My head has been in the clouds… Back to this passion soon. For now, I’ll leave you with this.
Tags: Panda Bear
Archive for the “Songs” Category
I am entirely excited for CocoRosie’s performance tomorrow at the Gothic in Denver. I’ve yet to behold the musical explorations of the Casady sisters live, but I sense that it will be epic. Their music is sultry, experimental, impassioned, and one-of-a-kind. The resonances of Bianca and Sierra’s angelic and otherworldly vocals amid their curious, fantastical realm of effected sounds and tones is true art. The duo’s name comes from nicknames their mother gave them when they were young, Bianca “Coco” and Sierra “Rosie”. The girls reunited in Paris in 2003 to collaborate and create. The story is quite romantic. Bianca, who was then 2, living in Brooklyn and hadn’t seen much of her older sister for the past 10 years, had grown restless and decided to invite a change. She chose to travel the world and showed up in Paris where 24-year-old Sierra was studying voice. The two sisters sequestered themselves in Sierra’s bathroom, the most acoustic and isolated room in the apartment, for the better part of 2 months and soon completed their debut album, La Maison de Mon Rêve (2004). Since then, the girls have toured the world, sharing their gorgeous and unrecognizable fusion of hip-hop, opera, electronica and pop. Sometimes it sounds as though you are listening to a field recording equipped with foreign noises, scratches, and faded vocals floating in the background. Other time it’s as though Billie Holiday has come back as a tiny girl obsessed with rhyme. Their third work, The Adventures of Stillborn and Ghosthorse (2007), was aptly produced by legendary Icelandic sound engineer, Valgeir Sigurdsson, who has excelled at capturing the anomalies and eccentricities of the Bjork. The duo recently signed with Sub Pop records to release their fourth full-length album, Grey Oceans (May 2010). CocoRosie’s music is a reflection of Bianca and Sierra’s relationship with each other and this is what inspires its magic. It’s a means of expression for the intense and complex energy that runs between the two sisters. Originally, the girls performed as a duo with Sierra singing, playing the guitar, piano and harp, and Bianca singing and manipulating children’s toys, electronic and percussion instruments, and other unusual noisemakers. They more often now perform with a variety of backing musicians who take the roles of bassist, synth player and beatboxer. Costuming is a constant within the world of CocoRosie, another part of the performance that I can’t wait to lay my eyes on. Bianca has been making her own clothes since she was 15. In Paris, the sisters are revered as fashion icons and regularly make the covers of style magazines. But unlike many of the women who surround them, the two are more likely to take and make their attire from 2nd hand stores than from the shops on the Rue Faubourg Saint-Honoré. So off to the Gothic to experience a world of unicorns, rainbows, fairies and angels and everything else that is CocoRosie. Don’t miss them as they voyage throughout the U.S. and then Europe. Jun 21 – Gothic Theater, Denver, CO mp3: CocoRosie – Lemonade – Grey Oceans (2010)
Jun
17
2010
 
Westword Music Showcase = Denver’s own SXSW (Sat 6/19)Posted by Lux in Colorado, Dance, Electro, Festivals, Folk, Indie, Pop, Songs
The Westword Music Showcase is Denver’s very own version of SXSW, albeit a smaller one. The yearly event, hosted by the free alternative weekly across 8 blocks of the Denver’s Golden Triangle neighborhood lasts just one day. But don’t let this take away from the fact that it is one of the best events in the area to take in the burgeoning Denver music scene and catch some amazing national acts as well. And it’s cheap. Just $15 in advance and $30 day of. This year’s event has one of the best lineups to date for indie fans with headliners including Ghostland Observatory (Austin), Dirty Projectors, and Neon Indian. Other stand-out local acts include The Still City, Eleanor, Hello Kavita, Taun Taun, and Kill Paradise. See below for Lux’s picks for this year’s Westword Music Showcase. FULL SCHEDULE / VENUE MAP
mp3: Dirty Projectors – Stillness Is the Move
mp3: Neon Indian – Terminally Chill
mp3: Ghostland Observatory – Sad Sad City
mp3: Eleanor – It Takes One to Know One _ Reprise
mp3: Hello Kavita – To A Loved One
mp3: Kill Paradise – Just Friends
mp3: Flashbulb Fires – Twenty-Something
mp3: Boombox – Midnight on the Run Tags: Accordion Crimes, Achille Lauro, Air Dubai, Boombox, Dirty Projectors, Eleanor, Flashbulb Fires, Fresh2Death, Ghostland Observatory, Hello Kavita, John Common & Blinding Flashes of Light, Kill Paradise, Neon Indian, TaunTaun, The Chain Gang of 1974, The Still City, Westword Music Showcase
Get it started right… mp3: Phantogram – Mouthful Of Diamonds
May
12
2010
School of Seven Bells erect lush walls of soundPosted by Lux in Album Reviews, Dance, Electro, Indie, Pop, Songs, Upcoming Tour
School of Seven Bells trigger psychedelic expeditions into colorful soundscapes infused with the sensual vocals of twin sisters Alejandra and Claudia Deheza and the ethereal guitar wanderings of Benjamin Curtis. Their multi-layered songs are saturated with melting guitar tones, lush vocal harmonies, raw synths, electronica-edged beats, and heavy production. The band’s love for rhythm, atmosphere and melody is overwhelmingly apparent throughout their explorations. The members of School of Seven Bells met on tour supporting Interpol in 2004, Curtis performing with Secret Machines and the Dehezas with On!Air!Library!. When first exposed to his future bandmates, Curtis perceived a rare vibe and communication between the girls and fell deeply in love with the sound. Alejandra revealed to Curtis her dreams for a collective entitled School of Seven Bells. The name stems from a fabled training academy of thieves and pickpockets in Columbia. They began making music here and there and by 2007 put some tracks together that they had affection for and released them as the Face to Face on High Places EP. That same year, the band began touring and had the fortune to support both Blonde Redhead and Prefuse 73 on the road. mp3: School of Seven Bells – Face To Face On High Places – Face To Face On High Places (2007) Initially, the group spent time translating elements programmed in the studio to other musicians who could fill them out in the live setting. Soon, they began featuring the tracks as originally created. If the sounds were programmed, they’d leave it that way, and if they played them themselves, they’d play it on stage. The sound became more honest and the evolution was liberating, enabling the group to remain a trio. School of Seven Bells’ debut album Alpinism was released in 2008 on Ghostly International. The trio fused their two disparate previous projects into a new sound anchored in gorgeous, winding melodies and beguiling synth backdrops. The recording is glittery and uplifting, peaceful and hymn-like, yet at points dark and tension-filled. Each track is a distinct being, possessing its very own magic. The distorted vocals on “Chain” gorgeously lean in the direction of Black Moth. And at points, School of Seven Bells recall another one of Brooklyn babies, St. Vincent. In 2009, they supported Alpinism on tours with both Bat for Lashes and Black Moth Super Rainbow. mp3: School of Seven Bells – Chain – Alpinism (2008) The trio recently announced that Disconnect from Desire, their 2nd full-length release, will drop via Vagrant/Ghostly International and Full Time Hobby in Europe on July 13th. The album, produced by band member Benjamin Curtis and mixed by Jack Joseph Puig, was recorded in the band’s home studio in Brooklyn. “Babelonia” is the gorgeously fuzzy first track off the album, which they’ve released for free into the blogosphere. mp3: School of Seven Bells – Babelonia – Disconnect From Desire (2010) “From the start, we knew we wanted to make a record that connected on more of a direct and personal level than we ever had before,” Curtis revealed in a statement regarding Disconnect. “It’s a complete account of our lives this past year, and it’s crazy how taking an honest look at yourself can tell you the most about the world around you.” In support of the release, the trio will perform one date at The Echo in Los Angeles on June 2nd and two at the Mercury Lounge in NYC on June 9 and 10. And in July, the band will journey abroad to the Netherlands, the U.K., Germany and Australia. Last year, SoSB brought another atmospheric dream pop group on the road with them, upstate New York’s Phantogram. With their thudding beats, lush synthesizers, psychedelic art-rock and interchange of male/female vocals, Phantogram creates dazzling sounds reminiscent of SoSB. Don’t miss Phantogram on tour throughout the U.S. in May and June. May 13th brings them to the Larimer Lounge in Denver. They’ll also hit Sasquatch in 2010. mp3: Phantogram – Mouthful Of Diamonds – Eyelid Movies (2010) School of Seven Bells: MySpace | Website
Tags: Black Moth Super Rainbow, Blonde Redhead, Brooklyn, On!Air!Library!, Phantogram, Prefuse 73, School of Seven Bells, Secret Machines, St. Vincent
Relishing in the sweet sounds that soothe my ears, stimulate my senses, stir up feelings of bliss, and send me into the abyss as I work like I do… Play loudly. mp3: Human Highway – The Sound
Irwin Barbé and Luna Cedron sent me their fashion video set to a High Places song called “From Stardust to Sentience.” The video features Luna’s Venus in Fürs designs. I’m in love with how the images embody the music. I also adore that 17-year-olds from France are sending me their artistic creations…
VENUS IN FURS the summer wasting from Irwin Barbé on Vimeo. Check out more from this amazingly talented young designer. Luna’s ethereal creations feature floral fabrics, draping cords, and t-shirts covered in fantatsical childlike drawings. Luna loves live music, meeting musicians and giving them her designs. MGMT and Foals are already part of her following. Clothing by Venus in Fürs … Barbé’s visuals are equally preternatural. Here’s a video he directed for Gang Gang Dance’s “Vacuum”. For more from Barbé… Irwin Barbé… mp3: High Places – From Stardust to Sentience High Places: MySpace | Website
May
02
2010
The 2010 Winners of CoachellaPosted by Lux in Concert Reviews, Dance, Electro, Favorites, Festivals, Folk, Indie, Songs
At the end of a weekend of award-winning sets, blue skies, and hipper-than-hip crowds, an esteemed analyst of mine pronounced that Gorillaz had won Coachella. After falling for the title, I’m compelled to share who made the grade, offered stand-out sets, and made Coachella what it is: the picking ground for some of the best artists performing now. Several acts were immediately taken out of the contest due to their inability to get to the festival. The Cribs, Gary Numan, Bad Lieutenant, and Delphic fell pray to flight cancellations as a result of the plume of volcanic ash from Iceland that descended on the UK and parts of Scandinavia during the week prior to the festival. Sly Stone has been disqualified as well due to the last minute postponement of his Sunday set until later that evening and the difficulty he had making it through his own songs. While the remaining 130+ artists competed enthusiastically, the Lux votes are in and it’s a tie between Gorillaz and Thom Yorke’s Atoms For Peace. The remaining titles have been awarded respectively to Dirty Projectors, The Whitest Boy Alive, Grizzly Bear, Passion Pit, Phoenix, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, LCD Soundsystem, Jónsi, Pretty Lights, Vampire Weekend, La Roux, Jay-Z, Hot Chip, Pavement, MGMT, Gossip, The Avett Brothers and Little Dragon. Owen Pallett’s geeky laugh, the longest bout of insanely loud distortion from Girls, and Mutemath’s Paul Meany performing flips on and over his keyboard made for other memorable Coachella moments. Special thanks to Ra Ra Riot, Local Natives, Little Boots, Beach House, Sia, Miike Snow, Flying Lotus, Sleigh Bells, and Imogen Heap for playing. You have each been awarded an honorable mention. Last place goes to Tiësto. You can’t win when you insist on being louder than every other artist to perform and drown out your competitors. Congratulations to Coachella for their first sell out in the festival’s 12 years. Your decision to hold the fest on the meticulously manicured and palm-tree lined grounds of the Empire Polo Fields in California where the weather might be the finest in the nation might warrants you the prize of best indie festival around.
mp3: Gorillaz – Empire Ants (feat. Little Dragon)
mp3: Thom Yorke – And It Rained All Night
mp3: Dirty Projectors – Cannibal Resource
mp3: The Whitest Boy Alive – Intentions
mp3: Passion Pit – Little Secrets – Manners (2009)
mp3: Phoenix – 1901 – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (2009)
mp3: Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Janglin
mp3: LCD Soundsystem – Losing My Edge
mp3: Jonsi – Go Do
mp3: Pretty Lights – Hot Like Sauce
mp3: Vampire Weekend – One (Blake’s Got A New Face)
mp3: La Roux – In For The Kill
mp3: Jay-Z and Beyonce – Young Forever (Coachella 2010)
mp3: Hot Chip – One Life Stand
mp3: Pavement – You Are a Light
mp3: Gossip – Standing in the Way of Control (Playgroup Mix)
mp3: The Avett Brothers – I and Love and You
Here is a gorgeous cover of MGMT’s “Time To Pretend” by Jónsi… Absolutely lovely. mp3: Jonsi – Time To Pretend (MGMT cover) The track was recorded for BBC Radio 1. as part of the Live Lounge Session on March 20th. Here’s a link to the interview and live session. Tags: Jónsi, MGMT
Apr
23
2010
Phantogram’s Atmospheric Dream Pop Lifts MoodsPosted by Lux in Album Reviews, Dance, Electro, Indie, Pop, Songs, Upcoming Tour, Video
I recently caught Phantogram within the gorgeous IFC Studio at SXSW and the experience has held onto a special place in my memory. The duo created a unique vibe in the small blue-imbued 50-capacity space that I became wrapped within until the last notes of their set. I’ve been craving that feeling since and will experience it again on Monday when they surface at the Fox Theatre in Boulder on their tour in support of The Antlers. The group is hitting major cities and smaller ones as well between now and June. Phantogram is the sonic manifestation of junior high friends Sarah Barthel (synth and vocals) and Josh Carter (guitar, samples, and vocals). The two came together in 2007 to push boundaries of indie-electronica with their unique style of atmospheric dream-pop. The sound walks a tightrope of genres as they weave sampled and electronically-generated hip-hop beats with shoegaze, trip-hop, R&B, indie/emo and pop. With their thudding beats, lush synthesizers, psychedelic art-rock and interchange of male/female vocals, Phantogram creates expansive, dazzling sounds of unfaltering quality that float. While the band’s sound implies the city, the duo resides in the small town of Saratoga Springs, populations 26,186. To write and record, the two drive further into rural lands of upstate New York to a farmland barn they call Harmony Lodge. The unconventional space acts as their homemade studio/practice-space/think-tank, equipped with various samplers, tapes, records, synths, drums, and percussive and stringed instruments. It is here that Phantogram melds metropolitan influences and those of their natural surroundings to create their textural, psychedelic, beat-driven pop. The band’s debut, Eyelid Movies (Barsuk Records, 2010), is filled with grand ideas and even better songs. In speaking of the record’s title, Barthel explains: “We ran across a description of dreams somewhere that used the phrase ‘eyelid movies’ – and it really struck us both as something that fit our music.” “Daydreams, the spots you see moving around when your eyes are closed tight, and the shapes you see in the world – those are the kinds of things we want to surface in your mind when you hear a Phantogram song,” adds Carter. Barsuk Records is home to indie greats including Death Cab for Cutie, Rilo Kiley, Ra Ra Riot and Viva Voce. There tends to be an undercurrent of loneliness and isolation in much of the band’s work, counter-balanced by awe-inspiring moments of untethered bliss. “Mouthful of Diamonds” is one of those highpoints on the record. Its gorgeous guitar melodies, repeating samples, and Barthel’s astounding voice could lift any mood. In case you were wondering, the band’s intriguing name refers to a type of optical illusion that brings 2D images into 3D, creating a lovely parallel with the rich music that this duo brings to life. mp3: Phantogram – When I’m Small – Eyelid Movies (2010) Phantogram’s Spring Tour
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