Preview the new St. Elias disc Altered Beast with two free songs

Categories: Freeloader

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Cover art by Adam Reker
​A week from tomorrow, the new St. Elias disc Altered Beast will be released at the hi-dive, in the company of other fine bands such as Accordion Crimes, Ideal Fathers and Alan Alda. Said new disc is sporting a sweet cover, seen here, by local artist Adam Reker and a half-dozen moody, brooding tunes that fuse heavy riffage and chunky timbres to pleasant, almost floating vocals.

It's a solid slice of noisy, intricate space rock that suits the vibe of a stormy afternoon perfectly. Oh, and you don't have to wait to hear it -- the whole thing is streaming right now, and you can even grab two of the tracks to stick on your iPod type listening device.

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Monroe Monroe - "Squeeze"

Categories: Song of the Day

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Lucia De Giovanni

You've heard this sound before. It's nothing new or even particularly novel. At least it won't strike you as such, particularly if you own the first three U2 albums. Just the same, by god, does it sound absolutely fanfreakingtastic! These dudes just completely smash it on this cut! It's a little ditty called "Squeeze," and it's from an outfit led by Frankie Abbatecola called Monroe Monroe, rechristened from its previous moniker, the Legendary Beep Beeps.

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Stream the new Candy Claws album for the next week

Categories: Freeloader

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Matthew Sage/Ryan Hover
​From being praised on Pitchfork to having all of their gear destroyed in a car fire, it's been a month of ups and downs for Candy Claws. Knock on wood, but things look to be back on the upswing: This weekend at the hi-dive in the company of Achille Lauro (this show doubles as its tour sendoff) and Vitamins, Candy Claws is celebrating the release of its brand new record. Hidden Lands, released yesterday on Two Syllable Records, has graciously been made available for streaming by the label for the next week. Give it a spin after the jump.

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SP Double breathes fire on the Lost Gems Volume 2 mixtape with Statik Selektah

Categories: Freeloader

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Judging from the unusually vitriolic comments left at the bottom of our recent post focusing on SP Double, not everybody holds the MC in a particularly high regard. Just the same, personal misgivings aside, the cat is an absolute beast on the mike. That much is undeniable, as evidenced by his latest mixtape, Lost Gems Volume 2, which dropped yesterday.

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"Sunrise" by Concept Oner featuring Cody Beastly and Chuck Steaks

Categories: Freeloader

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Concept Oner
​Here's another brand new, unreleased ditty to lay on you. This one's from Concept Oner and features his American Trash Republic counterparts Cody Beastly and Chuck Steaks.

More summer than a swimming pool brimming with boisterous kids, this notably laid back little track is built upon a breezy Beatles-like arpeggio and the notion of staying up until, well, as the song's title intimates, "Sunrise." Like the ATR crew, the song was recorded both here and in Los Angeles.

While the cut was originally slated to appear on Concept's second solo album, Too Die For 2, in all likelihood, it will now surface on a comp of unreleased material from the past three years. Download "Sunrise" after the jump, and if you haven't already, be sure to grab ATR's Scumbag's mixtape for free, while you're at it.

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The Food Chain gives us "Something to Remember Me By"

Categories: Freeloader

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And the hits just keep coming today. Here's another one fresh out of the lab. This one's a laid back cut from the Food Chain. It's called called "Something to Remember Me By," and it's the type of track that's perfect for gliding through town at twilight, just as the sun is going down over those purple mountains and a nice cool breeze is floating through your open windows. The understated keys, smooth flow and hook and solid bass-laden groove conjures the kind of chill evening when there's no traffic and you've got no place in to go and all night to get there. Take it for a spin after the jump.

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Suburban Home puts out a free mix tape in time for its 15th anniversary

Categories: Freeloader

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​We've got some good news and we've got some bad news. The good news is, Suburban Home Records just released a new mix tape, which the Denver-based label is calling Someone's Gonna Die. The bad news is, well, there isn't any. But there is more good news: It's free. All thirty tracks of it.

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The Knew bangs out three new songs over a weekend

Categories: Freeloader

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​If the emphasis on Pulpería (released just a few months ago) was precision, then the focus on the band's new Before it Ends 7-inch was speed. "Pulpería took about six months start to finish," says drummer Patrick Bowden. "So long that we ended up writing a few songs during the tail end of the process. As a stark contrast, we wanted to record these three new songs fairly raw and quick. One weekend, no bullshit."

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Lil Wayne recording from behind bars

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Used to be time when a stint in the big house would put a stop to an artist's recording career. Well, today we have evidence that time has passed. Jailed rapper Lil Wayne guests on the new Drake track "Light Up (Rikers RMX)" alongside Jay Z. Only, we assume Jay Z didn't phone his verse in over a shitty telephone connection the way Wayne did.

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Westword Music Showcase Awards tonight at the Bluebird!

Categories: Music Showcase

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​Congrats to our winner Mark Maxwell. Tonight, he and a guest will be our guest at the Westword Music Showcase Awards VIP reception at the Bluebird at 6 p.m. The awards ceremony takes place directly afterward at 7:30 p.m., and that's when we'll actually begin announcing the winners and handing out awards. If you're a nominee and haven't received your invite to the party, drop us a line and we'll make sure you get one. See you there!