I could not be more excited to announce that Korallreven are going on a 5-city tour, here in the US! The show in NYC will also feature two bands you need to check out if you haven’t already: Lemonade and Young Magic – more on them soon.
Next week I’ll be debuting a gorgeous new music video for their wonderfully soothing single, Sa Sa Samoa – so keep your eyes open for that.
Selebrities is a Brooklyn-based synth-y new wave trio signed to Cascine, and comprised of lead singer Maria Usbeck, Jer Robert Paulin and Max Peterson.
You may remember that I wrote about Selebrities last year upon the release of their Joy Division-y debut album, Delusions. That album brought me back to the days of rainy summer nights in the English countryside with my family that were pretty much a staple of my childhood. Any band that’s able to help bring back those memories has an instant place in my heart.
I think one of the marks of true songwriting talent lies in the amount of different genres a band is able to successfully dress their music up with. If last time Selebrities brought us old school New Order and Joy Division, this time we’re getting some Slowdive mixed in with a little Siouxsie Sioux – thanks to Maria’s personality-infused singing on new single, Night Heat.
I’ve been dying to write about Night Heat for probably close to a month but had to wait until it was probably released to the media before saying anything. Out of every song I’ve listened to this year, Night Heat has received more airplay than any other. Interestingly, it’s not as immediate of an ear-grab as many of the other songs I’ve been listening to of late; but maybe it’s that slow burning effect which makes it so great.
Either way, Night Heat is hands down my favorite song of the last few months. Check out the video below.
*Selebrities’s new single, Night Heat, is out 20 March via Cascine.
Sleigh Bells is a Brooklyn-based noise pop duo comprised of lead singer Alexis Krauss and guitarist Derek E. Miller.
These cats have blown up in the last few years and have been the toast of indie circles all over the place. Admittedly, it’s taken me a while to figure out why everyone loves them so much and, while I’m still not 100% sold on their genius, I’m beginning to really enjoy their 2nd album, Reign Of Terror, more and more with each spin.
More than any other band in recent memory, Sleigh Bells are able to bridge a gap between genres that makes me envision one of their concerts to house equal amounts of hipsters, lesbians and trashy white folk. Reference wise, Sleigh Bells’s music reminds me of a modern take on Last Splash by The Breeders, but with far crunchier guitars; while Alexis’s voice specifically is sort of like a cross between Kim Deal and Morningwood’s Chantal Claret.
In a music scene currently bereft of any tuneful rock bands with female lead singers, Sleigh Bells have certainly tapped into a nerve and busted the gates wide open with Reign Of Terror. And thanks to songs such as Road To Hell, I’m finally beginning to get aboard the train as well.
Check out Road To Hell below.
*Sleigh Bells’s 2nd album, Reign Of Terror, is out now via Mom+Pop.
Jessie Ware is a London-based singer songwriter who is nothing short of a star in the making.
The trend these days is for new solo artists to spend some time recording guest vocals for various dance producers before coming out with records of their own (Clare Maguire, Cocknbullkid, etc). The Jessie Ware marketing strategy seems to be the same.
She came onto my map last year as a guest vocalist on SBTRKT’s excellent single, Nervous, and since then has featured on a handful of great tracks. Jessie’s sound is steeped in sultry mid-90s R&B, i.e., the last era of R&B that I gave a shit about. Out of every up-n-coming solo artist I’ve written about in the last couple of years, Jessie’s talent has me as excited as anyone else’s – and you only need one listen to her SIIIIIICK new single “Running” to figure out why. “Running” sounds like Sade singing an Aaliyah track remixed by TLC’s “Red Light Special.” If that doesn’t turn you on, you have no soul.
Check out Jessie Ware’s slinky video for “Running” below.
*Jessie Ware’s debut album will be out in the next few months.
The goal of this website is to expose you to new and old music; and make you laugh along the way. My sense of humor and ear for music are my gifts to you. No matter how much your life sucks, you still have the ability to laugh. So, screw it – let’s laugh together every day on this site!
If you want music, you’ll find it everywhere on this site. If you want to laugh, go to the Daily Fred section and read all of my silly observations about life, people, and politicians. [Read more...]
