Adventure: Weird Work - This new release from Carpark Records marks Baltimore-based electronic artist Adventure 's third take on the LP format. Adventure (Benny Boeldt) synthesizes chip-tunes, chillwave, and IDM into a signature soundscape very much informed by vintage video-game soundtracks. This release, Weird Work , marks a shift from his previous endeavors. Shaking off the more pop influenced format of his last album, Boeldt forges new ground, taking us on more of an experimental, well, “Adventure”. Adventure has shaken off the catchy vocals associated with his second album Lesser Known [...]
It's really something when you get the chance to see a band live and it throws you through a loop. Before tonight, had someone told me that fans would be moshing and diving off the stage at a Beach Fossils show, I would have been in utter disbelief. The band played at The Subterranean in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago with the groups Ivy Dye and Twin Peaks opening up for them. It was clear to see how the first band, [...]
She & Him: Volume 3 - With three full albums (including a Christmas album in 2011) under their belts, She & Him are comfortable in the best way. In the way that you can rely on them for some retro-chic, hipster-catnip music that really has the vocal chops, and the instrumental variety to stand on its own, no gimmicks needed. Zooey Deschanel, the very popular star of The New Girl , proves yet again that her voice is for real, and that her lyrics are too. With her band mate, Matthew Ward, [...]
Teen Daze: The House on the Mountain - Teen Daze’s The House on the Mountain may be just the album to begin a fresh Spring after a hyper-extended Winter. The sleepy atmospheric-electronic feels reminiscent of being quietly under a tree on a sunny day, caught in a whimsically beautiful book; and that may be exactly what Teen Daze was going for. Teen Daze, comprised of music producer Jamison, explains the voyage into Teen Daze as beginning through a philosophical journey, while spending time in a remote village in the Swiss Alps, [...]
The Sonic Aesthetic: Tales From The Nocturn EP - I wouldn’t have gotten much done this weekend if it hadn’t been for The Sonic Aesthetic’s latest release, Tales From The Nocturn EP . I saw that it was only 17.3 minutes, so I put it on loop while attempting to clean my apartment. This was a good move on my part. For such a short span of an EP, there’s enough music to keep you going for hours. The repetitive electronic soundscapes are trance-like, yet moving, and constantly developing at their own leisurely [...]
!!!: THR!!!ER - If disco is dead, if reverb sax solos went the way of Reebok Pumps and Trapper Keepers, and if funky bass lines are played out – nobody told that to California’s !!! , the dance-punk band captained by Sacramento native Nic Offer. Their latest album, THR!!!ER , is rooted in pre-Y2K groove, a danceable amalgamation of 70s disco, 80s new wave, 90s pop, and modern indie. Think Chromeo but without all the anti-establishment aggression. !!! is clearly making music for the fun of it, and their album title, a riff [...]
No Joy: Wait To Pleasure - To be honest, seeing No Joy live last Wednesday was a big part of why I wanted to review their new album, Wait To Pleasure . For a band that goes by such a dismal sounding name, they’re a lot of fun to listen to, and they played an engaging live show. I’m also a big shoegaze fan, so any time there’s a chance I can get somebody hooked on a new shoegaze band, I’m all over it. No Joy definitely falls on the heavier side on the [...]
With a sound that walks the line between dream pop and chill wave, New York producer Richard Cupolo has created a memorable debut that's become a favorite of ours. His debut record isn't due out until May 15th, but you can still preview it in all of it's grandeur in our review from earlier this month . Ahead of all this, we were able to catch up with Cupolo to find out a little about his background, plans for a tour, and if there was anything in the works to expand City Society into more [...]
Cayucas: Bigfoot - A staple of my childhood was the sitcom vacation episode. It was all of the characters you knew and loved, but now they were in a new and tropical locale. Unfortunately, they weren't always that magical. Sometimes, Disney would attempt a little cross marketing and the Tanner clan would head to Walt Disney World and that basically sucked. However, the times when they actually went to the beach were something different altogether. Your favorite characters would discover new things about themselves and meet new people and it would all take place while [...]
White Fence: Cyclops Reap — Originally intended to be a selection of unreleased White Fence backlog, Cyclops Reap is the product of revisiting the old in order to create the new. Tim Presley of White Fence cranks out recordings faster than one can keep track. Like his psych comrades Ty Segall and John Dwyer (of Thee Oh Sees ), he’s a little hard to keep up with. There’s been a handful of White Fence LP’s released in only a few years time, not to mention a collaborative [...]
Alessi’s Ark : The Still Life – Alessi Laurent-Marke epitomizes the folk/pop genre. She takes everything that is appealing and engaging about folk and pop music, and mashes them together; creating music that transcends either category. She has created an album that is genuine and alluring. Born in Hammersmith, West London, Alessi’s Ark is complete with that dainty quality often synonymous with our oversea neighbors. Hints of her accent make the songs endearing, and Laurent-Marke’s sweetly sung lyrics will capture your heart, despite the subject matter. She starts [...]
There’s a lot of great stuff going on in Canadian band No Joy . I love electronic music and indie pop and the like, but it’s always a blast seeing a band that can really rock. The heavy, distorted guitars and bass somehow complement the female vocal harmonizing wonderfully, resulting in a really cool sound. I don’t want to make gender into a big thing here, because they’re a great band regardless, but it’s great to see such a cool band that’s also playing live shows with a 3 to 1 girl to guy ratio. (It’s also probably worth [...]
Youngblood Hawke are a band that defies classification. It may be best to call them indie rock and leave it at that, but that would selling them a bit short. Despite labels, Wake Up has quickly become a favorite of ours and will definitely be one to watch as they begin to build a significant following. We were able to catch up with them during their gigantic North American tour to speak briefly about their new record and something you probably didn't know about them... Violent Success: [...]
Wampire: Curiosity - Rocky Tinder and Eric Phipps make up the freaky union that is Wampire . The Portland duo are following up their 7” debut with a therapeutically disturbing LP, Curiosity , via Polyvinyl. In an era where the bulk of new music released is so much aural mayonnaise spread on the thin Wonderbread of ever staler drum-machine beats, it's truly refreshing to hear a band that can actually write an intriguing song (despite the fact that Polyvinyl claims Wampire threw the album together more or less on the spot in the studio). [...]
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.: Patterns EP - ‘If You Didn’t See Me (Then You Weren’t On The Dance Floor)’: could there be a more fabulous title to the single off of this EP? Doubtful. Dale Earnhart Jr. Jr. seems to be perfecting their sound. The first album, It’s a Corporate World , was released in 2011, and had two singles, ‘Morning Thought’ and ‘Simple Girl’. That album displayed an undeniable quirkiness. The band is made up of Joshua Epstein and Daniel Zott, and they write and compose almost every song in [...]
We usually preview videos by artists on our Facebook and Twitter pages, but occasionally when an unusual amount of great videos comes across our desk, we make an exception. Such is the case today. Today we're featuring new videos by Psychic Twin , Chronic City , Allah-Las , Brøthers , and Tiger Forest Cat . For videos on a daily basis, ' Like ' us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter ->
Solar Bears: Supermigration - Straight out of Ireland, Solar Bears ' long-awaited sophomore release has finally arrived and for me, completed the beginning of my spring. With a sound that drifts somewhere between the subconsciousness and dream-like electronica, Supermigration is a record that sounds effortless, yet intensely thought-out. After the release of She Was Coloured In in 2010, I ran into them while perusing suggestions from a friend. Its subtle, sleepy melodies hit me like a ton of bricks, and I was instantly hooked. From its [...]
Cloud Cult is one of those bands that has been on my radar for ages and, for whatever reason, I just hadn't gotten around to seeing them live until last Friday. In true "if I knew then what I know now" fashion, I can't believe I waited so long to check them out. It's pretty telling that Cloud Cult sold out the show, and Lincoln Hall was packed to the rafters. When I say “packed to the rafters,” you should probably bear in mind that Lincoln Hall has a second story balcony. Still, seeing the [...]
Young Galaxy: Ultramarine - It’s been two years since Young Galaxy’s 2011 LP Shapeshifting , but the Canadian band has been busy mixing electronic dream-pop tunes for their upcoming fourth album release, Ultramarine . Recorded in Gothenburg, Ultramarine was produced by Swedish electronic genius, Dan Lissvik, who also produced Shapeshifting . The synthy mood of this album is bittersweet and lofty, and with the ups and downs of warm weather, rain, and snow [...]
Julian Lynch: Lines - I don't know what this album is trying to say, mostly because I can't understand what Julian himself is actually saying, but maybe, just maybe that's alright. In fact, that may be the best part. Perhaps the music is not about imparting a message. Lines is a canvas and Julian Lynch uses many brushes and colors with which to paint. I may not know art, but I know what I like. And I like this. I've heard Julian Lynch described as experimental folk and I [...]
Violent Success
Noteworthy: Aleos – Things You See
Things Change And So Do We (I)
The National – Graceless
Watch Kurt Vile Play Letterman
Todd Edwards Essential Mix
