Remember Greatest Hits? Yes, we're talking about those Greatest Hits, the deranged post-urban proto funk project by Brooklyn transplants Zak Mering and Tyler Thacker, whose mad and infinitely crowd-pleasing material never received a proper LP treatment, despite acclaim from pretty mucheverywhere, or at least alltherelevantinstitutions. For reasons unknown to us, the duo's debut album got 'lost' last year, but now Zak and Tyler decided to eventually drop it for free for the world to listen and marvel. Breakdown includes some cuts already familiar to those who followed Brooklyn's surge of insane pop magic from a few years back, tunes like "Funky Dame" or the already classic MTA anthem "L Train Girl", but most tracks still sound so fresh they'll make you want to party like it's, well, 2010. I guess. The album features contributions by Sam Mehran's Outer Limitz, Samantha Urbani of Friends, Chrome Canyon, and Ryan Howe of Punks on Mars, among others. On top of all that, and to make up for the wait, Greatest Hits have collaborated with a bunch of filmmakers to produce a visual accompaniment for every single track of the album, to be unveiled over the next weeks. Below, you may enjoy the first two. "In the Jungle" was directed by Micah Welner, while "Fun Girls" was made by Chris Slater. Get ready.
I fell in love with Norwegian Arms' 2012 album Wolf Like a Stray Dog, their unique, freak folk expression so progressive and appealing. The band is back with a live session video recorded at Brighton Sound Studio. "The Iceman", a retooled, bolder version of the track as it appears on their 2009 EP Louise, maintains the off-kilter cadences and strange tones that make Norwegian Arms a refreshing listen. At the 5:00 mark they smoothly transition into "Kiva Ikva" off of their last album. The video lends a nice visualization of the energy and tension in their music for anyone unable to catch them live.
Welcome to another edition of Video Sunday, this time finally back on Sunday, and with an extra-special selection with awesome visual cuts by Woman's Hour, Joanna Newsom (for LA-based clothing label Wren), Banks, Fryars, Mister Lies, and Rare Times. Start with the brand new video for "Broken Bridge" by Gainesville, Florida's Peace Arrow, the new project by Hear Hums member Mitch Myers.
Peace Arrow - Broken Bridge
Woman's Hour - To the End (Directed by Oliver Chanarin and Laurence Hamburger; performed by Siphiwe Mosoang and Xolani Nxumalo)
Wildarms' “Twice”, from the producer's recently released Clear Eyes EP, is a joyfully breezy piece of tropical electric-pop. In Blue Hawaii’s hands, however, “Twice” turns into something at once chillier and more riveting, better suited for the late-night dance floor than for relaxing by the beach. And yet, this “Agoracid” remix of “Twice” still feels oddly primed for the same island-setting that Wildarms’ original inhabits, albeit a 5-am, seaside rave one. Now almost unrecognizable from its original incarnation, Blue Hawaii’s rework is a total jam, pairing chopped-up ghostly vocals with a slow-building, minimal beat.
Stream and download “Twice (Blue Hawaii Agoracid Remix)” below. Wildarms' Clear Eyes is available from Cascine.
I admit I had totally forgotten about Leopard of Honour until I saw his new song on Pitchfork this week. So I listened to "Good Wives" again, the song along with "Palais Royal-Blue" that was freaked out about back in 2011 mainly thanks to Transparent's persuasive backing. And once more, Leopard of Honour aka Manchester's David Roocroft is staring a ruckus. It has the genius, slinging discus’ left and right ping before the femme fatale enters. Actually a good companion to Sophie's "Nothing More to Say", "Visions of Garuda" also clops and double claps. I just want an album full of this stuff, heck I’d even take an EP of this.
Kisses continue to roll out more from their Kids in LA album. Similar to Summer Camp in their embrace of an America gone by, "Huddle" sounds like the work of two people, something duos all too often don’t accomplish. The guitar ticking and getting caught in the knots of itself like guitars do in songs by The xx, the synths finger-pricking along the perimeter and during the chorus, bumping into the ground.
Kids in LA will be in our hands and ears May 14 thanks to Cascine and Splendour, just in time for all those delightful summer moments.
As the band’s name has always suggested, Benny Boeldt’s Baltimore-based project Adventure has traversed a lot of distance. Beginning with the Nintendo-infused pop of his self-titled debut, then abandoning it almost entirely for his 2011 follow-up, Lesser Known, Boeldt’s musical exploration has pushed his take on electronics far past either of the previous albums by, oddly enough, landing somewhere directly between them.
The colorful 8-bit arpeggios climb over Aphex Twin-style drum glitches as the Lesser Known focus on songcraft has been replaced with a club vibe. But rather than relying on the slow, minimal build-ups of repetitive dance music to carry the album, each song transforms through its own unique pop structure. Considering the variety of tracks on Weird Work, which range from dance-floor thumpers like "Laser Blast" and "Nervous", to the distorted noise explorations of tracks like "Reality Shift", it’s hard to categorize the album one way or the other. That’s saying a lot for Boeldt’s depth, who, admittedly, built his first two albums around only one or two tricks at a time. In anticipation of the album and to give you a rough idea of what to expect stylistically, listen below to a mini mix put together by the artist, featuring all new and unreleased non-album material. (co-premiere with Ad Hoc)
Weird Work moves. And I think it’s safe to say the Adventure will continue. Look for the album on Carpark Records on April 30.
Pastel-dyed hair and weird pop continue to fit right into the zeitgeist zodiac wheel. This week channeled through the purple meanderings of Butterclock’s second single off her excitedly awaited solo debut First Prom. "Holograms" is a beautifully dreamy and melancholic electro pop love tune. The Berlin-based Parisienne’s ghostly vocals swirl around a drum machine pulse and fickle video game grooves that don’t care for heartache - underneath the pouting lyrics of loss, feet are still dancing. That sweet optimism of something new to come, dribbling through reverbed space. Butterclock’s EP is due out April 15 via o F F Love’s FANTASY Music.
