TEASER. M83

While the buzz builds towards the release of an 'epic, dreamy, powerful and intense' new album - that according to Anthony Gonzalez it'll have the project going back to the sounds of 2005's album Before the Dawn Heals Us - a little video was released last Thursday with a small sample of sounds.
There's not much to talk about the music itself, but the video... oh the video... it's a fantastic collage of images filled with the M83 aesthetic of observation, big cities and nature...

NEW delay trees. all black left

'All Black Left ' is the new track for Finland's most cinematic band and it'll be part of an ep coming out later this summer as a free download. The ep is called 'Before I Go Go EP' and features 5 songs recorded during a weekend in May. (It'll have a limited cassette edition also)
'All Black Left' is a "spiritualized and gospel influenced song" (and beautiful, as usual).
  All Black Left by Delay Trees

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gold-bears. interview #44

When I first listened to Gold-Bears I had no information about the band. With fuzzy guitars, heartfelt lyrics and a lo-fi feeling, I immediately placed their music somewhere between the late 80's and early 90's. Well, maybe the fact that the song I was listening is called 'Record Store' also helped.
But this 4 piece band coming from Atlanta is quite new and released their debut album 'Are You Falling In Love?' last month via Slumberland Records. I can't think of a better label to release them, since their music resembles a lot of the seminal bands Slumberland released during its first years.
Maybe comparisons with The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart are almost inevitable, but Gold-Bears' music walks into a rawer path; an early 90's indie rock path that's nostalgic of punk and C86 aesthetic.
The album is a shimmering tale about love and 'Are You Falling In Love?' - as you'll read on our interview, works more as a self referential, metalinguistic question than anything else.
'Record Store' (album opener and first single) is definitely the song that soon will have kids shouting along in big festivals across the world.
Enjoy Gold-Bears, pretty sure you will fall in love (sorry, I had to make this crappy joke).
  Gold-Bears - Record Store by Slumberland Records


Our interview is with Jeremy, Erich and Santiago. We talked about how it all started... recording sessions after busy workdays... proud DIY sense... bits and pieces of sound coming from all over and more.

come rain, come sunshine

Pallers ~ Come Rain, Come Sunshine (single) (Labrador, 2011)

Apart from The Legends, The Acid House Kings and Club 8, Johan Angergård also makes "dance music for the lazy, the blazers and for the slightly depressed" with Henrik Mårtenson.
Back in 2008, Humdrum ep gave to the world a first taste of the electronic laziness from the duo, leaving a good impression and listeners around the world wanting more. It's almost common knowledge that Johan seems to be a master when the subject is the creation of infectious pop songs (it doesn't matter if using beats or drilling guitars).
Last year, the single 'The Kiss' was released casting some happy glows on their sound.
And now, with their debut album 'The Sea Of Memories' being released next September, 27th, 'Come Rain, Come Sunshine' comes out as the first single.

Spinner premiered the single yesterday with some words from Johan:
"This is the first song we ever wrote and one of the last we finished for the album.It's possibly a bit more pop than our average song... It's starts off rather mysteriously and then keeps building to a massive chorus and on to a electro-percussive jam.
The lyrical theme starts by wondering if we'd choose to live again if we had the chance...'

Just adding, the song is beautiful: dreamy, trippy and dizzy.




Come Rain, Come Sunshine


download




You can also download their previous singles:
Humdrum (from Humdrum ep, 2008)
The Kiss (single, 2010)









bekurov features chaotisch und charmant

Just gave an interview to bekurov.com, a russian site specialized in art, design, sports, fashion and music.
Such things as who am I, why am I here, why this blog exists and what's gonna happen to mainstream journalism are among the topics. 
Read it here.

holograms

Founds ~ Holograms (single) (Independent, 2011)

Rich sounds are coming from Brisbane, Australia. Founds is a six piece band and they have just released they're second song.
'Holograms' is dreamy (as in dream pop) with a raw and 'from-the-guts' energy.
I love songs that have a progression and add little by little instruments and /or intensity. 'Holograms' has hypnotic guitar lines, fast (almost tribal) drums and strong - yet tender - girl vocals. In fact, if this song was sang a capella would be as great as the original version.
When's the full lenght coming out?




to the night

Earth First ~ To The Night (Independent, 2010)

Song of the weekend (or the end of it). A gem that could've been the 100th single from Sarah Records. A song screaming The Field Mice, Brighter, Blueboy and all those melancholic acts from the 80's... strumming guitars, synths and a mellow whispered voice. What more can you ask?
Earth First is the project of Brian Castriota, a musician based in Brooklyn that played cello with Help Stamp Out Loneliness and Korallreven.
Unfortunately, this bedroom project only has two songs: 'To the Night' and an equally beautiful unfinished instrumental demo (that you can listen here).






01. To The Night





code pie. interview #43

Whenever I listen to bands like Code Pie, I get myself thinking about what it takes for a band to reach massive success... I'm aware that some bands don't have this goal - and I simply adore that - but really, what does it take?
Code Pie completes a decade in 2012 having released three absolutely stunning albums and you, indie lover, probably don't know that. I'll focus my words on their latest album 'Love Meets Rage', released last April on their own label, Flagless Records.
This album was built during a period of two years and it's a complex, profound and intricate combination of (love and rage) layers of crafting and feelings, going from C86 sappy pop and reaching powerful ballads (but not before passing through some shoegaze and reverberations). All put together, in one song, managing to give you a feeling that everything's in its right place, tempo and rhythm. Beneath the noise of reverberations or distorted guitars, there's a beautiful and delicate piano. When the noise is gone, there's this dreamy and dense horn/trumpet carrying a song like a cloud over the city. Just like that:  without any visible (or listenable) effort.
Take 'North Side City View', for instance: a 4 minute song that starts very pop-ish and suddenly turns into an instrumental-almost-ambient song that slowly builds up into a crescendo and takes you along, you wanting or not... the same happens in 'Morning After'.
What makes Code Pie stand out from other bands from the (amazing) Canadian scene, is their ability to keep an aesthetic unity and, at the same time, not holding back when building the tension for their musical combinations (again, love and rage).
Here's to you your new favourite Canadian band.

Before the interview, check an awesome video and cover for 'Baby', a song from fellow Canadian singer  Justin Bieber.


n33t!

The Dualies ~ n33t! ep (Independent, 2010)

Vivian, Chino, Ira and Devin are an electropop group from San Francisco. They got together while in high school to have some fun playing Weezer covers (after listening to their music I'm very curious to hear how those covers sounded). Now they have gone all the way to electronicland populated by 8-bit, 80's synths and reverbs. Vivian's voice is soothing while the melodies are an invite to dance (or be in the passenger seat during a drive on a highway close to the sea (sunny day is a plus)).
The beautiful 'When You Are Near' stands out as an infectious electromance tune...

You can get the ep on their bandcamp... their next release is set to be out next month (also as a free download).




01. You Don't Know My Name
02. Unrequited
03. When You Are Near




download









(Also, download 'In My Sleep', a single released last Christmas...)

VIDEO la estrella de david. un último esfuerzo

La Estrella de David ~ Un Último Esfuerzo (2011)

David Rodríguez is the musician I admire the most when the subject is spanish music. Actually, he is part of my 'Spanish Trinity' formed also by La Bien Querida and Joe Crepúsculo. The coincidence is that they tend to work together... David plays with and produces La Bien Querida's albums and has a project with Joe Crepúsculo called Junco y Diamante. They're all from Barcelona.
I first heard his music back in 2005 or 2006, when someone sent me a few songs from him... it was pretty demo-ish, lo fi... but I was completely addicted to it. In January, 2007 I went to an eurotrip with Fernanda and Leonardo (my roomates) and while in Barcelona, the only thing I'd listened to while strolling around the city was his music (specially 'La Chica Más Guapa de España').
Then in 2007, he released his debut album and it was a glorious album, to say the least, even though nobody paid attention to it.
Now there's 'Maracaibo', his new album, released by Canada. 13 songs with the signature of David, putting together hints of traditional music, indiepop, distorted guitars and lyrics filled with an infectious romanticism.
This is music that touches you deep, whether by its melodies and/or lyrics. In case you need a reason to start speaking spanish, here's one...
You can listen the album on Spotify...
... and watch the video of the first single 'Un Último Esfuerzo', starring David, La Bien Querida, Joe Crepúsculo and Jordi Irizar paying an homage to The Jesus and Mary Chain.



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stray kites. interview #42

Acoustic instruments and no fears of experimenting. That's what Max (Detrich) and Junior (Roseboro) are making in Ashburn, Virginia, USA.
At a first listen - specially if you start with the single 'Misanthrope' - you get a raw, lo fi and folk feeling (and DIY to the core). 'Primal folk' is how they define their music. But it's not only that...
Their music has strength, heart and concept. And they deal with pretty deep subjects like philosophy and sociology. That might keep one feeling that Stray Kites' music is pretentious. I think the right adjective would be 'bold'. If someone senses a pretentious feeling, I think is due to the fact that their not afraid - as I said before - of experimenting and pushing their musical limits. In my opinion, though, this pretentious feeling is false.
Don't assume this is music to be listened with an 'academic attention'. Music is, after all, made to be enjoyed.
They have an album released last year called 'One Day, Earth Time' and two singles released this year (the already mentioned) 'Misanthrope' and 'All Is Well'. You can find everything available for download on their bandcamp. Later this year, they'll release their second album, 'Mieux'.
This is music that you might like or hate at first listen. Still, it's worth to take check it out for its fresh and original feeling.

"Our music is filled with milk and peanut butter and gluten and pollen and dander and bee stings and a lot of people are allergic to it".



In our interview we talked about DIY, islands with endless lunar eclipses, a place in the woods called Screaming Forest Cove, stealing music and more... 


home / bay

Pinemarten ~ Home ep (Independent, 2011)

Pinemarten is a very cute animal from the family of minks and weasels but it's also the joyful, chill ambient-ish project of a (mysterious) producer from Derbyshire, England.
'Home' and 'Bay' were released last April. Both feature calm and pretty relaxing electronics. The kind you put on to simply let your mind free to wander through... well, you. With the bonus that every now and then you can lazily move your body and it won't feel awkward.

BAY

01. Cuppa Soup
02. Not Fair
03. All to Myself









HOME

01.  Tea & Toast
02. Never Far Away
03. Going Home









Pinemarten has made remixes for Sun Glitters and Museum of Bellas Artes. You can find both on his soundcloud page. 
Apart from original songs and remixes, he has two covers: Carly Simon's 'Why' and the awesome take on Madonna's 'True Blue'.
 

our future

Sameblod ~ Our Future EP (Independent, 2011)


Two young boys on their early twenties dive deep into luscious 80’s melodies and synths to create an ep called Our Future, featuring 5 tracks of chillwave/dreamwave  filled with affecting emotion.
Vintage sounds aimed to the future (our future?)… the songs are heavily romantic – thanks whispered and reverberated vocal – and are just waiting to take indiekids from the dancefloor to a dreamed balearic heaven.
Beautiful songs, strong personality and one of the best things I’ve heard in electronic fields this year.






01. Feel My Breath
02. Kick It Out
03. Cut the Rope
04. Talk Shit
05. Sun Says



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looking glass + vio/miré. interview #41

Our first split interview features
1. Looking Glass, from London (the solo project of Jim Wallis from the awesome My Sad Captains, where he plays drums);
2. and Vio/Miré is Brendan Glasson, from Providence, Rhode Island.
Jim is no stranger to our blog since I've interviewed My Sad Captains and also wrote an article about his ep The First Real Target, released in August, 2010.
Brendan already has two albums released - March 2007 and January 2009 - the last, produced by Alex from Jónsi & Alex.

This release - which is out through Tip Top Recordings, a small independent label based in London - features 4 songs with a calm, intimate, almost idyllic approach to music. And both are successful when the task is to build a subtle, yet emotional, atmosphere. Don't know if this is a musical genre but each artist, in its own way, give us a very compelling slice of modern urban folk.

01. Where does the name of your band come from? What’s the aesthetics of your music?
LOOKING GLASS: I had been making solo recordings for years, without really playing them to anyone, and without giving it a name. It wasn’t until I put some music online that I decided that Jim Wallis sounded more like a plumber, less like a musician. So I used the name Looking Glass. It didn’t come from anywhere specific- I liked the sound of it, and the idea of reflection, and that was enough really.
The music uses the familiar sounds of alternative indie, indie-folk, Americana, whatever you want to call it- but both in the song itself and in the recording and arrangement, I try to do something to make it idiosyncratic and give it its own feel. I think recording and playing the music mostly myself helps make it something that is both familiar yet individual-sounding at the same time.
VIO/MIRÉ: "Vio/Miré" is pretty much meaningless in any kind of genuine linguistic sense. The words come from the Spanish ver (to see) and mirar (to look).
In the music I make I am interested in repetition and restraint. I'm interested in unifying distinct musical phrases and driving a wedge between those that are closely related. I'm often told that my songs put listeners into a kind of meditative or hypnotic state, and this satisfies me greatly.