Soda Shop is the Brooklyn, New York collaboration of musicians Drew Diver, from Horse Shoes [featured here in September 2009], and Maria Usbeck of Selebrities who have recently completed a pair of songs which are set for release as a single through international label Shelflife Records in January of 2011. Just in time for blustery winter days, Soda Shop provides a warm interpretation of sparse 1960s pop, with Maria's beautifully distant vocals accented by a tambourine and bells to touch each flake of snow landing on our windowsill. Have a listen while we happily pop our caps and slip straws into glass bottles... lovely song.
Often times, we have the fortunate opportunity to re-visit previously featured musicians and the various new endeavors or directions they decide to explore. In the case of today's MML offering, we find ourselves with a compelling debut single that might just send a few chills up the spine for those familiar with the artists involved. Morpheme is a brand new transatlantic collaboration of Chicago, Illinois duo Perry Pelonero and Kim Welsh from long-time shoegaze outfit Skylight as well as their current band Bliss City East and London, UK musician/programmer Dean Garcia of Curve (yes, that Curve) who also has a lovely trio of his own in SPC ECO. The newly released single, simply titled Infection, presents the perfect combination of danceable dream-pop and swirling guitars that both seem to beg for ear-bleed volume levels. Perfectly suitable for cocktails by a strobe-lit dance floor or resting the side of your head against a billowing stage amplifier, Morpheme provides a glimpse into the endless possibilities that could and should stem from this formidable introduction. We look forward to more from this music project... much more.
MML Quick Trivia: Q: The very first artist ever to send a physical copy of music to MML? A: You guessed it... Tomihira.
Nearly five years ago, we excitedly opened our first envelope to find music that would end up forming a long-distance and continuing bond with today's featured artist. For those not familiar, Tomihira is the aptly-named music project of San Francisco, California songwriter/vocalist/guitarist Dean Tomihira, who we first reviewed in March 2006 with a track from his incredible full-length album Play Dead. After following up in May 2006, then again in March 2008 with updated music, a prolonged silence settled in that had us both wondering... where is Dean? Rest assured, we've found our old friend and there is now a brand new release we can enthusiastically shout from rooftops about. Blackout EP is an upcoming mini-collection of four beautiful songs that will be made available for early 2011 consumption through a label not yet disclosed. A mystery for all at this point. As an exclusive preview, we bring you a first listen to one of our favourite songs from the EP...
With noticeable additions in electronic accompaniment, crisp new acoustics and moments of borderline-shoegaze layered guitars, Tomihira manages to exceed any relevance-factor, evolving without losing a single ounce of the original sound we first fell in love with. However smitten we are with Blackout EP, the mere thought of these tracks serving as firm footing towards a possible 2011 long-player is enough to keep our collective imagination rolling for quite some time. The next live performance takes place this very evening as Dean Tomihira takes the stage along with percussionist Markkus Rovito at Seattle, Washington venue The Josephine. As if you needed any more convincing, we also have a few previous recordings to share. Enjoy and stay in touch for updates as soon as the new EP drops.
From the New Order tribute album Community 2 (2006) MP3: Mr. Disco
Admittedly, our updates on the various music projects of Lyon, France based multi-instrumentalist François Virot have been scarce in recent years. With an original review of his solo material in December 2006 and follow up for today's long-time collaboration in October 2007, our last mention happened back in April 2008. History out of the way, there is now a recent development and good reason for close listening to report. Clara Clara is the French trio of Charles Virot (bass), Amélie Lambert (bontempi keyboard) and, of course, François Virot (drums, vocals) who have released a new collection of eight impressive songs, titled Comfortable Problems, through Paris label Clapping Music just last month. Evolving from the lo-fi sounds of their earliest recordings, Clara Clara now seems to cast a vaudevillian atmosphere where distressed, travel-worn musical instruments leap from dusty cases to frolic through the night in raucous celebration. Guided by varied stiff beats and surrounded with Mr. Virot's familiar vocal warmth, the band continues to maintain every ounce of beautiful chaos we first became smitten with. The next live performance will take place December 3 at Limoges cafe/venue La Fourmi. And now the music along with matching videos for you...
Today marks the brand new full-length album from a wonderful Helsinki/Turku, Finland based six-piece we've been fawning over for quite some time. Le Futur Pompiste is primarily the music project of songwriter Einar Ekström (guitar, vocals) along with vocalist Jessika Rapo (from Burning Hearts, who we featured in December 2008), Ville Hopponen (drums), Axel Ekström (keyboards), Johann Höglund (bass) and Janne Koskinen (flute). As a follow up to their 2004 debut release, Your Stories And Your Thoughts, Le Futur Pompiste have now completed a new self-titled collection of 10 songs which were just made available through our friends at Portland, Oregon label Shelflife Records. Given our adoration of music from this region of the world, our bias might be more than slight, however, the understated retro-pop loveliness involved here is more than enough to have us rearranging our list of favourite 2010 LP releases once again. Perfectly content with a cloudy afternoon while secretly dreaming of an evening in a long-abandoned rollerskating-rink. The sound for you now.
Brooklyn, New York trio Quilty returns with a pair of new songs in digital single format, titled Black Hole, which were released through NYC label Cooling Pie Records this past Halloween weekend. Barreling rhythms are once again guided by the fuzzed-out guitars and unmistakable vocals of Sarah Dupuis for a brief yet signature A-side track Lizard Queen. Visit the Quilty Bandcamp page for an equally impressive B-side in Chris On The Beach, and also have a listen to the band's debut full-length release Clover/Coriander from previous MML features in October 2009 and February 2010. One minute and nineteen seconds of lo-fi goodness from a band we love to follow.
Following our collective ear for all things shoegaze-related often finds us visiting distant cities, on various continents, for any relevant evolution of this particular music style we both happen to adore. This time, however, our only need for travel involves a return to my very own hometown for an outstanding new development in a local music scene that is ripe for the taking. Love Culture is a Columbus, Ohio based five-piece consisting of musicians Raleigh Swan (guitar, vocals, keys), Tristan Swan (vocals, guitar, keys), James Levesque (guitar, keys), Sky Cunningham (bass, morgana) and Robert Fischer (drums) who are heavily influenced by music falling within a three year radius loosely surrounding the year 1989. As a result of their ongoing efforts, the band has a pair of impressive releases, the latest of which, having just been completed, is titled Drag EP. Before continuing any further, let's jump right in with a listen from the upcoming extended-player.
A slow-burning tension in mood and sound, which many other like-minded artists neglect entirely in their attempted interpretation, is exactly what Love Culture delivers so beautifully with the track Ocarina. Luring, and then holding captive the imagination while an undercurrent of restless energy simmers steadily into spectacular flashpoints. The completed Drag EP is set to be launched at the very beginning of next year with a release party to coincide as Love Culture takes to the stage at local Columbus venue Skully's Music Diner on January 1, 2011. As an added bonus, the band has also decided to put a few more coats of varnish on their early-2010 debut release Aquamarine EP and make it available once again as part of a double-EP package. Have a listen to one of our favourite songs from it...
If ever a reason involving music was needed for a return trip home to my beloved Columbus, I cannot even begin to imagine a better one. Such a lovely and promising band you might just want to keep a close eye on. We now leave you with a brand new video for the song Ocarina. Enjoy.
A week spent away from the blog, winterizing our our little nest, but it now seems possible that we only needed visit our friends at Groningen, Netherlands label Subroutine Records once again for a fix of warmth and energy to surround us. We originally featured Rotterdam four piece AC Berkheimer well over two years ago, in June 2008, with their full-length album In A Series Of Long Days. Since this time, the band completed a follow up with EP offering First in Line By Accident, and now there happens to be another welcome update to fill your ears. We Tell Them Tonight is a brand new collection of 10 songs which were just released a couple of weeks ago for October 2010. As a highlight, the lead track Slow Down will serve as a gentle opener for a series of unique and varied turns in song structure, influenced subtly (sometimes heavily) by an undercurrent of shoegaze hints that will certainly find genre purists raising a positive eyebrow. Wonderfully enough, the overarching sound remains a footprint we can only associate with AC Berkheimer and a new LP that deserves serious consideration for best full-length release of 2010. For those who have skipped ahead for a listen, you can also preview the entire album by visiting this 3voor12 stream. The band will also be performing live on November 11 @ Den Haag (The Hague) venue Het Paard Cafe. Enjoy this one...
With all of the digital methods of music delivery available, reaching hands into the old MML post office box and finding a bubble-packed CD submission remains our favourite way to find new sounds. In the case of today's featured artist, a kind personal note was attached, leaving us with no choice but to listen in the car on our way home. Regardless of seasonal disconnect between the band name and chilled winds blowing autumn colours all around our auto-audio experience, it's a good thing we took a moment for listening. Blonde Summer is the music project of Los Angeles, California songwriter Chris Pope (guitar, vocals), along with supporting musicians Matt Reid (guitar), Chris Livingstone (bass guitar) and Stephen Kurshner (drums) who have recently put together five beautiful tracks belonging to a debut EP release titled Eleganza. Each and every song could easily serve as a highlight for featuring here, but our attention quickly honed in on Blonde as a good representation of what to expect from this new collection of music. An immediate introduction of hooks and breaks trickling unexpectedly into a sound that might have you wondering if you've stumbled into the middle of a lost number from Damien Jurado's 2002 album I Break Chairs. Excellent song from a solid EP worth paying close attention to. The next chance to see them live happens in Los Angeles on Friday, October 29, as Blonde Summer performs at local Highland Park venue, Mr. T's Bowl.
Months have passed since hearing from our friends at lovely Dutch label Subroutine Records, so we were just a tad excited in receiving our latest email update the other day. There is a new release to report here later this week, but first we have some quick catching-up to do. Earlier this year, Voorhout, Netherlands four piece Space Siren completed an impressive, self-titled double 7" single with four tracks deserving of a belated, yet immediate listen. Driving rhythm lines accompanied by a frequent spray of thickly layered guitars seem to be a perfect setting for the commanding yet somehow sweet vocals of a frontwoman known to us only as Gwendolien. The next live performance will kick off a string of regional dates, beginning tomorrow night, October 21, at Eindhoven venue PopEi as Space Siren takes the stage along with labelmates Nikoo who were featured here in March 2010. Now sink your teeth into the lead track from this 7" double single...
Coming off a weekend full of taxing obligations, we needed and found the perfect place to rest our minds for more than just a little while. To begin this week, we are fortunate enough to have new material from a pair of musicians who have been featured here many times in the past. Jed & Lucia are the Berkeley, California based duo of Mark Reveley and Emma Lucia who were first adored here in August 2006 with a debut EP titled Candles In Daylight. Since that time, we've mentioned their experimental electronic side project Kite In The Air with reviews in both April and November of 2009 followed by a return to the original loveliness of Jed & Lucia with another offering titled Many Many EP in January 2010. All history aside, there is now a welcome update to report for this ongoing collaboration. The band has completed a collection of thirteen new tracks, titled Superhuman Heart, which are set to be released next month through fabled San Francisco label/rare music purveyor Ubiquity Records. In advance of this new LP, the first single, Apostrophe, has now been made available and will give an immediate idea of what to expect from the album. Warm southwestern winds and sand under foot, or a brisk midwestern fall with leaves whipping up against windows...all you have to do is close your eyes for listening. Beautiful.
Early on this year, in February 2010, we listened and fell deeply for Washington D.C. trio True Womanhood and their debut EP offering Basement Membranes. Over the summer, fortune was ours as the band stopped through Cincinnati for an August show at Northside area venue Mayday. The performance was lovely and frontman/guitarist Thomas Redmond was wonderful enough to slip us a promotional CD, including nine completed tracks wrapped in a simple brown sleeve with a receipt-like piece of paper listing the songs. Ghost Modern LP is the working title for this collection of new unreleased music which ended up being recorded and mixed by J Robbins (Jawbox... need I say more?). After having our hands and ears all over the promo disc for quite a while now, we need to remind all to keep True Womanhood very much in mind. The Ghost Modern release date, or even label(s) for that matter, have yet to be decided but we can give you one of many highlights as a preview. Expect another MML follow-up once the dust settles.
Revisiting previously-featured artists is most always a favourite music treat blog-side and tonight we have a healthy dose of experimental electronica from a duo easily deserving of another close listen. Small Radio is the collaboration of Scotland natives Colin Sweeney (Small Colin) and Scott Buchanan (Radio Scotvoid) who have existed as a transatlantic music project for quite some time, with Sweeney now living in Hönö, Sweden and Buchanan calling Salem, Massachusetts home. Since our original review in December 2007 and follow-up for the Le Migré EP last year in August 2009, the pair have completed another four tracks which were only just released through German netlabel Rec 72 last week. Le Migré 2 is the title of this most recent mini-collection of music. With a deep, rich series of introductions leading into clockwork beats and reaching tones to send our dental filings humming like tuning forks, we can see no possible way to go wrong with this new offering... enjoy.
With the recent change of season and subsequent temperature drop, we felt an overwhelming need to revisit the warmth of summer with an impressive 7-inch single released through lovely Connecticut label February Records this past August. The Tyler Trudeau Attempt is a revolving cast of New Haven, Connecticut musicians fronted by... you guessed it, Tyler Trudeau, a long-time songwriter who has taken up residence in Brooklyn, New York in recent months. For those already listening and angling for a specific influence, genre or time period to pinpoint, your finger might not find a proper resting place and the beauty of this sound might be overlooked entirely. Although any ridiculous comparison on our behalf might include classic artists Dick Dale and/or Joe Jackson, please take time for listening to this infectious blend of energetic guitar-driven pop guided, if not tempered, by accenting waves of surf-goodness. Have a listen...
These Are Dark Times happens to be the lead single from an already completed full-length release titled Something, Anything Else which will hopefully be made available soon-ish for 2011 once the right hands grab onto it. The next live performance will take place tomorrow evening, October 10, at local Brooklyn venue Fort Useless as part of their Songwriters Salon #8. Seriously looking forward to a full review once the full LP hits. We leave you with the video for These Are dark Times...
With another prolonged absence now in the books, both our email and PO boxes are brimming with new sounds and we have at least some of it sorted already. Starting by send date was probably the best idea for catching up... an idea that finds us front and center for the exact combination of guitar-meat, driving rhythms and fluctuating-yet-classic song structures we just so happened to be in need of today. Grandfather is a New York City trio consisting of musicians Joshua Hoffman (vocals, percussion), Michael Kirsch (guitar) and Jonathan Silverman (bass) who have completed a collection of nine songs which were just made available in August 2010. The new release, titled Why I'd Try, was recorded in Chicago at Electrical Audio with Steve Albini, mastered by Bob Weston of Chicago Mastering Service and is a lovely ride that balances waves of dissonance with a frequent descent into some warm smoke-filled basement lined with orange floral curtains and black light posters. Yes, it really is this good. Why I'd Try is currently available as a free digital download by visiting the Grandfather website but, after listening, you might also want to consider picking up one of 300 limited edition 12" vinyl records or the CD to hold firmly in hand. The next live performance will take place this Saturday, September 18, at Brooklyn venue Cameo Art Gallery. Have a listen...
Upon receiving new recordings from side-projects associated with previously featured artists, our collective interest is always piqued as the scramble for retrieving music files and spreading sound all over our little office space begins. In this particular instance, we are fortunate enough to bring you exactly one half, the female half, of Chicago, Illinois based lovelies Panda Riot. Musical collaborators Rebecca Scott (vocals, guitar, tambourine etc.) and Melissa Harris (vocals, keyboards, glockenspiel, etc.) have recently put together a handful of songs, under the band name Architecture, which will eventually belong to a debut EP in the very near future. Any extended commentary on our part would be futile at this early stage but, after having an listen to the preview, serious recommendations for closely following this duo can easily be made. Settle in with this beautiful track and expect an excited follow-up once the release date arrives...
It's been nearly two years since our October 2008 feature of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania trio Satin Gum and we are now fortunate enough to have both updated news plus listening we can't recommend enough. As a follow-up to their self-titled debut EP, collaborating musicians Brian Spekis (vocals, guitar, keys), Dan Vavro (drums, backing vocals), and Travis Craig (bass) have recently completed five new songs for the aptly-christened release EP2. With emphasis shifting slightly away from a 'gazy wall-of-sound account first given here in 2008, the noticeable influence making its way to the surface now seems to be The Replacements, if not a classic slice of that particular time period of American rock'n'roll history, altogether. The monstrously effective guitars, vocals to honor (or taunt) Jeff Tweedy's past and various song structures full of catch-tastic turns within each track, easily lands EP2 towards the top of our favourite non-full-length releases for 2010. Visit the Satin Gum website for information on picking up a copy of the new EP and be sure to check out their next live performance, on September 4, at a nifty old building in Butler, Pennsylvania known as the Butler Art Center.
Seoul, South Korea-based label Electric Muse always seems to brighten our day with a simple click of an email send button from a magic little world of music we've both come to adore. This time around, our earful of loveliness belongs to a collection local musician-friends, from a variety of Korean bands, who have crafted a debut EP under the name Sunkyeol. Admittedly, the information we've been able to piece together on this particular music project is limited, however, there is a brief 2009 interview through Korean music resource Indieful Rok that might shed a bit more light for those interested. From the dreamy opening bells of Songstress to the concluding guitars falling into a sleepy haze for Aphex Convention, Sunkyeol delivers a beautiful EP, consisting of four songs, which require immediate listening rather than any further explanation. Enjoy the lead track.
As we've mentioned a few times earlier this year, 2010 is turning out to be an amazing series of months for EP releases from both new and previously featured artists. This time around, attention is once again focused in on Jacksonville, Florida based musicians John Hashtak (guitar, vocals), Tara Golden (vocals), Reed Clendenen (bass, vocals) and Jim Singleton (drums, synth) who were first featured here in October 2007 with their long-time music endeavor Starring Me. Since our very first exposure, the music continues to grow lovely little vines into our collective ear with the addition of their now thriving project Purplespace. As a follow up to the 2006 Purplespace debut Broken Bells and later full-length offering A Tiny Little Spark, which we fell in love with during February 2009, there is a brand new EP set to be released titled Eventually Juliet... that should become available at some point later this month. Five beautiful songs, straying no further than a local corner shop from the original sound, providing intensified vocal interaction and the fluid delivery in instrumentation needed to land us back into our chairs for an extended view of ceiling fans. A favourite track from the new EP for you now... complete suckers for bells, we are.
The Hounds Below, a Detroit, Michigan four-piece consisting of musicians Jason Stollsteimer, Ben Collins, Molly Jean Schoen and Ben Luckett, happen to be making their way into our little world tonight, with a live performance at celebrated Newport, Kentucky venue Southgate House. Consider this an invitation to experience a unique take on classic rock-and-roll with a playful twist to send the senses bouncing wildly back and forth between Roy Orbison and Lux Interior. Please give the following song a good listen... an outstanding new band.
