Fresh Track: Friends “Mind Control”
Brooklyn band Friends burst onto the scene in 2011 with 7” singles “Friend Crush” along with “I’m His Girl” and immediately demanded the attention of the greater indie-sphere. With their upbeat poppy beats and Samantha Urbani’s unique vocals leading the way, the only thing missing was a debut LP. The wait is no longer. Manifest! drops on June 5th via Fat Possum. Below you can listen to the first single off the album, a nu-disco funky treat named “Mind Control”. In case you missed out on our previous coverage of Friends, you check out my review of their live show in Cincinnati the past December featuring a video of their fab cover of the 90’s R&B classic “My Boo
Connect with Friends via Facebook | Twitter
Written by Greg Dahman
Album Preview: Tennis ‘Young & Old’
Husband-and-wife duo Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley were introduced to us in the fall of 2009 when their sensational first single “Marathon” sailed through the blogosphere. I needed more and Tennis served up their listener friendly debut LP Cape Dory this time last year. The album is short and sweet but managed to float through my rotation through the entirety of 2010. Not only did I find myself falling in love with these simple melodies, but I became owned by their story.
The couple started their band after a 7 month sailing expedition down the Eastern Atlantic seaboard. This trip inspired the formation of Tennis and subsequently the theme of Cape Dory. Each and every one of the songs is dedicated to their expedition with songs such as “Baltimore” and “South Carolina” identifying stops along the way. Tennis was compelling to me because they were fresh, simple and they carried a story. They are captains of their careers and I can’t wait to see where they take us in 2012 and we have already received a glimpse of the beginnings.
Tennis is set to release Young & Old on Valentine’s Day. First single “Origins” has been blowing up the Sirius Satellite airwaves and been floating through countless blogs. Listen below. Tennis will be playing at Radio Radio on February 27th. Tickets are $10. Make sure you pay close attention to this release. They will likely provide us with another tale. Maybe not nautical, but certainly notable.
Connect with Tennis via Facebook | Twitter | Fat Possum
“Origins”
Written by Brett McGrath
Thought on Tracks 
Youth Lagoon Visits Daytrotter
Mondays can be wicked. As we stroll into the office for the outset of the proverbial grind, the burden is made easier by a pleasant soundtrack. Fortunately, the good folks at Daytrotter are serving up a welcome dose of Trevor Powers to start the work week. Powers and his band Youth Lagoon are no strangers to this blog. Check out Brett’s review of his 2011 album, The Year of Hibernation. The Daytrotter session is dreamier than Youth Lagoon’s most recent LP, with Powers’ voice often accompanied solely by piano. Check out a track listing for Youth Lagoon’s Daytrotter session below. Tickets for Youth Lagoon’s April 2nd show at Radio Radio are available for $12 via MOKB Presents.
Connect with Youth Lagoon via Facebook | Fat Possum
TRACK LIST
“Afternoon”
“Montana”
“Ghost To Me”
Written by Rob Peoni