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marina and the diamonds // lies

at times you hear a voice so incredible big and astoundingly beautiful it beckons to your heart. a heart which will eventually have to reassure your ears that what they’re witnessing is not an aural illusion. marina and the diamonds take their song, “lies” and they’ve gifted it to a world in dire need of more beauty and light. i’m sure you’ve heard this song, and if not i’m more than happy to be making this introduction. for more check out the latest album release ‘electra heart‘ available on itunes. peace. Continue reading “marina and the diamonds // lies”

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language // ep

lansing, michigan-based band language unleashes a sound which comes pouring out of your speakers like a sunburst of post-punk euphoria. this is music glazed with a vibrancy combined with both ear-aching post-punk pop but tempered by a gritty passion and an unstoppable need to get it out of their collective systems. lead-vocalist christopher minarik channels a hybrid blend of ian curtis (joy division) and peter murphy (bauhaus) with sonic fragments of the pixies thrown in for good measure. and even though the band has its influences it still portrays a visage which is clearly and unequivocally their own. my favorite track is the ep opener, “sault marie,” how it unfurls with a frenetic maelstrom of drums and quicksilver guitar work before chris’s vocals festoon the song with his husky diamond in the rough crooning. great music from a band i will definitely be following. peace. Continue reading “language // ep”

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young unknowns // far enough

it’s hard to rise about the proverbial fray in the nyc indie music scene. so, it is quite an accomplishment to hear the band young unknowns as their well-made music, spreads like wild-fire above and beyond their local Brooklyn environs. listen to a couple of tracks, “far enough” and “target practice” taken from the band’s forthcoming debut ep you are a young unknown. no solid release dates for the ep as of yet, but i’ll keep you informed. peace. Continue reading “young unknowns // far enough”

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vinyl williams // harmonious change

psychedelic soft-serve visual artist/multi-instrumentalist vinyl williams has a knack for delivering songs filled with the pliancy of vapor and the beauty of mist shrouded mountains. check out the gossamer track, “harmonious change,” and be transported to verdant rain forests and unspoiled isles. for more beautiful music visit the vinyl williams bandcamp page. you can also pre-order the debut album ‘salonislam’ (it drops november 12th 2012) via the label no pain in pop in europe and on his own salonislam label here in the domestic us of a. peace. Continue reading “vinyl williams // harmonious change”

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the perks of being a wallflower // soundtrack

a good rock solid soundtrack is the equivalent of having a rock-steady go-to collection of songs to heighten an evening of seduction, sort of. at any rate the summit entertainment film the perks of being a wallflower, directed by and based on the best-selling book by stephen chbosky, has put together a coterie of sounds which lift the film beyond its coming of age storyline. and much like 15-year-old charlie, the movies central character, songs like xtc‘s “dear god” and the cocteau twin‘s “pearly dewdrops’drop” represent the maligned and unseen. so, in a lot of ways the music becomes a character itself, representing the mostly ignored and misunderstood youth of yesteryear and today. good stuff for sure, and for some a pleasant stroll down memory lane. peace. Continue reading “the perks of being a wallflower // soundtrack”

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les sins // taken

South Cackalacka native son Chazwick Bundick aka Toro Y Moi and more recently under the moniker Les Sins is releasing two 7″ via Jiaolong. Both tracks, “Taken” and “Fetch” are a groovier departure from the tranquility of the classic Toro Y Moi chillwave sound. And if you find yourself dancing under the stars to these, well that’s the point. Peace. Continue reading “les sins // taken”

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big scary // vacation (our sunday best)

The Melbourne, Australia duo Big Scary (Jo Syme & Tom Iansek) is one of my recent favorite discoveries for reasons you can listen to after the jump. The twosome have their debut album release Vacation dropping on September 18th, and having already listened to an advance copy I can attest to its absolute majesty and magic. No doubt this is an album that is more than the sum of its 10-track parts, with each song doing exactly what it was made to do: entertain your ears and wedge nicely inside you beating heart. So to define or categorize the music as merely Pop is both an understatement and a disservice. These songs are ledgers of blood sweetened with the artistry of raw ability and a honed ear for making musical perfection.

Make no bones about it these songs are crafted from musicians who’ve poured out their hearts and souls, putting every ounce of “keeping it real” in the music and lyrics they obviously enjoyed bringing into the world. Simply put, theses are artists whose talents are perfectly suited to the purpose of penning great music. And this is why Big scary was an easy pick for Our Sunday Best.

You can pre-order Vacation on iTunes, and come back soon for additional tour dates and updates. Peace. Continue reading “big scary // vacation (our sunday best)”

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capitol cities // safe and sound gets sirius!

The duo Capitol Cities (Ryan Merchant and Sebu Simonian) have been on a lot of “must listen to” lists all summer long. And if perchance you’ve been asleep at the proverbial wheel and missed out on their most excellent release Safe and Sound then after the jump check it out. But the real reason for this post is to help spread the good word about our beloved Capitol Cities. Recently the good folks of Sirius XM‘s Alt Nation have put Safe and Soundinto regular rotation and of course the fans want to keep it there. So, here’s the deal: Continue reading “capitol cities // safe and sound gets sirius!”