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Heavy Deeds – One Drum

Heavy Deeds

Heavy Deeds out of Minneapolis manage the rather daunting task of making guitar-driven psychedelia sound interesting (as opposed to nostalgia-sniffing drivel) quite well with “One Drum”. Excerpted from the band’s upcoming “Light Lunch” EP, “One Drum”, by it’s very psychedelic definition, sounds like a lot of things; but the track is so good (and this is really the mark of great retro-referencing music) that none of that is nearly as concerning than just how very strong the song actually is on its own. Sort of fashioned like a very groove-intensive hymn, complete with organ and dusty midnight-on-the-open-highway guitars, “One Drum” is hypnotic, transportive beautiful & really really addicting.

Heavy Deeds – One Drum

Heavy Deeds – Wrong Number

Heavy Deeds minnesota (Bandcamp)

Rating 8.5

brown8

reviewed by
05-01-13

Lorine Chia – So Shy [Video]

lorine chia

Lorine impresses again with a beautiful re-interpretation of the Corinne Bailey Rae track “Another Rainy Day” on “So Shy”. Ms. Chia seems to effortlessly jump between styles and genres and the Sunday afternoon easiness of “So Shy”s simplicity and warmth reveals yet another layer to this rising Cleveland talent. Lorine Redux is out soon.

Lorine Chia ohio (Facebook)

Rating 8.3

brown8

reviewed by
05-01-13

Marina And The Diamonds & Charli XCX – Just Desserts

Marina by Charli XCX

Pals Marina And The Diamonds and Charli XCX link up for “Just Desserts”. The track drops in anticipation of their forthcoming North American tour together that kicks off May 6th in San Francisco, CA. Sample the track below.

Marina And The Diamonds & Charli XCX – Just Desserts

Marina and The Diamonds (Facebook)

Rating 7.70

reviewed by
05-01-13

IYES – Daddy (demo)

IYES-950x633

IYES return with a glance at “Daddy” from their forthcoming EP release. With little music released to date, the near 7-minute, “Daddy” offers a glance through the mind’s eye with an electro retro rave inspired, synth burner of a jam. Sample the track below.

IYES – Daddy (demo)

IYES england (Soundcloud)

Rating 8.5

brown93

reviewed by
05-01-13

The 1975 – So Good To Me (Chris Malinchak Cover)

the 1975

Team 1975 flip Chris Malinchak’s great “So Good To Me” track to a beautiful bit of piano-driven electronic rhythm-supported balladry. Cut for Radio 1’s Live Lounge Late , what’s on record here is not quite what you’d expect, necessarily of this band or this song but that’s what we really love here and what makes for a very rewarding listen.

The 1975 – So Good To Me (Chris Malinchak Cover)

The 1975 england (Official)(Facebook)

Rating 8.1

brown8

reviewed by
04-30-13

Say Lou Lou – Julian (Sango Remix)

say lou lou

“Julian” from Swedish duo Say Lou Lou (formerly Saint Lou Lou) is one of our favorite tracks of the year thusfar. Here, Seattle producer Sango (who’s great after hours house remixes of Nas, Little Dragon & Craig David among others are faves around B3SCI) gives “Julian” a slow motion grimy groove that’s near impossible to resist vibing to. Watch us while we vibe right now.

Sango (Facebook)

Rating 8.3

brown8

reviewed by
04-30-13

Meg Myers – Heart Heart Head

meg myers

Yes, of course we love this. “Heart Heart Head” is as dramatic-sounding as it’s title might suggest. Frantic electronics & synth swells build tension & cinema into the 2:48 mark where Ms. Myers goes bananas all over the track, taking to task everyone & everything all at once (but especially one very pivotal person to her life). The cathartic screams in the last bit of the track wipe you out and what’s left remaining only is that repeat button. Cheers to Doctor Rosen Rosen on the A+ production. How you do it.

Meg Myers (Facebook)

Rating 8.3

brown8

reviewed by
04-30-13

Vondelpark – Always Forever

vondelpark

The dreamy “Always Forever” is single numero dos from South London band Vondelpark’s very very nice Seabed LP. Today, the UK trio released a sunkissed Asian beach wedding-referencing clip for the track that gives us a valid excuse to post up this great track. If you’re in the UK and live in or near one of the bigger towns, Vondelpark is likely rolling through your hood sometime during May. Sample that below.

May 5 – Manchester, UK @ Islington Mill Factory
May 11 – Rome, IT @ Spring Attitude Festival
May 17 – Edinburgh, UK @ Sneaky Petes
May 18 – Glasgow, UK @ Stag & Dagger
May 24 – Amsterdam, NL @ London Calling Festival
May 25 – London, UK @ Field Day
May 28 – Brighton, UK @ Green Door Store
May 29 – Leeds, UK @ A Nation of Shopkeepers
June 6 – Sheffield, UK @ Bungalows and Bears

Vondelpark (Facebook)

Rating 8.4

brown8

reviewed by
04-30-13

Nude Beach – I’m Giving Up

nude beach

Brooklyn’s Nude Beach offer up a folk-y stomper with “I’m Giving Up”, new from the band’s upcoming 7″ for Other Music. Look for the band this summer as they tour the North American continent in June and July.

Tour
06/20/13 – Northhampton, MA – Sierra Grille
06/21/13 – Montreal, QC – Il Motore
06/22/13 – Ottawa, ON – Ottawa Explosion
06/23/13 Toronto, ON – Silver Dollar
06/24/13 – Detroit, MI – Magic Stick Lounge
06/25/13 – Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle
06/26/13 – Milwaukee, WI – Quarters
06/27/13 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry
06/28/13 – Omaha, NE – Oleaver’s
06/29/13 – Lawrence, KS – Replay Lounge
06/30/13 – St. Louis, MO – Firebird
07/01/13 – Columbus, OH – Ace of Cups
07/02/13 – Cleveland, OH – Now That’s Class
07/03/13 – Pittsburgh, PA – Club Café
07/04/13 – Philadelphia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie
07/05/13 – Brooklyn, NY – Knitting Factory

Nude Beach newyork (Soundcloud)

Rating 8.3

brown8

reviewed by
04-30-13

Brandon Thomas De La Cruz – White Roses

Brandon Thomas De La Cruz white roses

Check out this beautiful, exemplary bit of singer-songwriter-ship in the form of SoCal artist Brandon Thomas De La Cruz and his haunting (but good spirited) acoustic track “White Roses”.

Brandon Thomas De La Cruz – White Roses

VAULT Brandon Thomas De La Cruz – Two Headed Boy Part II (Neutral Milk Hotel)

Brandon Thomas De La Cruz (Bandcamp)

Rating 8

brown8

reviewed by
04-30-13

Giveaway: Ólafur Arnalds Signed Vinyl

Olafur

One of our favorite things to ponder while listening through the serene sounds of Ólafur Arnalds’ latest album, For Now I Am Winter, is recollecting how this dude used to rock the drums in hardcore and metal bands such as Fighting Shit. As awesome as that is, in all seriousness, since the beginning of his solo career in 2007, Arnalds has consistently raised the bar as a musician and composer. This April Ólafur Arnalds released his fourth studio album, For Now I Am Winter, of which is arguably his most cerebral offering to date. In fine cinematic fashion, Arnalds fuses strings, piano loops, and beats with his unique vocal stylings to create a setting of ethereal pop, the sort of which goosebumps are made of. We highly recommend that you take a moment (if you haven’t yet) and have a listen to For Now I Am Winter, available now via Universal Music’s Mercury Classics label.

In fact we recommend it so much that we’re giving away an autographed copy of Ólafur Arnalds’ For Now I Am Winter LP to one luck reader. For your chance to win, email us here and say that you’d like to be entered in the Ólafur Arnalds vinyl giveaway. We’ll be picking our winning submission at random Monday morning May 6th. One entry per person.

Ólafur Arnalds england (Official) (Amazon) (iTunes)

reviewed by
04-29-13

Dally Auston & Joey Purp – Do Ya Thang

dallyauston

Chicago MCs Dally Auston & Joey Purp link up on top an A+ jazzy, cocktail-hour-on-the-yacht OnGaud beat for the dope new Save Money collaboration, “Do Ya Thang”. We are loving it.

Dally Auston (Facebook)

Rating 8.3

reviewed by
04-29-13