The Music Minute

Band mates since childhood, Singer/Guitarist/Frontman Adam Prince and kid brother/drummer Ian Prince grew up in a musical family in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Now as the foundation of Minneapolis' Story of the Sea the brothers play a vibrant form of jangle pop complete with donated tambourine and satisfying, feel-good handclaps. There's simmer and bounce, and always a rhythm that moves. They recently released their sophomore album Lunar Co.

Listen to: Own Devices (mp3)

Dan Michaelson is the lead singer of Absentee, but in his spare time he ventures out as Dan Michaelson & The Coastguards. Dan has such a distinctive and rich voice, and with the stripped down instrumentation that The Coastguards provide his voice rumbles through with clarity. These recordings remind me a lot of the work of Mike Johnson, but they are also tinged with the flavor of Leonard Cohen. Their debut album, Saltwater, will be released in the UK this week.

Listen to: Bust (mp3)

This coming week Brooklyn's The Soft Pack will release an EP called The Muslims. The Soft Pack had an active year last year, and they are not letting up any time soon. They play a straightforward brand of garage rock that seems to ring through the loudest in their energetic live shows. The band just signed to Kemado Records in January and now they are hitting the road on an NME sponsored tour this spring with Friendly Fires and White Lies.

Listen to: Call It A Day (Acoustic) (mp3)

As much as their red track suits my confuse or even repulse you, you can not deny their beats. Datarock's latest album, Red, is not coming out until early fall on Nettwerk, the single, "Give It Up", is arriving on April 7. However this week they sent me a new version of Give it Up, the Kissy Sell Out Mix.

Listen to: Give it Up - Kissy Sell Out Mix (mp3)

If you missed the 80's the first time around, or if you just really miss the '80's then you should check out LA's Casxio. Ahead of their appearance at SXSW they are giving out a track that might remind you of Prince and maybe several other '80's pop stars.

Afternoon Records is celebrating it's golden release with a compilation of songs that embody Afternoon Records' awesomeness. "Hail On" features 49 tracks off the label's first 49 releases, and one previously unreleased track from Mouthful Of Bees. It's available exclusively through iTunes, and all 50 tracks are available for only $9.99. Don't miss out on this deal!

Pitchfork announced a sneak peak at their line-up for this years festival taking place on July 17th through the 19th. The weekend will include; The National , Pharoahe Monch, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Grizzly Bear , The Walkmen, Vivian Girls and more to come. One unique aspect will be their "Write the Night: Set Lists by Request" on Friday. Built to Spill, The Jesus Lizard, Yo La Tengo, and Tortoise will be taking request from fans ahead of time and playing the song the fans want. When you buy your ticket, you'll get a confirmation email. That confirmation email will include a link to a page where you can vote on which songs from each band you want to hear. Tickets go on sale March 13, and voting starts the same day. Voting ends June 12.