Bones & Beeker: Bones & Beeker

Brendan Kelly, a.k.a. BK-One, has teamed up with Anthony Newes to form Bones & Beeker. Newes didn’t have a hip-hop background, but came from band settings both in the rock and folk genres. Kelly had been Brother Ali’s DJ for quite some time, traveling around the world with the acclaimed Rhymesayers MC. Newes and Kelly couldn’t be more different, but yet here they are with their debut self-titled album dropping on Friday via Wax Poetics. “Samana” is a good jumping-off point for the newfound duo. It’s a bright melodic story of working-class individuals blended with some very strange rhythmic samples interlaid with the laid-back tune. You just have to listen. The duo also recently had an interview with Andrea Swensson. Friday will be an interesting unveiling of what these two have been crafting.

Au Pair: One-Armed Candy Bear

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Gary Louris of the Jayhawks has a new project, in collaboration with Django Haskins of Old Ceremony. Au Pair’s debut ballad “In Every Window” is an odd thing because you might swear Wayne Coyne was somehow involved. You can hear echoes of Clouds Taste Metallic and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, but Louris is still distinctly in the picture as well. Haskins also may have pulled him into new territory with the ambient drum loops. One-Armed Candy Bear drops Friday. If you can't wait, stream the whole album on Yahoo here.

Rank Strangers: The Box

Rank Strangers are calling The Box the third volume of "the Trilogy." Last year’s Lady President and Ringtones released in May were the first two installments. The three consecutive albums are being put together in celebration of the band's 25 years playing together, and will be topped off at the release show on Saturday at the 7th Street Entry. New tracks from the latest installment haven’t made their way online yet, so maybe check them out live as seen above.

The Social Disaster: Dark Side of the Roller Rink

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Allan Sparhawk produced it, and that speaks volumes for the dark-wave synth rockers of the Social Disaster. The five-piece recorded their debut LP Dark Side of the Roller Rink with Sparhawk at Pachyderm this past May. Hailing from Duluth, the Social Disaster are led by Rachel Phoenix on vocals. She lures you in subtly with lush swells in her voice before dropping the bass-synth-driven chorus. They'll be releasing their debut on Friday at Rex Bar in Duluth. Also worth noting: Sparhawk contributes vocals to “Want It All.”

The Cult of Lip: the Cult of Lip

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If you’re looking for plans this weekend, the Kitty Cat Klub might be your spot on Saturday for the Cult of Lip’s self-titled EP release. With their droning psych and garage rock, the Cult of Lip have opened for Ringo Deathstarr—and I bet that was a good show because these guys are right in there with that apocalyptic rock machine.

Dark River Lion: Catasonic

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Dark River Lion describe themselves as a "recording collective" that include former members of Course Recovery, Marshall Cretin, I Was In Vancouver, and Twice on Wednesday. Their debut release Catasonic, which came out on Tuesday, takes listeners on a sonic journey with songs like "Archipelagos of the Far East," "Motorcycle," and "Pacific _____." The overall vibe is contemplative, with lucid production and layered arrangements.

Aaron Bolton is a senior at the University of Minnesota. Currently he is the music reporter at Radio K. He hopes to continue a career in music journalism.