I’ll admit that prior to meeting my current boyfriend, I was pretty indifferent to Blur – to me they were that band that had that one “woo hoo” song that was on that one car ad when I was growing up, and sure, it was a decent song, but I never gave them much of an afterthought.

But once I met Peter that had to change – this is, after all, the guy who went halfway around the world last year and saw 5 of the band’s reunion shows. Craziness. And so I picked up all of their albums, had a listen, chose my favourites, and while they’re still not my favourite band I certainly have a wider appreciation for them than I once did.

It’s been 7 years since the band released any new material (the last being that year’s excellent Think Tank), and excitingly they are back now with a new single ‘Fool’s Day’, recorded and released for Record Store Day and pressed onto 1000 limited 7 inches. Have a listen above and if it takes your fancy, download it from their website on either mp3 or uncompressed WAV.

2010: the year of Blur? Let’s hope so.

On the first day of 2007 I started chatting to a fellow named Taylor Everett thanks to the wonders of Last.FM – he was, back then, a fresh-faced 16-year-old with a startlingly mature taste in music but who did also enjoy the odd pop punk band (if you don’t you’re not a human. Seriously).

Fast forward three years and Taylor, who hails from College Station, Texas, is busy making music of his own – though to be fair, that’s been an ongoing venture since before we started talking. He has released a bunch of albums independently and continues to make them, first going by Hand Me That Piano and, more recently, Eaux Neaux.

Taylor has asked if I would feature his latest album for free download on Shakespeare’s Sister. Misery Swimmingpool was self-released by Taylor last month and sees him do a complete 180 from the work he was doing as Hand Me That Piano. While before he was focused on being a acoustic singer-songwriter, this first release as Eaux Neaux finds Taylor Everett’s interests turned sharply towards the fusion of electronic and pop.

MISERY SWIMMINGPOOL
01. Thinking of You
02. Disappointed
03. Always the Same
04. Questions
05. I Cheated on You
06. Stupid Plaid
07. New York City
08. Taken Away
09. Apartment
10. Untitled 25
11. Information
12. It's a Trap
DOWNLOAD (78.5MB, includes digital booklet)

For more information and further downloads, keep yourself updated at eauxneaux.tumblr.com.

Everyone’s favourite hipsters Animal Collective have released a video for their latest single, ‘Brother Sport’. The video is a colourful burst of inspiration and weird psychedelic creatures. Too poor for acid? Watch this instead.*

*Shakespeare’s Sister does not encourage the use of recreational drugs. Heh heh heh.

I’m not a huge fan of Cold War Kids, but this is way too cool not to post about. The indie kids from California have recently released the video for their new single ‘I’ve Seen Enough’ (from 2008′s Loyalty to Loyalty), but it comes with a twist – it’s interactive.

That’s right, how this one-of-a-kind video works is entirely up to you. The four band members are muteable, and there are four versions of the song available (accessible by clicking the coloured tabs above each member). So you can listen to the song without drums, if you like. You can mix genres and see how it sounds. This video, directed by Sam Jones (dude behind Wilco doco I Am Trying To Break Your Heart, puts you in total control of what you want to hear – and it’s awesome.

Song ain’t too bad, either.

Check the video out here and tell us what you think!

Sydney indie pop sweetheart Sarah Blasko has just released the video for her latest single, ‘All I Want’. The single debuted earlier this month on triple j and is taken from her forthcoming record As Day Follows Night, which was produced by Bjorn Yttling (of Peter, John and Bjorn fame). The album, recorded in Sweden, is set for a July 10 release.

This gorgeous song is accompanied by an equally gorgeous video that brings to mind a Sigur Rós approach to cinematography. It’s not much of a departure from Ms Blasko’s trademark breathiness, but it’s pretty awesome.

Sarah Blasko is scheduled to appear at the Sydney Writers Festival this weekend for two free events. She will appear tomorrow in a panel with four other writers, and on Sunday will engage in a discussion with Sydney Morning Herald music critic Bernard Zuel.

Brisbane’s Yves Klein Blue have just dropped the video for their latest single, ‘Getting Wise’, from the upcoming record Ragged and Ecstatic out June 26.

The band will be officially launching this single, as well as providing a sneak peek of their new album, at two exclusive gigs in Melbourne and Sydney so get in fast if you don’t want to miss out. Tickets are available on Moshtix for $14.70 (BF included) and these events are 18+.

LAUNCH DATES
Wed May 27 – The Toff in Town, Melbourne
Thu May 28 – The Supper Club, Sydney