This crazy Spanish band have been seriously entertaining my ears with this track, Koñoko. The progressive psyadelic and flamenco style of it sounds as though it should be in a Tarantino film. I love how this track starts and finishes as something else. It’s Asia meets the Wild West. Don’t be urged to stop listening before you reach halfway as that’s where it really starts to kick off.
As the sun finally beats down on England and the days reach their longest of the year it’s high time we had some music to go with the weather and Damien Beebe, or Day as he is better known, delivers with one of the freshest and summeriest records of the year.
Land of 1000 Chances is a wonderful collection of instrumentals crammed with catchy melodies and soulful vocal samples effortlessly blending jazz and downtempo grooves to give that classic hip-hop vibe. It’s cut and paste nature moves it along at a steady pace, shifting continuously but never out of character, diverse yes but also tastefully mixed.
The idea for all of this was to go back to my roots and encapsulate the last few years of what was going on in my life. I needed to get away from the clean, over-produced music I was making that had slowly put me in a creative corner cover the last 5 years. I was stuck. It’s not in me to make electronic music (I suck at it to be honest) and I didn’t want to re-hash the cut and paste stuff I had done before, so what the fuck do I do now? I go back. Back to the first album I ever made in a bedroom in Palm Springs with an EPS, my cousins drum kit and some records. I had to get back to where I came from in order to harness where I was now. Fuck layering and smothering songs to oblivion. These needed to breathe. Keep it intentionally sparse and simple. It had to be about creating a vibe and sticking to it. Not throwing in a random dance cut or having it cluttered with guests. It had to be honest and real. Somewhere along the way, I ended up drinking way too much, traveling and hanging out way too much and on the precipice of divorce. They say write what you know, so I did. - Day
It may not be that adventurous, nor entirely unique, but it’s undoubtedly well crafted and that’s all we ask for in a record like this. Suitable for driving with the windows down soaking up those summer vibes, or laying on a warm beach with a beer this record suits the sunny season no end.
Grab Land of 1000 Chances over on Day’s bandcamp page.
So after a whole month of not posting anything, it seemed like the right time to to compile one of my mixtapes. I’ve tried to keep it quite current, however I couldn’t help from posting some stuff from the last couple of years that may have gone unnoticed – or at least I completely missed until now. So without further ado, let’s kick off with Francois and the Atlas Mountains. Continue reading
Here’s something fun to do as the day winds down. Light Light have a new interactive music video which has been designed by a company based in Amsterdam called Moniker.
It’s a great idea, and the song’s very nice too.
Get involved:
http://donottouch.org/
I’ve had this track on repeat for a while; the low-fi riffs and the harmonic vocals are addictive. The David Nelligan Thing is a band from Cork, Ireland. Lead songwriter and multi-instrumentalist David Nelligan released his first solo album, Junk From a Past Life, in August 2009. He followed this up with a new album, Everything Matters, in 2010.
The David Nelligan Thing are set to release their new album, Dark Matters on April 24th, and have being producing a music video for the new tracks each week in the lead up to its release. There’s something silly and very enjoyable about his DIY style music videos, they’ve managed to draw a small cult following. The video for Comfort Zone is humourous in the sense that it’s somewhat ‘uncomfortable’ to watch due to his dead-pan stare at the camera. Check it out here.
The simplistic nature of this track reminds me of a song called Golden Palms by Bronson (formally known as HORSES). I highly recommend you give it a listen, it’s a unique sound coming from Ireland and I wish them the best of luck with their new album.
The start of this track sounds like something from a Julianna Barwick album, however this is the work of R. Thomasin, a new artist who crafts catchy and ethereal songs from dreampop, shoegaze, and electronic influences. She comes from Boston, USA and has just released her first full-length album on Bandcamp where her earlier “Framed EP” is also available as a free download. Have a listen to Laurels here. Definitely one for the midnight driving playlist.
I’ve been dabbling in the seedy 80′s neon criminal underworld of Dennaton Games’ superb top down, 2D, PC killathon Hotline Miami for the last couple of weeks and along with being essentially the playable version of the motel/lift scene from Drive, it also has a killer soundtrack that’s more than a nod to Nicolas Winding Refns slick thriller. There are more than a few artists involved with the soundtrack including a wide range of styles and genres, however the title track from Jasper Byrne is one of the best. The Hotline Miami EP is, although sadly a little on the short side, a fantastic slice of electro with deep bass and 80′s style synths that moves between sounding upbeat and almost positive to menacing and grimy. Check it out! Definitely for fans of the 80′s revival we’ve been hearing the last couple of years.
Having just released their new album, Santah have a knack for producing music you want to listen to. Feel-good harmonic progressions accompanied by charming vocals produce a somewhat nostalgic classic rock sound, similar to that of Creedence Clearwater Revival.
Since the success of their first album, White Noise Bed (2011), they’ve just released a new album titled, You’re Still A Lover. The 5 track album is a melody of dreamy love songs each with their own heart. The band are from Chicago and have so far only been touring in the states, but I’ve got a good feeling they’ll be making their way over the pond next year.
Midnight Sun – Isaac Delusion
“Isaac Delusion is about two multidisciplinary artists continually exploring new musical landscapes”. This is where techno and folk meet and produce super cool riffs complimented by smooth non obtrusive vocals. It’s going to take a while before I get bored of this track. Their EP Midnight Sun was released this year, and will be closely followed by their second, Early Morning which is soon to be released.
Alone - Trampled By Turtles
Trampled By Turtles are set to release their 6th album in November called Stars and Satellites. With their highly successful track record in the Bluegrass scene there’s no doubt it’ll be a hit. Following the formulas of traditional folk and fiddle songs, and using a wide range of instruments their sound is timeless and full of soul.
Tomorrow – Future Islands
This artist has quickly become one of my favorites; I could imagine them being a product of David Lynch. I like to think Sam Herring’s voice is a mixture of Tom Waits and Cat Stevens. The band have very recently released a 7″ single, after their successful album, On The Water (2012). The deep repetitive beats and synthy swirls – not to mention Sam’s scream-like roar half way through makes this song as wonderfully weird as the rest of their stuff.
Old Friend – Sea Wolf
Alex Church has been recording under the name Sea Wolf since 2003, and has been successfully pioneering the solo project since. He has a new album that’s yet to be released called Old World Romance and is currently on tour in the states. This track, Our Friend, is a sneak peak of what’s to come from the new album – and it’s very exciting.
Black & White Mountains – Snowblink
Daniela Gesundheit AKA Snowblink has an extremely listenable voice. It’s the simplicity of this track that had me hooked. Delicate layers of beats and synths overlaid with vocals which sound a bit like Amiee Mann make it so enjoyable.
Can’t Get Enough - The Sweet Serenades
I love the voice at the beginning of this song, it sounds like a burp. A band that’s descibed as, “Hip swaying, knee twisting, & finger snapping goodness”, this is a good wake up and walk to work track. The Swedish band’s manifesto of creating ‘unpretentious pop songs that make you feel cool’, doesn’t let you down here.
These Days (Jackson Browne) – Pandit
Pop tunes infused with ambient and experimental texture, Pandit is the work of Lance Smith. I haven’t heard a bad song from this guy, and considering These Days is one of my favorite songs, Pandit’s cover is spot on. He has a new EP coming out at the end of the month, so keep an eye out for that.
Hang on to Me (Daytrotter) - The Wooden Sky
I’m a huge fan of the Daytrotter Sessions, they often bring out better, more heartfelt sounding recordings than the originals. This is definitely the case with this Wooden Sky track. Taken from their latest album, Every Child a Daughter, Every Moon a Sun (2012), Hang on to Me is just one of the many great tracks from the album.
Jitter – Dakotafish
Their synth-pop beats have a similar sound to Pheonix. This track is taken from the 2011 album, Many Moons. It’s a good track to stick on as a party winds down and the sun rises.
Miracle (Ghost Beach Cover) – TRAILS AND WAYS
Here’s something different; Brazilian shoegaze. I actually prefer this version of the track to the original Ghost Beach track. Covers can often come off as sounding like the original with less instruments and slightly awkward vocals, but when a band gets it right – it can transform a song into their own which is exactly what they’ve done.
New Theory – Washed Out
Since 2009, Ernest Greene’s project has received a constant stream of positive reviews. This track, New Theory comes from his first EP, Life of Leisure which launched him. 2011 saw the release of Within and Without, his first full length album which received startling reviews all round.Utah - All Human
This is a random Bandcamp find, with similar vibes to Imaginary Johnny, this is an easy song to get into. He’s currently touring the states with his new album, Catholic Guilt or the Queerest of Thoughts.
Wally Wilder - Delicate Steve
Steve Marion has flooded blogs recently with Positive Force. His music sounds as though he wrote lyrics and then decided the guitar should sing them. It’s cocktail of Ratatat and Animal Collective.
Golden Palms – HORSES / Bronson
Short and sweet, this track encompasses all that’s great about low-fi songwriting. Although it seems Patrick Ebermann’s project HORSES has evaporated. Now appearing under the name Bronson, the album Paper Tusk was released in 2011 and Golden Palms on this is different to the original – a bit overworked in my opinion. Here’s the original.
Little Dreamer (Future Islands Cover) – Doe Paoro
This one’s a grower, resist yourself from skipping it before the first minute. The sparse piano and seldom drums slowly intwine themselves into a beautiful melody which Doe Paoro sings through. The original song naturally has unusual vocals from Sam Herring, and so this Kate Bush sounding twist fits perfectly.
Says Elliott – Sibylle Baier
Sibylle Baier is a German folk singer, she sounds like a sad Nico – and I mean that in the nicest possible way. I love this song, its intimate sound makes you hang on every word. She’s quite a mysterious person, the homepage of her website reads:
I (her son Robby) set this site up for my mother…Sibylle will most likely never see this site. She is really quite perplexed by all the attention that her album “Colour Green” has gotten. My father keeps telling her about all the pages and articles that are out there, but she, though smitten, prefers to hear about her accolades through the eyes and ears of her family. The web makes her dizzy, I think.
A new artist named Yuno is making his first record and is in need of some help. He’s recording it all in his bedroom, and although he’s reached his $2000 goal, every other dime goes into new equipment and ultimately supporting his career as an artist.
Click here to go to his Kickstarter page where you can donate however much you wish, and in return have some goodies sent your way. Why donate? I admit, I don’t often support these projects, however I heard Yuno’s track Sunlight randomly on a blog and was instantly drawn to his sound. Formally known as, Unouomedude, Yuno’s dream pop song Sunlight will surely have you tapping your foot and singing along….and hopefully handing over your card details. Best of luck to him.
