BochiCrew

Cillo, the Irish producer behind the brilliant remix of "Yellow Light" by Of Monsters and Men has just thrown together a new mix. The mix is an a hour and a half of solid vibing sure to shake the dreariness out of a Sunday afternoon. There is a little bit of everything in the mix. #2 by Cillo on Mixcloud

Photo Credit: Skateboarder Magazine The bands we all grew up listening to are now more often than not cemented firmly in the past. However, that doesn't mean they aren't relevant anymore. Some of the bands I grew up listening to can still capture a feeling I may have better than any contemporary group. Additionally, more often than not an old song has memories of significant events if not significant periods attached to it. Currently I am powering through a job search while blasting Saves the Day. With the driven power chords, crashing symbols and angst filled vocals of Chris Conley, I find myself wading through memories of late elementary school and early middle school. It was hard not to feel a connection to the group during middle school especially with songs like "Freakish," exactly how every one feels during those dreadful years. Luckily the angst filled past is behind me and my general associations with Saves the Day are largely positive. Mainly just bringin...

...So in an attempt to procrastinate on a research paper, I thought I would start browsing the Live at Leeds acts and construct a mammoth playlist. What emerged was some wicked procrastination, a list of the acts I will try to catch, and a new-found love for Swim Deep. I somehow missed the West Midlands group over the past few months but am safely under their sway now. Many blogs have already covered "She Changes the Weather" and typically I avoid redundancy so cut me some slack on this one? "She Changes the Weather" warrants a listen by all and several listens by most. Wake me up, I'm dreaming...

The aim of the Postcards feature is to promote the best of submissions for the past week. Well it has been well over a week since the last Postcards feature. I returned last night from a week or so of travelling in the south of France and made it a point to not bring a computer. While on break I wanted to take a step back from the blog in order to be refreshed when I returned. Normally the Postcard feature only highlights three artists but today will be an exception. Postcards X will be a bundle of the best, just think of it as the postcards being delayed in the mail. Excuse me if the write-ups aren't quite as eloquent or long-winded as they normally are, we have a lot of songs to work through in this post. The Hics Chilled, laid-back, tranquil, ripe, dripping mellowness, however you want to put, "Cold Air" brings the calm. Silky instrumentals with gushing vocals create a deadly combo that kills any stress on impact. Keaton Henson (The Album Leaf remix) ...

Normally I am not one for remixes, but I have had to make some exceptions recently for groups like Religion and now The Chainsmokers. These guys first caught my gaze with their tremendous rehash of Jonsi's "Around Us." If you can take a song by arguably one of the most talented and creative musicians and completely turn it on its head, then I think there is something to be said there. The Chainsmokers just dropped a remix of Little Daylight's "Overdose." Their decision to hone in on "Overdose" stems from the duo hearing the song at a party, looking it up, and then asking Little Daylight for permission. The original garnered considerable buzz and I am sure the remix will follow suit. Happy Listening! Don't forget to get that free download!

Astronauts, etc.'s, new offering, "Cold Boy", might be my favorite yet. "Coldboy" departs considerably from "Sideswiped" , boasting a tropical sound at times with a lot of momentum. However, Ferraro's spacious vocals are still highlighted in moments of reflection interspersed throughout. The thumping bass line is downright infectious . Ferraro shows that he can nail both a slowed down, emotion-laden track while picking it back up with a more than danceable track. Something else to look forward to is the release of an Astronauts LP in August comprised of completely new tracks. Start the day with this one!

The first time I listened at length to Eric and Magill was this past summer driving along the Kancamagus highway through the White Mountains of New Hampshire. I hadn't heard much of from the duo previously but their unique back story and their status as Milwaukee natives compelled me to load them up on the iPod. I have been meaning to do a write-up on these guys for the past month when Two Travellers was first released but never got around to it. Scoop it for free here . Two Travelers couldn't be a better name for the new EP. Old friends from Milwaukee, Ryan Weber and Eric Osterman had spent several years playing together in the group Camden. Nowadays however, Weber and Osterman find themselves more often apart than together. Logic would have you think that to write an album would require the two to be in the same state, let alone the same country. Both dedicated travelers and musicians, Weber and Osterman have proven the maxim, "You Can't Have Everything...

When I have a task that requires the utmost concentration I turn to the instrumental and composers. When I turn to instrumental music and composers I usually turn to Ólafur Arnalds . The Icelandic composer recently announced the release of a forthcoming album with Mercury Classics titled, For Now I Am Winter . If you have grown accustomed to the purely instrumental arrangements of Arnalds you will be surprised to hear vocals ( Arnór Dancan ) on the upcoming album. It took me awhile to get used to but when I did I found it a pleasant change. The addition of vocals could have easily detracted from the sweeping arrangements. Instead they toe the line, at times emerging in the foreground and then sliding back to allow the rest of the composition to breathe. The result is something uniquely Ólafur, though I can't help but be reminded of Jerome Alexander and Message to Bears . Look for an album that progresses in a much different way than what you would normally expect from Arna...

In preparation for the fast-approaching SXSW, Oakland's Trails and Ways have announced a slew tour dates. If you haven't been lucky enough to catch them yet make an effort to and if you have been lucky enough, then do it again. Dan Croll, Carousel, and T & W is one of the sicker shows that I have heard about in awhile. Trails and Ways are right up there with The Neighbourhood, Bastille, and Crystal Fighters as the groups I most want to see live. If you don't have the chance, settle for the youtube clip below and catch them next time. Below find the announced tour dates, some older tracks, and a more recent remix. Scoop their discography on iTunes in addition to some free ones on the Trails and Ways Facebook page . Tour Dates Sat 3/9: LA - Bootleg Bar with Dan Croll and Carousel 9pm Sun 3/10: San Diego - Bar Pink Solo Show 9pm Wed 3/13: SX - B3SCI Day Show at Maggie Mae's 4pm Thur 3/14: SX - Hype Hotel at Whitley 8pm Fri 3/15: SX - Day Show at ...

The past week or so has been rather hectic. Unfortunately posting has suffered a bit as a result. There have been some killer submissions over the past two weeks so look for some big posts with even bigger tunes in the coming week or two. My apologies to the artists and you, the readers. In the meantime, here are two tracks that have been keeping me grounded when my stress was consuming all. The first is from the fabled producer Bahwee , a dope track aged about two weeks titled "Back it Up". I know my bud over at Prom Sawyer is feeling this new one from the L.A. beatsmith. I will always have a tender spot for Bahwee as one of his tracks usually served as the intro for "Grinnellevance," the radio show Prom Sawyer and I put on together. Next up is a new track from Drew Harris or Germany Germany. Germany Germany first caught my attention with "nov16." His newest, "Apollo" isn't too shabby either. Credit to The Waxhole and Poule D...