Our favorite albums of 2013 so far with an RDIO playlist!

Few weeks ago we started posting some music from Pillowfight , the duo of Emily Wells and Dan the Automator , who released their debut self-titled EP not long ago. Now they are back with a video for the song "Get Down." It's a fun poppy tune with a solid groove line , so the video of the two having some good times on the road is fitting. Although it is mostly Emily, that's okay. Watch below. Fresh? [...]
Pillowfight , the duo made up of Emily Wells and Dan The Automator, dropped their self-titled EP (stream below via Spotify) and now they're here with a new video for the "Get Down." The song bounces with a wholesome groove and an old school vibe, but Emily Wells' vocals give it a fresh twist. Watch the two (mostly Emily) have some fun on the road in the new clip above. ( MTV Buzzworthy )

Some albums I have a very visceral response to, either good or bad. Sometimes I finish a record and think “Wow that was amazing!” or “Wow that was bad, never listening to that again!” Pillowfight's eponymous debut was not one of those albums. It falls into a black-hole of boring mediocrity that makes it difficult to rouse passions one way or another about it. There is nothing objectionably bad about Pillowfight , but there isn't anything really to recommend it either. It is just tiresome, average and relatively uninteresting. Pillowfight is a collaboration [...]
Dan the Automator and Emily Wells are Pillowfight, the throwback trip-hop band you didn't know you wanted. For the majority of Dan the Automator's initial fanbase, I'd wager most figure he hasn't been very busy the past few years. I know the last time I heard his name being attached to anything new was a mixtape series for the 2K Sports video game franchise. That was 2006. Meanwhile, not only was Dan decidedly not not busy, he'd shifted from hip-hop to more band-oriented work much as Danger Mouse did over the same...

Dan the Automator and Emily Wells team up as Pillowfight up for a sultry collaboration on their self-titled debut. Get Your Shit Together [...]
Throughout the 43 minutes of Pillowfight' s self-titled debut LP , vocalist/lyricist/violinist Emily Wells constructs verses that challenge Taylor Swift for the accolade of most innocent pop songstress. Backed by Dan the Automator' s collection of subtle ivory runs, muffled trumpet trills, and abbreviated string arrangements, Wells recounts the frustrations of a tumultuous relationship on "Sleeping Dogs": "I can't seem to give up, please don't say goodbye / I'll call you up and say, 'I've been thinkin' bout you baby and I'm back to stay' / You were never just a memory, I knew we'd meet again / Thank [...]

Did you guys hear about Lupe Fiasco getting escorted off the stage by security at a pre-inaugural concert for performing a thirty minute song railing against Obama? This is the kind of thing I can get behind, and I LIKE Obama. Don't be afraid to be loud, y'all. This little story has nothing to do with this month's mix though. I just wanted to mention it because it's one of my favorite stories this week, and you should check out Lupe's new album Food & Liquor II because it's pretty good. I really appreciate the fact that he [...]
What a blockbuster week for new album drops, and the singles from those releases. In fact, this is the first week of 2013 in which there are a significant number of anticipated releases, as well as surprises, from a variety of well-known artists and bands. While the Best New Releases playlists posted in recent weeks [...] Read more, get songs or stream the entire mix on Indie Rock Cafe
What a blockbuster week for new album drops, and the singles from those releases. In fact, this is the first week of 2013 in which there are a significant number of anticipated releases, as well as surprises, from a variety of well-known artists and bands. While the Best New Releases playlists posted in recent weeks [...] Read more, get songs or stream the entire mix on Indie Rock Cafe

You know Dan the Automator —he of Deltron 3030 , Handsome Boy Modeling School , and Gorillaz fame, the guy who produced Dr. Octagonecologyst . Maybe you know Emily Wells , too—her album Mama came out last year and made such an impression that several bands felt compelled to take her songs out for a spin, and the Mama Remixed album was born. But please allow me to introduce you to [...]
Dan the Automator + Emily Wells = 46 minutes of soothing smolder.

Finally! With all of these great new releases, 2013 is coming on with a roar. Well, maybe not The Big Roar this time, but rather Wolf's Law , the new and much anticipated second album from The Joy Formidable . Fans wondering how the Welsh trio could possibly follow up their hard hitting debut after such a meteoric rise can rest assured that the emotive wallop of their sophomore release is just as strong. In fact, the album's title itself refers to a bone's ability to get stronger after it heals from a trauma, a fitting [...]

Dan The Automator (producer of Gorillaz S/T album, Deltron 3030 and Handsome Boy Modelling School) is back with his latest project Pillowfight featuing singer songwriter Emily Wells and frequent collaborator DJ Kid Koala. Hear Pillowfight (Dan The Automator x Emily Wells x Kid Koala) Self Titled Debut LP below. Read more »
Emily Wells and Dan the Automator team up for a pop album. Is this as good as past projects that both have been a part of? Bulk Recordings , 2013 5.6 / 10 On paper, Emily Wells working with Dan the Automator makes sense. Nakamura is [...]
Pillowfight - Used To Think Dan the Automator is back with a new project called Pillowfight, collaborating with Emily Wells and releasing an EP in about a week. If you don’t recognize Emily, she’s an uber-talented vocalist and musician who’s known for dynamite looping and odd takes on classics ( watch this video ). Dan’s previous projects are all killer too, especially Handsome Boy Modeling School and Gorillaz. Yeah, that Gorillaz. // http://soundcloud.com/bulk-rec ordings/pillowfight-used-to-th ink
The SOTO inbox is always full of cool stuff that never gets to see the light of day on the actual site, and I’d like to change that. So, every Friday I’ll be posting the best album streams and videos that were sent my way during the week. Take a scroll and find something worth remembering. FULL ALBUM STREAMS Pillowfight - Self Titled FIDLAR - Self Titled Ra Ra Riot - Beta Love He's My Brother She's My [...]
Pillowfight stream their self-titled debut. You could hear a touch of hip hop influence behind Emily Wells ' recent album, Mama, and it will be more apparent in her new project Pillowfight , where the vocalist/multi-instrumentalist teams up with Dan The Automator . Dan The Automator (Deltron 3030, Handsome Boy [...]
![Dan the Automator & Emily Wells – Pillowfight LP [stream]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/4724600_lg.jpg)
“Ever had a sure thing that managed to exceed all expectations? Dan the Automator’s new passion project PILLOWFIGHT surpassed all anticipatory hopes and then some” when they debuted the new project at SXSW, in Austin (mxdwn.com). Dan The Automator (Deltron 3030, Handsome Boy Modeling School, Gorillaz), has a new brainchild. He has teamed up with Emily Wells in a new collaborative project called Pillowfight. The delivery is a deft combo of downtempo sexy cool, brimming with the Automator’s pristine multi-layered production. Wells sings with effortless sultry appeal, while the band drops the beat like no one ever started [...]

It appears all the members of Deltron 3030 are pretty active again, both on a group and solo front. As the trio make a move for a Deltron 3030 comeback , Dan The Automator decides it would be a good time to also liberate his collaborative album with vocalist and hip-hop violinist Emily Wells. Our first taste of the project came by way of " Used To Think ", which actually featured fellow 3030 member Kid Koala. Skimming through the LP quickly, it is pretty clear Dan's hip-hop flare is left intact. Lateef the Truthspeaker is also featured as a [...]