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Miike Snow // Black Tin Box (Ft. Lykke Li)

I’ve visited Miike Snow before. Well, at least their music. You know by now, or least understand my tastes (or maybe not) enough to know I cotton to bands that defy category. So, its no surprise that Christian Karlsson, Pontus Winnberg and Andrew Wyatt, bka Miike Snow, end up upon these vaulted pages once again. And once again I’m singing their praises. The song “Black Tin Box” is a lot of things, but mostly it’s much like a lullaby of sorts with dreamy atmospherics and if a little sinister, story-like quality. I imagine the original story of Little Red-Cap by Die Gebrüder Grimm with “Black Tin Box” playing woefully in the background. The bands latest LP Happy To You is revealing itself to be a curio shoppe of sound and influence, much like the distinct phases of the year. On display is the lovely austerity of  winter, the lush vibrancy of spring, and of course too you have the hectic galloping frenzy of summer, and lastly the cooled tempers of Autumn. All of this woven into, thus far songs for, if not every possible human facet, then a good fistful of them. An album to track the movement of your heart-sun across the horizon of beauteous sound tapestry, how novel and fortuitous for the listener. Peace. Continue reading “Miike Snow // Black Tin Box (Ft. Lykke Li)”

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Mansions On The Moon // Athens (Video)

Intergalactic travel always goes better with something bangin’ out of the on-board speaker system, and we got the perfect space-bending accompaniment. Check out the latest single from Mansion On The Moon and you’ll thoroughly dig their track “Athens.” This is a Pharell Williams-produced joint, so you get his hit-making Midas touch. But the bedrock of every song is still MOTM‘s typical brand of fare from this L.A.-based trio. Lane Shaw‘s vibrant drums, supporting Ted Wendler‘s dreaming shoegazy guitar, along with the perfect dash of Ben Hazlegrove‘s mellifluous vocals and lightly funkified synths. Head on over to mansionsonthemoon.com for much more of their soon to be released Light Years EP. Peace. Continue reading “Mansions On The Moon // Athens (Video)”

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alpines // cocoon + video) + why + maya jane coles + carly simon cover

Forgive me. When I first heard the London-based duo Alpines I thought Kate Bush and Siouxsie Sioux had somehow cloned themselves into one supremely gifted entity, but alas ’twas not the case. What was the case? Well, I had chanced upon none other than the lovely Catherine Pockson and the musically stalwart Robert Matthews all up in my ear space!  And the more I heard, I more I grew curious for more. What nerve! I’ve no idea how such groove splashed sounds could have escaped me, but I’ve reconciled my shortcomings with this posting. By the way, I’m enamored to the gills with the Pop/Operatic vocals of Ms. Pockson. So much so, I find myself constantly clicking repeat as I raptly listen again and again. The song Cocoon is an August 2011 release, for which the Hope directed video appears below. And the track Why was released this past November with a little help from the dynamic Mary Jane Coles. Enjoy and as always. Peace. Continue reading “alpines // cocoon + video) + why + maya jane coles + carly simon cover”

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Gardens & Villa – Spacetime (Video)

Do you want something funky and whimsical in your life to turn up the corners of your mouth? I hope you’re like me, because I can always use any and every excuse to smile my most infectious smile. Santa Barbara’s futuristic hippie-ish band Gardens & Villa have what it takes to plaster a permanent grin all over your good looking mug. Their sound is a complex mix of clam bakes, wooded forest trails and interstellar space travel all wrapped up with the glowing psychedelic rainbow bow of Chris Lynch‘s voice. It’s a party for sure, albeit a laid back and dreamy soiree. I just visited their bandcamp and grabbed a bit of their magic for myself. And I must say, thus far it’s the most satisfying purchase of the day. Peace. Continue reading “Gardens & Villa – Spacetime (Video)”

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Caged Animals – All The Beautiful Things In The World (Video) ***(NSFW)***

For the past few hours I have been telling myself this, “I am not a voyeur, I am not a voyeur, I am not a voyeur…” But damn it! Maybe I am and a sinner too, because I just keep on watching the very, hmmm, er… “artful” video “All The Beautiful Things In The World,” by those esteemed Brooklyn gents Caged Animals led by the consummate master of adult lullaby’s Vin Cacchione. But really, I gotta stop beating myself up over this (Pun?), the human body is a beautiful “aesthetically pleasing form,” so there shouldn’t be any shame is admiring it, right? At any rate the video is the highbrow creation of filmmaker/visual artist Jamie Harley, and the song is taken from the bands full LP release Eat Their Own, which debuted back in September ’11. I’m also throwing in the invigorating video for the song, “Girls On Medication,” because it is too much damn fun! Peace. Continue reading “Caged Animals – All The Beautiful Things In The World (Video) ***(NSFW)***”

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Cool Rainbows – Southern Summer Sun

More cool stuff from almost down under. It’s a good thing I cast my musical net far and wide in order to catch wind of this Auckland, New Zealand band. The Cool Rainbows are everything you might expect from a band with such a, well, cool name. The band is headed by lead singer Djeisan Suskov, and the song, “Southern Summer Sun,” is the first release from their forthcoming debut album Whale Rocket via the Lil Chief Records. I got the video to the song below and it’s a very laid back and chilled out sort of deal. Plus, it sounds like everything you can imagine a song titled Southern Summer Sun would sound like; all shimmery and a bit tropical. Right now its available for a pay-as-you-like download. So after you’re finished soaking up the good vibes and sun worshiping the sounds, go cop this track for later use. By the way don’t forget your sunscreen. Peace. Continue reading “Cool Rainbows – Southern Summer Sun”

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lana del rey // national anthem

(Photo courtesy of thisisfakediy.co.uk)

Every other day or so it seems someone is writing something about Lana Del Rey. And from what I’ve read most reviewers are divided. The big bad press on this demure songstress are equally torn, not really knowing what to make of this new studio Gangsta Boo. Love her or hate her, the woman with the bee-stung lips has got it going on. I’m in the camp of those who adore the whole package, whether or not her’s is a contrived image or not doesn’t really matter to me. I’m sold. Maybe even a bit obsessed.

However, what does matter is her output, which is continuously getting better each time out. Her initial buzz starters, “Video Games” and “Blue Jeans” were catchy enough, and in the “Video Games” collide offereing she played the coy, slightly tempestuous card for all it was worth. Can you blame her? And then “Born To Die” came along and furthered, not only our collective curiosity, but it was a well timed release after her so-so performance at Manhattan’s Bowery Ballroom. So far, we’ve been privy to 7 out of the 12 songs listed on LDR’s soon to drop LP, which also includes “Diet Mountain Dew” “Disco, “Yayo”, “This Is What makes Us Girls,” and “Off To The Races,” in no particular order. All of these tracks sound better than average to me.

Now, we have “National Anthem,” to chew on and it’s more than just fat and gristle, it’s rack of lamb marinated in all the aromatics available to ensure lots of flavor, and again the presentation is very agreeable. It works because we’re all carnivores at heart. And who can resist the raw sexualized lamb Ms. Del Rey is offering up? Not I. Now, “National Anthem,” with it’s gutsy guitar and a fist full of dollars hook, is not only catchy, but it also possesses a bit of spot-on social commentary. Consider the lyrics ” Money is the anthem of success? Money is the reason we exist? Everybody knows it, it’s a fact, kiss kiss? No hollow lyrics here. Whatever your thoughts are regarding  Lana Del Rey, her star isn’t likely to fade anytime soon. In 2012 her ascension to the venerable ‘Court of Pop Ladies’ is pretty much a sure bet.

Haters, go bark up another more deserving tree, because this Quercus coccinea is growing deep roots in the fertile soil of our pop culture, for days. And Lana, you can be our China doll, and this reviewer, most assuredly doesn’t want to see you fall. Peace. Continue reading “lana del rey // national anthem”

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Family Of The Year – St. Croix

Family of the Year
“You bring the ocean/I’ll bring the motion/together we’ll make a love potion,” no way to go wrong with such inviting lyrics. And when you couple such suggestive words with open and inviting music awash in audible sunshine, the painted picture is scantily clad and frolicking on an idyllic beach. All of this is brought to you courtesy of Family of the Year and their St. Croix EP. Just a reminder of how much you love Summer, and definitely one of the best releases of the year.
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nerves junior | as bright as your night light

nerves junior | as bright as your night light
nerves junior | as bright as your night light

I dream of journeys repeatedly:
Of flying like a bat deep into a narrowing tunnel
Of driving alone, without luggage, out a long peninsula,
The road lined with snow-laden second growth,
A fine dry snow ticking the windshield,
Alternate snow and sleet, no on-coming traffic,
And no lights behind, in the blurred side-mirror,
The road changing from glazed tarface to a rubble of stone,
Ending at last in a hopeless sand-rut,
Where the car stalls,
Churning in a snowdrift
Until the headlights darken.

– Theodore Roethke

This excerpt is taken from T. Roethke’s “A Far Field,” and it pretty much sums up how we feel about Nerves Junior and their exceedingly excellent LP As Bright As Your Night Light. Peace. Continue reading “nerves junior | as bright as your night light”