Category Archives: 2011

[watch] Snow & Voices//Maybe Finland

Director Shannyn Sossamon says “I love Lauri’s voice. When she asked me to make the video for “Maybe Finland”, I was happy to do it. Ravi Dhar, a friend and cameraman, had been wanting to have fun with slow motion on his Canon – which was actually perfect for Lauri’s voice and the songs atmosphere. We made it one late night at Ravis house where Lauri was a trooper, having to dance for hours and hours without a clear end in sight. Here it is. Enjoy the video!”

Sossamon of course is talking about the latest music video from LA duo Snow & Voices.  In case you’re not familiar, Snow & Voices consists of keyboardist Jebin Bruni and vocalist Lauri Kranz.  For the recording of their album, Anything That Moves, they surrounded themselves with a musical collective consisting of friends and musicians including Joey Waronker, Joshua Grange and Chris Bruce.  Their third album to date, Anything That Moves is a multi-layered aural landscape.  The album features eight original songs written by Kranz and Bruni, plus their cover of the Red House Painter’s (Mark Kozelek) “Mistress” (my personal favorite, btw). Produced by Jebin Bruniand Darrell Thorp (Radiohead, Beck), Anything That Moves commits the band to the moody dream-pop sound that they have become known for.

As of late, the duo has been working on The Covers Project, for which they’ve been recording a series of cover songs and releasing them one at a time, every few months or so, with a vinyl release of the collection due at the end of the year.  The first song in the series is a cover of Tir Na Nog’s “So Freely” from their 1972 release A Year and a Smile.  The second release from The Covers Project is a fantastic cover of The Cure’s “Disintegration”.  Both of these tracks, and more, are available on iTunes.

More Snow & Voices:
snowandvoices.com
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[new music roundup] 11.15.11

A few of my favorite new releases this week…

Caveman//CoCo Beware 

For fans of: Gauntlet Hair, Milagres, Bleached, Exitmusic
Key tracks: Thankful, Old Friend, A Country’s King of Dreams, December 28th

 

 

Childish Gambino//Camp 

For fans of: Chiddy Bang, VX, Tyler the Creator, The Weekend
Key tracks: Bonfire, Kids, You See Me, Sunrise

 

 

Crystal Stilts//Radiant Door EP

For fans of:  Dirty Beaches, Girls Names, Beach Fossils, Dum Dum Girls
Key tracks: Dark Eyes, Radiant Door, Frost Inside the Asylums, Still As the Night

 

 

Los Campesinos!//Hello Sadness

For fans of: Slow Club, Sky Larkin, Parenthetical Girls, Stagecoach
Key tracks: By Your Hand, Hello Sadness, Life Is a Long Time, Songs About Your Girlfriend

 

 

RACES//Big Broom EP

For fans of: Georgiaa, Exitmusic, Water Moccasins, Sounds Of Sirens
Key tracks: Big Broom, All for You

 

 

Rah Rah//Breaking Hearts

For fans of: Boxer the Horse, We Are The City, Still Life Still, Octoberman
Key tracks: Parkade, Hurt You Bad, Breaking Hearts, Arrows

 

 

This Warm December, A Brushfire Holiday Vol. 2 (i love xmas music)

For fans of: Christmas…Duh
Key tracks: Party Hard, Jingle Bell Rock, Frosty The Snowman, Christmas Must Be Tonight, Angel (Holiday)

 

More noteworthy new releases…
Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Volume 2
(i really love xmas music)
Goldmund//All Will Prosper
The Olivia Tremor Control//Black Foliage: Animation Music, Vol. 1 
(remastered and expanded)
Pink Martini & Saori Yuki//1969
Rah Rah//Rahmixes
R.E.M.//Part Lies Part Heart Part Truth Part Garbage 1982-2011
Sigur Ros//Inni (2-CDs & DVD)
Tegan and Sara//Get Along

 

[recap] M83 – The Music Box – 11/9/11

I’ve been a big fan of M83 since I first heard “We Own The Sky” in the snowboard flick, That’s It, That’s All.  Since then, Anthony Gonzalez and company have become one of my favorite musical acts and i’ve gobbled up everything they’ve released (at least i think i have).

Last night, the wifey and I were lucky enough to see them play a super sold-out show (tickets were going for $150+ on stubhub) at The Music Box in Hollywood.  This was my first time seeing the group live, and I honestly didn’t know what to expect.  I absolutely LOVE M83, but I’m always a bit nervous that I’ll be let down when I see one of favorites live for the first time.  Needless to say, the show was everything I expected — ambitious, visually stunning, the perfect amount of loud, and quite simply…epic.

If you missed last nights show (or if you’re thirsty for more) M83 will be back in LA for a show at Club Nokia on Jan 13th.  Tickets go on sale Nov 12th here. (complete tour dates here)

Setlist:
Intro (ft. Zola Jesus)
Reunion
Kim & Jessie
One Year, One UFO
My Tears Are Becoming A Sea
Teen Angst
We Own The Sky
Steve McQueen
Wait
This Bright Flash
Claudia Lewis
♪ Midnight City
A Guitar And A Heart

Encore:
Skin Of The Night
Couleurs

A few highlights from the show (in no particular order):
I was pleasantly surprised with the opening act, Active Child.  Take a minute and give them a listen, you won’t be disappointed…unless of course you hate the harp.

Credit: Andrew Youssef http://amateurchemist.blogspot.com/

Zola Jesus joining the band on stage for “Intro” (video below thanks to youtube user suprefan)

White Sea’s powerhouse vocalist/keyboardist Morgan Kibby was a force to be reckoned with (seriously, she was amazing and her stage presence captivated me all night).

Credit: Andrew Youssef http://amateurchemist.blogspot.com/

The perfect transition from “My Tears Becoming a Sea” to “Teen Angst” and the vocals on “Wait” gave me chills.

“Midnight City” is even better live and the saxophone player, who seemingly appeared on stage out of nowhere, tore up his solo.

[new music roundup] 11.8.11

A few of my favorite new releases this week…

Atlas Sound//Parallax

For fans of: Deerhunter, Panda Bear, Foxes in Fiction, Women
Key tracks: Te Amo, Terra Incognita, The Shakes, Lightworks

 

David Lynch//Crazy Clown Time

For fans of: Boguslaw Schaeffer, Brian Eno, Angelo Badalamenti, John Neff
Key tracks: Pinky’s Dream (feat. Karen O), So Glad, Sparkle Lounge Blues, The Night Bell With Lightning

 

The Jezabels//Prisoner

For fans of: Boy & Bear, Seeker Lover Keeper, Washington, Goyte
Key tracks: Endless Summer, Long Highway, Prisoner, Try Colour

 

Kurt Vile//So Outta Reach EP

For fans of: The War on Drugs, Real Estate, Woods, Julian Lynch
Key tracks: The Creature, Downbound Train, Life’s a Beach, Laughing Stock

 

Said The Whale//New Brighton EP

For fans of: We Are The City, Hey Ocean!, The Zolas, Neutral Milk Hotel
Key tracks: Lines, New Brighton

 

Summer Camp//Welcome to Condale

For fans of: Slow Club, Tennis, Big Deal, Twin Sister
Key tracks: Better Off Without You, I Want You, Done Forever, Losing My Mind

 

Thee Oh Sees//Carrion Crawler/The Dream

For fans of: Ty Segall, Coachwhips, The Intelligence, Sic Alps
Key tracks: The Dream, Robber Barons, Chem-Farmer, Carrion Crawler

 

More noteworthy new releases:
Brian Eno//Panic of Looking EP
Dad Rocks!//Mount Modern
Gold Panda//DJ-Kicks
Jennifer O’Connor//I Want What You Want
Laura Veirs//Tumble Bee
Lissie//Covered Up With Flowers EP
Ólöf Arnalds//Olaf Sings EP

[hot off the press] The Antlers//(together)

The Antlers are set to follow up on of this years best LPs (Burst Apart) with the just announced EP — (together).  The new EP consists of eight tracks, some alternate takes and remixes of tracks from Burst Apart, as well as a cover of The xx’s “VCR”.  Some of the alternate takes are collaborative efforts with the likes of Bear in Heaven, Nicole Atkins, and Neon Indian…hence the EP’s title.

(together) is set to be released on Nov. 22nd via Frenchkiss Records.  In the meantime, check out the video of the collaboration with Bear in Heaven on “Parentheses”.

The Antlers – Parentheses

more Antlers:
antlersmusic.com
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