I have not one but two bands on the MUST SEE list for May... The Lucksmiths and The Changes. The first... Australia's LUCKSMITHS are on what is gossiped to be their last US tour (for awhile... oh a long while) after just releasing a brand new record, Warmer Corners, on US indie label Matinee Recordings (click the link for sound samples). They've been quickly gathering positive reviews from Pitchfork and the like for their constantly expanding emotional depth and are an absolute pleasure to experience first hand.

The other band, THE CHANGES, you might not have heard of yet but mark my words these guys have what it takes. Hailing from my home town of Chicago they have been quickly building momentum and are (as of today) the only unsigned band that will be gracing the stage of Lollapalooza. I wouldn't expect their unsigned status to last for long as recorded and onstage they are already proving themselves a shoe in for next-big-thing. (Psst... If you see them... be sure to pick up the limited edition EP they're carrying with them. It's priceless.)

Ok... the Smiths haven't actually been resurrected, but their material has. Matinee Recordings has asked the artists on their roster to "take a stab at a Smiths cover"... and are releasing the material to honor the 20th anniversary of the band. Included on the new compilation, "Romantic and Square is Hip and Aware", are The Lucksmiths, Would-Be-Goods, Pines, The Liberty Ship and more. The album will be available late in December via Matinee Mailorder or in January in record shops.

These kids are addictive... so we're offering a fix that's a few months old.
The Lucksmiths - "T-Shirt Weather"
4th Graders on what exactly *is* T-Shirt Weather?