Search results for: Purity Ring

Listen + Download NEW Purity Ring – Grammy (Soulja Boy Cover)

Purity Ring - Grammy

Purity Ring, the beloved electro-pop Canadian hailing duo has released a cover of Soulja Boy & Ester Dean‘s “Grammy.” The just-released track already apparently caused such a frenzy, it crashed Purity Ring’s new website. However, you can download + listen to the new track below (also available on YouTube).

Purity Ring has also announced their April 2013 North American tour, which you should check out ASAP, as their (two) shows in San Francisco (playing with Blue Hawaii) have already sold out. Have a listen to appropriately timed cover of “Grammy” now:

Purity Ring – Grammy (Soulja Boy Cover)

Pssst… New Purity Ring, Dirty Projectors & Twin Shadow Albums are FINALLY (legally) Here!

Twin Shadow

So, if you haven’t already illegally downloaded/streamed/and/or hit up a music blogger who actually gets paid, the new Purity Ring, Twin Shadow & Dirty Projectors albums have FINALLY and legally arrived.

I’ll admit, I have a homie who gave me the albums well in advance (to end my “suffering”), thus my ears have been delightfully well versed, but I figured I’d save this post for those who are morally good and wait and/or pay for things like this to be legitimately released.

Side note: Apologies for the centered Spotify audio players, I spent a ridiculous amount of time researching how to flush them left, I really did, and sadly, nothing fuckin’ worked.

Purity Ring is a beloved fav amongst synth-electro-pop lovers. Songs from the new album: Odebear, LoftiCries, BeliSpeak, Ungirthed and Fineshrine have been leaked/released/floating around the interwebz for quite a while, some even as far back as 2011, hence the album doesn’t seem entirely *new* if you’ve been an avid follower. BUT! it’s still an amazing listen nonetheless. (If you’re not a Spotify user, you can stream the entire album on NPR here.)

Purity Ring – Shrines (July “24,”2012)

Thank God Dirty Projectors has something new out. As amazing as the song is, there are only so many times you can continuously listen to Stillness is the Move (okay, I still do) before realizing it came out a LONG time ago (2009). Also, can you believe they have 7 full-length albums out now? Seven! If you aren’t familiar, Dirty Projectors is a six man/woman indie-rock band hailing from Brooklyn, of course! I listened to “Dance for You” an unhealthy amount of times in a row.

Dirty Projectors – Swing Lo Magellan (July 10, 2012)

George Lewis Jr. aka Twin Shadow is a one-man 80s new wave master. He produced his latest album Confess, by himself and apparently a motorcycle accident was the inspiration for its creation. I’ll be enjoying his stage presence at the Great American Music Hall on August 16th and so should you (unless you already have Charli XCX tickets for the same night, then it’s completely justified):

Twin Shadow – Confess (July 10, 2012)

OMG New Jams – Purity Ring + Phèdre + Cat Power + Diplo

Purity Ring

Would this Purity Ring album come out already? I have a homie who’s already been ear deep in it, but of course he gets paid to write about rock jams and the such, hence he has his hands on it pre-release. The rest of us, however, have to sit impatiently, scouring the internetz for another leaked jam to feed our curious need to hear more of the majestic electro pop, crackle and snap that Purity Ring projects. The band consists of two Canadians, Megan James and Corin Roddick, both former members of GOBBLE GOBBLE, now Born Gold (another electro-tastic band). The album Shrines is set to release July 24th, 2012 – Hurry the eff up!

Their first debuted single from the album, Odebear already made its appearance on this blog, but just this week they’ve given us another gem to listen to on repeat. James’ poetic voice sweetly sings of enclosing/holding someone, literally inside her rib cage, and the steady electro beats make this song a fine shrine of its own to worship.

Purity Ring – FineShrine

What’s with Canadians being so amazingly fantastic at creating weird-o/magnifying/experimental/addictive electro pop? Keep it up. Phèdre‘s one of my all time fav bizarro-pop bands hailing from Canada and they’ve impressed me once again with Haberdash. And, get this… according to Gorilla Vs. Bear, they released this song in hopes to raise money, “with all proceeds going to benefit one of the label’s beloved Toronto institutions, UNLOVABLE, which was shut down over the weekend.” Enjoy:


Wow, when was the last time Cat Power came out with any jams and/or an album? Let me Google that for you. Hmm… I still don’t know, too long ago, but you guessed it (!) She has a new song and stuff. Apparently she has a new album, Sun, to be released September 4th. What a pleasantly unexpected surprised. Even better? This new jam rocks:

Cat Power – Ruin

So this last one, I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to admit listening to, Hah, sorry Diplo. I can’t say I listen to his mixes much, plus I also developed this aversion towards him when he started “Follow Fat Girl Sunday” on Twitter, in which he asks fat girls to send a plead for his follow, or at least nudes. Afterwards, I thought, “That guy’s kind of a dick.” Regardless, this jam IS catchy as hell. It’s off his new EP, Express Yourself, all of which is available to stream on SoundCloud here, which is kind of a nice guy thing to do… Kind of.

Diplo – Set It Off feat. Lazerdisk Party Sex

Six Years in San Francisco: A Soundtrack and a ‘So Long’

CocoStereoSanFranciscoSoundtrack.JPG

I love San Francisco, which is why I’m content to say… I’m leaving it. Today, March 3rd, marks my 6-year anniversary in this beautiful city. In six days, I’ll be on a one-way flight to NYC.

Over the course of my six years here, I often had to fight my (somewhat tormenting and romanticized) nomadic tendencies.

My first year in San Francisco was the worst. Having come back to the states after a few years overseas, I was depressed by normalcy. My identity as an explorer had expired. I was just like everyone else, and what a painful reality that came to be.

I had a 9-5 job with a bus commute full of men in suits. I bought a smartphone, and to my dismay, found myself looking at it rather than people in the eyes. Two years in, I was aching to leave.

I made a plan and put together a list of things I had to see before I left for NYC. But it dawned on me: Why not always have this mentality? Why not live with joy and a sense of urgency as if I’m always about to lose this city? So I stayed because saying sayonara felt too soon. Plus, I needed to learn how to stay put and be happy. Something I wasn’t used to.

Then, I met someone.

One year later, that someone broke my heart in a million ways plus one. And while he lived across the bridge and the city was “mine,” the idea of even existing in the same state seemed unbearable.

I made a plan and compiled a list of Brooklyn neighborhoods to live in. But, it dawned on me: People aren’t perfect, and I still seemingly loved that heartbreaker of mine. So I decided to stay and see if things could be forgiven with time.

One year later, to paraphrase Mariah Carey, that heartbreaker got the best of me and I should’ve have known right from the start he’d go and break my heart…again.

The break up sucked, and a new city seemed like the perfect remedy. But, I’d just started a new job, at a startup no less. Leaving wasn’t an option, as much as I wanted it to be.

In two years’ time, I came through to the other side. I no longer wanted to run from San Francisco (though, of course, it was never the city I was running from). I loved it, even.

I also feel incredibly lucky to have shared this city with my beautiful sister and best friend. A city that taught me how to vogue, DJ a radio show, make a film, dance ballet, let loose at a show, start a blog, enjoy long walks, and most importantly, how to find adventure and love in just one spot.

Only now do I feel as if I can leave this city’s arms. Because I know they’ll always be open, and I’ll forever be happy to jump back into them when or if the time comes. But why am I leaving at all? While I’ve learned my lesson, living in New York has always been a dream. And, I don’t like to make a habit of regretting things.

So, to celebrate the last six years, I’ve decided to create a soundtrack – One that includes my top 6 most listened to jams from each of the 6 years I spent in SF (2011-2017). These jams may not be brand new, but they’re still amazing, and will always remind me of you.

So long, SF.

2011

  • Mozart’s Sister – Don’t Leave it to Me
  • Austra – Lose it
  • Class Actress – Love Me Like You Used to
  • Grimes – Crystal Ball
  • Elite Gymnastics – Omamori
  • Twin Sister – Bad Street

2012

  • Grimes – Genesis
  • Vacationer – Good as New
  • Purity Ring – Obedear
  • How to Dress Well – & it Was You
  • Charli XCX – Nuclear Seasons
  • Tennis – My Better Self

2013

  • Unknown Mortal Orchestra – So Good a Being in Trouble
  • Helado Negro – Dance Ghost
  • No Joy – Hare Tarot Lies
  • Angel Olsen – The Waiting
  • K-X-P – Easy
  • Blood Orange – You’re Not Good Enough

2014

  • St. Vincent – Prince Johnny
  • Trust – Capitol
  • Rickey Eat Acid – It Will Draw Me Over to it Like it Always Does
  • Tirzah – Inside Out
  • Hundred Waters – Show Me Love
  • Black Milk – Dirt Bells

2015

  • Widowspeak – All Yours
  • Julien Baker – Something
  • Prince Rama – Bahia
  • Grimes – Kill v. Maim
  • Empress Of – Everything is You
  • Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Ur Life One Night

2016

  • Mitski – Your Best American Girl
  • Woods – Can’t See At All
  • Banks – Gemini Feed
  • Julie Byrne – Natural Blue
  • Julia Jacklin – Pool Party
  • Beyonce – Don’t Hurt Yourself (feat. Jack White) (not on Spotify, sorry) / Subbing in with Miya Folick – Pet Body

2017

  • Austra – Future Politics
  • Sampha – Plastic 100°C
  • Temples – Certainty
  • Future Pelo – Swamp
  • Jens Lekman – What’s that Perfume That You Wear?
  • Tei Shi – Keep Running …. Fitting? 😉

p.s. The featured image/picture is one I took of Sutro Tower from my backyard – What a gloriously breathtaking city.

Hype-Worthy! Listen to New Brooklyn Band’s Self-Titled EP: Wet

WetWet is a new up-and-coming Brooklyn-based trio creating some steady hubbub in the music blogosphere. They’re producing ridiculously catchy, beautiful and refreshing pop songs (with heavy themes) at a consistent rate. Today, their self-titled EP is officially out (stream below), which has been a bright and sparkling joy in my listening life as of late.

The band just joined Neon Gold Records (Ellie Goulding, Haim, HAERTS, MØ, etc.) and any fans of say, MS MR, Ellie Goulding, Haim, and maybe even Purity Ring will get a definite kick outta Wet.

If you’re gallivanting through the madness at CMJ Music Marathon in NYC this week, Wet is playing tonight (10/15) at the Bowery Ballroom, The Fader Fort at Converse Rubber Tracks, as well as the Santos Party House for Neon Gold’s Showcase (with HEARTS) on Thursday, 10/17, and Baby’s All Right on Friday, 10/18.

Stream Wet‘s self-titled EP below, on SoundCloud, BandCamp, or better yet, purchase it on vinyl.

Braids is Finally Back! Listen to New Jams – In Kind + Amends

BraidsRaphaelle Standell-Preston is a busy woman. As the vocal half of the ambient dream-pop “love project,” Blue Hawaii, and vocalist in the electro-pop “art rockers” group, Braids, Raphaelle’s dynamic voice is keeping electro music in Montreal alive and beautiful.

Blue Hawaii has been in the spotlight as of late – They released a new album this year, Untogether, which was received with incredible praise, and headed out on a whirlwind tour with electro Canadian comrades and bffs, Purity Ring. However, Braids is now having its well-deserved shining moment… again.

Braids made waves with their 2011 debut LP, Native Speaker, establishing themselves as a “promising band.” With two new recent releases, “In Kind” and “Amends,” Braids is back and it appears they’re keeping up with the reputation. However, the blend and undistinguished sound between Blue Hawaii and Braids has become even more apparent amongst fans – but can you really complain? Have a listen and decide:

Braids‘ 12 inch, In Kind//Amends is due out 6/11/13 and their highly anticipated sophomore album, Flourish//Perish is due out 8/20/13 via Arbutus, Full Time Hobby, and Flemish Eye.

Top 55 Songs of 2012

Top 55 Songs of 2012

There have been endless “best song” lists that’ve already purged themselves (well before the year has actually ended) into the blogosphere – Some have been predictable, some ridiculous. It’s easy to criticize, scoff, laugh and/or roll your eyes at some choices made on “best of” lists. To be honest, it’s kind of fun to size up each list, that is until you attempt to compile one yourself. It’s really  fucking hard y’all (!), not to mention ridiculously time-consuming.

I remember ridiculing NPR for releasing their ‘best songs’ list in alphabetical order, thinking “Come on, that’s the easy way out!” and here I am, releasing my top 55 tracks in alphabetical order via Spotify (which has its pros/cons). I totally get it now. Not everyone is going to be 100% happy with your choices, and people love to point out “obvious” exclusions, but in the end, it’s amazing knowing that 2012 produced so much incredible music that it is really difficult to pack just 25, 50, or even 100 songs into a list, to the point that you piss people off.

The way in which you present your list is also a dilemma. I finally chose to use Spotify so that I wouldn’t crash everyone’s computers with an endless list of SoundCloud players, however, there were some tracks or bands (Kate Boy, HAERTS) I had to eliminate from the list, simply because they weren’t on Spotfiy. Is that shitty? But for almost a month, I brood over my best tracks list and created, dissected, reconstructed, added, edited, and said ‘ah fuck it’ more times than I’d probably like to admit. At some point, you have to say “just publish it!” and that’s what I’m doing… at the actual end of the year. So finally, I present to you three hours of listening pleasure via coco stereo’s top 55 songs of 2012 (psst…the http link for Spotify by default only shows 30 tracks at a time, so see full music player below). Enjoy:

Frank Ocean

Frank Ocean

Mac DeMarco

Mac DeMarco

Death Grips

Death Grips

alt-J – Breezeblocks
AlunaGeorge – Just A Touch
Animal Collective – Applesauce
Azealia Banks – 212
Black Moth Super Rainbow – Windshield Smasher
Blood Diamonds – Phone Sex (feat. Grimes)
Chet Faker – I’m Into You
CHVRCHES – The Mother We Share
Death Grips – I’ve Seen Footage
Diplo feat. Lazerdisk Party Sex – Set It Off (feat. Lazerdisk Party Sex)
Dirty Projectors – Gun Has No Trigger
Disclosure – Latch
Django Django – Default
Doldrums – She Is The Wave (Ft. Guy Dallas)
Dum Dum Girls – Lord Knows
Ellie Goulding – Anything Could Happen
Empress Of – Champagne
Flume – Sleepless (feat. Jezzabell Doran)
Frank Ocean – Lost
Graphics – There’s a Way Back
Grimes – Genesis
Haim – Send Me Down
Here We Go Magic – How Do I Know
Holobody – Prelude
How To Dress Well – & It Was U
Hundred Waters – Sonnet
Iamamiwhoami – Sever
The Irrepressibles – Arrow
Kendrick Lamar – The Recipe
Kindness – Cyan
Liars – Brats
Light Asylum – IPC
Lord Huron – Time To Run
Lower Dens – Brains
Mac Demarco – Rock and Roll Night Club
Major Lazer – Get Free
Miguel – Do You…
Mikky Ekko – Pull Me Down
Mykki Blanco – Wavvy
On An On – Ghosts
Perfume Genius – Hood
Phèdre – IN DECAY
Porcelain Raft – Unless You Speak From Your Heart
Pure Bathing Culture – Ivory Coast
Purity Ring – Obedear
Sam Flax – Fire Doesn’t Burn Itself
Sharon Van Etten – Give Out
Solange – Losing You
Tame Impala – Feels Like We Only Go Backwards
Tennis – My Better Self
Tomas Barfod – November Skies
Trust – Sulk
Wild Nothing – Nocturne
Yuna – Live Your Life
Zambri – You’ll Never Beat Dogs

Thank God! New Jam/Album from Born Gold – Sky Bicycle

Born Gold - Sky BicycleHow long have we been waiting for new jams from this guy?! SO LONG (3 years to be exact). Thankfully, the wild-red-headed Canadian, Cecil Frena, aka Born Gold (formerly known as Gobble Gobble, which included members of the now Purity Ring) has gotten his gear in motion and is gracing us with new electro “hyper-hop” jams.

Little known fact: I was attending a Grimes show and prior to Claire’s performance, a perplexing opening act toyed the audience with interpretive dances, bizarro outfits and a finale that blanketed the crowd in some sort of parachute, all while playing Gobble Gobble covers. “What the f*** is this?!” I thought. “…and why are they playing my fav Gobble Gobble jams?” With a quick search on the ole iPhone, I soon hilariously discovered this wasn’t a whacko Gobble Gobble cover band, but the actual band (of one) playing by its new name: Born Gold. In conclusion, go see Born Gold play (for a weird time… wink, wink), and be prepared for oddities + a whole lot of amazing electro synth-pop.

With that, I am ecstatic to say that Born Gold will soon release a brand spankin’ and highly anticipated new album, Little Sleepwalker, on October 23 via Audraglint. Here is the first single, “Sky Bicycle.”

Born Gold – Sky Bicycle

NEW (blowin’ up) Electro-Pop Band: CHVRCHES

ChvrchesSay, Purity Ring already has a new jam out? No fucking way – It’s brilliantly catchy and full of electro-pop goodness – Wait, that isn’t Purity Ring? Well, obviously someone’s giving them a run for their money… and they’re called CHVRCHES.

Hailing from the UK, CHVRCHES is one of those, what they call, a “modern music fairytale.” One in which a young, fresh, relatively unknown and semi-awkward band releases just one song, it catches on like wildfire and blasts a furry of blogging mayhem that thrusts them into the limelight of eager electro-pop addicts itching for the next dancey jam that can be played on repeat. The trio now dons two songs: Lies and The Mother We Share, plus a video from their debut gig at a Glasgow art school in July.

The Mother We Share is CHVRCHES’ latest release and it shot to the top of the blogging charts within just a matter of days. Granted, the sound is a little more on the bubble-gum electro pop spectrum compared to our beloved Purity Ring, but with synthy electro-beats and that “baby voice” aesthetic that gives bands like Purity Ring and AlunaGeorge a distinctive sound/appeal, the band is holding its own.

There’s an article about CHVRCHES’ ‘coming together’ and thoughts on “making it big” on The Skinny. The talk may be a bit premature at the mo, but if they continue to produce catchy electro-pop jams, they may just face that reality… especially since it’s been announced that they’ll now be touring with and opening for Passion Pit. Give ’em a stalk on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Tumblr and stay tuned.

CHVRCHES – The Mother We Share

CHVRCHES – Lies

Rockin’ Folktronica + Dream-Pop Trip Hop: Quilt & Young Magic

Young Magic

This week I saw Quilt and Young Magic play at the Rickshaw Stop in San Francisco. I was oddly surprised there was little-to-no line when I arrived, ‘cus tickets were being sold at the door only and um…. these bands are pretty fuckin’ electrifying. Regardless, I walked in, bought a Red Stripe (it’s cheap!) and Quilt immediately hit the stage. Rockin’, psychedelic, trancey folktronica and dream-pop trip hop thus commenced:

Quilt, the Brooklyn-by-way-of-Boston psych-mantric blues-folkers consist of Anna Fox Rochinsk, Shane Butler, and John Andrews. The trio announced it was their first time in California, and the audience gladly accepted their right of passage to the West Coast via an amazing stage presence. Their sound possesses a psychedelic, 60s hippy rock nostalgia and they certainly know how to jam; They’re a must see if you like to rock. Listen to their entire self-titled LP on bandcamp here or Spotify here.

Quilt – Young Gold

Quilt – Cowboys in the Void

Young Magic consists three Australian and/or Indonesian ex-pat nomads (Isaac Emmanuel, Michael Italia & Melati Malay – also of New Moods ) now living it up in NYC. Their sound is a mix of dreamy shoegaze, electro-experimental “trip-hop.” Their set involved theatrical drumming and bad Egyptian film footage. I dig! Listen to their entire LP Melt on Spotify here.

I have a un/healthy addiction to You with Air. It’s repetition, sweet beat and haunting vocals put you in a trance of experimental music bliss.

Young Magic – You With Air

Young Magic – Sparkly

If they hadn’t blown your mind already, Young Magic just remixed Doldrums‘  jam “Egypt” AND they’re featured in Purity Ring‘s recently released album, Shrines. What an epic combination!

Doldrums – Egypt (Young Magic Redux)

Purity Ring – Grandloves (feat. Young Magic)