Sixteen Shades Of Black And Blue

I somehow missed the fact that there is a new Fujiya & Miyagi record coming out, in spite of the fact that I spend countless hours a week reading music news and am "friends" with the band on MySpace and Facebook. So much for staying informed!

Ventriloquizzing, the band's fourth album, is due out on January 25, 2011 via Yep Roc in the US and on January 17, 2011 via Full Time Hobby in the UK.

Based on preview track "Sixteen Shades Of Black And Blue," the band sounds a bit sinister and, well, weird this time around. It's a good weird...I think. I couldn't really get into their last record so I'm curious to hear the full length. The tracklisting of the album follows below:

1. Ventriloquizzing
2. Sixteen Shades of Black and Blue
3. Cat Got Your Tongue
4. Taiwanese Boots
5. Yoyo
6. Pills
7. OK
8. Minestrone
9. Spilt Milk
10. Tinsel & Glitter
11. Universe

"Sixteen Shades Of Black And Blue" is available for free from the band's SoundCloud.

Omega Dog

Montreal's The Dears released a new single called "Omega Dog" today. The song is available from the band and digital outlets (iTunes, Amazon).

This is the band's first release since 2008's Missiles and the first single from forthcoming fifth album Degeneration Street which is due on February 15, 2011 via Dangerbird.

Following a personnel shuffle The Dears spent the year recording and playing their new album in its entirety at multi-night residencies in Mexico City, Montreal, and Toronto. A final residency is at the The Knitting Factory in Brooklyn on November 3rd and 4th.

Watch The Dears playing "Omega Man" live for the first time in Mexico City:

Ways To An End

I wake from my long slumber to bring you a single which has me more excited than any other new release I've heard this year. Ladies and gentlemen, I present you: Mirrors. "Ways To An End" is the Brighton, UK band's first single on venerable old dance label Skint.

I first heard the b-side "Broken By Silence" at a bar Sunday night and was sufficiently smitten enough to run to the DJ booth to find out what it was. After downloading the single today I was happy to find that the a-side is even better.

If I had to describe the single I'd say it's like a modern meeting of "Beautiful World" by Devo and "Doctor! Doctor!" by Thompson Twins. Which is to say that it's a) rather synthy and b) immediately reminiscent of things you remember from 27 years ago, in a very good way.

"Ways To An End" was released last month on 7-inch vinyl and is also available for download at eMusic, Amazon, iTunes, etc. You can get a free demo of "Organ Song" by signing up to their mailing list here. A full-length album is expected in February.

How many references can you spot in the video?