One for the Team just released their new Build A Garden EP on Tuesday via Minneapolis’s consistently solid Afternoon Records indie imprint. Though it’s only an EP, it’s a beautiful package that can properly introduce new listeners to the sweet melodious indie pop that is quickly making this local band a household name around the country. After receiving nods from SPIN and MTV’s Real World this year, it’s hard to not pay attention to the intoxicating and irresistible songs that One for the Team consistently creates. Sonically on Build a Garden, their lively apartment recordings sound remarkably clean and exude a melalcholic, carefree, modern-yet-classic atmosphere not unlike artists such as The Broken West, Mates of State, and Peter Bjorn and John. Even as a mixed collection of 4 brand new songs and 4 rerecorded tracks, Build A Garden still has a natural cohesiveness that makes it feel like an album, and because of that I think it deserves a purchase. Plus, I don’t know exactly what they’re talking about, but the “unique items” they plan to ship with physical copies make this an alluring purchase for anyone who wants more than just the mp3s.
MP3: One for the Team, “Best Supporting Actress” (from Build a Garden, available now)
LISTEN: One for the Team, “Questions & Panthers” (from Build a Garden, available now)
LISTEN: One for the Team, “Build a Garden” (from Build a Garden, available now)
Usually when I watch a film, I like to play like a critic and try to really “interpret” what the director is trying to get across. Some people prefer to simply enjoy a movie for its visual pleasures, but understanding the intricate aspects of editing and directing tends to provide a much more fulfilling viewing experience to me. With the music video for 
The outpour of new music lately is unprecedented. I feel like an idiot jumping on here again and praising some blog-worthy track to the max, but here I go. (It’ll be fun this time, I promise). The Whitest Boy Alive is an interesting group, not only because its name suggests it’s a white parody-rapper or something of that sort, but because of the music as well. With only one album release out at the moment, the hugely under-rated 2007 “Dreams,” Whitest Boy plays some of the most polished and soothing songs on the market. Tracks like “Fireworks” and “Golden Cage” combine soft vocals with amazing song-writing and mix in plenty of guitar with rhythmic cymbal crashing. Maybe not so graceful sounding when I put it in words, but check the video below if you don’t believe me. Whitest Boy Alive performing “Golden Cage” live on BBC:
MIND INVERSION 