“…like what might happen if Beck produced a track for LCD Soundsystem.” – Stereogum
“Think of this new track as the nonchalant older kid that just embodies cool. It doesn’t have to try very hard… Try to get this one out of your head.” – Earmilk
Black Kids, who have announced their new track “Obligatory Drugs”, have released the first of some new music since their 2008 debut album Partie Traumatic. The single appears on their forthcoming sophomore album Rookie, out September 15.
Filed under Awesome, Highly Anticipated, listen, new albums, video
Photo credit: Erika Mugglin & Corbu
Crayon Soul is produced by Corbu and mixed by Dave Fridmann (Tame Impala, MGMT, The Flaming Lips). It follows two acclaimed EPs, We Are Sound and Everything You Imagine Is Real, which garnered praise from the likes of NYLON, Stereogum, The Guardian, NME and more, as well as capturing the attention of Jessie Ware, who personally requested the band to remix her song “You & I (Forever)”.
Filed under Awesome, Check 'em Out!, listen, new albums, Shows
“…ludicrously infectious…It’s a slice of absurdist neon-drenched pop with an equally surrealist accompanying video” – Stereogum
Holiday Mountain’s psych-aerobics video for “Cómo Te Llamas?” has debuted to give the first taste of the upcoming album SHIA, due August 12. Imagine if Adult Swim had Carmen Miranda direct an aerobics instructional video after taking four tabs of acid, the internet would implode, and thus, we would have Holiday Mountain’s “Cómo Te Llamas?”. Laura Patiño and Zander Kagle teamed up with Mexican Institute of Sound and director Brittany Reeber to create the final product, creating a unique, futuristic Cumbia-electronic hybrid .The video and single serve as the official announcement for the upcoming full-length, SHIA, out this fall.
About “Cómo,” singer and subject of the video Laura Patiño explains, “[the video] was inspired by my long time love for Jane Fonda-esque aerobics videos, absurdist artists like Eric Andre, and what we call ‘digital-punk’ style video editing; born from Youtube culture and the cyber revolution that has allowed us as humans to put out whatever expressions we want regardless of how unorthodox they are. I wanted the viewer to feel empowered by the fact that we have full ownership of our unique bodies while also acknowledging our culture’s ludicrous commodification of individual body parts, youth, and what it means to be healthy.”
The Austin duo of Patiño and Kagle combine hip-hop, electronic, reggae, dub, and Cumbia to create their own genre of heavy futuristic dance. Patiño cites surprising influences, such as Billie Holiday and Amy Winehouse, that, along with the visuals and Kagle’s production, manifest itself as art in the leagues of Major Lazer, Die Antwoord, and Peaches. SHIA is a balanced mix of freaky club bangers with a touch of vulnerability and sweetness. Says the band, “For us, SHIA signifies the end of compromise and the end of fearing what others will think or do when you become exactly who you want to be. SHIA is realization with a fuck-everything-else attitude.”
Holiday Mountain is an electronic music duo founded by Mexican-American songwriter/keyboardist Laura Patiño and drummer/producer Zander Kagle. The two met in Boston while attending Berklee College of Music and together found a genre-expanding sound, fusing together their affinity for pop, hip-hop, and electronic music. The result is a force so strong that when describing their sound, NPR exclaimed, “resistance is futile.”
“After witnessing their atomic live set, you’ll be rendered breathless,” says SPIN Magazine, who also named the band one of their favorite things from SXSW 2015. “Make sure to watch to the end,” urges The Wall Street Journal, as audience members are regularly exposed to glittery crowd surfing, sweaty drum solos, and being fed cake until they reach “a cacophonous climax.” (SPIN)
Holiday Mountain’s addictive blend of upbeat, hyper-electro sounds and the ability to not take themselves too seriously while addressing deeper subjects places the band in a perfect position to become the next big thing. Let go and lose yourself in “Cómo,” viewable now and catch the band on tour opening for Beats Antique this fall, and prepare yourself for SHIA in its entirety.
Catch Holiday Mountain Live:
7/16 – Austin, TX – Solstice Festival
9/24 – Abeline, TX – Key City Block Party
9/25 – Austin, TX – Pecan Street Festival
10/27 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom *
10/28 – Dallas, TX – The Bomb Factory *
10/29 – Austin, TX – Emo’s *
10/31 – San Antonio, TX – The Aztec Theater *
* = with Beats Antique
Filed under dance, listen, new albums, video, Whoa!
“Sounds like heaven” – Stereogum
“Retro-soul that feels totally refreshing.” – NYLON
“Shades of blues, jazz and even electronic music without missing a beat.” – Noisey
“Makes you want to channel all of your frustrations into dancing the night away.” – Teen Vogue
“Intense and uninhibited” – Billboard
Following the release of her critically acclaimed album Blood To Bone, New Zealand-born/Los Angeles-based Gin Wigmore is set to kick off her largest North American tour yet next week in D.C. on March 27th. A unique breed of soul infused rock ‘n’ roll with a fierce attitude to match, Gin’s latest work was an international success that saw Top-40 airplay in both Australia and New Zealand + over 23 million streams across platforms worldwide.
Gin’s latest single “Willing To Die” featuring Suffa and Hilltop Hoods’ Logic is accompanied by a captivating and empowering video in which the artist lays bare her own vulnerabilities. Gin explains:
“‘Willing To Die’ warranted a strong, bare-all (literally!) approach. I wanted to have a go at breaking down the false sense of security, acceptance, and short-lived happiness we, as humans, feel will come from indulging in materialism. It’s not the things we buy, the big house we dream of or the expense of the clothes we wear. It is about taking that scary first step in figuring out who we truly are. Figuring out our insecurities and downfalls to accept and change or just to own and be aware of. It is about finding what you love about yourself so you can be a positive footprint in this world for you and others. By no means have I mastered this yet, but I guess that’s why we get a lifetime to try figure ourselves out. 🙂 Be brave, be you, and take a look at the video – you just might like it.”
Blood To Bone follows 2013’s Gravel & Wine, which spawned hit singles including “Man Like That”, synced to a Skyfall-themed Heineken advertisement, in which Gin appeared alongside Daniel Craig’s James Bond and Wigmore’s 2009 debut album Holy Smoke. Both albums reached #1 and multi-platinum status back home in New Zealand. Revered for her spellbinding and strikingly raw live performance, be sure to catch Gin Wigmore in a city near you!
Gin Wigmore Tour Dates
3/27: Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall
3/29: New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom – SOLD OUT
4/1: Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
4/2: Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
4/5: South Burlington, VT @ Showcase Lounge
4/8: Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground
4/9: Buffalo, NY @ Studio at Waiting Room
4/12: Ferndale, MI @ The Magic Bag
4/13: Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s Rock Club
4/16: Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge
4/19: Austin, TX @ The Parish
4/20: Dallas, TX @ Trees
4/23: Denver, CO @ Marquis Theatre
4/26: Vancouver, BC @ Venue
4/27: Seattle, WA @ Neumos
4/29: Portland, OR @ Star Theater
5/1: San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
5/3: San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
5/5: Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre
Tickets Available Here: http://www.ginwigmorelive.com/
Today, Sharer are pleased to reveal their debut song “Body Tonight” to the world. SHARER is Young & Sick (Nick van Hofwegen) and JD Samson (MEN / Le Tigre). Alongside Nick and JD, the vocals on “Body Tonight” are by Jo Lampert (Tune-Yards, AVAN LAVA) and Xavier Smith. The single will come out on August 21st, with remixes from Midnight Magic and LEFTI.
Stereogum premiered the debut and says: “…could host a variety of dances from the Cha-Cha to the Tango — it’s just that diverse in its sound, from jazz to soul to EDM. The harmonies in the chorus (“Bring me closer to your body tonight / Bring me closer to your lovin’ all right”) are just phenomenal.”
“I used to go see JD simply as a fan while living in London. Her live shows were always absolutely fantastic, leaving me a sweaty mess. When the opportunity arose for me to work with her, I jumped at it. A few months later, here is the beginning of our new friendship. I couldn’t be more excited to share it.” – Nick van Hofwegen (Young & Sick)
“Nick and I were matched up to write songs for other people, but after about two seconds of sharing, we knew what we had was something completely and utterly ours. Love and respect for your collaborators is so important, and working with Nick is such a beautiful expression of our mutual admiration. I love our process and can’t wait until the world gets to share the joy.” – JD Samson
Filed under Check 'em Out!, listen
The track is taken from the London group’s debut album Lacuna, which was recorded with acclaimed producer Dan Carey at his studio in London. With The Guardian describing Childhood as “undeniably exciting and relevant” and Pitchfork as “an exciting young British rock band delivering their spin on luminous guitar pop”, Lacuna is looking set to be one of the albums of the summer.
Filed under Check 'em Out!, listen, new albums, remixes, video
“It’s a joy; it’s a breeze. Blast it” – Stereogum“With a sound that’s ideal for hazy afternoons spent spinning in the sun or warm nights with the wind in your hair, Favored Nations deserves a prominent spot in your summer playlist.” – BlackBook
“Musically it’s as smooth as the flesh on a lady’s inner thigh—100% Steely Dan vibes on a kicky nu-disco tip. We love.“ – Noisey
Their accomplishments thus far aren’t too surprising since the trio is made up of some very familiar and beloved men on the dance music scene. James Curd is one of the most sought after remixers in the genre and he founded the group with singer Morgan Phalen, whose voice will sound familiar to anyone who listened to Justice’s psychy second LP Audio Video Disco. Curd then added Surahn Sidhu, touring bass and guitar player for Empire of the Sun, to the mix.
For the past few months the three have been working through touring commitments, solo projects, and the space of an ocean to construct a new EP. On July 1st Favored Nations will be releasing their second EP Amazon via Jupiter Clique. Yesterday, Stereogum premiered the lead single “Amazon,” which they deemed “a joy” and “a breeze.” This lead single will soon be receiving a music video before the EP is released.
Filed under Awesome, Check 'em Out!, listen, Newest Love
“Bleachers’ ‘I Wanna Get Better’ Is Basically the Song Of the Summer In February.” – HUFFINGTON POST
““I Wanna Get Better” is a great first effort; it’s exciting to imagine what else Antonoff has up his sleeve.” – TIME
“…heavy-hitting pianos, pulsing percussion and grandiose vocals…” – ROLLING STONE
“…the song is 100% anthemic alt-rock gold with some major production value, as well as a chorus that will have you singing along by your second listen.” – HILLY DILLY
“…bright bit of retro-futuristic pop-rock…” – STEREOGUM
Bleachers live:
3/12 – Austin, TX @ Palladia’s EPIC. AWESOME. SHOWCASE
3/13 – Austin, TX @ 2014 mtvU Woodie Awards and Festival – info HERE
3/19 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour – info HERE
3/27 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
6/ 6-8 – New York, NY @ Governor’s Ball – info HERE
6/19-22 – Dover, DE @ Firefly Music Festival – info HERE
7/5-6 – London + Birmingham, UK @ Wireless Festival – info HERE
7/1-12 – Bilbao, Spain @ Bilbao BBK Live Festival – info HERE
Filed under Awesome, Check 'em Out!, Newest Love, video
French duo Total Warr formed when longtime friends Kiki and Guigui joined forces with the goal of creating fun, energetic pop songs. Since then, they’ve made their mark with a handful of singles and EPs that have earned praise from Stereogum, FADER, RCRD LBL, and more. Now, Total Warr is back with a new three-track EP that includes guest vocals from The Death Setand an electrically-charged Pixies cover. Packed with irresistible hooks and sing-along choruses, the Loisy EP will be released digitally on January 29th.
Total Warr’s “Where Is My Mind” (Pixies cover) turns the hit into a buzzing, beat-driven jam complete with a sample from “Empire State of Mind.” The video, which premiered with PAPER Magazine earlier today, builds from a simple live performance of the classic into an all out house party full of entertaining characters.
“Bambastard,” which features guest vocals from The Death Set’s Johnny Siera, opens the EP with a rich blend of electric guitar, synths, and layer upon layer of harmonies, all set to an infectious beat. “Always Me” slows things down with a swirling foundation of vocals and instrumentation that builds to an explosive climax.
Filed under Check 'em Out!, video
This is a sweet and creepy video from Peter Sarsgaard for Caveman’s “Old Friend” mini-movie directed by Philip Di Fiore.
“A dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind, that would make “Twilight Zone” creator Rod Serling feel warm all over, but strikes a creepy chord for the rest of us.” – IFC
“…a high-concept, intriguing clip featuring the ruins of an afterparty, a disembodied Peter Sarsgaard and a spooky, vintage cinema aesthetic. It’s intense.” – Stereogum
Musically Amusing 