The dog days are officially upon us, so we decided the most logical thing to do is sick a wolf on ’em. Le Loup rocketed out of nowhere onto the local music scene in late 2007, with a Hardly Art record deal and international tours before we could even learn the names of all seven people in their lineup. The first album was recorded before Sam Simkoff had cohorts, and while it was by far one of our favorite musical happenings of 2008, we wondered what they could do recording as a full band. Well, wonder no longer. In preparation for the release of their second album, Family (due out September 22), Le Loup has kindly shared the first single, “Beach Town,” free of charge. The band’s undergone some lineup changes, but that lush, layered sound we came to love last year is still intact. Give it a listen yourself, and let us know what you think.

Le Loup, “Beach Town”