Fol Chen describe themselves as "that mysterious black object that the creepy family is staring at on the cover of Led Zeppelin's 'Presence' album". I describe them as exciting, theatrical, and extremely catchy, like a pop super group formed out of unused children's instruments, tinker toys, robotic limbs, and a paper maché heart. Their music has a huggability and quirkiness to it like an overloved teddy bear missing a limb. Their debut album "John Shade: Your Fortune's Made" starts out with a beat that Radiohead might have made if they were trapped in a ball pit. The [...]
Squirrelhouse is a band out of well named Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Their music ranges from frantic and fun garage rock songs (The Hunter), to more laid back while still moving jams like Monster pt.1 and 2. And then my personal favorite: a poppy number complete with bells and backing vocals called Fours. Fours sounds like the song the two love interests find each other to, and amongst the droves of people reunite for a final kiss as the sidewalks empty and the future seems uncertain. That's probably too deep of a reading and you're free to imagine it in many [...]
I've been neglecting to post a few of the more dance driven things we've been sent recently, so I'd like to rectify some of that with this post. First up is a track by Alexander Technique featuring Van Scott called Nightlovers. The track utilizes a slightly crunchy bassline, an almost siren like lead sound, and cheesy electro vocals. It's fairly successful on its own but it shines even brighter at the hands of its remixers: Chewy Chocolate Cookies , Acid Jacks and Nick Catchdubs . Chewy Chocolate Cookies' remix gets an even [...]
Remember when 808s and Heartbreak came out and you didn't like it for its minimal but ultimately bland and uninspired beats? Hey, even if you liked it this still applies to you because everyone loves remixes, so here's what's up. Max Justus took Kanye's most recent album and injected 8 songs with gritty, fun, electro/chiptune beats that should have been there in the first place, and it rocks. There's a slightly spaced out jam for Love Lockdown, an uplifting and occasionally chopped groove for Street Lights, a dance hop redo of Welcome To Heartbreak, an Amiga shuffle on Heartless, and [...]
Okay I'm just going to be perfectly honest here: this song is so fucking good. If you don't like good old fashioned, shiny, catchy, dancey pop music, please step outside for a second. This song is by Duke Of New York and it is delicious. Sounding like Franz Ferdinand and The Teenagers getting way too drunk before a joint show, the song comes at you with tongue in cheek vocals, dirty synths, backing vocals, glaring guitars and an unfairly singable chorus. The band is led by Davyd West, a gaggle of musicians, and Andy Chatterly who apparently produced the [...]
Thing One is a band out of New Jersey who have just released an EP entitled "You'll Be Fine" . The music contained is youthful, energetic, sharp, poppy, and modern yet retro. Drawing influence from art rock/post punk acts such as Gang Of Four and The Rapture, as well as utilizing a synthier sound, Thing One's carefully crafted disco rock is not too unfamiliar but oh so welcome. Songs like The Thief, Move It, and Through The Winter show a fun, danceable sound that also makes use of harmonies to deliver songs with depth and maturity as well [...]
We were recently contacted by a producer/remixer named Gigamesh and I don't know much about him other than that I think he's related to DiscoTech somehow. If you're at all familiar with DiscoTech you know that they make some of the best remixes around, and that skill and awesomeness clearly has an effect on Gigamesh. His remixes seem to put exactly what you didn't know you needed into the original. His Little Bit remix is spot on, keeping much of the original and then spinning it into a fervor of disco and danceability. His remix of Estate 's [...]
A band named Filligar just sent us their 8 song album called "Near Or Far". They say it's like MGMT meets Wilco meets The Rolling Stones. I don't know how true that claim is, but they made an awesome album. Opening with No I Won't, which sounds a bit like if Of Montreal time traveled to hang out with The Kinks or The Who and found commonalities over their love for organs and harmonies. The next song, A Violent Change, sort of follows the style set by its predecessor, with a more laid back feel while still retaining [...]
I listen to Robot Koch and I think "sinister dubstep", whatever that means. It's pretty close to what he calls it: "some dubstep/wonkyhop/voodoo shit". I think it sounds awesome, it's dark, dramatic, weird, huge, and evil. He's got an EP out with Cerebral Vortex and it's pretty cool, the title track has one of the most obscure yet badass beat I've ever heard. The rhymes may be a little bit standard but the production is really where it shines, and isn't that the point of the post anyway? Sidenote: He also has really cool pictures on [...]
It's back. It's awesome. Get on it. Hello ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys, and all other life forms. Welcome onboard this RWD2 flight to the sounds of yesteryear. On behalf of Captain Marc and the crew of Buffetlibre, it is our pleasure to accompany you today on this journey in space and time which will rewind you back to the sounds of your past. The cabin crew is here to ensure you have an enjoyable flight to your chosen destination, but before taking off, please pay attention to the safety procedures: For [...]
Let's be honest here, I'm the only one who likes anything glitchy at The Tape. When the other members hear me say "Oh hey guys, I just downloaded a CD with a motif of surgical instruments ( Matmos ' A Chance To Cut Is A Chance To Cure) or "This is so tight how he buries the melody under layers of noise and ambience ( Fennesz )" they generally laugh at me for liking stupid music and slap me. Okay so that wasn't completely accurate and what I'm about to discuss isn't that over the top glitchy, however, proceed with [...]
Everything must come to an end, and for Dmitry Fyodorov who has been putting out dark and twisted dance tracks every day of the 29th for the past year, this is sadly true. The man who brought us songs like "Greetings D" and "19873 is now returning to his cave (to make more devious tunes hopefully). However he leaves us with one final offering: Bake Sale. It's what we've come to expect from the man, frenzied, somewhat sinister, and surprisingly delicious. Dmitry Fyodorov - Bake Sale
Eliot Rose makes charming, electronically backed, bedroom pop with a D.I.Y attitude and a slightly lofi sound. If you can't imagine these songs scribbled on the track list of an adorable mix cd or soundtracking the pivotal moments in another quirky indie comedy then shame on you. Supported by his knowledge of the thumb piano and his ventures in Casio driven pop music, Eliot Rose delivers songs that sound like a kid in his bedroom imagining wild adventures with all of his action figures, and scribbling down the melodies to go along. In his words: [...]
Under Electric Light is from Montreal. He makes shoegazey indie pop which sounds like you riding the ferris wheel at midnight with sunglasses and cotton candy. He has a new EP out called After The Blue and I recommend you pick it up as it will part the clouds and cause a ray of distorted joy to illuminate your day. Here is a video for his song "This Moment" And here are some songs and a remix of Belgian synth pop artist Styrofoam. Under Electric Light - This Moment [...]
10. James Pants - Welcome James Pants is a Spokane artist signed to Stones Throw and on his album Welcome he delivers spaced out, vocoded, groovy tunes that remind me of Hot Chip if they got locked in a time machine that only played 70s funk and soul. The album wanders from percussive jams to odd vocoded raps but hits its high point with songs like I Choose You, Ka$H and especially We're Through which is one of my favorite songs of the year. No one did anything [...]
Tonight in L.A at new Downtown locale Enjoy Human, friends of The Tape, FMLY are putting on a show with bands we love such as Lucky Dragons and Japanther and bands we hope to soon love such as Ninjasonik, Blackback and Funeral Party. The show is $10 or $5 if you RSVP to rsvp@thefmly.com. It's gonna be a blast and we're going to have a few tickets to give away so email thetapeblog@yahoo.com with the subject "Crazy F'ing Night" and your best reason for wanting to go. Enjoy Human's address is 2323 Porter st. [...]
We at The Tape are proud to announce our first concert/festival, Snow In Los Angeles! We're putting on a show on December 21st at the Echoplex in LA featuring some of our favorite artists such as sampletastic, totally awesome, Monome maestro Daedelus , lyrically gifted, quirky, high speed rapper Busdriver , sugar rushed spazz poppers The Mae Shi , and more. Make plans now because this is going to be a fantastic show and be sure to tell all of your friends about it. We'll have posts up fairly regularly to inform you guys about the [...]
Born in Russia, raised in the Ukraine, residing in Toronto, Dmitry Kichenko aka IMISSMYJUNO makes ridiculous, operatic, distorted battle cries. Or at least that's what this remix sounds like which is his only work to this date. If Soulwax and Metal on Metal took acid together and had an all night rooftop jam session, excerpts might sound like this. It's bleepy, and quirky, and distorted, and anthemic and it's really cool to hear some lively electronic music that doesn't just drop a 4/4 kick and put a bassline over it. I'm excited to hear what this guy can [...]
Info is scarce on The Young Punx's new signee Goshi Goshi but with one track so far, good things are bound to come. The Lock Shot sounds like a siren going off at 2 AM igniting a fire in a London club with feel good rave synths and a groove that should have you gyrating in your chair (and hopefully on the dancefloor). Remixes and other songs are soon to come including a remix of a Young Punx track. Keep an eye out. Goshi Goshi - The Lock Shot
Sprouting from increasingly revered metropolis, Chicago, come Loyal Divide . Their second EP Labrador sounds like a telepathic chess match between Radiohead and Apparat , or a sandwich of trip hop, paranoid electronic beats, and a haunted dream like atmosphere. Young Blades sounds like Timbaland stuck in a nightmare and put through a blender. Labrador sounds like Ellen Allien drowning in a layer of feedback and then rescued. Lover I Can Tell You feels like Banjo Or Freakout and Animal Collective's daydream set to a fluttering heartbeat. Vision Vision's wobbly synth and alien slap bass get masked [...]
The Tape
Watch: Trailer for Dave Grohl’s documentary, Sound City
Conchord On Composing Music For Muppets
Webcast: The Kills’ 10th anniversary concert
Hardwell Bootleg Pack 2012
