Beatenberg – Rafael

Posted on by poetryinanemptycokecan

beatenberg1

Something tells me the new indie pop outfit out of South Africa, Beatenberg are not too keen on the fact that Rafa is out of the US Open this year. The Cape Town trio — Matthew Field (vocals/guitar), Ross Dorkin (bass), and Robin Brink (drums) — have a distinctly South African sound that falls somewhere between Vampire Weekend and Paul Simon circa Graceland. Although all classically trained musicians, Beatenberg believe that pop music can be serious too. On the subject, lead vocalist Matthew says: It’s about emotions, images and fleeting senses of things: the mad stuff that everyone feels and almost understands.

Watch the official lyric video for “Rafael” below as you ponder whether to place your bets on Federer or Nole this year. Also worth viewing is a live taping of the melodic song “Scorpionfish.” Lastly, listen to a collaborative remix of “Pluto” (Remember You) with DJ Clock for a preview of the highly infectious original (my favorite track, available for streaming only at HD).

The new album, The Hanging Gardens of Beatenberg was released in South Africa August 15. Here’s hoping we won’t have to wait too long for the international release.

RMX ROUNDUP: Cyril Hahn + Ryan Ashley / Disclosure + TEEMID / Slow Magic

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CyrilHahn

So many remixes, so little time. Which is why every Saturday, we serve up the latest and greatest electronic offerings in a segment called Remix Roundup.

This edition begins with the new one from Swiss producer Cyril Hahn, whose sophomore EP Voices is due to be released via PMR Records (Disclosure, Jessie Ware) any day now. While the now Vancouver-based artist has built a name for himself remixing greats like “Say My Name” from Destiny’s Child in his unique production style, as of late he’s been working on his own material with the help of guest vocalists. Enter Ryan Ashley, who lends his luscious vocals to Hahn’s latest track, “Open,” a house track that splices two recorded sentences over swelling synths, a pulsing beat, and an undercurrent of vulnerability that seems to suggest an open wound. If you’re in the NY area, catch Cyril Hahn spinning TONIGHT, August 23 at Brooklyn’s Output Club.

Next is a reinterpretation of the ubiquitous Disclosure track, “Latch,” which gets a unique makeover from French producer TEEMID. Technically a cover, TEEMID reunites with Canadian singer Daniela Andrade to produce one hell of a deep house rework that’s a complete departure from the original. Listen below and latch on to a free download on SoundCloud.

Lastly, vibe out to the soothing all-instrumental track and recent single from Slow Magic, “Girls.” We were first introduced to the enigmatic producer through his dreamy remix of Delorean’s “Destitute Time.” Since then he’s signed to hit label Downtown Records (Chet Faker, Miike Snow), and is getting ready to drop his new LP How To Run Away September 9. Stream below — local folk can catch Slow Magic live September 23 at DC9.

Lauryn Hill – Black Rage

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laurynhill

In the wake of unrest in Ferguson, MO, Lauryn Hill has shared an old demo and unsettling tribute to these tragic events entitled “Black Rage.” Rendering the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, “My Favorite Things,” into a raw, emotionally-charged piece on racial injustice, never has Hill’s musical prowess been so on point.

Although she’s been performing the song live since 2012, MLH tweeted the track earlier this week, calling on peace for the people of Missouri. Stream the simultaneously macabre and magnificent cover below.

“An old sketch of Black Rage, done in my living room. Strange, the course of things. Peace for MO.” – MLH

THROWBACK THURS: Broken Social Scene – ‘You Forgot It in People’

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21.-Broken-Social-Scene-You-Forgot-It-In-People

Along with myself and ketchup chips (yes), Broken Social Scene’s 2002 release You Forgot It in People is high in the running for the best thing to ever come out of Canada. The big band Arts & Crafts collective’s sophomore release unveiled their notoriously huge roster long before Arcade Fire or even The Polyphonic Spree got around to it, boasting talents like Leslie Feist and Emily Haines along with frontrunners Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning.

It’s a hard album to describe considering the sonic and tonal shifts the album manages to maneuver through. At once it recalls Yo La Tengo, Nick Drake, and a bit of Interpol but the diversity of these comparisons paint an incomplete picture of the album, and serve only to show the variety on offer. Make no mistake, the songs should be consumed together to be fully appreciated, lest the marked shift in styles and tone lose their weight.

A major inflection point occurs towards the end of the album’s first single “Cause=Time,” as the horn section’s languid outro veers the record from catchy rock into more solemn territory. The dour last half of this record, in stark contrast to its opening, presents what are arguably its strongest tracks – chief among them being the diptych of “Late Night Bedroom Rock for the Missionaries and Shampoo Suicide.”

 

Whereas the first half of the album sports spritely vocals and plucky bass lines, by the time BSS have made it through the eighth track they seem to be grappling with a weightier sense of both mood and rhythm. Between the plaintive vocals lacing “Shampoo Suicide,” the funereal pianos treading through “Lover’s Spit,” and the dirge-like melodies of “I’m Still Your Fag,” the record seems to somberly redden and drop away like the last weeks of summer.

This album came out when I was too young to understand it but I listened to it anyways. Eventually, I grew into and experienced what these songs were trying to express and found myself returning to it time and again. You Forgot It in People endures because in its honesty and richness, it has the unique ability to remain consistently evocative without subsisting on mere nostalgia.

Stream the album in its entirety on Spotify.

Shannon Saunders – Sheets

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sheets

Listening to the debut track, “Sheets” from Shannon Saunders, you would never guess that the rising young artist from Oxford got her start from YouTube. She joins the likes of other British stars such as Ed Sheeran, who climbed the ranks using the social wizardry of the internet.

With “Sheets,” Saunders achieves an accessible and yet sophisticated torch-esque pop track, backed by a house production. The song also hit number 1 on the HypeM charts this week, so it’s probably safe to say she won’t be relying on self-promo much longer. Stream below.

RMX ROUNDUP: Say Lou Lou x Lindstrøm / Cut Copy + TJANI / Kyla La Grange + Kygo

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CutCopy

Really excited to share the new single from Say Lou Lou in this week’s edition of Remix Roundup. The Swedish/Australian sister duo paired up with Norwegian producer Lindstrøm to create the nu-disco smash, “Games For Girls.” This addictive piece of electropop is the perfect way to get your night started and onto the dance floor. Look out for the single to be released October 13, as well as featured on Say Lou Lou’s debut album Lucid Dreaming, due out next year.

Next is the fresh Cut Copy edit from TJANI, an emerging producer from NYC who just signed to Sotto Voce records. TJANI takes the CC track “Meet Me In A House Of Love” and adds a deep house groove that will keep you movin’ through the night. Snag a free download of this one over on SoundCloud.

Lastly, take a listen to the Kygo remix of Kyla La Grange‘s “Cut Your Teeth.” The young Norwegian producer proves his worth with his shimmering tropical take of the toned down original. Stream the summery track below.

Arcade Fire – “Afterlife” Video + Flume Remix

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arcadefire

Arcade Fire need no introduction. The Grammy award-winning rock band from Montreal have been on tour for their latest album, Reflektor, and will be performing at DC’s Verizon Center this Sunday, October 17. Watch the excellent video for standout track “Afterlife”— a cinematic feat directed by Emily Kai Bock below.

Flume also recently reworked the track into an epic ten-minute, sonic space-age engagement. Devoid of his usual massive drops, the Australian producer opts instead for a minimal atmospheric production, maintaining the melancholy of the original while also giving it an edge. Check it out after the video.

Stars – From The Night

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Stars

Stars have just released the first single off their forthcoming album, and it is a doozy. “From The Night” encompasses everything the Montreal group is known for — iridescent indie-pop with lush instrumentation and one of the best hooks I’ve heard in some time (anyone else hear the influence of The Police?). A more uplifting tune in their armory of pop noir, an interesting anecdote is that Stars’ recording studio was situated just above a discotheque, which inadvertently affected their sound.

In terms of the narrative, singer Torquil Campbell tells NPR that the track is a “letter to those of you who stayed home and didn’t take a chance on the possibility that a bassline and a hi-hat rhythm might save your life.” Lest you fear that Stars have gone too soft, however, Campbell adds: “Oh, and one other thing: It’s lonely. There is no lonelier feeling in the world than watching the sun rise as you walk home.”

The new album, No One Is Lost is due out via ATO Records on October 14. Check out their tour dates below, which includes a stop at DC’s 9:30 Club November 13.

 

Upcoming Tour Dates:

Aug 18, 2014 : Stratford ON, Canada – Stratford Music Fest
Aug 30, 2014 : Calgary AB, Canada – Xfest
Aug 31, 2014 : Edmonton AB, Canada – Sonic Boom
Sept 7, 2014 : Toronto ON, Canada – Riot Fest Toronto
Oct 5, 2014 : New York, NY – Modern Sky Festival
Nov 8, 2014 : Portland, ME – Port City Music Hall
Nov 9, 2014 : Boston, MA – Royale
Nov 12, 2014 : Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
Nov 13, 2014 : Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
Nov 14, 2014 : Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre
Nov 15, 2014 : Atlanta, GA The Loft
Nov 19, 2014 : Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
Nov 21, 2014 : Chicago, IL – Vic Theatre
Nov 22, 2014 : Detroit, MI – Majestic Theatre
Nov 23, 2014 : Buffalo, NY – The Tralf (Music Hall)

Jenny Mayhem & the Fuzz Orchestrator – Bad Girls

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Jenny Mayhem

Jenny Mayhem is a Toronto based singer-songwriter that comes by way of Barbados. She’s collaborated with a number of artists, including the German producer Christian Strobe. She’s currently recording with the Fuzz Orchestrator, a fellow Canadian with a mutual love for The Mars Volta and Tarantino. Listen to their freshly released track “Bad Girls” below, which has a seductive sixties vibe to it.

Also check out the sleek SLO LOV remix for the track, just released yesterday. Couldn’t find any info on this remix artist, but I dig their work here.