I’ve always had an intense fascination with dreaming and sleeping and this is how the new Smoking Bells’ record was born. Throughout my younger life, I consistently experienced what is known in technical terms, as sleep paralysis. Yet, throughout history and countless cultures, it’s a phenomenon we called “the hag,” in Newfoundland, “succubus” in medieval folklore, and “Kanashibari” in Japan.
While frightening, this experience was intriguing in that it seemed to bridge some divide between the sleeping and waking worlds, the subconscious and the conscious. An apt metaphor, especially when embracing the artistic process: conjuring ideas from nothing to something.
Following the reveal of his breathtakingWanderlust teaser video UK electronic artist Gemini (Thomas Slinger) reveals the lead single “Time To Share” from his forthcoming 2016 debut album Wanderlust.
Out today, “Time To Share” is vivid, verdant electronic pop infused with intercontinental influence. The track premiered yesterday via La Belle Musique and is now available to share via Gemini’s Soundcloud.
The first new music from Gemini in more than two years, the track sees the former dubstep overachiever beloved by Annie Mac and Zane Lowe embrace a lush, cinematic new sound inspired by his travels abroad.
Following the success of solo singles such as “Blue” and mixes for A-listers (Ellie Goulding,Lana Del Rey), Slinger felt compelled to break beyond genre boundaries. He retreated to a studio to radically rethink his sounds—and promptly got writer’s block. He packed up his belongings, left Britain and set out to travel the world, reigniting his musical creativity and discovering a latent talent for travel photography and film (catalogued via his expansive@ThisIsGemini Instagram account and in theWanderlust Teaser) as he explored Norway, Sweden, Malaysia, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma and more.
Channeling these cross-continental explorations into the intensely personal music on Wanderlust, Singer’s creative vision is now fully formed. Get your first taste of it now and listen to “Time To Share”.
“Thank you for being so patient. I’ve been on a journey of self-discovery that has led me to the darkest and most beautiful places on earth. From the northern lights of Norway and desolate lands of Iceland to discovering lost civilisations and climbing mountains deep in the heart of Asia.” – Thomas Slinger a.k.a.Gemini
Denver’s beloved indie-pop duo South Of France have returned to deliver their own compelling sense of style to the music and the fashion world alike. The band have unleashed their newest single “Washed Up” in conjunction with the launch of their collaboration with cutting-edge clothing brand Akomplice. The collection highlights the band’s affinity for taking control of the many facets of their creative process with their own unique vision.
Both independently owned and operated and hailing from Colorado, South Of France and Akomplice brought their collaboration to fruition through a mutual love of creation. Akomplice owners Mike and Patrick Liberty were impressed after hearing “Washed Up,” and together with South Of France they drew inspiration from Wes Anderson’s cult classic The Darjeeling Limited, to bring to life a capsule collection that includes a duffel bag, field notebook and custom white 45 record featuring the new single. The collection simultaneously showcases the brand’s ability to transition from the world of hip-hop to indie rock, as well as the band’s penchant and talent for design, both sonic and visual.
Launched by multi-instrumentalist and producer Jeff Cormack in 2012, South Of France, began as a lo-fi garage rock project until Jeff was introduced to Kelly Lueke. Upon discovering their amazingly similar taste in music, the two joined forces and soon settled into their signature reverb-soaked indie pop harmonies. Their debut LP Another Boring Sunrise was critically lauded and the band have since shared stages with TV On The Radio, Portugal. The Man, Jimmy Eat World and many others. The duo recently married and are hard at work on their next album. Catch them opening for Bob Mould at the Boulder Theater in Boulder, CO on May 7th and be on the lookout for more from the band in 2016!
Earlier this year, Thomas Fekete, Surfer Blood’s guitarist of six years, was diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive cancer. Though he has health insurance, which has covered more than six months of chemotherapy, he’s been undergoing an alternative treatment plan that unfortunately is not covered by insurance. Currently unable to tour and make a living, Thomas has relied on the generous donations of fans & friends, via his GoFundMe page and various other fundraisers.
Now, some of Thomas’s favorite artists and closest friends have come together to help raise money, contributing previously-unreleased tracks and autographed items to be put up for auction on eBay. Never-before-heard songs from Yo La Tengo, Guided By Voices, Cults, Real Estate, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Lou Barlow, The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger, Nick Diamonds, Julianna Barwick, Alex Somers,…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, The Drums and Surfer Blood were pressed to hi-fi, stereo lathe-cut vinyl, with only one copy being made of each. Each one is up for auction now, along with autographed items from Sleigh Bells, Yoko Ono & Flaming Lips, Interpol & Shepard Fairey, Sharon Van Etten, and Angel Olsen.
All thirteen unreleased tracks are also available for digital download with a donation of $10 or more to Thomas’s GoFundMe page. See below for a full list of tracks.
Guided By Voices – “Motor Away” (live)
Recorded live 6/24/94 at Threadwaxing Space, New York City on “The Insects of Rock” tour.
Yo La Tengo – “Can’t Forget” (live)
Recorded 8/28/15 at WorldCafe Live, courtesy of WXPN, Philadelphia. Yo La Tengo appears courtesy of Matador Records.
Cults – “Hurting”
An out-take from Cults’ 2013 album Static.
Real Estate – “Talking Backwards” (demo)
This was recorded in Real Estate’s practice space in Bushwick in the summer of 2013. Courtesy Domino Records.
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – “Between These Boys” (demo)
The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger – “Rainbows In Gasoline” (unreleased version)
Recorded in 2009 with early line-up of The GOASTT (Sean Lennon, Charlotte Kemp Muhl, Mark Ronson), recorded & mixed by Mark Ronson.
Nick Diamonds (from Islands) – “Be A Comedian”
Recorded spontaneously on September 2nd, 2015.
Julianna Barwick – “Promise”
Recorded in 2012.
Alex Somers – “Well”
Recorded in Iceland in 2015.
The Drums – “Help Him”
2012 unreleased demo.
…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead – “F Train”
Demo version of “Tao of the Dead Part II”.
Surfer Blood – “Tidal Wave” (demo)
Brand new song recorded last week!
Monday morning I received an email from these guys…with their song “Monday Morning”!!! Coincidence. Nope. Not at all.
And this song is awesome!
The single is from the band’s LP Day Bed, and it’s their very first full length. The album was recorded and produced by the whole band in both Northern Ontario and Toronto.
From the band:
Day Bed is the place we go to rest in the daylight. A place where memories wash over us; a place where we pause and think about life. It’s a collection of songs that highlights the warmth and happiness of family and childhood, the heartbreak of relationships, and the randomness of social life in the 21st century.
Last weekend, while I was visiting friends in San Diego, we went to the first ever KAABOO festival at the Racetrack and Fairgrounds at Del Mar.
It. Was. Awesome.
We only went on 1 out of the 3 days; but it was still great. KAABOO was marketed as a classier festival in that there were actual real restrooms, instead of port-a-potties; there was better food and more choices; better beers and even wines, etc.
I thought I had seen the whole grounds, but after checking out some other pictures and articles online, clearly I was mistaken. And now I feel bummed out about it. Waaaaaaah.
Anyways, I got to see Ron Funches (comedian) who plays on the show “Undateable” and is my FAVORITE character in the show; possibly of all time.
So…that was fun. He put on a good show, but I think I was hoping he’d be more like his character “Shelley.” haha
The guy on the right is Ron Funches. Silly bear.
After that, everyone was hungry so we went to the “Posh Nosh” food tent area. It was cooled down in there and a nice break from the heat.
Then we bounced around a bit between Counting Crows and Slightly Stoopid until it was time to see Young the Giant. I like Young the Giant, but they weren’t on my MUST SEE list — however, once I was watching them, I was loving it. Crazy how that happens, huh?
After that, the people in my company wanted to see Zac Brown Band (I am not really a fan), so we went over there. It killed time until Goldfish was playing anyway. At 10:00, they didn’t have any more bands playing outside because of the noise ordinance, so Goldfish, Big Gigantic and Girl Talk were all playing in a tent at the Encore Stage.
Goldfish was AWESOME. I was super excited to see them, and they did not disappoint. It was an amazing dance party. I posted a short video on YouTube from it — I don’t take many videos because I want to just feel and enjoy the moment fully — but I knew I’d be so upset if I didn’t have just a little bit to look back on! Here’s the video:
After that, I wanted to see Big Gigantic and dance some more, but everyone else wanted to go see Joel McHale at another stage. So — we mosey’d over there, but it was PACKED. The line was super long and then they weren’t letting any more people in, so it was a bust. We got back to the Encore Stage when Girl Talk was getting ready to come on. Now, everyone knows I love me some Girl Talk. Greg Gillis is from Pittsburgh and I’ve seen him 4-5 times here. I was excited to see him in San Diego this time, at this festival. But…I am saddened to say that it was not the hyped up dance party I am used to. It was just not good. We tried to get into it but weren’t able….and ended up leaving to catch an Uber before everyone at Kaaboo wanted one. I mean….it was probably a fluke, I’m sure.
Anyways — my experience was just a short chapter of the book. But, I’d like to go back again! Good times!
Brick + Mortar have released a new music video in support of their recent EP Dropped for their song “Hollow Tune.” The video shows the story of a soldier, who recently returned from duty, preventing a would-be hate crime. When reached out to comment, the band told OUT, “We make music for people who believe in equality and acceptance for everyone regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or belief. This song was written about love to say: ‘You’re not alone, I’m not alone,’ to the one you love. Love is love period.'”
Brick + Mortar have built a movement by spreading the message of positivity, understanding, and empathy with their indie rock with as much pop as there is grit.
Check out their upcoming tour dates below:
10/8: St. Louis, MO @ The Demo
10/10: Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey Bar N Grill (16+ FREE SHOW)
10/12: Phoenix, AZ @ The Rebel Lounge (21+ FREE SHOW)
10/14: West Hollywood, CA @ The Roxy
10/15: San Francisco, CA @ Social Hall SF
10/17: Colorado Springs, CO @ The Black Sheep
10/18: Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck
10/19: Chicago, IL @ Schuba’s
10/20: Columbus, OH @ The Basement
10/22: Nashville, TN @ High Watt
10/23 Atlanta, GA @ Vinyl, Center Stage
10/26: Philadelphia, PA @ Milkboy
10/27: Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
10/30: Montreal, Canada @ Le Petit Campus
10/31: Toronto, Canada @ Adelaide Hall
11/25: Asbury Park, NJ @ The Stone Pony
Indie rockers Foreign Tongues has premiered a new video for their song “Fools of Love” from their recently released record Fragile, As Said Before. Fans can purchase the new album now!
The band’s stunning new video for “Fools of Love” was shot and directed by Erik Rojas. “Cam and I had talked about this idea for a music video several months ago, and after getting some talented friends on board, we decided to go for it,” Rojas says. “From a narrative standpoint, I think it’s safe to say it’s a story about realizing that sometimes you’re not alone, even though that may seem like the case.”
““Fools of Love” is more a story song introducing the record,” says singer Cam Moretti. “It mainly discusses the last year of my life and the ebb and flow I went through. To me life is a series of highs and lows and understanding and grasping that is how I learn to feel content. I wanted the video to be more of a narrative piece that portrays that.”
Follow the band on Facebook for additional updates.
Musically Amusing 