Monday Mixed Bag

Another Monday, another mixed bag of tunes we've been listening to as of late.

Hailing from the UK, Vessels are currently in town recording with local studio ace John Congleton, who also recorded the band's White Fields and Open Devices. Immediately upon listening it's easy to see why they and Congleton are such a good match, they have that angular visceral eruption thing that he so enjoys down pat. In the mixed bag we have an Errors remix from their debut album.

This morning we received the lead track from Miniature Tigers' upcoming sophomore album FORTRESS, due out on Matador on July 27. I suppose the noteworthy tidbit here, at least locally, is the fact that golden boy Alan Palomo of VEGA/Neon Indian fame produced the album's first single. So far I'm digging these lazer synths, and though I don't see them overtaking any of Palomo's projects as poster-children of the gorilla-vs-bearcore movement, I still dig it more than anything on Psychic Chasms.

Portland's The Ex-Girlfriend's Club is a lot better than the album art of their EP suggests. It's so terrible, in fact, I am pretty shocked I ever checked them out in the first place, but I'm actually pretty glad that I did. Their dirty, reverb-soaked BMRC-meets-Woven Bones sound is all the rage right now. By the time they get around to releasing a full-length I imagine they'll even be polished enough to garner a little hype --assuming they approve in the cover art department.

Next up one of our absolute favorite remixers, Alan Wilkis, does his thing to Phantogram's new single "Mouthfull of Diamonds". The band's Barsuk label enjoyed the mix so much they called it a "joyous new-wave inflected delight". We couldn't agree more.

We first caught wind of The Señors of Marseille and their brand of joyous jangle-pop after their inclusion on Holiday Records' 2009 Christmas compilation. Soon after the band sent us their full-length album which is chock full of infectious pop gems. We are just now getting around to sharing the love with you. We sincerely apologize.

MP3: Vessels - An Idle Brain and the Devil's Workshop (Errors Remix)
MP3: Miniature Tigers - Gold Skull (produced by Alan Palomo)
MP3: The Ex-Girlfriends Club - Your Prescription
MP3: Phantogram - Mouthful of Diamonds (Alan Wilkis Remix)
MP3: The Señors of Marseille - Grace

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