BochiCrew

A short addendum to Postcards VI (get your fix here if you haven't checked it). After returning home this afternoon I found Ryan Hemsworth's remix of Cat Power's "Manhattan" ft. Angel Haze sitting in my inbox. I have already been through "Manhattan" five times now and sure to be more by the time I finish this post. I am making a not-so-bold prediction that this track is going straight to the top. There are just too many things working in its favor - Cat Power, Angel Haze, Ryan Hemsworth, a mellow vibe, and it goes on and on. This rework actually reminds me a lot of the brilliant Cillo's take on "Yellow Light" by Of Monsters and Men. If you didn't catch Bochi's post on that rework revisit it for a chilled cool-down listen after "Manhattan." Honestly, I don't know what else to write, it is a breathtaking rework, simple as that. Out of fear of unnecessarily cluttering the post I think I will leave it at that....

I returned yesterday from a pretty killer weekend in Casablanca. Was not exactly what I expected but ended up going to the biggest mall in Africa followed by a night of live music with friends in the surprisingly sleepy heart of Casablanca. Nothing could have been more different compared to bar shows back in the states. Today's postcards departs from the U.K., spanning the Atlantic with Arlissa, GAPS before arriving in Charleston and finallyOakland with Bells Atlas. If you want to be featured on Postcards send Bochi Crew your music at bochicrew@gmail.com and follow us @BochiCrew Arlissa The worldly choral arrangements of the Crystal Fighters have long been an obsession of mine. I continually search for an equally earthy sound but usually turn up empty handed. Finally, I found an artist that has more than expanded on that and I had enough chance for her to land in my inbox. All that searching for naught. Her name is Arlissa and she comes in at the mere age of 20 with a...

Age seems increasingly irrelevant today as younger and younger musicians garner as much hype as their grizzled, aging counterparts. Take for instance Archy Marshall (King Krule), Tyler the Creator, Earl Sweatshirt, and Sorcha Richardson. Today we feature the talented and stunning Vanessa Elisha who at the age of 21 has put together a dynamic R & B composition with "Blur". There is a certain fantastical element that pervades throughout. With the world in tatters and resembling a nightmare it proves difficult not to wish for what Elisha croons for: "Take me away from it, take me away, the real world's too cold." With the hostage crisis in Algeria, a growing impasse in U.S. politics, deteriorating women's rights in India, and an unprecedented amount of random violence, I will echo that call. Just one brief moment of fantasy and respite before we have to pick up the pieces. On a brighter note, "Blur" is a free download.

A short addendum to a previous post. More from the Swedish pop duo, Marching Band with the release of an accompanying swing-dance music video for "And I've Never Seen." Maybe I am a sucker for swing or maybe I want a break from werkin'and twerkin' but in any case I find it thoroughly refreshing. Turns out Jacob from Marching Band went to school with Zakarias of the Harlem Hot Shots and thus an amazing video produced. Below is another intriguing video of The Harlem Hot Shots doing the lindy hop. The clip transports the viewer back to another time as cliche as that sounds. Maybe its me watching to many early 1920s period pieces and recently finishing This Side of Paradise and now the music video but life hardly feels like the 2013 thus far. The EP dropped on January 15th so pick it up!

It has been a while since my last post as I have been slowly settling into Morocco for the next couple of months. The hectic week or two in addition to the lack of wifi has been a significant hindrance to writing anything. Finally got some wifi and time enough for a post today. The goal in the coming months will be to put out a weekly post and then get back into a more regular routine when I head back to that states in mid-May. I will throw down a couple of tracks I have been feeling the last couple of weeks. Alpines I think this place might be haunted. Catherine Pockson has got me searching in ghosts with her spectral hymns. I consistently turn to Alpines for travel playlists and "Lights" seems about perfect for drifting off as the plane taxis for takeoff. Look for their debut album to drop later this year. For a bonus I included "Tidal Wave," a collaboration between Alpines and Sub Focus. Kevin Allred "To the left to the left to the left, ev...

Submissions from this past week seem to represent one or two genres, composition and instrumental. As I have mentioned in the past, instrumental work tends to be my favorite and unfortunately it seems to be a genre that doesn't secure enough traction. 'Nough said and with one more plug on to the music. As always email us your submissions at bochicrew@gmail.com Oskar Schuster Starting piano at the age of 6 and beginning to compose at the age of 14, the ability of Oskar Schuster to weave fantasized dreamscapes comes as no surprise. In more recent years Schuster studied musicology in Munich before packing up his bags for Berlin in hopes of becoming a musician. Since then he has released Dear Utopia in September 2011 and is currently working on his second full-length entitled, Sneuuwland . Schuster writes, "I like to call my songs musical fairytales as they create a surreal, magical atmosphere with the combination of piano, glockenspiel, music box, accordion and ...

A few weeks back we wrote up the Australian group The Honey Pies on our Postcards feature. My stereo has seen a lot of play of their new release Coconuts over the past few weeks and I am sure my neighbors are tiring of the repetition. We caught up with Jon Marco of the Honey Pies for an interview this past week. Check the interview below in addition to grabbing the new album . For consumption below are the two last tracks off the record, "Times New Roman" and "Huckleberries." Times New Roman by The Honey Pies Huckleberries by The Honey Pies The Interview Bochi Crew: First off, thanks for doing the interview with Bochi Crew, we are big fans! The Honey Pies: Thank you for having me. I’m going to throw in a token “G’day” so I sound really Australian. G’day! BC: You guys just released your new album, “Coconuts,” what was the driving force behind the album, was there something in particular you were trying to convey or put out there? HP: W...

The new year brings in new living arrangements. Tomorrow afternoon I leave for Rabat, Morocco for the next couple of months. Unfortunately, with the move I may not have the resources nor the time to keep updating BC on a regular basis. I will aim for a weekly post and additional posts when I can. Don't really know what to classify Autre Ne Veut as but for now let's call them ambient, electric, and soulful. The emotion-laden vocals of Arthur Ashin express his deep-held fears about losing his grandmother. Perhaps the most universally shared and understood bond of family is what makes this yearning tune so relatable. Everyone has lost a grandparent and understands that gut-wrenching sensation. "Counting" expresses Ashin's fear of calling his grandmother as he believes that each time could be his last. After every listen Ashin's voice continues to reverberate with the verses of Mykki Blanco punctuating throughout. Most notable is the layering of Blan...