New Song by LNZNDRF, "Beneath The Black Sea" (Debut Album Out)

Scott & Bryan Devendorf w/Ben Lanz (Photo via 4AD)

Now and then music will just appear out of nowhere by a band I've never heard of - such is the case with "Beneath The Black Sea" by LNZNDRF (pronounced "Lanzendorf"). It's a fuzzed-out jam of a song that had me hooked immediately and left me wanting to learn more about the band. Turns out the group is made up of members of The National and Beirut, two of my favorite bands - no wonder I was an instant fan!

Formed in 2011, the trio includes The National's Devendorf brothers (bass player Scott and drummer Bryan) along with Beirut member plus collaborator with The National and Sufjan Stevens, multi-instrumentalist Ben Lanz. (Lanz also has a musical project called Hoferlanz.) They bonded over early influences of Krautrock and post-punk, and decided to celebrate that spirit again. LNZDRF's self-titled debut album came out in February with eight tracks crafted from 30+ minute improvisations, recorded over two and a half days in a Cincinnati church (hometown of the Devendorfs). Listen to the "Beneath The Black Sea" in a live video here, and check out the rest of the album as well. 

New Song by Deerhunter, "Breaker" (New Album Out October 16 & NYC Tour Dates December 8/9)

Deerhunter pals Cox and Pundt 

Indie rock band Deerhunter is ready with its seventh album, Fading Frontier, due October 16 via 4AD. The first single, "Snakeskin," struts along with funky swagger yet the latest song "Breaker" finds a sweet spot of brightly nuanced harmonies and brightly lit production values. It features a first ever duet between frontman/singer Brandon Cox and best bud guitarist Lockett Pundt, a vocal mind meld endearingly depicted in the video. Check out the video below as directed by Cox with additional photography by Pundt.

The new collection was created by the band's founding members in their hometown of Atlanta -- Cox, Pundt and drummer Moses Archuleta -- with bassist Josh McKay. Production duties were shared with Ben H. Allen III, who has provided an assist since 2010's Halcyon Digest. Deerhunter will soon embark on a world tour in support of the new release, with stops at Irving Plaza in NYC on December 8 and Warsaw in Brooklyn on December 9. Cox's solo project Atlas Sound will open many of the dates, a creative outlet for his intensely introspective music that I witnessed at the Ace Hotel during CMJ and Moogfest in 2011, as well as at Crossing Brooklyn Ferry at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2012.  Looking forward to more music ahead through both trajectories!

New Song by Ariel Pink "Put Your Number In My Phone" (Album Due November 18)

Ariel Pink

Once again, I am smitten by a song from L.A. based artist Ariel Pink (born Ariel Marcus Rosenberg). He is musically talented to be sure, with just enough tongue in his cheek to keep things interesting. His song as Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, "Only in My Dreams," earned a spot on my Fall 2012 New Music Playlist with its swirl of hazy synths and a skeptic's view of modern romance.

I've already heard the lead single and title track for Ariel Pink's upcoming album via 4AD out November 18, "pom pom," plenty on KCRW. This pure pop confection has that same recognizable vibe. Listen closely and what you think you've all heard before is instantly rejuvenated, by this lyrical update referencing the simple act of putting one's number into another's phone. The song is part of a double album of seventeen tracks and as Ariel Pink explains, "Although this is the first 'solo' record credited to my name, it is by far the least 'solo' record I have ever recorded." Take a listen to the new song below.