The Walkmen – “On The Water”

Blues Control (w/ Jesse Trbovich and Kurt Vile) – “Rest On Water”

Owen RichardsI don’t always trust myself, particularly when it comes to things like first impressions to music. Some things I think I hate grow to become dear favourites, while other things that may impress at first blush turn out to have the shortest shelf lives. But sometimes the things that instantly sound amazing actually are, and while it may still be too soon to call it, I’m prepared to put The xx in that rarefied group.

I only got a copy of their debut album xx earlier this week, but it has already received more plays than some records I’ve had for months – it simply demands to be heard and re-heard...

Read more at Chromewaves →

MP3: The xx – “Basic Space”
MP3: The xx – “Crystalised”

Elbow’s Guy Garvey tells BBC that the band are, uh, elbow-deep in new songs for their next album, which they’ll start working on in earnest after they finish touring in mid-September.

Pitchfork reports that pre-orders of the US release of Manic Street Preachers’ Journal For Plague Lovers on September 15 via the band’s website will get a copy of the previously announced remix album, featuring contributions from the likes of Patrick Wolf and The Horrors, for free. Those of us who already have the album will presumably be given some other way to get it. Probably involving a further outlay of cash.

MP3: Manic Street Preachers – “Doors Closing Slowly” (Horrors remix)

The Line Of Best Fit has details on the fan-funded new Idlewild album, Post-Electric Blues, which will be out on October 5.

Rockfeedback welcomes Emmy The Great to their digs for a lovely video session and hilarious interview. Emmy crush unabated.

Tracyanne Campbell of Camera Obscura talks David Lynch and inspiration with The Tripwire.

PopMatters celebrates the early years of The Wedding Present.

I Taught Myself How To Grow Old talks to Bobby Wratten, formerly of The Field Mice, about the experience of having Saint Etienne cover their “Let’s Kiss And Make Up” to much greater success than the original ever achieved.

Video: Saint Etienne – “Let’s Kiss And Make Up”

Grand Archives – “Oslo Novelist” From their new album, Keep In Mind Frankenstein, due 9/15 on Sub Pop.

Ra Ra Riot
Toy Habit Studios, 2009

Teen Sheikhs – “Cracked” Teen Sheikhs come from Brighton in the UK, and on this track they seem to be loosely channeling the spirit of Great ’80s Young Rock a la the Replacements, which is a very good thing indeed. They have a tape out on Suplex Cassettes, and a 7″ coming soon on Captured Tracks (as we noted in our Captured Tracks feature yesterday).

(PS: these are apparently the same lads behind the Sex Is Disgusting label, who just put out that ace Mazes 7″.)

(via Impose)