Looking at the list of contributors the band got to help out with the album, it’s little wonder it’s shaping up so good. It was produced by Kevin McMahon (who has previously worked with indie rock heroes Titus Andronicus) and Hunter Davidsohn (who has worked with a variety of great bands such as Porches. and Rivergazer) and also features contributions from Greta Kline (ie. Frankie Cosmos), Nick Corbo (of LVL UP and Crying).

Year of Nod is due for release tomorrow (the 5th of May). You can pre-order the album on cassette via Seagreen Records or as a download via the Battle Ave. Bandcamp page.

P.S. You can stream the entire album over at Stereogum.

P.P.S The band have pledged to donate all digital pre-order sales to Baltimore to cover rebuilding and legal fees after recent events. All the more reason to grab a copy!

The post Battle Ave. – Year of Nod appeared first on Various Small Flames.

Father/Daughter Records are back with their second instalment of the Faux Real series where cool real bands cover the songs of cool fictional ones. Faux Real I saw the likes of Levek, Radiator Hospital and Body Parts covering The Muppets, The Cattanooga Cats and Disney’s Goofy, and now a fresh roster of are back to take on some of the most iconic songs in pop culture (sort of). The tracklisting is as follows:

Tracklist
1) Chumped – “Threshold” (Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World)
2) Krill – “Billy Madison Victory Song” (Billy Madison)
3) Quarterbacks – “You Painted My World” (The Adventures Of Pete & Pete)
4) Running In The Fog – “Killer Tofu” (Doug)
5) Allison Crutchfield (of Swearin’) – “Special To Me (Phoenix Audition Song)” (Phantom Of The Paradise)
6) LVL UP – “Somebody Kill Me Please” (The Wedding Singer)
7) Sharpless – “Franz Kafka” (Home Movies)
8) Rivergazer – “Fever Dog” (Almost Famous)
9) Paint Sepsi – “I Must Be In Love” (The Rutles)
10) Small Wonder – “Margerine” (The Simpsons)

While it’s hard to believe of a compilation that contains a song from Doug, this release was rejected by Record Store Day as it was “not compelling enough” for their release list. You can see the final RSD list here and, while there is some cool stuff, there is also what seems to be quite a lot of flab (seven Springsteen releases?). But, hey, what do I know? Luckily, Faux Real II lives on. And that’s a good thing, because aside from being an entertaining collection of obscure-ish made-up bands, the real artists have actually done a great job in making ten enjoyable songs that will still be listenable once the novelty wears off.

You can pre-order the compilation now from the Father/Daughter website or Bandcamp page. It will be released on 28th April on “Fake Grape” vinyl and limited to 500 copies. It’s not going to be repressed or released digitally so get in quick.

P.S. Father/Daughter head honcho Jessi Frick spoke with Stereogum about the compilation and the issues surrounding Record Store Day. It’s worth a read for those interested in how those things work.

The post Father/Daughter Records Presents: Faux Real II appeared first on Various Small Flames.

Tracklist

1. Boat – The Tallest Tree
2. Lonely – Rivergazer
3. I Think I’m Old Enough – Adult Mom
4. Thought u were better than that – Cyberbully Mom Club
5. Way Gross – Aunts
6. Fierce Resource Allocation – Emperor X
7. Dark Arts – Baby Cages
8. Stranded (On My Own) – Titus Andronicus
9. Singapore – Reid
10. Attak (ft. Danny Brown) – Rustie
11. Gold (Chet Faker re-work) – Flume
12. Duals – Bonobo
13. Ongoing Thing (ft. Oddisee) – 20syl
14. Animal – The Acid
15. Heirloom Luna – Chemists // 化学者
16. Triumvirate – Lewis & Clarke
17. Holly Would – Benjamin J Woods
18. Terrified – The Rural Alberta Advantage
19. Friday Night – The Parade Schedule
20. Falling Stars – Jacob Furr
21. Red Thread – Spark Alaska
22. Blood – Ahava
23. Stars Pt. 2 – Psalmships
24. Goodbye Letter – Adieu Caribou

You can also listen over at Minilogs.

July Mix from Wake The Deaf on 8tracks Radio.

The post July 2014 Roundup – A Mixtape appeared first on Various Small Flames.

This is an indie rock record at heart, and a step away from the uber-lo-fi recordings of Farrant’s previous releases. It’s catchy and sunny and pretty easygoing, but also deals with some darker thematic material. As the press release put it, “the album tells the tale of modern sadness – growing up in the suburbs, getting married and divorced, having no money, being in debt, driving mom’s car, friends, isolation, wanting a dog, finding zen, and making memories.”

Listen to first single ‘Safari Jack’ in the player below:

Random Nostalgia is due to be released on the 12th of August on Father/Daughter Records. Pre-order it now!

The post Rivergazer – Random Nostalgia appeared first on Various Small Flames.