Stream the new LP from The xx, "Coexist"

The xx made a huge splash with their self-titled debut LP. People LOVE this band (that debut ranked in the top twenty of the last 15 years in the Pitchfork People’s List). This music is like a sharp bite on the lip during a kiss, there’s a darkness and aching to go along with the sexy.

It’s easy to forget that the members of this band are only 23. These songs carry a bit more emotional heft than those on the first album, and there are moments of real beauty here, but I can’t help feeling like these guys really haven’t had their hearts broken yet. Check out a stream of Coexist below.

Update: Young Turks and the band are going out of their way to keep the album off of Grooveshark so I’m going to respect their previous wishes and remove the stream.

OK, Jessie Ware, I'm Down

I am a man who takes his indie divas very seriously. My most recent love affair was with Robyn during her unstoppable Body Talk run a couple of years ago. This means I approach any critically lauded newcomer with a lot of wariness*. 26-year-old Londoner Jessie Ware has a compelling story; after a handful of guest spots and backing vocal contributions over the last few years she’s finally getting her turn.

And she’s making the most of it. With the tracks on Devotion, her new debut LP, she’s crafted a stylized update of the now-classic soul of Sade and Lisa Stansfield. The production is judiciously glittery, never feeling over-indulgent or showy. That tricky balance between neo-soul and electropop is the real draw, pushing the shimmer of Robyn further into the bedroom.

Check out a few videos and stream Jessie Ware’s debut LP Devotion.

*Ware-iness, get it?

New Tame Impala, "Elephant"

I’m just now coming to Tame Impala. They released their well-received debut Innerspeaker in 2010 but I didn’t hear it at the time, and I’m not sure why. On paper this band has everything I look for: a strong melodic grounding, a willingness to toy with pop structures without sacrificing catchiness, and a coolly psychedelic bent. Now they’re coming back with sophomore LP Lonerism, due out October 8th. With “Elephant” the band simultaneously make a case for being the best hard rock band going (sorry Black Keys), the best psych rock band going (sorry Ariel Pink), and the best John-Lennon-esque voice going (sorry Sean Lennon).

This is one of my favorite tracks of 2012 so far. It’s certainly not conventional structurally — there’s an INCREDIBLE mini-guitar-synth jam in the middle — but it doesn’t feel disjointed, just hypnotic. It’s a hard thing not to headbang to, gently.

New Stars, "Backlines"

Stars made two of my favorite albums of the 20-aughts in Set Yourself on Fire and In Our Bedroom After the War. They also played one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen. It was pretty dissapointing when 2010’s The Five Ghosts, a record I anticipated being a victory lap if nothing else, was pretty thoroughly unimpressive.

Now they’re  set to return with The North, due out September 4th. The first couple tracks released seemed a bit more inspired and now the Amy Millan-sung “Backlines” proves a further return to form. It calls to mind some of the other best Amy-lead tracks like “Elevator Love Letter” and “Ageless Beauty”. Check it out at NPR’s site.

New Stars, "Backlines"

Stars made two of my favorite albums of the 20-aughts in Set Yourself on Fire and In Our Bedroom After the War. They also played one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen. It was pretty dissapointing when 2010’s The Five Ghosts, a record I anticipated being a victory lap if nothing else, was pretty thoroughly unimpressive.

Now they’re  set to return with The North, due out September 4th. The first couple tracks released seemed a bit more inspired and now the Amy Millan-sung “Backlines” proves a further return to form. It calls to mind some of the other best Amy-lead tracks like “Elevator Love Letter” and “Ageless Beauty”. Check it out at NPR’s site.