Silver Dapple: “Slip Stitch”.

24 Apr 2011 — Henning Lahmann

Kinda wonder what the citizens of Toronto are up to nowadays. Not making music, apparently. While here at NFOP we continue to celebrate the thriving scene over in Montréal (see here, here, here or here, or here indeed) and are quite regularly blessed with splendid submissions from the western parts of Canada, Vancouver in particular, from the country's first city we hear exactly this (prove us wrong, Toronto). Anyway. Honestly, we don't care too much as long as there's that wonderful city on the banks of the Saint-Laurent. This time, it's the four-piece Silver Dapple that has grabbed our attention lately with their purest 90s throwback piece Slip Stitch, featuring pretty pop harmonies and sugary female vocals all gently drenched in reverb and a fog of fuzzed-out guitars, and everything else that makes us happy. Silver Dapple is the first tune from the band's forthcoming LP English Girlfriend, due in September. Silver Dapple - Slip Stitch Read more →

Manganese Madness: “Dame”.

23 Apr 2011 — Henning Lahmann

Pascal, known to these pages as the mastermind behind the criminally overlooked forlorn pop project Birdie Hilltop, recently hit us up with the news of his new endeavor, curiously named Manganese Madness. Though Pascal is kinda right in describing this as being "more in the rock vein", the gorgeous first song Dame nonetheless still is purest dream pop, added shoegazey guitar fuzziness and that heavy bassline notwithstanding. In fact, not a single "rock" gesture is to be found here. Just silent pain again, which is why we love it. Manganese Madness - Dame Read more →

Sea Oleena: “Sister”.

23 Apr 2011 — Henning Lahmann

Thanks to Fabien I've discovered earlier today that Charlotte aka Sea Oleena from Montréal, Quebec has just released another EP via her bandcamp. Sleeplessness is the collection of seven gems of experimental pop, fragile and ethereal pieces that mark another big step ahead for one of the most exciting contemporary female vocalists. Before you download the whole thing here, take a listen to the particularly beautiful and melancholic song Sister below. Sea Oleena - Sister Read more →

Dent Sweat: “More Than A Friend (Less Than A Lover)”.

23 Apr 2011 — Henning Lahmann

Cats Purring member Dent May tweeted the link to this classic, 2008 Dent Sweat track yesterday, and this lush and synthy R'n'B inspired jam completely blew me away this morning. Not a new song, but one that will sure forever sound fresh like on the first day. Dent Sweat: "More Than A Friend (Less Than A Lover) Read more →

Guerre & Ra Calium: “Symmetry”.

22 Apr 2011 — Henning Lahmann

Absent Fever, the lovely and still pretty new netlabel of our dearest Eloise of verb/re/verb and Tyler of Flashlight Tag, put up their latest release today, a split EP by Sydney's Lavurn Lee aka Guerre and St. Louis based beatsmith Anthony Engelhardt aka Ra Calium. The EP's highlight is the collaborative tune Symmetry (the third track of five, splitting the...oh wait, I guess you got it), a wonderfully intimate piece that is, as usually when Lee is involved, completely devastating. The thing gets even more otherworldly pretty in combination with the video that was made by Library Voices. You can download the whole EP over here. Guerre & Ra Calium - Symmetry Read more →

Golden Birthday: “Clairvoyance”.

22 Apr 2011 — Henning Lahmann

Here's another, as yet only roughly mixed cut from Golden Birthday's forthcoming Blue Island LP, due this summer on Rainbow Body Records. Clairvoyance has Chicago artist Ryan Sullivan once again exploring the outer realms of past-infused contemporary synth pop, with an upbeat rhythm contradicting Sullivan's low-voiced, slow burning vocals. Golden Birthday - Clairvoyance Read more →

d’Eon x Hobo Cubes x Gimisum Family.

22 Apr 2011 — Henning Lahmann

Well, now this is something. Gimisum Family's 1994 smash Hit the Blunt and Frank Ouellette aka Hobo Cubes' Stone Pegasus, nicely melted together by, no less, fellow Montréalais d'Eon. Friday morning swag. Stone Pegasus is taken from Hobo Cubes' latest, brilliant cassette Aerial Nocturnes which is out now on Digitalis. In case you've somehow missed the news, d'Eon has a split 12 inch together with NFOP darling Grimes named Darkbloom, already released by Hippos In Tanks together with Arbutus. Oh, and Gimisum Family is no more, we guess. d'Eon - Hit da Blunt x Stone Pegasus Read more →