Originally recorded in 1974 by Big Star, Alex Chilton’s “Take Care” wasn’t released until 1978 on their Third/Sister Lovers LP. In 2003, Yo La Tengo included a rendition of track on their album Summer Sun. Finally, in 2009, The Lovely Sparrows laid down their version of Yo La Tengo’s version while recording demos for their upcoming sophomore release. A video was made.

Prior to the release of debut LP Psychic Chasms, Austin’s Neon Indian had already begun to garner a substantial quantity of hype from tastemakers across the globe. In first visiting Psychic Chasms, one is struck with the term ambiguous. Sure, the album and the band hint at a wider experimental electro-folk, folktronica, or whatever subgenre you wish to dub the latest slew of pleasant electronic artists that dip their toes into the arena of folk all the while foraying into eccentric bouts of experimentation.

Built By Snow is certainly a strange name for a band that backs instrumentals with bits and sounds that make reference to old Super Mario or Dig Dug bites (your mother would have killed if you got snow near the game system). But, Mega would have to be a perfect title then – since Mega Man is the undisputed best game ever! The music is pop punk relished, but it’s the aforementioned references to the world of video games that is truly intriguing. If Ms. Pac Man …

In what I consider the best new band of 2005, Voxtrot takes its twee roots and adds a heavy dose of indie-pop. Happy melodies, catchy choruses and thought-provoking lyrics are the makeup of this group’s music and The Start of Something 7” is what started it all.

Goldcure (MySpace) has the sound of Brit Daniels’ Spoon, both in voice and in backing instrumentation. Thus it should be no surprise that the band hails from Spoon’s hometown of Austin, TX. However, Goldcure injects a bit more country into the veins of their songs, from the title track of their upcoming Portugese Prince to the ballad-esque closer “Beautiful Disaster”.

Written by Fense
Spin recently took the exclusive debut of The Lovely Sparrows’ (MySpace) video for “Year Of The Dog” and I initially found it astonishing that they related the Sparrows to Neutral Milk Hotel—I mean, The Lovely Sparrows are distinctly folk-pop and while NMH included some of these traits in their music, the emphasis was almost always on the pop.