John Talabot has always considered his productions to be shadowy and grounded in darker hues. Despite the deceiving labels appropriated onto his pieces ("nu disco," "tropical," etc.), there is an unyielding tension and melancholic air that dominates the narrative of his last LP, fI N , released in February via Permanent Vacations . A few hours ago, Talabot graciously offered up a piece from fIN , "Missing You," as this week's edition of Annie Mac's Free Music Monday . If you haven't already, introduce yourself to the unique sounds emerging from one of [...]
Only reruns on tonight, I guess... XL, 2012 7.3 / 10.0 There have not been many overnight success stories quite like The xx, particularly not in indie. Aside from Arcade Fire (blech! Forever blech!), a solid case could be made that The xx are the young indie rock/pop success story [...]
The fact that Coexist , The xx ’s sophomore album, is due to be released on September 10th on London label Young Turks hasn’t stopped producers from creating a few premature remixes and re-edits. Samir Alikhanizadeh, who also produces under the names Zadeh and Happa ("Half A Persian Prince And"), tastefully captures the chilling undertones of The xx ’s “Angel" and releases them into melodic freedom, all while respecting the integrity of the original tune. He was also recently priviledged with putting together a guest mix for Mary Anne Hobb's [...]
Written by Eli Prysant Despite the success of their Mercury Prize-winning eponymous debut in 2009, which carried a sound one was meant to listen to in dim rooms alone late at night, The xx could have easily broken away from it. But the xx’s sophomore effort, Coexist , finds them remaining grounded in the hushed lyrics and lingering subtle melodies that were responsible for their rise to the peak of popularity in indie music. The biggest shift present in Coexist is the introduction of a more dance-oriented theme present in band member and [...]
The xx are releasing their sophomore record, Coexist on Monday 10th September and in anticipation they're providing an opportunity for fans to stream the album online here . Give it a listen, it promises to be one of the records of the year! Tracklisting of Coexist, to be released 10 September: 'Angels' 'Chained' 'Fiction' 'Try' 'Reunion' 'Sunset' 'Missing' 'Tides' 'Unfold' 'Swept Away' 'Our Song'
The xx Coexist out 9.4 CD | Vinyl Online music marketing experts will tell you that in today's hyper-connected world the best way to build a devoted fan base is to engage with your listeners as much as possible. With all the various mediums for interaction the logic goes that once your fans realize what an approachable and fun-loving person you are they will be more likely to become an avid listener. It's sound advice, but artists [...]
The British band The XX who made a boom with their debut album xx in 2009 are about to release a much awaited sophomore album on September 10th. There's a recurrent duality when it comes to analyzing this upcoming album, as it's the second, of a band whose elusive yet symbol-like name is moreover a perfectly symmetrical pair of x, featuring a pair of voices for lead vocals, and named coexist. Hence an anticipated listening of the album structured around the idea of 11 ways of coexisting. 1. "Angels" encourages Devotion This track is nearly [...]
[See post to listen to audio] PMACAST No.046 // DOWNLOAD 01 Spoon "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb" 02 Jens Lekman "Erica America" (mp3) 03 Jack White "Hip (Eponymous) Poor Boy" 04 GIRLS "Honey Bunny" 05 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah "Same Mistake" 06 Widowspeak "Harsh Realm" 07 Sharon Van Etten "Serpents" (mp3) 08 The Antlers "VCR" ( The xx [...]
“A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.” -Willy Wonka Aesop Rock – “Cycles to Gehenna” Something tells me that after this video, urban ballet is going to be come the hottest new trend. Bob Mould - "The Descent" We all know work can be tough, and everyone has their own ways of escaping the rat race. Bob Mould, for example, goes full-on Bear Grylls and creates his very own sanctuary in the woods. Fast Planet - "Columbus" [...]
By Sam Cleeve Bestival 2012 takes place 6th-9th September at Robin Hill Country Park, Isle of Wight ( website / tickets ). Lead photo (left) by Louise Roberts . Next month sees the eagerly awaited return of Rob Da Bank's annual shebang—the ninth instalment of his four-day festival, nestled away on the UK's favourite holiday-making annex, the Isle of Wight. Across the water, festival-goers will be privy to one of the summer's most thoughtful and eclectic line-ups. Exclusive live performances and an unparalleled selection of DJ sets [...]
Footnotes is the section in our magazine where we take a deeper look at the music surrounding our feature artists. Read Matthew Schnipper’s FADER #81 feature on The xx here, and check out our notes ... read more
Footnotes is the section in our magazine where we take a deeper look at the music surrounding our feature artists. Read Matthew Schnipper’s FADER #81 feature on The xx here, and check out our notes ... read more
It can be tough to keep up with the constant onslaught of music and many times tough to discern the good from the bad. While this list is by no means a complete listing of all of the great stuff arriving in the coming Fall months, we open this to be a forum of what you think is worth listening to this fall in the comments below. That said, here are twelve albums we're really looking forward to (in no particular order) - album art included: Pinback [...]
After a surprising ascendence, The xx learn to balance sensibility with popularity. The xx is spread out across two circular wooden tables in the drab lunchroom of Music Bank, a large warehouse in an industrial ... read more
"You are the music while the music lasts." -T.S. Eliot Cat Power - "Cherokee" (Nicolas Jaar Remix) “Cherokee”, the second single from Cat Power’ s upcoming LP Sun (September 4th, via Matador) gets a spooky reworking courtesy of producer Nicolas Jaar . By replacing the piano and drums with organs and strings, Jaar shifts the mood entirely, creating spacious ambience. Chan Marshall’s pleas of, “Marry me, marry me to the sky,” are now drenched in reverb. Instead of addressing the listener directly, it [...]
As Ireland's only major festival this year, expectation is high and it looks as if Electric Picnic may just be about to rise to the challenge. With a fairly impressive lineup already confirmed, more acts have just been added to Stradbally for 2012. Along with some of popular music's biggest names we now have some of the most hotly tipped breakthrough acts of the last 12 months. Add to that a sprinkling of soul-stardom plus some of Ireland's national treasures and you'll hear very few people bemoan the absence of Oxegen this summer. The newest [...]
When The xx came out with their sonically minimal debut album xx back in 2009, it caught the world slightly off guard. It bubbled in the indie scene before spreading in uneven bursts like a chunk of cold, hard butter clinging to a dull butter knife. It took a while, but soon enough everyone (yes, everyone in the world) fell in love. Soon after that, producers started realizing how perfect this bare-boned, to-the-point style was for remixing. Now The xx are gearing up to release their sophomore album on September 11th, and their first single, " [...]
After hearing the second track from The xx's sophomore album, Coexist , it doesn't sound like the London minimalists will be testing the stylistic scope or of their debut album. But, that' s entirely okay, because where they started originally was markedly different to begin with. Why change a formula that is clearly still working for them? Enjoy "Chained" below. SUPPORT THE ARTIST
We used to get closer than this- The xx 's sophomore LP was composed and recorded mainly in a room lined with black velvet. The room wasn't exactly soundproof and the material worked to muffle the noise. One can only imagine the effect that writing in that atmosphere would have on the soundscapes of the record. "Chained" is the second song to emerge from Coexist and is accompanied by a psychedelic video (which resembles something like an eardrum), just like the first, "Angels." In an interview with Pitchfork , singer/guitarist [...]
We're not technically sure when it's ok to describe anticipation for The xx's upcoming record as 'fever pitch', but by hum we're going to start doing it right about.......now. So, with anticipation reaching fever pitch the pesky trio have only gone and let us suckle at another of Coexist 's swollen teets. Woah. This post is getting pretty weird huh? In this ditty the singer of the song sings about missing someone. "We used to be closer than this" sings the singer, presumably imagining a person or a close pet whilst doing so. [...]
L O W - L I F E
Earbuddy
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Scenewave.com
Pretty Much Amazing
The Maroon Cafe
Consequence Of Sound
Muso's Guide
The FADER
Music Under Fire
State Magazine
Music That Isn't Bad.
When The Gramophone Rings
R.F.T.W.E. pt.2
DANCE BITCH DANCE: disclosure - when a fire starts to burn
Marlon Hoffstadt - Skin And Bone (feat. HRRSN)
