Outside, Spring is skinking in… the sunshine’s become ever-present, birds are singing, and the buds are, uh, budding on the trees. And weather like this puts me in the mood to listen to Swedish indiepop. Specifically, the long-out-of-print Hemstad album that Catbird Records put out over 2 years ago.

And thus, I decided to put the album up as a Muxtape for a limited time, so that everyone else can have another chance to enjoy it too. So without further ado, I present you with a full stream of Hemstad’s album. For those unfamiliar, just imagine Bob Hund meets the Go Team at a glammed-out Swedish psychedelic tweaker rave.

Sadly, when the Hemstad guys’ Gothenburg studio, Studio Fagin, got demolished a few years ago, the chances of ever seeing a new Hemstad album became very slim. If I ever win a million dollars in the lottery, the first thing I’m gonna do is build Studio Fagin II for them.

BONUS: here’s your EXTRA-SPECIAL bonus: the original animated “Thank You” video that Catbird patrons were greeted with after completing their purchase. Enjoy.

Keep your credit card handy; in addition to all those Mountain Goats LPs, there’s a whole slew of other insane vinyl reissues coming out in the next month or so.

Firstly, Merge is re-releasing not only Spoon’s Girls Can Tell, but also (wait for it…) A Series Of Sneaks (!)

Both releases will be 180-gram, and come with free download coupon, natch. As will Merge’s other upcoming vinyl reissue (though not techinically a reissue, since it’s never been on vinyl before): The Magnetic Fields‘ 1994 classic, The Charm Of The Highway Strip.

Don’t get your hopes up for a 69 Songs vinyl edition, I’m sure that one would cost a fortune to do, BUT, at least we’re getting Get Lost vinyl later in the fall, AND also, from Nonesuch, we get the new album, Distortion, on vinyl this summer.

What else? Remember how, out of nowhere, Polvo unexpectedly reformed, and is playing shows this summer? Well, they’re also getting vinyl reissues of 1996’s Exploded Drawing and 1997’s Shapes, courtesy of Touch & Go.

And sure, The Magnetic Fields’ Nonesuch labelmates The Black Keys have a new album out called Attack & Release, but there are a whole legion of folks out there who swear by the Keys’ debut, The Big Come Up — and Alive Records has just put forth a new vinyl pressing of that one, in a tasty pressing of 500 yellow, 500 pink.

Merge will be doing their part to support Record Store Day: they’re offering up an exclusive Destroyer / Wye Oak split 7″, available only at certain participating Record Store Day stores this Saturday (and then on Sunday, they’ll be $50 on eBay).

The tracks are Destroyer - “Madame Butterflies” b/w Wye Oak - “Prodigy”

Trailer for the documentary, “I Need That Record: The Death (Or Possible Survival) of the Independent Record Store”

(via Lineout)

More Subpop 20th Anniversary (7/12 & 13, Marymoor Park, Redmond, WA) bands have been announced (exclamation points mine).

If 5ive Style gets announced, my head is gonna spin around 360 degrees.

Our old Scottish mates Frightened Rabbit, who graced us with one of our favorite albums of 2006 with Sing The Greys, have their new album release today. Well, the digital release at least; the physical copies are to follow on 4/29. Pitchfork gave The Midnight Organ Fight a very positive review yesterday, Stereogum will be premiering a new FR b-side, “Soon Go,” on their Gum Drop Newsletter thing tomorrow, and you can stream the whole album over at Fat Cat. Giddyup.

Pitchfork.TV premieres an exclusive new Vampire Weekend “Secret Session!” However shall you keep your head from exploding?*

(*and I’m talking to both folks for whom it would explode out of pure excitement, as well as you folks whose genuine anti-hype backlash digust-o-fury would do it.)

Vampire Weekend - Secret Session @ Columbia University

Silicon Alley Insider reports that Idolator has been acquired by rapidly-growing Left-Coast entertainment site Buzznet (who also recently finalized its acquisition of Stereogum).

Elsewhere it’s been mentioned today that FADER Media has taken on advertising/sponsorship responsibilities for RCRD LBL. This is unconfirmed as yet, but would make a hell of a lot of sense, considering the already-tight ties between the two organizations.

I trust that everyone knows that this coming Saturday, 4/19, is Record Store Day. Obvs, everyone should be out there supporting their local record store as much as possible ALL the time, but Record Store Day is a special day, and you should really try to get out to your shop if you can. There are tons of special events going on at shops all over the place, and special limited-edition vinyl and singles from the likes of (ZOMG) Vampire Weekend, The Breeders, Malkmus, Built To Spill, The Black Keys, and others. Here in NY, Other Music will be hosting DJ Sets from Tapes N’ Tapes, The Black Keys, Dead Meadow, and Interpol. And over in Billyburg at Sound Fix, there’s a free in-store performance from Regina Spektor.

And in honor of Record Store Day, I’d like to offer a mega Catbird Records discount to any indie shops who would like to make an order in the next week. US/Canadian shops, this week only: You can order any 10 Catbird items for your store for a flat rate of $25. Just drop me a line. We have the following items currently available:

• Get Him Eat Him - There’s A Guy 7-Inch Vinyl
• Manishevitz - East To East full-length CD
• Mathew Sawyer & The Ghosts - Blue Birds Blood full-length CD
• Moviola - Dead Knowledge full-length CD
• Maestro Echoplex - Last Night… CD EP
• The Underpainting - s/t full-length CD

and a very limited supply of:

• Air Waves - EP
• Fulton Lights - s/t limited-editon double CD
• PWRFL Power - EP

I’m gonna go ahead and make this a Subpop trifecta of posts here by posting this new track from Kelley Stoltz, off his latest, Circular Sounds.

…even though most people are probably just looking to download good ol’ “Memory Collector,” after googling “COURTYARD MARRIOTT 2008 COMMERCIAL SONG because of this.