![2107212159 1 [mp3] Introducing: Bravestation 2010 EP](http://bandcamp.com/files/21/07/2107212159-1.jpg "[mp3] Introducing: Bravestation 2010 EP")
I’m going to forego our normal recap of the week’s New Releases because it’s kind of a slow week. The big release (if you don’t have it already, or somehow we’re unaware) is from Arcade Fire![[mp3] Introducing: Bravestation 2010 EP](http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=tympanogram-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B003X73QA8 "[mp3] Introducing: Bravestation 2010 EP")
, which you can grab for a paltry $4 over at Amazon today only. There’s also the general release of the Wavves album![[mp3] Introducing: Bravestation 2010 EP](http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=tympanogram-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B003V41LVY "[mp3] Introducing: Bravestation 2010 EP")
, and the sophomore release from Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band![[mp3] Introducing: Bravestation 2010 EP](http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=tympanogram-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B003X3O87C "[mp3] Introducing: Bravestation 2010 EP")
. Let’s get into another new band this morning:
There’s a jaunty confidence to the sophomore EP from Toronto’s Bravestation; they draw easy musical comparisons to Yeasayer, but they can sound like whoever you might want them to. The press release we were sent mentioned Foals, Vampire Weekend and Local Natives; my initial thought was of The Temper Trap.
Regardless of who they’re being compared to, the Canadian four-piece makes bold, expressive songs. There is a building undercurrent to each track on the EP, flowing throughout, providing the entire release with a breathless feeling. Before I realized it, I’d listened to the entire EP three times. You can get a track below, as well as another freebie at their Bandcamp page. If you’re not convinced by then, head over to their MySpace to stream the rest of the album. And then get yourself a copy over at iTunes.
The band has a handful of dates lined up in their hometown through the middle of September, which you can also view at their MySpace.
Bravestation – Colour Us With Youth (mp3) from 2010 EP
![Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band Where the Messengers Meet [mp3] New Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band Tracks](http://tympanogram.com/files/Mt.-St.-Helens-Vietnam-Band-Where-the-Messengers-Meet.jpg "Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band - Where the Messengers Meet")
If you haven’t noticed, we haven’t been doing our normal 1000 Minutes posts; this is mostly because I’m losing interest in it. We’re still going to finish the project, but at a much slower rate. Besides, we’ve been getting so much good stuff in our inbox that we don’t need to. Here’s another one that we got recently:
I didn’t pick up the Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band album from 2009 until the end of the year, when Amazon put a grip of albums up for $5 each. It was an oversight on my part; on their debut, the band is loud and intense and focused. And now, with these two tracks from their upcoming release – Where the Messengers Meet – the band picks up right where they left off – crafting spectacular, building – almost operatic – rock. They have a peculiar way of making such dense songs that they feel much longer than they actually are.
As of now, the band doesn’t have tour dates that I can find, but I can only imagine that, with the release of the album, they’ll be venturing out in the near future. Pre-order Where the Messengers Meet through Dead Oceans. It sees the light of day on August 3.
Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band – Leaving Trails (mp3) from the forthcoming Where the Messengers Meet
Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band – Hurrah (mp3) from the forthcoming Where the Messengers Meet
My penchant for music accumulation (obviously) didn’t end while we were working through our Best of 2009 lists. By the mere nature of making lists, some music is simply acquired too late to be considered; other tracks don’t fit into any specific ordering. But over the past month I’ve heard a few tracks that I wish I had heard sooner in 2009; if I had, I believe these would have ended up being mentioned somewhere.
Rifle Recoil – Prototype 2.0 (Outkast cover) (mp3)
We talked about Rifle Recoil here back in November when we heard his spacey, slightly creepy “Bad Girl.” But with his acoustic strum and drum beat, his take on Outkast’s “Prototype” is just fantastic.
Generationals – When They Fight, They Fight (mp3) from Con Law
Generationals hearken back to an innocence that hasn’t been found in music since the 1950’s. It’s harmonies, hand-claps and a saccharine sweetness that is marvelously jumpy and retro.
Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band – Albatross, Albatross, Albatross (mp3) from Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band
Frenetic and excitable, Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band’s self-titled debut went under my personal radar this past year, although it was on Dave’s individual list for Best of 2009. This particular track is representative with its noisy, intense landscape. It’s an intriguing release from a talented quintet.
