120. STRICKEN CITY "LOSING COLOUR"

here is the sublime et epic title track, Losing Colour from the recently disbanded London-based indie/guitar pop outfit Stricken City off their last album "Losing Colour" (2011).

"and you opened the cage and let it out / 

you opened the cage and you let it out / 

you opened the cage / I allowed it out / 

I won't come back / many phases in life..."

Losing Colour is the closing track from the new/final Stricken City album et one can't help but feel a sense of epic finality, there is simultaneous weight et release, swelling euphoria, cathartic unloading, maturity et self-awareness to the track, musically et lyrically. so Losing Colour acts as a startlingly poignant summation to the bands short but memorable career, they will be sorely missed, i'm curious to see/hear what the uber-talented songstress Rebekah Raa will do next. but for now we have this incredible swan song from a wonderful album, so turn it up LOUD, lie back et let the music envelop you!


MP3: Losing Colour

here is the first single off the album which originally featured on the "Animal Festival" EP (2010).

MP3: Animal Festival

et here's a great track off their debut album "Songs About People I Know" (2009), it shows Stricken City's raw, manic energy, infectious basslines, fuzzed out jangly guitar hooks et swaggering vocals.

MP3: Small Things

check out the stunning video for Losing Colour directed by Dan Sully. Rebekah Raa's performance is amazing, this is a wonderfully realised video.

Stricken City - Losing Colour

et here is the great video for Animal Festival directed by Phil Sharp & Stricken City.

Stricken City - Animal Festival

the "Losing Colour" album is available from Stricken City's band camp page, there is a limited edition cd in an attractive 7" size package which has been printed on recycled card, 300 copies only world wide, so be quick. it is also available as a digital download, et you can have a listen to the album too!

you can find Stricken City here: myspace | lastfm | strickencity | thekorarecords | facebook

120. YET ...

120.

Yet what misfortune if the question 

should happen to meet its answer!

{Hélène Cixous, Coming To Writing}

119. AN HORSE "TRAINS AND TRACKS"

here's a great new catchy, guitar heavy track, Trains And Tracks from Brisbane-based indie/guitar pop duo An Horse {Kate Cooper & Damon Cox} off their recently released sophomore album "Walls" (2011).

Trains And Tracks is an ecstatic, blazing, feisty anthemic indie rock track, Cooper's raw et zesty vocals are backed-up nicely by Cox, creating some dynamic girl/boy harmonies. for fans of Tegan & Sara et Lovers. enjoy!


MP3: Trains And Tracks

here's my absolute favourite track from An Horse's debut "Rearrange Beds" (2009):

 MP3: Camp Out

et here's another awesome track from the "Not Really Scared" EP (2008):

MP3: Company

the "Walls" album is available on vinyl et cd from Insound, you can also grab it in all formats including digitally from Amazon.

you can check out An Horse here: myspace | lastfm | facebook | anhorse

119. WHEN ...

119.

When I drop things,

for instance,

it's not my fault but theirs.

{Tonino Guerra, Equilibrium}

118. NIKI & THE DOVE "THE FOX"

if you're strung out et in desperate need of a high grade fix of Swedish synth pop then look no further than this next track, The Fox is the soaring title track from Stockholm-based "flamboyant" pop duo Niki & The Dove {Malin Dahlström & Gustaf Karlöf} form their forthcoming "The Fox" 12" (2011).

"... and I want to bear a fruit for you!"

The Fox is a euphorically epic, infectious, 80s-worshiping synth pop track, in the tradition of 'heroic et magical' female saga-pop luminaries Bat For Lashes, Björk et Fever Ray. enjoy!


MP3: The Fox
  
et here's another great synth pop single

MP3: Mother Protect

"The Fox" 12" is set for release on Sub Pop records june 14th. so for now you can check out Niki & The Dove's soundcloud for some older tracks that will keep you from going into withdrawal.

you can find Niki & The Dove here: myspace | facebook | subpop | nikkiandthedove

118. HE ...

118.

He had read that somewhere, why did he remember it?

{Janet Frame, Owls Do Cry}

117. NOAH WALL "ONE AT A TIME"

here's an awesomely idiosyncratic, experimental pop track, One At A Time from Brooklyn-based "name any genre" artist Noah Wall off his forthcoming debut album "Hèloïse" (2011).

Wall has been steadily releasing his unique et eccentric blend of experimental electro pop 'one at a time' via his bandcamp page which has attracted a devoted following. One At A Time is a nostalgia-tinged, deliriously eclectic, genre-bending mash-up that culminates in a woozy indie pop-smeared refrain. enjoy!

One At A Time features some curious cover art, with RUN D.M.C. stenciled into the sky, as if looking down from hip-hop heaven, not quite sure of the significance but it looks cool!


MP3: One At A Time

et here is another fantastic single of the forthcoming album

MP3: The Station

i would recommend buying the One At A Time single from Noah Wall's bandcamp as all proceeds from the sale of the track go towards disaster relief in Japan, via the Red Cross. the "Hèloïse" album will be available june 1st, so stay tuned!

you can find Noah Wall here: lastfm | noahwall

117. THE ...

117.

The summer has breathed her last

Grey figures slip through rings of mist.

{Guillaume Apollinaire, Autumn}

116. SEA OLEENA "SISTER"

here's a wonderfully dreamy, 90s tinged, downtempo track Sister from Montreal-based electro/dream folk/pop artist Sea Oleena {Charlotte Loseth} off her stunning new album "Sleeplessness" (2011).

"Sleeplessness is three seasons' worth of endless nights
and half-lived days."
{Charlotte Loseth}

Sister is a beautifully airy et hazy song, Loseth's hushed, echoing vocals are absolutely mesmerizing, evoking water drops et ripples on a glassy surface, her voice, like concentric circles continually expanding outwards, growing distant, dissolving, merging with the delicate layers of weightless harmonies floating gently, like a fine mist, on the waters surface, Loseth's warm voice acts as a familiar guide, we follow her blindly, trustingly into the unknown. enjoy!


MP3: Sister

check out the beautifully pale, washed-out, day-dreamy performance video for Sister created by Charlotte Loseth herself.



the "Sleeplessness" album is available digitally via the Sea Oleena bandcamp page, you can listen to the album before purchasing, name your price, so be generous, this is a truly great album! i would also highly recommend getting Oleena's debut self-titled "Sea Oleena" EP (2010), which is also available as a digital download on Sea Oleena's bandcamp page, it is a very considered, haunting et fragile work.

you can find Sea Oleena here: myspace | lastfm | seaoleena | facebook

116. SHE ...

116.

She says: It's day, everything is about to begin,

except you, you never begin.

{Marguerite Duras, The Malady of Death}

115. MOPPY "PIRAHNA PARK"

next up is an epic, blipped-out, woozy, electro track, Pirahna Park from Auckland-based lap-bop experimentalist Moppy {Thom Burton of Wilberforces et the defunct Yokel Ono} off his debut album "Mokai" (2011).

Pirahna Park is a warped, lo-fi, industrial-tinged, electro anthem for misspent youth, it is also a fond word play certain geographically challenged people won't get, so for those of you who haven't had the pleasure of having lived in Hamilton, or stumbling through Parana park on your way home from town on a Friday night then you will have no idea. many a school kid with an over-active imagination has mixed up the spelling of Parana park, et one can assume that Burton never shook this {miss}connection, et there is a distinct possibility he did his fair share of stumbling/tripping in said park during his angsty formative years et thought it would be cool to one day name a song after it, so in many ways the song acts as a kind of flashback, a soundscape of said stumbling/tripped-out experiences, welcome to Pirahna Park in mind-bending 3D! be afraid!


MP3: Pirahna Park

you can purchase the "Mokai" album digitally online from Moppy's bandcamp, you can have a listen before you buy, apparently Arcade Recordings will be releasing a limited number of cdr's et cassette copies, which will be available from random Moppy shows et possibly online somewhere or other, i'll keep you posted when i find out more info.

you can check out Moppy here: myspace | facebook | soundcloud

115. SOUNDS ...

115.

Sounds are decked out in colours

and colours contain their own music.

{Charles Baudelaire, The Poem of Hashish}

114. CASIOKIDS "LONDON ZOO"

here's a deliciously blissed-out, electro pop jam, London Zoo from Bergen, Norway-based experimental, electro pop collective Casiokids off the "of Montreal/Casiokids" split 7" (2011).

London Zoo is an effervescent, pulsing, synth-laden, electro pop gem, the haunting, breathtaking vocals evoke the pained, melancholy falsetto crooning of Thom Yorke. this is a really special track, it keeps expanding, building momentum, finally taking flight, gliding peacefully in the icy blue sky, the glassy ocean, like a mirror, reflects the azure, creating an infinity of blue, for a moment, existing between extreme beauty et immense isolation! enjoy!

the great cover art is by Athens, Georgia-based artist/illustrator Nina Barnes.


MP3: London Zoo
  
et here is an awesome instrumental track of their wonderful "Topp Stemming På Local Bar" album (2010).

MP3: Fot I Hose

the "of Montreal/Casiokids" split 7" was originally a limited edition Record Store Day item but it has been made available to the masses thanks to Polyvinyl Records et also Piccadilly Records, limited to 1000 copies worldwide so get in quick if you haven't already! also comes with mp3 download code.

you can check out Casiokids here: myspace | lastfm | facebook | happyjokes | polyvinyl

114. THE ...

114.

The bed, the mirror, the white jug and basin

gleam like the sky outside.

{Katherine Mansfield, The Wind Blows}

113. MANGANESE MADNESS "DAME"

this next track came as a complete revelation to me, i was left dumbfounded, et am still reeling from the initial impact, i must say that i'm always thankful when a song like this comes along to reaffirm the fact that music can still have {in this 'over-saturated musical age'} a potent et resounding effect, what track am i ranting about, well Dame of course! the latest track from New York-based artist extraordinaire Pascal Troemel aka Manganese Madness off a forthcoming, yet to be titled EP.

"Now as she got fame / don't act like a dame / it's just not the same ..."

just when i thought i had an angle on who the enigmatic Pascal Troemel {aka Billie Hilltop} was/is he recasts himself in the guise of Manganese Madness, his psyched-out, bright red bob wig wearing alter-ego, half Norman Bates, half Candy Darling, one thing is clear, this dame can rock!

"We're going insane" Manganese/Troemel dryly pronounces at the outset, crooning away like a burnt out superstar from the Warhol Factory, before unleashing an incredible, mind numbingly awesome fuzzed-out, euphoric cacophony of noise. Troemel cleverly builds his track, kicking things off with an ambling, murky, throbbing bassline before busting out an ecstatically abrasive, monolithic grinding guitar, a tambourine jingles away warmly while a reverb-laden snare drum is beaten half to death, added into the mix are various hallucinatory oral samples, eerie, warbling voices, like feedback from another time et place.

Dame is a wonderfully schizophrenic track, it sparks off a myriad of fond musical semblances from the 60s, The Velvet Underground/Lou Reed et Skip Spence along with late 80s, early 90s angst-laden alt/grunge rock, like the Pixies et Beck to name a few, this is not a bad insane asylum to be stuck in, it makes for one hell of a jam session.

Troemel's experimentation both sonically et visually is riveting stuff, it's hard to separate the two, i find the music gains so much from experiencing Troemel's deliriously eccentric video performances. it's quite an amazing feeling, an excitement, to be witnessing an artist who has truly come into his own creatively, i for one am grateful he allows us access to his unique creations. well, once again i'm left anxious to see where it is all gonna end up, this is wonderfully unpredictable et innovative stuff, Troemel keeps us guessing which is what great music should do, this EP is going to be something else! enjoy!


MP3: Dame

check out the sublime, warhol-esque music video for Dame, with a no-fi glam-rock edge for good measure, again, i'm really liking the stripped back, single shot, performance based approach to Troemel's videos, these are something truly special, part musician part performance artist, i'd kill to see this guy live!

Dame from Manganese Madness

you can purchase the Dame single digitally online from itunes.

you can find Manganese Madness here: manganesemadness | facebook | 8NR

et if you haven't heard or seen Birdie Hilltop's The Ready Dance then check out my post here!

113. I ...

113.

I can only understand really amateur performers

or really bad performers, because whatever they do

never really comes off, so therefore it can't be phoney.

{Andy Warhol, Fame}

112. JOHN MAUS "BELIEVER"

here's an aptly titled track to illuminate this gloomy Good Friday, Believer from Minnesota-based post-punk/synth wave provocateur John Maus off his forthcoming album "We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves" (2011).

Believer is a baroque-tinged, epic New Romantic track, it is an incredibly uplifting et life affirming song, heightened with soaring synth washes et ringing bells, pulsing, driving bassline et the impassioned reveb-laden vocals of Maus, it sounds as if he is delivering his message from another galaxy where he has found peace et prosperity. Believer acts as Maus' call to arms, to join him in embracing life et to not despair, even if you are living an isolated existence in a remote lighthouse, similar to the one that adorns the cover of his new album. enjoy!!!


MP3: Believer

here is the first single that was released a few months back off the forthcoming album:

MP3: Quantum Leap

et also a fantastic synth wave track from his album "Love is Real" (2008).

MP3: My Whole World Is Coming Apart

et i can't resist posting the brilliant, anthemic track from Maus' debut album "Songs" (2006).

MP3: Don't Be A Body

check out the awesome psyched-out, intergalactic, video effect/synthesizer-smeared video for Believer directed by Jennifer Juniper Stratford.

JOHN MAUS - Believer (Official Video)

the "We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves" is due out on June 27th on Ribbon Music et Upset the Rhythm as well as digitally online from itunes. the "Songs" et "Love is Real" albums are available from Upset the Rhythm or itunes.

you can find John Maus here: myspace | lastfm | mausspace | upsettherhythm

112. MINE ...

112.

Mine was, from childhood, growth in an atmosphere of music

and books and artists, always constructing, creating, writing,

drawing, inventing plays, acting in them, writing a diary,

living in created dreams as inside a cocoon, dreams born of

reading, always reading, growing, disciplining myself to learn,

to study, skirting abysses and dangers with incredible innocence,

the body always sensitive but in flight from ugliness.

{Anaïs Nin, Diary Vol One 1931-34}

111. RIMER LONDON "LOVE DAGGER (FT. CATA.PIRATA)"

here's an ultra smooth, hypnotically catchy techno/dub-tweaked track i've been digging lately et have been meaning to post, Love Dagger from Amsterdam-based electronic producer Rimer London {Rimeroni Vumani} off his debut self-titled album "Rimer London" (2011).

Love Dagger is a magnetically charged, nocturnal electro pop anthem for jilted lovers, featuring the saucy, smooth vocals of Catarina Aimée Dahms aka Cata.Pirata, on par with Lykke Li et Robyn. enjoy!


MP3: Love Dagger

check out the stylish music video for Love Dagger directed by Sandder

Rimer London featuring Cata.Pirata - Love Dagger

"Rimer London" is available digitally online from itunes.

you can find Rimer London here: myspace | lastfm | rimerlondon | magnetron music
et you can check out Cata.Pirata here: myspace | catalysta-catarina

111. I ...

111.

I have ceased to like anything but confessions, and authors

of confessions write especially to avoid confessing, to tell

nothing of what they know.

{Albert Camus, The Fall}

110. LAKE "ROGER MILLER"

next up is a deliciously offbeat, witty et uber-catchy 70s-tinted track Roger Miller from Olympia-based indie folk/pop outfit Lake off their wonderful new album "Giving & Receiving" (2011).

"Walking in someone else's dream ... 

If I were a song / then I would be his song /

just like his songs have a life of their own."

MP3: Roger Miller

et here is an awesome, laid back track from Lake's brilliant album "Let's Build a Roof" (2009)

MP3: Madagascar

the "Giving & Receiving" album is available from K Recs on cd/lp et mp3, it is also available online form itunes, et if you don't have it already then i'd recommend getting hold of "Let's Build a Roof" also available from K Recs or itunes!

check out Lake here: myspace | lastfm | krecs | laketheband

110. WHERE ...

110.

Where is the fullness of contact? 

is it in the hug, or is it in the moment before the hug?

{Emilyn Claid, Still Curious}

109. GROUPER "ALIEN OBSERVER"

here's a stunning, blissed-out, otherworldly ambient pop track, Alien Observer from Portland-based ambient/drone goddess Grouper {Liz Harris} off her phenomenal new album "A I A : Alien Observer" (2011).

"Gonna take a spaceship / fly back to the stars / 

alien observer / in a world that isn't mine."

Alien Observer is for fans of reverb-laden, haunting, dreamy, female vocal driven ambient/experimental/drone pop, similar to artists like Julianna Barwick et Cocteau Twins. enjoy!!!


MP3: Alien Observer

check out the experimental music video for Alien Observer directed by Hamish Parkinson.

Grouper - Alien Observer

i would highly recommend getting yourself a copy of the "Alien Observer" LP along with the companion album "Dream Loss" which was released simultaneously as a double-album, they are both available on vinyl from Yellowelectric or Meditations et can be downloaded digitally from itunes.

you can find Grouper here: myspace | lastfm | facebook

109. IN ...

109.

In dreams, in memory, as in the sense of sight,

our imagination is the organizing force of our life,

of our world.

{Alain Robbe-Grillet, For A New Novel}

108. SANTIGOLD "GO"

next up is the eagerly awaited new single Go from Brooklyn-based hip-hop experimenter Santigold, featuring the distinctively piercing vocal stylings of indie-rock priestess Karen O.

Go features a sublime commingling of pulsing minimal wave synths et crisp, stomping, emphatic beats, Santigold unleashes her mesmerizingly smooth, chant-flow delivery. Go has one super catchy, epic, head-bobbing refrain! enjoy!


MP3: Go {ft. Karen O}

Santigold's much anticipated sophomore album is due out later this year!

you can check out Santigold here: myspace | lastfm | facebook

108. PERHAPS ...

108.

Perhaps there are certain ages which do not need truth

as much as they need a deepening of the sense of reality,

a widening of the imagination.

{Susan Sontag, Against Interpretation}

107. WILD FLAG "GLASS TAMBOURINE"

here's an awesomely epic, kick-ass, psyched-out, bluesy, garage rock track that's been floating around a while, Glass Tambourine from Portland-based indie/garage rock 'supergroup' Wild Flag {Carrie Brownstein, Mary Timony, Rebecca Cole & Janet Weiss} from their 'exclusive' debut "Future Crimes/Glass Tambourine" 7" (2011).


MP3: Glass Tambourine

the "Future Crimes/Glass Tambourine" 7" was only available from live shows et exclusively on Record Store Day, so it is no longer officially available, but it should be available for digital download at some stage, otherwise you'll have to wait for Wild Flag's debut LP which is set for release Fall 2011 on Merge Records.

you can check out Wild Flag here: myspace | facebook | lastfm

107. THE ...

The garden 

Swelled under all our words – like the presence

Of what swelled in you.

{Ted Hughes, Stubbing Wharfe}

106. MATTHEW COOPER "SOME DAYS ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS"

here's a stunning ambient, shoegazey track Some Days Are Better Than Others, from Portland ambient composer Matthew Cooper {aka Eluvium} it is from his soundtrack for the indie film "Some Days Are Better Than Others" (2011) directed by Matt McCormick.


MP3: Some Days Are Better Than Others

the "Some Days Are Better Than Others" soundtrack will be available from Temporary Residence on cd or lp with free mp3 download on the 26th April, otherwise it will be available digitally from itunes.

you can find Matthew Copper/Eluvium here: myspace | lastfm | eluviumnet | temporaryresidence

et you can check out the film website here: somedaysthemovie

106. THAT ...

106.

That was what woke me up: absorbing a new reality, 

repeating it, describing it, appreciating it.

{Alice Kaplan, French Lessons: A Memoir}

105. DIRTY GOLD "CALIFORNIA SUNRISE"

next up is a laid back, jangly, sundazed track California Sunrise, from San Diego beachwave/afro-pop trio Dirty Gold off their recently released debut "Roar" EP (2011).

"I need some summer sun to come and wake me up"

California Sunrise is a sleepy, nostalgia-tinted ode to summer flings et the iconic image of blissed-out, sundbaked 60s California, with endless beaches, surf et invigorating sun! enjoy!


MP3: California Sunrise

et here's another great single from the TV Girl/Dirty Gold split digital 7" (2011).

MP3: Oh Land (TV Girl cover)

check out the delightfully lo-fi live performance of California Sunrise. created by Sezio.

the "Roar" EP is available on cd & limited edition 12" vinyl from Dirty Gold Music / Autumn Tone Records or you can download it digitally from Dirty Gold Music, Autumn Tone Records or itunes.

you can also stream the "Roar" EP on the Dirty Gold Music site.

check out Dirty Gold here: myspace | lastfm | dirtygoldmusic | autumntone

105. ALL ...

105.

All this that I have been saying is only to put 

a little air between the pages of this journal.

{André Gide, The Counterfeiters}

104. FAMILY PORTRAIT "OTHER SIDE"

next up is a catchy, foot stomping, classic rock-tinged track i've been meaning to post, Other Side from New Jersey-based indie rock outfit Family Portrait {masterminded by frontman Evan Brody} off their self-titled debut album "Family Portrait" (2011). 

Other Side is the ecstatically rowdy, lo-fi, fuzzed-out lead single off the new album, i'm really digging the dull, muffled, thumping percussion on this one, along with the infectious refrain, enjoy! 


MP3: Other Side

i'd recommend getting yourself a copy of the "Family Portrait" LP, it is available on vinyl from Underwater Peoples, or you can download it digitally from the Family Portrait bandcamp or itunes.

check out Family Portrait here: myspace | lastfm | familyportraitband | facebook

104. YESTERDAY ...

104.

Yesterday, at twilight, I was walking alone in the fields.

{Bettine von Arnim, Correspondence of Fräulein Günderode and Bettine von Arnim}

103. HAPPY NEW YEAR "TWINS"

=

here's an awesomely deranged, glitched-out, pounding, drone-addled guitar track i recently stumbled on, Twins from Brooklyn-based noise pop artist Happy New Year {Eleanor Logan of Adult Themes} off her debut "Hotel / Twins" 7" (2010).

Twins is a grungy, crunked-out, euphoric shoegaze anthem for urban malaise, from the outset Logan unleashes a squall of MBV-smeared guitar noise/drone et hazy, echoing, ethereal vocals which are accompanied by a cacophony of rhythmic, industrial sounding machine noises et glitchy tribal percussion, she also throws in a tinny, tropical casiotone sequence which chuggs away in the background for good measure. enjoy!


MP3: Twins

check out the awesome fuzzed-out trippy new music video for Twins directed by Thomas Byrd {One Line Creative}.

Happy New Year - Twins

the "Hotel / Twins" 7" is still available from Crikey Records et you can also download it digitally online for free via bandcamp.

you can find Happy New Year here: myspace | facebook | happynewyearmusic

103. SHE ...

103.

She had compassion, not for men (there was nothing in that)

but for books.

{Elias Canetti, Auto da fé}

102. DAUGHTER "LANDFILL"

next up is a stunning, emotionally bare et mesmerizing track, Landfill from London-based singer/songwriter Elena Tonra aka Daughter, off her impressive debut "His Young Heart" EP (2011).

"This is dangerous / 'cuz I want you so much / 

But I hate your guts / I hate you."

Landfill is an absolutely devastating track, it is a cathartic declaration of abject misery, the kind that can only be inflicted by another human being. equal parts poetic lyricism et emotionally raw spitefulness, Tonra lays herself bare lyrically et musically, expressing her self-destructive feelings et complete despair, her breathy, bitter et fragile spoken vocals are heart-wrenching, heightened beautifully with gentle pounding percussion et a pitch perfect, melancholy electric guitar, each pluck echoing her desperate et vulnerable state-of-mind, complemented by Tonra's haunting, yearning, fuzzed-out echoing harmonies that drift through us like a fine mist.


MP3: Landfill

i'd highly recommend downloading "His Young Heart" from Daughter's bandcamp, you can also download her beautiful four track demo EP from her myspace page.

you can find Daughter here: myspace | facebook | lastfm

102. LET'S ...

102.

Let's go – much as that dog goes,

intently haphazard.

{Denise Leveritov, Overland to the Islands}

101. MOTORAMA "ONE MOMENT"

next up is an infectious, upbeat 80s-tinged new wave track i stumbled upon recently, One Moment from Russian indie-pop/new wave outfit Motorama off the "One Moment" single (2011).

the nostalgic cover artwork is certainly a nod to The Smiths iconic covers. enjoy!


MP3: One Moment

et here is an awesome jangly, shimmery, carefree indie-pop single off their debut album "Alps" (2010).

MP3: Wind In Her Hair

check out the awesome, deadpan music video for One Moment made by the band themselves.



if you like what you hear then you can download Motorama's fantastic "Alps" album for free from FMA {Free Music Archive}.

you can find Motorama here: myspace | facebook | wearemotorama

101. THE ...

The world only concerns me in so far as I feel a certain

debt and duty towards it because I have walked that earth

for thirty years, and, out of gratitude, want to leave some

souvenir in the shape of drawings or pictures - not made

to please a certain cult in art, but to express a sincere 
human feeling.

{Vincent Van Gogh, Years In Holland - 1881-5}

100. GRIMES "VANESSA"

i've been holding this next track back specially for my 100th post as Grimes was my first post, so i thought it only fitting. it's really great to have a new track from uber-talented Montreal-based bedroom/dream pop goddess Grimes aka Claire Boucher, Vanessa is off the forthcoming "Darkbloom" split EP (2011).


MP3: Vanessa

check out the brand new psyched-out music video for Vanessa directed by Grimes herself.

the "Darkbloom" split EP {d’Eon / Grimes} is a joint release by L.A.’s Hippos In Tanks et Montreal’s Arbutus Records, it is available now on 12-inch vinyl et digital formats.

check out my post for Grimes' stunning track My Sister Says The Saddest Things, if you missed it ...

you can find Grimes here: myspace | facebook | grimesmusic

100. WHAT ...

100.

What she had not allowed to intrude on her consciousness

at home was now a reality: she couldn't go on with it.

{Yvonne Rainer, Film About a Woman Who ...}

99. PULSEPROGRAMMING "FIRST THEY FIRE"

here's an awesome new dreamy glo-fi, indie pop track, First They Fire from Chicago-based indietronic outfit Pulseprogramming {primarily Marc Hellner} off their eagerly anticipated new album "Charade is Gold" (2011).

"You know I can't touch you / because I'm on fire."

First They Fire starts out as an airy, stripped back lo-fi, electro-pop track with dreamy, wistful vocals from Chanel Pease, but Hellner quickly transforms the track into a euphoric chamber pop song when the refrain kicks in, synthy strings surge et soar along with Pease's vocals which brighten, come alive, split apart et fly in different directions, swirling rapturously et dancing around us, giving the song a sense of release, a hint of blue sky through the hazy, gloomy atmosphere. enjoy!


MP3: First They Fire

check out the great new nostalgia-tinged, retro music video for First They Fire directed by Joshua Eustis.

Pulseprogramming - "First They Fire"

the "Charade is Gold" album is scheduled for release on May 3rd from Audraglint recordings, aptly on yellow 12" vinyl with a custom-folded sleeve! if you wanna here more you can stream the album over at Junodownload.

you can find Pulseprogramming here: myspace | lastfm

99. NEVERTHELESS ...

99.

Nevertheless, not a moment was lost; not a moment!

{Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities}

98. VILLA COLA "LOST DAYS"

next up is a moody, disco-tinged track Lost Days from London-based new wave/synthpop trio Villa Cola off their new "She" EP (2011).

Lost Days is a ultra-smooth, smokey, disco-ball glittering new wave anthem for irretrievable moments in life, driven by an infectious, throbbing disco bassline et backed-up with a fat, stomping drum beat, while swirling synth washes induce a state of disorienting et blissful euphoria. Ranya Dubé's vocals have a cool sassiness, blended with a jaded, indifferent delivery evoking iconic female new wave/post punk singers from the 80s like Debbie Harry/Blondie.

i have to say that Lost Days is begging to be remixed, it should be getting thrashed on any et every respectable dance floor or bedroom. enjoy!


MP3: Lost Days

et here's another super catchy single from their debut self-titled "Villa Cola" EP (2010).

MP3: Modern Lovers

check out the psyched-out animated music video for Lost Days co-directed by EMMYLAND et lead singer Ranya Dubé

Villa Cola - Lost Days

et here is the cool retro super 8 video for Modern Lovers also directed by EMMYLAND {video artist/photographer Emily-Jane Robinson}

VILLA COLA PRESENTS MODERN LOVERS

if you like what you're hearing you should go et download the "She" EP, it is free from Villa Cola's bandcamp, where you can also listen/download their self titled debut "Villa Cola" EP.

check out Villa Cola here: myspace | villacola | lastfm | facebook
 

98. I ...

I hum and write, I hum under

my breath and keep writing.

{Vivienne Plumb, The Tank}

97. CAT'S EYES "NOT A FRIEND"

if you're after something that sounds like music from an early David Lynch film then look no further than this next track, Not A Friend from London-based shadowy indie/dream pop duo Cat's Eyes {Rachel Zeffira & Faris Badwan, from The Horrors} off their forthcoming debut self-titled album "Cat's Eyes" (2011). 

Not A Friend is a dreamy, nostalgic, torch song, Zeffira's wispy, haunting et forlorn vocals conjure up images of Julee Cruise crooning away airily at the Roadhouse, et like in a Lynch film, one can't help but sense an underlying, disquiet to the track, a darkness lingering beneath the sugary, light surface. 


MP3: Not A Friend

et here is the new catchy, upbeat, reverb-laden single from the album with great boy/girl vocals/harmonies: 

MP3: Face in the Crowd

the "Cat's Eyes" album is released on April 11th, it will be available on cd + lp from Rough Trade et Record Store, et i assume digitally online from itunes, where you can currently get Cat's Eye's "Broken Glass" EP (2011).

you can find Cat's Eyes here: catseyesmusic | lastfm | facebook

97. TO ...

To find a kinship between image, sound and silence.

{Robert Bresson, Notes on the Cinematographer}

96. STREET CHANT "LESS CHAT MORE SEWING"

here's the latest angst-laden, infectious, scuzzy, guitar heavy single from Auckland-based noise/grunge-pop trio Street Chant {formerly Mean Street}, the feisty, fuzzed-out Less Chat More Sewing from their impressive debut album "Means" (2010).

"Your crotch is my ashtray / your coffin is my buffet

there's no point in hating / but I'll do it anyway."

these lyrics alone should secured the 'Silver Scroll' award!!!

MP3: Less Chat More Sewing

check out the new fragmented performance video for Less Chat More Sewing made by "Rover".



et here's the awesome lo-fi clip for the breakthrough single Scream Walk directed by Thomas {the Imposter} Burton {aka Moppy/Wilberforces}!



get yourself a copy of the "Means" album {if you haven't already}, it's available from Arch Hill Recordings on cd or lp+mp3! et is also digitally online from itunes.

you can find Street Chant here: facebook | lastfm | streetchant | archhill

96. AND ...

And faster, and the sky is spinning, and the earth falls away

into the sky and becomes the sky and ...

{Laura Solomon, Black Light}

95. DËNVER "LOS ADOLESCENTES"

if you feel like a certain something is missing from your playlist then look no further, here's a super catchy Chilean synth pop track i discovered recently, Los Adolescentes from San Felipe-based indie/electro pop duo Dënver {Mariana Montenegro & Milton Mahan} off their new album "Música, Gramática, Gimnasia" (2010).

Los Adolescentes is a hypnotic, epic synth-pop teen anthem, i really dig the use of the tennis sound sample in the beginning of the intro, it reminded me of the end scene of Antonioni's film Blow Up. glitchy sci-fi sounding synths shimmer away before the fat beat drops along with droning synths melody et an epic growling guitar riff chugs away. Dënver have a similar clean synth-pop feel/sound to The Naked and Famous.

One day you tell me "Okay" / the next you tell me "I don't know".

One day you tell me "I want to" / the next you tell me "Maybe".

One day you tell me "Later on" / the next you tell me "You see already".

One day you tell me "Short" / the next "Let it grow".

http://lyricstranslate.com

MP3: Los Adolescents

check out the absolutely stunning epic teen ennui/angst music video for Los Adolescentes, this is a truly remarkable document of candid youth, it manages to capture/express so much more than most teen-based music videos. enjoy!!!




the "Música, Gramática, Gimnasia" album is available online from itunes.

you can find Dënver here: myspace | facebook

95. IT ...

It looks rather as though for God the world simply 

provides the occasion for a few attempts at still-lifes.

{Louis Aragon, Paris Peasant}

94. ETERNAL SUMMERS "PRISONER"

here is the latest upbeat, jangly indie pop gem from Virginia-based duo Eternal Summers {Nicole Yun & Daniel Cundiff}, Prisoner is from their forthcoming "Prisoner" 12" EP (2011).


MP3: Prisoner

here's another feisty track from last years stunning debut album "Silver" (2010).

MP3: Pogo

et here is the sublime single Lightswitch from "Eternal Summers" EP (2009).

MP3: Lightswitch

the "Prisoner" 12" EP is being co- released by Forest Family Records et Kanine Records on April 19th, available on white vinyl, limited to 500 so get in quick! otherwise it will be available digitally from itunes.

check out Eternal Summers here: myspace | lastfm | eternalsummerseternal | kaninerecords