I love it when genres smash together!!!  This week, psychedelic alt-folk southern country rockers Golden Boots release their second album entitled Winter of Our Discotheque on Philly’s Park The Van Records.  Each track genuinely pushes the creative envelope as incredible songwriting and strokes of inebriated genius collide.  Blending pop-folk with distortion-laden breaks, catchy hooks, analog keyboards, 4-track recording techniques, fuzz guitar and southern rock sensibility, Golden Boots offer a satisfying musical meal rife with influences from left field, and a vibe that only a well-developed band can deliver.  Check out “Love Is In The Air” and “Knife” for the most outrageous and interesting genre blenders.

JAZZ FIENDS REJOICE!  Don Schlitten’s legendary jazz label Xanadu re-launched on January 19^th with a new release from the Peter Bernstein Trio and five re-mastered versions of notable past records, now available digitally for the first time.

As the first new release in several years, Peter Bernstein Trio’s set Monk boasts the legendary session player himself, Doug Weiss on bass and Bill Stewart on drums.  The band puts their own spin on twelve classic Thelonious Monk cuts arranged for the guitar.  Songs include “Let’s Cool One,” “Ruby, My Dear,” “Well You Needn’t,” and “

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.”  With credits on over 60 recordings and having performed with Larry Goldings, Lou Donaldson, Diana Krall, Joshua Redman, and Lee Konitz, Bernstein offers up his virtuosity throughout the record and in three of his own arrangements. In the liner notes, Bernstein comments, “Monk has his own musical universe. There’s lots of space in Monk’s music but you don’t have to fill up all the space.  And in his music the rhythmic element is already there–it’s already swinging.”

In addition to Monk, Xanadu begins its foray into the digital world with five classic jazz records.  Instead of digging for hours at your favorite vinyl shop looking for the elusive dust and scratch-free copies, you can find pristine digital masters online and be listening in no time.

Bebop Revisited, Vol. 1 features original performances by Dexter Gordon, Fats Navarro, Chubby Jackson, Conte Candoli, Melba Liston, Terry Gibbs, Max Roach and Earl Coleman that were recorded in 1947 and 1948.  Notable tracks on the set include the smooth crooner-ish “Yardbird Suite” and multiple takes of “Mischievous Lady,” “Lullaby In Rhythm,” and “Move.”

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Cut Off Your Hands / You & I
Frenchkiss / BUY

It’s been a long time coming — what with a string of EPs teasting the hell out of audeinces since 2006 — but the full-length debut from these New Zealand post-punkers has finally washed up on U.S. shores. Better late(r) than never though, as Cut Off Your Hands ‘ You & I coaxes out some of the finest songwriting to-date from these young rabelrousers. Suede’s Bernard Butler and Smiths producer Stephen Street expertly maned the boards here with a mind toward crispness and clarity, characteristics that serve the rail-thin guitar lines of Michael Ramirez and careful harmonies of Nick Johnston that put these dudes on the map in the first place. But there’s still plenty of punch via the drive-by drumming from Dave Harris, and the insistent thud of bassist Phil Hadfield’s low end. A debut that triumphantly makes good on the promise that’s been piling up for two years.

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RZA braved what we can only guess was a nasty hangover on Tuesday night to stay up late with Craig Ferguson and talk about his latest album, Afro Samurai: Resurrection, before performing “Combat (Afro Season II Open Theme)”. Peep the videos above and head over to RZA’s MySpace page to hear all 17 tracks for yourself.

Boston electro pop ensemble Passion Pit have reason to keep the blogosphere’s bees a-buzzin’ as of late. With the buildup mounting for the band’s proper follow up to everyone’s favorite EP of ‘08, Chunk of Change , Michael Angelakos and company revealed to us their plans to bring together a full fledged crew of middle-schoolers. The epic PS 22 Staten Island children’s choir were invited to record with the Pit in order to add some pizazz on one of their most intoxicating new jams. According to Mr. Google, these youngsters are no strangers to fame, having performed their services for Tori Amos and NYC major Michael Bloomberg, as well as covering everything from Coldplay to Bjork.

Head on over to Fader then to read their account of the situation. Here’s hoping those kids were paid handsomely for their contributions (most likely in tater tots and Dunkaroos). In other PP news, the band will lay their boston beats down on audiences throughout 2009, first kicking things off by joining Ra Ra Riot for a stint on their journey through North America. Full set of tour dates after you make the plunge.

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Syracuse, New York’s own Ra Ra Riot will be bringing their unique, string-happy indie gems to the screaming throngs of Ben Gibbard fanatics and devoted die hard death cabbies this April when they join Death Cab For Cutie on the U.S. leg of their global campaign for indie-rock supremacy…or formally; their Winter/Spring 2009 Tour. First though, the five piece will be prepping for the dates by adding..you guessed it; even more tour dates! After playing a host of shows in Europe, they will be sharing the stage with Cut Off Your Hands for a handful of dates on the west coast. Road doggin’ it on eastward, Ra Ra will then be joined for six dates by their friends and fellow buzzinites Passion Pit , a Boston based electro pop outfit.

Ra Ra Riot, Cut Off Your Hands and Passion Pit have all been burnin’ up the blogwaves as of late. Our boys (and gal) in Ra Ra Riot released the addicting, often acclaimed The Rhumb Line earlier last year, an album both celebratory and somber in tone. Cut Off Your Hands hail from the great New Zealand, but seem to have more in common with artists like The Cure, Death From Above 1979 and Joy Division then musicians in the land of hobbits and Tolken (Despite their instructions, please refrain from chopping off any appendages, kids). Their debut LP, You & I (Frenchkiss) was released  stateside last week to a boatload of hurrahs. Last but not least in this all star line up of indie-rock is Passion Pit, a band that many feel have only just begun to scratch the surface of their talents with their much acclaimed Ep, Chunk of Change .

In addition to their revolving all-star cast of touring mates and their much sought after stint with the mighty Cab’, Ra Ra Riot will be releasing a meaty version of the single You Can Tell, packing it with remixes from RAC and Tom Campesinos!, along with a cut off their visit to Daytrotter and a bonus live video of their Attic Seasions. The Icing on this proverbial cake of a post is the remixed version of Ra Ra’s Ghost Under Rocks by..you called it again: Passion Pit. Download the free track here . You Can Tell track listing and monster roster of Ra Ra dates with all four bands, along with Death Cab’s 2009 dates after the jump.

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Early next month, two of the finest acts in extreme music, the mighty Swedes of Meshuggah and prog-metal forefathers Cynic , will embark on a three week North American tour sponsored by Myspace Music . Both bands continue to pound pavement in support of their most recent releases – Meshuggah, behind their brutal March 2008 offering obZen , and Cynic behind their inspired November 2008 return Traced In Air .

But this run of dates will feature far more than one of the strongest bills in recent memory, as Cynic and Meshuggah announce today the addition of an extra dimension to their tour. Indeed, the bands have joined together to launch an online video channel that gives fans a glimpse into what’s happening on the road, behind the scenes, with regular updates from tour stops, artist-on-artist interviews, and much more.

MP3: Cynic –

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MP3: Meshuggah –

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In addition to videos uploaded by the bands themselves, Cynic and Meshuggah are opening the channel to their fans, and calling on them to send in footage – camera phone or otherwise – from the shows, documenting their own experience of the tour. All concert-goers need to do is send their shots to mctour@kyte.tv , and if accepted, the clips will be available for the entire metal world to see. The channel will be available 24 hours a day on both Cynic and Meshuggah’s websites and Myspace pages. Code to embed the channel on your own websites, blogs, and social networking portals await you after the jump, along with a full itinerary of dates.

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Wu Tang mastermind RZA is appearing on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson tonight in celebration (we’d like to think) of his newly released album Afro Samurai: Resurrection. Never one to play just one role, RZA will be both a lead panel guest and a musical guest, and rumor has it he’ll be peforming tracks from the soundtrack as well as his alter ego Bobby Digital’s latest release, Digisnacks. Brush up on your Afro Samurai knowledge here. Listen to Afro Samurai: Resurrection here. Buy the album here. Tune your TV to CBS tonight at 12:35 EST/PST to catch RZA on The Late Late Show and cross your fingers there will be some real Afro Samurai action!

The brainchild of Eric Elbogen, Say Hi is gearing up for 2009 in a big way. Barsuk is set to release his debut Lp, Oohs & Aahs March 3rd, and is poised to blanket North America this spring with his unique, somber blend of ambient indie-pop, full band in tow.

Elbogen wrote and recorded the Barsuk debut at his home studio over the duration of 2008. The album’s creation came after his successful move to Seattle in 2006, where he quickly impressed the label and won himself a handsome deal.

The lead single was released via Spin.com last week, and has been gathering speed ever since. The song’s dark, chilling lead guitar haunts much of the track, while the chorus calls for an end to the freezing, often paralyzing winter blues: “When the winter’s gone/I’ll feel better when the winter’s gone”. At this point in January, I think we could all agree. In support of the March 3rd release, Say Hi will be continuing their rigorous touring schedule into 2009, with no foreseeable end in sight. In 2007 and 2008 alone, they played an astounding 155 shows. Touring buddies will include Telekinesis and Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band. Track listing and tour dates after the jump.

MP3: Say Hi - November Was White December Was Grey

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The husband + wife duo known as Mates of State are planning a synth + drum assault on the United States this April. Building off the strength of 2008’s Re-arrange Us, they’ll be trekking across much of the U.S., even making a visit to our friends in the great white north for a number of dates.

The happily married couple’s 5th long-player was the subject of much acclaim last year, making appearances on best of lists across the blogosphere and in glossies like Paste. A praised album, along with the buzz from their recent U.S. tour with Santogold, have Mates Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel fired up and ready to deliver their infectious brand of indie pop to fans new and old this Spring. Doubling the trouble this time around, they’re bringing along Jacksonville, Florida’s own Black Kids to share the stage as co-headliners. Full list of dates after the jump.

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