Deerhoof - “The Merry Barracks” A lot of indie rock music is based on contrasting highly expressive guitar parts with deadpan or understated vocal performances, but Deerhoof push that dynamic to an absurd extreme. The guitar parts are always extremely flamboyant and tied in with rhythms that bounce all over the place. The music carries all the emotion, while the vocals by Satomi Matsuzaki are like a blank slate. She can be rather playful, but it’s hard to get a read on her. Emotionally illegible, totally unknowable. This throws the music off in a way that is sometimes fascinating and exciting, but more often than not, I find it frustrating. Their songs are packed with musical ideas that I admire and sometimes envy, but I don’t know how to connect with it. A song like “The Merry Barracks” is incredibly satisfying on a cerebral and physical level, but there’s this important part of me that feels left out of the fun.

Buy it from Amazon.

Times New Viking – “No Room To Live”

Times New Viking – “No Room To Live” From the band’s forthcoming full-length (and first for Merge), Dancer Equired. It’s out 4/26.

Sonic Youth have released a new streaming mixtape.

The Guardian Music Blog is streaming the new Hercules and Love Affair album, Blue Songs (out February 22nd).

The Independent is streaming the new Esben and the Witch album, Violet Cries.

Mashable lists 15 aspiring musicians who found fame trough YouTube.

On sale for $3.99 at Amazon MP3: John Vanderslice's new White Wilderness album.

Pop & Hiss reviews the This Day in Led Zeppelin iPhone app.

On sale at Amazon MP3 for $2.50: the 25-track Nettwerk: 25 Years Of Music compilation album.

Travis Morrison talks to Weekend Edition about the Dismemberment Plan reunion.

The Skull Defekts (featuring Daniel Higgs) - "Fragrant Nimbus"From Peer Amid, out 2/15 on Thrill Jockey.

Chain and the Gang - “Not Good Enough” There are countless love songs, but tough love songs are kinda rare, especially when they have nothing to do with sex and romance. “Not Good Enough” delivers a harsh message with a cheerful, friendly tune: “If you feel like you’re not good enough then you’re probably not, and you never, ever will be.” Ian Svenonius sings the words with no particular malice or venom, he mostly comes across like someone who respects the listener enough to not sugarcoat a hard truth. It’s important to note that he’s not telling anyone that they can’t do something, only that it’s impossible to accomplish much without believing on some level that you can do it.

Pre-order it from Amazon.