Beach Fossils brought more than their stark, drone-y style of indie rock to The Tralf Monday. They also brought a wonderful sense of humor and playfulness that they often masked under an exaggerated lackadaisical attitude.

The Brooklyn quartet's tight, screeching set energized the 100-plus crowd with the upbeat melancholy of early songs like "Daydream" and "Sometimes."  But the real fun came near the show's end, when lead vocalist Dustin Payseur offered commentary that was far different than your usual stage banter.  With their set drawing near a close, Dustin announced, "We're going to play two more songs and then we're going to. . .kill ourselves on-stage." From there things just got weirder.

The band's performance of "Crashed Out" ended in a long blaze of screeching guitar and static that would make even the most ardent noise-rock junkie cringe, and Dustin's paranoid moaning vocals would make Cage the Elephant singer Matt Schultz seem calm by comparison.

They returned for an encore performance of "Twelve Roses," and then Dustin and guitarist Tommy Davidson stuck around for a "Q&A" with the audience - only they mumbled unenthusiastically and never gave a straight answer to anybody's question. When one person asked what Dustin's favorite album was, Dustin replied, "Uh, your album," and later commented, "this is the stupidest thing we've ever done, I can't believe you're all still standing there."  After an impromptu sax solo by drummer Tommy Gardner, the band left the stage entirely.

The ending was so non-chalent it felt funny, bizarre and perhaps even a little stupid.  But it's this same lazy but committed grunge-like attitude that embodies so many of their songs, and in a way, it was almost fitting.

Brooklyn indie rockers Beach Fossils will be bringing their atmospheric, lo-fi brand of indie rock/pop to The Tralf tonight for what we can hope to be a chill, intimate show.

Formed in 2009, the quartet makes nods to older acts, such as the Velvet Underground, with their simple, stark instrumentals, as well as newer bands like Best Coast and Drums with their pop-minded approach.  Vocalist Dustin Payseur's low, drone-y vocals evoke M83 and other shoegaze acts.

The band released their eponymous debut in 2010 to positive reviews, and after a string of strong EPs, they dropped their sophomore LP, Clash the Truth, earlier this year. It peaked at No. 40 on Billboard independent album charts.

Doors open at 7 pm, with the show beginning at 8 pm. Tickets are $13 at the door. Local support will be provided by Sleeps Hahas and Automap.

After playing an excellent show earlier in the year, Beach Fossils have announced that they will be cycling back to Buffalo before 2013 is out. The band, who released their second full length album, Clash the Truth back in February, will be performing at the Tralf Music Hall on Monday, November 18th. Tickets go on sale at noon tomorrow, October 25, and only cost $10. This is a real bargain and an opportunity to catch a great band who have already proven they can put on a good live show. So if you missed them last time, here is your chance.

As you've been hibernating the past few weeks, staying cozy inside while windchill levels approached sub-zero, the music world has kept warm too, grilling up an entire month's worth of awesome new releases. Check out what February has in store for your ears!


10. Frightened Rabbit - Pedestrian Verse
When Scottish indie rock outfit Frightened Rabbit released their track and subsequent video for "State Hospital" last year I was pretty blown away. The song has the stamina and intensity of a stadium rock anthem, but wields weighty lyricism that cuts to images of suffering and hope. Overall, their EP release last year wasn't great, but just good enough to stir up a longing for their fourth studio full-length which is out today.


9. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Push the Sky Away 
The legendary Nick Cave has stayed prolific as ever in the past few years with his Grinderman efforts and reissues with his band, and will be releasing his fifteenth studio record with The Bad Seeds on 2/18 via the band’s own label, Bad Seed Ltd. The debut single off the new record is called “Jubilee Street”. Check it out below:


8. Pissed Jeans - Honeys



Back with their follow-up to 2010’s underrated surf-rock self-titled effort, Beach Fossils will release Clash The Truth on 2/19 via Captured Tracks. While the band has expanded with various members coming and going, it all started with mastermind Dustin Payseur, who recorded everything on the first record by himself, playing every instrument. As the musician received continued acclaim in the indie community, Captured Tracks took notice and brought Payseur on to record a sophomore LP. Payseur brought on some core band members for recording in a proper studio, including a feature from Blonde Redhead’s Kazu Makino on their track “In Vertigo”. Listen to their latest track "Generational Synthetic" below:


3. My Bloody Valentine -mbv
Remember My Blood Valentine? I don’t. Because I was two years old when their last studio record was released back in 1991. it’s been a long time coming, but in the last 22 years, after many rumors of a new material, lead singer Kevin Shields going crazy, and countless throw-outs, My Blood Valentine has finally released their follow-up to Loveless with mbv, which was released on February 2, subsequently crashing the online server that was facilitating the release. So far the album has gotten favorable reviews with The Guardian giving it a perfect 5/5 rating. Listen to the opening track below and stream the rest via YouTube.

2. Iceage - You're Nothing
Strait-up, Iceage is putting out some awesome music right now. Still riding off the coattails of 2011’s 24-minute hell-raiser, New Brigade, they’ve just released the video for the new single “Ecstacy” about a week ago. Picking up where they left off, the Danish teens let out a surge of dark energy on the track with chunky guitar riffs coating hair-raising shouts of “Pressure!” While it seems the trend has been for many current indie-punk bands to shift toward more refined, poppier territory, Iceage have committed themselves to louder and gnarlier thread of punk, one that requires cheap beer and trashed speakers. You’re Nothing is out 2/19 via Matador.

1. Atoms for Peace - Amok - 2/25
Perhaps the most anticipated album of 2013, Atoms For Peace’s Amok, is something like four years in the making. The supergroup was first concieved when Thom Yorke called Flea (bassist for Red Hot Chili Peppers), Joey Waronker (drummer for R.E.M.), Mauro Refosco, and Nigel Godrich (Radiohead producer) together to play the entirety of Yorke’s solo record The Eraser in LA in 2009. Playing at Coachella in 2010 they were simply known as “??????” Since, they've slowly come into form, officially giving the band its name, releasing their first official single “Default” last year, and another “Judge, Jury, and Executioner” last month while detailing the release of their debut album. The tracks sound quite reminiscent of Yorke’s solo record Eraser, but there is definitely a stronger reliance on drum and vocal loops giving way to nuanced and textured sound that we’ve really yet to fully experience from Yorke. Amok is out 2/26 in the US. Listen to "Judge, Jury, and Executioner" below:

ESI Events has been on a pretty great roll lately, from last month's sold out Sufjan Stevens holiday bash to next week's highly anticipated Jeff Mangum show, both at Asbury Hall.  Next month, they will welcome Brooklyn lo fi jangle pop act Beach Fossils to the Tralf.  The band recently released the first single, "Careless," off their upcoming album Clash the Truth, which is set to drop on Feb 19th.  Tickets for the Thursday, Feb 28th show go on sale this Monday.  Tickets are $12 in advance, $14 at the door.

Well, this is the last week of new music for 2012. I have decided to do some special end of the year pieces for the next few weeks. I started with this column over the summer and have been having a total blast doing it. Come back next week to see me grade myself in terms of how well I predicted how good an album would be based on early singles. The following week will be my own list for best tracks featured here in 2012 and I am taking the last week of the year off because no one goes online that week anyway. So, without further ado, here is your last batch of brand new music from me, The Listener, until 2013!

Ducktails - "Letter of Intent:" Ducktails is Real Estate's Matt Mondanile, who has been releasing quiet, masterful, low-fi albums for a few years now. "Letter of Intent" is the first single off his forthcoming January album. The track is a marked departure from his previous releases, a filled out synthpop song featuring Daniel Lopatin and Jessa Farkas. Maintaining Mondanile's easy going but wistful vibe, this song is an excellent first impression.
 

Sapphire Slows/Magic Touch - "When I See You:" 90's era house music was the reference point for a lot of the new music coming out this year, so it is fitting to end the year on "When I See You." A collaboration between Magic Touch and Japanese vocalist, Sapphire Slows, "When I See You" is deeply evocative of a certain time and place. A bouncy piano loop propels the track, mixed with echoing vocals by Sapphire Slows. Be sure to mix this in when you are asked, and by asked I mean rudely force someone to let you do this, to DJ a holiday or New Years party.

Laurel Halo - "Sunlight on the Faded:" I have spent the week listening to Halo's masterful 2012 album, Quarantine," in preparation for my "Best of 2012" post next week. Next week, Halo will be releasing this as a new single on Hyperdub. Like the songs on her album, "Sunlight on the Faded" is a crystalline and disjointed song that surrounds Halo's vocals and harmonies around equally fragmented synth loops. The song cuts out at the middle, seemingly over, only to rebuild itself from scratch. Fantastic track!

Haunted Hearts - "Something That Feels Bad is Something That Feels Good:" This week, Dee Dee (Of Dum Dum Girls fame) and husband Brandon Welchez (of Crocodiles fame) announced their new joint project, Haunted Hearts. "Something That Feels Bad is Something That Feels Good" is their debut track and features soaring, reverb drenched guitars, and both artists singing. A mix between shoegaze and garage rock, be sure to expect lots of hype about this act in a few months.

Beach Fossils - "Careless:" After spending a year on two excellent side projects (Heavenly Beat and DIIV), the members of Beach Fossils have reconvened for a proper follow up to their 2011 EP. After a year where there aesthetic really took hold in a general sense, "Careless" is a welcome reminder that Beach Fossils do this whole wistful jangly pop thing the best right now. Overall, the recording quality is better and the various individual elements are not as washed together as they had been in previous releases. The band benefits from this improvement and the uptempo song is sure to be lodged in your head for at least a few days.