Saint Motel’s “At Least I Have Nothing,” the A-side from the band’s first 7″ single from late last year, doesn’t exactly paint a pretty picture of twentysomethings in the Twenty-First Century. Lamenting a general lack of goals, the song doesn’t spare anyone the band’s disdain, though it’s said to be open to interpretation. It’s strange, however, that a song that is as bleak as this one can be so damn catchy. It’d be a miracle if you could listen to it and not have “we are just stuck inside their business model” wrapped around your brain.
In the end, though, the band is onto something. There’s a certain freedom to having nothing, and it’s that pulling oneself up feeling that will undoubtedly work in their favor. Saint Motel is bringing their live act out on the road starting later this month on a tour that includes a few dates with Toronto’s Young Empires, as well as a stop at The Bug Jar here in Rochester on Monday, March 5th.
SPIN exclusively premiered this new track from Brooklyn’s finest dream-pop players yesterday afternoon in addition to providing readers with a glimpse of Beach Fossils’ new LP, straight from the mouth of frontman Dustin Payseur. The magazine describes the track, “Shallow” (the A-side off of a forthcoming 7-inch, due on February 21st) as being the band’s “first attempt at aggression” and frankly, I don’t get it. Faster beats doesn’t necessarily equate to aggression, especially when so many characteristics that we’ve all come to love from these guys continue to dominate their sound.
The trebly reverberated guitar with the lo-fi echoed vocals are as present as ever on “Shallow,” and show that the band is dedicated to sticking with the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mantra. With that said, the rhythm is sped up and we get a hint of distortion in the opening measures, but it’s nothing that takes away from the ease and chilled-out feeling that you succumb to when listening to Beach Fossils. Grab the track below and decide for yourself whether the band’s sound has ventured into a more aggressive territory. Regardless, it’s a solid, enjoyable track that will be spun often in anticipation of the LP.
[mp3] Beach Fossils // Shallow from the Shallow 7″
Chaz Bundick, better known to music fans as Toro Y Moi, is best known for his funky atmospheric cuts. But before he went in that direction, Bundick was busy making lo-fi bedroom type pop, more in the Ariel Pink vein, which would have been a crowded field had he decided to say in it. Instead, he opted for the jams he’s putting out now, but he’s got pre-funk material available as well.
Bundick is going back and releasing a grip of the recordings from before his first single, entitling the compilation June 2009, which might mean he has years and years of this shit in some kind of backlog, waiting to be unleashed upon the world. That’s neither here nor there, as this particular compilation is going to be released on April 24th through the folks at Carpark, and it’s going to be available in normal CD and mp3 formats, as well as a set of five 7″ vinyl singles, with two tracks per single.
Take a listen to the B-side of the second single, a weirdly catchy gem entitled “Dead Pontoon.” (And if you grab the mp3, make sure to sign up for updates in the widget below. It’s only fair.)
I went back and looked at when we first talked about Vancouver’s Teen Daze here, because it feels like we’ve known about him forever, and we’re just now getting a glimpse of his debut album. The hazy beatsmith was first talked about around here in October of 2010, and we’ve had about 7 or 8 posts on him since then. (The first mention I can find of him on the blogs, however, is in May 2010 on the ever-awesome No Modest Bear.)
All that aside, it’s nice to finally be getting a full-length from the talented producer/remixer. It’s titled All of Us Together, and “Brooklyn Summer” is the first cut from the album, which will be released by Lefse on May 22nd. The track feels like a summer night in the city, with all the energy poured out into the streets. It’s an instrumental cut; no word if there are any vocals on the album, like when he covered Japandroids’ “Wet Hair.”
Lefse has the album available for pre-order on their website, and you can get the LP on wax or CD. The site says it comes with a “surprise bonus,” so if you’re the type that loves good music AND surprises, this should be high on your list of things to purchase. And while you wait for the album to arrive, enjoy “Brooklyn Summer.” I want a Brooklyn Summer Ale to go along with it.
Between the release of the Hospitality album yesterday (which you need to get your ears on, if you haven’t already) and the upcoming album from Princeton, the market for 2012 indie pop has already been effectively cornered. The Santa Monica band released the second single from their new album Remembrance of Things To Come, entitled “Florida,” yesterday amidst the horror of the Republican primary taking place in that state.
The band has always been adept at creating lilting, saccharine tracks, and “Florida” is no exception to that. The song itself brightened by piano and filled with references to tanagers, waiting for a phone call from an agent, ending up in Brooklyn before heading back to the Keys.
The album itself will be released on February 21st through Hit City U.S.A., and can be pre-ordered now on 12″ vinyl. All pre-orders come with another 7″ single from the band of their track “To The Alps,” which will also be on Remembrance of Things To Come. The wax is limited to 500 copies, so if you’re picking up what the band is putting down, you might want to get on picking up a copy for yourself soon.
001: Joywave - Ridge/Traveling At The Speed Of Light 7"
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NOTE: Concerts are in Rochester unless otherwise noted.
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3/23: The Men
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4/20: fun.
4/23: Cults (Buffalo)
5/6: Bear In Heaven (Ithaca)
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an examination used to test the condition of the middle ear and mobility of the eardrum, and the conduction bones by creating variations of air pressure in the ear canal.
Basically, it sounded like a cool name for a blog intended to be primarily about music. We’d both had other blogs previously, but over beers it was decided that more damage could be done as a joint venture. And here we are.
We share a passion for the undiscovered and under-appreciated, and hope that you’ll be able to find something you love as well.
Disclaimer
The music offered on this blog is for sampling purposes only. If you enjoy something you hear here, please go out and buy the music, see a show, or purchase some merchandise. Posted mp3s are available for a limited period of time only.
If there are any materials featured here that are your intellectual property, and you would prefer them removed, please notify us and we will be happy to oblige.
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About the Author: Dave
I like music. I can't describe how I came to like the music I do, because I don't know how or why, I just do.
Many years ago, Napoleon's brother, my great-great-great-great-great-great Grandfather, came to America. He was asked his name on Ellis Island while being processed as an immigrant. Not understanding English, he was under the impression that he was being asked how he had arrived in the new land. So he turned around and pointed at the sea vessel and said, 'LaBarge.'
About the Author: Andy
I come by my music taste of my own free will. My friends listened to 2Pac, my parents to contemporary Christian and me? Sunny Day Real Estate. I can’t explain it.
“Music, true music, not just rock ’n’ roll, it chooses you. It lives in your car, or alone, listening to your headphones…” - Lester Bangs
![saint motel [mp3] Saint Motel // At Least I Have Nothing](http://tympanogram.com/files/saint-motel.jpg "saint motel")
![Beach Fossils Shallow 7 [mp3] Beach Fossils // Shallow](http://tympanogram.com/files/Beach-Fossils-Shallow-7.png "[mp3] Beach Fossils // Shallow")
![Toro Y Moi June 2009 cover [mp3] Toro Y Moi // Dead Pontoon](http://tympanogram.com/files/Toro-Y-Moi-June-2009-cover.jpg "Toro Y Moi June 2009 cover")
![Teen Daze Brooklyn Sunburn Single Cover [mp3] Teen Daze // Brooklyn Sunburn](http://tympanogram.com/files/Teen-Daze-Brooklyn-Sunburn-Single-Cover.jpg "Teen Daze Brooklyn Sunburn Single Cover")
![Princeton Florida Single Cover [mp3] Princeton // Florida](http://tympanogram.com/files/Princeton-Florida-Single-Cover.jpg "Princeton Florida Single Cover")
