Wye Oak are playing tonight at Emo’s. See below for details.

I think everyone has a system for navigating through the staggering amount of new music and new bands. I’ve developed a sort of “mental Netflix” that helps me to keep track of everything. If I read about a band I’ve never heard three or four times on my internet machine, I add them to the “queue.” A band has the ability to move up in the queue if dictated by some outside force. Examples of an “outside force” include being humiliated in a social situation for not knowing about said band, or learning the girl I’ve had an unhealthy crush on listens to them. More commonly though, I’ll read that a band is coming to town and make sure I give them a listen to see if it’s worth going.

Wye Oak’s debut album If Children came out earlier this year on Merge, and I get the feeling that they’ve been undeservingly stranded at the bottom of more than a few queues. There just hasn’t been much press about them. Truthfully, though, I think you’d struggle to find a more solid album this year. Every song is immensely pleasing: from the delicate finger-picking of opener “Please Concrete” to the final reverb-soaked chord of “Obituary,” Wye Oak manages to retain consistency even through stylistically diverse songs. “Regret” is a quietly strong folk song while “A Lawn to Mow” explores a more traditional rock ballad with electric piano and subtle tremolo. The piano line driving “Keeping Company” sounds like its lineage can be traced back to oriental scales, and the accompaniment of light and dancing percussion only adds to its Eastern aesthetic. They are at their best, however, when they let the styles and genres blend, resulting in the “sound” of the band.

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You might see the name of the band and the title of the song and think that we’re pulling a fast one on you. I promise, this isn’t my friend’s band from sophomore year. Although we’re seriously posting the song, it’s possible that Devendra Banhart and Priestbird’s Greg Rogove are just messing with you. Technically, these two members haven’t been officially confirmed, nor has the nature of the project, so all we have to go on is the appearance of the Myspace page last month. Although it’s a little hard to take Megapuss seriously, the song is really, really good.

In addition to “Crop Circle Jerk ‘94”, a beautifully crafted lo-fi, 60’s-era pop song, it seems that Megapuss (a most cunning beast) have thrown in “Duck People Duck Man” to throw us off the scent. The song is really funny and worth a listen, but I have to assume all the talk of ducks and hummus is to keep us wondering. Your guess is as good as mine.

Get the song after the jump.

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It’s no secret that Fleet Foxes have been jockeying for position against Vampire Weekend for “most blogged about in 2008.” While I’m starting to tire of reading about Vampire Weekend, I can’t really get enough of Fleet Foxes. They somehow feel more deserving of the constant praise. For those of you who don’t know much about The Fleet, I’ll give you the summary: Internet loved their debut EP Sun Giant that came out earlier this year. They sound good live and people have noticed. Their self-titled LP is out next week on Sub Pop. They’re good.

“White Winter Hymnal” hit the interweb a few months ago, and I don’t think I’ve stopped singing it since. The lyrics are more or less meaningless, placing emphasis on the melody that will, if you’re not careful, consume you. The song is drenched in reverb, making the already intoxicating harmonies sound bigger and everywhere at once.

A single voice begins the song, soon joined by the voices of the remaining members and supplemented with tambourine and acoustic guitar. As the first verse comes to an end, its last lyrical phrase is drowned by the boom of a floor tom that drives what is left of the painfully brief track. A bright lead guitar line joins as well and is followed closely by more vocals as the song continues much like the first verse but bigger.

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Somewhere down the line, indie bands forgot how to use amplifiers. Bands like The Replacements and Sonic Youth made it fucking cool to be loud, fast, and messy, but lately, our musical world is dominated by glossy keyboard-pop and idyllic twee. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy these bands immensely, but sometimes I just want to get loose and cold-rock it.

Ladyhawk is playing at Emo’s Inside tonight. They’re not loud, fast, and messy to the extent that the great indie bands of the 80’s were, but they are surely a rock n’ roll band in a twee-pop world. Their second album Shots came out this year on Jagjaguwar, and it’s somewhere between Wolf Parade and Guided By Voices.

The most appealing thing about this record is the aesthetic. The rawness of the sound is the result of recording in an abandoned farmhouse, probably under the influence of alcohol. Shots picks up where their 2006 self-titled debut left off, but this time around it’s colder and darker. The strength of the first three tracks, particularly “S.T.H.D.,” makes it easier to forgive a mid-album slump. “Faces of Death” seems to continue the boring trend, but is revived by the passionate yells of Duffy Driediger, asserting a return to the sound embodied by the beginning of the album that continues all the way through “Ghost Blues,” the 10+ minute closer.

Neva Dinova is headlining the bill tonight, but do yourself and a favor and go early. It’s rare that we are offered rock music that is this passionate and honest. Oh, and bring a flask. Get some tracks after the jump.

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There are a lot of things going for Canada. Hockey, socialized healthcare, Crown Royal, and Evangeline Lilly. Oh, it also exports some of the best indie bands around. One such band that may have slipped through your ear-fingers is Vancouver’s Ladyhawk. Their self-titled debut released in 2006 was well received, but in a year full of incredible music, it was tragically overlooked.

It’s possible that with their second LP Shots (released in March) Ladyhawk have made it very difficult to be ignored. Guitars take the lead as the band adheres to similar production tactics of their first effort, which lingers somewhere between the low-fi of Guided By Voices and the bare rock and roll of early Thermals records. Whatever you want to call it, guitars are favored over the rhythm section and even the vocals, resulting in raw, honest rock that makes you want to load a few shots with Canadian whiskey and drink alone.

The only flaw of “S.T.H.D” is that it’s brief. I really want more. The song begins with palm-muted rhythm guitar providing the changes while Darcy Hancock delivers a delicate lead line. As the song moves to the chorus, Duffy Driediger begins to scream in the spirit of Westerberg as the distortion kicks in, leading to a vocal call and response with the rest of the band. Are you drunk yet? No? Pour another one.

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The Mammoth is big. It’s unlikely that Ghost of the Russian Empire named the album to describe their sound, but it’s certainly fitting. On their first LP (following last year’s EP, With Fiercest Demolition EP), Ghost of the Russian Empire push with post-rock intensity and eloquence, offering a frightening conceptual album large enough to get lost in while also being surgically concise.

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