Metric have announced their lates recording, Synthetica, is coming out June 12, 2012. It is the fifth full-length from the band and follows Fantasies, which the band self released outside Canada. Fantasies sold over a million albums or singles around the world. This new effort is also to be self-released and as part of a joint venture with Mom + Pop in the USA. The band’s own company, Metric Music International is behind the band’s music along with a pair of independent managers.

Good for Metric. I hope this release sells two million.

Apparently Fantasies was the first record to ever achieve a Top 20 hit on U.S. commercial radio with out a traditional record label.

Again, good for Metric and I hope Synthetica has a Top Ten Hit.

For more information head to www.ilovemetric.com.

Yes, yes, I write about School of Seven Bells every time there is a press release. I know. I admit it (again). What can I say?

But this time you can stream their new record in its entirety below. I am listening right now. This is a band you need to hear.

They are worth posting redundantly about.

Bright Moments (aka Kelly Pratt) is a multi-instrumentalist who has worked with some of the most interesting bands in music today (or the immediate past!). Beirut, LCD Soundsystem and Arcade Fire are all acts he has worked with—and his debut record, Natives, comes out this week.

The record features Beirut’s rhythm section, the drummer rom Akoya and accordionist Perrin Cloutier. You can listen to and download the single, Tourists, at the Soundclound page embed below. You can also stream the entire abum at AOL Spinner HERE. AOL usually leaves these up for a week so you probably have only a few days to do this.

There will be a show February 23 at Cameo Gallery in Brooklyn, NY and appearances at SXSW in March.

Being There, out of London, have a new single coming from Young & Lost Club (a label you should know if you read Mapanare). The single, 17, comes out April 9, 2012. The track is featured on the upcoming full length debut by the band, Breaking Away.

They have toured with Noah & The Whale (another Young & Lost band).  The band is also touring the UK. Dates are below. Hear more at the band’s Bandcamp page. You can stream the single at their Soundcloud page as well.

Tour
March
14th – London, Paper Dress Vintage party
15th – Kingston, New Slang @ The Hippodrome w/King Charles
19th – Manchester, The Castle Hotel (Free Entry)
20th – London, The Macbeth (Free Entry)
22nd – Bristol, Thekla
23rd – Bath, Moles
24th – Tunbridge Wells, Forum

April
13th April – London, Club The Mammoth @ Old Blue Last (Free Entry)

Mrs. Magician, out of San Diego are releasing their debut, Strange Heaven, on April 17, 2012 on Swami Records (the release will be out digitally March 6). The record was produced by John Reis of Hot Snakes. Not coincidentally the band is opening several shows for Hot Snakes on the West Coast.

Check out all the tour dates below.

Tour
*With Cults
^With Hot Snakes

3/2 Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwells*
3/3 Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar*
3/4 Carrboro, NC @ Cats Cradle*
3/6 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl*
3/7 Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree*
3/10 Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon*
3/17 El Paso, TX @ Lowbrow Palace*
3/18 Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress*
3/19 Phoenix, AZ @ Rhythm Room*
3/21 Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern*
3/22 Los Angeles, CA @ Music Box*
3/23 Pomona, CA @ The Glass House*
3/24 Santa Barbara, CA @ Velvet Jones*
3/27 San Diego, CA @ The Casbah ^
3/28 Phoenix, AZ @ The Crescent Ballroom ^
3/29 West Hollywood, CA @ The Troubadour ^
3/30 San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill ^
4/3 Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room*
4/4 San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall*
4/5 San Francisco, CA @ Slims*
4/6 Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom*
4/7 Seattle, WA @ Neptune*
4/9 Vancouver, BC @ The Rickshaw Theatre*
4/11 Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge*
4/12 Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater*
4/13 Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre*
4/14 Lawrence, KS @ The Granada Theatre*
4/16 Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Café*
4/17 Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre*
4/18 Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom*
4/20 Chicago, IL @ Metro*
4/21 Bloomington, IN @ Rhinos*
4/22 Ferndale, MI @ The Magic Bag*
4/23 Buffalo, NY Mohawk Place*
4/25 Toronto, ON Phoenix Concert Theatre*
4/26 Montreal, Quebec Corona Theatre*
4/27 South Burlington, VT Higher Ground*
4/28 Boston, MA Boston University George Sherman Union*
4/29 Northampton, MA Pearl Street Nightclub*

JD Samson + Men, a Brooklyn art collective, band etc, have their new ep, Next, out now. You can buy it at all the usual places. They group produced the record with Jordan Lieb on the self-released effort. If you want something physical in a release? There is a limited edition of 200 you can purchase when you go to see them live.

Four eps are planned this year among other projects. If you are confused and think the band used to be called, simply, MEN, you are correct but things change. These collaborative art projects always confuse me so I will leave it to you to sort out who is who in this project. I am sure you know how to use Google?
  
JD Samson + MEN also have some videos out and you can check them out below.
 

Never Shout Never are heading out on a spring tour with support from acts including; Kurt Travis, Koji, & Bearcat. The tour begins in April 20, 2012 so you have some time to prepare!

There is also a contest for you folks who have bands. If you want to open for Never Shout never send a link to your music via nevershoutnever.com. The band will be chosen by vote at AltPress.com.

God I hate contests like this. I won’t get into why....OK since you asked; you get a slot on a bill because you can get more friends to "vote"? Contests for music prizes of any sort always wind up with the lowest denominator in any genre winning...The Velvet Underground wouldn't have won any contests in 1966.

This isn't to diss Never Shout Never mind you.

Tour

April 20 - Austin, TX - The Parish
April 21 - Dallas, TX - The Cambridge Room
April 22 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live Studio 
April 24 - Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad 
April 27 - Anaheim, CA - Chain Reaction 
April 28 - Anaheim, CA - Chain Reaction 
April 29 - San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill 
May 1 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex 
May 2 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater
May 4 - Chicago, IL - Beat Kitchen 
May 5 - Indiana, PA - Indiana University of Pennsylvania 
May 6 - Cleveland Heights, OH - Grog Shop 
May 8 - Lansing, MI - The Loft 
May 9 - Toronto, ON - The Mod Club Theatre 
May 11 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theatre
May 12 - Hamden, CT - The Space
May 13 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
May 15 - Vienna, VA - Jammin Java Music Club & Cafe 
May 16 - Vienna, VA - Jammin Java Music Club & Cafe
May 17 - Allentown, PA - Crocodile Rock Cafe 
May 19 - East Rutherford, NJ - The Bamboozle Festival 
May 26 - Springfield, MO - Outland Ballroom 

Gonjasufi just released a mini-album, MU.ZZ.LE. Is a mini-album different from an EP? I mean is it a glass half full vs. glass half empty sort of thing? In addition to the mini-album, Gonjasufi has a video for the track, The Blame.

As you might expect you can see it below. The video was directed by Neil Krug. Cinematography by David Myrick.

This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.

Mati Zundel's released a video last week for Senor Montecostes. Took awhile for me to post it because I have been on a 4 day bender. Or I was working on getting some other stuff done. You can pick which you prefer.

Zundel has a record, Amazonico Gravitante, coming on March 27 on Waxploitation.

Think “experimental dance” music here. Zundel is from Argentina and there seems to be a good deal of electronic, experimental dance music coming out of that nation. Next we need electronic tango. Get to it!

I saw Van Hunt last year at Schubas in Chicago. All I can tell you is; go see Van Hunt. He is releasing his first live recording digitally on March 13, 2011. Live at The Troubadour 2011 will be supported by a slew of live dates, beginning in Texas. Vintage Trouble will open on the first part of the tour and Rocco Deluca takes over when Vintage Trouble leaves.

Hunt is also a producer and Grammy winner.

Hunt’s live show calls to mind old school funk, rock, a little dash of Prince even and fantastic musicianship.  Check out some photos and thoughts on his last Chicago show HERE.