Muke is the project of Madeline Liebowitz and Luke Kuzava who met in the dorms their freshman year at the University of Oregon. Out of boredom one day they decided to record a song into an iBook and lo and behold, something fresh and new was born out of the disparate influences of each member. Their sound is something like if Lykke Li was backed with acoustic guitar with the “shoegaze rock filter” on high accompanied by toy store percussion. With a sound this cute and strange, it’s only a matter of time before they get some love from Pitchfork.
January 18, 2009
Muke’s "Shutterspeed Lullabies" are an Otherworldly Bedtime Hymn!
January 16, 2009
Svelt St. Provides some Indie Flavored Rap
Svelt St. is a married dynamic duo who consist of vocalist Feelmore and Emcee Bang! Cheeto. together they craft inventive dance/rap/pop. The track “Po’ Boy” kicks off like a track by an indie songstress like Lykke Li or Maybe Robyn with a bouncy electro beat and soft female vocals before Bang! Cheeto starts rapping about “99 bottles”. Bang! Cheeto has some interesting credentials, having worked with several groups and releasing critically acclaimed EPs and having worked with Del the Funky Homosapien, but his fuzzed out telephone raps seem out of place. Svelt St. have a sound that’s akin to cough syrup, thick, sweet, but because of those raps it leaves a weird taste in your mouth.
January 12, 2009
Review: Division Kent’s Gravity is a Heavy Trip
Division Kent is a two piece from Zurich, Switzerland that plays swirling, dark new wave rock composed of two members; vocalist Andrea B. and instrumentalist Sky Antinori. Their music is at times dark and heavy, calling to mind the work of psychedelic indie band Midnight Movies due to the ominous melodies and sultry voice of Andrea B. While this is the primary musical mode the band is set in there are some fun surprises along the way.
Right off the bat the band set a mood with the atmospheric “No Kryptonite” that calls to mind Blonde Redhead. “Pat the PanAm Pilot”, starts off with some quirky keyboards and a skeptical narrative of the life of a successful pilot. From there the energetic “She’s Going Places” takes flight with guitar work and a beat that sounds like a fusing of Lali Puna and the Cure. “The Big Hush” is another experiment in combining a heavy atmosphere with haunting vocals. The track “In The Headlights” separates itself from the rest of the album using ultra bendy bass and a Casio beat that gives way to the most memorable chorus on the album. I could see this track being used in a dramatic scene of a movie. For all I know it might be already.
Once the album gets through most of it’s down tempo song, the arrangements, clicks, beats and synths really shine. “L’huere Blue” erupts with a dark 80′s pop sensibility and cascades of melodies and bells. Perfect for your retro goth prom. If “L’huere Blue” is an entrance song to said retro goth prom, then “Rooftop Rallye” is the party starter. Waves of aggressive bass pulse as Andrea B. purrs her way through the song. The next track is the most fun off of the album, entitled “Offshore”, featuring the most upbeat vocals and guitars that call to mind VHS or Beta in their heyday. The album winds down with the slinky duet “Salty” and comes to a close with the hauntingly programmed number “The Year of Magical Thinking”.
All the attention to detail makes Division Kent worth listening to. There are a couple spots on here where their formula, no matter how well done, feels worn out, dark electronica rock with deep sensual female vocals, we get it. It’s when Division Kent change up their style a little bit that they really shine, on tracks like “L’Heure Blue” and “Offshore” where their sound moves past brooding girl territory and into kicking electro rock pathos. Whether you’re looking for music to sulk dramatically to or music to get the party started, Division Kent has what you need.
January 8, 2009
Music For Swedish Lumberjacks! The Sweet Serenades!
The Sweet Serenades are the next in a long line Swedish pop-smiths who craft bouncy catchy tunes that are sure to make you forget your wintertime woes. Check out their video for their single “Mona Lee”.
December 26, 2008
AZLTRON New Year’s/Birthday Dance Mix!
December has to have the highest concentration of holidays in the fewest number of days. I mean… Hanuka, Christmas, Kwanza, New Year’s Eve, Boxing Day, and of course my birthday, which happens to coincide with New Year’s eve. That’s a lot of holidays! So I’m posting this ahead of time since I will probably be consumed with festivities on December 31st as I’m sure many of you will as well. So here is my birthday/new year’s gift to you, a mix of some of the best remixes I’ve heard this year. Bon nouvelle année et joyeux anniversaire à moi!
Lykke Li – Breaking It Up (Punks Jump Up)
Cut Copy – Faraway (Hundreds and Thousands Remix)
Love Motel – Je Pleure (Cryptonites Remix)
Santogold – L.E.S. Artistes (Left/Right Remix)
DatA – Rapture (Edwin Van Cleef Remix)
The Faint – The Geeks Were Right (DIOYY Remix)
Fast Computers – Gejius – So Sad (Gravity/Love Remix).mp3
Peter Bjorn & John – The Chills (Thieves Like Us Remix)
Cicada – Metropolis [The Twelves' B-LIVE Rio Mix]
Wallpaper – EvrytmWeDoIt(RACMauryRemix)
Cobradukes – airtight aeroplane remix
November 15, 2008
(New Music) The Kindness Kind!
The Kindness Kind are a band out of Seattle, that has been praised as one of the best bands to emerge from that scene this year by the Toronto Star. The band has also recieved spotlight status from CMJ. The band have recently released their self titled album on which they worked with producer Lucas Carlyle who has worked with The Gossip, The Octopus Project, and the Album Leaf among others.
It’s a bit off target to call The Kindness Kind “Electro” (as on their myspace) while there are synthesizers present, their music is extremely organic. Think; space rock infused jazz with a glamorous lounge vixen vocalist. To create the lovely dream state they call their music, The Kindness Kind use guitars to create some nice edginess and angularity for the songs, but it’s the pianos and keyboards that help create the hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that sets the stage for Alessandra Rose who adds startlingly accessible vocal hooks to The Kindness Kind’s somewhat experimental indie pop. Add in a pounding and dynamic rhythm section and you’ve got one of the most compelling sounds of 2008. The Kindness Kind have created some of the most articulate and cinematic music intended to incite rocking out. Let the rocking out begin!
The Kindness Kind – Beautiful Souls
September 5, 2008
Dada Life Remix Lykke Li
Are you ready for more modest cutesy female vocals over thumping beats and stuttering synth arpeggios? Of course you are. Dada Life transforms the slowly sashaying original into an old school dancefloor storm. It might take a full minute before you recognize those gentle vocals, but the synth riff that drops and the use of the reverb on the vocals that creates a kind of”Pull Away” effect adds some serious velocity.
Lykke Li – Dance, Dance, Dance (Dada Life Guerilla Fart #4)
August 25, 2008
Klumpfish Remixes Lykke Li
Klumpfisk returns with an sublime dream pop take on up and coming Swedish pop songstress Lykke Li. The original versions gentle clank is replaced with a wide open ambience and some raw guitar work.
This snippet came with the remix:
“To those of you who appreciate genuine handcraft in these times of mass-produced nonsense, Klumpfisk presents yet another trip to the shores of the Baltic Sea. Made from small amounts of matter, but from larger amounts of time, before you lies a beautiful example of what a pop song of 2008 could or could not be. If this doesn’t make you shiver, either your brain or your nerves may be damaged.”
Lykke Li – Little Bit (Klumpfisk Remix)
