Tame Impale is almost here

Australian band Tame Impala have made it over to the States quite a bit to perform, but if you haven’t caught them yet, now’s your chance.  They are currently on a Spring tour in the U.S. and Canada, which kicked off at Coachella and will head to Webster Hall in New York City on April 25th.

Comprised of Kevin Parker (lead guitar and vocals), Dominic Simper (guitar), Nick Allbrook (bass) and Jay Watson (drums and backing vocals), the band is self-described as psychedelic hypno-groove melodic rock music.  And they say “if Tame Impala’s music reminds you of what you’d want to put on when you next visit your mind’s engine room then they’re happy. If not, whatever, it’s just music.”

Below is the song “Expectation” and corresponding video, which debuted at the end of last year and was filmed outside of Paris during a break from their European tour with a 360 degree camera.

Tame Impala – Expectation

SXSW Darlings: Jonquil

One of my top 5 favorite bands of SXSW this year was definitely Jonquil, who I wrote about just a few weeks ago here.

Hugo Manuel, Sam Hudson Scott and Robin McDiarmid are self-described as “Paul Simon’s take on The Smiths.”  Fitting for some of their songs.  If I were going to describe them, however, their sound reminds me of a cross between Vampire Weekend and Two Door Cinema Club – poppy, feel-good party favorites and soon-to-be summer anthems.  But then there are songs like “Compoud” (which just blew me away and has been on constant repeat the past few months) and their cover of The xx’s “Infinity,” where the Oxford, UK trio showcase a softer, soulful sound masking an underlying intensity and drama that feels like it’s ready to burst, but somehow remains in control.

Their debut EP One Hundred Suns is currently out in the U.S. via Dovecote Records.  Check out one of their stand out tracks “It Never Rains” that they perform live to get the crowds dancing as well as my favorite track “Compound.”

Jonquil – It Never Rains by Jonquil

Jonquil – Compound by Jonquil

One to See Live: Baths

While I listen to and love many beatmakers, I am not always partial to their live shows.  This was not the case, however, when California-native Baths took the stage (and I found myself catching him three times at SXSW).  The 21-year-old producer, who has been making music for years and years under several different monikers, debuted his first album as Baths last summer called Cerulean which you can download from iTunes here.

His show had me dancing and as he eased into his set and started to sing as well, the crowds kind of perked up with a new found appreciation.  And Baths, aka Will Wiesenfeld, is very aware of showcasing his craft beyond the production.  In an interview with The Blue Indian when asked about his Daytrotter Session (January 2011), he says:

TBI: Your Daytrotter Session completely took me by surprise. A lot of times with electronic musicians, when they do these sessions, it’s pretty much the same thing as their album. Not much variance.

Baths: That’s the whole thing – it’s that I’m terrified of that. So that’s why I wanted to do the piano because I want to show the different side of stuff.

Baths – Aminals

For A Minor Reflection

One of my (many) favorite parts of SXSW is walking down the most crowded of streets, with sounds coming from all directions, but one band stands out among all the rest.  People gather around an open window of a packed bar to see/hear them play.  That’s what happened on my first night when For A Minor Reflection took the stage and the crowd poured out into the street.

The four-piece band comprised of Kjartan Holm (guitar), Guðfinnur Sveinsson (guitar and piano), Elvar Jón Guðmundsson (bass) and Andri Freyr Þorgeirsson (percussion) hail from Reykjavík, Iceland and are an experimental / instrumental rock outfit drawing comparisons to Explosions In The Sky and Mogwai.  The song posted below, “Dansi Dans,” reminds me more of that orchestral pop sound you hear from bands like Fanfarlo and Sigur Ros, with whom FaMR toured in 2008.  Since 2005, the band has morphed from a hard rock duo to indie rock trio to blues quartet to a Pink Floyd cover band before finally arriving at their current standing. My favorite little fact about them, however, is this sentence from their Wikipedia page: Kjartan Holm and Guðfinnur met at a college event which ended in a strip poker party at Kjartan’s house.  Very informative!

Now that these 20-somethings have finally found their genre, they play as a band with experience beyond their years, commanding the attention of an audience of fans or even just passersby.   Check out their latest album from 2010 which you can purchase on their website here.

For A Minor Reflection – Dansi Dans

Foo Fighters Remix

In honor of sxsw and forthebeat’s KC being there right now, and SL not being there (Oh cruel cruel world) we’re posting a remix  Alphabet Pony did of Foo Fighters’ “Everlong,” FF are one of the special guests playing sxsw this year!?

With Foo Fighters and the rumored Kanye West shows along with hundreds of other great artists like Hooray for Earth, High Highs, Keepaway, The Naked and Famous, Smith Westerns, The Cults, Two Door Cinema Club, Wiz Khalifa (and on and on and on) playing this year, we can’t imagine all the fun KC is having right now…happy St. Patrick’s Day and also this is officially our 300th post!

Foo Fighters- Everlong (Alphabet Pony remix)

Angus and Julia Stone

Australia’s Angus and Julia Stone set a certain tone that is undeniably mesmerizing. Both voices of the sibling duo are intriguing, yet she in particular; her voice reminds me of a cross between Bjork’s and Karen Dreijer, but even darker and deeper. Its entrancing and beautiful. They released ‘Big Jet Plane’ last May but its still making its rounds. Check out the remix below as well.

Angus and Julia Stone- Big Jet Plane

Angus and Julia Stone- Big Jet Plane (Michael Brun Remix)

Buy their albums on itunes and see them in Australia and Europe in the next few months (Spain, Glasgow, France, Luxembourg, Italy, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Brussels). Their next U.S. stop is Coachella…

New Artist: Empress Hotel

Playing in New York tonight (Pianos) and tomorrow (The Rock Shop), Empress Hotel is a new band with a new, self-titled EP.  The New Orleans pop act is kicking off a tour down to SXSW to promote their new EP, which drops March 8th (Park The Van).  Paying homage to 60s and 70s pop and rock, Empress Hotel is quiet, happy and loud, jangly all at once, with layered harmonies and an occasional island vibe – pure joy.

Empress Hotel – Here Comes The New Challenger

Empress Hotel – Bells Ring

French + Electronic

Two of my favorite words. And two of my favorite french electronic artists collaborated awhile ago on a track they titled “Intro.” This isn’t new but we never posted this and its one of my favorites I wanted to share.

It’s my subway anthem and maybe your work anthem or your eating a banana anthem, sky’s the limit.

Alan Braxe and Fred Falke need no introduction really, they are both pioneers and legends in the electro production and DJ space, both on Braxe’s label, Vulture.   AB’s international tour dates for the month and some new remixes here. And if you aren’t familiar with Fred Falke’s Whitest Boy Alive’s remix of “Golden Cage,” hurry.

Alan Braxe and Fred Falke – Intro

Coming to the U.S. – Jonquil

Jonquil is an Oxford, UK-based band whose One Hundred Suns EP came out on Dovecote Records this past November, on limited-edition turquoise marble vinyl – awesome.  If you haven’t yet, take a listen, as the band embark on a trip to the U.S. to play two shows in NYC followed by a bunch at SXSW.  They’ll be at the Knitting Factory on 3/13 and Mercury Lounge on 3/14 (both shows with Bombay Bicycle Club).  The latter date is already sold out, so get on that Knitting Factory show ASAP.

Jonquil is comprised of Sam Hudson Scott, Robin McDiarmid and Hugo Manuel, aka Chad Valley – the group’s frontman and producer, who will be DJing at Glasslands on 3/11.  Valley along with Jonquil are part of the Blessing Force, a collective of musicians and bands making music in Oxford right now, sometimes writing and recording in the studio where Foals wrote some of Total Life Forever.

Jonquil – Compound

Candy Claws

Candy Claws is the type of music that while you’re listening, you just keep thinking ‘this is so f***ng good, this is so f-ng good”. It has an addictive sound that’s fun and happy and light but also complex and dreamy- or how they describe it -”dream pop.”

Their label explains their sound further: Ryan Hover and Kay Bertholf, composers, arrangers, and principle songwriters of Candy Claws, wrote Hidden Lands on keyboard because they don’t know how to play keyboard. They had to rely completely on what sounded right, rather than rely on techniques they had learned. Strange chords and melodies arose that might sound “wrong” to the trained musician, but sound mysterious and exciting to them.

They just released “Glacier Prey” for free – a 17 track collection of rarities, cover songs, Christmas songs, and side projects. SEVENTEEN tracks for free here. And all beautiful. They’re playing in CO March 5 and a bunch of showcases soon to be announced at SXSW March 16-20.

Get lost in their world with “Silent Time of Earth” below.

It was hard choosing one or two tracks for this post because they are all so good but here is the first off of “Glacier Prey”:

Candy Claws – 670,000,000

Candy Claws – Catamaran