With the constant stream of submissions it becomes easy to forget to look outside your inbox for new music. This post highlights some of the best new releases making the rounds of the blogosphere in addition to some releases that recently landed in our inbox.
Oberhofer
On a sleepy winter night in Grinnell two years ago, I had the blessing to catch a joint Night Moves/Oberhofer show. The night quickly became anything but quiet as the two groups proceeded to assure that anyone living above the dorm hall basement wouldn't get any sleep so they might as well turn out and dance. Oberhofer proved to surpass my already high expectations for the show. With PBR in hand, everyone put their heads down and focused on the task at hand, dancing to the infectious surfer rock. As Brad Oberhofer crooned, "The city's looking queer and crass, with beer cans growing blades of grass, to look like something new.," I remember my friends and I looking at one another with wide grins stuck on our faces, bearing testament to the cathartic release. The take away from the show you might ask? Xylophone, that xylophone should and must be used whenever possible. Quite simply it makes everything that much more dancable.
Needless to say I jumped on "Earplugs" as well as "You + Me (In the Future)." Oberhofer's newest offerings come ahead of the April 23rd release of Notalgia. "Earplugs" surfaced about two weeks ago while "You +Me (In the Future" is as young as yesterday. Grab a beer and focus on the task at hand.
Postiljonen
It is about time that Bochi Crew threw down some Swedish dream pop again. Among my favorite discoveries of the fall, Postiljonen, graces us with a new release titled "Supreme." Where Postiljonen had been a bit slow for my liking in the past, they remedy it a slightly more driven "Supreme." The bubbly synths threaten to boil over at any moment before building to an M83-esque climax. Postiljonen released an appropriately dreamy video to herald in the new release (video via The Line of Best Fit). As always, beautiful scenery and beautiful people. Fellow countryman, Niva threw down an equally digestible remix included below for a digestif.
Crystal Fighters
Crystal Fighters already have their story pasted all over the internet as a result of Star of Love. These Spaniards/Brits have crafted an idiomatic sound, infused with elements of traditional basque folk and more contemporary synthesizers. The result, an earthy, organic, and electronic melange with considerable pickup. The vocals are what strike me most on any Fighters track, they are just so fucking natural sounding. The only artist that comes close to touching them is Arlissa. "Wave" offers more of the same. Star of Love had to be one of the strongest debut albums I have heard and if "Wave" is any indication, Cave Rave looks to be even more rousing. Take your calender, draw in a big red circle on May 27 and brace for the release of Cave Rave.
Jon Lawless & Mary Cassidy
It seems like every week now we have a new track from Ontario's First Rate People. In response to my last post where I aired my regret that Mary Cassidy had not been included in "So Sure," Cassidy wrote back saying I wouldn't have to wait long. I found "Verbs" in my inbox this morning, cranked up the headphones, and slipped into a folk/funk-induced euphoria. "Verbs" lands on the funkier side of the spectrum for sure. Jon Lawless and Mary Cassidy continue to set the bar high. I truly hope these guys get the credit they deserve.
Derbyshire's Haiku Salut have just released an animated video for "Glockelbar." The last feature we ran on the trio praised the release of "Los Elefantes." "Glockelbar" stems from the same, tranquil vein that has come to represent Haiku Salut. They land somewhere between Message to Bears and Múm . According to the trio, their newest "chronicles the race to death using only an accordion, a glockenspiel and a glitch plug-in." The video, animated and produced by Mitsuo Toyama , portrays a sleeping boy greeted by a giraffe at his window before being taken on a sleepy ride through the cosmos. I couldn't help but be reminded of the Little Prince. Both "Los Elefantes" and "Glockenbar" are featured on the new album, Tricolore . Do yourself and the band a favor by picking it up here !
An opening disclaimer: All the creative juice has been sucked from my soul over the couple of days, and I have not felt particularly inclined to write much. I think this is owed to my exiting from the honey moon phase of my experiences in Morocco as I am realizing that the cultural differences are rather profound. Might also be owed to some nostalgic moments looking towards home while listening to my favorite childhood bands, Sum 41 and Blink 182. I have to say I have never loved these bands more than right now. With all of this said, the write-ups will be a bit shorter this week owing to my dearth of energy. The best submissions for this past week include The Underachievers, Eeleye, and An Escape Plan. The Underachievers Part of the Beast Coast movement, the Underachievers have enjoyed some recent success with "The Madhi" and their signing with the cross-coast Flying Lotus label. Part of the 17-track mixtape, Indigioism , "The Madhi" surprisingly i
Photo Credit: leeds-list.com For only ₤22.50, Live at Leeds has to be one of the cheapest prominent music festivals out there. Combined with a stellar line-up and an absence of ques, LAL makes for a pleasant and low key weekend festival. A few complaints aside, it made for one of the more memorable weekends of the past year. Georgia Thursting I began the day at A Nation of Shopkeepers not really knowing what to expect. I had heard a track or two of Georgia Thursting, the Leeds College of Music standout, but was not sure how it would translate to the stage. The gig was intimate, filled with a wide-variety of age groups, though a significant portion of the audience seemed to be fellow students at the university. Thursting, a specimen of modesty, spoke few words between songs, and quiet words at that. This first gig gave me a glimpse of the painful feeling of a show being cut too short that I would continue to feel throughout the day. Thirty minutes was not nearly enough ti
With the constant stream of submissions it becomes easy to forget to look outside your inbox for new music. This post highlights some of the best new releases making the rounds of the blogosphere in addition to some releases that recently landed in our inbox.
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