Black and white. Cityscapes. Pulsing synthpop with romantic underpinnings. Pretty much the trappings of an irresistible video/song marriage for me. The frenetic energy of “Miko” perfectly captures the beat of the city – making it the ideal soundtrack for any on-the-go activity. Download the new track by The Chain Gang of 1974 (moniker of Kamtin Mohager) in iTunes and look out for his sophomore LP scheduled to drop in 2014.
I remember when the Arctic Monkeys first arrived on the scene in 2006. I was living in France at the time, and I believe the sun was actually setting as the song “When the Sun Goes Down” filled my ears. From that point on, a certain romance* for the group’s effervescent spirit (*and clever song titles) had been seeded.
That’s why it’s acutely exciting that the group is set to release their fifth studio album, AM next month on September 9th. Stream their new single “Do I Wanna Know?” below, and check out the video of an older classic if you’re feeling nostalgic.
MS MR has premiered a dreamy new video for their song “Think of You,” from their debut LP Secondhand Rapture — perfectly described by Pitchfork as “deep, thunderous rumblings, celestial twinkling, foggy shrouds, and the sweet clarity of a pastel dawn.”
Directed by BRTHR, the vid takes the 80’s like power-pop ballad and matches the genre in a modern tribute to the old public access television show “TV Party.” The directing duo wanted to create a quirky, lo-fi universe that’s sort of strange, but loveable at the same time. And indeed there’s a lot to love about this video, from the 80’s stylistic flair, to the psychedelic elements and modernistic twists.
Lizzy Plapinger, the vocalist of MS MR calls to mind Florence Welch both visually and in her affective delivery of the song’s pathos — essentially “what it feels like to realize the person you once loved was a toxic bomb of negativity” (h/t to Winnie Cooper).
I still think of you and all the sh*t you put me through
And I know you were wrong.
Also, dates for their first North American tour were recently announced! Check out their sched below and visit their facebook page for ticket info. I for one am super stoked about their stop at DC’s Black Cat in September.
8/4 Lollapalooza – Chicago, IL
8/9 Outside Lands – San Francisco, CA
8/23 Reading Festival – Reading, UK
8/24 Leeds Festival – Leeds, UK
8/25 Rock en Seine – Paris, FR
9/1 Electric Picnic Festival – Stadbally, IE
9/16 Café Campus – Montreal, QC
9/17 Phoenix – Toronto, ON
9/19 The Church – Philadelphia, PA
9/21 Brighton Music Hall – Boston, MA
9/22 Black Cat – Washington, DC
9/24 Webster Hall – New York, NY
9/25 Grog Shop – Cleveland, OH
9/27 Berkley Riverfront Park – Kansas City, MO
9/28 7th Street Entry – Minneapolis, MN
9/29 Majestic – Madison, WI
9/30 Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL
10/2 Vanguard – Tulsa, OK
10/6 Austin City Limits – Austin, TX
10/7 House of Blues Cambridge – Dallas, TX
10/8 Warehouse – Houston, TX
10/9 House of Blues – New Orleans, LA
10/12 Corona Capitol – Mexico City, Mexico
10/13 Austin City Limits – Austin, TX
10/17 Troubadour – Los Angeles, CA
10/18 Troubadour – Los Angeles, CA
10/19 Soda Bar – San Diego, CA
10/23 Venue – Vancouver, BC
New British band The 1975 have been hard at work recently, having released three EP’s to date with their fourth, IV out on May 20th. I’ve been meaning to share the delectable track “Chocolate” from their latest EP Music for Cars for some time, however it was their sexy new video for “The City” that finally impelled me to pull the trigger on the post. Props to the artistic director as the vid features some stunning overlaid shots of the urban cityscape.
Also in the works is the group’s first full length album, which will be co-produced by Mike Crossey, the producer behind the Arctic Monkeys, Foals, and Ben Howard. The 1975 is getting ready to kick off a US tour with headliner The Neighbourhood — in my hometown of Tulsa no less (huzzah!) — on June 4th. More tour dates listed below.
The 1975 w/ The Neighbourhood Tour Dates:
6/4 – Tulsa, OK @ Vanguard
6/5 – Dallas, TX @ Trees
6/7 – Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s
6/8 – Austin, TX @ Antones
6/11 – Orlando, FL @ The Social
6/12 – St. Petersburg, FL @ The Local 662
6/14 – Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Room
6/15 – Jacksonville, FL @ Jack Rabbits
6/17 – Atlanta, GA @ Vinyl
6/18 – Charlotte, NC @ Amos Southend
6/19 – Norfolk, VA @ The Norva
6/22 – Rochester, NY @ Main Street Armory
6/23 – South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Showcase
6/25 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
6/26 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg
7/24 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour (headlining)
7/25 – San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop (headlining)
Swedish electro group Miike Snow released their second full-length album Happy To You last March, and it is no short of amazing (featured on my 2012 ‘best of’ list). I had the privilege of seeing them at 930 club in DC last October and they did not disappoint (this post has been a long time coming).
Experience a bit of the magic with a clip from “Bavarian #1 (Say You Will)” below. “Devil’s Work” immediately following is another of my favorite tracks off the stellar sophomore album.
When the official new video for Electric Guest’s “The Bait” came across my inbox the other day, I was excited to give it a viewing (not always the case). Having seen the LA band live a few months back — I was aware of the group’s dynamic performance energy (frontman Asa Taccone can seriously dance!) — so I had a feeling it would be good.
The vid did not disappoint, as it is something of a cross between a Newsies number and scene from the musical Oliver. Off their 2012 debut album, Mondo, don’t be surprised if you find yourself snapping and tapping along to this one.
And if you can’t get enough, here’s a rad remix by French producers Michael Creange and WEKEED.
Based out of San Francisco, Blackbird Blackbird is the moniker of wunderkind composer Mikey Maramag. Originally from Hawaii, the tropical influences of the producer’s origins are evident in his particular flavor of layered folktronica. The following video/track “All” is off the new EP Boracay Planet, released this October to critical acclaim.
Citing musical influences such as The Smiths, Grizzly Bear, and My Bloody Valentine (a damn fine line-up), the album in Maramag’s own words is made up of “a lot of guitar layered over synths and visually patterned ambiance, blending warm tones with clear vocals and anthemic melodies.” I’ll take it all, please.
Although on the surface a band represented by a symbol might seem pretentious, at least Alt-J (∆) is a symbol that can be pronounced (unlike the artist formerly known as Prince). Nonetheless, I’m willing to give the UK group a pass as the symbol signifying change has intrinsic meaning to them.
Plus, their blend of indie pop with syncopated rhythms and folk influences is pretty awesome. “Something Good” is my favorite track off the band’s debut LP, appropriately titled An Awesome Wave. The recently released video showcasing the demise of a Spanish matador is a visual feat also worth viewing.
By some miracle, I was able to see the sold out Beach House show at 930 club last night. The ethereal sounds of the Baltimore-based band are literally the stuff dreampop dreams are made of, and they did not disappoint.
Below is footage of them performing “Take Care” off previous LP Teen Dream (not the greatest quality but still), an amped up remix of “Norway,” and finally the video for my favorite track off the new album Bloom — “Wishes.”
Wishes
poetry in an empty coke can 