Category: New Album
Listen to New (Rat) Jams! Wise Blood is Most Certainly Boss
Oh hello, Wise Blood. Welcome back, we’ve missed you.
Wise Blood is the moniker of Pittsburgh native and experimental electro-pop producer, Christopher Laufman. He, as Pitchfork so eloquently stated, “appeared out of left field” in 2010, and wooed ears over in 2011 with his clean EP, These Wings. After some silence, Wise Blood is back and he’s donning jams that’re more smooth, soulful and poppy than ever – They also coincidently seem to commonly mention rats and/or rat poison (okay, it’s just two jams). Regardless, Wise Blood’s experimental pop gems will sweep you off your feet.
“Rat” and “Universe is Blessed” can both be found on Wise Blood‘s forthcoming and debut album, id, due out June 25th via Dovecote Records. Welcome Wise Blood back into the well-deserved limelight with a thorough listen:
Wise Blood – Rat
Wise Blood – Universe is Blessed
Hot New Tracks for Cool Heads: Joywave + Dead Ghosts + Wampire + Hot & Cold + Phèdre + Kisses
The weather warmed up in San Francisco this past week for a hot minute – Our (one and only) glimpse of a true summer. So naturally, all San Franciscans piled into parks, crammed onto bar patio benches, threw on floppy hats and maxi dresses, and put our instagramming hands in the air to capture the clear blue sky, like we REALLY care. Alas, the moment has passed us, and our real “Summer is Coming,” which means chilly wind and eerie fog thicker than Turkish coffee. So with that, I bring to you a fresh track roundup of hot new tracks for cool days, or for cooler heads, depending on your geographical preference:
Joywave is a Rochester, New York-based electro/experimental group mastering in mixtapes. They released their mixtape, 77777, back in March of ’11 and just released a follow-up with, you guessed it, 88888. According to Interview Magazine, “The process behind Joywave‘s upcoming mixtape is an intriguing exercise in self-improvement. … frontman Daniel Armbruster, created a record that is not comprised of new material, but rather rethinks and reintroduces material from the band’s debut EP, Koda Vista. This idea is rooted not only in the dance and hip-hop tradition of the remix, but also in the paintings of Expressionist painter Edvard Munch, who famously remade the same painting several times, in order to best communicate with his audience.”
The rework and re-visitation of Joywave‘s previous material is obviously doing them justice, as “Tongues,” a new single found on 88888, is sickeningly addictive and has fiercely shot up to the top the blogosphere charts. Have a listen to “Tongues” and download 88888 for free on Joywave’s site:
Joywave – Tongues (feat. KOPPS)
Dead Ghosts is a quad garage rock band hailing from the depths of Vancouver, British Columbia whose sound has been described as, “raunchy lo-fi, country-esque, sweet guitar pluck-and-jangle.“ Listen to “Roky Said” a nostalgic-inducing, rockin’, “garage fuzz” psychedelic jam found on their recently released LP, Can’t Get No, via Burger Records:
Dead Ghosts – Roky Said
Ooh Wampire. Let me count the ways in which I’ve idiotically missed you play, and how I’m always kicking myself for doing so. The Portland, Oregon-based indie-pysch-rock-pop band was created by longtime bffs, Rocky Tinder and Eric Phipps. The two “started jamming in 2001” while in middle school. Now, Wampire is signed to Polyvinyl and has been on tour with friends, Unknown Mortal Orchestra (who also produced their debut). Wampire won me over with their trippy track, “The Hearse,” and I’ve been throughly addicted since. Wampire‘s new LP, Curiosity, is due out May 14 and you can stream the entire album in advance on Pitchfork. Don’t miss these guys!
Wampire – Trains
Wampire – The Hearse
Hot & Cold is the collaboration of two young 20-something Canadian brothers, Josh and Simon Frank. The boys produce trippy, abstract, catchy, drone synth-rock and apparently made their first live debut in Beijing, of all places. According to an interview with Vice, the transnational brothers, while in Beijing, “earned a spot alongside the Rose Mansion Analog crew, joining the ranks of the Offset:Spectacles and Soviet Pop.” Have a listen to “Out of the Grey” an addictive single from Hot & Cold’s new LP, Border Area, via Moniker Records:
Hot & Cold – Out of the Grey
Phèdre is one of my all-time favorite wacky electro Canadian duo/bands, and that’s saying a lot ‘cus there are so many to choose from! Phèdre released their self-titled debut album just last year and left many hungry for more. Luckily, they’re currently in the album-producing mood and are in the process of finalizing another LP, Golden Age. “We spent the darkest days of the winter writing a new record in Berlin. We made a collage for each song. We’re gonna put this out into the universe real soooooon.” They’re also currently producing a spontaneous “ongoing record,” Eterna, in which they’re “droppin’ tracks as they come.” Listen to “Zenith,” the first track from, Eterna:
Phèdre – Zenith
Kisses is an LA-based electro-pop duo made up of Jesse Kivel & Zinzi Edmundson. Their sophomore album, Kids in LA, is due out May 14th via Cascine and was produced by Saint Etienne’s Pete Wiggs. Kisses is also currently and appropriately on tour with Chad Valley – A surefire dance party in the making. Have a listen to “Air Conditioning,” Kisses‘ synthtastic gem from the new LP:
Kisses – Air Conditioning
New, Magnetic & Provocative Tracks: Jenny Hval – Innocence is Kinky
Jenny Hval. Photograph: Kristine Jakobsen
I woke up this morning with a heavy heart. Uneasiness and uncertainty were oozing from my pores like booze after a liquor drenched bender. However, the undeniable and surprising cure-all that stopped my anxiousness dead in its tracks was the unusual, breath-taking and magnetic sound, voice and lyrics of artist, Jenny Hval.
The Norwegian singer-songwriter just released her fourth album, Innocence is Kinky, produced by longtime PJ Harvey collaborator, John Parish. The boundaries Hval pushes in her latest album lyrically and musically, especially with her lightening-quick voice transformations is all-consuming.
In an interview with The Guardian, Hval explains her lyrics for Innocence is Kinky “draw on a dark pool of influences, from the crimes of Norwegian mass-murderer Anders Breivik to Paris Hilton… In her songs, the female body gets lost, burned, chucked out to sea – anything to break it free of the media or male gaze. ‘When you listen to this and to these lyrics, the body could be anything, anywhere.'”
On her site, Hval states that Innocence is Kinky was also heavily influenced by her artistry, as it’s also the name of her 25 minute long sound and light installation. She channeled her desire to play more abrasively in comparison to her 2011 album, Viscera. “I found myself getting more and more aggressive on stage with this material, wanting to play louder instead of working with acoustic, hushed soundscapes, but I didn’t know how. I wanted to sing louder, channel this energy, sharpen all edges, loosen the structures… I was drawn to music very much exploring that position – particularly Nick Cave, Blixa Bargeld and Michael Gira. To work with these powerful expressions – and failing miserably with my voice and body – was creating a specific energy I found necessary for the album.”
Innocence is Kinky is out now via Rune Grammofon. Have a listen two magnetic tracks from the album:
Jenny Hval – The Seer
Jenny Hval – Mephisto in the Water
Like Sultry, Seductive & Hypnotic Minimal Wave? Meet: Misfit Mod
While wandering the streets of Austin, Texas in the chaos that is SXSW, I received an email from New Zealand born, London-hailing Sarah Kelleher. In that email contained links to these sultry and hypnotic “minimal wave” tracks that make up Kelleher’s music project, Misfit Mod.
Misfit Mod‘s fragile yet catchy gems like “Queen Love Zero,” and “Cars” can be found on her recently released debut LP, Islands & Islands via Brooklyn boutique record label, Stars & Letters.
Kelleher stated in her email that she’s “really into bands like Gang Gang Dance, TLC and Arthur Russell.” The random combination of Misfit Mod‘s influences is obviously working in her favor, as she’s created a plethora of seductive, magnetic jams. Have a listen for yourself and find Misfit Mod on SoundCloud and/or Facebook.
Misfit Mod – Queen Love Zero
Misfit Mod – Cars
Pure Experimental Genius! Listen to New Album: K-X-P – II
Is anyone else obsessing over K-X-P‘s recently released sophomore album, II? If not, you should be. Songs like, “Magnetic North,” and “Easy (Infinity Waits)” are pure experimental genius. The dark, rhythmic, psychedelic, disco grooves of each song easily place you under a blissful electro-hinged spell. The occasional bursts of children cheering and monkeys calling are simply the cherry on top of such sweet and sickeningly addicting sounds.
K-X-P, the Finnish, sometimes trio, hailing from Helsinki consists of, as explained on their Facebook page: “Timo Kaukolampi (electronics, vocals and the ‘K’), Tuomo Puranen (bass, keyboards and the ‘P’), and alternating drummers (the ‘X’ – for the mystery) Tomi Leppanen and, in the studio and on rare occasions live, Anssi Nykänen.”
The self-proclaimed “original-electronic-motorhead-space-trance-spiritual-rock-meditation-freejazz-Godz” made their debut back in 2010, but slightly under the radar. However, the boys are back with a vengeance with the release of II earlier this month via Melodic Records (UK) and Manimal & French Kiss (US).
Stream their entire album on Spotify, or find ’em on SoundCloud. I’ve also included a video below in which K-X-P paired a sampling of “Magnetic North” to Finnish footage of a rejected anti-drunk driving television ad from 1986. It was deemed “too fun” to actually be effective. Enjoy:
K-X-P – Easy (Infinity Waits)
K-X-P – Magnetic North
Stream: Taste of Savage – Sean Nicholas Savage Covers ft. Mac Demarco, Doldrums, Majical Cloudz
As a toast to Sean Nicholas Savage, the eccentric pop artist and vital key to Montreal’s continuously growing music scene, Arbutus labelmates and Canadian cohorts have compiled a 17-track compilation covering Savage’s songs. The collection, entitled: Taste of Savage – His Pupils Sing His Music features Doldrums, Majical Cloudz, Mac Demarco, Mozart’s Sister and more – All of our favorites in one!
According to Arbutus, the tracks, “ranging from anthems to obscure gems – are anthologized on this release. As the first act ever to release on Arbutus, a community has developed surrounding Savage, his songwriting, charisma and his social philosophies.
It is a true honour to present such a mix of genre and creative thought – and this is what’s captivating about the compilation. A group of artists brought together not by genre but by circumstance: a shared home, one which Savage represents as a primary character in the Canadian music scene.”
Stream Taste of Savage below, and download all 17 tracks over at Arbutus:
Taste of Savage – His Pupils Sing His Music
More Jizz Jazz! Mac DeMarco 2 is Finally Here… But is it Missing a Certain Something?
FINALLY. Thank you. Mac DeMarco‘s second compilation, Mac DeMarco 2 is here. We can all rejoice in more “jizz jazz” that the eccentric Canadian has unleashed upon us… or can we?
The “proper full length album,” released just six months after his solo debut, portrays DeMarco’s abilities as a singer/song writer more than ever. The LP is full of catchy, slow rock jams crooning about love, loneliness, cigarettes, and “Freaking Out the Neighborhood.” However, the album also seems to be missing a certain je ne sais quoi.
After a thorough listen, I’m left wanting more of DeMarco’s creepy antics, goofy spoofs and overall eccentric playfulness that makes him so intriguing, appealing and the genius behind his self-proclaimed “jizz jazz” jangles. Only at the end of “Ode to Viceroy” do we get a small glimpse of the sleaze he likes to squeeze in. DeMarco’s strengths as a musician are rightfully highlighted, however, in this highly anticipated album, his personality, (which is as prominent as the gap in his front teeth), seems to have been dimmed. Is this a result of backlash from wild live shows, or the pressure to produce as a ‘serious’ musician? The album holds its own, purely as a display of DeMarco’s raw talent, and his irony is still present, however, the A-typical singer-songwriter’s weirdness and downright oddities are surely missed.
Take a listen for yourself and stream Mac DeMarco 2 on Spotify. Here are a few of my personal favs (aside from those you’ve already heard) from the album:
If you want the full Mac DeMarco package, seeing him live will ease this need. This morning, I eagerly jumped to the end of the LP to listen to “Still Together,” as it’s by far one of the most captivating jams DeMarco sings live – it’s also the sweetest of the lot, including a convo between DeMarco and his “kind of woman” that makes you say “awww.”
If you have a chance to catch the goofy crooner live, he’s playing a ridiculous number of shows (9 total) in New York this week as part of the CMJ Music Marathon, then he’s off for a Euro tour. Check out tour dates here. If you’re in NYC, thanks to BrooklynVegan, they’ve done all the work for me in laying it all out:
Captured Tracks has a CMJ showcase at Music Hall of Williamsburg on October 18 with Mac DeMarco, Thieves Like Us, and Dignan Porch. Tickets for that show are still available. Mac DeMarco has other CMJ shows scheduled too, including the Panache showcase at Public Assembly (10/19), the My Social List showcase at the Martin Room in Webster Hall (10/16), the post-CMJ show at Bowery Ballroom (10/21) with Wild Nothing and Merchandise, and the just announced free Hype Machine party at Brooklyn Bowl on October 18 with Hundred Waters (who also play these shows).
Thank God! New Jam/Album from Born Gold – Sky Bicycle
How 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
coco stereo 