Jenn Wasner, with her plethora of side projects is one of our favorite female vocalists in the biz right now. As founder of solo endeavor Flock of Dimes, one half of Wye Oak and Dungeonesse—not to mention purveyor of dreamy covers—it’s safe to say that the Baltimore chanteuse is keeping busy. She’ll be performing as Flock of Dimes at 9:30 Club tonight in support of EL VY, and in concert with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra tomorrow evening (November 12) for a special performance with Andy Stack, the other half of Wye Oak.
Stream the deliciously frenetic Flock of Dimes effort “Prison Bride,” plus a Dungeonesse cut for a sample of Wasner’s creative whimsy and plush vocals.
We’re excited to announce we’ll be giving a pair of tickets away to Wild Child and Elliot Moss this coming Friday, November 13 at 9:30 Club. Wild Child have been featured on CokeCanPoetry in the past, as the endearing Austin-based group is one of our favorite indie-folk live acts. Read more about Wild Child in our feature on them here and whilst you listen, enter to win tickets to the show by sending a tweet (or retweet) to @CokeCanPoetry.
Warming the crowd for Wild Child is a rising new talent — a 21-year-old multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and visual artist named Elliot Moss. Moss released his debut album Highspeeds on Grand Jury earlier this year, which was mixed, produced and recorded at Moss’ home studio. It’s an impressive and mature debut from such a young artist, whose falsetto vocals and emotive electronic sounds have been compared to Bon Iver. Listen to the luminous track “Best Light” below for a preview of what Moss has to offer.
Sure to be a dazzling show all around so enter to win today — we will reveal the winner Friday morning!
It’s been some time since we posted a Remix Roundup, a segment in which we bring you the latest and greatest mixes on the webs. We got inspired though when we heard this new one from Shy Girls and had to share. The Portland producer has taken the lo-fi track “One Too Far” from NYC duo Jack + Eliza and suffused it with his own brand of bright electronics and synth-based instrumentals. Shy Girls’ rendition illuminates the harmonies of the original, and the finished product is a gorgeous demonstration of a rework done right.
Next is an edit of our favorite Australian crooner (none other than Chet Faker) by a St. Petersburg-based band called D-Pulse. “Bend” was a previously unreleased track from Faker, recorded during sessions for his 2014 debut LP Built on Glass. While the original has a definite minimalist reverb-immersed feel, D-Pulse fleshes out the dramatic elements of the cut with their slinky and top-notch production. It’s a stunning, magnetic mix and you can get it for free on Soundcloud.
To cap off this edition of RMX Roundup, we’ll leave you with TÂCHES tantalizing take on Wet‘s “Move Me.”
Future soul artist Son Little has received a lot of acclaim this past year for his nu-soul-blues-hip-hop sound. The Philadelphia musician and man behind the moniker, Aaron Livingston was formerly known for his collaborations with The Roots and RJD2 — and has now struck out on his own, having released his self-titled debut album on Anti- Records this October.
Son Little will bring his soulful and heartfelt performance to DC9 in support of the album on November 9. Listen to “Nice Dreams” off the LP below.
As most people are aware by now, beloved indie-folk band Beirut released their fourth full-length No No No this September. The album is distinctly more upbeat than earlier efforts, as evidenced by the title track. Watch the video for “No No No” and revisit one of our favorite Beirut songs (“Nantes”) below.
Beirut will be playing two shows in DC this week — November 3 and 4 at Lincoln Theatre. We were going to say beg, steal or borrow to get tix as they were originally sold out, but it looks like Lincoln has released some extra tickets so it’s your lucky day.
This past September, Youth Lagoon released his third studio album, Savage Hills Ballroom — an effort he’s touted as his most introspective yet. YL, the project of Idaho-born artist Trevor Powers is well known for his boundless creativity and idiosyncratic sound, but the LP’s lead single “The Knower” indeed appears to indicate some kind of evolution from Powers, having recently dealt with loss of a loved one and other major life changes.
The threnody definitely has a dark thread, as Powers reflects on the human capacity for self-deception and self-destructive behaviors: “Oh, everybody wants to think that they’re good at heart, when they’re full of hate,” he sings. The arrangement starts out as with muted keys and skittering percussion, eventually introducing illustrious trumpets, a triumphant horn section and a bevy of synths for a majestic sort of effect. Watch the fiery video for “The Knower” — and for a slightly different mood hear Noah Hyde‘s enchanted remix of YL’s earlier effort “Daydream” below.
Youth Lagoon will be performing at 9:30 Club this Sunday, November 1 with Moon King supporting so if you’re in the area don’t miss the chance to see this innovative creature live.
I’ve been underneath the canopy, lost in a spell I shut up every time you look at me, but you can’t tell In skin, the psyche has a tendency to trust what’s untrue I’ve been underneath the canopy, wasting for you
Thomas Arsenault, aka Mas Ysa is an interesting dude — in addition to being a composer and musician who’s toured with Hundred Waters, Deerhunter, and most recently Tanlines, he’s also a visual artist whose work has been displayed in various exhibitions across New York. This year the Canadian-bred artist released his debut LP Seraph via Downtown Records (Chet Faker, Electric Guest). Hearing him speak you wouldn’t think he’d be one to reveal all of his interior complexities so readily, but that is in fact Mas Ysa’s M.O. — pouring all of his fervid feelings into his experimental and genre-bending music.
Take “Arrows” for example, an affective track that commences as a ballad with a breakbeat, picking up speed at the 2-minute mark and eventually bursting into a full-on banger. In a press release Arsenault says as much: “’Arrows’ is sort of a Euro club banger, but also a very personal love song. It comes out of me wanting to make a universal, club-ready track but unwittingly giving into emotion.” His distinctive voice reminds us a little of Rationale in that it’s unconventional in tone, but somehow adds to the potency of the song. Stream “Arrows” below.
Just in time for Halloween, Grimes has released the sanguine self-directed video for “Flesh Without Blood” / “Life In The Vivid Dream” off her forthcoming album Art Angels. The album is the long anticipated follow-up to the Canadian artist Claire Boucher’s 2012 LP Visions, and will beout November 6 on 4AD.
Despite the bloody essence of the video, which evokes imagery from that of a possessed angel to a scorned Marie Antoinette — “Flesh Without Blood” is a pretty pop number that retains her signature dark and ethereal undertones. At the end of the phantasmagorical video reveals another, more subdued and equally intriguing sound with the second piece “Life In The Vivid Dream.”
Beginning her headlining tour in the US this week, check out Boucher’s North American tour dates below, which include a sold-out show at DC’s 9:30 Club November 13.
2015 North American Tour Dates:
28th – The Showbox, Seattle WA, US [Tickets]
31st – The Fillmore, San Francisco CA, US 2nd – Mayan Theatre, Los Angeles CA, US [Tickets]
4th – Guggenheim, New York NY, US [Tickets]
7th – Fun Fun Fun Fest, Austin TX, US [Tickets]
9th – Republic, New Orleans LA, US [Tickets]
10th – Marathon, Nashville TN, US [Tickets]
11th – Buckhead, Atlanta GA, US [Tickets]
13th – 9:30 Club, Washington DC, US [Tickets]
14th – Union Transfer, Philadelphia PA, US [Tickets]
16th – Terminal 5, New York NY, US [Tickets]
20th – Paradise, Boston MA, US [Tickets]
21st – Metropolis, Montreal QC, Canada [Tickets]
22nd – Danforth, Toronto ON, Canada [Tickets]
25th – Metro, Chicago IL, US [Tickets]
Zola Blood blew us away with their single “Play Out” — the first track off their forthcoming double A-side and have now unveiled the second. “Pieces Of The Day” is another stunner from the UK quartet, with gorgeously stark vocals contrasted against an austere electronic backdrop. Keep an eye out for the release and in the meantime listen to the effort below.
Atlanta artist ABRA released her debut album Rose this past summer, but we were only recently acquainted by way of her supporting gig for Empress Of. Seems like an appropriate pairing for someone who calls themself “the darkwave duchess.” This pseudonym definitely fits her dark pop sound — with the minor-key chords and ’80s style synths, well-suited for fans of Solange and FKA Twigs. On the LP’s tense lead single “ROSES XOXO,” ABRA seethes “but you taste best when you’re in full bloom” as she explores the subject of betrayal and deception. Smell the roses and stream below.
poetry in an empty coke can 