Indie rock has a very rich history in New Jersey. Few bands have been as much a part of that history as Speed the Plough. From their early days as The Trypes to their 2010 reincarnation, Speed the Plough’s brand of rustic songwriting brings in elements of folk, rock, psychedelia and jazz to create a comfortable, friendly musical quilt.

Check out what Jim Testa of the _Star-Ledger_ had to say about Speed the Plough recently:

“In the early years, Speed the Plough boasted an ever-changing lineup, sometimes playing with as many as nine members; band alumni include Brenda Sauter and Stan Demeski of the Feelies, rock journalist Jim DeRogatis, and musician John Neilson (whose credits include work with Rhys Chatham and Glenn Branca).

“There’s less Jethro Tull and more Van Morrison to the band’s feel now, the overall sound more electric and acoustic; although – especially on the album – [Toni] Baumgartner’s delicate contributions on flute and woodwinds keep everything in the gossamer sphere of psychedlic folk.”

It is a complete thrill for us to bring you new music from New Jersey indie rock royalty. Look for a brand-new, full-length album from Speed the Plough this August!

Check out this haunting version of the forthcoming *Penguins Kill Polar Bears* track, “Sapling.”

The full-band version of “Sapling,” along with the digital flipside, “Geiger,” is due on a download-only single on Dromedary Records on May 23.

To download the track for free, just click the little down arrow on the right side of the SoundCloud player below.

Penguins Kill Polar Bears • “Sapling” (Acoustic) by dromedary

_The Deli Magazine_ debuted “St. Cloud,” the first single from Stuyvesant’s upcoming CD _Fret Sounds_, this afternoon. Here’s what they had to say:

“Husker Du was one of the most influential bands of the 80s, but it doesn’t happen very often to hear a rock band inspired by their sound these days. NJ based Stuyvesant re-elaborates the power trio sonics of the Saint Paul based band with a modern approach, it’s power pop as it should be, without whining melodies nor over-produced recordings. The band will be releasing their sophomore CD “Fret Sounds” in June 2011 on Dromedary Records.”

Check out the “link”:http://national.thedelimagazine.com/5202/nj-artists-on-rise-stuyvesant-sophomore-album-drops-june and listen to the track, or check it out on our “Soundcloud”:http://soundcloud.com/dromedary/05-st-cloud page!

We hope you love it as much as we do!

“Sweeping soundscapes, reverb-laden guitars, searing hooks and vocals that pull at the heart strings. This is the sound of Penguins Kill Polar Bears, a post-rock four-piece band hailing from Linlithgow in Scotland. Featuring Ben Proudlock on guitars and vocals; Fraser Sanaghan on guitars; Gavin Cormack on bass; and Kieran McGuickan on drums, Penguins Kill Polar Bears have been together since 2008 and are renowned for their explosive and unmissable live performances. Their experimental sound puts them right up there amongst post-rock masters such as Mogwai and Sigur Rós but leader singer Ben’s distinctive vocals set them apart. Well, apart from having the best band name I have ever heard.

Penguins Kill Polar Bears’ first EP Dawn was released in June 2010 to critical acclaim and the follow up release Vessels and Veins was release on March 22nd, 2011. This is powerful, emotional and dramatic music and is the type of EP that makes you want to play it over and over again until the band release a full-length album. Luckily, the band are planning a full album release later in the year but in the meantime, they are offering two free downloads to promote the release of the EP Vessels and Veins:

The entire EP is up for a limited time on Spinner’s Listening Party but I would honestly say that this one is a keeper and well worth the purchase.”

Thanks for a great review! Read it “here”:http://emm-media.blogspot.com/2011/03/penguins-kill-polar-bears-offer-free.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EmmMedia+%28Addicted+to+Media%29&utm_content=Twitter

Our new friends at Absolute Punk weigh in with a stellar review. Check it out, read the comments, and chime in!

“With the release of their second EP; Scottish rock outfit, Penguins Kill Polar Bears offer us six songs that are all miniature behemoths in their own right. Each song creates climactic moments of crushing sound with spacey melodies woven inside them. It’s what you would expect from a band that call themselves ‘loud vocal post rock’ – this could not be closer to the truth. Sticking to their self appraisal, they sweep through their songs effortlessly with beautifully orchestrated instrumentation. The quieter and less heavy sections are composed and collected before seamlessly unleashing into another monument of sound.

Vocally the album was a grower for me. This might have been down to the instrumentation being more akin to it being exactly that; instrumental. Nevertheless, vocalist Ben Proudlock stamps his own unique brand into the proceedings. Slightly quirky (might have to do with the accent, think a slightly more nasal Simon Neil of Biffy Clyro in their earlier days. It’s maybe an easy comparison and stereotype but it’s the best I can offer) but fitting. Most notable is that the vocals almost act as an extra instrument. What I mean is that he does not distract you from the music; where as you may feel inclined with other bands to listen in a different way to catch what the lyrics are or what the vocal melodies are…you do not get that urge on Vessels & Veins. Everything blends together.

The weak link on the album is the production. Where as the vocals sound crisp and proper the instrumentation makes you feel like you are watching them live but from a considerable distance. There is an ‘under the water’ effect which is a shame as you feel that many of the melodies and texturing are somewhat muddy. This is perhaps deliberate, but with such atmospheric melodies you cannot help but wish the quality was a little better.

I admit that I was surprised by this EP. It came out of nowhere for me and I had never heard of them before. That is definitely a thing of the past as they have a new fan and I will eagerly be waiting for more material (with better production).

-Alex Djaferis”

Check the link “here”:http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?p=86930872#post86930872

This summer will mark the new full-length release from the band _The Big Takeover_ described as “pummelling, heavy duty power-pop.” _Fret Sounds_, the fourth release from Hoboken’s *Stuyvesant*, is set for a June release on CD and digital download. Look for “St. Cloud,” the album’s first single, next month!