Remix of the Day: Lissie’s “When I’m Alone” (Leo Zero remix)

        

Remember when SXSW 2k10 was just around the corner? That was fun. Scouring the internet for acts that would grace our lovely city that fateful Spring, I came across a musical force of naturalistic wonder (otherwise known as Lissie), who, with a small-town vibe and impeccably raw vocal range, quickly won me over with her tunes (especially that Hank Williams cover… #swoon).

Lissie—When I’m Alone (Leo Zero remix)

This, however, is something refreshingly different. Imagine her Americana vocals over something a little more…electro-poppy. It’s not very deep, and doesn’t stray TOO far from the original; it just is what it is. And I kind of like it that way.

Repeat Song of the Day: “Hall”, Baths

         

This song has been on repeat for about 2 weeks now. First heard on a late night drive to the East Side with the roomies, “Hall” wins a prize in my book for not only being the quintessential summer evening jam but also for its crossover appeal into daytime listening bliss.

Baths—Hall

I don’t really know how else to describe this song besides saying GIVE IT A CHANCE. With a tenor of warped electro meets falsetto vocalizations and inexplicable sounds (clicking pens? running water? whaaat?), “Hall” (much like the rest of Baths debut album Cerulean) may take a couple of listens to make you fall in love, but, I promise, it’s inevitable. It’s surprisingly ambient, and it’s utterly fantastic. Trust me.

Good news for Austin kids, Baths (LA based, 21-year old musician Will Wiesenfeld) will grace us with his presence SEPTEMBER 6th at (my fave venue) The Mohawk, playing before El Ten Eleven. See you there.

OH and here’s a rad, somewhat-disturbingly-beautiful video I found to accompany this lovely tune.

(SPOILER ALERT: if you don’t like sad animal stories… DON’T WATCH THIS VIDEO)

Baths - Hall from Stephen Minty on Vimeo.

If you are more of a “visual” person (and don’t want to read the last post full of awesome tonal words), then check this beauty out.

SUMMER IS ALMOST OVER VIDEO OF THE DAY

Still Corners—Wish

Summer Soundtrack: Still Corners

         

Welcome to the solution to all your problems. As the stagnant heat refuses to show any signs of moving the F on, the perfectly sublime answer for all you miserable souls out there is to hole up in the AC (or perhaps sit out on a shaded porch) and let the mesmerizing tones of some ethereal indie band take you to a different (albeit, more pleasant) dimension.

Enter scene: Still Corners.

As the indie genre trend wafts into a surf-pop mentality, Still Corners is riding the wave, yet catapulting themselves above and beyond the crest of competition (puns semi-intended). Hailing from London, the group stands out from the crowd of 60’s inspired bands because of their (simply stated) pure and gorgeous tunes. Their influences range from cathedrals to old film production, materializing in the duo’s airy originals that feature echo-ing drums and haunting organs as the foundation for the vocalist’s sheer and breathy pipes. Still Corners takes the 60’s dream-gaze fad to a whole new celestial level, successfully translating an air of laissez-faire into substantial lyrical ballads. It’s beautiful. It’s sedating. It’s highly remedial.

Still Corners— Endless Summer**

- Appropriating every aspect of summer in a three minute mesmerizing melody? To this song, I say, job well done.

Still Corners— Don’t Fall in Love**

Still Corners— History of Love

Still Corners— Cremona

WHY ARE THESE ELDERLY PATRONS STARING INTO MY SOUL VIDEO OF THE DAY

Ratatat—Drugs

Sorry… I’ve been moving. I have said “SO LONG SUCKERS” to a neighborhood of lore and loathing (aka West Campus) and now find myself comfortably residing on the East Side. Good times (and frequent updates) will ensue. For the meantime, be prepared to be creeped out by the above. 

Hip-Hop Song of the Day: “Tangerine” by Big Boi

       

This morning a co-worker asked if I had heard the new Big Boi album. I responded with a dejected “Unfortunately No” and continued about my work until, lo and behold, I made the connection (via Internet research, of course) that my new all-time fave hip hop song was in fact OFF BIG BOI’S NEW ALBUM. (Cue divine intervention).

Last night I decided to return to 2k7— a time when I spent hours scouring the interweb for the next best hip-hop song to put on my “Get Ready Now, Betch” playlist, and Hiphopearly.com was my mecca. To any music-downloading beginner, the site can be overwhelming, but I quickly fell into step, using an old process of pulling up multiple browsers for the site and super-downloading the shit out of brand spanking new beats. In the midst of this action, I downloaded “Tangerine”. (Cue ecstatic hip-hop epiphany).

Big Boi (ft. T.I. & Khujo)—Tangerine

It mesmerized me with its initial electric guitar, terribly catchy chorus lines, and unique beat production. Other than that, you’ll have to decide for yourself, but I continuously (and rather fondly) resurrect the basic layout of “Dangerous” (via Ying Yang Twins) in the back of my mind whenever I hear it. Take a listen, and commence your dancing and/or appropriate head bob. 

[Side/Semi-relevant note: I was, once upon a time, asked the question: if I were a rapper, which rapper would I be. My answer? T.I.  And while that still stands, Big Boi is now my 2nd pick.]

I have a few titles for this baby.

1) DOUBLE WHAMMY VIDEO OF THE DAY

2) SUBLIMINAL MESSAGING? VIDEO OF THE DAY

3) BACK TO THE FUTURE VIDEO OF THE DAY

Pick your favorite. I’m going to go with #2. 

Young Empires—Diamond Rings

Summer Soundtrack: Young Empires

       

Tribal overtones + electro pop + my love for anything/everything danceable = this freaking awesome band

Yes, my friends, I have MORE music for you to be super psycho thrilled about this summer and the remainder of 2k10. Young Empires have been picking up internet steam these past couple of months, ESPECIALLY after a successful stint at NXNE a few days ago (where they ranked alongside Iggy Pop, Les Savy Fav, AA Bondy, and Best Coast as some of the festival’s fave acts) and after scoring gigs with acts like Sleigh Bells (OMFG) and Wave Machines. 

Beginning their musical journey back in October, Young Empires have filtered down from America’s top hat Canada and quickly squeezed their tribal electro-pop into the “underground” limelight (and—as of last week—onto the dance floor at Barbarella). The fusion of Matthew Vlahovich’s pipes, Robert Aaron Ellingson’s guitar, and Jake Palahnuk’s bass into a pure yet primitively inspired disco/electronic confection has successfully won over the hearts of many (myself included). As they seamlessly blend light flutes into dance-punk beats, this band creates an ethereal explosion of fresh and danceable electronic jams that will no doubt become your new summer staples. TAKE A LISTEN. 

Young Empires—Rain of Gold 

Young Empires—Diamond Rings

Young Empires—Glory of the Night (demo)

Summer Soundtrack: Foster the People

              

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say YOU’RE WELCOME for introducing you to THE summer anthem of 2k10 (and, if you’ve already heard it, then, please… humor me for the remainder of this paragraph). After a few rounds on the pod and a test-drive (windows down) in the crap-mobile, “Pumped Up Kicks” successfully infiltrated my lethargic summer brain and dissipated its lackadaisical whims throughout the remainder of my functioning systems. With an uncanny ability to make you feel like you’re swimming high at the Greenbelt on a cool(er) summer day, the song can appropriately be hailed as the perfect indie summer jam.

Foster the People—Pumped Up Kicks

From what I’ve gathered… record labels have been up in arms about Foster the People—an indie quartet from LA—since they emerged last October. But (since we all know the music biz is going to shits anyway) I don’t think we need to fear another corporate-indie disaster (a la MGMT*) from these kids. With a Peter Bjorn & John meets Empire of the Sun at a West Coast beach party kind of vibe, Foster the People will most definitely be turning heads the latter half of this year, as they (hopefully) release more new tunes. For now, enjoy your new favorite song. 

* I am in no way saying that MGMT is a disaster. I am in every way saying that giving a corporation control of an artist who has a fundamental dedication to the aesthetic of the music they create will in no way be able to satisfy both the corporation and the artist (thus ending in disaster). 

Road Trip Revelations

       

Putting my iPod on shuffle is always a daunting task for me… mostly because the ONE song I want to hear never comes on (leading to immense frustration) but also because I cringe every time I discover that I haven’t completely cleared some crucially awful top 40 hits (aka lady gaga) from the contraption (and I mourn the wasted space). Anyway, the road trip to and from Dallas this weekend left me satisfied, yet with some unanswered questions/surprising revelations…

1) Black Moth Super Rainbow is the most immaculately perfect name of all time, mainly because the band’s name happens to be the epitome of the kind of music that the group produces, but also because it just is.

Black Moth Super Rainbow—Zodiac Girls (Pony Version)

Black Moth Super Rainbow—Don’t You Want to Be in a Cult

Black Moth Super Rainbow—Milk Skates

2) This round is called “WTF HAPPENED TO”…

a) Miami Horror: I first liked Miami Horror because, for a long time, I was convinced that the group was really Vega… in disguise. But, alas, I was wrong. After conceding this defeat, however, I decided I kind of loved them even more for their “chill wave” antics and super hot Australian background. A quick Google search just informed me that they will release an album this year, but, in the meantime… I mourn their absence from my rotating playlists.

Miami Horror—Make You Mine

Miami Horror—Don’t Be On With Her

Datarock—Fa Fa Fa (Miami Horror remix)

b) Metronomy: I realize that these oldies but goodies just released an album last year, BUT, my building resentment toward them for not coming to tour the US in a loooong ass time blinds me to their most recent accomplishment. I can not, however, deny their brilliance. There’s this genre I don’t know if you’ve heard of called “electronic” music. Combine that with some English pop and TA DAAAA. Metronomy. 

Metronomy—Heartbreaker

Metronomy—A Thing For Me

Metronomy—Not Made For Love 

c) M83: Remember when “Teen Angst” was your THEME SONG? Maybe not, but I’m pretty sure I had these lyrics up on my AOL away message system whenever I was feeling super wise yet “angsty” with the world as a teen. They haven’t released an album in two years!!! Do you know how much my outlook on music/life has changed in TWO YEARS? A lot. So, dear M83, please grant me my request and come up with some new dreamy electro tunes that, once again, perfectly apply to my life. Sincerely yours, Hannah.

M83—Teen Angst

M83—We Own The Sky

M83— Run Into Flowers

3) FINALLY… my favorite thing in the whole wide world is hearing a song that you completely forgot about when you least expect it, and then, you smile and think that everything is perfectly aligned in the world (which, we all know, is complete bull shit). But sometimes, it kind of is. (These are just a few that I remember feeling instant gratification when they wafted over my crappy car speakers)

Delorean—Deli

The Presets—If I Know You

Annie—Anthonio (Designer Drugs remix)

Royksopp—Happy Up Here (Boys Noize remix)

Lo-Fi-Fnk—Want U

Starfucker—Medicine

Ahhhh there are many many many more. These are just a few that haven’t been on rotation in a long time, therefore, I miss them greatly. Ok, that’s all I have for you this evening. GOODBYE.

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Themed by: Hunson