Category Archives: anticipation

anticipation, music, new music

[anticipation] Childish Gambino//Camp

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Mr. Donald Glover, aka Childish Gambino, is gearing up for the release of his latest LP, Camp, and just yesterday, he dropped the LP’s leadoff track, Bonfire.  [the track is on iTunes today, buy it here]

If you’ve been following this hear blog since it’s humble beginnings, you already know how big of a Childish Gambino fan I am.  Bonfire is yet another fantastic offering and I can’t wait to hear more.  Rumor has it that Camp will be released November 15th, but this has yet to be confirmed.  In the meantime, head on over to iamdonald.com and listen to Bonfire and be sure to check out the upcoming tour dates below.

5-Oct – Memphis, TN – New Daisy Theatre – HERE

6-Oct – Nashville, TN – Cannery Ballroom – HERE

7-Oct – Athens, GA – Georgia Theatre – HERE

8-Oct – Orlando, FL – The Plaza ‘LIVE’ – HERE

30-Oct – Asheville, NC – “Moogfest” – HERE

1-Nov – Silver Springs, MD – The Fillmore – HERE

2-Nov – Boston, MA – House of Blues – HERE

3-Nov – New York, NY – Terminal 5 – HERE

4-Nov – Atlantic City, NJ – House of Blues – HERE

5-Nov – Austin, TX – “Fun Fun Fun Festival” – HERE

12-Nov – Los Angeles, CA – Club Nokia – HERE

 

anticipation, music

[anticipation] Icarus Himself//Career Culture

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Icarus Himself’s sophomore full-length Career Culture is a sonic cinema in electro-psych-folk, drenched in the influences of artists like Kurt Vile, Deerhunter, The Who, and David Bowie.

The story begins with frontman Nick Whetro living in Indiana, working third shift in a window manufacturing plant. “Wake Up / It’s time to do it all over again” (the opening track) evokes images of the film Metropolis. After his shift at the factory in this sepia-shaded scene, “Mornings At The Bar” sets the mood for the sunrise as workers trek to the bar at six in the morning. “There was nothing else to do in town. It’s about people who have nothing to look forward to but getting their paycheck and spending it at the bar. It seemed like they never wanted to leave,” illustrates Whetro.

“WI via IN” marks the shift in Career Culture. As the montage of the fictitious soundtrack, the looped bass line with added organs and synth give the song a Planet of the Apes/The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly vibe. This is where he makes a break for it. Whetro leaves the depressing factory life to start over in Madison, Wisconsin.

No epic journey would be complete without the love story, and Career Culture is no different. “On Your Side,” is replete with love-soaked euphoria. Written about the girl our protagonist would marry, the song is about “trusting someone that’s close to you.” Built on a loop of a drum machine hi-hat and a fuzzed-out Casio synth. “I found it hard / to think of past times / I’ve stopped trying now / because you’re on my side.”

Icarus Himself was started by Nick Whetro in 2008 as a solo project and has developed into a trio to include drummer Brad Kolberg and multi-instrumentalist Karl Christenson. Career Culture is the third in a series of auto-biographical recordings, beginning with Coffins, released by Science of Sound in May of 2009, followed by the EP Mexico, released almost exactly one year later. This new album was recorded at Science of Sound’s studio, engineered by Ricky Riemer and mixed with the band with the help of Riemer. Guest players include Michael Gallope on keys (Janka Nabay & the Bubu Gang, Starring, Skeletons), Jonathan Lang on keys and clarinet, Jacqueline Kursel on cello, and Rob Ferrett on tenor sax. [source: planetary group]

Career Changes will be available October 11 on Science of Sound Records.

♫ Icarus Himself – On Your Side ♫

anticipation, music

[anticipation] Big Black Delta

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“If you didn’t have standard pop music as a reference, what would your pop music sound like?” Jonathan Bates asked himself this very question, and the answer, he found through his discovery of his solo project, Big Black Delta.

You may already be familiar with Big Black Delta (BBD), but if you’re not, you should be.  THE CULTURE OF ME puts it best, “BBD makes some of the noisiest and most fun pop music you’re likely to hear for a long time coming”.  I was first introduced to BBD via the TRON: Legacy remix album, TRON: Legacy R3CONFIGUR3D.  On the album, BBD teamed up with M83 to do a remix of Fall (one of the best tracks on the album, btw).  Being a huge fan of M83 already, and knowing nothing what so ever about BBD, I was quite and intrigued and turned to the good ol’ internet for more.

I immediately discovered that BBD’s first release, BBDEP1, is available to fans as a free download and the finishing touches are being put on the full length LP.  Along with the EP, BBD also made available the oh so good track, Huggin & A Kissin, for which Kevin Bronson, from Buzzbands.la, writes “BBD’s banging track Huggin & A Kissin sounds like Every Eighties Band We Loved.”  I couldn’t agree more.

The LP is due out this Fall.  In the meantime, go grab the EP and stay tuned for more Big Black Delta.

♫ Big Black Delta – Higgin & A Kissin ♫

p.s. LA peeps, Big Black Delta is playing The Satellite tonight (6/29) at 8:30pm!

anticipation, music, new music, video

[anticipation] Cults//Cults

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May has been a good month for new music.  We’ve already been treated to new releases from the likes of The Antlers, Architecture in Helsinki, Fleet Foxes, and Okkervil River.  Now right around the corner, we have the self-titled debut from Brooklyn duo Cults, which I’ve been eagerly anticipating since I first listened to the Go Outside 7″.

I’ve been listening to the new record quite often the last couple of weeks and I absolutely love it.  My favorite track is definitely the lead off, Abducted, but I also love Never Heal Myself, Most Wanted, Oh My God, and Never Saw the Point.

Cults will be released May 31st, but in the meantime, the good people at NPR Music have made the entire album available to stream here. You can also check out the video for my favorite track, Abducted, below and be sure to join Cults’ mailing list in exchange for a free download of Abducted.

anticipation, music, new music

[anticipation] The Antlers//Burst Apart

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The Antlers are all set to follow up one of 2009’s best albums, Hospice, and I am super excited!

I’ve been a fan of these Brooklyn indie rockers for quite awhile now, but after listening to Hospice, they became a real favorite of mine.  NPR describes it best, “Frontman Peter Silberman is only 23, but has produced one of the most beautiful and moving works I’ve heard in a long, long time.  Just astonishing.”  If you’ve haven’t listened to Hospice uninterrupted and in it’s entirety…I pity you.

The new album, Burst Apart, won’t be released until May 10 (via Frenchkiss), but on March 17th, they’ll perform at NPR’s SXSW Showcase at the Parish and the performance will be broadcast live as part NPR’s First Listen series.

Stay tuned.

The Antlers – Sylvia