If I reveal producer Darren Solomon’s musical pedigree you may very well choose not to listen to his newest endeavor, Science For Girls. I guess it depends on how comfortable you are with your closet favorites. I’ll leave his former employers unnamed and leave the sleuthing up to you. Solomon lays a smooth, electronic foundation to each of his songs—gentle rhythms, rich keyboard riffs, scratchy hip-hop beats—then turns mic duties over to various, flying-below-the-radar New York-based singers (Bronwen Exter [wow!], Boots Ottestad [The Getaway People], and Paul Brill). They’re icing on this trip-hop, brazilian pop, chill-out layered cake. The vocoder vocals on this track are the edgiest element on Science For Girls’ easy-listening debut. I can easily hear Science For Girls being obliterated by the WB, Gray’s Anatomy, Starbucks muzak machine. Get to SFG before they do.
The Apple Bros.
I’m filling in for Lisa today; she’s off doing the New York thing, you know. — working. Actually, so are The Apple Bros. They’re working the rock star gig, though it sounds more like New York, Alabama, than the Big Apple, NYC. Really, I thought I’d have a little fun with this post, seeing as Lisa’s about as far from a good ol’ boy as you can get. She’s probably too young to be a Dukes of Hazzard fan anyway. I think, however, that she’ll like the hip-shaking, bluesy rock from her five boroughs neighbors.
Empty Rooms
They sound like they’re making music in post-punk London, circa 1979. They look like they’re from Modesto, CA, circa 1999. Inspired musically by Camus, fashionably by Steinbeck. Because they don’t fit the mold, it’s doubtful you’ll find them splashed across glossy magazines or blogged about incessantly by the cool kids. But if you don’t mind they play between the dark and dusty, the play between the gloomy and glittery, San Francisco’s Empty Rooms will sound spectacular in that space between your ears.
Hearts of Palm UK
The following is a Public Service Announcement from 3hive and Hearts of Palm UK.
Hearts of Palm UK offers a timely song this week about citizens and their right to vote, “Super Tuesday,” the (un)official anthem of (obviously) Super Tuesday, the day 24 states in our blessed union hold presidential primaries. Hearts of Palm UK are not British or Northern Irish, as the name would suggest; Erika and Ambi-D are a couple of Cali girls cranking out this peculiar indie-electro-pop. As a political science major in college, I secretly hope that they follow this up with a song discussing, dissecting, and explaining the results of Super Tuesday. Maybe they can even get invited to appear on Meet the Press. Anybody got Tim Russert’s email address?
Remember to vote!
The Hermit
I found out about The Hermit after checking up on
Paper Moon, one of my favorite Canadian bands. The brainchild of musical experimentalist/drummer Hamish Thomson, The Hermit also features — with greater prominence on their most recent release, Turn Up (the Stereo) — the alluring voice of Allison Shevernoha from the aforementioned Paper Moon. Samples from the new spin can be heard over on MySpace; I like “Si vous me quittez” a lot. The tracks available here are winners from a remix contest, based on The Hermit’s 2005 album Wonderment, and they are sweet and pleasant things to listen to.
Fantasy Mirrors
Hey, as I’ve admitted elsewhere on these pages, I was a child of the 80’s. When it came to the electronic music of the decade, I did have certain tastes. Big fan of Tears for Fears’ the Hurting, as well as A-ha (those Norwegians could write a fantastic pop song), the Thompson Twins (who weren’t really twins), the perverse Australian fun of Severed Heads, and even, gulp, for a brief while, the Communards. Despite their popularity at church dances, I was not so into Depeche Mode, and I sold Erasure back to the CD exchange store a week after buying it. After ending 2007 with the electronic pop of hollAnd, I’ll also start 2008 in the same vein, although the Fantasy Mirrors are much more blatant in their devotion to 80’s electronic music. Anyone care to take a stab at naming the Fantasy Mirrors’ influences?
Sneaky
Sneaky is the double-bassist from the UK pluckin’ and scratchin’ outfit Fingathing. His debut EP Feel Like a King is due sometime this spring and promises more pluckin’ than scratchin’…natch. The lead track, “Beduija,” has a nice curried flavor to it.
Holland Buffalo
Yay! It’s always a good email day when something comes from The Harvey Girls. You’re never sure what it might be – concept album, tribute, covers, et. al. – but you know that it will have a healthy dose of sweetly melancholic harmonies wrapped in a subtle sonic blanket that’ll keep you warm and cozy. Well, it turns out that for the past year or so they’ve been collaborating with the lovely and equally adventurous UK outfit Feedle, latter-day ambient wizards who make lo-fi electronic music that in more devious marketing hands might be called “lifestyle music.” What happens when the two come together? Layers upon layers of pop bliss. Plus, you can download the two tracks here and then go to Amie St. and get the other two for 26 cents, or be a real champ and buy the whole EP for a mere 52 cents. Yay!
Hello, Blue Roses
Today I will be brief in favor of yet another satisfying nap. I love slow, electronic-ish, mixed-voice fare. I really, really love it, actually. And from this vantage point, Sydney Vermont and “her man” [direct quote from Myspace bio, interesting…] Dan Bejar (who spends some time with Destoyer and the New Pornos as well) are yet another antidote to seasonal indulgence. This one was recommended by my dear friend Seth, who will leave New York City this week for more verdant vistas. How appropriate and delicious the melancholia.
Merry Christmas 2007
May you and yours have a festive and safe holiday this year. Please enjoy this Christmas song from our friends in Letting Up Despite Great Faults (gingerbread houses courtesy Sean’s kids):