Sharing the sharing.
I can’t get enough of Vancouver electro-pop duo Cafe Lanai. The tropical sounds, hushed vocals and throbbing beat of their first single, “Lanai” (below), is quite intoxicating and I find myself listening to it over and over again.
Cafe Lanai’s debut EP, Paradise, is out June 3oth on Hybridity Music. It’s the perfect soundtrack for your cruise around town. Make sure the volume is up and your windows are down.
Cafe Lanai – Lanai from Paradise EP (2015)
Brooklyn based trio, ADVAETA, play a loud, heavy, melodic brand of rock and roll. Their sound is layered and complex, which makes it hard to believe that there are only three members in this band.
You can sample the complexity on album opener “Angelfish” below. The lush, shoegazey vocals, distorted guitars and ear-pummeling drums combine to make it a standout track on the album.
ADVAETA’s debut LP, Death And The Internet, is out now and available from Fire Talk Records. I highly recommend it.
ADVAETA – Angelfish from Death And The Internet (2015)
This split 7″ single from Switzerland’s Magic & Naked and Duck Duck Grey Duck arrived in my mailbox the other day and it couldn’t have come sooner. It’s been very rainy and dreary here in my neck of the woods, and these instrumental surf rock tunes were just what I needed to get me out of the weather-induced funk I was in.
You can stream both songs from the single below. You can also pick up this single in physical or digital form from Six Tonnes De Chair’s Bandcamp page. Enjoy.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra is set to release Multi-Love, their 3rd LP and 2nd with Jagjaguwar Records. Multi-Love, showcases the wonkier side of UMO, similar to their 2011 Fat Possum self-titled debut.
Check out “Can’t Keep Checking My Phone” below. It’s a funky, head-nodding slab of psych-pop goodness.
Multi-Love is out now and available to buy from Jagjaguwar or your favorite record store. Enjoy.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Can’t Keep Checking My Phone from Multi-Love (2015)
I’m a sucker for catchy power-pop music and Harrisonburg, VA’s Azores really hits the spot. The jangly goodness of opening track “All Day Fantasy” (below) is quite addicting and I find myself playing it over and over again.
Azores’ self-titled cassette is available now from Funny / Not Funny. It’s also available digitally on Azores’ Bandcamp page. Enjoy.
Azores – All Day Fantasy from Azores (2015)
Beat maker L’Orange and wordsmith Jeremiah Jae have collaborated to create one of the best grooved-out hip-hop albums of the year, The Night Took Us In Like Family. L’Orange’s dusty beats are on point and Jae flows with them like these two have been working with each other for years.
I was unable to get permission to share any downloads, but please enjoy the streams (below) of the jazzy “Taken By Night” and head-bobber “All I Need” feat. Gift of Gab. Both tracks are rad and represent the entire album well.
The Night Took Us In Like Family is available now on vinyl (recommended) or digitally from Mello Music. This is a must add to your collection. Enjoy
Milwaukee 3-piece, PILES, play a heavy brand of face melting post-punk that is right up my alley. Opening track, “Blue Glue” (below), from their debut full-length, Planet Skin, bludgeons your ears with it’s throbbing, sludgy bass lines and razor sharp guitar work. Planet Skin is quickly rising to the top of my favorite albums of the year. I highly recommend you check it out.
Planet Skin is available digitally on their Bandcamp page. They will be releasing this bad boy on vinyl as well – also available on their Bandcamp page.
PILES – Blue Glue from Planet Skin (2015)
16 butt shaking, head bobbing tracks for your listening pleasure. Enjoy.
1. Smile – She Took Everything
2. Lloyd Cole And The Commotions – My Bag
3. Steel Phantoms – Bedouin
4. Paces Lift & Ben Bounce – Feline
5. The Avett Brothers – Pretty Girl From Chile
6. Lady Lamb – Heretic
7. Swervedriver – Lone Star
8. Lia Ices – Lilac
9. MF DOOM – Vomit (Monster Rally Remix)
10. SILVER DAPPLE – Long Long Long Night
11. Mikal Cronin – The Way Things Go
12. Travel Check – Druggy Daddy
13. Ty Segall – Crazy
14. Jacuzzi Boys – Double Vision
15. Glycerine Queens – She Thinks She Knows
16. MADLIB – Life
I came across Vienna’s Chick Quest when they reached out to us through Twitter. I was intrigued by their avatar (I have no idea if that’s what it’s called) and description of their music “Spaghetti western post-punk from Vienna, Austria”. I checked them out and really enjoyed what I heard.
I was instantly drawn in by the rawness of opening track, “Somebody Call A Doctor” (below). The pounding drums, loud surf-punk guitar and trumpet are dead-on in line with their description. Also included for your listening pleasure is a stream of their dance-punk stomper “Explain Yourself To A Bat”.
Chick Quest’s self-released debut, Vs. Galore, is available now to buy/stream from their Bandcamp page. Enjoy.
Chick Quest – Somebody Call A Doctor from Vs. Galore (2015)
Mavis Staples needs no introduction and at 75 years old, this gospel/soul icon’s voice is as strong and relevant as ever. Her latest EP with Anti Records, Your Good Fortune, is 4 powerful tracks full of conviction. You can hear Mavis’ passion in the title track (below) as she questions her own value. Here’s to many more years of Mavis releasing new music.
Your Good Fortune is available now from Anti’s site.
Mavis Staples – Your Good Fortune from Your Good Fortune (2015)