Cat Power may havegraced our ears with her latest LP, Sun back in September, but today, she’s gifted us with an airy, playful music video for the beautiful, hypnotic and slightly somber track, “Manhattan,” (my personal favorite from Sun).
In a stunning, brisk urban scene, Chan Marshall aka Cat Power is seen traversing and dancing (backwards) through the beautiful NYC cityscape, participating in playful subway antics, and kickin’ it with the people who make NYC so magical.
The video was directed by Greg Hunt and Chan Marshall herself. Enjoy:
Majical Cloudz, the alias behind Montreal-hailing Devon Welsh,recentlyreleased a powerful, somber, yet beautiful electro-based ballad, “Childhood’s End.” The track, Welsh’s strongest one yet, can be found on his upcoming spring release, Impersonator, and follows his impressive 2012, Turns Turns Turns EP, proving that Welsh is indeed a lyrical whiz.
According to Pitchfork, “Welsh says, with this new material, his goal is ‘to communicate a lot with as little as possible.'”
Today, we’re treated with the release of a chilling b&w music video for the “Childhood’s End” directed by Emily Kai Bock (Grimes’s, “Oblivion,” Doldrums’s “She is the Wave” and Grizzly Bear’s, “Yet Again”). Enjoy:
Canadian indie dream-popsters,Young Galaxy are absolutely killin’ it as of late. It seems as if each week they release yet another ridiculously catchy new jam, teasing us in anticipation to hear their forthcoming album, Ultramarine(via Paper Bag Records) due out April 23rd. They’ve blown up the blogosphere charts in the last couple of weeks and, to sweeten the deal, Doldrums and Peaking Lights have remixed of Young Galaxy‘s highly addictive new tracks, “New Summer” and “Pretty Boy.”
Young Galaxy is currently on a Euro tour with the ever-so-hypeular electro trio, CHVRCHES – Catch ’em if you can.
Perfect for a gloomy, sullen Monday, Elvis Depressedly, the alter ego of Mat Cothran (Coma Cinema & Gremlins) has just released a new track, “Pepi/Coke Suicide.” The track can be found on Elvis Depressedly‘s upcoming EP, “Holo Pleasures” due out April 16th via Birdtapes.
If you want insight into the intensity behind Cothran’s chilling, beautiful, raw, and well, depressing Elliott Smith-meets-Conor Oberst sound, there’s an interview with him on Shuffle from 2012. Here, Cothran addresses the inspiration behind the creation of Mickey’s Dead:
“In life there is this wild desire to be emotional. You go through life thinking what you feel means something when it truly doesn’t, but if you don’t let it out it tears you into pieces and makes you useless.”
Elvis Depressedly – Pepsi/Coke Suicide
Elvis Depressedly – Mickey Yr A Fuck Up (from Cutters Only)
I’m not sure if there’s something in the air or water (because surely we can’t be held responsible for our own actions or emotions, right?), but there seems to be this influx of bummer break ups and/or newly announced engagements and babies on-the-way. It’s totally weirding me out. Does this time of year bring out the best/worst of us? Or, is this some sort of corny metaphorical new beginning/shedding of baggage that occurs with Spring?
Regardless and luckily for us, these emotions that seem to be running on an all-time high tend to be the inspiration and hence, creation of some pretty magnificent music. So with that, I present to you a plethora of recently released and highly addicting tracks that just so happen to have luv/hate on the brain:
Still Corners is the moniker of London-hailing indie dream pop duo Greg Hughes and Tessa Murray. They made a minor splash in the blogosphere in 2010/2011 with their sickeningly sweet jams, “Don’t Fall in Love,” and “Cuckoo.” A year after their debut LP, the duo is back with a vengeance in the form of “Berlin Lovers” – The first dreamy, hypnotic single from their forthcoming sophomore album, Strange Pleasures (via Sub Pop) due out this May. Have a listen:
Still Corners – Berlin Lovers
Tyler Gregory Okonma aka Tyler, the Creator, is a 22 year-old LA-based rapper, producer, artwork ‘creator’ and co-founder of the alt hip hop collective Odd Future. He just released an interesting video for “IFHY,” a single found on his forthcoming album, Wolf, due out April 2nd. It’s an “emo” barbie-esque inspired video featuring his luv/hate interest and a snippet of Pharrell. Gorilla vs. Bear posted the video on Facebook this morning and so simply but eloquently stated: “nightmares.” Enjoy:
Tyler, the Creator – IFHY
Oooh damn, funky, sexy, smooth Janet Jackson reworked by Dutch producer, FS Green? Yes thank you! FS Green writes on his SoundCloud, “I started out wanting to sample one of my favorite Janet tracks for a beat, but it ended up in this weird rework where the track is pitched down, while the vocals are pitched up.” So glad it worked in our favor, ‘cus I can’t stop playing this jam:
Janet Jackson – Rock With U (FS Green Rework)
Fol Chen, the 6 member LA-based and self-proclaimed “Opera-House” indie-electro-pop group is back, and they’ve recently released their third album, The False Alarms via Asthmatic Kitty. “I.O.U” is a sexy, playful, bitter-sweet single from the seemingly dance-inducing LP.
Fol Chen – I.O.U
Okay, I’ll admit this gem from Toronto-hailing electro Goddess, Katie Stelmanis (& co.) aka Austra has been floating around for about a month already. But, it’s a beautiful and powerful glimpse into Austra‘s second LP, Olympia, due out June 1st. The group is by far one of my most beloved live bands (remember when Grimes opened for them?!) and their eerie, dark, synthy beats combined with Stelmanis’s magnetic, classically trained opera voice is, as always, all-consuming. Enough said:
Today, I don’t have any plans to stay up until 4 am, drink cheap booze, eat copious amounts of meat or breakfast tacos and race around Austin, TX to watch 2,000+ bands play on a bridge, some steps, in a bar, church, garage, house, backyard, or in a burger joint… it’s weird. SXSW is officially over.
Although the mayhem of a music festival is utterly exhausting, it’s also rejuvenating in the sense that you fully submerge yourself into the deep end of a music-worshiping pool. At SXSW, you’re surrounded by thousands of bloggers, musicians, music industry folk, podcasters, writers, celebrities, and most importantly, but simply, fans. During these 6 whirlwind days, you’re immersed amongst a concentration of people who all share the same love and appreciation for music as equally as you do. It’s refreshing.
The festival exposes you to so many surreal opportunities, chances, music discoveries, and connections that you’d most likely never experience otherwise – It’s a truly magical experience. With that, here are 8 phenomenal highlights from SXSW 2013:
K-X-P
K-X-P at the Karma Lounge + Bob Boilen (Creator and Host of NPR’sAll Songs Considered)
Helsinki’s goth LCD Soundsystem trio, K-X-Pwas absolutely electrifying and their performance was by far my favorite of the SXSW experience. Donning goth gear in the form of black capes and studded leather dresses, K-X-P pulsed long, intensely dark synth and heavy beats throughout the bar at 1 am. I also spotted Bob Boilen from NPR’s All Songs Considered in the room and introduced myself, as I’m a big fan. Quite extraordinarily, Bob mentioned me in his podcast that night, and coco stereo in his SXSW wrap up – Truly an honor! You simply never know who may rock out next to at SXSW!
K-X-P – Melody
Empress Of at the Hype Hotel
12 pm is early by SXSW standards, but it was Empress Of‘s first appearance on the festival circuit and it was well worth the price of a little lost sleep. Empress Of is not only adorable, but possesses a magnetic voice and purges raw, refreshing talent that made her performance appear seamless. Her voice quavered when introducing herself, but she happily bounced along to new electro-pop gems we were all eager to hear, as she currently only dons three. Humble, yet extremely talented, Empress Of stole the hearts and ears of many.
Empress Of – Don’t Tell Me
Mac DeMarco. Photo: Colin Kerrigan
M for Montreal /Arbutus Records Showcase at the Swan Dive
I could write a novel’s worth of blog posts purely about this showcase as I never left, and it was 7 hours long! The lineup included Mac DeMarco, Sean Nicholas Savage, Majical Cloudz, Pat Jordache, Blue Hawaii, Doldrums, and Braids. If it wasn’t already obvious that Montreal is kicking serious ass in the music realm, it should be now.
Though Mac DeMarco, everyone’s favorite goofy crooner/rocker isn’t an Arbutus Records artist, he is from Montreal and a dear friend to these musicians. This was the 3rd time I’d seen DeMarco (who was still wearing the same garbs) at SXSW, and not purposefully, he just seemed to be everywhere. However, this was by far his best performance, as he seemed to be in true bizarro form amongst friends. At one point mid-performance, DeMarco scrambled up a wooden beam and began swinging from the ceiling rafters which throughly pissed off venue owners, yet pleased the crowd to no end.
Mac DeMarco – Ode to Viceroy
Sean Nicholas Savage. Photo: Colleen Corkery
The intriguing, ever-ecclectic and highly talented singer/songwriter Sean Nicholas Savage got on stage with just a keyboard and a microphone. He took his shoes off, swayed his hips, sang his best hits and the audience melted, or maybe that was just me.
Sean Nicholas Savage – Lonely Woman
Blue Hawaii‘sperformance was by for the most surprising and mind-blowing for many. The duo filled the white washed venue with pulsing synth and Raphaelle Standell-Preston’s sweet, melodic, falsetto voice strikingly resembled Grimes. The crowd danced hard, especially Devon of Majical Cloudz who was front and center.
Blue Hawaii – In Two
With a drummer and two keyboard/synth backups, Doldrums ferociously played his hypnotic, experimental electro beats (out of a suitcase), belted lyrics while crowd surfing with ease, and placed a dance inducing spell over the entire audience. Never had I seen such a massive conglomerate of pulsating, jumping and gyrating humans at SXSW. Everyone in the audience completely lost themselves in the music and it was incredible to witness/experience. The energy was at an all-time high.
Doldrums at SXSW 2013. Photo: Colin Kerrigan
Doldrums – Egypt
The most endearing aspect of the showcase, however, was witnessing the camaraderie, support and love each of the Arbutus and/or other Canadian artists showed for each other. I also spotted DeMarco obviously, as well as Born Gold and Mozart’s Sister amongst others. The entire venue was filled to the brim with artists who watched, cheered and danced harder than most to their fellow musicians’ music.
Rhye at the Pitchfork Day Party
I had the guilty pleasure of proving multiple people wrong at the Pitchfork Day Party, by exclaiming “Rhye‘s a guy y’all!” when many were smacked with the realization that Rhye is indeed a man. I mean, his name is Mike Milosh and he owns that dreamy, silky, seductive and sultry voice. Rhye explained that he and his band, including a phenomenal violinist and trombone player, had just flew in from Berlin and were on their 40th hour of being awake. Yet, they still played an astonishing set of what Milosh referred to as sexy “night time music” during broad day light.
Rhye’s a guy! Photo: Trent Maxwell
Rhye – Open
Girls Names at the Flamingo Cantina
Though their faces were quite complacent, Girls Names rocked long and hard, and not an eye could pry away from their quint essential post-punk Brit rock, (they are from Belfast, after all). There wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, crazy, or gasp-worthy necessary to make this a successful set, Girls Names simply provided steady, hefty, refreshing rock n’ roll.
Girls Names – Hypnotic Regression
Ólafur Arnalds at Peckerheads
I was completely unaware of this ambient Icelandic group/producer until my good ol pal, Bob Boilen had suggested the show. The bar, rightfully named Peckerheads, was clamoring with noise from happy drunkards and thumping beats from below, but Ólafur Arnaldsurged people to take a seat and enjoy the beauty he was about to embark upon us. Accompanied by an intense violinist and cello player, Ólafur’s soothing, melodic and beautiful instrumental music quieted the crowd and made people exclaim, “wow.”
Ólafur Arnalds – Only the Winds
View from the Exploded Drawing SXSW Party Boat. Photo: Colleen Corkery
Giraffage on the Exploded Drawing Party Boat
I somehow managed to start day 1 of SXSW, typically the tamest of all, in the most blissful way. A crowd of people piled onto the Exploded Drawing double-decker party boat and we floated down the river into the sunset, all while sipping on cucumber/kale margaritas and dancing to the seriously sweet beats of 10+ DJs. Giraffage, the moniker of San Francisco-hailing producer, Charlie Yin, had the quickest, and most nimble fingers of them all, and he induced everyone to jump up, and all the ladies to get down.
Giraffage – Close 2 Me
Parquet Courts, Merchandise & Destruction Unit on Pedestrian Bridge at 3 am
Granted, this was technically a Chaos in Tejas event put on by BrooklynVegan, but racing to watch indie punk rockers Parquet Courts, Merchandise and Destruction Unit rock hard on a bridge at 3 am seemed so utterly SXSW. The bridge was literally rockin’ while the crowd was rollin’ into each other during a frenzy of excited mosh pits that lasted well into early morning.
Parquet Courts – Stoned and Starving
In the effort to make this wrap up reasonably succinct, out of the 50+ bands I managed to see, other stand out performances included: Baths, DIANA, Autre Ne Veut, Mozart’s Sister, CHVRCHES, Austra, Ryan Hemsworth, and MØ. And while everyone in attendance may be missing SXSW already, it’s never too early to plan for next year. Until next time, adios Tejas!
I’m convinced that great things, especially garage/rock/pop ‘n’ roll, begin with “thee” and Thee Rain Cats fall perfectly into that theory. Caleb Palomo, Miguel Gomez, Nelson Rodriguez and Patrick Palomo who make up Thee Rain Cats are a bunch of OC boys currently residing on the outskirts of Disneyland. They’ve joined the Burger Records family, like to produce insanely addictive dreamy pop “technicolor rock” gems like “Kenyah” and have just released a 7-track EP (on cassette).
Thee Rain Cats are well on their way to indie rocker stardom, as they’ve already shared the stage with Unknown Mortal Orchestra, The Growlers, Sam Flax, The Fresh & Onlys, Colleen Green and more.
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.
Want something to be thoroughly addicted to? Meet: Jackson Scott. He’s a “scrappy indie-pop” 4-track recording, guitar jammin’ singer/songwriter hailing from Asheville, North Carolina. He reminds me of a child-like Elliott Smith meets Mac DeMarco meets Atlas Sound – An amazing trifecta of sound all rolled into one. I also get a hint of Daniel Johnston… maybe it’s the basement home recording and creepy kid piano tones.
When looking for info about Jackson Scott, there’s not much to go off of except a simple Tumblr, containing all of one photo, and a SoundCloud page donning three tracks: “Evie,” “That Awful Sound,” and “Sandy.” According to this post and convo Scott had with PORTALS, we at least know he’s a (kind of ) a college student: “Ihaven’t been going to college since last spring because my parents wanted me to take a year off and work and get in state residence in NC, but I’ve basically been spending my college funds on avoiding getting a job, thinking about music, writing songs and other things…” Either way, he’s also apparently already made it into Pitchfork’s “best new music” section within a flash – Impressive, but it’s easy to hear why:
Last week, Arthur Ashin aka Autre Ne Veut, the 80s/90s R&B electro ‘bedroom’ artist and Brooklynite, released hishighly anticipated album, Anxiety.
This week, we’re graced with the premiere of Autre Ne Veut’s sexy new music video for “Play by Play,” the opening track on Anxiety. The video, produced by Urban Outfitters and directed by Geremy Jasper and Georgie Greville of LEGS, features an emotionally charged Ashin belting lyrics like, “You make me crawl/and make me harder” amongst a meta of karaoke videos. It’s trippy, lustful, moving and totally intense – Enough to make you wanna watch it on repeat 10x, then take a cold shower.
Watch the brand spankin’ new music video for “Play by Play” below and while you’re at it, stream Anxietyon Spotify. Also, make sure to catch Autre Ne Veut while he’s on tour now with Majical Cloudz.
Cat Power may have graced our ears with her latest LP, Sun back in September, but today, she’s gifted us with an airy, playful music video for the beautiful, hypnotic and slightly somber track, “Manhattan,” (my personal favorite from Sun).
coco stereo 