An electropop cover of Tom Petty's "Free Falling" will no doubt set of warning bells with many, including myself. But experimental project Argon 40 pulls it off pretty well, turning it into a fresh summer-track. The intro is a bit cheesy, but the song picks up rather quickly and before you know it, you're chillin' on an imaginary beach. So who are Argon 40? They're New York singer/songwriter/keyboardist Heather Greene and former Powerman 5000 guitarist/programmer Adam Williams. They have a few original songs on their MySpace that I like as well, such as "When The Words Don't [...]
Finally, the promised EP by Magic Wands is here - Magic Love & Dreams . I've been thirsting to hear more from this love-duo since last year when they enchanted us "Black Magic" and "Teenage Love". Surprisingly those tracks are two of the four on this EP, which makes me feel a bit cheated. I was expecting all new material, or at least more than just two songs. Sure they've been revamped a bit courtesy of producer John Hill, but they're not very exciting anymore (especially not "Teenage Love"). I was also hoping [...]
Global Infantilists were a short-lived Swedish rock band in the early 80's with Olle Schedin and Mare Kandre (1962-2005) as the main members. Together they made two albums: the self-titled debut in 1982 and A Sense Of Belonging the following year. While their debut had its roots in the punk scene, the second record sounded much more as the standard pop at the time with synthesizers and happier melodies at the center. Personally I think this made A Sense Of Belonging - with the exception of the pretty ballad "Still Water" - much [...]
The Very Most weren't being very modest when naming this the Summer EP. And rightfully so. They've managed to capture the season perfectly into four songs of jangly indie-pop made out of strumming guitars, glockenspiel, keyboards, saxophone, cute lyrics, fireworks, bird twitter and instruments I can't name. Of course, this was also the point - the band have teamed up with Indiecater Records to record an EP at the start of each season, this being the second installment after the Spring EP. While I'm admittedly not a fan of summer, at [...]
Not much to say really, other than that you'd be a fool to miss out on this sharp remix of Passion Pit's already classic track "Sleepyhead", courtesy of Neo Tokyo . Awesome! ~ "Sleepyhead" (Neo Tokyo Remix) ~
Contrary of their name, No One & The Nobodies do very much exists. The band was started in 2006 by Thomas Hall and Mario Diaz, and later grew with the addition of Hall's friend Mark Stephans who left Chicago for the band's current location of California, where they began recording demos last summer. After requiring a drummer, the recording moved to friend Greg Ashley's studio in Oakland, where they created the album Grew Some Feet which will be the first release on Filthy Lesson Records and can be preordered here [...]
~ Scarlet Youth - "Sunshine Girl" ~ If this song is any indication, then Finland and Germany make a great team - at least when it comes to making shoegaze music. Has that hazy, almost kind of chilly feel to it, despite the title. ~ Mimicking Birds - "The Loop" ~ This is one of those gloomy, beautiful songs that I love with a passion. Like a blanket to wrap around your shoulders when the world feels cold and cruel. Simply listen and revel in its beauty, I [...]
I'll admit to being pretty ignorant when it comes to Russian music; other than a couple of shoegaze acts, those faux-lesbian girls, and whatever they send to the annual Eurovision Song Contest I really don't know much about it. That's why Moscow band Manicure took me by such surprise, as their dark post-punk featuring dirty synths sound nothing like how I've imagined Russian music. The band began in 2007 by Zhenia Novikov and sisters Polina and Ania Butuzova, turning into a four-piece a year later with the addition of Zhora Kushnarenko. Their [...]
I and I is Adam Sarmiento and if he has identity issues, I can't really blame him. Because on his new album White Noise/Black Music , he sometimes sounds like an incarnation of Depeche Mode ("Venus", "Thought Counts") only to turn into Talking Heads ("The Bottom"). And then he sounds as himself: slick, danceable electronica (with an abundant overuse of the voice manipulator, I'm afraid). White Noise/Black Music is Adam's third release, and besides his solo stint he also has a past as drummer and writer with The New Tribe, The Pistol Arrows, [...]
It was by pure coincidence that I found out that Ether Aura had put their name and dreampop sound on the shelf and started afresh as The Blueflowers . Upon first hearing the news I was disappointed - I loved Ether Aura's albums Crash (2005) and Before We Could Sing (2007) after all. But once I gave The Blueflowers a listen I found myself enthralled by them all over again. Some shoegaze fans haven't been all positive concerning the band's new direction, but I find the dark blend of folk, Americana and indie [...]
Let's just cut to the chase: Songs in The Night by Samantha Crain & The Midnight Shivers is a delightful album. Even those who crinkle their noses at the mere mention of any kind of Americana could very well find this to be the gateway drug into the genre. To call it full-blown Americana might not even be fair though; it's more like jangly indie rock with firmly planted folk roots, or sweet alt-country that dabbles quite a bit in darkness. The woman in the center of it all, Oklahoma-based songwriter Samantha Crain, is [...]
Where is my mind? I've been meaning to write about New York duo The Ropes for weeks now, yet only remember to when Sean posts their latest video . Thank goodness for Sean! While their official site is rather sparse on biographical info (other than "We are The Ropes. We want to fight you.") their MySpace is a bit more generous in that regard. The Ropes formed in 2005 and are vocalist/bassist Sharon Shy and multi-instrumentalist Toppy. Their discography so far consists of the EP Cry to the Beat , full length [...]
Me and the Horse I Rode In On (aka Henry) and Wisdom Tooth (aka Meagan) have recorded a lovely tune together under the name of Early To Bed . Meagan wrote the song and sings lead while Henry stood for the production and can be heard singing back up vocals during the chorus. A full EP is in the works but probably won't be out until this coming fall because of time time constricts on both behalves. So until then, enjoy the lullaby-like "Prayers"! ~ "Prayers" ~
~ El Perro Del Mar - "Change Of Heart" ~ So damn beautiful you have to hear it for yourself to believe it. Sara's voice is like honey and the music just floats with it. My favorite part is when she sings the line "a hand in the darkness". Superb indie-pop. Taken from her latest EP Love Is Not Pop which is just as delicous as this song, if not even more. ~ Polly Scattergood - "Please Don't Touch" (The Golden Filter Pop Mix) ~ I've [...]
Just in time for Easter! Volume B of Eardrum's wonderful compilation Birdsongs, Beesongs has arrived and this time it's even better. Why? Because my friends The Jealous Sea and Wisdom Tooth are amongst the featured artists, that's why. And like Volume A , it's free! The beautiful cover art was done by Scott Van Pelt. Full tracklist: 01 Promise And The Monster - Words 02 Parachutes - Tree Roots Turn To Forts 03 Charlotte & Magon - I Love You, You Are My Friend 04 Martin [...]
~ Happiness - "Look At That Rabbit Go" ~ ~ Cocteau Twins - "Eggs And Their Shells" ~
Hey, who needs a bass player? Not 1090 Club anyway. They've substituted the traditional bass lines for a keyboard in their music. That combined with a violin amongst the drums, guitars and male/female vocals creates an interesting and refreshing kind of indie-rock. While I've only heard a few songs previous to their latest album Natural Selection , I still think it's safe for me to conclude that 1090 Club's sound has become more melodic over the years. There are plenty solid tracks to choose from, with "Off My Mind", "Happiness", "Earworm", "Claire" and "Skipping" being [...]
I've had so much candy this week. And ice cream. And chocolate. So in an attempt to make up for this lack of discipline, I figured I wouldn't eat any of that yummy stuff this coming week - only to realize that next week is Easter. You can't not have candy during Easter! So, instead I've decided to blame my sugar addiction on La Chansons and their delicious track "Candybar Man". Seriously, you try listening to this and resist the urge to eat colorful sweets while dressed in equally colorful 80s leotards! ~ [...]
Japanese experimental artist Susumu Yokota is offering the song "Tree Surgeon" from his latest album Mother as a free download. I featured another song from that album, the spacey "A Flower White", in an earlier post and described it somewhat as an "an ode to an alien". "Tree Surgeon" pretty much fits the same description, as it sounds like a quirky space ballad from an old school science fiction movie. The female vocals may seem a bit offbeat during the first listen, but I think it adds to the song's character in [...]
I Am The Crime
Avicii – Two Million
Beck – I Just Started Hating Some People Today
iamamiwhoami: kin - Teaser
