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Thursday, March 21, 2013

Artist Making Waves: S O H N [electronic soul / minimal electro pop]

S O H N is a producer/singer/multi-instrumentalist originally from London who currently resides in Vienna, Austria. His recent move to Vienna has played a key role in his songwriting as themes of loneliness, starting over, and realization-that-things-aren't-so-bad are delicately strewn over his intricately multi-layered minimal electronic backdrop with his soulful, captivating voice and countered with his stuttering vocal sample that blends perfectly with the complex beat.

S O H N's first single "The Wheel" from his debut EP with the same name demonstrates these themes when he opens with "I died a week ago / There's nothing left / It's caught on video / The very last breath", and calms himself down at the end with the same smooth voice that has been relaxing us: "All this fuss over nothing / Reinventing the wheel / All this searching for something / That's not real".

Believe me – his lovely, addictive sound keeps rolling beyond "The Wheel". Check it out along with the newly released slow-building single "Bloodflows" and a few others below from S O H N's Soundcloud to fully experience his seductive electronic pop. You can buy the 2012 The Wheel EP here.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

holaTUBE: The Last Bison - "Midnight City" (m83 cover) [indie folk / chamber music]

With roots in Chesapeake, VA, the 7-piece "mountain-top chamber music" family band The Last Bison has just released their "debut" album Inheritance, which is gaining the critical appeal and audience they probably hoped last year's self-released Quill LP would have acquired when they were simply known as "Bison". However, after the name change they decided to rerecord (and reorder) the six strongest tracks from Quill and add five new tracks. The result is a more polished and cohesive indie folk album that is reaching many more sets of ears with the help of Republic Records and Paste Magazine and thanks to critics' comparisons to The Decemberists, Fleet Foxes, and Mumford & Sons.
In this video, shared exclusively with Paste, you can experience The Last Bison's live take on "Midnight City" by m83, in which the Virginian folk ensemble uses instruments of all sorts to completely re-imagine the hit electronic song. With Ben Hardesty's raspy howl and rhythm guitar, his father Dan's lead banjo picking, his sister Annah's chiming bells, a brooding percussion, cello and pump organ combo, and a flawless violin impressively replacing m83's synth leads you have a complex and truly unique cover song that can just about live up to the original.

Listen to the original recording of their single "Switzerland" from the self-released Quill below and buy their new debut Inheritance LP here.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Just Rolled In: iamforest - "Structures" and "Versions" [electronic / chillwave / ambient pop]

Although most artists who have been pigeonholed as "chillwave" by music critics or fans have been trying to avoid and rid themselves of that title due to the ever-growing negative stigma it gained shortly after its birth a few years back, Vancouver's twenty-something producer Luke Hartie, who records as iamforest, proudly dubs his beat-driven ambient electronic project as just that, "chillwave". If you're not aware of what chillwave is, some of the leading pioneers include Neon Indian, Toro Y Moi, and Washed Out.

I wondered why Hartie didn't care to throw his project into that cringe-worthy (to some) genre so easily until I thought, "Maybe it's because he knows that chillwave is only really a dismissed genre title because of the gigantic wave of wannabe laptop musicians that flooded the interwebs with cookie cutter beach-ready, fuzzed out, and sample-driven tracks when the aforementioned artists met success." Luke Hartie is different from these "artists" and he knows it. His idea of chillwave is obviously, and thankfully, and bit unconventional.

While still very "chill", Hartie's music as iamforest isn't typically sample-or-fuzz-heavy, has more hard-hitting beats, incorporates his own airy vocals and smooth guitar work, and he has over ten years' experience making music with a degree in sound engineering to top it off, so unlike most of his chillwave counterparts, he knows what he's doing. If this is what chillwave has become, I won't be too quick to drop the word from my lexicon.

Listen to his outstanding single "Structures" and a song from his recent Driven Out EP, "Versions", below and buy all his music on a pay-what-you-want basis over at his Bandcamp page.

Friday, March 15, 2013

Just Rolled In: Alex Bleeker and the Freaks - "Don't Look Down" [indie folk / folk rock]

Alex Bleeker may be best known for his role as bassist in the highly acclaimed guitar pop band Real Estate but he's got his own thing going on as bandleader of his own folky ensemble, Alex Bleeker and the Freaks. The New Jersey-born-and-raised musician is the main songwriter but brings in a large cast of "freaks", which include, but are not limited to, his friends from other Northeastern bands Big Troubles, Mountain Man, Woods, and naturally, Real Estate, to back him up in the studio as well as on the stage.

While Real Estate's sound was tightened and polished for their 2011 sophomore album Days, Bleeker and Co. seem to have done the same with their second record How Far Away, which will be released on Woodsist this May. The leading single from How Far Away is "Don't Look Down", which is a quick-rolling folk rock tune held together by a thumping bass line, jangly Real Estate-like guitars, a smooth organ, and Alex's J Mascis-like whine. Check out the single below and look out for the album this May.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

holaTUBE: Beach House - "Wishes" Music Video [dream pop / indie rock]

Beach House is one of those bands, which are very few and far between, that has managed to enhance their sound and get better as a whole from record to record. A lot of artists will turn heads on their debut just to leave them hanging or shaking a couple years later when their sophomore album sees light. In May 2012, Beach House released Bloom, one full hour of one dreamy song after another, each one gently but powerfully lifting us skyward higher than ever thanks to Victoria Legrand's mesmerizing vocals and chilling keyboards and her other half, Alex Scally's signature guitar arpeggios.

One year later, they bring us a very entertaining visual companion to one of that record's standout tracks, "Wishes", which, I may be biased in saying this, is the best music video of all time. It features my favorite troubled TV dad, Ray Wise from "Twin Peaks" on vocals, and is directed by one half of my favorite TV duo, Eric Wareheim of "Tim and Eric" fame.

Watch the action-filled, surreal video below to experience all that is great and keep going to hear Bloom's opening three tracks, "Myth", "Wild" and "Lazuli", while you're at it. Buy the record here.

p.s. Look for Eric's cameo appearance!


Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Swell Album: Youth Lagoon - Wondrous Bughouse [pysch-pop / experimental / dream pop]


Wondrous Bughouse by Youth Lagoon has been receiving tons of positive reviews and is sure to be on many an end-of-the-year top albums list but that doesn't mean I can't recommend it here as well, right? Okay, good. That's what I thought.
23-year-old Trevor Powers hails from Boise, Idaho and has been making music under the Youth Lagoon moniker since 2010. His 2011 debut album, Year of Hibernation, which dealt with psychological dysphoria, was a terrific lo-fi dream pop record filled with songs that started very slow and gradually expanded and intensified. Now, with a more polished sound and production by Ben H. Allen (Animal Collective, Deerhunter, Washed Out, Fanfarlo), Powers brings us an album with big, expansive songs that often start off where those of his debut ended.

According to Powers, Wondrous Bughouse "was influenced by a fear of mortality but embracing it at the same time" and by "becoming more fascinated with the human psyche and where the spiritual meets the physical world." With these metaphysical ideas in mind, along with his meticulously excellent use of the hypnotic and celestial sounds available in today's digital universe, Allen's ability to bring fullness and grandeur to previously smaller sounding artists (see Washed Out or Deerhunter), and Powers' keen ear for developing catchy pop melodies, Youth Lagoon shoots us off into space with this multi-layered dreamy psych-pop record that makes joining Major Tom out there beyond the stars not sound like such a bad idea.

Listen to the first two amazing singles off Wondrous Bughouse below and purchase it here. Get your hands (or just ears) on Youth Lagoon's Year of Hibernation here.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Just Rolled In: Kisses - "The Hardest Part" [indie pop / electronic / disco pop]


Kisses is a duo/couple based in Los Angeles consisting of Jesse Kivel (who also plays in the indie pop band Princeton with his twin brother Matt) on vocals and Zinzi Edmundson on keyboards. In preparation for their sophomore release, Kids in LA, due out this May, Kisses have released their first single "The Hardest Part", which hints that this album may be a little less sunny than their 2010 debut, The Heart of the Nightlife. Led by a crooning voice similar to that of Jens Lekman and with music reminiscent of New Order, the LA duo's single is a fast-paced, melancholic, and incredibly danceable track meant to be played loud at a dance party or just driving around late at night with the windows down.

Below, you can check out "The Hardest Part" and 2012's non-album single "Funny Heartbeat", which is more representative of their debut's sound. Listen to that debut here and pick up a copy of Kids in LA when it drops May 14 via Cascine Records.



Monday, March 11, 2013

Artist Making Waves: Caveman - "In the City" and "Over My Head" [indie pop / psychedelic dream pop / indie rock]


Brooklyn's mellow indie rock band Caveman self-released my favorite album of 2011 called Coco Beware and now they've joined Fat Possum Records, who will put out their sophomore self-titled album April 2. I immediately fell in love with Caveman's music for their dream pop guitars, chamber pop vocal harmonies, hazy synth leads, and tribal-like drum patterns.

In the past month they have released two singles from the new album that prove that they've stayed true to that sound found on their debut but developed a more expansive presence. The vocals are noticeably enhanced and the synths have taken more of a key role in the tracks. Caveman's range from slower, hazier songs to more percussion-driven melodic pop songs is accurately exemplified between these two great singles. Take a listen below and look out for the album release April 2.




Sunday, March 10, 2013

Swell Album: Ava Luna - Ice Level [soul / experimental pop / R&B]


I just happened across a truly unique band called Ava Luna, but I did so a bit late. Their debut LP Ice Level was released in February of 2012 and they have toured with Toro y Moi and Twin Sister. Why this experimental pop band hasn't garnered much attention since then puzzles me. The Brooklynites craft a sound akin to that of Dirty Projectors and TV on the Radio but they can't be summed up that easily. What has been described as "nervous soul", their style is very rich in female vocal harmonies, broken drum patterns, minimalistic post-punk and at times orchestral instrumentals, and led by a great "soulified" male voice.

Below you can listen to 2 singles, along with one of my favorites, from their 2012 album Ice Level. You can stream and buy the entire album here.

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Artist Making Waves: Hands [indie rock / synthpop]



One of my most obsessed over bands of the past couple years is finally coming out with their debut album Synesthesia April 30. Hands is an LA-based eclectic indie rock band that has slowly gained the deserved attention over those two years and landed a spot on the Kill Rock Stars roster, which boasts Deerhoof, The Decemberists, Marnie Stern, and Xiu Xiu.

Their band profile says it well, "Hands makes music like a rip tide, swirling in overlapping loops and riffs, slowly enveloping you. The group's members . . . craft their hypnotic sound from a single dropping note that builds into a reverberating roar that crashes over you like a wave." I've had the pleasure of seeing them live twice and have to say they put on one of the most fun shows ever. Their music is full of melody, danceable beats, and catchy guitar and synth hooks that can't help but get you moving and wishing you knew the words to sing along.

Synesthesia follows an addictive set of songs including a 7-inch, an EP, and a handful of other singles that you can check out here and on their bandcamp. Listen to the first two singles from Synesthesia below.


Friday, March 8, 2013

Swell Album: Young Dreams - Between Places [indie pop / electronic / psychpop]


Bergen, Norway's indie pop collective Young Dreams released their debut album Between Places this week via Australia's electro/pysch favoring Modular Recordings. Considering the album's danceability, rich pop sound, and psychedelic flourishes, it's no wonder that Young Dreams is sharing a label with Cut Copy, ceo, and recent tourmates Tame Impala, but what sets them apart the most is their symphonic  and afrobeat elements. With so much going on, there's no doubt why the band, which starts at six members, can sometimes be seen as a group of 12 musicians on stage. Listen to the self-professed "Symphonic Trance Pop Pyschedelia" outfit's current single "First Days of Something" below or listen to the entire album via Modular's SoundCloud.


Thursday, March 7, 2013

Artist Making Waves: f y f e - "Solace" & "St. Tropez" [smoothpop / electronic]

With his debut EP Solace due out April 8, London's f y f e (Paul Dixon, formerly of David's Lyre) has been on my radar since his first single "Solace" dropped two months ago. With that track, the 23-year-old perfectly crafts a smooth electronic song with his impressive, subdued voice, a strolling beat, and simple song structure. The electric guitar and mellotron over the soft beat of the intro and verse mix perfectly with Dixon's delicate, crooning voice to relax you and then, you're suddenly awakened when his gentle voice and beat liven up for the choruses, which are carried by a haunting "ooooh"-ing choral effect. Going 2-for-2 with hit singles, f y f e recently released another Solace track, "St. Tropez", that continues the smooth electro pop and song structure of "Solace" but takes it to another level by adding a horn section that proves that f y f e's big sound can get even bigger. Listen to the two singles below.