RCRD LBL

When listening to Elk City's "Cherries In the Snow," I visually imagined a cake my grandma used to make. It was a cheap delicacy- angel food cake with Cool Whip and cherries puddled on top. Like 'cherries in the snow.' With Renae LoBue delicately cooing over flashing cymbals and 1950s-rock-n-roll-esque riffs, Elk City's version is as frothy and sassy as the cake after which it's named. With that in mind, we bring you an exclusive of from the band (whose members used to be in The Melting Hopefuls). Below is "Ceramic Men" has girls-gone-gargage-rock, DIYY feel - a mix between the early angry-and-ironic Liz Phair and Blondie from 1979 to 1981. 

SOUNDS LIKE: Liz Phair (ala Exile in Guyville & Whipsmart), Blondie

Exclusive New Download: Elk City - Ceramic Men

Red Light Company grabs your attention and cock and balls with the line: "I shot bullets from a gun to let you know I'm still stable." Driven at first by heavy drum and bold piano keyboard, Fine Fascination proceeds to drill into your memory with its shoe-gaze electric guitar blitzed chorus. (It helps that lead vocalist Richard Frenneaux has similar sonic urgency of the lead singer of Wolfmother.) But make no mistake; the music is straight-up gutteral pop rock. It'll feast in your cranium a bit before sliding away to sniff out some more gun powder.

pppst...If you like the taste, you can buy the physical version of Red Light Company's new single "Meccano" here or the digital version here.

SOUNDS LIKE: The Editors, The Killers

Remaining loyal to their Chicago roots, these two mixologist are applying their magic touch to the hottest, most bad-ass Chicago artists out there (from Kid Sister to The Cool Kids to Walter Meego)- and melding and mashing to absolute sonic perfection. The result, a mixtape called "The Hood Internet Vs. Chicago is like sipping a delectable musical daquiris filled to the rim with juicy chunks of infectious, dance-inducing beats. Perfect slurp for summer. To be relished in the sun.

Actually, their pairings are so bad-ass you almost wish the artists had thought of the collaborations themselves. Like Wilco and Kayne. Imagine those dudes in the recording room together. Hard to picture? Rest on that thought and feast on the 3 tracks below.

Sound Like: The Kleptones, DJ Moule, Girl Talk

Download: The Hood Internet - Pro Nails Forever (Kid Sister vs Walter Meego)

Last night we had the distinct pleasure of escaping the excessive heat to watch The Morning Benders and The Kooks in the well air-conditioned deluxe venue, Terminal 5, in NYC. With a handful of hit singles in Britain, The Kooks are skinny-jeaned rock royalty over in the UK. Stateside, they are proving their worth fast and furiously- with easy hooks, guilt-less pop beats, and a lead singer whose slurring voice and F*-all spirit puts puts the Artic Monkey's Alex Turner to shame.

If you're lucky, you've caught the Brighton boys live on their US tour. If you're luckier, you've snagged one of the last tickets to tonight's sold out NYC show that closes off the US tour. If you've missed the boat, we're making it up to you: we've brought you some photo souvenirs from last night and The Kooks  and Morning Benders' tracks below to play on repeat.

PHOTOS FROM TERMINAL 5

SOUNDS LIKE: Arctic Monkeys, Razorlight, The Fratellis

DOWNLOAD: The Kooks - Brooklyn

The Kooks @ Myspace

The Kooks' Website

DOWNLOAD: The Morning Benders - Crosseyed

The Morning Benders @ Myspace

The Morning Benders' Website

Between swaying beat, shimmering tambourine, and sweeping violin, the song "The Waves" by Princeton provides an easy laid-back summer escape from soggy 100-degree weather. Meanwhile, the LA-based boys find a delicate balance between 1950's British pop ala The Beatles and mellow garden-variety folk-rock ala Simon & Garfunkel in "Ms Bentich." In their new Ep, Bloomsbury, the band has dedicated each song to a member of the infamous Bloombury clan from London in early 20th. (An ode to Virginia Woolf or John Maynard Keynes? Where to begin....) Regardless, while the concept is high-brow, the tunes are friendly enough to suit day-to-day dalliances and light-hearted play - regardless of degree or domain.

SOUNDS LIKE: Vampire Weekend, Simon & Garfunkel, The Kinks

Jukebox The Ghost's Webpage

Woohoo, how to kick-off memorial day weekend right? A give-away? Why the hell not! Hello Tokyo is having their CD release party this Friday, May 23rd at Rebel NYC (see invite above) and to celebrate, they're graciously giving away some booty to one lucky RCRD LBL reader.  Alls ya gotta do? Sign up for our RCRD LBL mailing list and email contests@rcrdlbl.com. (Also hit up myles@sneakattackmedia.com to recieve Hello Tokyo email updates). The winner will be contacted Friday AM in time to join in the crazy festivities at Rebel. Good luck!

The booty:

PS check out a new Hello Tokyo track "Steady The Gun" below.

SOUNDS LIKE: Joan Jett, Garbage, Metric

Download: Hello Tokyo - Steady The Gun

Download: Hello Tokyo - Kiss Me Goodbye (Vandaleyes Remix)

Hello Tokyo @ Myspace

Hello Tokyo's Website