Category: Indie-Rock
Fresh Track Roundup! Foxygen + Blood Diamonds + MØ + Doldrums + Widowspeak + Brothers in Law + Flight Facilities
Foxygen
The days are cold (at least in San Francisco), and the new music flow is kinda slow. But (!) despite these hurry-up-and-wait times where new music production seems to be on a fierce hold, I present to you a fresh track roundup! Let’s get on with it:
Foxygen is on just about everyone’s radar. They’ve been deemed a “band to watch in 2013” by many, and all ears are open. The singer/songwriter LA-based duo consists of Sam France and Jonathan Rado. They’re young, yet create the essence of a Velvet Underground/Bob Dylan/Kinks persona.
Foxygen‘s latest release, “No Destruction” will be found on Their forthcoming album, We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic, out January 22nd via Jagjaguwar.
Best line of the song: “There’s no need to be an asshole, you’re not in Brooklyn anymore.” Enjoy:
Foxygen – No Destruction
Mike Tucker, the blonde, giant (almost 7 foot-tall) producer also known as Blood Diamonds (and one of Grimes’ many BFFs) has collaborated w/ex-A$AP member, Dominic Lord. The result? Some seriously funky hip-hop. Have a listen to “Barcode” now:
Blood Diamonds – Barcode ft. Dominic Lord
*This track’s apparently been put on ‘Private’ now – Don’t you just love that? Listen to it on SoundCloud then.
MØ
Karen Marie Ørsted aka MØ, the Copenhagen-hailing electro-pop princess who’s made serious waves amongst the blogosphere with just a couple of tracks, has graced us with, “Glass,” yet another gem. Some are calling her the ‘Scandinavian Grimes’ though I think the two have sounds, and personalities entirely of their own, both of which are still entirely addicting. Have a listen to MØ‘s third song to date:
MØ – Glass
I can hardly contain my excitement for Doldrums‘ upcoming album, “Lesser Evil” (out 2/25 on Souterrain Transmissions/Europe, and 2/26 on Arbutus Records/North America). Airick Woodhead is the Canadian mastermind behind Doldrums, and he’s stead-fast to producing some of the freshest, most interesting experimental/electro music out there. “Anomaly” is Doldrums‘ latest release from his highly anticipated forthcoming album:
Doldrums – Anomaly
Brothers in Law is a new lo-fi, shoegaze, indie-pop outfit out of none other than Pesaro, Italy. According to The 405, Brothers in Law have recently gone from duo to trio and will soon release their second EP, Gray Days, on 7″ vinyl, limited edition, via We Were Never Being Boring, CF-records and MattaLab. “Holy Weekend” can be found on Gray Days due out February 16th. Stream below:
Brothers in Law – Holy Weekend
I stumbled upon Widowspeak via Captured Tracks, and boy, I’m glad I did. The “western-tinged” indie-pop/rock n’ roll group composed of Molly Hamilton and Robert Earl Thomas transcends you into a dreamy bliss. Their second LP, “Almanac,” is due out January 22nd, (but you can stream the entire album on SoundCloud right now).
Windowspeak – Thick as Thieves
Flight Facilities is a funky electro pop production based out of Australia. Remember their 2011 jam, “Crave You” featuring Giselle? Regardless, the duo has recently released, “Clair De Lune,” a breathtakingly beautiful track featuring Christine Hoberg, with haunting video to match:
Flight Facilities – Clair De Lune (ft. Christine Hoberg)
Fresh Tracks Roundup! Sin Fang + Broke for Free + L’Orange + ON AN ON + Beliefs + Digits
Sin Fang
With all the year-end list churning goin’ on, there’s a whole lot of review, reflection and occasional discoveries. However, there’s also still a ton of phonomenal new music to be listened to – Some of which would very well make those “best of 2012” lists, ‘cus you know, the year isn’t actually over yet. So with that, I present to you a plethora of fresh new tracks so good you’d wished you’d waited on your year-end list release:
Sindri Már Sigfússon aka Sin Fang is an indie-pop act from the land of beautiful people i.e., Iceland. He apparently has an affinity for wearing beards made out of ‘stuff’ based off his upcoming and previous album images. “Young Boys” is a catchy number from Sing Fang‘s forthcoming LP, Flowers, due Jan. 2, 2013 (Feb. 19, U.S).
Sin Fang – Young Boys
Broke for Free is an alias of instrumental, electro glitch-hop artist and Oakland, California’s very finest, Tom Cascino. “Budding” is the lead track from Broke for Free‘s recently released EP, Gold Can Stay, and it’s a beaut of unique, melodic proportions.
Broke for Free – Budding
L’Orange is unique blend of hip hop, 20s sampling/nostalgia and Film Noir influences. He’s a poet and producer from North Carolina piquing the interest and ears of many with his eccentric blends. “Alone” is the debut singe from L’Orange‘s recently released LP, The Mad Writer featuring powerhouse LA-based rapper, Blu. Have a listen to the originality now:
L’Orange – Alone (feat. Blu)
New Tracks/Bands: Sam Flax + DIANA + Everything Everything + Black City Lights + Cashmere Cat + SoKo
Sam Flax
This is a sure-fire random roundup of new tracks and/or bands. Hence, there will undoubtedly be something incredible for everyone – Lucky!
It’s that time of year again when the music blogosphere begins to compile year-end “Best of” lists. Gorilla vs. Bear recently announced on Facebook they were already knee-deep and asked if it’d be a cop out to do a three-way tie for best album of 2012 (yes, total cop out). So of course, a slew of comments commenced with guesses for those top three albums. The usual suspects like Grimes, Chromatics, Grizzly Bear, Tame Impala and Animal Collective were mentioned, however, someone had also suggested Sam Flax, which I found interesting. Now, I don’t think he’d win best album (can anyone compete with Grimes this year?), but his recently (re)released, psychedelic, punk, pop rock LP, Age Waves (via Burger Records), certainly hasn’t garnered the exposure that it deserves. The LP’s opening track, “Fire Doesn’t Burn Itself,” is a glamorous, intricate, rockin’ track that becomes even more trippy with each second resulting in full-fledged addiction. Sam Flax‘s persona is also slightly David Bowie-esque, which he should totally milk. Stream Age Waves via SoundCloud, Bandcamp or Spotify.
Sam Flax – Fire Doesn’t Burn Itself
I don’t know how DIANA, new indie-synth-pop band from Toronto managed to fly under the (my) radar. The trio, (including the sax player from Destroyer) has just two tracks, “Perpetual Surrender” and “Born Again” but they’re enough throw you into retro electro bliss and I’m eager to hear more! Keep up with DIANA on Tumblr, Facebook or SoundCloud.
D I A N A – Born Again
Addictive hooks, sweet beats, shredding guitars and soaring falsetto vocals make UK hailing, Everything Everything quint essential indie-rock stardom material. Apparently, the lead singer/guitarist, Jonathan Higgs and bassist, Jeremy Pritchard also both have college degrees in “Popular Music.” If they continue to produce addictive tracks like “Kemosabe,” a single from the forthcoming LP, Arc, (due January 14, 2013), they’ll pay off those college loans in no time.
Everything Everything – Kemosabe
Black City Lights is an emerging electro/experimental group consisting of two homies hailing from New Zealand. They dropped an EP, Parallels via Stars & Letters in March, and recently released (Nov. 6th) an EP, (of the EP), called RMXS…. of remixes – Okay, you get it. The GWS remix of “Parallels” is less dark and synthy than the original track, but takes it to another/amazing level. Stream both EPs on SoundCloud.
Black City Lights – Parallels (GWS Remix)
Cashmere Cat is the creation of a young Norwegian producer intriguing the interest and ears of many with his debut EP, Mirror Maru via Pelican Fly. There isn’t much out there about the Olso beat-making inhabitant, but the bouncy, piano backed track also titled Mirror Maru (is this named after the cat in Japan who loves boxes?) has me yearning for more. Stream Mirror Maru on SoundCloud or Spotify.
Cashmere Cat – Mirror Maru
So apparently SoKo is still around… who knew? Remember her, “I’ll Kill Her” track everyone obsessed over back in ’08? Well, the French/Polish singer-songwriter has just released an LP, I Thought I was an Alien with smoother indie-rock jams. However, it sounds like Stéphanie Sokolinski may have swapped rage for tears this time around. In her track, “First Love Never Die,” it sounds like the guy she would’ve killed for 4 years ago didn’t work out, though in end, she has a beauty of a track… so take that.
SoKo – First Love Never Die
Fresh Tracks – NEW: Main Attrakionz, Absofacto, Naomi Punk, Blue Hawaii
Main Attrakionz
“Cloud Body” is the latest addictive, billowy, and appropriately titled, “cloud rap” single from Main Attrakionz‘s recently released LP, Bossalinis & Fooliyones via Young One. The “best duo ever” consisting of Oakland hailing rappers, MondreM.A.N. and Squadda B, have certainly proved with this track that “cloud rap is that shit that you can trust.”
Cloud Body (prod. by Grown Folk) – Main Attrakionz
I keep finding myself obsessively listening to “Backfire,” the latest track by Jonathan Visger aka Absofacto. The solo “experimental pop” project is an offshoot from Visger’s other band, Mason Proper. According to Paste Magazine, Visger teamed up with Mason Proper guitarist, Brian Konicek, to record “Backfire” in a basement – Sounds… typical, but the dreamy indie rock track is anything but:
Absofacto – Backfire
Gritty grunge, dream-pop, noise-rock, garage punk… this is what I think of when I listen to Naomi Punk. And, when I listen to the Olympia/Seattle-based trio’s track, “The Spell,” I wanna trip out, rock out, and score some sweet flannel. “The Spell” is off of Naomi Punk‘s second full-length album, The Feeling, originally released on vinyl. So technically this is a (re)fresh, as Captured Tracks has recently reissued the LP digitally, on CD, and on CLEAR vinyl – Ooh fancy!
Naomi Punk – The Spell
Montreal’s ambient dream-pop “love project,” Blue Hawaii, has just released a two-part single, (I see what you did there), “In Two” and “In Two II.” Back in August, Grimes displayed her absolute admiration for Blue Hawaii’s upcoming LP, Untogether (due in early 2013), via the Twittersphere, calling it the “biggest album of next year, WOWWWWWWWW.”
Raph/Raphaelle Standell-Preston (of Braids) and Agor/Alex Cowan from Blue Hawaii
Blue Hawaii – In Two
Blue Hawaii – In Two II
Mac DeMarco Show Recap + New Local Electro Band: Silver Hands
I saw Mac DeMarco play this weekend on his new album “2our” and it was by far one of the funniest, rockin’ and entertaining shows I’d been to in a long time. It was like a comedy/garage jam/freak show and I couldn’t stop staring, laughing and/or dancing. The crowd, which surprisingly wasn’t all that large, contained a slew of weirdos, geeks, hipsters, etc. and I couldn’t help but look around in amazement at the bizarro fan following Mac DeMarco attracted, obviously myself included.
The entire show made me feel as if I were some sort of fly on the wall witnessing a jam session in progress. DeMarco made goofy faces, flashed wide grins and bursts of laughter, burped loudly into the microphone, busted out Metallica solos in the middle of a jam, and at one point, jumped into the crowd and slow danced with a guy who I’m pretty sure is a bona-fide pedo. All in all, the show was ridiculous amounts of fun… though I’m sure it doesn’t nearly compare to DeMarco’s infamous stage presence in Montreal in which he got “cross-eyed drunk,” naked, and shoved two drumsticks up his ass… regardless, I’m not complaining. He DID play a new song dedicated to his mother apologizing for that drumstick asshole shoving incident, which is sweet.
Anyway, I JUST wrote about Mac DeMarco and his highly anticipated soon-to-be-released album, so in cutting-to-the-chase conclusion: He’s an absolute MUST-SEE live… unless you hate having fun.
While at the show, I also met a fellow DeMarco fan and in a convo about bands, he insisted I check out a recent local electronic duo discovery. I’m surprised by the next morning, I’d actually remembered the name, however, after a little digging, I found Silver Hands, and sure enough, I’m officially addicted. There isn’t much out there about the San Francisco duo aside from a SoundCloud page and a write-up on The Bay Bridged (apparently they recently played with Chaz Bundik aka Les Sins aka Toro Y Moi last week) but it’s enough to keep me and hopefully you listening:
Silver Hands – Skulls
Silver Hands – Visions
Here’s a bonus recent Mac DeMarco interview with CHARTattack:
Hopelessly Obsessive Over You: Mac Demarco & Holobody
Mac Demarco
I feel like there are two kinds of people in this world:
1. Those who discover a jam or band that stuns them with such beauty, amusement, intensity, or ridiculously sweet beats that it ignites an obsessive compulsive desire to play said jam and/or band over, and over, and over in one sitting…
2. Those who obviously never have this urge and/or find this behavior odd. A friend once told me that if she really loves a jam, she purposefully won’t listen to it on repeat and/or often because she doesn’t want to tire of it – This just seems unreasonable and completely impossible to me. Obsession over a jam has got to be some sort of ultimate, true form of appreciation, right? So in the spirit of sharing my ultimate appreciation, I present to you my latest obsessions: Mac Demarco & Holobody.
1. I’m hopelessly obsessed with the goofy/creepy/catchy Mac Demarco and his weirdo, soft rock, “pop jangles” that the Canadian often refers to as “jizz jazz.” His debut album, Rock and Roll Night Club came out in March of this year, and he’s announced another coming real soon-like (October 13th). Each jam on his debut album is like a keepsake of uniqueness, unraveling oddities that range from sleazy to crooning; see the charm for yourself in his video below. I can’t wait to hear what he’s got under his sleeve for Mac Demarco 2 – I’ve already picked up my ticket to see him in San Francisco at the Rickshaw Stop in September – He’s on tour now, catch the “creep” while you can!
Mac Demarco – Rock and Roll Night Club
Mac Demarco – My Kind of Woman (This one’s from the new album)
Holobody
2. Holobody consists of siblings Luke and Charlotte Loseth who refer to themselves by their faux/pseudo/stage names: Felix Green and Sea Oleena. They’re originally from Saskatchewan, Canada but now live in Montreal and make dreamy, pyschadelic, experimental, indie, shoegaze pop. Their debut album Riverhood was released in May of this year and I’ve had it on repeat incessantly, specifically the jam Prelude. They also have a ‘zany’ tumblr that features musical goodies including mixes, solo songs, etc. You can stream Riverhood in its entirety and/or discover their individual solo projects on bandcamp too.
coco stereo 