Really, he got in touch to send along a couple of things: first, the video for “Heavy Without You” and second, a new song from his upcoming EP called Slo-Nouveau, which will be out in February. I’ll save the new song for discussion next week (because I haven’t listened to it yet), but if you’re so inclined, you can grab it for yourself at his Bandcamp page. In the meantime, check out the aforementioned video, which features him performing the song, and looking like he’s performing at a middle school dance.
Tag Archive: San Francisco
[video] 8th Grader // Heavy Without You
[mp3] 8th Grader // Heavy Without You
![8th grader heavy without you cover [mp3] 8th Grader // Heavy Without You](http://tympanogram.com/files/8th-grader-heavy-without-you-cover.jpg "8th grader heavy without you cover")
Is there a more awkward time in the life of a person than when he or she is in 8th grade? Everything you thought you knew about your body and how it functioned has completely gone awry, and to top it off, there are hormones dictating most everything that you think/say/do. For me, that time was made infinitely worse by the fact that I switched school districts right before I entered 8th grade, so that physical transition was made worse by a personal one.
That anecdote is really only to say that I can’t imagine why an artist would choose to immortalize that year of life by releasing his musical output under the name ’8th Grader,’ but this San Francisco artist has done just that. Luckily, his musical adeptness belies the inherent awkwardness of his chosen name, and his initial track, “Heavy Without You,” proves just that.
“Heavy Without You” recalls the 1980′s jams from the likes of Simply Red – a mash up of New Wave and blue-eyed soul, complete with synth-y flourishes and a retro swagger. 8th Grader himself describes his output as “If Prince & George Michael got roofied and woke up spooning Phil Collins…” That’s better than I could do as far as descriptions go, but I probably would have skipped the rohypnol reference, if for no other reason than I’d rather not associate his music (or anyone’s, for that matter) with date rape.
8th Grader // Heavy Without You [mp3]
[mp3] Giraffage // Moments
![Giraffage Comfort cover [mp3] Giraffage // Moments](http://tympanogram.com/files/Giraffage-Comfort-cover.jpg "Giraffage Comfort cover")
We’ve talked about San Francisco’s Charlie Yin – known better by his performance name Giraffage – a couple of separate times here on the blog, highlighting tracks from his first EP, Pretty Things, as well as a couple of singles he’s released. Yin is back, this time with a full length album entitled Comfort, which adds another nine songs to the singles we’ve already discussed.
“Moments” is the first song on the album, and it continues on in Giraffage’s glitchy electronic ways, incorporating what seems like completely disparate noises into a seamless sonic landscape that bears repeating. There are moments on the album where lyrics (and that term should be used loosely) can be heard, but for the most part, Comfort is a sample based affair.
Giraffage has been kind enough to make his new album pay what you want, so if you’re into it, you can go ahead and grab it now, and toss him some cheddar if you can spare it before your impending Black Friday shopping.
Connect with Giraffage // Facebook | Bandcamp | Soundcloud | web
Giraffage // Moments [mp3] from Comfort
[stream] Introducing // Michael Beach
![3215575624 1 [stream] Introducing // Michael Beach](http://f0.bcbits.com/z/32/15/3215575624-1.jpg "[stream] Introducing // Michael Beach")
Australian indie rock musician Michael Beach appeared in our Dropbox recently with his new EP, Mountains + Valley’s. A member of the Melbourne noise-rock trio Electric Jellyfish, Beach includes similar elements into his solo work, while also bringing in influences of honest electric folk music: the kind that brings to memory the work of Billy Bragg, minus the political themes.
With a broken drawl that sounds as if it was coming from an urban cowboy in a smoke-filled bar, Beach’s music is comforting in its rhythm and relaxing in its charm. Even the CBGB bowery rock on “Straight Spines,” the opening track on his EP, has a sort of familiarity that makes Beach’s music seem like it’s been part of your record collection for a long time. As he sings over clean strums, whether aggressive or soulful, the accompanying pianos and slide-guitar bring provide the hint of country music that keeps Beach’s music inviting.
While the opening track is a rocker, other tracks such as “There is No Edge of the World to Run To” and “So Said the Bird” are intimate and illuminating. The kind of music that plays in movies while a character stares off into the distance, contemplating their next decision. It’s an interesting dichotomy in style that shows Beach as a unique songwriter that refuses to keep to only one sound–a difficult task to accomplish as the lone artist on an album.
Beach recently finished up an expansive fall tour here in the U.S. He may hail from Melbourne, but he is currently making his home out West in San Francisco, where he will be completing his autumn shows with a concert on November 17. Check out the tracks “Straight Spines” off of his Mountains + Valleys EP below and listen to the versatility of his playing style, and notice how his voice serves as the unifying element between each track. It’s downright enjoyable to listen to.
Connect with Michael Beach: web | Bandcamp | Twitter | Tumblr | YouTube
Michael Beach // Straight Spines
[mp3] Giraffage // LUV
![giraffage luv [mp3] Giraffage // LUV](http://tympanogram.com/files/giraffage-luv.jpg "giraffage luv")
We were introduced (digitally) to Charlie Yin’s work as Giraffage back in May when he sent along his EP, and since that initial contact he’s sent along a few more tracks. The San Francisco based artist makes choppy, sampled electro that fucks with my head a little bit, and nowhere is that more apparent than with this most recent track he’s sent along. It’s called “LUV” and it will be on Yin’s forthcoming LP called Comfort, which will be out on November 17th.
“LUV” whirs to a start with the words “I’m in love,” and sets up its main theme, repeating it, speeding it up, adjusting its pitch, until it gets to the 55 second mark, when the beat kicks in fully, and the world opens up. It’s ambient and urgent all at once, and it’s a track to set on repeat and figure out for yourself.
Listening to “LUV” is akin to having a headache, but if that headache felt awesome instead of debilitating. It boasts a constant pulse throughout its too-brief three minutes or so, and I can quite literally feel it right around my temples when I listen. It’s either the track itself, or I have something wrong with me. But since the pulsing stops when the song does, I’m inclined to believe it’s not an as-of-yet-unknown malady.
Comfort hits the streets on November 17th. Stay tuned to Yin’s various social media outlets for more information on the how and where you can get a copy for yourself.
Connect with Giraffage // Facebook | Bandcamp | Soundcloud | web
Giraffage // LUV [mp3] from the forthcoming Comfort
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002: Old Tapes - Farewell/What I Need Tonite 7" -
001: Joywave - Ridge/Traveling At The Speed Of Light 7"
