do your ears a favor.
seek magic is the fantastic debut studio record from american chillwave artist memory tapes. despite a mass of indie electronica artists struggling to discover their own unique voice, memory tapes does just that and makes it seem like child's play. seek magic is one of the greatest albums i have ever had the pleasure of listening to and i still go back to it regularly.
memory tapes is one of multiple aliases of dayve hawk. originally the frontman of rock band hail social, hawk went on to record a slew of eps and remixes under the monikers memory cassette and weird tapes before releasing seek magic.
seek magic is a rare gem of an album that incorporates a plethora of genres to create something that is both fresh and timeless. hawk's soft vocals sing cryptically poetic lyrics over a bed of dance beats, angst-fueled guitars, and dreamy lo-fi noise. and let's face it, how many albums can you think of that sample a dribbling basketball on one of the tracks? not too many, i'd imagine! seek magic is an absolute must-have and a true testament that the indie music scene is very much still alive. the entire record is perfection from start to finish but my personal favorites are "green knight," "stop talking," and "graphics." you should know what to do by now. hop to it!
01. swimming field
02. bicycle
03. green knight
04. pink stones
05. stop talking
06. graphics
07. plain material
08. run out
09. green knight (visions of trees remix)
do your ears a favor.psychic chasms is the critically-acclaimed debut album from american chillwave band neon indian. although an lp with the same name was released half a year prior, the record itself features those same few tracks with a slew of others. i still remember when psychic chasms first came out and how it basically ignited a whole new subgenre and thus paved the way for other chillwave artists.
neon indian is composed of alan palomo, jason faries, lars larsen, and leanne macomber. palomo previously worked on other musical projects under the aliases of ghosthustler and vega, although his work with neon indian is by far his most impressive.
psychic chasms sounds like an epic trip on the perfect concoction of drugs. filtered vocals swirl over retro video game synthesizers, digital noises, and lo-fi electronic beats. the hooks are plentiful, the production is rich, and the lyrics are surprisingly good. "6669 (i don't know if you know,)" "should have taken acid with you," and "mind, drips" are my personal favorite tracks, but i digress; psychic chasms is one of my favorite albums of all time and warrants a download from anyone with an appreciation for solid electronica music. i also included a few of my favorite neon indian remixes.
01. (am)
02. deadbeat summer
03. laughing gas
04. terminally chill
05. (if i knew, i'd tell you)
06. 6669 (i don't know if you know)
07. should have taken acid with you
08. mind, drips
09. psychic chasms
10. local joke
11. ephemeral artery
12. 7000 (reprise)
13. should have taken acid with you (body language remix)
14. psychic chasms (anoraak remix)
15. mind, drips (mirror people remix)
do your ears a favor.
revolvers is a custom mixtape highlighting some of the best songs of american electronica duo heartsrevolution. though they have released a slew of eps over the last five years, they are very difficult to come across. luckily, their debut album ride or die is slated for release later this year. in the meantime, check out this mixtape if you like electronica music at all!
heartsrevolution is comprised of leyla "lo" safai and ben pollock, though terry "prince terry" campbell stands in as drummer for live events. the duo have been placed on several lists geared towards innovative artists to watch out for and enjoy a strong underground fan base.
heartsrevolution sounds like a bunch of drugs and computers having sex in a dance club. safai belts out processed vocals over wicked electronic beats, experimental noise, and trance-inducing synthesizer riffs. i like the songs "digital suicide (swyst)," "switchblade," and "c.y.o.a." best but heartsrevolution are truly geniuses of their craft. fans of electronica, techno, and dance will find a lot to love here. revolvers is an excellent (and safe) way to pop your heartsrevolution cherry! get lubed up!
01. digital suicide (swyst)
02. ultraviolence
03. switchblade
04. take it or leave it
05. wolves and libertines
06. the rose and her prince
07. prism effect (featuring cory kennedy)
08. c.y.o.a.
09. dance till dawn
10. digital suicide (lullaby)
11. switchblade (la riots mix)
12. c.y.o.a. (flosstadamus mix)
do your ears a favor.
in heaven is the stellar debut full-length record from american indie quintet twin sister. the album is a beautiful hodgepodge of genres that compliment each other to create a lush sonic experience which draws the listener in completely.
twin sister is comprised of vocalist andrea estella, guitarist/vocalist eric cardona, bassist gabe d'amico, keyboardist dev gupta, and drummer bryan ujueta. the band's previous two eps from last year, vampires with dreaming kids and color your life, garnered a lot of buzz and placed them on several "artists to watch" lists. though both of those releases are amazing, in heaven is a natural evolution in the band's stylistic musings and they incorporate the best from both those discs.
in heaven, in essence, is a dreampop album with heavy disco influences, chillwave ambiance, and dreamy production. the vocals are ethereal and the attention to detail with atmospheric instrumentation and electronic effects is spot-on. in heaven is a gorgeous piece of sonic art created by five young people who clearly love music. this record is perfect for putting on while enjoying a joint with good company. "kimmi in a rice field," "luna's theme," and "gene ciampi" are my personal favorites, though twin sister can pretty much do no wrong. as an added bonus, i included a slew of older tracks from their previous eps. aren't you curious to find out what all the fuss is about?
01. daniel
02. stop
03. bad street
04. space babe
05. kimmi in a rice field
06. luna's theme
07. spain
08. gene ciampi
09. saturday sunday
10. eastern green
11. phenomenons
12. lady daydream
13. the other side of your face
14. all around and away we go
15. dry hump
do your ears a favor.
forever is the full-length debut record from american electronica artist sleep ∞ over. technically, she has released a slew of other eps and lps, but most of her releases are available in extremely limited quantities and her oldest work is out of print altogether.
sleep ∞ over is stefanie franciotti from right here in atx, which makes me quite the happy bunny! despite what plays on the radio, the fact is that there still are creative forces out there making music into art and the fact that stefanie is based in austin pleases me so much!
sleep ∞ over is the perfect name for an artist that creates this type of music. in all honesty, forever sounds like the soundtrack to a dream. sonic texture swirls over ambient synths to create fantastic landscapes while stefanie's unforgettable vocal strains flutter aimlessly. from start to finish, forever is a fantasy for the ears that is both haunting and sensual. my favorite songs are "romantic streams," "casual diamond," and "stickers," which is probably the single sexiest track ever recorded. the entire album is pure art, though, and i adore it. are you curious yet? i thought as much. check it!
01. behind closed doors
02. romantic streams
03. porcelain hands
04. heavens turn by themselves
05. casual diamond
06. cryingame
07. flying saucers are real
08. stickers
09. untitled
10. don't poison everything
do your ears a favor.
rapprocher is the impeccable full-length debut album from american electronica artist class actress. this is one of the catchiest records i have ever had the pleasure of listening to and believe me; i listen to a LOT of music. rapprocher is possibly the best pop album of the year!
elizabeth harper, better known as class actress, used to be a solo folk artist until she ventured into electronica territory with her ep, journal of ardency. though that release featured great tracks, rapprocher only builds upon that wonderful electro-pop foundation.
class actress sounds like the lovechild of neon indian and 80's madonna. harper's soft vocals of an ingenue sing sweetly over electronica dance beats and layers of new wave synths. "keep you," "prove me wrong," and "need to know" are my faves, but this album is flawless. rapprocher is akin to the greatest dance record from the 80's with the crispest production that today's technology allows. if you like pop music at all, then you owe yourself a listen.
01. keep you
02. love me like you used to
03. weekend
04. prove me wrong
05. need to know
06. limousine
07. all the saints
08. bienvenue
09. missed
10. hangin' on
11. let me in
do your ears a favor.
cupcake cave is the debut full-length album from american electronica duo healamonster & tarsier, otherwise known as h&t. this is by far one of the best records i have come across in a long time.
h&t is comprised of healmonster (burgess tomlinson) and tarsier (rona rapadas.) although they released two previous eps, cupcake cave is undoubtedly their most cohesive work to date.
it is difficult to try and put h&t into any one box, as they are known for mixing a slew of genres to create their own unique sonic persona. cupcake cave features stellar electronica production values, soft bedroom vocals, and mid-tempo breakbeats. the track "ships with lights" is absolutely legendary, but "no memory" and "sadie" also come close to being my favorite track. to be fair, though, the entire record is sheer perfection. stop listening to the bullshit that gets overplayed on the radio and give this musical art a chance. you can thank me later.
01. daxmosphere
02. ships with lights
03. rattlesnake
04. no memory
05. osceola
06. inch inch (h&t remix)
07. sadie
08. delicate
09. cupcake cave
10. six eight
the heart of the nightlife is the debut album of american pop duo kisses. the record is packed with radio-ready tracks that should have been huge hits, if only anyone knew who the hell kisses is. and that's what i'm here for!
kisses is comprised of frontman jesse kivel and his adorable band mate zinzi edmundson and together they make musical force to be reckoned with.
essentially, the heart of the nightlife is an album of fun boy-girl pop anthems but flourishes of disco and electronic touches add a layer of depth that is hard to come by in the pop world. my personal favorite songs are "kisses," "people can do the most amazing things," and "midnight lover," but all nine tracks are standouts. i have had this record for roughly a year now and i still love it as much as i did when i first got it. that alone is testament to how good this shit is. what are you waiting for? download it now and dance your sexy ass off.
01. kisses
02. bermuda
03. people can do the most amazing things
04. women of the club
05. the heart of the nightlife
06. lovers
07. weekend in brooklyn
08. midnight lover
09. on the movie
do your ears a favor.
penny sparkle is the eighth studio album from american rock trio blonde redhead. that's right: EIGHTH. blonde redhead released their eponymous debut in 1995 and still, seven years later, it is perfectly likely that you have never even heard of them before, largely due to the incompetence of record labels and disc jockeys. fear not!
blonde redhead is comprised of kazu makino and twin brothers simone and amedeo pace. over the years, a few other members came and went, as is natural in the industry. the pace brothers have always remained a constant, however.
the band's discography is both impressive and complex; penny sparkle continues their journey to experiment with new sounds and mash genres together. there are elements of rock, dreampop, electronica, and even some shades of shoegaze. blonde redhead thinks outside of the box to create a sound that is all their own. penny sparkle is one of those rare records that comes along where every track is a unique experience. "my plants are dead," "love or prison," and "will there be stars?" are my faves, though i also included a few great tracks from their previous record, 23. you know the drill.
01. here sometimes
02. not getting there
03. will there be stars?
04. my plants are dead
05. love or prison
06. oslo
07. penny sparkle
08. everything is wrong
09. black guitar
10. spain
11. spring and by summer fall
12. the dress
13. 23
soft universe is the fourth album from the awesome australian electronica duo pnau. have you ever heard of pnau? unless you're from the great land of oz, chances are, you haven't. no worries; that's what i'm here for!
for a little background information, pnau is comprised of nick littlemore and peter mayes. they released their debut acid house album sambanova in 1999, with the sophomore effort again dropping in 2003. though these records feature a slew of good tracks, they were mostly instrumentals and the band didn't bother much with vocals until their self-titled pnau in 2007, which garnered elton john's interest and the rest is history!
now signed with elton john, their 2011 disc soft universe features their most epic production and instrumentation like never before. it is too difficult to pick and choose between the songs because this is just one of those must-have records for anyone who just has to shake their ass every once in a while. "everybody," "glimpse," and "better way" are my top favorites, but i also included their 2007 anthem "embrace" with ladyhawke, because it simply is a must-have for fans of dance music.
01. everybody
02. solid ground
03. unite us
04. twist of fate
05. the truth
06. glimpse
07. epic fail
08. better way
09. something special
10. waiting for you
11. embrace (featuring ladyhawke)
color the trees is the third album from stunningly sexy swedish electronica singer firefox ak. okay, i know what you're saying: WHO THE FUCK IS FIREFOX AK?! well, that's why you come to both my babies; to learn this sort of thing. (and let's face it, how can you not be curious about an artist with a stage name like that?)
firefox ak is andrea kellerman. she released two previous albums, madame! madame! and if i were a melody, respectively, but color the trees is by far her best work. the production values are stellar and the elecronica itself is lush with soft folk flourishes. add in a great vocalist and some poetic lyrics and call it a day.
this record is one of the few i find myself coming back to again and again. kellerman's delivery melds well with dreamy electro melodies and light folk flourishes. my fave tracks are "boom boom boom," "the wind," and "honey locust," but they're all terrific. and look, i even added a bonus remix for your listening pleasure! which tracks do you like the most? i can dig it; can you?
01. brother to brother
02. meet me there
03. boom boom boom
04. the wind
05. heavy with rain
06. color the trees
07. honey locust
08. old city delusion
09. between these walls
10. running on my own
11. my sister and i
12. the way that i do
13. boom boom boom (boeones kaelstigen remix)
