Last week Small Black released the first track from their upcoming mixtape entitled Moon Killer, and yesterday they sent around the title track from it.  Last week’s track, entitled “Two Rivers,” featured Heems of Das Racist fame (the band and rapper met in a bar in New Orleans), and you can still grab that one over here.  Historically mixtapes are the realm of hip hop, and they tend to sample more diverse beats, and have more guests spitting hot fire.  But artists outside of that genre are starting to encroach on them as well as a way to get something out to the fans in the midst of the normal cycle of album-tour-studio-album.

The caveat with mixtapes has always tended to be that they’re a little bit more loose since they’re not a defined album, but even that’s no longer the case.  With the two tracks we’ve heard from Small Black’s upcoming release, both are quality cuts.  And while a chillwave track with Heems rapping on it might not make an album, this one definitely feels like it could have been.  Be glad we all don’t have to wait, and that we can have it right now.

Moon Killer will be out in November, and Heems’ own mixtape, Nehru Jackets, will be out on January 1.

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Small Black // Moon Killer [mp3] from the forthcoming Moon Killer

With the announcement that you can now pre-order Small Black’s debut LP, New Chain, comes a new single from the album.  Where the first single, “Photojournalist” was far more airy and ephemeral, “Search Party” feels much more like a track from their 2009 EP – glitchy and throwback in all the right ways.

When you pre-order either the vinyl or CD versions, you receive both an instant download of the album, but a Small Black tote bag as well.  (Just what you always needed.)  Maybe they should have dropped the price $5, along with the tote bag.  Or maybe I’m just being cynical.  Probably some of both.  Regardless, get pre-order your copy of the LP or CD through Insound.

In addition to their debut, Small Black is headed out on a lengthy tour both of North America and Europe to coincide with its release, the dates for which you can ch-check out over at their MySpace.

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Small Black – Search Party (mp3) from the forthcoming New Chain

With the countdown of our favorite LPs of 2009 probably having gone on a bit too long (we’ll refine things for next year), we’re going to do a couple of posts about our favorite EPs and singles of the year as well.  Nothing as in depth as what we just finished up, we promise, but we’ll probably go three posts just to break things up a bit.  No rankings on these, just some music that didn’t fall under the long player format that is worth your time.

The Radio Dept. – David [Single]

Not having listened to The Radio Dept., I was surprised to learn that the Swedish group has been together for nearly 15 years – since this single seems especially relevant to the music that’s been recently released.  “David” is a slow-burning track, looping drums and strings around understated vocals, but the remix by The Rice Twins stands out.  The entire 4-song single shimmers, and it went particularly well with the longer summer days.

The Radio Dept. – David (mp3) from David [Single]

Washed Out – Life of Leisure

Whatever genre you want to place Washed Out in – chillcore, electro-chill (anything chill, really) – their Life of Leisure EP captured something particularly coastal.  The EP ebbs and flows along simply, washing itself over you, feeling like a sun-bleached beach scene.

Washed Out – Get Up (mp3) from Life of Leisure EP

Small Black – Small Black

In the same musical vein as Washed Out, Small Black actually has a remix of their Small Black EP track “Despicable Dogs” done by Washed Out.  As a whole, the EP sounds a little less polished, with a little more edge than their counterparts, but their glitch-y take on the electronica that has come before them this year is equally viable and impressive.

Small Black – Bad Lover (mp3) from Small Black EP