The debut single from songwriter Christian Carpenter presents a lush array of whirring synth droplets, Afro-inspired percussion, and caressing vocals. "Camelot" is a striking entry from Carpenter's project Trivial Shields, which will release its debut EP Invisible Winter sometime within the next few months. "The song has a hypnotic, poly-rhythmic groove, inspired by a foggy dissociative experience walking around Oakland," wrote Carpenter, who splits time between Oakland and Istanbul. Carpenter does most of the work, but "Camelot" also features the percussion of Aaron Gold and additional mixing/mastering by Bijan Sharifi. "Camelot" expands from lush scenery, almost like a gentle rainfall in a [...]
Psych-rock collective Bird Names have the prolific and avant-garde tendencies their niche demands. The Chicago-based group have released seven colorful albums since forming in 2005. Much like obvious influence R. Stevie Moore, the sheer breadth of their material can be intimidating to dig into. Luckily, their newest - Bird Names Naming Names - is a quality release that should appeal to old and new fans alike. Its second track, "Another Locked Costume For Your Dreams", tends to be an apt representation of Bird Names' wonderfully ambitious tendencies. Their vocal production methods are comparable to Swedish electro-pop oddballs The Knife. Vocal [...]
Ploy's vibrant track " XIX " had a great reception when posted in February. The DC-based duo presented amiable electro-pop that struck a fine balance between avant-garde creativity and highly accessible hooks, much like groups in the vein of Hot Chip and The Tough Alliance. Ploy's new track, "VRDSNT", is a remarkably vintage-sounding ode to bubbly synth-pop. "If you want it babe, just come on over," repeats during the central hook, laced in fragmented synth cuts and whirring club arps. It sounds like something in a stylish '80s romance film, especially during the last segment when fluttering synths help establish [...]
Here are a collection of recommended music videos released this week, or sometime recently: Black Light Dinner Party - "We Are Golden" In addition to catchy songwriters, NYC electro-pop four-piece Black Light Dinner Party show themselves to be very visual-savvy, from this colorfully narrative music video for " We Are Golden " to the retro-styled video game on their web site . On both, their love for blue and purple pastels shows, which is an apt choice for a group so intent on dream-pop. That [...]
Silver Arm's "Dead Tongues" has the ability to rile up even its most reserved listeners. The third single from the UK four-piece is an exhilarating blast of energy that rides on anxiously pulsating guitar roars, heavily reverberating bass, and the ear-piercingly emotive howl of Gareth Hughes. During the verse his voice represents a more restrained post-punk/alt-rock hybrid, with a prominent rhythm section being reflective of that. The barraging waves of guitar take over during an erupting chorus, which unleashes a horde of audacious energy as Hughes menacingly aids a tour-de-force delivery of punk, math-rock, and alternative rock. "Dead Tongues" represents everything [...]
Matt Dorrien has shuffled between L.A. and New York the past seven years, perfecting his accessible mixture of acoustic-pop and twangy rock ballads. His sound recalls both the sentimental twang of Wilco and the solemn folk of Elliott Smith. Good references, to say the least. His new album under the alias Snowblind Traveler is Lost on the North Hills , full of the sprawling beauty shown on efforts like "Love is Dead" and "Not Around". He recorded and produced the record with Jason Quever of Papercuts, a fun indie-pop group who signed to Sub Pop a year after [...]
Andy Bull, a singer-songwriter from Sydney, Australia has released brand new material in the form of new single "Keep On Running" Its engaging and unique sound completely moves Bull into a new direction when compared to his previous efforts. Bull’s last release was The Phantom Pains EP, released in 2010. So for many fans, the new single has been eagerly awaited after a long silence. Bull, who wrote his first track at the age of thirteen, was raised with musical influences and encouraged into a musical direction by his father; this then developed into an impressive musical career [...]
Junip is the trio of José González, Tobias Winterkorn and Elias Araya. The familiar name to most will be González, whose 2003 debut album Veneer reached the top 10 in Sweden and the UK. That album showcased gorgeous acoustic-led pop, where quaint presentations would frequently expand from the intimate to explosive, led by González's excelled guitar playing. The success of Veneer made González a sought-after studio guitarist, especially among electronic artists seeking to liven up their sound. His receptiveness to electronic projects was foreshadowed by one of the best tracks on Veneer , an acclaimed cover of The Knife's "Heartbeats". [...]
"Shake" transports listeners to the early '90s, when melodic grunge and alt-rock flowed freely with groups like Nirvana and Pearl Jam on the rise. LA-based Cobalt Cranes play with elements of gravelly distortion and nonchalant angst to produce an effectively nostalgic sound steeped in that period. Tim Foley's semi-raspy vocals on "Shake" have the same suave grit of an Eddie Vedder, though with a toned-down aggression that allows for several stylistic shifts. The warbly bass is aptly prominent during these transitions, especially prominent during a bridge past the two-minute mark, where a surprisingly anthemic alt-rock progression takes over. It eventually returns to [...]
Phoenix makes punchy alt-rock from France seem like the norm, and Parisian four-piece Quiet Please seem to support that with the suavely infectious "Pray For Me" , the opening track on their debut EP, Eyes on the Wall and Fake Hair . With wordless melodic croons, scratchy guitar distortion, and pitter-patter minimalist percussion kicking off the track, "Pray For Me" begins like a vintage Strokes effort; the repetitive guitar serves as a comforting numbness, as listeners become slowly aware of the imminent songwriting expansion. "Come and pray for me, I don't wanna pass out," the irresistibly [...]
Alpaca Sports tend to aptly represent Swedish pop; sonorous guitar jangles, spacious vocal deliveries, and glistening keyboard additives are trademarks of a sound that proves for incredibly easy listening. This much was evident a few months ago with their track " I Was Running ", a catchy effort that featured Amanda Åkerman’s angelic vocals. Now, Alpaca Sports have teamed up with another great representation of Swedish pop: Acid House Kings. The two groups will release a split 73 on April 17th via Dufflecoat Records, and Alpaca Sports' effort is already available above. "Telephone" features an easy-breezy verse with acoustic shuffles and reflective keys, [...]
Brooklyn-based and sample-minded, songwriter Duncan Cooper (Wildarms) does an admirable job of filling the void Air France left. Cooper's material reminds of the recently disbanded Swedish duo, mainly for tastefully atmospheric sampling that seems to aim for serene and utopian soundscapes - hence why Air France were often dubbed as "beach foam pop." Cooper wrote the track "Dreams of Cuba" specifically for music blog Stadiums & Shrines ' "Dream" project, where artists create a piece of music inspired by a handmade collage. That collage can be viewed above, and in larger form here . "Dreams of Cuba" is [...]
MMOSS' "Nothing Left" plays like an enshrouding fog, slowly revealing the path ahead with a hypnotic wisp. It's a track that begins rather mystically, with '60s pop-inspired percussion meshing with a stirring woodwind percussion that would fit nicely on Game of Thrones , or some other vivid Medieval-based presentation. The vocals play similarly to The Mamas & the Papas, with a nonchalant croon using repetition as a sturdy melodic base for any slight alterations. There are shades of Caribou's psych-pop masterpiece Andorra in the elaborate production, which is as fine of comparison any rising group could aim for. Concurrently a blast [...]
" Friends " is a charming little track that touches on the perseverance of a good friendship, flaunting forgiveness and apathy as things to strive for over melodic keyboard-led arrangements. It comes courtesy of Conor Deasy, who goes under the solo alias of Biggles Flys Again. His penchant for 3-minute pop gems align with a fondness for various keyboards, his repertoire including Yamaha and Casio keyboards, a BBC Neve recording console, and a Hammond organ. His amiably youthful vocals compare to Rufus Wainwright's dramatic croon at its most playful, though Deasy opts for bouncy keyboard backings and quick guitar swipes instead [...]
Skeleton Coast dub their sound "swimgaze", which they admit is "not a real genre" but fitting of their output nonetheless: "The guitars and vocals are drenched in reverb and delay, both of which are blended with both modern and vintage keyboard sounds as well as a heavy and occasionally tribal-esque rhythm section. Psychedelic and ethereal, the music sounds almost as if you are swimming or are immersed in water." Despite the water-driven references, even aquaphobes will find a certain comfort in Skeleton Coast's sound, which harks to the early '90s alternative explosion. More specifically, their angular guitar-driven attack reminds [...]
March provided a nice mixture of old favorites and rising newcomers, the former led notably by The Mary Onettes, The Besnard Lakes, Merchandise, and the continuing partnership of Ryuichi Sakamoto and David Byrne. Swedish pop whizzes The Mary Onettes present "Blues", a very solid track that reminds of The Cure's bounciest efforts, something like "Boys Don't Cry" meshed with the bouncy keyboard-led pop of Supertramp. An oddly infectious fusion, to be sure. The Besnard Lakes' released yet another excellent album with Until In Excess, Imperceptible UFO , and the hypnotic allure of "People of the Sticks" stands as [...]
Swedish dream-pop group The Mary Onettes seem like they've been on the verge of a breakthrough since 2007, when their exceptional debut was released. The quartet's songs have always been translucent and laden with hooks, taking a cue from the Balaeric pop scene as well as '80s jangle-poppers in the vein of Felt, Aztec Camera, and The Go-Betweens. Producer Dan Lissvik (STUDIO) produced their most album, Hit the Waves , and has seemingly advancing the group into even more polished heights. Some would call their previous work more entrenched in hitmaking new-wave, while this record takes a [...]
Val Bloom are an English electro-pop duo that are fond of naming their songs after movies and actors. That's the only info available regarding the project, but their two released tracks do a great job of catching interest nonetheless. "The Wrestler" is some striking stuff, with a sleek sound incorporating closely-wound electronic arp reflections, playful synth squiggles, and occasional acoustic bursts that remind of Afro-pop. The vocals are clear and sonorous, somewhat of a cross between the beautifully soaring vocals of How To Dress Well's Tom Krell and the warmly elastic vocals of Sting. It's wonderfully constructed electro-pop with a natural [...]
Glam-rock revivals can be a tricky endeavor. One can't simply assume the presence and personality of a David Bowie or Bryan Ferry, legends of their craft who mixed commanding vocal authority with playful creativity in their songwriting, which was often thematic and ranged from the gloomily haunting to brightly infectious romps. Recent glam-owing artists like Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti and Foxygen concoct certain sounds of the past, which is a challenge in itself, but their music is so striking mainly because it possesses a sort of rare bursting personality; it's a trait exemplary of the best rock music of the '60s and [...]
Obscure Sound's first interview ever was in March 2006 with Brad Weber, a songwriter who showed a knack for richly atmospheric electronic pop with projects like Winter Equinox and The Royal School Series. Weber's stunning work with Winter Equinox was one of this site's first "finds", and it's not surprising that he went on to big things; he's currently the drummer of Caribou. On his downtown touring and recording with Dan Snaith, Weber has been focused on a side project he calls Pick a Piper. He leads a pack of talented collaborators like Angus Fraser, Dan Roberts, and Clint [...]
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