Category Archives: Check ’em Out!

January 29, 2014 · 3:34 pm

Download: Phebe Starr – “Tonight” (Steel Lord Remix)

“You’re about to seriously fall head over heels for Phebe Starr…” – Neon Gold

“ …a glacial dancefloor rework, throwing down beats and pitch-shifted backing vocals that smack of UK garage at its peak, and topping it all off with zippy 80s synths. Killer.” – VICE

Riding high on the wave of her success in Phebe Starr’s native Australia, the Sydney-based electro-pop artiste is set to make a splash in the US with her debut EP, Zero – set for release February 11!

For those who haven’t already stumbled across her powerful pop oeuvre, the Zero EP features tremendous vocals atop tribal beats, dramatic electronic chimes & sincere passionate refrains. Phebe is has just unleashed Icelandic trio Steed Lord’s deliciously club-ready remix of “Tonight”- an irresistible cut to fuel a dance-fueled trip into the night.

Influenced by the likes of Kraftwerk, Bjork, The Cure, Beck & ‘90s beats, Phebe Starr has quickly become renowned for her effortless blend of organic sounds & ethereal electronic pop. Zero EP cut “Alone With You” garnered an impressive 50k downloads as the iTunes ‘Single of the Week’ in Australia & New Zealand.

Listen/download: Phebe Starr – Tonight (Steed Lord Remix)

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Tagged as Australia, dance, electro pop, Phebe Starr, remix, Steel Lord, Tonight, Zero

January 28, 2014 · 6:37 pm

Check ‘Em Out: denitia and sene

Brooklyn-based denitia and sene have mastered the fine art of soulful sensuality with their luscious, smooth-as-silk sound. The duo’s intoxicating music effortlessly melds elements of electronic, hip hop, R&B & soul in equal doses- a reflection of Denitia Odigie & Sene’s respectively diverse musical backgrounds. In addition to a Red Bull single & video collaboration on the horizon, denitia and sene have just announced the release of their his and hers LP on vinyl, out February 11!

his and hers LP cut “Casanova,” is a deliciously addictive number that features the intertwining silky vocals of the duo in a “his-and-hers” battle of the hearts. Another stellar LP single, “trip. fall.” was transformed into an evocative live video with the help of Brooklyn collective BKLYN1834, as part of their hand-curated BKLYN AIR series. Matching the sultry dynamic of the song, the video portrays the pair in an intimate hotel room – Denitia’s stirring vocals stripped down as she sings from the shower, and Sene providing the instrumentation.

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Tagged as BKLYN AIR, Casanova, denetia and sene, electronic, hip-hop, his and hers, R&B, Red Bull, trip.fall, videos

January 28, 2014 · 6:30 pm

Check ‘Em Out: Incan Abraham

Friends since kindergarten, the members of Incan Abraham (Giuliano Pizzulo, Teddy Cafaro, Spencer Mandel) channel their fingerpainted past in their debut LP, fusing Lost Boys tribal energy with guitar, synth, and harmony vocal soundscapes that arc and circle like bikes in desert washes. After spending college marooned on opposite coasts, the friends reunited on a whim in a secluded house in upstate New York for a weekend that turned into a month spent writing music and contemplating their shared histories of childhood escapism and pop nostalgia.

Returning to their native Los Angeles, they seasoned their sound in the arid air and eclectic east side music scene, until a fateful encounter with their producer-to-be and sonic sherpa Lewis Pesacov (Best Coast, FIDLAR, Fool’s Gold). The resulting album Tolerance will be released on April 8th on White Iris Records.

The foursome is set to tour starting February 9^th in San Francisco and share their upcoming album in a live setting and will play multiple times at Austin’s SXSW.

Listen: Incan Abraham – “Concorde”

Incan Abraham Tour Dates:

2/9 – San Francisco, CA @ Hotel Utah
2/10 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
2/11 – Seattle, OR @ Chop Suey
2/12 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux
2/16 Salt Lake City, UK @ Kilby Court
2/17 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
2/18 – Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room
2/19 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7^th Street Entry
2/20 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas Tavern
2/22 – Toronto, ON @ Drake Hotel
2/24 – Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle
2/26 – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right
3/3 – Raleigh, NC @ Slim’s
3/5 – Charleston, SC @ Tin Roof
3/6 – Savannah, GA @ Savannah Stopover Music Festival
3/8 – 3/16 – Austin, TX @ SXSW (details to come)
3/20 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Western

Incan Abraham Tolerance Tracklist:
01. Midwife
02. Concorde
03. Forgiveness
04. Tram
05. Tuolumne
06. All You Want
07. Desert Hold
08. Peers
09. Spring House
10. Tolerance

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Tagged as Concorde, debut album, Incan Abraham, SXSW, Tolerance, tour dates, tracklist, White Iris Records

January 27, 2014 · 4:38 pm

Listen: Bad Things – “Anybody”

LA rock band Bad Things – that consists of front man/lead singer Davis LeDuke, bass player Jared Palomar (formerly of Augustana), guitarist Anthony Sanudo, drummer Lena Zawaideh and lead guitarist Shaun White (professional snowboarder/skateboarder) will be releasing their debut, self-titled album January 21^st on Warner Bros. Records. The lead single “Anybody, ” a “chugging rock anthem heavy with choirboy backing harmonies” according to Rolling Stone, is now for sale at iTunes and streaming on YouTube and Soundcloud.

Listen: Bad Things – “Anybody”

Right on the heels of Bad Things‘ release, NBC is set to air “Shaun White: Russia Calling” on January 25^th. The special gives an inside look at how the gold-medal-winning snowboarder prepped for the Winter Olympics in Sochi next month in addition to juggling his other commitments, including Bad Things.

Get a taste of what Bad Things are all about live, check out this video (below) from Lollapalooza of the band covering Iggy And The Stooges’ “Search And Destroy” as well as a clip of “Anybody.” Bad Things completed a North American tour of the country last fall that included festival stops at Lollapalooza in Chicago, Osheaga Festival in Montreal and Voodoo Music and Art Experience in New Orleans, which earned the band much deserved acclaim.

Bad Things earned their undeniable chemistry through sheer persistence and – in the case of Zawaideh, guitarist Anthony Sanudo, and lead guitarist Shaun White – a friendship forged in their San Diego hometown that dates back to their teens. In 2014 Bad Things is ready to share their electrifying sound and moving lyrics with the world.With the upcoming self-titled debut release, it’s only the beginning. “Music is what we do,” Sanudo says. “It is all we can do and all we ever want to do. Though obviously Shaun is pretty good at a couple of other things.”

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Tagged as Anybody, Augustana, Bad Things, Rolling Stone, Shaun White, videos, Warner Bros. Records

January 20, 2014 · 4:33 pm

Video: Secret Colours – “It Can’t Be Simple”

With the release of their new video “It Can’t Be Simple“, Secret Colours continue to build momentum toward their two releases due out this year in the form of Positive Distractions Part I and Positive Distractions Part II. Directed by Secret Colours’ bassist Eric Hehr, SPIN’s Kyle McGovern writes “the clip [“It Can’t Be Simple”] functions as a three-and-a-half-minute throwback to the days of vintage technology, when listening to vinyl was more than a simple affectation.”

Positive Distraction Part I will be released digitally on February 4, 2014 with Positive Distractions Part II being released digitally on April 29, 2014 to mark Secret Colours return to Texas for 2014’s Austin Psych Fest. Positive Distractions Part I & Part II’s combined physical incarnation will be released on vinyl and cassette on April 29, 2014.

Secret Colours will be performing at SXSW and Austin Psych Fest in 2014.

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Tagged as Austin Psych Fest, It Can't Be Simple, Positive Distractions Part I, Positive Distractions Part II, Secret Colours, SXSW, video

January 17, 2014 · 3:45 pm

Newest Love: Electro-Swing Band Klischée

Their sound is international and their ambitions are spot on. The musicians and entertainers of Klischée have been working
meticulously on their electro-swing oriented music, but now in the year 2013 they seem to have definitely found their own signature.
Their latest singles “Tiquette”, “Sometimes” and “Tin Tin” are proof, that no stage is small enough anymore, for the producers Dominique Dreier, Kilian Spinnler and their Crew. Performances all over Europe are part of the agenda even before the release of their LP and it won’t be long until Klischée becomes one of the rather more successful CH-export hits. The five members can look forward to some eventful days and we’re eagerly expecting whereto the musical path these five electro-swingers will lead.

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Tagged as electro swing, Klischée, Sometimes, Switzerland, Tin Tin, Tiquette, videos

January 14, 2014 · 12:50 pm

Listen: Kelly Sweet – “In The Air Tonight” (Phil Collins Cover)

Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Kelly Sweet has recorded a fantastic remake of the Phil Collins classic “In The Air Tonight”.

The track is currently featured in the promo adverts for an upcoming J.J. Abrams-produced NBC TV show called “Believe”.

Kelly Sweet’s music idles comfortably between the quirkiness of Sia, the dreaminess of School Of Seven Bells, the innocence of Lykke Li, and the dance-ready energy of Metric.

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Tagged as Believe, cover, In The Air Tonight, J.J. Abrams, Kelly Sweet, Lykke Li, Metric, NBC, Phil Collins, School of Seven Bells, Sia

January 8, 2014 · 6:51 pm

Brand New: Fox and the Bird

“Big and hopeful and reminds us that life can be hard, but hard can be good” – USA TODAY

“The Dallas-based folk band Fox & The Bird sound like The Decemberists and The Avett Brothers jamming on an ocean voyage. If you like nice harmonies and acoustic instruments, you will likely fall in love with their song “Wreck of the Fallible.” – AMERICAN SONGWRITER

“Local beloveds Fox and the Bird take their straightforward folk sensibility and throw it in a blender on high with beautiful melodies and sing-along, foot-stomping tunes.” – DALLAS OBSERVER”Beautiful folk with a dark side.” – PEGASUS NEWS

A folk-pop band with gang vocals and layered harmonies, Fox and the Bird is a choral collective of rotating songwriters and singers. The band’s characteristically rich, up-beat orchestration is hitched to banjos, accordions, ukuleles & fiddles to form the foundation of a sound reminiscent of hard times and high hopes.

Fox & The Bird’s latest album, Darkest Hours, is a sorrowfully appropriate title for an unapologetically bare-bones, brutally honest folk album. From lyrics chronicling the confusion of lost love in “Ashes” and “Bend” to commentary on the darkly violent tendencies seen in human nature as presented in “Habit” and “Valley,” the album laments hardship, poverty, death, loss… those moments in life when the darkness seems most impenetrable.But while Darkest Hours is a heavy follow-up to the band’s debut Floating Feather, lyrically, their characteristic rich, up-beat orchestration carries us through the darkness with an innate sort of joy and hints at the light that inevitably follows even our darkest of hours.

Fox and the Bird continues to produce and self-release its albums, touring and always committed to music that is made on back porches, in living rooms and on the streets. Darkest Hours is set for release January 14th, and will be available on vinyl, CD and digital formats.

FOX & THE BIRD TOUR DATES

2/26 – Lucky’s Everyday, Wichita, KS
2/27 – Replay Lounge, Lawrence, KS
3/7 – Hi-Tone, Memphis, TN
3/8 – Maxine’s, Hot Springs, AR

(more dates to be announced soon)

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Tagged as banjo, Dallas, Darkest Hours, fiddle, Floating Feather, folk-pop, Fox and the Bird, new album, The Avett Brothers, The Decemberists, tour dates, ukulele, video

January 7, 2014 · 4:06 pm

Newest Love: Francis Lung

“…burns with a sharper melody…yet bristles with discontent as it seems to address Wu Lyf’s tumultuous band dynamics with the lyrics” – Dazed Digital

Francis Lung unveils his brilliant new single, “A Selfish Man,” an ambling slice of sophisticated pop that explores the more difficult side of human nature with a nod to his former band’s break up. As his first proper release, Francis Lung partnered with the always on point French label Atelier Ciseaux for A Selfish Man 7″ which includes the Mazzy Star infused b-side “Tsunami Blues (Cause of Me)” due out 1/16. Album art by Tom McClung.

Francis Lung is the moniker of Manchester resident and former bassist of the ever enigmatic WU LYF, Tom McClung. Late last year Francis Lung revealed the first taste of the project with the sublime “Age Limits” stream and accompanying video. Although currently still in progress, his debut collection of music under the working title Faeher’s Son was written over a 3 year period spanning before, during and after the experience in WU LYF, the collection of Francis Lung material bares witness to a fair amount of turbulence and reflection. A true a solo effort, McClung plays every instrument on the tracks and self-records from his home.

Listen: Francis Lung – “A Selfish Man”