|
||||
|
Category: Electro
She-Devils – self-titled
She-Devils’ (Audrey Ann Boucher and Kyle Jukka) self-titled record is a lovely blast of electro dream pop that we need more of in this world right now. The opener, “Come,” is a slightly trippy seduction and (“Don’t try to resist me,” Boucher sings) I think a salute to orgasms. It’s the best song about such subjects since Frankie Goes to Hollywood sang about them. The follow-up, “Hey Boy,” mixes shoegaze and electro so well that you can barely tell where one influence ends and the other begins. I like the low-tuned guitar throughout it by Jukka, and Boucher’s voice is playful and a little bit dangerous. It’s the kind of track the Dum Dum Girls used to make.
“Make You Pay” feels like something out of a shoegaze sweat lodge as Boucher sings about exacting revenge (via firearm) against her cheating lover. In “Darling,” however, she professes her love again as the guitars shuffle like a soft shoe dancer around her. “How Do You Feel” and “Blooming” are ethereal dream pop songs in which Boucher questions both her lover’s intentions and her desires. “I can’t do anything for you,” she sings on “You Don’t Know.” Her lover doesn’t know what love is, so she can’t help him see what’s bugging her.
On the weird and wonderful “The World Laughs,” Boucher boldly proclaims “I want to go inside of you…” Well, well, well. The guitars sound almost like something from a reggae record that’s been left out in the Jamaican sun too long. Trust me, it’s pretty neat. “Never Let Me Go” and the closer, “Buffalo,” are haunting love songs with Boucher’s vocals coming at you like incense smoke down a dimly lit hall and Jukka’s instrumentations ranging from Angelo Badalamenti influences to hints of psychedelic-era Brian Wilson.
This is the kind of album that makes you want to hear the next sooner rather than later. Improving on this already fine record will mean something stunning in the future.
Keep your mind open.
[Hey, boy, don’t forget to subscribe before you go.]
Slow Magic releases another hot single – “Drum.”
|
||||
|
Kauf’s new single, “Limestone,” is out now.
|
|||||||||||||
|
Live: Depeche Mode and Warpaint – Toronto, ON – September 03, 2017
Somehow multiple decades have gone by without me catching electro legends Depeche Mode live. The dates finally worked out, and my wife and I were able to see them and shoegaze / post-punk newcomers Warpaint at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre.
Warpaint played a good set of crisp post-punk with snappy bass lines and even snappier drumming (which would be a theme for the entire night). I’d heard a lot of good things about them, and they didn’t disappoint. I need to find more of their material.
Out came Depeche Mode to the Beatles’ “Revolution,” a major theme for their new album – Spirit. They rolled into “Going Backwards,” “So Much Love,” and “Barrel of a Gun” (which included a snippet of Grand Master Flash’s “The Message,” which cracked me up).
The crowd (which filled the stadium, apart from the unsold / unused seats behind the stage, by the way) jumped to its feet when they broke into “World In My Eyes.” It was a reminder of not only their electro prowess, but how much influence they’ve had on Trent Reznor. An acoustic version of “Question of Lust,” sung by Martin Gore, was a crowd favorite, and the follow-up of “Home” was excellent.
“Where’s the Revolution?” – the first single off Spirit – was another standout and essentially the band’s rallying cry for fans old and new to stand up against The Man. “Everything Counts” is also staggeringly relevant for these times, even though it’s decades old by now. It preceded “Stripped,” “Enjoy the Silence” (which was almost entirely sung by the now-bonkers crowd), and “Never Let Me Down Again” – which was better live than I even hoped it would be (and drummer Christian Eigner was absolutely slaying his kit by this point).
The encore started with “Somebody,” included a nice cover of David Bowie’s “Heroes,” and finished with big hits “I Feel You” and “Personal Jesus,” which had everyone raising their hands to “reach out and touch faith.”
It was long overdue, but very welcome. My wife immediately listened to their new album as soon as we got back from the show. She woke up the next day with Depeche Mode songs in their head, and I’ve had “Never Let Me Down Again” stuck in my brain for days.
Thanks for the fun, DM and Warpaint.
Keep your mind open.
Cosmo Midnight release fun new single – “Mind Off.”
Watch Here
“Mind Off” follows acclaimed single “History”
After astonishing crowds with their exceptional Splendour In The Grass performance in July, Cosmo’s Midnight set off on their biggest international tour to date. The duo recently performed on stages across Asia and New Zealand, catching up with Billboard China and HypeBeast along the way. Patrick and Cosmo recently wrapped up their world tour, playing a run of six shows in select cities across North America.
Cosmo’s Midnight have been drip feeding their excellence all year. With two international tours, two of 2017’s biggest singles and now an imaginative new video, they’re about to make a triumphant return to their homeland.
“Mind Off” (Feat. Kudu Blue) – https://soundcloud.com/
“History” – https://soundcloud.com/
Saturday, September 30 – Yours & Owls Festival, Wollongong, Australia
Saturday, September 30 – Sweaty Palms, Erina, Australia
Photo by Alex Johnstone
http://smarturl.it/CM.MO
http://smarturl.it/CM.MO/
http://smarturl.it/CM.MO/
http://smarturl.it/CM.MO/
http://smarturl.it/CM.MO/
Cosmo’s Midnight online:
https://www.cosmosmidnight.
https://www.facebook.com/
https://twitter.com/
http://soundcloud.com/
https://www.instagram.com/
Kllo unveils North American fall tour dates.
Kllo Announce North American Headline Tour
Backwater Out October 20th On Ghostly International
Listen To Lead Singles:
“Virtue” – https://soundcloud.com/
“Downfall” – https://soundcloud.com/
Photo by Hayley Louise Brown
“’Virtue’ is a sterling new single… Ms. Kaul has an oozy, aspirated voice, and smears it tactfully atop Mr. Lam’s euphoric, quick-stepping production, which bridges fiery garage and joyous disco.” – The New York Times
“Once things get started on ‘Virtue’ it’s like a sonic boom. Heavy bass blasts find a home next to frantic dance beats and Kaul’s cooing, serene vocal delivery.” – Stereogum
“In its slow build and beauty, ‘Downfall’ feels like having ascended a ladder to a particularly gorgeous vantage point, and enjoying the journey on the way there, too.”
– Pitchfork
Kllo – an electronic pop collaboration between Melbourne cousins Chloe Kaul and Simon Lam – waded in figurative backwater for much of 2016 amid an extensive world tour. These were exciting times; the duo’s Well Worn EP furthered the promise of 2014 EP Cusp, receiving millions of streams and landing Kllo on festival stages as well as Artists-to-Watch lists. Nonetheless, the stretch kept them far from home, isolated and vulnerable, treading through perpetual uncharted territory while yearning for the comforts of the familiar.
As a result, Kllo’s full-length debut depicts inner adjustment to outer change. Songs were written partially on the road and developed back at Lam’s bungalow, a haven that harbors creative spontaneity and catharsis.
“It’s the first time we hadn’t felt like kids anymore,” says Kaul. “We were really able to dive in deeper and bring out a lot more of us into the music.”
Kllo first emerged with a sound beyond their years; fully formed, fusing elements of R&B, UK garage, and 2-step. Well-versed students of artists like James Blake, Lauryn Hill, and The xx, the duo extend an amalgamation of established pop elements with modern sensibilities and wide-eyed sincerity. Backwaterarrives as a refined, coming-of-age account. The LP format finds Kllo with more room to breathe and sync their rhythms with emotions. Kaul’s smoky voice emanates with assurance and leisure. Lam’s production invents brooding, steely undercurrents hemmed with charming crescendos.
Kllo have officially come out the other end of the stilted estuary with twelve compositions cultivated to feel timeless and crafted, and equally current. The duo’s second release on Ghostly International — and their most realized work to date — Backwater celebrates the ephemeral and the enduring changes in emotion, the downfalls and the dissolves. It’s an album that parts course with its flow, and flourishes in a lowland.
“Virtue” video – https://youtu.be/4vSVpoABRRU
“Virtue” audio – https://soundcloud.com/
“Downfall” audio – https://soundcloud.com/
Oct. 18 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas (tickets)
Oct. 20 – Detroit, MI @ El Club (tickets)
Oct. 27 – Vancouver, BC @ Waldorf (tickets)
Oct. 28 – Seattle, WA @ VERA Project (tickets)
Nov. 1 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Resident (tickets)
Nov. 2 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill (tickets)
Nov. 4 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere (tickets)
Nov. 5 – New York, NY @ Berlin (tickets)
Nov. 12 – Madrid, ES @ Costello
Nov. 13 – San Sebastian, ES @ Dabadaba
Nov. 14 – Barcelona, ES @ Sidecar
Nov. 16 – Paris, FR @ Supersonic
Nov. 17 – Rotterdam, NL @ V11
Nov. 18 – Brussels, BE @ Les TransArdentes at Palais 12
Nov. 20 – Amsterdam, NL @ The Sugar Factory
Nov. 23 – London, UK @ XOYO
Nov. 24 – Bristol, UK @ The Louisiana
Nov. 25 – Manchester, UK @ The Soup Kitchen
Nov. 27 – Glasgow, UK @ Broadcast
Nov. 28 – Edinburgh, UK @ Sneaky Pete’s
Nov. 29 – Leeds, UK @ Headrow House
Nov. 30 – Nottingham, UK @ The Bodega
Dec. 3 – Berlin, DE @ Badehaus
Dec. 4 – Cologne, DE @ Yuca
Dec. 5 – Hamburg, DE @ Haekken
Dec. 8 – Sydney, AUS @ Oxford Arts Factory
Dec. 9 – Perth, AUS @ Jack Rabbit Slim’s
Dec. 14 – Brisbane, AUS @ Woolly Mammoth
Dec. 15 – Melbourne, AUS @ Corner Hotel
Dec. 16 – Adelaide, AUS @ Fat Controller
Backwater artwork
The Ghostly Store / Physical – https://www.theghostlystore.
Digital – https://Kllo.lnk.to/backwaterKllo online:
http://ghostly.com/artists/
https://www.facebook.com/
https://www.instagram.com/
https://twitter.com/kllomusic
Punctual releases title single from debut EP -“Fading Youth”
Watch Here
From Debut EP, Fading Youth, Out Now On RCA
Stream Here
https://youtu.be/Ox6sIH6hYzU
Drawing inspiration from garage to classical, and citing Floating Points, Todd Terje and Robert Glasper as influences, the pair have been immersed in their local music scene since meeting in Bristol at University. Punctual have harnessed these influences to create rich, textured and timely music for their generation.
The pair continue to grow from strength to strength having had radio support from the likes of Pete Tong, DJ Target and Elton John and having recently supported The Avalanches on tour as well as playing coveted slots at Glastonbury and Lovebox festival.
https://youtu.be/Ox6sIH6hYzU
Listen To Fading Youth:
http://smarturl.it/
Punctual are songwriter / producer / DJ duo Will Lansley and John Morgan, formerly based out of Bristol but now living in South London. Their debut single ‘Eva’ has received over 1.7 million plays on Spotify and gained radio support from the likes of Zane Lowe, BBC Radio 1’s Pete Tong, Phil Taggart and Huw Stephens. The pair continue to grow from strength to strength with recent track ‘What I Love’ being described by Mixmag as “injecting a new lease of life into the summer banger” as well as support on the likes of Clash Music and remixes from sought-after producers KC Lights and Jarreau Vandal.
Punctual online:
https://www.facebook.com/
https://twitter.com/
https://www.instagram.com/
https://soundcloud.com/
Slow Magic’s “Mind” gets remixed by Tomggg.
Listen Here
Float Out October 6th On Downtown/Interscope
World Tour Kicks Off This Month
Photo by Dream Angel
The genesis for “Mind” began when Slow Magic and Kate Boy met a couple of years ago at a German festival that took place in an abandoned car factory. Slow Magic recalls, “I remember sneaking through the backstage area and onto the roof to watch their set. I had wanted to work with them ever since I heard their song ‘In Your Eyes.’”
Initial work on Float began during a trip to Iceland. Slow Magic cites the surreal change in light that far north as an inspiration. “The sun never really went away. It was eternal,” Slow Magic explains. “I wanted to approach this album in ways I never had before.” That meant recording live drums at a studio in Stockholm normally reserved for metal bands. This is where “Mind” and other instrumentals for Floatstarted to take shape.
“Most of the songs started very stripped down, just with piano and organic instruments. I let the songs write themselves without forcing them to go anywhere they didn’t naturally go.” To complete Float, Slow Magic enlisted not only Kate Boy and Tropics, who features on recent single “Light,” but other vocalists such as Peter Silberman (from The Antlers), Toulouse, and MNDR, opening up a new dimension in Slow Magic’s songwriting.
Slow Magic will tour the world for the rest of 2017 in support of Float headlining his biggest rooms yet. “I’m planning a lot of new things that I haven’t done before. There will be a completely revamped live show with a ton of new music. I’m hoping people that have been to my show and people that never have will all feel like they are experiencing something they never have imagined.” Tickets are available for purchase here.
https://soundcloud.com/
Stream/Buy “Mind” feat. Kate Boy (Tomggg Remix):
http://smarturl.it/
Listen To “Mind” feat. Kate Boy (Original):
https://soundcloud.com/
Listen To “Light” feat. Tropics:
https://soundcloud.com/
9/13 – Paris, France @ Batofar
9/14 – Milan, Italy @ Circolo Magnolia
9/15 – Rome, Italy @ Monk Club
9/19 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Sugar Factory
9/20 – Brussels, Belgium @ Beursschouwburg
9/21 – Liege, Belgium @ Reflektor
9/23 – London, UK @ Oslo
9/24 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Lille Vega
9/27 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Debaser
9/28 – Berlin, Germany @ Gretchen
9/29 – Barcelona, Spain @ Razzmatazz
9/30 – Madrid, Spain @ Costello Club
10/25 – Austin, TX @ Empire Control Room
10/26 – Dallas, TX @ Trees
10/27 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
10/28 – New Orleans, LA @ Varsity Theatre
10/29 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Hell Stage)
11/2 – Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero
11/3 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere
11/4 – Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall
11/5 – Boston, MA @ Royale
11/8 – Montreal, QC @ Theatre Fairmount
11/9 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
11/10 – Detroit, MI @ The Magic Stick
11/11 – Grand Rapids, MI @ The Stache
11/12 – Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club
11/15 – Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
11/16 – Kansas City, MO @ The Record Bar
11/17 – Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre
11/18 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall
11/30 –Vancouver, BC @ Venue
12/1 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
12/2 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
12/3 – Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall
12/6 – Arcata, CA @ Arcata Theatre
12/7 – San Francisco, CA @ Warfield Theatre
12/8 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park
12/9 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory
12/10 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Novo
Yumi Zouma’s new single, “Persephone,” is a nice slice of electro-pop.
Listen Here
Willowbank Out October 6th On Cascine
Catch Them On Tour This Fall
Photo by Aaron Lee
https://soundcloud.com/
For the making of Willowbank, the members of Yumi Zouma settled on a plan to head home for the New Zealand summer. To complete what would become their first significant work written and recorded entirely in their home country, they rented a studio in Christchurch’s semi-demolished CBD, on one of the few remaining blocks that still characterizes the city from before it was destroyed by a series of earthquakes.
Guitarist, keyboard player and vocalist Josh Burgess says, “It was as though there was a brief pause in all of our lives and we finally felt like a band from New Zealand. We were on home turf and creating from a place that felt fundamentally natural.” That sensation was further underscored by Willowbank’s recording sessions falling over the cherished holiday season, during which the Yumis were surrounded by family. Burgess credits some of the small, often mundane Kiwi traditions of the time for influencing their mindset. “New Zealand has a distinct feel from Christmas to the end of January. Things shut down. It has a calming presence, it’s very peaceful.” That sense of holiday can be heard on lead single “December” where the melodies float and stir themselves into a series of swelling refrains that culminate in horns and handclaps.
When you know it’s there, the feeling of rootedness is undeniable on Willowbank. Being connected to their origins on the bottom of the earth allowed the band’s members, Charlie Ryder, Josh Burgess, Christie Simpson and Sam Perry to craft another essential chapter in the Yumi Zouma storybook.
https://soundcloud.com/
Listen To “Depths (Pt. I)”:
https://soundcloud.com/
Listen To “December”:
https://soundcloud.com/
Fri. Oct. 6 – London, UK @ Omeara
Sun. Oct. 8 – Brighton, UK @ The Joker
Mon. Oct. 9 – Paris, FR @ L’Espace B
Wed. Oct. 11 – Copenhagen, DK @ VEGA Musikkens Hus – Ideal Bar
Thu. Oct. 12 – Stockholm, SE @ Debaser
Sun. Oct. 15 – Amsterdam, NL @ Sugarfactory
Wed. Oct. 18 – Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Theater*
Thu. Oct. 19 – San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop*
Fri. Oct. 20 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios*
Sat. Oct. 21 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza*
Mon. Oct. 23 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s ^
Tue. Oct. 24 – Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall ^
Wed. Oct. 25 – New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge ^
Thu. Oct. 26 – Boston, MA @ Lilypad ^
Fri. Oct. 27 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz ^
Sat. Oct. 28 – Toronto, ON @ Smiling Buddha ^
*w/ Chad Valley
^ w/ She-Devils
Spotify – http://bit.ly/willowbank-
iTunes – http://bit.ly/willowbank-
Cascine – http://bit.ly/willowbank-vinyl
Bandcamp – https://yumizouma.bandcamp.
Linkfire – https://lnk.to/willowbank
Willowbank artwork