The Ceremonies - Land of Gathering

Feels like: Jet, LP, The Postelles, The Kooks, Reptar, Sol Cat, Fun.

NEW MUSIC! NEW MUSIC! Seriously, check out this brand new band! Excited to see what else they can produce.

Class Actress - Weekend

Feels like: STRFKR, Chairlift, Active Child, M83, Pacific Air, Gold Fields, Wildcat! Wildcat!, The Naked and Famous, Magic Wands, The Neighbourhood

So, so, so ready for the weekend.  Bring on the weekend

Cub Scouts - Pool!

Feels like: Sol Cat, Jinja Safari, Funeral Suits, Stepdad, Reptar, Walk the Moon

Check out Cub Scouts' latest video for "Pool!".  So ready for the dreary winter to end and spring to be here

Sol Cat - Fishin' With John

Feels like: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., Reptar, Fires of Rome, Grouplove

Road to Roo last night was pretty stellar.  The winners in my book were Sol Cat, a band I have been following for quite some time in Nashville.  They just released their first self titled album and are worth a listen.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Sacrilege

Feels Like: Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Talking Heads

If you were to say to me after Yeah Yeah Yeahs' debut album that one day they'd have a song with a full choir singing on it, I wouldn't have believed you. A power trio of their caliber has no need toying around with embellishments like that. But here they are ten years later, and it works. It seems Karen O is expanding on the classic rock staples' sound she showed she could so easily manipulate with her cover of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" for 2011's Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. YYY's fourth album Mosquito is due out April 16th.

Matt and Kim - It's Alright

Feels like: Slam Donahue, RDGLDGRN, Phoenix, Passion Pit, MGMT, Robert DeLong, Wild Cub, Cherub, Yuksek

Monday. It's Alright.

Born Ruffians - Needle

Feels Like: Fleet Foxes, Los Campesinos, Tokyo Police Club

After a Fleet Foxes-esque opening, the Ruffians settle into their infectious blend of indie rock. Their sound hasn't changed too much since their sugar-coated debut, and I really don't mind. These Canadians have a knack for making pop-rock music that is always sparse yet calcualted. There's something about the simplicity of their songs make them that much more memorable. The Born Ruffians' upcoming album, Birthmarks, is due out April 16th.

Phoenix - Entertainment

Feels like: Slam Donahue, Midi Matilda, Empire of the Sun, MGMT, The Naked and Famous, The Royal Concept

Newest single from Phoenix.  So on time, and ready to roll.  Enjoy.  You know I will.

Phony Ppl - Statues

Feels Like: Aesop Rock, Little Brother, The Foreign Exchange, early Common

I am really feeling this Brooklyn hip-hop/r&b collective that I stumbled across the other day. They are really keying on the neo-soul vibe popularly purveyed by Common, D'Angelo, and company in the early 2000s. Let me make this clear, there is only one D'Angelo. We all pledge allegiance to him and this far from an equivalent comparison. Nonetheless, it's good to hear someone kicking it old school on jazz heavy hip hop scene. Check out the video hear and head over to their bandcamp page to snag the album, Nothing Special.

RDGLDGRN - Million Fans/I Love Lamp

Feels like: The Cool Kids, Incubus, Darwin Deez, Robert DeLong, N.E.R.D., Outkast, Gnarls Barkley, MIA, Slam Donahue, MGMT, Santigold, Kid Cudi

Dave Grohl and Pharrell both are working with this trio out of DC.  It is a very cool sound that reminds me of old school rap and indie rock making an awkward yet awesome love child.  It's a tale that's been told hundreds of times, but their energy, colors and joy just make me love them.  Enjoy!

Iron and Wine - Caught in the Briars

Feels Like: Cat Stevens, Paul Simon, Nick Drake, Van Morrison

Sam Beam's songs are usually full of solid imagery, but something about this song's lyrics seems even more concrete. While I loved Iron & Wine's early albums, his past two have really solidified his position as someone unafraid to explore new avenues, both sonically and lyrically. It seems he might take a detour back to his earlier sound on some tracks on the new album, but if the first single is any indication, there will still be a good amount of experimentation. "Caught in the Briars" will be the opening track on Iron &Wine's upcoming fifth album, titled Ghost on Ghost, due out April 16th.

Passion Pit - Carried Away

Feels like: Foster the People, M83, Grouplove, Cherub, Slam Donahue, MGMT

Check out Passion Pit's newest video just for Valentine's Day!  If this doesn't scream love, then...that's that.

James Blake - Retrograde

Feels like: Alt-J, Bonobo, SBTRKT, James Welsh, Passion Pit, How to Dress Well, Phantogram, Discovery, YesYou, Neon Indian, On An On, The Neighbourhood, Wildcat! Wildcat!, D'Angelo, Jai Paul, Sunny Levine

Pure soul.  This song is awesome, and if you don't know about James Blake, well now you do.  MmmHmmmMmm

Ra Ra Riot - Beta Love [RAC Remix]

Feels like: James Welsh, Phantogram, James Blake, Robert DeLong, Kishi Bashi, On An On, The Neighbourhood, How to Dress Well, Rich Aucoin

RAC does it again: takes a pretty catchy song and makes it how I want to hear it.  For some reason the softer poppier version is really working for me.  But if you want to hear the original, just check it out below.

The Postal Service - A Tattered Line of String

Feels like: Death Cab for Cutie, Broken Bells, Phantogram, The Royal Concept, Yo La Tengo, Phoenix

New video from perennial favorite The Postal Service.  Could mean a new album is on the horizon.  Fingers crossed.

Yo Nashville: Leagues - Spotlight

Feels Like: Wild Cub, Cold War Kids, Phoenix

As you may know, I'm a sucker for black-and-white videos, especially when they're coupled with amazing music, as is the case with Leagues' "Spotlight" video. Nashville's own Leagues just released their uber-catchy debut album, You Belong Here, which you can stream here.



Yo Nashville is a segment in which we highlight local talent from here in Music City U.S.A.

Phantogram - Don't Move/Mouthful of Diamonds

Feels like: Neon Indian, Yeasayer, Yuksek, Electric Guest, Cherub, LexiconDon, The XX, Walter Meego, Ratatat, STRFKR, Purity Ring, Broken Bells

Phantogram is coming out with a new record this year, and I cannot be more excited.  If you haven't had a chance to see Phantogram live, well get on it!  Check out their latest video for "Don't Move" above and my personal favorite "Mouthful of Diamonds" below.

Swear and Shake - The Light/These White Walls

Feels Like: The Civil Wars, Houndmouth, Dawes, Milo Greene

The rise of any genre into popular graces leads to a horde of imitators. The recent rise of Mumford & Sons and the Lumineers, however, has seemed to cause an all-out flood of generic-sounding folkers. As one wise Mumford-reviewer once said, "you can't have a hoe-down in every damn song," and, unfortunately, not many of these bands are taking this advice to heart. New York-based Swear and Shake are very much in the vein of these groups, but should definitely not be lost in the flood. Having actual talent and a knack for song structure, Swear and Shake have crafted an excellent debut, and these songs attest to that. They are currently on tour with the one and only G. Love and will be playing Governor's Ball this summer in NYC.

Action Bronson - Strictly 4 the Jeeps

Feels Like: Wu-Tang, Notorious B.I.G., The Cool Kids

I've been following Action for a while now, and while he has released a couple quality mixtapes (which you should cop here and here), he hasn't really released a great single. Then comes "Strictly 4 the Jeeps," where, utilizing a beat that's sounds like it's been aging in Chuck Inglish's basement since the "88" days, Action taps into his Ghostface-flow, as usual, but this time, it sounds fresh, urgent even. Here's hoping this is a sign of what we'll find on his new collaborative album with producer Harry Fraud (who crafted this track).