Reviews

!!! (Chk Chk Chk)
Thr!!!er - WARP
FILTER Grade: 83%

By A.D. Amorosi on May 22, 2013

 

!!! (Chk Chk Chk)

It takes real cojones to call an album Thriller; any album, really, let alone another one meant to storm the dance floor with pop and funk-lite sounds. Well, leave it to !!!. The been-around-the-block multi-man outfit that formed in the wake of the Yah Mos’ bust-up had its first hit with the nearly-10-minute-long “Me and Giuliani Down by the School Yard (A True Story)” and have, since that 2003 smash, kept things danse-punk oriented before LCD had its soundsystem. Their songs never got shorter or less dense even when similar acts and funky followers were awarded bigger sales for slighter efforts. Yet, rather than continue to rely on the steely soul and sweat of its live shows—a repetitive...

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Reviews

Smith Westerns
Soft Will - MOM + POP
FILTER Grade: 76%

By Paula Mejia on May 22, 2013

 

Smith Westerns

Smith Westerns aren’t quite made for these times. The Chicago three-piece create glossy, ’70s-sugared tunes that unabashedly draw from the sad-yet-sweet tradition set forth by Britpop, from The Beatles’ later work to more contemporary pioneers like The Stone Roses. With hooky guitar licks, the band has returned to release their third album, Soft Will, the follow-up to 2011’s candied Dye It Blonde. Smith Westerns wear their musical influences on their sleeve. “XXIII” features the very chords from “The Great Gig In the Sky,” and the reverb-dripped “Idol” twinkles with lighthearted ’60s pop. Soft Will’s smart production results in their most refined release yet, especially with tracks like...

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Media

LISTEN: Paper Lions Brings Us “Philadelphia” (FILTER Premiere)

By Staff, Photo by Stephen Alexander Harris on May 22, 2013

 

LISTEN: Paper Lions Brings Us “Philadelphia” (FILTER Premiere)


It can be a whirlwind of an experience, going from having a small fanbase over the course of a few years to having thousands of new ones overnight. And that is exactly what happened to Canadian quartet, Paper Lions, who experienced the full force of the Internet when their video for 2007's "Traveling" went viral in recent months.

Now, the band is ready to release their second LP, My Friends, on August 20 via Fountain Pop Records, and we're excited to premiere a rad track from it: "Philadelphia"!

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Media

WATCH: FILTER & Dr. Martens Present 48 Hours In Austin: Wavves At SXSW

By Staff; Photos by Marc Lemoine on May 21, 2013

 


A couple of weeks ago, we were crushing out on Bleached and their impromptu Spice Girls cover. They were one of several bands that came to hang out with FILTER and Dr. Martens at SXSW in March. Ahhh the memories.

This week, we're reminiscing about our fabulous time in Austin with headliners and fellow Southern California surf-rockers Wavves.

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News

Discover The Undiscovered: Beca

By Staff, Photo by Tim Obremski on May 21, 2013

 

Discover The Undiscovered: Beca

 

For our newest installment of the "Discover The Undiscovered" series, we are featuring electropop songstress, Beca, whose musical talent and smooth voice has captured our attention. Over the course of her musical career, she has honed her voice into a sound that is both fresh and truly her own.

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Media

MP3: Last Good Tooth Shares Rich Debut Record: “Not Without Work and Rest” (FILTER Exclusive)

By Staff; Photo by Ivan Forde on May 21, 2013

 

MP3: Last Good Tooth Shares Rich Debut Record: “Not Without Work and Rest” (FILTER Exclusive)


Though Last Good Tooth is the newest addition to Conor Oberst's Team Love Records, they are swiftly lodging a place in our hearts as effectively as veteran Team Lovers like Jenny Lewis, Jason Boesel and Tilly & the Wall

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News

LOOK: Empire Of The Sun & Gold Fields Perform On “Yahoo! On the Road”; Tune In TONIGHT!

By Staff on May 20, 2013

 

LOOK: Empire Of The Sun & Gold Fields Perform On “Yahoo! On the Road”; Tune In TONIGHT!


Tonight, two of our favorite Australian acts—Empire of the Sun and Culture Collide veterans, Gold Fields—perform at The House of Blues in Dallas. And before many of you start to whine about how you don't live in Dallas, Yahoo! On The Road has you completely covered.

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Media

WATCH: Beware Of Darkness Give A “Howl”-ing Performance On Conan

By Staff on May 20, 2013

 


 

Since we're on Team Coco, we trust that our favorite ginger has great taste in music. And he does, because just last Wednesday, Beware Of Darkness performed an energetic and raucous rendition  of "Howl"— the lead single off of their freshman full-length, Orthodox—on Conan, and we loved it.

This performance marked the band's national television debut, and it showed off exactly what the LA trio is all about!

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News

OBSESSIVE COMPULSIONS: FILTER’s Weekly Picks Featuring Keebo, Ultimate Gangsters Collection + More

By Staff on May 20, 2013

 

OBSESSIVE COMPULSIONS: FILTER’s Weekly Picks Featuring Keebo, Ultimate Gangsters Collection + More


FILTER
likes music. There's no hiding it. We also like our own opinions a whole bunch, so once a week we give the masses a fleeting glimpse into our selective stereos and Internet browsers to let them see firsthand what fuels our endless devotion. We like to think of it as community service. We're selfless like that. So without further ado, here are the official, inarguable, objectively good FILTER Weekly Picks—providing everything from new LPs you should be spinning to the latest good-fer-you videos. Yeah, we're good at what we do:


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Media

WATCH: “Fall” Through the Sky With The Presets in New Music Video

By Staff on May 20, 2013

 


 

Last year when we reviewed The Presets' album Pacifica, we identified "Fall" as a standout track that would soon sweep dance floors across the country. With a pulsing beat and undeniable disco groove, this track is sure to infect you.

It seems the time has finally come for The Presets' reign, now that they have released the visuals for "Fall."

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