Tag Archives: mp3

music, on repeat

[on repeat] Future Islands//Balance

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Just came across this brand new track (thank you Elbows) from Future Islands and the boys from Baltimore have done it once again.

I was already excited for the upcoming release of the band’s third album, On The Water, after hearing the lead single Before The Bridge.  This latest track, Balance, is equally as nice on the ears (if not nicer).

On The Water is set for release Oct. 11th via ThrillJockey.  In the meantime, enjoy the new track below and you LA peeps can catch ’em at this years FYF Fest on Sep. 3rd.

♫ Future Islands – Balance ♫

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 ♫

hot off the press, music

[hot off the press] Big Black Delta//BBDLP1

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As a successor to the free debut EP BBDEP1, Los Angeles experimental pop project Big Black Delta’s debut LP BBDLP1 will be released on September 26th on Coming Home Records.

Citing “being out of tune” as a muse, the songs on the album are the spawn of multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Bate’s imagination and inspired musical exploration. It was recorded entirely on a laptop given to him by Alessandro Cortini (Nine Inch Nails, SONOIO) in and all over Los Angeles, from assorted apartments and friends’ houses to backyards across the city, often at all hours of the night. Guests on the album include Cortini, who played his buchla on “The Zebrah,” as well as Morgan Kibby (M83, White Sea) whose vocals are featured on Dreary Moon. Big supporter of the band, Los Angeles tastemaker Kevin Bronson premiered the track (and made it available as a free download!) Capsize on Buzzbands.LA yesterday (8/15).

If that wasn’t enough, in promotion of the upcoming release, Big Black Delta will have a September residency at elite Los Angeles venue The Satellite. For each Monday of the month, Bates will be  performing with live vocals, dancing, an orchestrated light show, and dueling female drummers Mahsa Zargaran and Amy Wood.  Be there.

♫ Big Black Delta – Huggin & A Kissin ♫

music, video, watch

[watch] Sleeping in the Aviary//Infatuation

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This video for Sleeping in the Aviary’s “Infatuation” gives you a sense of what the band is about. Bubbles, sombreros, sunglasses made out of American flag guitars, and a whole lotta sunshine captures the essence of “Infatuation” as well as the band’s upcoming full-length album You and Me, Ghost. Front man Elliot Kozel offers a few analogies to understand the record…

“Dion and the Belmonts with hangover trying to figure out how to use a Big Muff pedal”

“Bobby Vinton half drunk and yelling at you from the window of a passing car”

“The first time Ricky Nelson bled on his guitar”

“Del Shannon drunkenly climbing into a tree at 3 a.m. to drink cheap champagne with a beautiful girl”

“The Everly Brothers beating up some kid in the bathroom of a high-school gymnasium and then feeling bad about it later”

You and Me, Ghost is out September 6th on Science of Sound Records. As with each album Sleeping in the Aviary makes, the new album is a total departure from their previous three. What to expect from the band’s fourth full-length? “It’s got a fuzzed-out doo-wop feeling, and all the songs are about girls!”
[source: planetary group]

♫ Sleeping in the Aviary – Talking Out of Turn ♫

music

Vacation Hiatus

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I’m hitting the open road for the next couple of weeks and i’ll do my best to keep you all musically informed, but my posts will be sparse at best.

In the meantime, here’s a little ditty that’s been on constant repeat for the last week or so.  The track is the oh so good Miike Snow remix of Amadou and Mariam’s Sabali (big thanks to 85decicibels and the layover mixtape for bringing this track to my attention).

♫ Amadou and Mariam – Sabali (Miike Snow Remix) ♫