Shuffled #40: Adam's Fav 5

Every other Wednesday either Matt or Alex C-Y share their love of music in an assortment of ways. Shuffled is a podcast whose format is as varied as their tastes in music, so hopefully you won't ever be bored and everyone can find something to enjoy. 

We are taking a step back this week to an older formula we haven't done in quite a while. Occasionally on Shuffled we invite a guest on to share their favorite songs - ones that might hold some significance to their music history or are just personal favorites. This week my good friend Adam Rodriguez (who's brother Tyler you might remember from a while back) shares his picks of favorite music.

Video Round-Up: New Music Video Edition

Video Round-Up is a recurring post collecting an assortment of videos from around the web. Whether they be music videos, creative viral marketing, just plain cool, or just plain ridiculous, they will all be found on Video Round-Up.

With the flood of awesome music coming out right now, there's also the inevitable influx of music videos to accompany the singles of all of those new albums. Rather than posting each of them individually, I figured I'd resurrect the most-likely forgotten Video Round-Up to feature them all at once. So hit the jump to check out new music videos from the likes of Sleigh Bells, Coheed and Cambria, Sigur Ros, Band of Horses, Riverboat Gamblers, and more.

Music Review: Minus the Bear - Infinity Overhead

After 2010's slickly produced and predominantly poppy OMNI, Minus the Bear's fifth full-length offering finds them getting back in touch with the rock edge of their earlier material in order to deliver their tightest record yet. It's the type of album that bands often choose to self-title.

Leading track, and first single, 'Steel and Blood' kicks things off with a mix of 'Nothing Left to Lose'-era Foo Fighters guitar rock and the Seatle quintet's signature, synth infused pop; and it's imediately followed by the driving funk beats of the equally kicking 'Lies and Eyes.'

The Madden Franchise Continuously Fails by Striving for Realism, Falling Short

I can’t remember the first football game I saw. I'd love to be able to tell you a story about a magical day when the skies opened up and I was touched by some other-worldly being, blessed with football-watching skills, but I can't. I just know that every Sunday from September through January isn't filled with Ikea trips or church, they're filled with wings, friends, and the heartbreak and/or joy of the NFL.

Now, my first football-related video game memory is easy: I went over to an older cousins’ house and for Christmas he had received a Nintendo Entertainment System. This was a great moment in my life, everything about this machine seemed futuristic. It’s safe to to say that for a 4-month period, until my birthday in April, my new favorite cousin and I spent hours shooting ducks and jumping onto goombas.

So, I love video games and football, and logic would dictate that the combination of my two favorite loves would produce the purest form of obsession, right? Sadly, this is untrue. I've avoided the Madden series of games like the plague upon its annual August releases. The lead up to every Madden is virtually the same: the developers and the PR videochat, blog, and press release me to death, saying things like, "This year is the most realistic ever. We've tried very hard to make the game you play at home identical to the game you watch on TV."

This is where, in my opinion, the amazingly-talented people at Tiburon get it wrong. Trying to accurately capture any sport played by real people is an impossible task. When I sit down to play a game of Madden and the players do anything out of the ordinary I am instantly taken out of the experience. Since my love for a game is based on believing in its fiction, once I'm ripped from that moment I can never get it back.

Streetlight Manifesto announce title and release date for new album, book tour to support it

Ska-punk legends Streetlight Manifesto are finally set to release their third proper album, following up 2007's Somewhere in the Between, and a slew of cover CDs and side projects. The Hands That Thieve is due to come out November 6th, and they've booked a North American tour to help support it.

It's worth mentioning that this is the last album they're contractually obligated to release on Victory Records, the label that they've been fighting with for years. This is also the album they've suggested fans should either pirate or buy directly from them at a show so as not to give money to the aforementioned label.

Hit the jump for their tour dates.

Cobra Skulls announce new single release, tour dates with Riverboat Gamblers

When I first heard of Cobra Skulls I was mostly ignoring new punk bands and hiding behind the safe, established groups I already knew and loved. But The Lawrence Arms vouched for them and I liked what I could find on YouTube, so I picked up their album. Now I eagerly follow their career, anticipating each new release.

So, while the announcement of a new single might not be much, it means a new LP is coming, and that's exciting. "Eagle Eyes" features two b-side tracks, and will be released October 9th, via Fat Wreck Chords. Hit the jump for the band's tour dates, both as the headliner and as support for The Riverboat Gamblers.

The Faint to release remastered version of Danse Macabre with bonus material, plan full support tour

It has been over a decade since The Faint put out Danse Macabre, what many believe to be their best album. Now they've announced a remastered, deluxe version of their classic release. The package will include six bonus tracks, a meaty-sized booklet, and DVD stuffed with footage from around that time. It's set for release on October 30th, and the band has scheduled a full tour to help support it.

Hit the jump for the tour dates and to listen to one of the bonus tracks from the album.

Unoriginal Soundtracks #46: From Dust

Every other Wednesday, I share a playlist of songs tangentially related to a single game or series. Songs about alien sex for Mass Effect, world leaders for Civilization, and so on. Searching for relevant terms on Spotify is a great way to discover new music and uncover hidden gems. Make requests to @USPodcast on Twitter.

Lots of games get the "sandbox" label slapped on them, but From Dust is more like playing with a bucket and spade at the beach; you pile up sand to divert flowing water, and you struggle to keep the ocean from washing your creation away. The game inspires an elemental playlist of rock, 2 Tone, and blues.

Listen: Morning Glory release another song from their upcoming album

Morning Glory have put out yet another song from Poets Were My Heroes, set to be released on August 28th via Fat Wreck Chords. "Life's a Long Revenge" joins two other tracks, "Patiently", and "Another Way" as awesome teases for their first proper album as a real, fully formed band. Hit the jump to give the new song a listen, as well as the other two sample tracks. You can preorder the album here.

Minus the Bear release video for "Steel and Blood", stream new album online today only

Indie rock outfit Minus the Bear have put out a music video for "Steel and Blood", off of their upcoming August 28th release, Infinity Overheard. While their last album, OMNI, didn't really do much for me, the two tracks they've released from this one so far are quite catchy and enjoyable. I'm certainly looking forward to hearing the whole thing.

Speaking of, fans should be able to hear the entire album very soon, as the band is set to stream it on their website, today only. Just keep refreshing their site until they put up the stream, and hit the jump to check out the video while you wait.

Morning Glory's Recent Tour Felt Like a Symbolic Farewell to Ezra Kire's Past, Invitation to his Future

Morning Glory has garnered a pretty sizable fan base for not technically having been a real band until just recently. Their earliest demos and first full length were done almost entirely by lead singer Ezra Kire, playing every one of the instruments into an 8-track recorder in his New York apartment, save for the drums which were handled via a cheap drum machine. After that, there was an EP with an actual band, but that all fell apart pretty quickly into years of heroin abuse and empty promises for a proper album.

Now, after nearly a decade of fighting his addictions, Ezra is ready to give his full attention to Morning Glory. The long-anticipated album is due out in just over a week via Fat Wreck Chords, and his newly-reformed band just finished an East Coast tour of the US.

I've longed to see them live for what seems like a lifetime, so, I of course caught the Detroit show a few weeks back. It meant taking a vacation day at work and driving 4 hours round trip, but I made those sacrifices. The thing is, after the show ended a mere half an hour later, I wasn't sure if it was all worth it. But the more I thought about it, the more it felt like the entire concert was a farewell to their fans who might not be so willing to go along with them on this new journey of musical experimentation and discovery. Which, if true, is like having witnessed the death of a band, and the rebirth of a brand new Morning Glory to come.

Listen: Animal Collective streaming their new album Centipede Hz

Last night on the final episode of their weekly radio show, Animal Collective played an early mix of their album that band member Geologist made to help convey the sound and vibe they wanted to their producer. Following that was the actual, finished album. Even if you missed the show you can still listen to both, as well as the past three episodes featuring music curated by the other members of the band, as well as a slew of other notable artists.

It's worth noting that despite my confusion over the Avey Tare-centric music video they posted on Friday, every member of the band is present on this album, including Deakin, who wasn't around for their past record, Merriweather Post Pavillion. Also, I'm enjoying the new music quite a bit. Give Centipede Hz a listen here, and check out all four episodes of their radio show here.

Source: Reddit

Watch: Animal Collective release video for "Today's Supernatural", off upcoming album

Animal Collective have put out a video for the single off their upcoming album, Centipede Hz, to be released on September 4th. It's...uh...interesting. Like everything Animal Collective, it's pretty weird. At first I was convinced I hated the song, because initially it sounded like some sort of reggaeton or other bad form of music, but it gets better as it goes on.

Still, I'm confused by the complete lack of any member besides Avey Tare. I know their last album had them as a three-piece, but I'm not really sure what's going on with the other members. Either way, I'll probably enjoy their new album to some extent, but I've always been more interested in what Panda Bear is putting out.

Hit the jump to check out the video, just be sure no one else is in the room with you. It might cause an awkward conversation about what the crap you are watching.

Shuffled #39: TPCS

Every other Wednesday either Matt or Alex C-Y share their love of music in an assortment of ways. Shuffled is a podcast whose format is as varied as their tastes in music, so hopefully you won't ever be bored and everyone can find something to enjoy. 

After a brief hiatus, we are back with more tunes and a special guest. This week, Evan Killham joins Matt as they look back on Evan's podcast, This Podcast Contains Spoilers - a show about, well many things, but mostly spoilers (not the ones that go with cars). What does music have to do with a show about discussing a movie, video game, book, board game, or fan fiction? Listen and find out!

Listen: Devo release song criticizing Mitt Romney for strapping family dog to roof of car

Back in 1983 Mitt Romney strapped a crate to the roof of his car and drove the family dog from Massachusetts to Ontario. Now, 80's subversive new-wavers Devo are dead set on making sure the American voting public doesn't forget about the situation. Band member Jerry Casale calls it a deal-breaker, calling into question the type of person Romney really is.

The band claims this isn't a partisan position, thought, it's worth noting that the band also plans to release an iOS game about the event called Crate Escape, so they obviously want to get the word out on this. It's also worth noting that strapping your dog to the roof of your car is an awful thing to do to an animal no matter what political party you belong to. Hit the jump to listen to the song.

News: MC Chris teases sequels to Apple Tummy and Marshmellow Playground, updates fans on cartoon

I saw MC Chris earlier this week, and apparently he is keeping very busy. At some point during the show he took some time to plug some upcoming projects. First off, a follow-up to the remix album Apple Tummy that he did in collaboration with Snobots. Apple Lung is slated for September 2nd, and just like the original it will be available for free download on his site. It remains to be seen if it will include any cover songs this time around.

Next up is something that will probably only excite fans with kids; a sequel to his children's album Marshmellow Playground, titled Marshmellow Campground. As a parent I am constantly looking for child-appropriate music that I can actually stand, so when bands or musicians I like put out kid's albums I pounce. Also, my kid showed a love of MC Chris at a very early age, and it was the go-to car trip music until she could understand the lyrics. I don't remember exactly when he said Campground was coming out, but I'm pretty sure it was sometime this fall.

Finally, he updated everyone on his Kickstarter-funded cartoon. After using the money from his backers to make a sample of the show he pitched it to AdultSwim...who turned it down. But he threw a teaser up on the Internet, and was miraculously contacted by another network who said they wanted to do ten 22-minute-episodes of his idea. He wouldn't say yet which network it was, but he listed a slew of contributors and their impressive past projects, so the end project seems to be in good hands.

All of this news, joining the announcement of his next album coming out October 31st of next year, is sure to make fans happy. Hit the jump to watch the teaser for his cartoon, listen to a track from Apply Tummy and Marshmellow Playground, and check out a skit from his last album, Race Wars, that reveals the subject matter of his next release, MC Chris Foreverrr.

Listen: Nuclear Rabbit share rough cut of a new song

The winners of the "Metal band that most makes you feel like you're on an acid trip" award for 23 years and running, Nuclear Rabbit, shared a rough cut of a new song on their Facebook. The track -- titled "A Series of Uncomfortable Thoughts and Feelings" -- was described as "still in progress" by lead singer Greg Parrish.

Its been since 2003's Mutopia that they've put out any new material, though a recent increase in touring certainly hinted at a revitalization of the band. It was noted that Greg and guitarist Jason Branyan are the ones that put together the track, but with everyone getting together for the recent performances I'm sure the whole crew is on board for working on it. It's likely just a matter of finding time among their various other projects and solo careers, including that of bassist Jean Baudin, whom I interviewed quite awhile back.

I don't know about you, but the prospect of a new Nuclear Rabbit release has me extremely excited. Though, I'll settle for an east coast tour with a stop somewhere in Michigan. Hit the jump to give the new song a listen and let us know what you think in the comments.

Listen: The Snake The Cross The Crown mysteriously drop what appear to be demos of new material

Indie rock/folk outfit The Snake The Cross The Crown haven't really been a band for a few years now. Following the release of On a Carousel of Sound, We Go Round (a documentary film that included a b-sides album with a few new songs) they took an indefinite hiatus from music. Now, they might be making a comeback, though, it's still hard to tell.

On the first of July the band unceremoniously linked to a never released song called Looper, on a SoundCloud page for the band that no one knew existed. They didn't provide any context for what the song was, but there's another one titled Beach Demo v2 so rampant speculation would point to demos for a new album.

While I'd certainly love more music from The Snake The Cross The Crown, I'm not going to get my hopes up too high. They haven't said a word since dropping these tracks over a month ago, so they could very well just be unloading old files or simply messing around with no grander plan for an album. For now, give them a listen and sound off in the comments with your thoughts.

Sophist Radio #61: This Podcast Contains Evan

A cross country move, an awesome guest, and a drunk host. All of these factors play a special part in making this episode of Sophist Radio happen. Join Aaron, James, Harold, and special guest, GamesBeat’s Evan Killham, as they discuss proper apple tree care, Seattle, and first date loving. The foursome also have a healthy share of games to praise and pick apart, including Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale, and Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior. All this, plus the delayed laughs, long awkward pauses, and poor audio quality you'll come to know and love from the first Sophist to happen over Skype!

Handling Hecklers with MC Chris: An Exploration in Putting Up With or Putting a Stop to Bullshit

In case you haven't heard, the Internet currently hates MC Chris. People that hadn't ever heard of him previously are forming virtual lynch mobs behind the rallying cries of angered former fans, their end goal being...I don't know, I guess they want him to either learn a lesson or kill himself. Well, having just gone to see him perform live for the second time (the first being back in 2005), I'm here to report that I will not be joining their ranks.

When you read the original Reddit submission and its subsequent comments -- as well as the following story from yet another fan -- it's easy to get yourself worked up a little. He seems like a real piece of crap, right? Even though I've been a pretty big fan since I was introduced to him over seven years ago, I scanned through the pages of hate and found myself questioning that a little bit.

Eventually logic worked its way back into my brain. I just recently saw Danzig on tour as well, despite knowing what an egotistical bundle of anger he is. Honestly, I really don't care what a performer thinks, says, or believes, as long as the work they put out is worthwhile (to a point, obviously). That's what I'd always told myself. So, armed with my inner debate over whether or not I still believed MC Chris was a good person, I decided to go see him again. It had been far too long, and he just happened to be coming through town.

Unoriginal Soundtracks #45: Crysis

Every other Wednesday, I share a playlist of songs tangentially related to a single game or series. Songs about alien sex for Mass Effect, world leaders for Civilization, and so on. Searching for relevant terms on Spotify is a great way to discover new music and uncover hidden gems. Make requests to @USPodcast on Twitter.

Mixing sandbox inconsequence from Grand Theft Auto, with the tactical approach to combat from Far Cry, Crysis is one of the premier power fantasies in games. It's generic in many ways, but it inspires a playlist of hip hop, spoken word, and noisy guitar-rock.