Today is the day. The 10th compilation. Two and half years ago, in February 2010, I posted the first compilation here. I got in touch with 12 artists that I really liked and felt were a bit overlooked asking if they were interested in sharing a track for a compilation. Surprisingly they all got back at me and wanted to be a part of it. That was the concept back then and it is what drove the following 8 editions and now this 10th one too – 134 artists, 165 songs and almost 8.000 downloads later. A curious mix of new music, from unknown musicians and those already on the rise. [continue reading…]
Cute dream-pop gem with weaving guitars and an ephemeral synth line by Trails and Ways. The quartet hails from Oakland, California and has a new video out for this song as well. If you want to see them “rock climbing, biking in the California sun, and playing a dreamy concert on top of a 40-ft volcanic rock.” > hit that play button. Free download on Soundcloud below – HOORAH! Take that Garfield Monday!
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An absolute banger of a rock’y summer anthem by Melbourne’s Harts > taking us into the weekend. Baaawwwg! If you’re into it, check this video to All Too Real, his first single off the upcoming EP Offline – produced by Lars Stalfors of The Mars Volta.
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I often wonder what bands think about their own fans. Like, actually think. Sure, they usually say they love playing {insert your city} but you can’t really pick the audience you attract. So when you play a show and you are actually face-to-face with your beloved supporters, it’s the moment of truth. What kind of people show up? What do they look like? Are they cool hipsters? Or pale loners? (No offense, pale loners).
So when Work Drugs played a gig in their hometown and this happened: Do you have Photos of the couple who legit did it in the middle of The Barbary last night? – it raises more questions than it answers really. For all parties involved. Well, except the couple maybe.
It does say an awful lot about Work Drugs and their (quite obviously) irrestibly smooth sounds. The duo has a new album out packed with dreamy pop songs entitled Absolute Bearing – which needs no further introduction now, as it were those songs that led to the aforementioned incident. So head over bandcamp, grab a copy and see what happens. Good luck.
So, Art Is Hard Records is one of those record labels that I really like without knowing exactly who they publish – simply because the name is fucking cool! Excuse my french. Starting from there, I got an inbox saying THIS is our most interesting release ever blah blah, no really it really really is. We promise blah. You know, the usual. BUT then the music they sent does actually live up to all (at that point ridiculously high) expectations.
Sun Stains is Sam Roberts’ (presumably bedroom-based) project from Albuquerque, New Mexico and the first non-English release on Art Is Hard (that name!!) – and as the name accurately promises, it is a sort of chillwave-influenced electropop, quoting “in the vein of Grimes and late-90s Björk”. First thought, UGH. But after no more than one listen Fortify Perfect was burned into my ears and the Poule ultimately addicted. The whacky term “chillwave” really doesn’t do this justice.
If you are still interested, Art Is Hard has gone the extra mile with this and is releasing a debut (cassette) EP “wrapped in special photo paper that reacts to sunlight and forms an image of whatever objects are left near it/on top of it.” EPIC! Stream the entire (brilliant) EP and snag one of the cassette tapes here.
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Just listened to a song someone sent me on youtube and thought, if you like this kind of music, you will really like this song. And then closed the tab. This has absolutely nothing to do with HighasaKite, but I felt like sharing this little moment. So, where were we. HighasaKite! The Norwegian outfit has a new EP out (here), so just hit that play button and swoon away – all you need to know is they played Oya Festival in Oslo last weekend and the bearded Bon Iver guy saw them and wouldn’t stop raving about them. Then he rescued a stray cat, I was told.
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