Boy Attractions

Ben Vida - “Zizzlers” “The intent with this...

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 11:20:19 -0400

Ben Vida - “Zizzlers”

“The intent with this work is to escape the stereo image and create an activated listening space of expanded spatialization”

Ben Vida’s esstends-esstends-esstends, a collection of potentially mind-altering modular synth experiments, is out now on PAN. Do not attempt to drive or operate large industrial machinery after watching this video.

Mount Carmel - “Hear Me Now” As a change of pace...

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 09:50:00 -0400

Mount Carmel - “Hear Me Now”

As a change of pace from the inordinate amount of drone, ambient, and otherwise totally weird stuff I’ve been posting lately, here’s a smokin’, take-no-prisoners cut from throwback rockers Mount Carmel, who recently delivered on the rollicking promise of their 2010 debut with the tremendous Real Women (out via Siltbreeze). Just as The Men’s Open Your Heart revived the spirit of the ‘Mats in awesomely sweaty fashion, Women straps into a time machine and zaps back to the 70’s, channeling the sizzling blues-rock of yore. If tracks like “Hear Me Now” don’t make you leap from your desk chair and start shredding the air guitar, check your pulse—you’d be hard-pressed to find music more fun, lively, and free of pretense in this young year.

mp3 // Mount Carmel - Hear Me Now

Concessionaires - “Introducing Rocket Skeleton...

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:46:00 -0400

Concessionaires - “Introducing Rocket Skeleton Summer”

“Best enjoyed with a pot of chili and a Bourbon barrel ale. Thanks for listening.”

Artificial Interface, Brad Rose and Pete Fosco’s latest drop under the Concessionaires moniker, sounds a lot like the image above (or like that Twilight Zone episode where the 3 astronauts crash-land in the space cemetery—you know the one). Like a slightly darker twin to Panabrite’s recent space odyssey Soft Terminal, it uses rumbling synths and dense atmospherics to stew up some heavily martian vibes. Sink your teeth into the wordy but properly trippy “Introducing Rocket Skeleton Summer” and pick up Interface over at Under the Spire.

NHK’Koyxeи - “638” PAN continue to tighten...

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 10:35:00 -0400

NHK’Koyxeи - “638”

PAN continue to tighten their vice grip on the realm of rad experimental music with their latest batch of releases, which includes the positively vibrant (and equal parts mind-boggling) Dance Classics Vol. 1 from Autechre/Conrad Schnitzler associate NHK’Koyxeи (Kouhei Matsunaga, if that’s easier to remember). Matsunaga’s brand of tunes might skew slightly towards the bizarre, but that doesn’t stop Dance Classics from living up to its name; tracks like “638” deliver their glossy, finely mathematical grooves in a way that would light up any right-minded dance floor (though perhaps cause people’s legs to snap off). Pick this one up on vinyl/digital here and find more NHK goodies on Important.

mp3 // NHK’Koyxeи - 638

Jon Porras - “The Black Tide” Come April 17th, Barn...

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:27:00 -0400

Jon Porras - “The Black Tide”

Come April 17th, Barn Owl’s Jon Porras will follow up his über-gorgeous Undercurrent LP for Root Strata with a new one on Thrill Jockey entitled Black Mesa (pre-order here). Above you can catch the murky, vaguely disconcerting clip for unreleased track “The Black Tide”, which pairs exceptionally well with Porras’ brand of wind-swept meditations.

mp3 // Jon Porras - Land’s End (Undercurrent)

Robert Pollard - “Picnic Drums” Would I be chased...

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:29:11 -0400

Robert Pollard - “Picnic Drums”

Would I be chased out of town by a mob of torch-wielding GBV fans if I said I liked R. Pollard’s new Mouseman Cloud (out now on Fire) better than recent reunion disc Let’s Go Eat the Factory? Probably, so I won’t. I will, however, say it’s one of the year’s best thus far, and one of Pollard’s strongest musical statements (solo or otherwise) since his recent creative renaissance. While Cloud dishes out plenty of bite-size confections (see: the 1-minute “Dr. Time”) that indulge Pollard’s typical knack for pop hooks, one of its biggest surprises is the impeccably-paced “Picnic Drums”, which patiently builds towards a jangly, singalong-worthy finish. Do not fret, proud brothers—Uncle Bob’s still got it.

Vatican Shadow - “Harbingers Of Things To...

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 09:40:00 -0400

Vatican Shadow - “Harbingers Of Things To Come”

Since 2010, Prurient noisehead Dominick Fernow has been getting in touch with a more beat-driven, techno-oriented side of his sound under the Vatican Shadow moniker, putting out a string of quality cassettes on his own Hospital Productions. This alter ego apparently struck the fancy of Type Records, as they’ve chosen to give his 2011 collection Kneel Before Religious Icons (previously a 4-tape box set) a vinyl reissue. “Harbingers of Things To Come” is a particularly vicious cut from said release, hammering forth with weapon-grade bass and a flurry of icy, spine-chilling synths à la Bermuda Drain. Listen above and get your hands on a fresh-pressed LP over at Boomkat.

mp3 // Vatican Shadow - Harbingers Of Things To Come

Polonaise - “Trocadero” Help ring in daylight...

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 13:42:00 -0400

Polonaise - “Trocadero”

Help ring in daylight savings (the real start of spring, as far as I’m concerned) with the crystalline sounds of Polonaise (Scott Goodwin and Avalon Kalin), who just put out their killer Trocadero EP on Not Not Fun offshoot 100% Silk. Steeped in the sweaty Italo-dance we’ve come to expect from the upstart label, the release shimmies and sways through 5 cuts of cartwheeling synths and tightly-wound groovin’. Pop on the title track and just let your head nod—you’ll be seeing disco balls in no time.

mp3 // Polonaise - Trocadero

El-P - “The Full Retard” “So you should pump...

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 21:02:00 -0500

El-P - “The Full Retard”

“So you should pump this shit like they do in the future”—so goes the bid that opens El-P’s thunderous “The Full Retard”, the 2nd track (and first official single) we’ve yet to hear from his long-awaited Cancer for Cure. The track was leaked earlier as part of an official album announcement (May 22 on Fat Possum—prepare accordingly) and it contains all the hallmarks of a Producto banger, from the dystopian grit to El’s verbose, fine-tuned snarl. C4C certainly has a high standard of quality to uphold (listened to “Squeegee Man Shooting” Lately?), but “The Full Retard” is proof that we need not be worried. This is the sound of El-P firing on all cylinders, and it sounds fantastic.

mp3 // EL-P - The Full Retard

Isle of Pine - “Again (Whistle Version w/Nancy...

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 15:37:00 -0500

Isle of Pine - “Again (Whistle Version w/Nancy Graves)”

“Foot stomping acoustic ramblings, akin to how it must have felt for Robert Pollard before he got a four-track, or for Beck before he got his hands on a drum machine. Grimy yet stunning, melancholic yet brutally honest.” - Pop Montreal 2011 Festival Guide

It’s been a little while since we last heard from Tim Beeler, the multi-talented troubadour behind Isle of Pine, but he has returned with the nine song …And Farther Away EP recorded over the course of an afternoon in Montreal. Fans of intimate lo-fi acoustic recordings would be wise to give this a listen—he sings about ex-lovers and saints with his buoyant, wistful voice that pairs just as well with these scratchy recordings as apples do with peanut butter (for those who haven’t tried it: it does). The track above is a definite highlight, a soothing campfire-style duet recorded, in his words, “cross-continentally wit [his] gurl”, which is probably the most adorable thing ever. Go pick it up for free on his Bandcamp page.

Beach Fossils - “Shallow” “Shallow” b/w...

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 16:10:24 -0500

Beach Fossils - “Shallow”

“Shallow” b/w “Lessons” is out now on Captured Tracks

Heroin in Tahiti - “Sartana” I don’t really...

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 13:16:12 -0500

Heroin in Tahiti - “Sartana”

I don’t really know anything about Heroin In Tahiti other than A) they have a very bizarre name and B) as several others have been quick to point out, they played a slightly-askew brand of Spaghetti Western music that sounds like vultures gnawing at the bones of old Morricone scores. If that sounds at all dark, it’s meant to; despite its sunny, swaying-palms artwork, their debut release Death Surf (fitting name) isn’t your typical all-expense vacation. Ready for the trek? Cue up “Sartana”, a literal burner that lumbers through nearly 7 minutes of searing guitar and thick unease. Pack a water bottle.

Quicksails - “Empty and Full” UK label Under the...

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 10:20:00 -0500

Quicksails - “Empty and Full”

UK label Under the Spire, who had quite an accomplished 2011 as far as quality releases are concerned, have christened the new year with a wax pressing of Quicksails‘ Silver Balloons In Clusters (out in tape form on Deception Island). Following up an ace outing on NNA Tapes, the release finds Tiger Hatchery member Ben Billington slipping further down the rabbit hole of rich and otherworldly synth experiments. “Empty and Full” is a brilliant show of what he’s capable of, trapping clattering percussion in a vacuum of martian swells and crystalline electronics. Fans of OPN, Emeralds, and other not-so-terrestrial acts take note.

Chris Forsyth & Koen Holtkamp - “Early Astral...

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 09:32:24 -0500

Chris Forsyth & Koen Holtkamp - “Early Astral (excerpt)”

As I lean back in my desk chair listening to Koen Holtkamp and Chris Forsyth’s recent Early Astral LP through a pair mid-range plastic headphones, I almost feel like I’m doing the album (and myself) a disservice; a scorching two-sided jam of volcanic proportions, this LP begs to be cranked out of a beat-up El Camino barreling down the freeway towards certain destruction. Whether you’re a disciple of Holtkamp’s mainstay Mountains or just need some particularly potent psych rock to help jumpstart your Wednesday, Astral comes highly recommended—catch an excerpt above (via Experimedia) and pick up the LP from Blackest Rainbow.

Rangers - “Glass Facade” As the all-seeing eyes...

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 14:57:00 -0500

Rangers - “Glass Facade”

As the all-seeing eyes over at Tiny Mix Tapes spotted earlier today, suburban tour-guide and retro pop-smith Rangers has a new track—“Glass Facade”—up on the Brunch Groupe SoundCloud page. Could this be teasing a new tape? Only time will tell. Until we find out, we’ve got another 5 minutes of sparkling AM gold from the reigning king.

The stellar 2XLP Pan Am Stories is still up for grabs from the kind folks at Not Not Fun—I suggest you pick it up as quick as your wallet permits.

Food Pyramid - “Oh Mercy” To get a handle on what...

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 14:26:00 -0500

Food Pyramid - “Oh Mercy”

To get a handle on what Food Pyramid’s tremendous LP debut for Moon Glyph sounds like, all you have to do is gaze into that smoothly psychedelic album sleeve—a slab of swirling pastel colors that looks like it’s been left in the sun too long. Colorful, bizarre, and totally hypnotizing, Mango Sunrise follows up FP’s singular string of cassettes in epic fashion, stretching their elastic, kraut-flavored grooves into 45 minutes of mellow gold. Sink your teeth in with the infinitely danceable “Oh Mercy”, which is an early 2012 frontrunner for ‘best use of sax’. Whether you’ve got it rattling through headphones or the stereo system on a sea-bound yacht (this is certainly optimal), its righteous rhythms will have you shimmying away like an idiot. Don’t miss.

mp3 // Food Pyramid - Oh Mercy

Devin Dart - “Now, I Elevate” While it’s...

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 09:03:00 -0500

Devin Dart - “Now, I Elevate”

While it’s surely a boundless source of untapped brilliance and under-the-radar masterpieces going for $5 a pop, the world of left-field “tape music” is often a terribly serious one—all deep, stone-faced drones and cosmic soul-searching; in other words, not a whole lot of “fun”. Thank God, then, for Devin Dart, whose new Mint Spring Silver cassette for the lovely Scissor Tail Records (run by Dylan Aycock of Talk West fame) is a goofy, schizoid melting pot of “jazz-punk sci-fi improv” that won’t leave you you stewing in an existential crisis. One of the least nonsensically-titled tracks on the release (see: “Haha whoa dude did you know yer fingers are made of lightning”), “Now, I Elevate” comes crashing forth with thunderous drums, brightly-humming synths, and indecipherable noise. It’s loud, triumphant, and yes—fun.

mp3 // Devin Dart - Now, I Elevate

Kevin Greenspon - “Maroon Bells” “The six...

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:00:00 -0500

Kevin Greenspon - “Maroon Bells”

“The six pieces on “Maroon Bells” are concise recollections of a very specific set of personal memories including: those first times you had dreams of disappearing to somewhere new, seeing a city from the mountains, being dwarfed by the skeleton of a skyscraper, and the deafening railroad tracks that threaten that hope of sleeping to dream once again”

Last week, house favorite Bridgetown Records dropped their shiny new Spring Batch, which, in addition to some rad-looking tapes from newcomers Chasm and Aurland Gruvan, includes a new one from labelmeister Kevin Greenspon. Kevin bills the 6 all-guitar/tape collage pieces on Maroon Bells as his most personal material to date (see his explanation above), and the solemn heartbreaker of a title track certainly supports that claim. Like everything else we’ve heard from the man, “Maroon Bells” cuts deep, flaunting a startling sense of intimacy that’s all-too rare within the genre.

Go to Bridgetown HQ for a stacked list of label showcase dates, on which Greenspon will be jamming with the mighty likes of Vehicle Blues and Baby Birds Don’t Drink Milk. He’ll also be embarking on a 2 1/2 month solo tour shortly afterwards, so keep your eyes peeled for that.

mp3 // Kevin Greenspon - Maroon Bells

Altar Eagle - “Parallel Lives” Back in ‘09,...

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 15:23:00 -0500

Altar Eagle - “Parallel Lives”

Back in ‘09, jack-of-all-trades Brad Rose (The North Sea, Charlatan, Digitalis) decided to cool it with the skull-crushing noise and start a shoegaze-pop (!) project with wife Eden Hemming called Altar Eagle. We haven’t heard much from the pair since their fantastic Mechanical Gardens LP for Type (hard to believe that was almost two years ago), but today we got a peek at forthcoming album Nightrunners (“out sometime on some label in 2012”) with the lush confection “Parallel Lives”. I’m gonna go ahead and agree with Black Eagle Child, who posted on the track’s SoundCloud page that it sounds “…dreamy! And Ice Creamy”. Delicious.

You can hear another track from Nightrunners, the also-great “Carousel Ocean”, over at No Fear Of Pop.

Burial & Four Tet - “Nova” From out of nowhere,...

Sun, 04 Mar 2012 20:22:00 -0500

Burial & Four Tet - “Nova”

From out of nowhere, two gods of the modern electronic music scene decided to drop some brand new material on us. And as you might expect from these two geniuses (I don’t use that word lightly), “Nova” is immense, lush, and perfectly complements both Four Tet’s tropical-rhythm leanings and Burial’s distant, ghostly beauty. No sign yet of whether this might result in a full collaborative album or another split single like they’ve done in the past with “Wolf Cub”/“Moth” or their work with Thom Yorke on “Ego”/“Mirror”; this was just uploaded onto Four Tet’s soundcloud with no accompanying text. Soak it in.