Born Ruffians | Buy BIRTHMARKS

If you are a fan of Born Ruffians, and want to listen to something that reminds you a lot of Born Ruffians, might I recommend “Birthmarks.” It’s the closest you can get to Born Ruffians without listening to a band that isn’t Born Ruffians. That might have been the dumbest two sentences I’ve written in my life but hey, love makes you crazy. That’s how I feel about Canadian indie outfit/essential/wunderkinds Born Ruffians in general. Each album they have released to this point has been straight genius and Birthmarks is no exception. It’s got that classic Born Ruffians twang but with a little bit of that something extra that frontman Luke Lalonde has been sporting lately.

“Permanent Hesitation,” while exceedingly catchy, is also reminiscent of Lalonde’s recent solo album. There’s a newfound heaviness in their lyrics that wasn’t quite there in their earlier efforts. Whether or not you like the album in its entirety, two or three or four songs are bound to get stuck in your head all day. They’ve certainly progressed even from their last album, “Say It.” (I’m still begging for them to do an LP with fellow Canadians Tokyo Police Club but maybe the world isn’t ready for that yet.)

Tracklist

1. Needle
2. 6-5000
3. Ocean’s Deep
4. Permanent Hesitation
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/2013/BORN%20RUFFIANS/04%20Permanent%20Hesitation.mp3]
5. Cold Pop
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/2013/BORN%20RUFFIANS/05%20Cold%20Pop.mp3]
6. Golden Promises
7. Rage Flows *Delightful Choice*
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/2013/BORN%20RUFFIANS/07%20Rage%20Flows.mp3]
8. So Slow
9. With Her Shadow
10. Too Soaked to Break
11. Dancing On the Edge of Our Graves
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/2013/BORN%20RUFFIANS/11%20Dancing%20On%20The%20Edge%20Of%20Our%20Graves.mp3]
12. Never Age

CoachellAltDelight brings attention to special artists that will be featured in Indio come April.
Some we love. Some we just discovered. All essential.
Click here for more from this series.
34/41 Days

When Robert DeLong‘s name popped up on the Coachella lineup, I was nothing short of ecstatic. The track that caught my attention was “Happy” when he opened for Dillon Francis a year ago. Since then, he’s been making waves across the entire music industry, which is no surprise considering his incredible musical talent. His debut album Just Movement has been receiving a lot of attention since it came out in early February. Every song on the album is different – which is refreshing. He mixes melodic pop/dance with driving electronic beats that are guaranteed to get you going. Especially live, but I’ll get to that. Even more spectacular and unique are the existentially spiritual musings; which, unexpectedly, blend perfectly within each song.

Robert DeLong – Happy

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Fort Lean is five straggly looking dudes from Brooklyn. The frontman is what Taylor Swift would look like on steroids, I think. But I digress. Their music is a truly delightful blend of jangly rock and roll–reminiscent of The Walkmen and Young the Giant–with subtle beach-rock flourishes. I can never get enough of bands like this on my iPod. They’ve released two EPs a single to date. Their most recent release, Change Your Name, was released late last year. Four tracks short, its dreamy and idyllic. It’s sun kissed and yearning and bittersweet, but everso catchy. This is escapist pop-rock, if that’s a thing. Now it is. They’ve clearly mastered a sound, a sunny and feel-good one at that, that is more than likely to garner them some blogosphere attention. Fingers crossed for a full-length album in the next year.

Fort Lean – Beach Holiday
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/2012%20albums/FORT%20LEAN/09%20Beach%20Holiday.mp3]
Fort Lean – Dreams (Never Come True)
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/2012%20albums/FORT%20LEAN/02%20Dreams%20%28Never%20Come%20True%29.mp3]
Fort Lean – Perfect
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/2012%20albums/FORT%20LEAN/04%20Perfect.mp3]

If Surfer Blood got really drunk and had a one-night stand with the Libertines and the Libertines got knocked up that mangy bastard child would be Jersey-based indie punk rock outfit Boxed Wine. Or at least that’s the first thing that comes to mind while listening to their debut EP. The catchy riffs and pop beats are certainly reminiscent of the aforementioned English rock mother and the nasally vocals kinda sorta similar to the Florida beach rock father. Their simply composed garage beats give them a classic indie rock edge. No fluff and few flourishes. I can dig it. Five short tracks long, the EP is lighthearted, fun and carefree.

Download it for free. Right here

Feral
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/album%20reviews/BOXED%20WINE/02%20Feral.mp3]
Summer Wine
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/album%20reviews/BOXED%20WINE/05%20Summer%20Wine.mp3]

Indie rock quartet Atlas Genius are three Australian brothers and an English dude. They just released their debut EP in the US this summer. Three delicious tracks long, Through the Glass is sure to earn them an international following. Its laid back guitar driven anthems remind me of the stuff everyone knows and loves from the late ’90s-early 2000s and it’s no surprise either, considering they’ve cited their main influences to be The Police, Beck and Death Cab For Cutie. Turn it on and turn it up, these guys are bound to reach your favorites list.

Pick up Through the Glass here

Trojans
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/album%20reviews/ATLAS%20GENIUS/Atlas%20Genius%20-%20Trojans.mp3]
Trojans (Acoustic)
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/album%20reviews/ATLAS%20GENIUS/Trojans%20%28Acoustic%20Version%29.mp3]
Backseat (Goldroom Remix)
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/album%20reviews/ATLAS%20GENIUS/Back%20Seat%20%28Goldroom%20Remix%29.mp3]

Scottish indie rokkers Frightened Rabbit, have released the video for the title track of their upcoming EP “State Hospital.” The video tells a rather depressing story and while the song isn’t exactly oozing with sunshine, there is something refreshing and optimistic about it. That could have to do with the repetition of “All is not lost” at the end. See what you think.

Somehow this song managed to slip by me unnoticed but it’s a choon^98572948735028374. I love it.

Happy Cinco de Mayo, folks. Be Safe.

I Dunno
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/album%20reviews/BDOD/i%20dunno.mp3]