Category: Hype-worthy
Hype-Worthy! Meet Spanish Garage-Pop Rockin’ Fems: Deers
Envision two foxy Spanish females (or, you could just look at their picture in this post) and imagine them rippin’ on guitars and producing ridiculously catchy and raw garage pop songs. Sound like a dream come true? Well, wake up (!) ‘cus it’s time to get doe-eyed for: Deers.
Oh, but guess what? Like all brand-new, hype-worthy bands, there’s not a whole lotta info about them just yet – Surprised?
What we do know is the group hails from Madrid, and was started by BFFs Ana Garcia Perrote and Carlotta Cosials. We also know their two-track demo debut is rockin’ and wowin’ and landed them as NME’s “Buzzband of the Week.” The duo also appears to be touring through Europe with two more rockin’ foxy fems added to the band mix.
Give Deers a follow on Facebook, Twitter, Bandcamp and/or Instagram and jump on this:
Deers – Bamboo (Demo)
Deers – Trippy Gum
Glorious Dream-Pop Duo We All Missed! Introducing: Hush Pup
As part of my morning routine, I passively listen to my massive music blog feed (of about 90 music blogs) while getting ready for work. Occasionally I’ll discover something I dig, and in between blow drying my hair and eating breakfast, I’ll tuck it away into a “favorites” file.
Today, however, my ears perked up immediately upon hearing the most refreshing, glorious and beautiful dream-pop. “Who could this be?!” I exclaimed – A thought that sparks joyous panic for a new music scourer on the hunt for a sparkling diamond in the rough sands of millions of bands. I dropped the hair dryer and ran over to the computer. There they were: Hush Pup… A new duo out of Victoria, British Columbia, who had been featured on the excellent and eccentric music blog, Weird Canada.
After frantically searching for more Hush Pup sounds, I discovered that this amazing new music wasn’t actually (brand spanking) new? The definition of “new” is relative, of course. Little to my knowledge, the dreamy duo had released a 3-track EP via Legwarmer Records in 2013 titled, Darlene. Yes, the EP/band had been given shout outs late last year on a couple of music blogs like Silent Shout or Aux.tv, but I’m only seeing this now.
Where was I when this all went down, or should I say up? Where were any of us? The band only has 300+ followers on Facebook and less than 30 “hearts” on Hype Machine? How’d these sweet sounds slip through my/our eager ears? Some people were certainly on the bandwagon, but I’d say not nearly enough. So without further adieu, I gladly present you: Hush Pup, ‘cus better late than never! And I’m happy to announce that according to their Facebook, we can expect new music real soon (as in, this summer) – I’m not missing it this time, and neither should you! Find ’em on Facebook and Bandcamp, too.
Listen to + Watch Blowin’ up Sweetsy-Soulful Electro-Pop Duo: Sylvan Esso
Sylvan Esso, the new North Carolina-based duo made up of Mountain Man’s Amelia Meath and Megafaun’s Nick Sanborn has been one of my (and many others’) biggest obsessions of 2013/14. Their sweetsy-soulful electro-pop is ridiculously catchy, and it appears that everyone’s catching on.
Sylvan Esso‘s tracks have been hitting top spots on Spotify’s viral streaming charts, are some of the most requested on Sirius XMU radio, continuously top Hype Machine charts and after SXSW, the duo received reviews from the New York Times, People Magazine, Spin, NPR, Brooklyn Vegan, etc. They’re blowin’ up, y’all!
Story has it that Amelia and Nick met in 2012 in passing at a show they both happened to be playing w/their respective bands and/or projects. Amelia asked Nick to rework her first song, “Play it Right,” and turns out, he did just that. The two then realized they could make sweet, sweet music together and Sylvan Esso was born. On May 13th, Partisan Records will release Sylvan Esso‘s highly anticipated debut, self-titled album.
The two have just three tracks, “Coffee,” “Play it Right” and “Hey Mami” that people like myself have played an ungodly amount of times. And, if you ever tune in to Cuckoo for Coco’s Pop Underground, (yes, I’m plugging the radio show right now – It’s every Sunday at 11 am – noon PT on BFF.fm), you’ve most likely heard all three. Just this week, in anticipation of the debut album, Sylvan Esso has dropped two new videos for “Coffee” and “Play it Right,” that both “get up, get down.” After the album release, the duo will also embark on a tour with Tune-Yards May – June. What an eclectic and stellar combination! Enjoy:
Sylvan Esso – Hey Mami
Listen to New Slammin’ Scandinavian Electro-Pop Artist: Kill J
Damn, Denmark, you’ve done it again. There must be something in the water, ‘cus Copenhagen continuously and consistently pumps out ferociously catchy alt/electro-pop artists. This is where Kill J comes in. She’s a new Danish act who excited the ears of many back in June of 2013 with her debut and hypnotic jam, “Phoenix.” Luckily, Kill J has surfaced once again in full force with a slammin’ new single, “Bullet.” On the semi-mysterious artist’s Soundcloud page, she’s fiercely stated that “Bullet” is…
“…dedicated to the victims of other peoples bullshit convictions. People who act sinful, hateful and ungodly in the name of their God.”
Kill J – Bullet
Kill J – Phoenix
Obsessed! Meet New Hype-Worthy Group: Mt. Royal
The moment Mt. Royal‘s jam, “Missing Reward” hit my ears, I immediately became obsessed. Since then, I’ve repeatedly listened to the group during my commute, while at work in between editing sessions, and I find any excuse to pop my headphones in for one more listen.
Who is Mt. Royal? They’re a new “vintage psychedelia” pop 5-piece out of Baltimore, Maryland (who took their name from a street in their hometown) fronted by the magnetic and soulful, Katrina Ford of Celebration. The group released their self-titled debut EP on January 27th via Bella Union and have hopes for an album release this spring/summer.
Though no tours are listed for Mt. Royal, aside from a show here and there listed in Brooklyn, keep your eyes and ears open. In the mean time, listen to Mt. Royal on Spotify (you can find the full EP here), give them a follow on Facebook and Twitter, and watch their glittery, glamorous video for “Missing Reward.”
Yes, Yes, Yes! Listen to 2 New TRUST tracks: Capitol & Rescue, Mister
It’s refreshing to hear that Trust aka Robert Alfons, the insanely talented Toronto-hailing goth synth-pop God can consistently keep up with his dark, seductive, drug-sick lurching-like music producing ways. Since the release of his stunning debut album, TRST, back in 2012, Alfons has been on what seems like a never-ending tour, but he’s back to making new music and blowing everyone’s minds and ears, per usual.
Trust‘s sophomore album, Joyland, described as “an eruption of guts, feels, and joy,” is due out March 4 via Arts & Crafts. He’ll also be embarking on tour with none other than the amazing electro-pop Queen, Mozart’s Sister. Could this get any better!? Have a listen to “Capitol” and “Rescue, Mister,” two new tracks off of Joyland, then commence to weep black tears of synth-pop joy:
Trust – Capitol
Trust – Rescue, Mister
Hype-Worthy! New Sexy Electro R&B Jam: Black Atlass – Blossom
Everyone could use more sexy, bouncin’, electro-hinged R&B music in his/her life – Thank you Black Atlass for fulfilling this! Alex Fleming aka Black Atlass is a 19-year-old Montreal-hailing experimental R&B producer with smooth vibes and a talent for producing sultry songs. Autre Ne Veut fans rejoice!
The singer-songwriter made waves back in 2012 with his sultry, atmospheric debut single, “Paris” which was plucked up and featured in a Louis Vuitton + Marc Jacobs Ad. Now back from his whirlwind 2013 Euro tour with Woodkid, Black Atlass has recently released an insanely addictive tune, “Blossom.” The track can found on his 6-track EP, Young Bloods, due out February 18th, via Fool’s Gold Records. If you’re headed to Austin all too soon, keep Black Atlass on your SXSW radar. Enjoy:
Black Atlass – Blossom
Black Atlass – Paris
Breakout Bands You Shouldn’t Have Slept on Pt. 2: FUZZ + Melt Yourself Down + SALES + Jamaican Queens
Jamaican Queens. Photo by: Gretchen Robinette
If you didn’t see part one of this post, you may be sleeping on more than just bands. Wake up, my friend! But, hey, I’ll give you an out… this time. This series (which could be endless, really) covers various new and amazing bands you may not have given a listen at first sign of momentum, ‘cus you know, you were listening to other amazing bands and stuff. Anyway, ain’t no thang, you’re here now. So let’s get listening:
Say, you’re a fan of the beloved Bay Area “garage punk prodigy” Ty Segall? Well, lucky you, he has a rockin’ psychedelic project called, FUZZ, alongside his guitarist Charlie Moothart and Roland Cosio. FUZZ is loud, yet dreamy, and feeds your need for some serious rock and guitar riffs. Plus, you get to experience Segall on drums, and he’s unsurprisingly good. Apparently the trio tried to remain anonymous, yet Segall’s recognizable vocals, and a mention in a SPIN Magazine interview linked Segall and FUZZ to the masses. They released a self-titled debut album this year via Trouble in Mind Records, which received an agreeable review from Pitchfork.
FUZZ – What’s in My Head?
FUZZ – FUZZ’s Fourth Dream
Wow, Melt Yourself Down takes music to a righteous level. It’s an explosion of sounds, beats and genres of music that somehow work perfectly together. The London, UK-based group combines, Jazz, punk, Afrobeats, heavy brass, and some seriously fiery funk that makes you wanna get up and dance for days. The group released their first single in 2012 and have picked up major momentum in 2013 while releasing a fun and infectious self-titled debut album. Have a listen:
Melt Yourself Down – We Are Enough
SALES is a new Orlando, Florida-based project composed of Jordan Shih and Lauren Morgan. Sales’ sound is a fusion of wistful lo-fi and indie-folk, all of which can be found on a 7″ they released this year. The duo, particularly with their addicting and beautiful track, “Renee,” has charmed music lovers thus far and people are eager to hear more. Enjoy:
SALES – Renee
Jamaican Queens is an interesting “trap-pop” four-piece out of Detroit, MI. They self-released a debut album, Wormfood this year, which is composed of catchy pop hooks, dancey hip-hop beats and brutal lyrics, all of which makes them so intriguing. Looking forward to hearing more from this eclectic group:
Jamaican Queens – Water
Hype-Worthy! New Psychedelic Brit-Rock Jam: Temples – Mesmerise
Ooh baby, ooh baby. A quad of Brit rockers with beautiful shaggy hair who play amazingly catchy psychedelic jams? Sign me up! Temples, the UK hailing psychedelic four-piece, channeling The Byrds and giving Tame Impala some serious competition has just released, “Mesmerise.” The track is the first single from their forthcoming debut album, Sun Structures, due out February 10/11 via Heavenly Recordings & Fat Possum (Jackson Scott, Band of Horses, Youth Lagoon).
According to their bio, in the summer of 2012, bassist, Tom Warmsley and singer/guitarist, James Bagshaw were recent college graduates attempting to look for work, not really knowing what to do w/themselves, so they wrote, played and recorded music at home. In July of that same year, they recorded, “Shelter Song,” threw it on the internet, and it virally caught the ears and stole the hearts of many. Warmsley and Bagshaw suddenly found themselves signed with Heavenly Recordings. Though not really a full band at that time, Warmsley and Bagshaw recruited drummer, Sam Toms and keyboard player, Adam Smith. A year later Temples shared the bill with The Rolling Stones at London’s Hyde Park. From then on, the sky has been the limit for these hazy 12-string psych-rockers with beautiful heads of hair.
While we all eagerly await Temples‘ highly anticipated album, give ’em a listen below, on SoundCloud and follow along on Facebook.
Temples – Mesmerise
Temples – Shelter Song
Temples – Colours to Life
Hype-Worthy! Meet Dream Pop, Post-Punk Duo: Iska Dhaaf
Happiness… a feeling, conquest, goal, that everyone painfully strives for each day, yet it sometimes seems just out of reach. “Happiness, it’s just around the corner. Taste it. I want to taste it. I want to taste it ’til i’m wasted.” These are lyrics to the rapidly rising, Seattle-hailing dream pop, post-punk duo, Iska Dhaaf‘s recent single, “Happiness.” The track is dreamy, heartbreaking, and touches on the very real desires yet realities most people struggle with on a daily basis. So who are these musical talents known as Iska Dhaaf, and what do they know about happiness, or the lack thereof?
Iska Dhaaf, which loosely translates to “Let it go” in Somali, is the moniker for Nathan Quiroga & Benjamin Verdoes. According to this article in Seattle Weekly, Verdoes was a former bilingual teacher located in a largely Somali neighborhood and began studying the language. “… I just fell in love with the sound of it; the words will get stuck in my head like songs do.”
Both Verdoes and Quiroga come from vastly different musical backgrounds prior to Iska Dhaff. Nathan Quiroga (vocals/guitar) was previously known as Buffalo Madonna in a crew of notorious electro “hip-hop hedonists” called, Mad Rad. They essentially wreaked havoc, created debauchery, landed themselves in jail and were banned from more than five Seattle venues.
Benjamin Verdoes (drums/synths/backup vocals) previously played in a more likely to envision indie rock group, the Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band, and toured with various big band names like Japandroids and Cursive.
Together, the two make raw, honest, emotionally driven music, all of which attributes to their up-and-coming success. Have a listen to both of their recently released singles, and watch the brand new video for “Happiness.” Also, give ’em a follow and a listen on Facebook or Bandcamp.
Iska Dhaaf – Happiness
Iska Dhaaf – Rumi
coco stereo 