We’ve all been wanting a little more Justice ever since “Cross” blew up our speakers in 2007. Now we have a sneak peak on SoundCloud. It doesn’t quite possess the pumping, smashed, compressed aggression we know and love; and the added vocal presence brings the track a little more “pop-friendly” edge, but it’s still dirty, it’s still French, and I still love it.

Justice “Civilization” High Quality by 1077 The End

New Justice Track – “Civilization” is a post from: wax&wires

We’ve been in a retro revival for a good while now. It seems like every other band is rocking skinny ties and sport coats. Dapper wear has become nearly synonymous with the “hipster” icon, and our culture’s newfound cliche has earned a lot of true artists a tougher and more cynical crowd to conquer. So how do you still make your point and succeed when your potential audience has already written you off as “another one of those” bands? The answer is simple, but not easy: make good music.

Fitz and the Tantrums are an LA based group that started when leader Michael Fitzpatrick purchased an organ from an ex-grilfriend’s neighbor. A song was written, a voice was found and shared with a friend, saxophonist James King. The vision for a guitar-less band was born. Less than two years later, and the band’s debut full length “Pickin’ Up The Pieces” was released and climbed the Billboard Heatseekers chart to number 20.

Fitz and the Tantrums are notorious for having a live show energy that far surpasses what their album can capture. I love the album, so if that’s the case, I’m stoked to catch them live.

If you’re into Mark Ronson, MoTown/Stax or Don Draper, be sure to snag this one for just $5 right now.

Fitz and the Tantrums – Pickin’ Up The Pieces

Wax Pick: Fitz and the Tantrums – Pickin’ Up The Pieces is a post from: wax&wires

I first heard The Civil Wars live back in October in Waco, TX. Their chemistry and woo factor was potentially the best I’ve seen; very few artists can make a room of 1000 people feel like a living room. Joy Williams and John Paul White are a phenomenal musical pairing with beautiful moving harmonies, gut wrenching lyrics, and more emotion than a pregnant woman watching The Notebook.

You can grab their live album for free here, and the duo have just released two new songs today, which you can snag for free, here.

The Parlor has some great live footage. The last video on the page encapsulates the group best, with a few fun covers and then their new single performed flawlessly. Check it out here.

Here’s a video of their strongest original to date, “Poison and Wine.”

The Civil Wars – 2 Free Songs is a post from: wax&wires

I’ve been waiting for this EP for close to 2 years, and it’s solid. Versant’s 4-track debut is what I wanted Shiny Toy Guns’ sophomore followup to We Are Pilots to bring. Great progressions, strong dynamics and hooky melodies will invade your head for hours after listening. Prog-rock meets raw emotion in an album that makes it ever so clear why Versant took their time polishing this release.

If you’re into ABBA, Muse, the good version of STG or dare I say… some of the production elements of Katy Perry’s new album… give this a go.

Versant – Heartbeats EP

Versant – Heartbeats EP is a post from: wax&wires

If you follow my twitter/blip.fm you’ve probably seen me talk about Oh Land a smidge before. Nanna’s new EP has been out for about a month now, and it’s pretty tasty. The new tracks are quite a bit lighter and more bubbly than I would have expected based on the darker and more aggressive sound of Fauna, but each is just as pleasing. Stacked vocal harmonies and clean production create a very unique and dynamic piece that leaves the listener wishing the album wasn’t so short.

If you’re into Immi, Sam Sparro, Ingrid Michaelson, etc. check this out:

Oh Land – Oh Land EP

Be sure to catch her live if you have a chance:

Oh Land – New EP Out Now is a post from: wax&wires

You know what’s up. Amazon has Arcade Fire’s brand new album on sale today for $3.99. Seriously, less than 4 bucks. Forgo your coffee today and snag some great music.

Arcade Fire – The Suburbs

Wax Pick: Arcade Fire – The Suburbs is a post from: wax&wires

I saw these UK-based Aussies live on that Bonnaroo web stream I posted a while back, and am going to try to catch them this next week in San Diego.

They’ve got a great space in their compositions, never crowding songs with more instrumentation than needed. Soft and tender falsetto vocals carry the emotion behind reverb saturated guitars and pads on tracks like Sweet Disposition and Love Lost (the two best tracks IMO). All the while, droning percussive tones keep the menacing anxiety and anticipation high throughout. Heavy drums and sassy vox mark other tracks like Fader, rounding out the album nicely. Once you hear a couple of their works you might start to recognize them as the band that’s been getting airtime behind just about every one of your favorite TV shows and a few commercials to boot.

If you’re a fan of Kings of Leon,  and I know you are, be sure to snag this one for $5 on Amazon.

The Temper Trap – Conditions

Wax Pick: The Temper Trap – Conditions is a post from: wax&wires

Digital Bang: The 2010 Sub Pop Sampler

FREE Sub Pop Sampler is a post from: wax&wires

I’ve been squatting on this pick for a few months, since I felt like I was bombarding you guys with pick after pick without putting up much other content. I just caught this New York duo when they were in town last week with The Antlers. It was a great show and I would definitely try to catch them live if they’re coming near your town.

Read more about them in their wiki bio.

My favorite tracks: When I’m Small & Futuristic Casket.

Snag it on vinyl or MP3.

Phantogram – Eyelid Movies

Wax Pick: Phantogram – Eyelid Movies is a post from: wax&wires

The highlight song is definitely the single, “The High Road,” a mid-tempo groove that is sure to get your head nodding. For a while, you could snag it for free on their site, but I think they might have taken it down once the album dropped.

You can pick up the album in a variety of formats, CD, MP3, Vinyl, as well as some deluxe options with video and extra packaging.

Broken Bells – Broken Bells

Wax Pick: Broken Bells is a post from: wax&wires

First up, Greg and Inara are back at it with a pinch of help from Shirley Manson (Garbage). Unique covers always seem to reveal the depth of talent within a musician. How do you make something creative, while having to adhere to certain constrains within lyric and melody. The best artists find that line of changing a song without forgoing its intent. Greg’s one of the best.

This album features 8 Hall and Oates covers, and one original song, “Heard It on the Radio.” If you’ve seen The Bird and the Bee live anytime within the past year or two, you may have caught a sneak peek before the album was out. One little audio nugget, and you’ll be singing, “I CAN go for that!”

The Bird And The Bee – Interpreting The Masters Volume 1: A Tribute To Daryl Hall And John Oates

You also gotta appreciate the image parody of the album cover:

Wax Pick: The Bird And The Bee – Interpreting The Masters Volume 1: A Tribute To Daryl Hall And John Oates is a post from: wax&wires

I know I already tweeted this album out a few times, but figured I’d still put it up on here since Yeasayer is gaining in popularity exponentially with each passing day, and the album has been on heavy rotation in my home and car for the better part of the past few weeks now.

Yeasayer is a Brooklyn-based group pumping out some great experimental electronic indie meets world beats. They started gaining steam upon a tour with Brooklyn buddies MGMT. Both groups feature highly affected falsetto vox, which I’ve unofficially deemed the new Brooklyn sound… solely based on a handful of groups hailing from the great NY. They first grabbed my attention a while back when Kevin Pereira was rocking “Sunrise” off the group’s first album, All Hour Cymbals.

I almost made that one a wax pick back then, but I didn’t feel like the album as a whole was as strong as I would have liked. It’s since grown on me a lot. Nonetheless, Yeasayer’s sophomore release, Odd Blood, is a very strong album and has a populace of gushing bloggers already forecasting it as one of 2010′s best.

My favorite tracks, the freebie Ambling Alp and O.N.E. The percussion will make you want to dance.

Yeasayer – Odd Blood

Wax Pick: Yeasayer – Odd Blood is a post from: wax&wires

Through a series of events involving Fleet Foxes, Sub Pop, and 4 LPs, I ended up with a bit of store credit down at M-Theory, the local record shop. I guess I didn’t really like the pants I had on, because I felt the urge to let my newfound inheritance burn a hole in my pocket as quickly as possible.

I asked the owner if he had any good albums that had just come in, and he had hardly uttered the words, “Beach House” before a fellow customer, a middle-aged hipster perusing the used vinyl interjected, “No, you don’t! That’s my copy, you better not be selling him my copy!”

Seriously though, calm down.

Mr. M-Theory proceeded to explain that he had two copies on hand, and had previously set one aside for Mr. Hipster.

Well if missing the opportunity to purchase a simple album was enough to elicit a near-violent response from a fellow music connoisseur, I figured said album must be well worth purchasing.

It was.

That’s why I love still going down to the record shop. You never know what could happen. I’ll probably find out next week when I’m in and the same “customer” is there that it’s some elaborate dog and pony show and I got played, but nonetheless, the album is stellar.

One of my favorite releases of the past few months, Beach House has crafted a simple and nostalgic album that oozes dream-pop beauty. Maybe it’s my wife’s fault, but them Frenchies always seem to get me. The duo hails from Baltimore and is comprised of Alex Scally and French-born Victoria Legrand. Their lush compositions and textures create a sonic space hearkening back to Brian Wilson’s hay day.

This is Beach House’s 3rd release, and their first on new label, Sub Pop. My favorite tracks are hands down, “Real Love,” and “Take Care.”

Snag it on vinyl if you can, it comes with the MP3s and a DVD with video content from various directors set to each song.

Beach House – Teen Dream

Wax Pick: Beach House – Teen Dream is a post from: wax&wires

I’m stoked for this wax pick. I was actually just listening to Radian a few days back and somebody came up to me to ask what it was.

Air is a French duo that has been putting out some great psychedelic electronica for over a decade. Them Frenchies always put out the best electronic artists! Their name is a French acronym for “love, imagination, dream,” and you can hear those ideals manifest themselves sonically in all their works.

Join the Moon Safari for $1.99 on Amazon today.

Air – Moon Safari

Wax Pick: Air – Moon Safari is a post from: wax&wires

Cast away your expectations and walk into it wanting nothing more than some good catchy songs, and you’ll enjoy it. Definitely not one of the most memorable, or my favorite, Mayer album; but that doesn’t make it void of worth. The longer I sit with it, the more it takes me in.

John Mayer is single-handedly reviving the stratocaster. Respect it.

John Mayer – Battle Studies

Wax Pick: John Mayer – Battle Studies is a post from: wax&wires