Pop – Page 15

April 6, 2017April 6, 2017

Xinobi

One of my biggest bummers about not going to SXSW this year was missing the Discotexas showcase featuring Moullinex, Bufi, Da Chick and my favorite artist on the Portuguese label, Xinobi.

Xinobi is nom de plume of Bruno Cardoso, who co-founded Discotexas and puts out genre-omnivorous dance music such as you’ll find on his latest, On the Quiet. One moment you’ll hear Ian MacKaye extolling the virtues of skateboarding over delicate synths and a shuffling beat, the very next you’ll hear a club friendly slice of emo house.

As eclectic as it is, On the Quiet is a digestible delight to the ears, a funhouse labyrinth of minimalist beats, warm synths, and organic samples with an array of human voices to guide you through. And, if you opt for the physical format, you’ll be treated to ‘zine-style liner notes. So why not indulge?

[Buy On the Quiet as it was meant to be heard – on luxurious, imported vinyl – in the 3hive Co-op Shop, while supplies last.]

April 4, 2017April 4, 2017

Trementina

Trementina describe their latest album as “music for lucid dreaming”. Not a bad “file under” for a band intent on evolving beyond the My Bloody Valentine tributes that drew listeners to 2014’s solid shoegazer effort Almost Reach the Sun.

New influences and elements mark each track, from the lilting Beach House sound of “Please, Let’s Go Away” to the cavernous dub of “A Place Up in the Sky”. The modulated wall of guitar and rumbling drums get traded for otherworldly atmospherics with a backbone of machine beats, clearing a bigger space for singer Vanessa Cea to fill with her angelic vocals. Given Cea’s presence it’s tempting to compare her to a coherent Robin Guthrie or playful Siouxsie Sioux but, taking the album in as a whole, her range is too wide to peg.

Compared to earlier recordings, the album feels more connected to its origins: the band’s home studio in the remote town of Valdivia, Chile (its title, 810, refers to the distance in kilometers from the capitol city of Santiago). While I’ve never been, these songs seem to evoke the moods and mindset of a place only the band knows well enough to communicate.

810 is escapist and intimate at the same time, and one of my favorites of 2017 so far.

[Buy Trementina’s 810 on shiny new vinyl in the 3hive Co-op Shop, while supplies last.]

March 31, 2017March 31, 2017

Sneaks

Sneaks is the stage name of Washington, D.C.’s Eva Moolchan. On her latest, It’s a Myth, she sticks with her post-punk recipe of stripped-down jams – comprised of a delicious groove and bizarro Double Dutch rhymes – each with an understated swagger that will leave you craving more.

[Buy It’s a Myth on vinyl in the 3hive Co-op Shop, at a nice “friends of 3hive” price, while supplies last.]

March 22, 2017

Ty Segall

Prolific singer/songwriter Ty Segall released his 9th full length album earlier this year, with the help of usual suspects (his live band) Emmett Kelly, Mikal Cronin and Charles Moothart playing behind him.

As on previous releases, Ty and his guitar are king, as he shreds through tracks like ‘Break A Guitar’, ‘The Only One’ and ‘Thank You Mr. K’. There is plenty of jangle, and pop on this bad boy as well, like on ‘Orange Color Queen’, included (below) for your downloading/listening pleasure – build a mixtape with it, I dare you.

This is Segall’s strongest effort to date, definitely worthy of your time. Enjoy.

[We have Ty Segall’s S/T new release – in the 3hive Co-op Shop, while supplies last.]

Ty Segall – Orange Color Queen from S/T (2017)

March 15, 2017March 15, 2017

Easy Love

Easy Love is the solo project of Justine Brown, who is also half of the indie-pop duo Summer Twins – the band she shares with her sister Chelsea.

Justine wrote all the songs, played all the instruments, and recorded most of the songs in her bedroom. The results are an intimate, 9 songs of pop rock gold. For a taste, check out the shimmery, jangle-pop goodness of standout track “I Want You To Know”, which is below for your listening/downloading pleasure.

Easy Love is available now on cassette from Burger Records / Lolipop Records, and digitally on Bandcamp as well.

Easy Love – I Want You To Know from Easy Love (2017)

March 13, 2017March 15, 2017

March 17 Mixtape: Groove Holmes

It all started with hearing Thundercat’s ‘Friend Zone’ for the first time. I immediately started thinking about what other songs would go with it in a mix – and it grew from there – 25 tracks of toe tapping groove. Thanks for inspiring this mix, Thundercat!

1. Stevie Wonder – Higher Ground (London, 1974)
2. Thundercat – Friend Zone
3. Al Green – Because
4. Natural Child – Benny’s Here
5. Once And Future Band – Rolando
6. BADBADNOTGOOD & Ghostface Killah – Ray Gun (feat. DOOM)
7. Sharon Jones And The Dap-Kings – Tell Me
8. Carla Thomas – Let Me Be Good To You
9. Lazy Salon – Sea Isle Ice
10. RUMTUM – Lost Ark
11. Gap Dream – Shine Your Light
12. Lazy Knuckles – Polygot
13. Gonjasufi – Ancestors
14. Adrian Younge – La Ballade
15. Blood Orange – Best To You
16. Bad Juju – Up In The Lab
17. Flying Lotus – Zodiac Shit
18. The Meters – You’ve Got To Change (You Got To Reform)
19. Booker T. & The M.G.’s – Chicken Pox
20. The Mar-Keys – Last Night
21. The Courtneys – Mars Attacks (Bobby Draino Remix)
22. Moderat – Reminder
23. Lasso – FkdLtd
24. Madvillain – Heat Niner
25. Dibia$e – Just The Way

March 10, 2017March 9, 2017

Jens Lekman

Those of you who’ve been with us from the beginning know of our deep love for Jens Lekman. I was infatuated with his “Black Cab” single for most of 2004 (my post has since disappeared but the song kicked off this vintage podcast). Then Lisa broke down everything that’s right about Jens with his 2007 album, Night Falls Over Kortedala. Now it’s 2017, Jens is 36 years old, and he’s in many ways the same Jens – an open book of a songwriter who can take you deep into his heartache without trafficking in self-indulgence. What’s changed is his production repertoire. Once relying on minimal accompaniment to seal the intimate feel of his songs, his latest, Life Will See You Now, moves his heartbreak and introspection to the dancefloor in a way that’s both absurd and earnest at once.

The opening track, “Know Your Mission”, recounts his encounter with a Mormon missionary in 1997. It starts with spare piano and Jens’ familiar sing-speaking, then breaks into a ridiculous party beat only to return to form by the end. “How We Met, the Long Version” brings Jens’ habit of hyperbole to a Soul Train-worthy crescendo. He tells a condensed history of the earth that culminates in a fateful kiss in the backyard. Why the sudden passion for calypso, samba, and disco? I’m not sure, but I’m going to chalk it up to maturity. Jens has become more comfortable stepping outside of himself with his lyrics. And he’s willing to let his hair down (so to speak) to remind us his songs are, after all, just words set to music.

[We have Life Will See You Now on limited edition orange vinyl – in the 3hive Co-op Shop, while supplies last.]

March 9, 2017July 12, 2020

Molly Burch

Molly Burch’s debut LP, Please Be Mine, is an early favorite of mine for album of the year. It’s 10 tracks of reverb-soaked, country-psych twang, along with Burch’s strong, smoky vocals, sets the bar high for the rest of 2017’s releases.

Please Be Mine is available now via Captured Tracks. Please give album standouts “Downhearted” and “Try” a spin (below). You will be glad that you did. Enjoy.

[We have Please Be Mine on vinyl – at the 3hive Record Lounge, while supplies last.]

Molly Burch FB

March 6, 2017

Lazy Salon

Lazy Salon (the solo project of Twin Atlas member Sean Byrne) is a post I’ve been meaning to get on 3hive since 2015 when his EP, LZY_SLN-003, arrived in my inbox. His clever usage of organic and electronic beats and instrumentation really hit the spot for me. As inbox’s go (at least for me) Sean’s email was lost, or buried in the shuffle and LZY_SLN-003 never made it onto the site.

Today I right the ship, as Sean is about to release his debut LP (as Lazy Salon) Invisible Like Peace. Like his 3 EP’s before, Byrne is still creating his musical landscapes with live and electronic instruments. Invisible Like Peace is rich in texture and melody as can be heard on album track, “Ong’s Hat” below.

I highly recommend giving Lazy Salon’s stuff a spin and picking up Invisible Like Peace from Byrne’s Bandcamp page as soon as it releases – Friday, March 10.

Lazy Salon – Ong’s Hat from Invisible Like Peace (2017)

Lazy Salon – Nesco Gloss from LZY_SLN-003 (2015)

March 1, 2017

Marie Mathématique

French psych-poppers, Marie Mathématique, come to you courtesy of Six Tonnes De Chair’s Instagram feed. When I saw their album cover (above) on said feed, I knew it was something I needed to get my hands on – and I am so glad that I did.

Their latest album, Tous vos lendemains dès aujourd’hui (Google translated – “All Your Tomorrows Today”), came out last September via 2000 Records. It’s 33 minutes of swirling guitars, fuzzy synths and a massive, pounding, rhythm section is psychedelic gold. Give “Sous mon second soleil” (below) a spin, it’s a solid example of Marie Mathématique’s goodness.

Tous vos lendemains dès aujourd’hui is available on vinyl and digitally through 2000 Records. Enjoy!

Marie Mathématique – Sous mon second soleil from Tous vos lendemains dès aujourd’hui (2016)

Category: Pop

Xinobi

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Trementina

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Sneaks

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Ty Segall

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Easy Love

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March 17 Mixtape: Groove Holmes

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Jens Lekman

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Molly Burch

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Lazy Salon

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Marie Mathématique

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