Hidden agenda.
16 Jun 2010 — NFOP
The Fallout #1
16 Jun 2010 — NFOP
The biweekly NFOP Radio Show gets a little reboot this week. From today, it's not called "Radio Show" anymore - first, because of ongoing confusion about the designation (indeed, it never was a proper radio show, it's a playlist; I kinda liked the idea though), and second because now that posting has gone up a bit (a few of you have noticed), the concept with comments/liner notes for roughly twelve tracks is just too demanding considering the time I have available for writing this blog.
But there's still gonna be a new playlist on 8tracks.com every two weeks, but I'll limit myself to ten tracks that I haven't posted regularly because I was too slow or too lazy so that by now everyone else has written about them, and with tracks by artists I may have written about but think that you still don't listen to them enough (like Pearly Gate Music, for instance). Hence, The Fallout. As usual, I recommend listening via the player embedded above, but you're of course free to head over to the the amazing site 8tracks.com. Moreover, for some tracks there will be additional download links.
And lest I forget, please don't miss that awesome track by Porcelain Raft.
Listening note: The playlist is streamed via 8tracks. Their license requires a mix to be shuffled the second time someone listens to it. Moreover, the number of tracks the user can skip while listening to a mix is limited.
1. Japandroids - Younger Us (download)
2. Wavves - Post Acid
3. Moscow Olympics - To Keep the Avenues Open (download)
4. The Sandwitches - Song of Songs (download)
5. Here We Go Magic - Casual
6. Korallreven - The Truest Faith (Ghostape Remix) (download)
7. Sleep Over - Outer Limits (download)
8. Wye Oak - I Hope You Die
9. Porcelain Raft - Despite Everything
10. Pearly Gate Music - Rejoice
The biweekly NFOP Radio Show gets a little reboot this week. From today, it's not called "Radio Show" anymore - first, because of ongoing confusion about the designation (indeed, it never was a proper radio show, it's a playlist; I kinda liked the idea though), and second because now that posting has gone up a bit (a few of you have noticed), the concept with comments/liner notes for roughly twelve tracks is just too demanding considering the time I have available for writing this blog.
But there's still gonna be a new playlist on 8tracks.com every two weeks, but I'll limit myself to ten tracks that I haven't posted regularly because I was too slow or too lazy so that by now everyone else has written about them, and with tracks by artists I may have written about but think that you still don't listen to them enough (like Pearly Gate Music, for instance). Hence, The Fallout. As usual, I recommend listening via the player embedded above, but you're of course free to head over to the the amazing site 8tracks.com. Moreover, for some tracks there will be additional download links.
And lest I forget, please don't miss that awesome track by Porcelain Raft.
Listening note: The playlist is streamed via 8tracks. Their license requires a mix to be shuffled the second time someone listens to it. Moreover, the number of tracks the user can skip while listening to a mix is limited.
1. Japandroids - Younger Us (download)
2. Wavves - Post Acid
3. Moscow Olympics - To Keep the Avenues Open (download)
4. The Sandwitches - Song of Songs (download)
5. Here We Go Magic - Casual
6. Korallreven - The Truest Faith (Ghostape Remix) (download)
7. Sleep Over - Outer Limits (download)
8. Wye Oak - I Hope You Die
9. Porcelain Raft - Despite Everything
10. Pearly Gate Music - Rejoice
Midwestern angst.
15 Jun 2010 — NFOP
Last night, this certain dude befriended me on all possible social networking platforms, probably including those where I don't even have an account, to guide my undivided attention to CVLTS, a project of which he apparently is one half. Their origin remains blurry, only their bandcamp site might give us a hint that the duo is based out of Kansas City.
What we do know though is that CVLTS produces high quality haunted psychedelia, oppressively distorted guitars with frantically humming voices in the background. Obviously, there's no hope in Kansas.
You can purchase their debut mini album LVST via their bandcamp, and make sure you get yourself hypnotized by watching the video for their nearly ten-minute opus Luck Surf.
CVLTS - Corpus Dei Read more →
Last night, this certain dude befriended me on all possible social networking platforms, probably including those where I don't even have an account, to guide my undivided attention to CVLTS, a project of which he apparently is one half. Their origin remains blurry, only their bandcamp site might give us a hint that the duo is based out of Kansas City.
What we do know though is that CVLTS produces high quality haunted psychedelia, oppressively distorted guitars with frantically humming voices in the background. Obviously, there's no hope in Kansas.
You can purchase their debut mini album LVST via their bandcamp, and make sure you get yourself hypnotized by watching the video for their nearly ten-minute opus Luck Surf.
CVLTS - Corpus Dei
I remember tomorrow just if I get hurt.
15 Jun 2010 — NFOP
Reverb-laced guitars and blurred synth patterns playing subtle melodies over hushed and distant drum machine beats, a sad voice singing slowly about the burdens of being in love and being alive: In an east Bohemian town somewhere beyond Prague, Tomas Kopacek makes achingly beautiful bedroom dream pop under the moniker Mon Insomnie. As yet, there are only five songs available via his bandcamp site, but these are pieces promising a lot for his first full-length which is about to be released by the marvelous Wonder Beard Tapes this summer.
Mon Insomnie will be in Berlin this month for a couple of shows, supporting his hero Ariel Pink at Lovelite on June 20, and playing three consecutive nights at the Future Gallery as a part of an art exhibition from June 25 to 27.
Update: I've just been informed by Martin Kohout, the artist at whose exhibition Tomas will perform at the Future Galaxy, that he is not going to play as Mon Insomnie there. What's really gonna happen is still a secret - according to Martin, Tomas "will be playing music, but it will not be a concert and the name Mon Insomnie will not participate in the whole". Anyway, still sounds worth attending.
Below, there are three songs available for download, along with the video for Barbed Wires which is for sure the simplest, saddest and loveliest piece of film in 2010. Mon Insomnie is desperate loneliness expressed in the most beautiful and intriguing way I've heard in a long time - with lines like "Kill me/I've no will to fight", the songs leave you alone, barely reassuring you that after all, happiness is a place somewhere else.
Mon Insomnie - Barbed Wires
Mon Insomnie - Missing Lust
Mon Insomnie - No Will
Read more →
Reverb-laced guitars and blurred synth patterns playing subtle melodies over hushed and distant drum machine beats, a sad voice singing slowly about the burdens of being in love and being alive: In an east Bohemian town somewhere beyond Prague, Tomas Kopacek makes achingly beautiful bedroom dream pop under the moniker Mon Insomnie. As yet, there are only five songs available via his bandcamp site, but these are pieces promising a lot for his first full-length which is about to be released by the marvelous Wonder Beard Tapes this summer.
Mon Insomnie will be in Berlin this month for a couple of shows, supporting his hero Ariel Pink at Lovelite on June 20, and playing three consecutive nights at the Future Gallery as a part of an art exhibition from June 25 to 27.
Update: I've just been informed by Martin Kohout, the artist at whose exhibition Tomas will perform at the Future Galaxy, that he is not going to play as Mon Insomnie there. What's really gonna happen is still a secret - according to Martin, Tomas "will be playing music, but it will not be a concert and the name Mon Insomnie will not participate in the whole". Anyway, still sounds worth attending.
Below, there are three songs available for download, along with the video for Barbed Wires which is for sure the simplest, saddest and loveliest piece of film in 2010. Mon Insomnie is desperate loneliness expressed in the most beautiful and intriguing way I've heard in a long time - with lines like "Kill me/I've no will to fight", the songs leave you alone, barely reassuring you that after all, happiness is a place somewhere else.
Mon Insomnie - Barbed Wires
Mon Insomnie - Missing Lust
Mon Insomnie - No Will
Eastwick.
14 Jun 2010 — NFOP
The wonderful and before introduced Mountain Man are up to put out their first ever vinyl record. The five-track Sun Dog EP will be released by our dear New Jersey friends at Underwater Peoples, home to everything lo-fi yet visionary, and it comes as a strictly limited marbled translucent sea-foam vinyl edition. Now wrap your mind around that and preorder it exclusively here. Below are two reasons why you should.
Mountain Man - Dog Song Read more →
The wonderful and before introduced Mountain Man are up to put out their first ever vinyl record. The five-track Sun Dog EP will be released by our dear New Jersey friends at Underwater Peoples, home to everything lo-fi yet visionary, and it comes as a strictly limited marbled translucent sea-foam vinyl edition. Now wrap your mind around that and preorder it exclusively here. Below are two reasons why you should.
Mountain Man - Dog Song
I’m still waiting.
14 Jun 2010 — NFOP
I know this might be considered a lame cliché, but there is something about these Swedes that has to with an apparently genetic disposition to write almost absurdly infectious pop melodies. Stockholm's Dance and Forget are the latest example for this as yet unrefuted theory, a septett (that once started as a rather huge collective of different musicians) that builds classic indie pop euphoria around lush ukulele harmonies.
Though the band is a dynamic ensemble that's basically devoted to being a live act, Dance and Forget are nonetheless about to record an album next month, despite being unsigned to date.
Below, listen to sweet Maybe, a song that splendidly sums up the band's optimistic sound.
Dance and Forget - Maybe
Read more →
I know this might be considered a lame cliché, but there is something about these Swedes that has to with an apparently genetic disposition to write almost absurdly infectious pop melodies. Stockholm's Dance and Forget are the latest example for this as yet unrefuted theory, a septett (that once started as a rather huge collective of different musicians) that builds classic indie pop euphoria around lush ukulele harmonies.
Though the band is a dynamic ensemble that's basically devoted to being a live act, Dance and Forget are nonetheless about to record an album next month, despite being unsigned to date.
Below, listen to sweet Maybe, a song that splendidly sums up the band's optimistic sound.
Dance and Forget - Maybe
Denver Clan.
12 Jun 2010 — NFOP
Apologies for that cheap header. I really tried hard to come up with something clever, subtle and insightful, but it didn't work.
Anyway, let's talk music. Lush Cola is Timothy Joseph Perry's bedroom side project that started a while before he and his band, Colorado's most delightful Weed Diamond, became one of this year's most exciting blog buzz phenomenons (read about them over at Transparent). Unlike Weed Diamond's euphoric space pop, Tim's brilliant sounds are all about gloomy melodies made up for dark summer dreams and sticky night loneliness.
Colorado's wonderful little tape label Patient Sounds has put out Lush Cola's self-titled, eight track debut cassette. And as the tape will be limited to only 100 items, the amiable folks have also made the whole thing available for free download. So make sure you head over to their site, and listen to two of the blissful tunes below.
Lush Cola - Lush
Lush Cola - That Really is a Cool T-Shirt
Read more →
Apologies for that cheap header. I really tried hard to come up with something clever, subtle and insightful, but it didn't work.
Anyway, let's talk music. Lush Cola is Timothy Joseph Perry's bedroom side project that started a while before he and his band, Colorado's most delightful Weed Diamond, became one of this year's most exciting blog buzz phenomenons (read about them over at Transparent). Unlike Weed Diamond's euphoric space pop, Tim's brilliant sounds are all about gloomy melodies made up for dark summer dreams and sticky night loneliness.
Colorado's wonderful little tape label Patient Sounds has put out Lush Cola's self-titled, eight track debut cassette. And as the tape will be limited to only 100 items, the amiable folks have also made the whole thing available for free download. So make sure you head over to their site, and listen to two of the blissful tunes below.
Lush Cola - Lush
Lush Cola - That Really is a Cool T-Shirt
Paris Film Festival.
12 Jun 2010 — NFOP
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Mondrian are a Parisian duo consisting of Roman Oswald and Morning Crash (no, really) that's devoted to lush and exuberant pop tunes with an incredible amount of d.i.y. attitude, little beauties reduced to the essence of a song that only intends to make you happy. This mindset is best shown in their shameless use of the English language, their accent making the lyrics almost impossible to understand while adding a whole lot of unique charme and sweetness with that very feature - naive in the best possible meaning of the word.
Nonetheless, the songs appear not to be complete without the amazing videos, and that's exactly where the terminus of "do it yourself" and the lo-fi aspect of Mondrian's music is situated: The videos are worth being called veritable shorts, neat stories put into the length of a song. Perfectly staged and shot by Spanish director Jesus Hernandez (NYSUfilms), the first two videos have already earned well deserved critical acclaim, and Last breakfast on Planet Surf is only a few days old. You shouldn't miss a single one of them. Below the first one, you can also download the wonderful Love, a Collision.
Mondrian - Love, a Collision
Read more →
Mondrian are a Parisian duo consisting of Roman Oswald and Morning Crash (no, really) that's devoted to lush and exuberant pop tunes with an incredible amount of d.i.y. attitude, little beauties reduced to the essence of a song that only intends to make you happy. This mindset is best shown in their shameless use of the English language, their accent making the lyrics almost impossible to understand while adding a whole lot of unique charme and sweetness with that very feature - naive in the best possible meaning of the word.
Nonetheless, the songs appear not to be complete without the amazing videos, and that's exactly where the terminus of "do it yourself" and the lo-fi aspect of Mondrian's music is situated: The videos are worth being called veritable shorts, neat stories put into the length of a song. Perfectly staged and shot by Spanish director Jesus Hernandez (NYSUfilms), the first two videos have already earned well deserved critical acclaim, and Last breakfast on Planet Surf is only a few days old. You shouldn't miss a single one of them. Below the first one, you can also download the wonderful Love, a Collision.
Mondrian - Love, a Collision