Check ‘Em Out: Color Palette – “Seventeen”
Listen: Color Palette – “Seventeen”
Check out Color Palette, who just last month released their debut single “Seventeen”, from their forthcoming full-length album.
Inspired by acts like Washed Out and Wild Nothing, Color Palette blends a sunny West Coast sound with a natural northern edge. The brainchild of vocalist Jay Nemeyer, Color Palette was formed after Nemeyer’s former band The Silver Liners split. He quickly recruited Jon Jester (percussion) and Nico Grossfeld (bass) to travel with him to Los Angeles and record their debut full-length, set to be released this summer.
“Seventeen” was co-produced and recorded by Kyle Downes and pulls inspiration from artists such as Kurt Vile and New Order.
Filed under Awesome, Check 'em Out!, listen
Check ‘Em Out: YAWN – “Day Trip”
Listen: YAWN – “Day Trip”
Chicago psych-pop band YAWN will release its new Day Trip EP on August 21st via FeelTrip Records & Old Flame Records.
They’ve shared the title track, which Consequence of Sound calls “this year’s weirdest and most eccentric summer jam.” You can stream & share “Day Trip” — one of the band’s sunniest, most pop-leaning songs yet — via Soundcloud.
YAWN mixes off-kilter psychedelia with infectious pop hooks for a sound that’s simultaneously unconventional and accessible. The band’s own brand of electro-infused psych pop features buzzing guitars, warbling synth, and hazy, blissed-out melodies, and their energetic live show has landed them tours with bands like Tame Impala, The Kooks, Yuck, and Mates of State.
For another taste of the upcoming EP, you can stream the previously-released single “Overflow” and check out its accompanying video.
Filed under Check 'em Out!
Listen: Emmy Wildwood – “Scream”
You may have heard it in promos for FOX’s new fall show, Scream Queens featuring Emma Roberts, Lea Michele, other Hollywood starlets, and last but not least scream queen herself– Jamie Lee Curtis.
Listen to Emmy Wildwood’s “Scream” now.
Emmy has been covered by Italian Vogue, New York Magazine and named by Time Out New York as one of New York’s most fashionable of 2013, as well as hailed as New York City’s Best Indie-Pop Star by The Village Voice.
Another Remix From Ships Have Sailed!
Listen: Ships Have Sailed – If Only (Mike Vincent Remix)
This week, Ships Have Sailed premiered their remix of “If Only”, noting the bright uptempo track “screams summer!”
Check out last weeks remix here!
NEW! Grateful Dead – New Speedway Boogie (Beats Antique Cover ft. Clint Maedgen)
Listen / Download: Grateful Dead – New Speedway Boogie (BEATS ANTIQUE cover ft. Clint Maedgen)
From Beats Antique:
In honor of the Grateful Dead’s 50th anniversary, we thought we’d play tribute by covering one of their classic tunes “New Speedway Boogie” !! The cover features Clint Maedgen on Vocals and Sax from Preservation Hall Jazz Band.
Summer Tour Dates
Jul 02 – Aragon Ballroom (w/ Thievery Corporation) – Chicago, IL – Tickets
Jul 10 – Oregon Country Fair – Eugene, OR – Tickets
Jul 11 – Chalice Cup – San Bernadino, CA – Tickets
Jul 16-19 – Pemberton Music Festival – Pemberton, British Columbia – Tickets
Jul 17 – California WorldFest – Grass Valley, CA – Tickets
Jul 18 – Moods of the Madison – Ennis, MT – Tickets
Aug 01-02 – Electric Adventure – Atlantic City, NJ – Tickets
Aug 03-09 – Ozora Festival – Dádpuszta, Hungary – Tickets
Aug 08 – Mugstock – Glasgow, United Kingdom – Tickets
Aug 13 – Peach Music Festival – Scranton, PA – Tickets
Oct 16-18 – Phases of the Moon Music + Arts Festival – Ozark, AR – Tickets
Newest Love: Gypsy & The Cat x Client Liaison – “Evolution”
Listen: Gypsy & The Cat x Client Liaison – “Evolution”
The SS Yatch Rock set its proverbial sail afloat through Melbourne this month and on board were power synth duos of Gypsy & the Cat and Client Liaison. The creative time out led to time in the recording studio together and collaborative single “Evolution” was conceived.
“Evolution” weaves those giant musical hooks that first announced Gypsy & the Cat around the performance funky flair of Client Liaison. The combination allows for both the attraction and the edge when they chant “I am the life that defies evolution!”, a true joint-venture, perfectly paired.
The influential blog Neon Gold premiered the single today saying “In the ultimate Down Under double down, Gypsy & The Cat and our new live heroes, Client Liaison, have joined forces on their debut collaboration in the form of “Evolution”. Taking the best parts of both groups, the track is peak ’80s bliss, springing forward with all the sunny side up synths and glimmering gold coast melodies we’ve come to expect from the two luminaries.”
Client Liaison are otherwise both in the studio and on the road having just played key shows in the US this month and booked both Splendour in the Grass and Listen Out festivals into their immediate tour diary. Gypsy & the Cat are in the studio finishing their third album for release in the upcoming summer 2015.
Filed under Awesome, listen, Newest Love
Listen: Painted Palms – “Tracers”
“Recaptures that sad-eyed, happy-footed disco-Beatlemania that made Of Montreal’s mid-aughts electronic renaissance so satisfying.” – Stereogum
“…channels a bit of Primal Scream’s Screamadelica the same way Jaqwar Ma have and also wouldn’t sound out of place on a mix next to Cut Copy.” – Under The Radar
“A brain-warpingly awesome cut of tripped-out pop.” – Noisey
Painted Palms’ second full-length album, Horizons, exudes a sense of confidence and purpose that is only present when two creators share a singular focus and absolute trust in each other’s talents. On Horizons, emotional states are suspended between light and dark, driven by the tension of efficient song structures. This week the band shares the synth-laden “Tracers,” melding ’60s psych pop with heavy-footed ’80s drum machines. Though vocalist Chris Prudhomme and producer Reese Donohue chose to collaborate on their second full-length by sending song ideas back and forth over e-mail, just as they did when crafting their 2014 debut Forever, Horizons marks the first time the duo has expanded their sound beyond the bedroom by stepping into the studio. Mixed by former DFA house engineer Eric Broucek (LCD Soundsystem, Classixx), Horizons engages with a diverse sonic palette on each track: ’60s psych-pop, ’80s synths, hypnotic vibes of the kind induced by Bjork and early ’90s Creation Records bands, and the trunk-rattling minimalism of Southern hip-hop. Horizons is a meditation on achieving balance in a place where things are always changing, and there are no real ends. As a result, Painted Palms refines and executes their best work to date.
Listen: Painted Palms – “Tracers”
Painted Palms
Horizons
Release Date: September 4, 2015
1. Refractor
2. Contact
3. Gemini
4. Glaciers
5. Echoes
6. Control
7. Disintegrate
8. Waterfall
9. Painkiller
10. Tracers
Tour Dates:
8/27 San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop*
9/4 Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right
* = w/ Antwon, Meat Market
Filed under Awesome, Check 'em Out!, listen, new albums
Highly Anticipated: New Music From Brick + Mortar
“Brick + Mortar’s songs may have a gritty edge to them, but the experimental pop duo of Brandon Asraf and John Tacon’s main goal is to encourage and spread positivity and self-motivation through music.” – Pure Volume
“There’s an undeniable energy that charges through New Jersey-based duo Brick+Mortar…” – NYLON Magazine
John Tacon and Brandon Asraf have truly been building a movement. Spreading a message of empathy, positivity, and self motivation… The two artists have been playing gritty, bright yet sinister, witty alternative pop for inspired audiences throughout the country. John Tacon started by playing in a few short lived bands. He suggested his friend, Brandon Asraf, pick up an instrument. He chose the bass guitar and it not only offered distraction, it changed the course of his life. While Tacon’s upbringing was reasonably normal, Asraf, on the other hand grew up “like wolves” amid five siblings in a New Jersey household headed by a conman father. Dad’s schemes ultimately tore the family apart. “Mom didn’t take everything that happened the best,” he says. But you can learn more about that in VICE’s article: “My Buddy’s Dad Was a Blood Diamond Smuggler”. Google it.
Asraf and Tacon jammed together for many years instrumentally before deciding to try writing songs. Asraf was initially concerned about his voice, but like with everything else, his confidence grew alongside his mastery. After giving their project its name in 2008, they followed in 2010 with Brick + Mortar’s first EP, 7 Years in the Mystic Room. It captured some buzz and, after lots of touring, the Bangs EP followed in 2013. For the past 2 years, Brick + Mortar have been criss-crossing the continent, playing their energetic anthems of empowerment. The band has given the two best friends an outlet to share their beliefs with the masses. Brandon says, “Music gave me a sense of value. I realized I could tell a story and express myself. It’s positive. I’m meeting these people in the outside world that are making me feel like I can be the part of something positive on Earth, instead of being destined to this scumbag existence.”
Coming from the wrong side of the tracks, Asraf knew what Janis Joplin meant about the freedom of having nothing left to lose. “I was just a poor kid growing up. I didn’t have an identity. I wasn’t really good at anything,” says Asraf. “I didn’t have a fear of failing or of dying or of any of that, because I figure that was just what was going to happen anyway. Because of my life at the time, I just didn’t give a fuck.” The two have started assembling a following of believers. People who can relate to where they are coming from. If the songs weren’t catchy enough, the authenticity of the artists behind the music is relatable on so many levels.
Brick + Mortar is an escape for both the listeners and creators alike. The honesty of songs on Dropped can be heard July 17th. This release is the first time Brick + Mortar are truly free to do things their way. They are taking control of their future, and doing all the things the label would never let them do. They can’t wait for you to hear the new songs, and experience the live shows they will bring to you. Every song on the record will have a music video. They already have released the sleek sci-fi video for “Move To The Ocean” which was directed by Asraf’s brother Corey, and stars his youngest brother, EJ. This communal hand’s on approach is powered by the fans, because it’s all for them. “We are the band that only exists because of you. The Dropped EP is for anyone who ever believed in Brick + Mortar. Thanks for believing in us.”
Listen: Brick + Mortar – “Staying Gold”
Tour Dates
7/16/15 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Cafe
7/17/15 – Cincinnati, OH @ Fountain Square w/ The Ting Tings
7/18/15 – Lakewood, OH @ Mahall’s 20 Lanes
7/19/15 – Columbus, OH @ Woodlands Tavern
7/21/15 – Detroit, MI @The Shelter
7/22/15 – Chicago, IL @ The Beat Kitchen
7/23/15 – Lawrence, KS @ Granada
7/24/15 – Denver, CO @ Underground Music Showcase
7/25/15 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Loading Dock
7/27/15 – Seattle, WA @ El Corozon
7/28/15 – Portland, OR @ Analog Cafe
7/29/15 – San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop
7/30/15 – Redlands, CA @ Hangar 24 Brewery
7/31/15 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Satellite
8/01/15 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Rebel Lounge
8/02/15 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress
8/04/15 – Austin, TX @ The Mohawk
8/05/15 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
8/07/15 – Tampa, FL @ New Wrold Brewery
8/08/15 – Atlanta, GA @ Wrecking Ball 2015
8/09/15 – Orlando, FL @ Backbooth
8/11/15 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
8/12/15 – Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter
8/13/15 – Washington, DC @ DC9
8/14/15 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Barbary
8/15/15 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall Studio
8/16/15 – Cambridge, MA @ Middle East Upstairs
Filed under Highly Anticipated, listen, Shows, video
Highly Anticipated: Teen Daze
Vancouver’s Teen Daze will release his first album for Paper Bag Records on August 7th 2015. ‘Morning World’ was recorded with John Vanderslice at Tiny Telephone, his all-analog studio in San Francisco with co-producer Simon Bridgefoot. Watch the ‘Morning World‘ trailer below.
In 2010, Jamison, the person behind Teen Daze, had no idea what Four More Years would bring. That debut EP, a collection of blissful home recordings, was the work of a carefree 24 year-old. By 2012, things had changed, as they tend to do: relationships dissolved, illness affected his family, windows for outward communication were closing. The gravity of it all made for constant output; he reached for futuristic utopia with All Of Us, Together, found a devotional sanctuary inside The Inner Mansions, and embraced hibernation on Glacier. In hindsight, this was an artist coping through various forms of introverted escapism.
While proud of the material, Jamison sought to break this cycle when approaching the next record. He knew it would take a few leaps of faith, most directly: out of his bedroom… out of his comfort zone. For the first time, he gave up some control, inviting the input of others. Bearing over 30 demos, Jamison joined one of his musical heroes John Vanderslice at Tiny Telephone, his all-analog studio in San Francisco. Beyond the immediate sonic advantages of recording to tape, the sessions with Vanderslice and co-producer Simon Bridgefoot encouraged a new positivity and confidence to his craft.
Track Listing:
1. Valley of Gardens
2. Pink
3. Morning World
4. It Starts At The Water
5. Post Storm
6. Life In The Sea
7. You Said
8. Garden Grove
9. Along
10. Infinity
11. Good Night
2. Pink
3. Morning World
4. It Starts At The Water
5. Post Storm
6. Life In The Sea
7. You Said
8. Garden Grove
9. Along
10. Infinity
11. Good Night
TOUR DATES:
9/12 – Vancouver, BC @ Fortune
9/15 – Spokane, WA @ The Bartlett
9/16 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza
9/17 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
9/18 – San Francisco, CA @ The Rickshaw Stop
9/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy
9/24 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
9/25 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
9/26 – El Paso, TX @ The Lowbrow Palace
9/28 – San Antonio, TX @ 502 Bar
9/29 – Dallas, TX @ HOB Cambridge Room
9/30 – Austin, TX @ Stubbs Jr
10/1 – Houston, TX @ Rudyards
10/2 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
10/3 – Hot Spring’s, AR @ Maxine’s
10/5 – Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar
10/6 – Atlanta, GA @ 529 Club
10/7 – Raleigh, NC @ King’s
10/8 – Washington, DC @ DC9
10/9 – New York, NY @ Baby’s All Right
10/10 – Boston, MA @ Great Scott
10/13 – Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle
10/14 – Montreal, QC @ Newspeak
10/15 – Toronto, ON @ The Drake
10/16 – Chicago, IL @ Schuba’s
10/17 – Madison, WI @ The Frequency
10/18 – Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews
10/19 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
10/20 – Kansas City, KS @ The Riot Room
10/21 – Wichita, KS @ Rock Island
10/22 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
10/23 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
10/24 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux
9/15 – Spokane, WA @ The Bartlett
9/16 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza
9/17 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
9/18 – San Francisco, CA @ The Rickshaw Stop
9/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy
9/24 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
9/25 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
9/26 – El Paso, TX @ The Lowbrow Palace
9/28 – San Antonio, TX @ 502 Bar
9/29 – Dallas, TX @ HOB Cambridge Room
9/30 – Austin, TX @ Stubbs Jr
10/1 – Houston, TX @ Rudyards
10/2 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
10/3 – Hot Spring’s, AR @ Maxine’s
10/5 – Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar
10/6 – Atlanta, GA @ 529 Club
10/7 – Raleigh, NC @ King’s
10/8 – Washington, DC @ DC9
10/9 – New York, NY @ Baby’s All Right
10/10 – Boston, MA @ Great Scott
10/13 – Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle
10/14 – Montreal, QC @ Newspeak
10/15 – Toronto, ON @ The Drake
10/16 – Chicago, IL @ Schuba’s
10/17 – Madison, WI @ The Frequency
10/18 – Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews
10/19 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
10/20 – Kansas City, KS @ The Riot Room
10/21 – Wichita, KS @ Rock Island
10/22 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
10/23 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
10/24 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux
*all with Heavenly Beat
Filed under Highly Anticipated, Lists, new albums, Shows
Musically Amusing 