Tag Archives: Passion Pit
Highly Anticipated: Debut Album from Classixx
Over the course of the last two years, childhood friends Michael David and Tyler Blake have spent countless hours in the studio with a variety of instruments crafting the 12 pop-infused dance tunes, that would become Hanging Gardens. It features collaborations with Active Child, Sarah Chernoff of Superhumanoids, Nancy Whang of LCD Soundsystem (who provides vocals on pop gem “All You’re Waiting For”), and, of course, Lady Gaga songwriter Jeppe on “I’ll Get You”. This debut packs airy tracks with touches of the Pacific coast that are destined to become summer anthems.
- Hanging Gardens
- All You’re Waiting For
- Holding On
- Rhythm Santa Clara
- Dominoes
- A Fax From The Beach
- Long Lost
- A Stranger Love
- I’ll Get You
- Supernature
- Jozi’s Fire
- Borderline
Filed under Highly Anticipated, listen, new albums
Passion Pit and Youngblood Hawke
Two nights ago, a group of us went to see Passion Pit. I was excited to see them, and one of the opening acts, Youngblood Hawke (which I interviewed back in August and you can check it out here). Youngblood Hawke’s set was really fun and upbeat. A friend of mine didn’t know who they were, but said she really liked them. They played all of the songs from their EP. The crowd was really pleased with “We Come Running” when they ended their show with the recent alt rock hit. They were a great predecessor to Passion Pit.
When Passion Pit came out, everyone went crazy. Their first song was “Take a Walk” and it was awesome! I was surprised because it’s not very often that a band starts out with one of their biggest hits, but they did, and I liked it. They mixed between songs from Manners and their newest album Gossamer. It seemed to me that everyone really digs Manners more. Things were a little slowed down when songs from Gossamer were performed. Then, at the very end everyone perked right up when they finished their set with “Sleepyhead”. I couldn’t WAIT to hear it and apparently everyone else felt the same. It was also super cool that all the other band members that were touring with them all came out on stage to dance around. One of them was taking video of the whole thing, catching glimpses of the audience and the other musicians jammin’ out. My favorite parts of their performance were the first and last songs. They had a great turn out for their first show in Pittsburgh. Make sure you check out the awesome video at the top of this post that someone took of the finale. It gives me chills of happiness when I watch it and remember that feeling of being there.
Must Listen: The M Machine’s Remix of Passion Pit’s “Take a Walk”
Go listen to it now!
Go here for a download of Passion Pit – “Take a Walk” (The M Machine Remix)
Filed under Awesome, downloads, Holy Freaking Crap!, listen, Newest Love, Whoa!
Newest Love: Stepdad
Have you ever looked through those funhouse mirrors that show copies of your reflection continuing infinitely? Imagine seeing that, but in a strobe-lit room with mirrors all around you. Then imagine you’re tripping on LSD.” – Consequence of Sound
“Stepdad’s debut EP is an excellent one and enough to hype their upcoming full-length Wildlife Pop. If you love electro-pop music, you will want to add this band to your rotation.” – Earbuddy.net
“About the only way I can think of to describe them is that it’s like laying in the warm sunshine on a lazy summer afternoon. You just have to relax and smile.” – Revival Magazine
“If Passion Pit and The Postal Service got drunk one night and had a kid out of wedlock, the result would be Stepdad.” – Blogcritics
Stepdad have unleashed unto the world a brand new track from their upcoming debut LP Wildlife Pop, due out June 12th on Black Bell Records.
The Grand Rapids foursome are also excited to announce that they will be joining the Warped Tour this summer. The tour includes over 40 dates and the likes of Rise Against, Taking Back Sunday and many more. Get more info here.
Stepdad was forged in an unrelenting bath of summer heat on Chicago’s south side in 2009 by songwriters/producers/college dropouts/solid bros Ryan McCarthy and ultramark on the foundation of their joint worship of Roland Orzabal and Brian Wilson. After a few quick months, the still nameless duo was sitting on a small mountain of songs. The name Stepdad was arrived upon by a random phrase generator and adopted without regard for the impending banality of rehashing that story during interviews.
Swiftly deciding that a low cost of living heavily outweighed the benefits of Chicago, Stepdad relocated to Grand Rapids (because it’s not Detroit) in their home state of Michigan and self-released their debut EP Ordinaire. Alex Fives and Jeremy Malvin were then added to the lineup on bass and drums respectively. This incarnation carried them through tours with Fitz and the Tantrums, Passion Pit, and Rubblebucket.
The success of infectious and heavily layered pop behemoths like “My Leather, My Fur, My Nails” and “Jungles” helped Stepdad gain the attention of producer Chris Zane (Passion Pit, Asobi Seksu, The Walkmen, Les Savy Fav) and in the summer of 2011, Stepdad readily shacked up with friends and bedbugs in New York City to record their debut LP Wildlife Pop, out June 12th on Black Bell Records.
Wildlife Pop presents a creative leap forward for Stepdad, expanding their already massive pop sound. “Will I Ever Dance Again” and “Must Land Running” successfully transplant their aptitude for unforgettable choruses into a larger sound bed while the galactic rainforest sensations of “Treasure Hugs”, “Exploring”, and “Starfriends on Earth” create the cathartic urge to sprint barefoot through a gauntlet of scorpions on a municipal trail paved with searing drywall screws (fortunately for listeners everywhere, this compelling inclination would be devilishly hard to act upon).
Listen: Stepdad – “Must Land Running”
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Must Land Running
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Jungles
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Show Me Your Blood
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Mystery in the Faking
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Will I Ever Dance Again
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To Ribbons
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My Leather, My Fur, My Nails
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Pick & Choose
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Starfriends on Earth
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Treasure Hugs
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Exploring
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Warrior (Jungles Part 2)
Filed under Awesome, Check 'em Out!, Highly Anticipated, listen, Newest Love
Video: Secret Music – “Ghost in the Graveyard”
“Ramshackle indie rock duo Secret Music builds their frenetic pop around simple, catchy synth or guitar lines” -Stereogum
Brooklyn-based Secret Music (comprised of Chase Nicholl and Daniel Fry) have premiered the wild, new music video for their single, “Ghost in the Graveyard,” on Vice’s Noisey YouTube channel.
The rowdy track, which was produced by Passion Pit’s Ayad Al Adhamy, is from the band’s self-titled debut, which dropped on March 6th via Black Bell Records/Warner Music’s ILG. The video stars stunt man and Guinness World Record Holder for Longest Body Burn, Ted Batchelor – who plays a character escaping his tedious, suburban lifestyle, and winds up lighting himself on fire. The song is a perfect fit for the video’s outrageous story plot.
Additionally, Secret Music is thrilled to announce the band’s West Coast tour with rockers Middle Class Rut and Beware of Darkness that kicks-off on April 21st. While on the road, Nicholl and Fry will be joined on stage with touring members Dave Weingarten (drums), Jared Rich (keys/synth) and Michael Boss (bass), that will help to flesh out Secret Music’s infectious sound.
Buy Secret Music’s new self-titled record on iTunes or Amazon.
Filed under Awesome, Check 'em Out!, listen, video
Newest Love: The Chain Gang of 1974
“The Gang — which is actually just the recording moniker of Kamtin Mohager — delivers silken bursts of New Wave-inspired dance music with meaty, Cut Copy-sized hooks and flourishes of Passion Pit-style falsetto.” – SPIN‘s 35 Must-Hear Acts at SXSW
After self-releasing two albums over the past several years and receiving early praise from the likes of SPIN, The FADER, RCRD LBL, Brooklyn Vegan, and more, The Chain Gang of 1974 is ready to break out with Wayward Fire! Set for release June 21st on ModernArt, this is an album as restless as The Chain Gang of 1974‘s White Guts, an album which funneled three years of instrument-swapping, sample-splicing experience into a lean focused listen, but it melds the standout moments from that release into something wholly new and realized. In creating this new album, The Chain Gang of 1974′s genre-jumping singer/multi-instrumentalist Kamtin Mohager moved from Denver to Los Angeles, severed the ties of the two-year relationship that fueled Wayward Fire, and raised the
curtain on what’s next, proving that this particular film has just begun.
On Wayward Fire, the laser-guided synth lines of “Undercover” and the rather epic “Hold On”-crowd pleasers that hint at everything from LCD Soundsystem to Talking Heads-make perfect sense alongside such shifting soundscapes as the shimmering keys of “Don’t Walk Away,” the hands-in-the-air hooks of “Taste of Heaven,” and the choruses that cut through the rain clouds in “Matter of Time.” Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Mohager balances his minor-key melodies with bold, bloodletting lyrics.
“Fresh off a string of noteworthy performances at South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas, Chain Gang is positioned to pick up where LCD Soundsystem is leaving off – live dance music with an abrasive edge and hipster swagger.” — Denver Post
In the lead up to this release, The Chain Gang of 1974 will play select dates on the west coast with Jamaica.
The Chain Gang of 1974 Tour Dates
Sat. April 23 – Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex
Tue. April 26 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent w/ Jamaica
Thu. April 28 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios w/ Jamaica
Fri. April 29 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos w/ Jamaica
Sat. April 30 – Vancouver, BC @ Fortune Sound Club w/ Jamaica
Sat. June 11 – Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre w/ Candy Claws, Bad Weather California, Fellow Citizens
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Filed under Check 'em Out!, downloads, new albums, Newest Love, Shows
Newest Love: Gordon Voidwell
On the track, “Ivy League Circus,” the velvety, 80’s R&B style vocals glide over an elastic, electro-funk groove. The clip was directed by The Wilderness, who also helmed videos for Passion Pit, The Juan MacLean, Antipop Consortium, and Spank Rock.
He has produced songs on both Das Racist mixtapes (“Shorty Said” and “Puerto Rican Cousins”), an official remix of Twin Shadow’s “I Can’t Wait,” and the track “Spring Fever” for battle rap king Iron Solomon.
Gordon has also won the adorations of everyone from indie darlings BRAHMS (who remixed Voidwell’s “Ivy League Circus”) to pop music masterminds like Grammy-winning producer Mark Ronson (who declared “I love this shit. I play it on my radio show, in my house AND in my sets.”) Mayer Hawthorne, another fan, even invited Gordon to open his tour this past Fall along with The Heavy. His first full length debut album will be out later this year.
You can grab a free download of the original AND BRAHMS remix of “Ivy League Circus” over at Stereogum: click here!
Filed under Check 'em Out!, downloads, Newest Love, video
