hit The Echo on Friday post Turkey day, and Peaches will headline The Wiltern on Saturday with the help of Amanda Blank.xoxoJAX - ROCK INSIDERAKA THE MANAGEMENT MONDAY NOV. 23RD, 2009 The Happy Hollows, Real Estate, Dios, One Trick Pony @ Spaceland - FREE (21 Yrs+)- Mississippi Man, Olin & the Moon, Wake Up Lucid, Quiet Life @ Silverlake Lounge - FREE (21 Yrs +)- Bobb Bruno, David Scott Stone, + TBA @ Echo Curio - $5 All Ages- Railcars, + TBA @ Synchronicity Gallery- Sean Carnage Presents: Former Ghosts, Whitman, Manhattan Murder Mystery, Brother Mitya @ Pehrspace - $5 All Ages- Queen Victoria, The Faraday Trippers, Dogwipe @ L'Keg Gallery- The Books @ Hollywood Forever Cemetary (Masonic Lodge)- Fanfarlo, Freelance Whales @ The Echo- El Perro Del Mar, Parson Red Heads Trio, Hecuba, Annie Stela @ Hotel Cafe- [Post-Foetus], Anus Kings, Little Teeth, The 1921A @ The Smell - $5 All Ages- GWAR @ Glasshouse, Pomona- JET, Papa Roach, Billy Boy On Poison @ Club Nokia- Thrice @ Avalon Hollywood TUESDAY NOV. 24TH, 2009Real Estate, Best Coast, Pearl Harbor @ Echo Curio - $5 All Ages Red Arrow Messenger, Lissie, Leslie & The Badgers @ Bootleg Theatre- Max Tundra, Deastro @ The Echo- Elle Macho, Mr. Gnome, Diamonds Under Fire @ Silverlake Lounge- Wolfmother, Heartless Bastards, thenewno2 @ The Wiltern- Cafe Tacuba @ Club Nokia- The Bixby Knolls, Northern Sky, Los Nova @ Spaceland- Peg Leg Love , Megalosaurus, The Beeters, Kamikaze @ Bordello- DIM MAK TUESDAYS featuring MIGHTY FOOLS, JAMES AMATO + MORE @ CinespaceWEDNESDAY NOV. 25TH, 2009 Kiss, Buckcherry @ Staples Center- Semi Precious Weapons, Rocket, Juke Kartel @ The Viper Room- CATALYST MAGAZINE presents CURIOUSITY KILLS IIfeaturing POWER AXE + DEATH HYMN + GESTAPO KHAZI + guests @ Echo Curio - $5 All Ages- Butch Walker @ Hotel Cafe- Simian Mobile Disco @ The Mayan Theatre- Jami & The Vaporizers, Bring Em Young Guns @ Silverlake Lounge THURSDAY NOV. 26TH, 2009 Gobble Gobble Give @ The Echo - Starts at 10AM - DETAILSHAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!! FRIDAY NOV. 27TH, 2009 Japandroids, Surfer Blood @ The Echo Julian Casablancas (of The Strokes), HAIM @ Downtown Palace Theatre- NASA Space Universe, Twin Lions, W-H-I-T-E, Diva Damas @ pehrspace - $5 All Ages- Little Teeth, Hyena, Freaky Mountain, Moses Campbell, The Chicken-Skin-Ranch-Hand Marionnettes @ Echo Curio - $5 All Ages- Hatcham Social @ Spaceland- Rooney, Tally Hall and Crash Kings @ El Rey Theatre- The Business @ The Key Club SATURDAY NOV. 28TH, 2009 Dum Dum Girls, The Tartans, Pearl Harbor @ SpacelandPeaches, Amanda Blank @ The WilternCharlie Brown Thanksgiving with The Voyeurs & Cobra Lilies @ Origami Viny - FREE 7PM ALL AGESl- The Moore Brothers, Them Hills, Neal Morgan @ Echo Curio - $5 All Ages- Carney, Joey Ryan The Janks @ El Rey Theatre- The Black Crowes, Truth & Salvage Co. @ Club Nokia- English Beat @ Troubadour- Kitten, Fort Wife, Torches In Trees, PLG/VNDR @ The Smell- ILEGAL EN ESTYLE with PILAR DIAZ / WAIT.THINK.FAST. @ echoplex- Hatebreed @ Hollywood Palladium- Veritas presents Rumspringa, Mini Mansions, Slang Chickens @ The Unknown Theater- Barnwave, Captain Ahab, WMX, Wet Mango, Tleilaxu Music Machine, Hate Parade, Baseck @ sixfiftyone- Bobby Long, The New Room, The Idyllists @ Hotel Cafe SUNDAY NOV. 29TH, 2009Ilo Mar, Emily Lacy, Daniel Munkus, Geoff Geis @ Echo Curio - $5 All Ages- Neil Hamburger @ Spaceland- Straight No Chaser @ The Wiltern- Darlings Of The Day @ El Cid Right Click and Select "Save As"To Download. Dum Dum Girls - Baby Don't Go Pearl Harbor - California Shakedown Best Coast - When I'm With You Real Estate - Green River Surfer Blood - Floating Vibes
read more »Su primer álbum, Astro Coast, no se publica hasta el 19 de enero, pero este quinteto de Palm Beach, Florida, está creando una gran expectación desde hace semanas. Se llaman Surfer Blood y tras su serie de conciertos en el Festival CMJ y la filtración de algunos de sus temas se les señala como una de las firmes revelaciones de 2010. Grandes canciones como Swim o Floating Vibes les avalan.*Surfer Blood-Swim (To Reach The End)*Surfer Blood-Floating Vibes (vía P4k)
read more »All I really know about Surfer Blood is that they are from Florida and I like everything I’ve heard by them so far. Oh yeah they also have a Twitter account so you should follow them. They post a lot of pictures. Surfer Blood are a band from West Palm Beach, Florida. Mostly unheard of before the 2009 CMJ marathon, the band played 12 shows where they got serious buzz. Their forthcoming album, Astro Coast was recorded in their dorm room at the University of Florida and is due on January 19 on Kanine. (Via Last.fm) Here are a few MP3’s to tide you over until January 19th. MP3’s: Surfer Blood – “Floating Vibes” Surfer Blood – “Swim (To Reach the End)” Check out Surfer Blood tour dates after the jump… Tour Dates: ov 3 2009 9:00P Mangos with Buxton, Muhammed Ali Houston, Texas Nov 4 2009 8:00P Beerland Austin, Texas Nov 6 2009 8:00P Bluebird Theatre w/ Art Brut Denver, Colorado Nov 7 2009 8:00P The Bottleneck w/ Art Brut Lawrence, Kansas Nov 8 2009 8:00P TBA w/ Art Brut Omaha, Nebraska Nov 9 2009 8:00P Triple Rock w/ Art brut Minneapolis, Minnesota Nov 10 2009 8:00P Lincoln Hall w/ Art Brut Chicago, Illinois Nov 11 2009 8:00P Oberlin College w/ Art Brut Ohio, Ohio Nov 12 2009 8:00P North Star Bar w/ Art Brut PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania Nov 13 2009 8:00P Brooklyn Bowl w/ Art Brut Brooklyn, New York Nov 14 2009 8:00P Ottobar w/ Art Brut Baltimore, Maryland Nov 15 2009 8:00P Garfield Artworks Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Nov 17 2009 8:00P Now That’s Class Cleveland, Ohio Nov 18 2009 8:00P Cafe Bourbon Street Columbus, Ohio Nov 19 2009 9:30P The Bishop Bloomington, Indiana Nov 20 2009 8:00P Billiken Club w/ Japandroids St Louis, Missouri Nov 21 2009 8:00P Slowdown w/ Japandroids Omaha, Nebraska Nov 25 2009 8:00P Casbah w/ Japandroids San Diego, California Nov 27 2009 8:00P Echo W/ Japandroids Los Angeles, California Nov 29 2009 8:00P Rickshaw Stop w/ Japandroids San Francisco, California Nov 30 2009 8:00P Holocene w/ Japandroids Portland, Oregon Dec 1 2009 8:00P Chop Suey w/ Japandroids Seattle, Washington Dec 7 2009 8:00P Trunk Space Phoenix, Arizona Dec 9 2009 8:00P Bash Riprock’s Lubbock, Texas Dec 10 2009 8:00P Granada Theatre with Jay Reatard Dallas, Texas Dec 12 2009 8:00P Alabama Music Box Mobile, Alaska Dec 13 2009 8:00P BackBooth Orlando, Florida Related Posts:New Ra Ra Riot - "Dying is Fine"New Albert Hammond Jr. Video - "GfC"Band to Watch - Feral ChildrenInterview with HYMNSWin Tickets to All Points West
read more »אחת לתקופה זה קורה. אני פותח בו זמנית את כלל האלבומים החדשים שהורדתי בתוך הווינאמפ שלי (כן, לא באייפוד), ועובר על כל מיני שמות שפספסתי בעבר. לרוב, כל שצף לאוזניי אלו הם הרכבי פולק משמימים מכל מיני ערים וארצות, שאינני זוכר אפילו היכן ומדוע הורדתי. אבל לא תמיד זה כך. לעתים קורה מה שקרה לי אתמול, כשהתעניינתי קצת יותר מדי ב-Surfer Blood. ומה קרה לי, תשאלו? ובכן, התשובה ברורה: גיליתי את אחד מאלבומי השנה. השנה הבאה, כלומר. ארבעת החברים, אשר תמונתם נחה כאן למעלה, מגיעים מפאלם ביץ' בפלורדיה, וכמו שזה נראה כעת, חייהם עומדים להיראות קורנים ושמשיים כמעט כמו עיר הולדתם. את אלבום הבכורה שלהם, Astro Coast, הם הקליטו כל כולו בחדרם שבמעונות אוניברסיטת פלורידה, במסגרת הקריירה האקדמית שהם ודאי זנחו כבר. כשמם כן צלילם, המורכב מים של ניואנסים מעולם הגלישה, בניחוח פנדה בר ועם כמה השפעות נעימות של ניו אורדר. בכל מיני פינות כבר התלהבו לחלוטין מהשיר הראשון שהם שחררו לעולם (Swim), אך נדמה שהאלבום כולו גדול עוד יותר מן הלהיט המדובר. אותי, אתמול אחר הצהריים, הייתם יכולים למצוא רוקד חמש פעמים ברציפות ל-Take It Easy שלהם. וזה, אף שנדמה כי אין זה הגיוני, לא קרה לי כבר די הרבה זמן. יאללה, לפלורידה. Surfer Blood :: Take It Easy Surfer Blood :: Swim Surfer Blood :: Floating Vibes האלבום המלא והמעולה
read more »Fanfarlo – the first band of my CMJ 2009 experience at The Music Slut Party at Piano’s, Ludlow St, Manhattan, NYC. The last ten days in NYC have been amazing. The food (Aoife’s got that part covered), the bars, the hotels, the people, the buildings, – I’ve consumed what the city had to offer but still want more of it. Of course, the real reason I was there was for CMJ 2009 – a showcase of 1300 bands taking place over five days in Brooklyn and Manhattan. I missed so many bands I wanted to see but here are the 8 best bands that I did catch at the festival. You can also read my piece on CMJ buzz bands from the Indo here. Fanfarlo The first thing we hit at CMJ was The Music Slut’s Day Party in Piano’s and the first band we saw were Fanfarlo. Having absolutely fallen in love with their album Reservoir, I was delighted to see their live show is just as good. Swooping indie-folk music in the vein of Beirut and Arcade for sure, but strong enough to stand on its own two feet. Hopefully, they’ll hit Irish shores in the new year as I’d love to see them again. MP3: Fanfarlo – I’m a Pilot Surfer Blood These Florida boys played 12 gigs at CMJ but it was actually a small Monday night show in Williamsburg post-CMJ where I caught them. Promising indie-rock (with a surf-rock tinge, a “more cowbell” attitude and plenty of catchy tunes to boot. Their sound is reminiscent of early Weezer with Wilco hanging around skulking in the background. One of this year’s palpable CMJ buzz bands. The footage below is by Abbey Bradden of Sup Magazine and was taken at the gig I attended. <object width="480" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"/><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"/><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7331153&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"/><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7331153&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="480" height="300"></embed></object> MP3: Surfer Blood – Floating Vibes Suckers Suckers at IAMSound showcase by Jessica Amaya. I love Suckers mix of psychedelia, harmony, nuance and atmospherics. The main vocalist sounds like David Byrne and there’s a sense that this band are a little less normal than most which intrigues me a bit more. I caught them at the IAMSound showcase in the Bowery Poetry Club where Apache Beat (forgettable), New Villager (disappointing – full of theatrics, very few tunes and they didn’t play or I missed ‘Rich Doors’), Fool’s Gold and Golden Silvers also played. MP3: Suckers – Afterthoughts and TV Chromeo Photo by Vincent Cornelli for the indispensable Brooklyn Vegan. The most anticipated gig of the entire trip took place in a Bowling Alley cum venue in Brooklyn on a Saturday night at the Green Label Sound showcase in the Brooklyn Bowl. Solid Gold, Theophilus London (see below) played and Holy Ghost! DJed in between with the execrable Amazing Baby also playing (please just stop lads, you’re awful). Chromeo were as was expected – brilliant. The duo played all of their hits – ‘Tenderoni’, ‘Fancy Footwork’, ‘Bonafied Lovin’, ‘My Girl is calling Me a Liar’ and new single ‘Night by Night’. Chromeo are all about the fun times. The bow-ties, synth-lines, percussion and cheesy smiles say it all. Did you know: the dude on the left is A-Trak’s brother? <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qDFMoD6dmM4&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qDFMoD6dmM4&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object> MP3: Chromeo – Night By Night (Skream remix) Crystal Antlers Photo by Dig the Well @ The Cake Shop. One of the busiest bands at the festival, Long Beach’s Crystal Antlers were also the only band I caught more than once. Live, their psych-noise organ rock sound is even more frenetic. In their percussionist Damien, they have a magnetic live character who spent his time sweating and jumping around, banging and spinning cymbals like a proper rock star. He was also one of the nicest, funniest people you could meet. Big shout out to Ian and Paul who run The Go Go Radio Show in Montreal who were catalysts in rekindling my love for this band. MP3: Crystal Antlers – Tentacles Duchess Says Photo by Eats Dirt. DS play bonkers pop-electro-rock from another planet (well Montreal) and their lead singer Annie Claude is a proper engaging mentaller. At the Brooklyn Vegan day party in Piano’s, she spent most of the time in the audience, jumping on people (she rugby tackled me to the ground), getting up in their face and gesturing to each note. she finished the set by walking out into the audience as far as her microphone chord could reach before giving us a “Ciao” and walking out of the venue’s front door. Absolutely brilliant and much more suitable than their Irish show a couple of years back. MP3: Duchess Says – Rabies (Baby’s got the) Theophilus London More photos of the Brooklyn Bowl party. This boy is getting better and better. His style is totally his own – hip-hop based yet touches of dance and R&B with plenty of hooks. A great dancer and he can sing too. His This Charming Mixtape is a must and judging by the new songs he played in the Brooklyn Bowl, he’s on the up. MP3: Theophilus London – Enjoy The Sun Rain Machine Arriving at the Fader Fort Party at the Ace Hotel (we stayed here for 2 nights – excellent young and hip hotel with record players, a guitar and a huge SMEG fridge in the room – recommended), I had already missed The Temper Trap, MNDR, Chaffeur (Mark Ronson’s new band with Theo London and Sam Sparro) but managed to catch the end of Florence and the Machine who was doing an acoustic set. The special guests who closed out the night turned out to be TV on the Radio Kyp Malone’s solo project Rain Machine. It was an engaging set that suggested that this is more than merely a side project. Live, Kyp is backed by another vocalist and keyboardist, bass, drummer and another guitarist but the focus is really all him, particularly during the solo song he plays towards the end. ‘Give Blood’ (in the video below) is the self-titled record’s standout track by far for its boisterousness and is lifted by the girl on backing vocals. Occasionally, it feels like a project in its infancy but it’s Kyp Malone and he’s a badass so you’ll listen. <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gHyqInCsPbY&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gHyqInCsPbY&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object> MP3: Rain Machine Smiling Black Faces Related PostsNialler9 @ CMJ – LATFH*Chromeo – Night By Night (Skream remix)Nialler9 Podcast #28 – Wavves / Atlas Sound / Washed Out / Little Dragon and moreA Twittertape to beat the Monday bluesNew Chromeo – Night by NightVideo: Fanfarlo – The Walls Are Coming DownNialler9 Weekly ChartNialler9 Weekly Chart
read more »"Floating Vibes" - Surfer Blood "Floating Vibes" has that deep guitar thing going right away, which I always find gratifying. And which always makes me wonder why rock'n'roll has so consistently (and, to my ears, stupidly) glorified the sound of a wailing guitar played so high up on the neck that there's no room left for the guitarist's fingers. I'll take the robust, thoughtful tremor of the lowest register over screechy wails any day. And check out the countervailing seventh notes that begin appearing at 0:20, floating with offhand precision above the darker sound, the quasi-dissonance of that interval perking the ear up in a most welcome and curious way. This song is pretty great before singer John Paul Pitts--known merely as JP--opens his mouth. And it gets better. The basic guitar refrain of the introduction becomes the verse melody, with the seventh-note question marks now removed, giving the melody a newly grounded sense of certainty. The harmonies that accompany the melody the second time through (1:00) are subtle and ingenious--the harmony voice is pretty much singing one note--and solidify the melodic construction so firmly that the song never returns to it. It turns out that for all its easy-going tunefulness, "Floating Vibes" is subversive with respect to form: there is no standard chorus and no verse that repeats throughout the song. Rather, there are three different verse melodies, separated by instrumental breaks. The first is the one rooted in the introduction, the second is introduced at an instrumental break at 1:16, and the third (2:35) is a kind of mash-up of the first two. The final instrumental section moves onto yet another melody and features a violin, as unexpected as it is effective. Surfer Blood is a quintet of non-surfers from West Palm Beach. "Floating Vibes" is the lead track from Astro Coast, the band's debut, slated for released in January on Brooklyn-based Kanine Records. MP3 via Pitchfork.
read more »At this point anyone can have a CMJ-week party. You don't even need a sponsor, in part because you don't even need a proper venue. (Lofts, yards, and empty space above auto parts stores will suffice, aspiring Todd Ps.) So in a sense there's something less impressive, if only because the party-gatekeepers are less exclusive, about playing 10+ shows during the industry fest's vice grip on the city. Unless you have the live show and songs to back up the prefabricated buzz, of course; then you might find yourself the pivotal case study of a New York Times post-mortem. That's where Floridian Sleigh Bells-affiliates Surfer Blood find themselves, playing at least 12 times and generally impressing through most. Where their studio cuts like "Swim (To Reach The End) can flirt with the epically raucous end of things, onstage the the band tends to pull back from those grander postures for something more visceral and punchy with their surf-Afro-power-pop, bar-room dropkick hooks in place of big-room reverberated clamor. I caught them a few times through the week, intentionally and not, including their early Wednesday set at Pianos for the ForceField Party -- as did DIY one-continuous-shot video specialist Ray Concepcioñ, who launches his one-continuous-shot-video-a-day-for-fourteen-days CMJ exposé with this clip of "Take It Easy." It'll give you a good idea of where Surfer Blood is at, with a side of lots of hyper-zoom action.Continue reading New Surfer Blood Live Video - "Take It Easy" (CMJ 2009)...
read more »Best Unofficial Day Show: After the Jump's End of CMJ ShindigWhere: Brooklyn BowlWhen: 12pm - 8pmCost: FREELineup: 1pm - Savoir Adore, 2pm - Grooms, 3pm - Surfer Blood, 4pm - Harlem, 5pm - Soft Black, 6pm - Lovvers, 7pm - Bear In Heaven, 8pm - Small BlackWhy This Show: After last year's rain induced debacle After the Jump planned ahead and booked an indoor venue to prevent any last minute cancellations. We also managed to throw together a lineup that includes a couple local favorites, a few of the big buzz bands of the festival, and a lot of great music. Plus you can shell out to bowl during the show too, how many other showcases have that going for them?Listen: Savoir Adore - "We Talk Like Machines"Grooms - "Dreamsucker"Surfer Blood - "Floating Vibes"Harlem - "South Of France"Soft Black - "The Earth Is Black"Lovvers - "Human Hair"Bear In Heaven - "Lovesick Teenager"Small Black - "Weird Machines"Best Official Showcase: Sub Pop/Hardly Art ShowcaseWhere: Mercury LoungeWhen: 7pm- 3amCost: $12 or CMJ BadgeLineup: 7pm - Unnatural Helpers, 8pm - Dum Dum Girls, 9pm - Moondoggies, 10pm - The Dutchess & The Duke, 11pm - Golden Triangle, 12am - Pissed Jeans, 1am - Obits, 2am - Male BondingWhy This Show: Sub Pop has long been one of my favorite labels and this year they have a few bands lined up that I have yet to see but really need to! Unnatural Helpers, Moondoggies, Obits, and Male Bonding are all on that list, but the whole lineup is full of can't miss bands that you should probably see while that badge still gets you into places.Listen: Unnatural Helpers - "Dirty Dumb Comical"Dum Dum Girls - "Baby Don't Go"Moondoggies - "Changin'"The Dutchess & The Duke - "Living This Life"Golden Triangle - "Red Coats"Pissed Jeans - "People Person"Obits - "Pine On"Male Bonding - "Rehearsal Song"Best Showcase CMJ Doesn't Want You to Know About: Topman/JellyNYC ShowcaseWhere: Roots StudioWhen: 9pm - 1amCost: FREE (w/RSVP)Lineup: The Almighty Defenders, Neon Indian, Cale ParksWhy This Show: With two of my top 10 picks playing their only (or only announced) shows of the marathon this is pretty much the place to be Saturday night, unless of course you plan on seeing these bands tomorrow night at Maxwell's in which case by all means go enjoy something else and save the room for us!Listen: The Almighty Defenders - "All My Loving"Neon Indian - "Deadbeat Summer"Cale Parks - "Wet Paint"Top 5 Bands to See:1. The Almighty Defenders; Their one and only CMJ show of the week this is a band that you seriously should not miss. Individually the Black Lips, King Khan, and BBQ Show all put on ridiculous shows, together this might be something you will never forget.2. Neon Indian; You may have found out about one or two of their unannounced shows this week so maybe you already saw them, but most of you probably didn't know about any of them but this one, so get there and enjoy.3. Male Bonding; It's 2am on the last day of the marathon, you are either ready for bed or looking to stretch this week of partying out as long as you can. If you're in that last group definitely make a point of heading to the Mercury Lounge for the last band on the Sub Pop bill.4. Harlem; I've been waiting all week to see these guys since I knew they were playing ATJ's showcase, but I'm super excited to finally see a band I've been loving since they first burst onto the scene.5. Surfer Blood; If you happened to miss their first 11-shows of the week you might as well catch one of their last and see what you've been missing all along!Best of the Rest...- Young and the Hungry @ The Delancey- Mum @ (le) poisson rouge- Rain Machine + Sharon Van Etten @ Bowery Ballroom- Dark Meat @ Glasslands- AAM Party @ Music Hall of Williamsburg<script type="text/javascript"> sr_adspace_id = 4549407; sr_adspace_width = 728; sr_adspace_height = 90; sr_adspace_type = "graphic"; sr_ad_new_window = true; </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://ad.afy11.net/srad.js?azId=4549407"> </script>
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