Category Archives: music

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!

music, on the rise

[on the rise] San Cisco

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San Cisco are the latest indie act to emerge from Fremantle in sunny Western Australia. On the weekends they go skateboarding, play Nintendo 64 and make a bit of indie pop on the side. Scarlett bangs the drums, Nick plays bass and Jordi & Josh are the guys that play the guitars, write the songs and sing them.  I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t a bit jealous.

For the past year or so, these budding indie popsters have been quite busy.  They’ve played a ton of local shows, performed at a smorgasbord of festivals (including Big Day Out and Laneway), and self-produced/released their debut EP, Golden Revolver, which has just hit stores and already found a home on Triple J and community radio around Australia.  On top of all that, they also graduated from high school.

Confident with stage presence and strong with vocals, San Cisco brings to the table an impressive brand of upbeat summer pop.  I for one hope they don’t slow down anytime soon and i’m crossing my fingers for some US tour dates.  In the meantime, enjoy the title track and video below.

♫ San Cisco – Golden Revolver ♫

music, on repeat

[on repeat] The Irrepressibles

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So I was watching So You Think You Can Dance the other night (don’t mock me, the show is legit and it always features good tunes) and I was introduced to The Irrepressibles.

The song in question, In This Shirt, was featured in a stunning piece, choreographed by Stacey Tookey, and danced beautifully by some of the shows contemporary dancers (watch the video below).  Not to take anything away from Stacey and the dancers, but it was the music that truly made this piece what it was.

I’m a sucker for symphonic strings and fantastical lyrics, so it’s needless to say I was instantly intrigued upon hearing the music.  Once the dance had concluded, I immediately turned to world wide web for more and soon learned that The Irrepressibles is a ten-member orchestral ensemble led by composer and musician Jamie McDermott, described by The Sunday Times as “an enchantingly theatrical pop extravaganza.”  I couldn’t agree more with that description.

They have recorded one studio album, Mirror Mirror, and a seven track CD/DVD package entitled From The Circus to the Sea, both of which have garnered critical acclaim. As a group, they have been compared to, and cited influences from, David Bowie, Kate Bush, Antony & The Johnsons, and Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band.  I would also compare them to the likes of iamamiwhoami, Yann Tiersen, and Musée Mécanique.

Enjoy the goodies below and be sure to check out more from these chamber popsters.  I guarantee, if you’re a fan of music, you’ll be a fan The Irrepressibles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hP8diaf10c

♫ The Irrepressibles – In This Shirt ♫
 ♫ The Irrepressibles – In This Shirt (Röyksopp remix) ♫

concerts, live music, music

[recap] Make Music Pasadena 2011

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Make Music Pasadena was last week (i know, i know…i totally lagged on posting this) and it was super fun!

First and foremost, it was FREE.  You can’t really complain about free music.  On top of that, the lineup was quite impressive (I would’ve paid to see a lot of the acts that played), it wasn’t nearly as hot as it could’ve been, and the people watching was epic.

My only real complaint was the how they handled the main stage setup and crowd control.  The Morning Benders set was basically ruined because it took Pasadena PD, and the laziest event security I’ve ever seen, way too long to clear a sidewalk.  If this event continues to grow, the organizers are going to have to brainstorm quite a bit between now and then on how to allow for more peeps.

As far as the actual music goes, I thoroughly enjoyed myself.  Unfortunately, I was unable to stay ’til the end, so I missed out on Ra Ra Riot, Zola Jesus, Kisses, and Robotanists, but the acts I did catch didn’t disappoint.

Saint Motel was my personal favorite of the day.  Butch was just as good live (maybe even better) than the recorded version, and their new track, Puzzle Pieces, was fantastic (but i’m a sucker for anything with piano or keyboards).  Coming into it, I was most looking forward to NewVillager.  I wouldn’t say I was disappointed, but after a strong start, they started to fizzle out by the end of their set.  Either way though, I’m still super excited for their debut album (out Aug 16 via I Am Sound Music).

Best Coast definitely drew the largest crowd of the day (at least what I saw).  This was my first time seeing them live and they definitely lived up to the hype.  They kicked off their set with one of my favorite tracks (Crazy For You) and even played some new stuff (Gone Again – Free download courtesy of Adult Swim).

All in all, I had a great day and i’m already looking forward to next year.

Saint Motel
Saint Motel
Saint Motel
Pasadena PD ruining The Morning Bender's set
The Morning Benders
NewVillager
NewVillager
NewVillager
Best Coast
Best Coast
Best Coast Crowd
Best Coast (would've been such a good shot, had it not been for the douche fist-pumping with the water bottle)
People Watching
Creepy Guy in Gold Unitard and Russian Hat

♫ Saint Motel – Puzzle Pieces ♫

p.s. if you want some more free music in Pasadena, be sure to check out Seattle’s Motopony for KCRW’s Summer Nights at One Colorado this Saturday (6/25).