BIG DATA – Dangerous

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Brooklynites Alan Wilkins and Daniel Armbruster of Big Data first caught my attention with their track “Dangerous,” off their debut EP 1.0 released October 1. Formed out of a mutual distrust for technology, the paranoid duo “explore the ever-increasing relationship between man and machine, and more specifically how the internet and social media have reshaped the human experience.” Magnetic bass combined with four-to-the-floor beats create the perfect psychedelic space for some paranoia-induced dancing.

And if you really want to have your head spin, check out their interactive video for”Dangerous” known as thefacehawk.*

*Warning: facebook account required!

MS MR – Fantasy

MS-MR-Fantasy

In honor of the electropop duo MS MR playing in DC this Sunday, I thought I’d post a couple of their tracks hitherto undocumented on PIAECC before.

The first track, “Fantasy,” is from their debut album Secondhand Rapture; and the second is an RAC remix of their single off the same album, “Think of You.” I’m obsessed with both so check them out.

MS MR – Think of You

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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.

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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

St. Lucia – September

South African-born artist Jean-Philip Grobler, aka St. Lucia released his debut EP September this September. However, I first fell in love with his sound upon hearing the single “Closer Than This” last spring. Having traveled around the world with a choir in his youth and later honing his musical sensibilities across the pond, the electro-indie artist now produces his signature shimmering synths out of Brooklyn.

St. Lucia will actually be performing in D.C. this Thursday, December 13th at U Street Music Hall with British producer Alex Metric for the All Things Gold party. Should be a fun event – so if you have nothing better to do and enjoy these ditties as much as I do – go check it out.

I’ve got a feeling we will never get closer than this
I can’t imagine there’s a way to get closer than this

MS MR – Hurricane

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The enigmatic, New York-based duo MS MR released their debut EP, Candy Bar Creep Show this September via tumblr. Check out these dark pop gems “Hurricane” and “Ash Tree Lane” below; and for those who live in the DC area, note that they will be opening up for GROUPLOVE at 9:30 Club December 18.

It was a past life thing


tanlines

I had the opportunity to see Tanlines at DC’s Black Cat last month and the dynamic Brooklyn duo managed to exceed my expectations. Not only do they have a fantastic live energy, but their music also has an element of world fusion which I wasn’t aware of going into.

“All of Me,” from their debut album Mixed Emotions released last March was their first single that caught my attention; then after the concert I had to go and uncover a bunch more. “Real Life” is a shining example of the sheer exuberance that radiates from Tanlines. As if that weren’t reason enough to listen to them, they also have a great handle. Who wouldn’t want to soak up tanlines all year long? Vitamin D-deprived crazy people, that’s who.

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