Moose Afternoon Revelation Squared
Moose Afternoon has the touch, the one which catches you after looking up through the trees. The wonder of where these clouds roll to, how you fit in, what it all means. Just another great Artists doing his thing out there in the midst of this vast DIY world. I use to think my generation was robbed of something great, something special in the seeds of its history. But this site, and finding all these great “songsters” reveals that initial idea is bullshit. You come across songs like the one’s on Moose Afternoons page and the smile shines, beams through to negate all the doubt because of its tonality, the kind that lets you release the chains of fear. Now we embark on Life, while accepting what sucks about it, and turning it into a tolerable bridge to traverse this crazy place. Tons of Free DL. Excellent!
Candy Empire Over Love Hills
The brand new track from Candy Empire titled “Animal,” plays like a smooth trotting trip-hop daze. Subtle vocals float on top of a lush rhodes piano, while the beats delve into this downtempo world. The gorgeous new song relays a message of love, and the inner struggle. The “Animal” in this case, equates to the baggage keeping you from accepting the gifts being offered. Candy Empire released a self titled record back in March of last year. Nab the album and the new song here.
Pick Of The Week: Whails
Whails, an infectious 60′s style band that immediately reminds me of the Beatles. The voice vibrating over sunny hits, completely calls to front your happy sensory missions. Not clear if the new music is a 4 track ep, or there’s more somewhere else. Regardless, we have tracks to DL for free. Coming to us from Perth, Australia the group hits all the classic sounds trickled with a modern edge. You can tell they appreciate the fundamentals of writing a great song, but they’re not afraid to listen for the things surrounding the basics. Exploring at times, the mysterious Lo-fi Pop sensibility, Whails is the kind of group begging for an unconnected turntable, whose vernacular evolves via the purple wings sheltered from the storm. Its flying above us in the desert, like water beads bouncing down the colored glass. Yeah, I’m tripping out to this.
Noble Robot Sideways Mobility
On the new track from Noble Robot, Rory Barber continues to blow minds. A longer number,“Bright Side” plays with plenty of journey behind it. This band has always taken the adventure road, exploring, experimenting in this uneven box they continue to develop for themselves. Few groups bend genres in a successful manner. Noble Robot has no problem delivering a blurry line on the new single, while exuding their (trademark) quirky musicianship, tinged with improvisational risk. The new song comes in over six minutes, and listening at a distance you’d think it was an EP full of short bursts. Rory and his better half Nellie Gillis just keep releasing wonderful music. Sounds that are filled with compassion, angst, a yearning for love and adventure. I surely hope Noble Robot gets a larger audience in 2013, they deserve it. Also included here is the other new track “Icarus,” which if comparing the two from a stylistic point of view, it completely solidifies the case for a bending musical persona. A+
Pick Of The Week: Sonic Tramp
Music is everywhere, millions of little pieces fluttering this invisible chain. Some hits are linear, others searching for it in a pool of rainbows. I came across London’s Sonic Tramp (Martin James Wagdin) this morning. When I find a song I like to see the date of its release, and how much press it’s already received. Acres is meant to give some love to Artists who are still relatively unknown even if they have a cult following that swells in their own inner circle. Sonic Tramp is here with no start date, or sign of expiration. Lets drink the kool aid together, and listen to this cat.
The song “With You” was released last fall. It’s a glamour pop number with heavy synth work, traversing the outer glow, while you run in mukluks over some dark disco pants. Sonic Tramp has a ton of great work, a variety of remixes, and a new song just released in the last month, go HERE to listen. He has remixed The Chemical Brothers, MGMT, Crystal Fighters, Friendly Fires, Bon Iver, and Empire Of The Sun to name a few. I’m just puzzled why his song “With You” hasn’t come across the wire to me in another form at this point. Regardless, its wonderful, a precious cool scenario walking the city streets in some vintage pastels, with a vivid sheen to outline the shadows. That world is always fun, this is your atmosphere. You can DL the single on iTunes.
Cassida Pax Wild Fire Highlights
Cassida Pax is warbling through this retro ether, more like sniffing the good glue then walking the park after dark. Ricardo Stacey out of Canada lives in the Lo-fi TAPE culture. The bedroom pop aesthetic never seems to go away, daily finds of experimental goings on. An explorative measure so expansive the genre continue to rain down supreme pretty lights. Cassida Pax is another pleasant vibe in a long line of great wild wonders. Head over to his bandcamp page, and peep the massive collection of releases.
Drippy Fingers Youth Parade
On the new song “Deadly Melody,” Drippy Fingers aka Phil Ramirez, channels the world with a hook nestled in the Pacific, somewhere over there. Clearly a busy dude, he’s been blowing up his own soundcloud, treating us to the new every couple days. Take for example the WU-TANG esque track “When You Grow Up” which has some interesting directions breaking down the song throughout. Savvy-vintage-goods all together define Drippy Fingers, who aims to comes off as a geeky young person(15yrs), but can’t help his inner coolness with the Art of sampling in his home set, New Jersey.
Like Animals Pipe Dance
In many cases the beat is enough, which we find with the Philippines Like Animals. A groove heavy project just begging for a vocalist to lay something down. The immediately catchy rhythm of “Tools” was just released and its injection of percussion sways the landscape into this tribal chant gesture. You can go here and explore the other releases.
All These Fingers Gold Rings
All These Fingers is a beat maker/heat thrower out of Detroit, Michigan. Michiganders unite! From first look ATF is a busy producer, dropping albums consistently via bandcamp. Back in April the Tonewheel LP was released, featuring a plethora of different material, from Das EFX remixes to Beastie Boys, ATF handles them all. I particularly enjoy the originals featuring JACK WILSON, so I posted “Satin Starter Jackets” featuring him. You can NAME YOUR PRICE for the whole record here. I also included a track off the upcoming album “Cassette Riddim.” Streaming it this morning I’m eager to nab it.
Jack Spelman Dust Vivid Railroad
Jack Spelman creates blurry lines boxing in outdoor memorabilia. The ridges are spotted wonders, so beautiful that you almost want to jump the cliff so you can explore the waters below. A full sound, yet quiet in its ability to rest there in the background, painting the pictures for your silhouettes to build a life in. This is the kind of sound made for an old vinyl piece you swoop up in an abandon box in the back of a thrifty spot. The dust is welcomed, now the spotlight for its remnants to build again. This music gets me exploring my writing, which I love. Thanks Jack, pure brilliant experimentations beaming in the shadows. Not much info on this project, like a link to a cassette or to dl the sounds. Stream for now folks.
Choongum Droplet Fire
In San Francisco, Choongum is blasting this loopy dream drench all over the coast. Dazzling atmospherics, with a hooky arpeggiated pulse. The new song “Rainbow Syrup” wastes no time getting to its place, from the intro its pull takes you in, drops you on a seat, then you fly away. Surfing around online Choongum has plenty of releases to listen to, a recent album with Shisha on cassette, and a bunch more. Hop over to his bandcamp to go through it all.
Naps Video Heat.Pak
I’ve been meaning to post about Naps for sometime. Very few I’ve discovered thus far do “found sound collage” quite like this project. Naps gets choppy at times, with hits making static beats, that sound like one big journey piece. Going back to the soundcloud page I did a little looking around at the links, found this really heady newer video for “Heat.Pak.” A visual experience of atmosphere, psychedelics, with no boundaries of the mind. I also posted the recent released “Filtered Water” which is a little more linear but still in that Naps realm of feeling good while subsequently being lost.
We Were Born Canaries Textured Still
Denmarks We Were Born Canaries released the new single “White Gold” yesterday. The song is the lead off the new EP coming soon. From the very beginning its apparent the band engaged a worldly call on their instrumentation for this one. Quality sounds plastered with rich textures, immediately set the track up. There’s an experimental nature which stands out in a big way on the break down. Sounds that remind me of whales communicating a complex translation underneath the call out from the lead singer. Her voice rests perfectly over this number and when the lyrical hook drops back in for the finish, the melting begins – Honest, explorative pop, with an excitement clearly beaming from the band. STREAM ONLY.
Daycones Sugar Garden Graffiti
Weirdly addictive, like a wound you keep messing with. Daycones, a new project out of Milwaukee, WI has all the weird psych daydreamer fades you could hope for. Lazy deep vocals delivered over warbly mischief , performed by Ryan Janke. I can only hope that Daycones has more work to deliver this summer, cause I would really enjoy rocking on my porch while being lifted from this newly discovered heady visual dealer. Just really cool sounds man, a wondrous colorful explorations in what will eventually be on a cassette at some point, I hope. STREAM ONLY
Feint Motion Color Go
The word “Epic” is sadly overused, especially now in the music review world. But even worse is the word being dropped in random conversation regarding something that’s hardly worth repeating. But, in the case of Andy Isaac aka Feint, the word Epic is all I can think of after listening to his brand new song “Sky Dance”.
At 20 years old, Feint cast his shadow in Britain making his mark with songs that build up like a bonfire. These imaginary visuals pump ideas into your mind, a reflection of the past sneaks in on occasion, but mostly you have this new-found energy to grab colors and paint your new canvas of life. The new song is a NAME YOUR PRICE over on bandcamp.
Pick Of The Week: Fortyone
When you search “Samples” as a keyword you can find some pretty amazing songster crafts on soundcloud. I came across Fortyone, and a new album filled with said samples, running the spectrum. The Joy of Plowing is free and massive coming in at 32 songs. There’s quick drops of everything, like a record addict in the store doing quick hits to decide what’s coming home from the stack. A remarkable snippet fest, that gets smokey from all the dancing.
Take songs like “Jazz it up,” a classic hot box get down for the neighborhood on a saturday night. The project really just seems to be all about having fun, giving away free music without revealing much. The tunes are filled with a conducive memorabilia that blend together like a drunken pool party, which means some are spot on, others are weird enough together they work.
The track “Be The Love Bone Pony” lays out music from some real greats, all accompanied by an announcement telling you whose up. You’ll sway between Ricky Nelson, Elvis, and Fats Domino. A brilliant “wonder smile” perfect for the whole family.
Sampling is one of my favorite art forms, and when done correctly, old classics can be reinvented to form this new experimentation, unleashed and lovely. Not everyone can do this, it’s not like a derivative painting. This exploration is somewhat crazy, making its celebratory conclusion a piece that’s seldom found for most of us. The time, and care put into doing this would require a vision, only Fortyone could explain. Just a great find, I do hope you DL this record.
I also put up “George Washington Meets Mrs. Rabbit,” not off the record, but worth the laugh, just listen to how much effort this project takes to get where its going. So much respect! The Joy of Plowing just came out, nab it FREE HERE. And be sure to go through the other material on Soundcloud, basically a treasure chest of throwback gems.
Saturday Morning Cartoons: Y.T.C.B.
Young Triforce Cat Baron out of Britain, is the kind of project that has the name to spark your curiosity (obviously), as it turns out the name has some back to it. Flutter pops on beats, with sprinkled replay atmospherics, makes Y.T.C.B. a purveyor of this particular type of magic. The new track “2morrow” is a FREE dl.
Pick Of The Week: Kanada
Kanada out of France, has this track called “Bowling” on his soundcloud page. When I was walking through to grab another, in the long line of cups of coffee, it began to play. The tracks before it I liked so the decision to post had been made. Then came the “epic” moment where I declared in my mind this song is going to be the one I love, I know it. But that’s not to say his collection isn’t amazing. He released an EP called Parade back in September, which can be grabbed for a FREE dl.
Kanada has a passion for the ambient no doubt. He rests blurry objects on floating planes, which take off from the standard beat treatment. The music is highly addictive “brain food.” Something I enjoy b/c there’s a special place I go in my head, the one you can get to easily with a drop of LSD, or Fungi. Being older now, I stay away from whats alters us, finding the way with music, the obviously more wholesome choice.
But we won’t stop at the cerebral offerings from Paul Teyssédou Aka Kanada. His track “Elliptic Tricks” is another special treat. This one is more up beat, including the soulful blues guitar over hoppy heat. It has this vintage sound to it, instantly attractive. It sticks to the shakers core, a groover you once adored, refreshed with new blood from Kanada, a very deft French Producer.
I also put up his mixtape Handy Drummers Silent Square.
Fantasy Camp Zone Glow
The thing sets in, skies darken, there’s running aimlessly. At the edge is Fantasy Camp, whose sound transcends his youth. At 16 Jonah Kramer AKA Fantasy Camp beams out of Pennsylvania, with a self relayed “clumsy & shy” persona. Silly rabbit, there’s nothing like that coming out of your sound. This is potent chillwave, the kind that evoke cool moods, on the cusp of the latter part of the evening. Mix the atmospherics with solid beat making, the kind of sampling that inhabits this Feng Shui in the mind, making the complete song a real pleasant work that has no rigidity.
The new song “Campground” hits on all those evocations, it’s a slow burner, whose fruit seems out of reach, cause you keep ruminating about shit. All this is taking place along some shore only you know about, cause you designed it.
Jonah is part of this influx of the “beat tape” genre. His new full length came out in late December, you can grab that here, its a NAME YOUR PRICE. There’s so much to listen to, so get listening. I’ve posted some songs that really stand out, all FREE DL.
Cough Cool While You Can
Philadelphia’s Cough Cool, no doubt an explorer of his particular guitar blizzard wonder, released “Blue Eyes” a week ago via his soundcloud account. The track is a lazy player, with enough wash to drowned out the three-day hangover you’ve recently suffered through. I keep seeing a swimmer exploring the caves, something like that.
Cough Cool is Dan Svizeny, a seemingly classic indie personality resonating sounds with a heavy hand on the guitar, gritty vocal, simple drums. An outstanding music that sits high up in the lo-fi aesthetic, a personal favorite. There’s quite a few releases I found on iTunes, something to look into.
Groove Cereal Deep Kicks
Buffalo born Francesco Cimato AKA Groove Cereal, drops cinematic silhouettes through a fog of opium shades. Now laying back in Fort Collins Colorado, and a member of the Dusted Wax Kingdom (a london based netlabel), Groove Cereal just released this collab with fellow member VPD, called “Beats For The People.” The mood on the latest plays like an afternoon stroll, or the kind of sound you’d hear blazing the coolest slow mo scene in the new Gangster Drama, that has the Archetype getting suited up for a kill. This cat brings heat, it’s just simply that.
A second standout is the jazz induced “Take Time,” another in a long line of hip flavors, Fracesco has the patience, the atmosphere, and judging by his profile on S.C. all the rep to make his brand a dope platform. His first record came out in May of last year. Part of a Dusted Breakfast (vol 1) can be downloaded for FREE here, or be a real music lover and hook up a few dollars. The music, and the man behind it are worth it. Highly recommend you DIG DEEPER on this whole crew.
Turquoise Crown Elemental Crush
The galactic cut up sample heat, crushes moon fragments, laying down jazz vocal leads. Turquoise Crown out of Maine, chops up the fine, pushes it out through some kind of wonderful. Crisp and savvy, the pro sound of a beat maker. The latest clip “water.heart” is just a sample of something infectiously moving. I’ve listed several works of Art from T.C. for your listening pleasure. The project seems to release material quickly, so there’s plenty of short bursts to enjoy. I wish I could offer more info on whose behind the sounds, but like so many soundclouders they just don’t put much on who they are, or where else to find them.
Swim Good Under The Radar’s Radar
Swim Good released “Dollar Iced Tea” last year on Soundcloud. From what I can tell this song has gone relatively under the radar, way under it. It’s a great song! From the moment it begins, the invisible colors we see from the bright sun in our eyes, comes out like vibrations. You’re half blinded and the pulse transmits the sound. A FREE one I might add. “ALL I WANNA DO” is listen to this song, and be in this video.
The song is a car commercial just waiting to be plucked from the cloud. Who is this Swim Good? Why is this song not being blasted everywhere? How the hell did I find it? The last question is easy, traffic on one of my own releases turned me onto Swim Good. I noticed the name, so I went to explore, and here we are. I’M IN LOVE! It looks like Swim Good is Ben Hoffman, honestly I wish Artist would get on the “links” tip so when we cover them I know WTF I’m looking at, no worries, the song makes up for it. Cheers Ben! There’s also a pretty Rad mixtape on his Soundcloud. Be sure to hop over and nab that as well both FREE. WE WANT MORE DUDE!!!!
- In case this is some big hit I just completely missed, and Swim Good is one of these maestros posting CR material, my apologies up front. The song is that good people. It’s so damn good that I think it’s possibly this massive hit that everyone has already loved on. This can happen, hope its the real deal so I can feel good about my discovery.
Estate Champagne Balloon Room
A new find of some older tracks along with a new EP. Disco House is an essential piece to my musical upbringing as a listener, and at one point a house music DJ. I started out listening to this kind of quality, the summer time house dancers that are so HOT they excuse themselves from being overly funky or cheesy. Basically going so far one way, you come back through the other side, making the thing you’re doing transcendent.
Estate out of Minneapolis and NYC, consists of Josh Johnson, Dan Kramer, and Jessie Lesmeister. There sound is Nu Disco with shades of Phoenix (esque) cadence. There’s a ton to go through, all setting them up on their own plain as a real purveyor in this “champagne” style music. The sounds entirely crisp, moving smoothly, while making sure to have some fun within all the WHITE ON THE WALLS. They released a massive album via iTunes back in 2011. Massive in this sense its 40 plus tracks for you to munch on. This music is essential party music. Feel good sounds, no doubt. They have some seriously campy videos over on vimeo, I laughed my ass off at the featured video, which is the new single leading the new EP they just released, available on Traxsource.
The new single “Slipstream” is a glitter pop throw back, layered in so much disco I put on a head band and started busting a move. The new EP contains new music from Estate as well as the remix treatment. Below I picked the new single, and two older tracks that I really thought were great, especially “Pick Your Fight”. Nothing like a new EP to bring in a new audience to your older material. Perfect timing!
