Spacelab Collective

Oneida Triptych Album Sees Final Chapter: Absolute II

Long ago in the era of President Bush, the Bushies were planning world domination through foreign policy and opposing what the "reality-based community" was considering by creating their own reality, i.e. a new middle east. Brooklyn experimentalists Oneida had much bigger ambitions. They set out to create a series of albums under the name of the "Thank Your Parents" triptych of releases.

First came Preteen Weaponry, then Rated O, and now the close the loop with the release of Absolute II on June 7 in digital and vinyl formats. Check out an advance sample of the album with the song "Horizon."

You can also check out Oneida on Oct. 1 when they play at the Asbury Park, New Jersey incarnation of the All Tomorrow’s Parties “I’ll Be Your Mirror” show. Oneida will perform “Oneida Presents the Ocropolis III,” and we're told the planets will align during the show.

Also try:
MP3: Oneida “Horizon” excerpt from Absolute II

Oneida: Absolute II Track List
01 Pre_Human
02 Horizon
03 Gray Area
04 Absolute II

Fiery Furnaces Singer Eleanor Friedberger to Release Solo Album Last Summer on Merge Records

Eleanor Friedberger, also known as the sultry and fiery voice for The Fiery Furnaces, has put together her own solo album titled Last Summer, which will be released this Summer on July 12. Check out and advance MP3 of the new song "My Mistakes."

The new Eleanor Friedberger album is also her first the label Merge Records. Look for tour dates in coming weeks, which (yes) means she'll be doing a Summer tour for Last Summer.

Sub Pop Goes Chill-wave With Washed Out Signing

Sub Pop Records has announced the addition of Washed Out to the Seattle recording label, a treasure-trove of laid-back chill-wave-esque sounds that no doubt will expand the sounds of Sub Pop into a new area. Washed Out is the project of Ernest Greene, who will be releasing a new album titled Within and Without on July 12th.

Greene worked with producer Ben Allen on Within and Without, and Ben Allen boasts no small feat(s) in the fact that he co-produced both Deerhunter's Halcyon Digest and Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion.

Dream-pop, chill-wave, post-electro, lo-fi, glo-fi and no-fi; they all are slightly imperfect phrases for describing a style of music that is generally one or all of the following: lackadaisical, hypnotic, cassette-recorded, warped, affable yet not encouraging, pleasantly apathetic, sun-baked, laid-back, slightly out of focus and… Washed Out. The last full-length effort by Washed Out was Life of Leisure, an album of sonic haze and postmodern ambience.

Washed Out: Within And Without Track List
   1. Eyes Be Closed
   2. Echoes
   3. Amor Fati
   4. Soft
   5. Far Away
   6. Before
   7. You and I
   8. Within and Without
   9. A Dedication

Mountains Announce Air Museum, Preview New Song

Experimentalists Mountains will release their new album Air Museum on April 1 via Thrill Jockey. Check out the advance track "Thousand Square."

The album attempts to get away from sounding overproduced or "computer processed" by turning to analog recording techniques and effects pedals, something Mountains also follow through on with their live performances.

New Memory Tapes Album in July

There's a new Memory Tapes album due called Player Piano, The follow up to 2010's magical album Seek Magic. Player Piano is set to be  released on Carpark Records on July 15, and  was recorded at Dayve Hawk’s home studio in New Jersey, and mastered at Abbey Road.

Also try:
VIDEO: Memory Tapes - Green Knight - (Mission Control Remix)
MP3: Memory Tapes - Pretend The Devil Isn't Real

Handsome Furs In the Sound Kapital

Handsome Furs have announced their next new album, Sound Kapital, which will be released on June 28 on Sub Pop Records. It was written written solely on keyboards, so that means prime time for  Alexei Perry.

Sound Kapital is their third full-length album and the follow-up to 2009's Face Control.

Handsome Furs: Sound Kapital Track List
When I Get Back
Damage
Bury Me Standing
Memories of the Future
Serve the People
What About Us
Repatriated
Cheap Music
No Feelings

Bloc Party: Gettin' the Band Back Together!

It's been two long year's since we heard from Bloc Party, with Russell Lissack working with Ash and lead sing Kele OKerke doing a solo album, as well as other band members doing other side projects ... But now the band has started to work together again, with the intention of creating a new album.

"Kele and I started working on Bloc Party stuff. We're having a bit of a break until the festivals are over, because people have commitments during the summer, but we're going to get back properly in September and sit in a rehearsal studio to work on new band material," said Russell Lissack when speaking to The Guardian.

It looks like 2011 will be a quiet year, with new Bloc Party reunion album due out potentially in 2012. Maybe they'll do up a Bloc Party tour!

Atari Teenage Riot and Their Industrial Riot

Atari Teenage Riot are back with a new onslaught of their fire-branded electro-come-hardcore techno on their new album Is This Hyperreal? They're releasing the album on Dim Mak on June 7 (download) and June 21 (physical release). Check out the mp3s of the singles "Activate!" and "Blood In My Eyes."


Atari Teenage Riot: Is This Hyperreal? Track List
01. Activate!
02. Blood In My Eyes
03. Black Flags
04. Is This Hyperreal?
05. Codebreaker
06. Shadow Identity
07. Re-Arrange Your Synapses
08. Digital Decay
09. The Only Slight Glimmer of Hope
10. The Collapse of History

Flaming Lips Move to a New Stage with New Yoshimi Theatrical Production

The Flaming Lips have done movies, and video experiments ... and now they're moving to the stage. The theatrical stage, that is. Lips lead singer Wayne Coyness let it fly this week that there is a Flaming Lips theatrical production in the works, based largely on "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots."  It will also include other Flaming Lips material, but mostly draws from Yoshimi. They're working with director Des McAnuff on the show.

"It'll be a big chunk of Flaming Lips music, probably about 30 songs. It's a big deal. It's hokey and wonderful and poignant and powerful. It's really become a perfect combination of my fantastical robot-world vision and [McAnuff's] little, internal, humanistic version of what that music is. I really believe it could work -- and luckily I don't have to do much!" he said when speaking to Billboard.

Cults Ready New Self-titled Album

Cults will release their new album on June 7, an eleven track affair due on In The Name Of. It's a self-titled album and was also self-produced by the band.

In what's already shaping up to be one of the really good indie-pop tours of the new year, Cults have lined up a long list of shows with acts like Small Black, Sun Airway and even a gig with Asobi Seksu.

Track List
01 Abducted
02 Go Outside
03 You Know What I Mean
04 Most Wanted
05 Walk at Night
06 Never Heal Myself
07 Oh My God
08 Never Saw the Point
09 Bad Things
10 Bumper
11 Rave On