Here's a fresh and exclusive cut from the latest Solid Melts glory, the just released split between two Chicago-based artists, Famous Laughs and Sea Priest. While Ars Brevis, the other Sea Priest track that's been made public so far, is a pretty gloomy, dark wave-inspired synth business, the beautiful Deadalus starts by taking things to melancholic, almost folky realms, with slow-burning acoustic guitar harmonies and only very subtle synth incursions, before the whole track gently drowns in washes of distortion to end up with an almost shoegaze-y feel. A prettly little piece of dream pop all along.
Order the limited C29 tape over here.
Sea Priest - DeadalusRead more →
In a recent, very illuminating interview with The Quietus, Robert Tubb of the Brighton and London-based trio Standard Planets uttered that "bad music that's heard by a lot of people is a failure, but good music that's heard by no-one also fails". In light of this rather wise statement, we're delighted to be able to help the young band's already quite astonishing oeuvre, one that's made up of a delicate blend of kraut, post-punk and contemporary electronics, to be heard by more people cause bluntly, ...and so Those Girls of Summer Died indeed is good music.
The group's debut full-length Providers Of Utopian Energy will be out sometime this year. While you're waiting, go here to listen to more amazing tunes by Standard Planets.
(Photo)
Standard Planets - ...and so Those Girls of Summer DiedRead more →
We are happy to present the upcoming tour by Germany's most exciting contemporary progressive/psychedelic folk export Datashock, that certain ten-plus collective which is usually based in the deepest southwestern realms but that's now set to enchant the rest of the country (and Holland) in September. Expect the group to unleash their massive drones and sweeping kraut compositions at your local venue, and to witness explorations in sonic flamboyance that we're sure you haven't encountered in quite a while.
Take an exclusive listen to Die Pyramiden von Gießen below, the title track from Datashock's immensely captivating double LP masterpiece that's been dropped by Dekoder this April and that subsequently received well-deserved rave reviews from alloverthe place.
09/02 Cologne - Klubgenau
09/03 Zweibrücken - Kunstzwergfestival 2011
09/04 Stuttgart - FFSU
09/05 Amsterdam - OCCII
09/06 The Hague - TBA
09/07 Essen - Emokeller
09/08 Bielefeld - AJZ
09/09 Berlin - Bei Roy
09/10 Bremen - Friese
09/11 Hamburg - Rote Flora
Go here for further info.
Datashock - Die Pyramiden von GießenPreviously:Datashock - Kanal Telemedial EnergieausgleichRead more →
Nice and easy, wonderfully lush summer jam by Brooklyn-based outfit Mainland that does indeed evoke quite a few sundrenched feelings, despite its title and the mild ranting about beach bands and other things that usually delight us during the happy season. Of course, most responsible for this ostensibly adversary outcome is this distinctly hazy video by Ian McClerin and the adorable longing in singer Jordan Topf's voice that makes the whole song strangely smell like a warm sea breeze, ice cream, and suntan lotion.
Summer Sick is the first single from Mainland's forthcoming EP.
Mainland - Summer SickRead more →
Here's another track from Inga Copeland's killer 12 inch that's been released as a white label via Amsterdam-based imprint Rushhour recently. U Gotta Respect Yrself Before I Can is the shortest and only instrumental piece on the four-track EP, but its briefness notwithstanding, which in a way makes it seem like a mere interlude, it's still tighter (or as you may prefer: poppier) than most of the stuff Inga has been doing with Hype Williams this year.
The EP is (as yet) not available digitally, and the vinyl appears to be sold out already at most bigger retailers, though it might still be on stock here or directly at Rushhour, and seriously you should do whatever it takes to get your hands on one of these tremendous beauties. A highly recommended record all along.
Inga Copeland - U Gotta Respect Yrself Before I Can
Click on the links below to stream excerpts of the two other tracks, Damaged and Notitle, courtesy of Chemical Records, and revisit opener Trample, one of our favorite tunes of the year so far:
Inga Copeland - Damaged (Excerpt)Inga Copeland - Notitle (Excerpt)
Previously:
Inga Copeland - TrampleRead more →
Our dearest friend Teen Daze stopped by at the Daytrotter Studios yesterday to deliver this utterly beautiful, stripped-down acoustic set that once again shows Jon's ability to write perfectly fragile little gems of sadness. Stream/download the whole session over here.
Teen Daze - ViolenceRead more →
The fine folks over at San Francisco's Empty Cellar Records recently sent over the forthcoming LP by Magic Trick, which is a solo project by Tim Cohen of the mighty psych-pop supergroup The Fresh & Onlys (who, as previously reported, really entertained us in Barcelona this past May). The Glad Birth of Love is a superb record, being a proper full-length despite featuring merely four tracks, with below posted Daylight Moon being by far the shortest, its rather expansive length of seven and a half minutes notwithstanding. All other songs easily exceed the ten minute mark while still remaining surprisingly tight compositions. Wide-spreading arrangements somewhere between free folk and outright psychedelia, the record is yet another proof of Cohen's immeasurable knack for writing ravishingly sun-embracing, decades-spanning and distinctly Californian pop masterpieces.
The Glad Birth of Love will be released August 23 and is up for pre-order here.
Magic Trick - Daylight MoonRead more →
The fine folks at MJ MJ Records gave us a heads-up the other day about this stop motion short film that was assembled over the course of no less 150 hours in a grim Wisconsin winter by Kaleb Dorucher and Michelle Chrzanowski of the wearefriends collective. It's a beautifully emotive and contemplating little motion picture, perfectly accompanied by an original score made by Andy Todryk aka Vacation Dad. In fact, the piece was actually based on Andy's music (and not the other way round as one might guess), as the two artists had initially asked him to provide some ambient soundscapes as an inspirational starting point. Get lost in the melancholic yet heartwarming result below.
Read more →
In a recent, very illuminating interview with The Quietus, Robert Tubb of the Brighton and London-based trio Standard Planets uttered that "bad music that's heard by a lot of people is a failure, but good music that's heard by no-one also fails". In light of this rather wise statement, we're delighted to be able to help the young band's already quite astonishing oeuvre, one that's made up of a delicate blend of kraut, post-punk and contemporary electronics, to be heard by more people cause bluntly, ...and so Those Girls of Summer Died indeed is good music.
The group's debut full-length Providers Of Utopian Energy will be out sometime this year. While you're waiting, go here to listen to more amazing tunes by Standard Planets.
(Photo)
Standard Planets - ...and so Those Girls of Summer Died
Read more →
