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.*
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 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
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
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.
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.