This just seems like a recipe for an amazing and unique three days of music. Starting on March 20th and ending on the 22nd, the festival is set in Monterrey, Mexico in an old Drive-In movie theater and is set to feature 75 American, Mexican, and internationl acts. The site can house 5,000 people, has modern bathrooms, an ambulance and staff, a fully stocked bar and local vendors.

Todd P and Mexican promoters Yo Garage have worked hard in crafting this unique festival. Confirmed artists so far include Andrew W.K., Tanlines, Dan Deacon, No Age, Lemonade, Neon Indian, Toro y Moi, Washed Out, Telepathe and many more. In addition to the bands, there will be a curated art portion as well. Sculptures will surround the grounds and the Drive-In screen will see plenty of use. There are numerous options for lodging and getting to and fro from the fest. This promises to be a wild time with a low price of $30 and a passport. Head over to here to purchase your tickets and ToddPNYC.com for more details.

Remember Bad Lieutenant? Bernard Sumner’s post New Order band? We did an album review for Never Cry Another Tear and were excited when the dates were announced. Unfortunately there was a visa bug going around canceling tours left and right (including Echo and the Bunnymen’s tour dates). Well, the band seems to be resilient and our hope to see the band are fulfilled. The band is set to make their American debut in April that includes a stop at Coachella and at Webster Hall. Tickets go on sale this week, all dates below.

Bad Lieutenant Spring Tour Dates

04/16 - San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom
04/17 - Indio, CA @ Coachella
04/19 - Chicago, IL @ Park West
04/21 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall

Odd Blood, the sophomore release from Yeasayer is just that; odd. Fans who had All Hour Cymbals stuck on heavy rotation will find this album strange and well, an odd departure. It’s processed and electronic rather than worldly and organic. For all these differences, the album cannot be dismissed as there are several standout tracks throughout the album. So lets dig and explore this audio mystery.

“The Children” starts in with heavily processed vocals with a churning sludge-like beat. It’s very mechanical and already an immediate departure from what we were expecting from the band. It took a couple of listens but the song has plenty of interesting elements and is certainly engaging if not immediately accessible. The same could not be said for “Ambling Alp”, the first single. The song is a true gem, which showcases Chris Keating’s range and urgent vocals. It’s poppy and unbridled with a great falsetto breakdown. It’s an early highlight and the beginning of several stellar tracks in a row.

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Yeasayer - Ambling Alp [MP3]

“Madder Red” is another track that has been around for awhile and feels like a great bridge of the earthly elements of the band, the tribal funkiness of it and Anand Wilder’s vocals are silky smooth and a nice contrast to Keating. The processed guitar towards the end is an interesting dynamic adding a searing wrinkle to the band’s sound. The song is still very heavy on the electronic elements and that is a prevalent trend throughout the album.

“I Remember” is fantastic with Keating’s vocals being the centerpiece of the song. The twinkling keys, looping synth samples, and bubbling bass all build and wrap around his voice. When the drums finally crash in, it’s a compelling breakdown and some of Yeasayer’s best work as a band. The song is a ballad in the best sense of the word showing real heart and emotion. “O.N.E” signals the beginning of a dramatic shift in the album and will be the focal point for most people who will dislike the album.

Read more of the review after the jump
[VIEW THE REST OF THIS STORY HERE] 

Avi Buffalo have this knack for filling a void of throwback, no frills folksy pop-rock that I tend to not realize I’m hankering for until I hear a song like “What’s In It For?“. It’s a great jam, with plenty of honesty and no weird twists to derail your enjoyment. Their debut, Avi Buffalo is set to be released on April 27th. The band is hitting the road before that playing a ton of dates with Rogue Wave and Japandroids. All dates below as well as the MP3 for “What’s In It For?”.

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Avi Buffalo - What’s In It For? [MP3]

Avi Buffalo Tour Dates
03/01 - Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club *
03/02 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg *
03/03 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom *
03/04 - Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church *
03/05 - Washington, D.C. @ Nightclub 9:30 *
03/06 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle *
03/08 - Atlanta, GA @ The Loft *
03/09 - Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge *
03/10 - Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree *
03/12 - Elkton, FL @ Harvest of Hope
03/13 - Orlando, FL @ The Social *
03/15 - New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks *
03/16 - Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live *
03/17 - Dallas, TX @ The Loft *
03/18-03/20 - Austin, TX @ SXSW *
04/06 - Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop #
04/07 - Champaign, IL @ High Dive #
04/08 - Indianapolis, IN @ Radio Radio #
04/09 - Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall #
04/10 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7thStreet Entry #
04/12 - Columbia, MO @ Mojo’s #
04/13 - Lawrence, KS @ Bottleneck #
04/15 - Las Vegas, NV @ Beauty Bar #
04/19 - Phoenix, AZ @ Trunk Space #
04/21 - San Diego, CA @ Casbah #
04/23 - San Francisco, CA @ Independent #
05/02 - Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour (Record Release Show)

* W/ Rogue Wave

# W/ Japandroids

Cold Cave played to a sold out Mercury Lounge (photos never lie) on a very cold Thursday night. There was a line of eager fans waiting to get in as well as a severe fire that occurred two blocks down that resulted in the street getting closed off, media trucks, police diverting traffic, and plenty of fire trucks. The night was already shaping up to be an interesting one before the first note was even played. When Cold Cave finished up their set, the night lived up to all of the early anticipation and this promising Philadelphia band delivered the goods in the most chilling and introspective of ways; the perfect complement to the harsh winter.

Cold Cave set up a very sparse stage with three synths on stands that included plenty of hidden tools including a holstered iPod and a cassette player. It wasn’t a theatrical performance with dancing and routines; rather the energy and enthusiasm was internal. Although this may be a recipe for a boring show, the set was anything but. The quiet tension and soaring synth hooks brought forth a passion hidden just beneath the surface.

The lights were low setting the scene for a show that had plenty of energy despite initial appearances. Mercury Lounge was packed, turning around after Nite Jewel, there was hardly an empty spot to be seen and people crammed all the way in the back trying to catch a glimpse of the show

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Cold Cave - Life Magazine [MP3]

The audience was an interesting mix of youth and keen observers with discerning ears looking for the next big thing. It was a mellow crowd, not necessarily subdued or comatose. Rather, the attention and gaze was inward, the music onstage channeling an internal tension that oozed through each note. There are compelling undertones to the music that are layered throughout giving the songs a new life. There is plenty of pop to be found and digging through the songs offers up some great rewards.

Read more of the review after the jump
[VIEW THE REST OF THIS STORY HERE] 

This is the NFL’s own ad which aired during the Super Bowl tonight. It’s titled “Best Fans On The Planet” and features the Arcade Fire track “Wake Up.” Below, the band’s label Merge Records explains how the licensing of the song will benefit the Partners In Health campaign in Haiti.

Arcade Fire, Partners in Health, the NFL, Merge Records and Bank Robber Music have collectively agreed upon a unique 100% for charity Super Bowl licensing of “Wake Up” from Arcade Fire’s 2004 album Funeral. All proceeds from the use of the song on the live Superbowl broadcast and subsequent airings on the NFL Network will go directly to Partners In Health’s Stand With Haiti relief efforts.

For further information on Partners In Health’s efforts regarding the Haiti crisis, go to StandwithHaiti.org or visit ArcadeFire.com.

The other notable Super-Bowl-ad music news was the use of Grizzly Bear’s song “Two Weeks” in a Volkswagen ad called “PunchDub.”

In other Super Bowl music news, The Who performance at half time sounded pretty good.

Well prior to their debut album (coming later this month), Two Door Cinema Club released some impressive, danceable pop/rock singles with nice, subtle electronic touches. The buzz grew near the end of the year when a remix of their single “I Can Talk” was included on the Kitsune Maison 8 compilation.

“Undercover Martyn,” the second single from the forthcoming debut album Tourist History (out Feb 22, Kitsuné / Cooperative Music) just got the above video treatment.

In other recent news, Annie Mac hosted an impressive mini mix from the young northern-Ireland trio on her popular Mash Up program on Radio 1. Check it out below.

We look forward to the album and the endless onslaught of remixes that are sure to follow, like this remix of “Undercover Martyn” by Jupiter.

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Two Door Cinema Club - Undercover Martyn (Jupiter Remix) [MP3]

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Two Door Cinema Club - I Can Talk [MP3 via zshare]

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Two Door Cinema Club - BBC Radio 1 Annie Mac Mini Mix [MP3]

Well hello there Pitchfork Music Festival. You may have tantalized me in the past with acts like Animal Collective, Grizzly Bear, The Flaming Lips, Sonic Youth and The National but you really outdid yourself this year. You really shouldn’t have. I mean, I don’t think I deserve such a bounty. If you don’t know what I’m babbling about, Pitchfork just announced their lineup and it is pretty amazing.

This years lineup includes headlining sets by Modest Mouse on Friday, LCD Soundsystem on Saturday and Pavement on Sunday to close out the festival. Pretty slick if you ask me. So far the only supporting acts we know about include Raekwon, St. Vincent, Lightning Bolt, Cass McCombs, Here We Go Magic, and Sleigh Bells. Raekwon supports LCD and the rest are supporting. No bands announced yet for Friday. More bands will be announced soon. You can grab tickets here at noon and it is a spectacular deal. One day passes are a cool $40 and for all three days it is only $90. Talk about savings!

Congorock - More Fire Tour Minimix

Track List
1. TVOFF - Your Car Is Burning (Taku Takahashi Remix)
2. Congorock - Babylon Dub
4. Kingdom - You
5. Unkwown - Unkown (Unkown Remix) *
6. Congorock feat. Crookers - Sbombers
7. Drop The Lime - Doomsday Device
8. Congorock - FXXXXXXXM

* This track #5 … that’s some electro goodness right there! We copied the track list right from the source, so do you think this one’s a typo, or is there a new artist named Unkwown? Anyway…

Congorock today released this short mix to promote his tour, which kicks off tonight in San Diego. Check out the flyer below for all the dates. After tonight, the tour makes stops in Denver, San Francisco, Boston, Montreal, Chicago, Miami, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Mexico City, New York, Halifax, Toronto and London.

All tour dates:
[VIEW THE REST OF THIS STORY HERE] 

Titus Andronicus is all set to release the Civil War themed The Monitor on March 9th. To promote the occasion, the band will play several in stores. Check out the flyer above to see if there is a free date near you.

Tracklist and MP3 for “Richard II” below.

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Titus Andronicus - Richard II [MP3]

The Monitor:
01 A More Perfect Union
02 Titus Andronicus Forever
03 No Future Part Three: Escape From No Future
04 Richard II
505 A Pot in Which to Piss
06 Four Score and Seven
07 Theme From “Cheers”
08 To Old Friends and New
09 …And Ever
10 The Battle of Hampton Roads