That gentle soul side-to-side and then oh god, he's wailing and he's wailing and no man's heart has ever broken so sweetly. Otis Redding - That's What My Heart Needs
Brooklyn-based Psychobuildings are an can't-miss new act who are great for all the right reasons. They wear a smorgasbord of influences on their sleeve (along with their hearts), but still make every track uniquely their own. Frontman Peter LaBier brings high-intensity, dark vocals with a twitchy 802s feel, channeling David Byrne one moment and Robert Smith the next. Juan Pieczanski of buzzband [Read Full Post...]
Get thee to the All Songs Considered site and hear a new track from Girls. The brand spankin' material, "Honey Bunny" is a jauntier outing than FSHG's first snippet, the lonely, meandering "Vomit." It also showcases singer Christopher Owens waxing on his "bony body" and "dirty hair" - sweet!
Mister Heavenly is the coming-together of Nick Thorburn of Islands/Unicorns, Ryan Kattner of Man Man, and Joe Plummer of Modest Mouse. Their debut full-length dropped on 8/16, and Out of Love is a true specimen, a trio of guys making something utterly unique and captivating. They are playing tonight (8/20) at Chop Suey in Seattle, and you should come [Read Full Post...]
Now that I've cleared about half of my pile of new music into Tuesday's Hip Hop Edition, brace yourself for a grab bag of everything else awesome (I mean it) from the past few weeks. Air France are back after a several-year layoff, and advance single "It Feels Good To Be Around You" beautifully blends gauzy [Read Full Post...]
During my photography phase (you know, like horses?) in high school, an Annie Leibovitz show came to town, all portraits of women. A brief love affair with Ms. Leibovitz’s work was born, peaking at my discovery of the image above. [This was about the time I also fell in love with this Cartier-Bresson image. What [Read Full Post...]
Thanks to the glut of new music I feel compelled to cover (and the distinct possibility that I am currently 8 days past due for the latest New Music Monday), today will be an outpouring of beats. Also some rhymes, and no small amount of life. But the dominant theme will be beats. As in, [Read Full Post...]
Apparently, sea green nail polish and one's logic board don't mix. This is was a lesson learned the hard way two weeks ago, which should go a long way towards explain where we've been since the Block Party. See? It wasn't just our hangovers! The material consequence of this technological meltdown is that I am [Read Full Post...]
I'd like to start our round-up of the 2011 Capitol Hill Block Party with an appeal to our non-Seattle readers: come to next year's Block Party. If not 2012, then 2013 (assuming the world hasn't ended in the interim). It's a 3-day music festival with a phenomenal mix of local and national bands, at an [Read Full Post...]
Son Lux is the recording moniker of Ryan Lott. Ryan's day job is as a composer, scoring commercial and artistic ventures as part of a creative collective in New York City. He first recorded under the name Son Lux for a 2008 release on Anticon Records, a legendary progressive hip-hop label that has played home [Read Full Post...]
Well, it's been a long, long weekend. Expect forthcoming coverage of Seattle's own Capitol Hill Block Party once our hangovers wearoff (ETA late Wednesday, if we chug water continuously until then). Excuses aside, it's Monday and Daydream Station's readers deserve a hefty (now biweekly) dose of new music. With no further ado... Bjork's Biophilia remains [Read Full Post...]
I have to say, The Stranger folks really pulled it off this year. Last year, when they extended Block Party to a three-day event (remember how it used to be free? and Built to Spill was always playing?) I almost shit my pants. I was rookie music blogger and looking forward to a stacked lineup [Read Full Post...]
Seatties! I know you guys are looking for something to do on Thursday night. And what better way to kick off Block Party weekend than a solid night of dancing to the sweet strains of Brit bands (those party animals) from The Kinks to Christian AID - excuse me, Stay +? Think of it as [Read Full Post...]
Generationals are a New Orleans indie pop-rock duo with a flair for retro composition and earworm hooks. Debuting in 2009 with the Con Law LP, they quickly built up a little buzz with early tracks featured in commercials, tv shows and Starbucks. "When They Fight, They Fight" and "Trust", the title track from their 2010 [Read Full Post...]
Daydream Station fave Active Child is back with a new single. Released through AdultSwim's excellent singles program, "Hanging On" is spacious and breathtaking, a blank canvas slowly coated in celestial beauty. Also cop "Playing House", a month-old collab with fellow alt-songsmith How To Dress Well that matches AC's spiraling gospel with HTDW's spare R&B production sensibility. [Read Full Post...]
Sometimes it's necessary to stop by Urban Outfitters on your lunch break because they are the only place that sells look-of-indie, gemstone adorned rings that will fit your fat fingers. [Quick rant/First World Problem: WHY are the nice ones, from designers I'd actually love to support never adjustable?] On such occasions, it's important to play [Read Full Post...]
The Daydream Station inbox is kind of a scary place. Open that shit up and you will be confronted with 12,213 unread messages, most of which are blanket mailings from PR companies or have off-putting subject lines like, "sickkkkkkkkkkkkk rmx yo." Worse still are the personally written, considerate emails...from bands that are so far removed [Read Full Post...]
I write with some frequency about music that "captures the imagination." This is, of course, different for everyone. For some, I'd wager, it's not even a priority. As a serial, longtime daydreamer, however, this quality is of paramount importance to me. There's no specific genre or keyword at work here; it's not always "dreamy," nor [Read Full Post...]
Missing for almost a year, it's the Return of the (Mack, King, Jedi...) New Music Monday! This is about a month's worth of top-notch tracks, sorted alphabetically as it's all TOO GOOD to prioritize in any other order. Beirut's incredibly distinctive sound is back and his deep voice and horns are as magical as ever. [Read Full Post...]
One of the best games is re-listening to artists you completely forgot about because you liked one single and then they didn't release anything else for four years or something. I give you Keren Ann Zeidel, who perferms simply as Keren Ann: Franco-Israeli singer-songwriter of sultry pop bent. Her "Lay Your Head Down" was a [Read Full Post...]
DAYDREAM STATION
The Weeknd - Kiss Land
Julia Holter - World (Official Video)
She & Him- I Could've Been Your Girl
Action Bronson - "Strictly 4 My Jeeps" (Official Video)
Washed Out - Paracosm (Official Album Trailer)
City Rain - "The Optimist"
Boards of Canada – Reach For The Dead
