Skateboarding, BMX, and punk rock have gone hand in hand for quite a few decades now. The most interesting project that is Iglomat isn’t exactly the rock we normally associate with ramps and the like but the act’s down-tempo instrumentals and moments of post-rock bliss have inspired, and in turn found home in quite a few projects in that culture. The brainchild of David Jack (from Portabello, Scotland), Iglomat the record had been in the works for many moons from what we gather. Scott MacDonald (also in Portabello) and Austin-based Sandy Carson complete the Iglomat line-up, and this cross-Atlantic trio worked together for a good amount of time, assembling songs “via satellite till the tune is finished” per Carson. Carson and MacDonald contribute the guitar tracks while Jack is the mastermind behind the beats and bass, and also handles the mixing responsibilities....

Xiu Xiu are what many would call a success story. After all, they’ve evolved from an experimental freakshow of a duo who appealed only to the outer edge of musical snobs and depressed hipsters, to a full-on, four member, MySpace friendly, blog-writing, book-producing, ceaselessly collaborating, networking whirlwind with legions of fans and the respect of critics. Not only that, but unlike some rise-to-glory stories, Xiu Xiu’s transformation has been nice to see, mostly because founding members Jamie Stewart and Caralee McElroy always seem to be having a lot of fun, connecting well with their fans and managing to maintain their sense of humor and their honesty....

Say you’re drunk. Or, better yet, you just woke up after one of those Mexican Martini nights, so it's one of those mornings where the sun, you’re sure, is already blazing its blaze just beyond your bedroom window, yet you can only spot a squeak of it through the blinds, and that little bit of light is really all you handle. Anything more would send you into full-on fury, but that special kind of fury where you can’t really do anything, because, truly, you feel like shit....