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| Girls. |
I know it's the year of retro in indie, but who had seen a 9.3 Girls-album coming? Well, here it is, Father, Sun, Holy Ghost. I haven't heard it in its entirety yet, but judging by tunes like 'Honey Bunny' and 'Magic' (which isn't on Youtube yet, go fetch it on Grooveshark!), it is at least partly well-deserved! Really looking forward to getting into the whole album and hearing what the fuss is about!
A bit in the same alley, although more 80's tinged, is Summer Camp, with this sunny tune called 'Better Off Without You'! Really kitsch, but worth checking out!
Annie Clark, better known as St. Vincent, one of the coolest women in music nowadays, is back in business with her third full length, Strange Mercy. She has always flown slightly under my radar, but 'Cruel' is just bloody amazing and catchy as shit - one of the best new tunes I've heard in a long time!
Speaking of saints, I went to a flea market today, and came home with a few CDs, among them St. Germain's Tourist. That was pretty cool - as 'Rose Rouge' examplifies. Also in the electronic department, this is The Golden Filter and 'Mother' - pretty dark, but really sweet, and featuring organs!
Finally, I heard 'Midnight City' off M83's new album, Hurry Up, We're Dreaming (these Frenchmen sure have a thing for epic album titles...) the other day, and realized I had neglected mentioning it. I had a very short M83 craze this winter, with acclaimed album Saturdays = Youth, and this is very catchy, and not all too nauseating (as M83 can sometimes become) - actually, it's pretty radio-friendly, and could become a minor hit.
Speaking of radio-friendly, did you lot hear Coldplay's new one? Well, don't feel bad about it if you didn't, it's horrible...
All right, I'm long overdue in telling you all about one of the - unexpectedly - best albums I've bought this summer. Subject is Junior Boys' fourth full-length, titled It's All True. Junior Boys' quality template remains pretty unchanged, but if it ain't broke, you know, there's no need to fix it. And on It's All True, the Canadians have proved that the well of slick, funky, indie-electro topped by Jeremy Greenspan's smooth voice isn't empty yet.
It all kicks off with the delirious 'Itchy Fingers', which is pretty fast paced compared to the duo's previous work, but nonetheless highly catchy. Classic mellowness however kicks in already by second cut, the beautiful 'Playtime', which is in the mold of a tune like 'When No One Cares' from So This Is Goodbye, two albums back (I'm sorry, I still haven't gotten around to hearing Begone Dull Care, the band's third album, thus this post will be devoid of references to that album...), and a bold tune to move all the way up to the second spot. Greenspan generally shines on this album, and on a tune like this in particular.
There's a general warmness to this album, much more so than to the aforementioned So This Is Goodbye, which is at times startlingly frigid. There's a bit more funk, a bit less sterility to this album. A tune like standout 'Banana Ripple' pretty obviously, but also cuts like 'You'll Improve Me' or 'Second Chance' are lusciously swag. A tune like 'The Reservoir' on the other hand, is all icy, staccato synthesizers and inimical beats, and 'Kick The Can' is as industrial as it gets.
Finishing off in style with a brilliant closing pair, consisting of the beautiful 'ep' and the aforementioned, epic and ridiculously funky 'Banana Ripple', while sticking firmly to their guns, Junior Boys have proven that their tight and classy electronica still has raison d'être in the otherwise hazy and fashionably sloppy indie world of 2011. Which is reassuring.
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| Toro y Moi. |
Toro y Moi has contributed one of the absolutely most enjoyable tunes for me this year with 'New Beat' off his sophomore album, Underneath The Pine. Now he's ready with a follow-up EP titled Freaking Out, and a few cuts are available now. Most interesting is the funky 'I Can Get Love', available over at Gorilla Vs. Bear. Another tune is 'All Alone'. The EP is out September 13th.
Röyksopp really have only declined since their mammoth debut album Melody A.M., which coincidentally has its ten-year anniversary in about a month. Since then, through three studio albums, the Norwegians have struggled to reiterate their legitimacy on the crossroads between ambient and house. I gave them a chance though on this new tune, 'Shores of Easy'. It's pretty chill, but a bit long, honestly.
Glass Candy's italo/balearic sound is pretty far removed from what we're used to hear from the 8Pacific NW, but 'Warm In The Winter' is a really elite cut in this genre - please go check it out!
I mentioned Purity Ring last time around. They're releasing a split EP with Braids, whom I really think you should check out - 'Peach Wedding' is gonna be on that EP, and it's pretty sweet!
Finally, I stumbled over a brilliant old remix I had all but forgotten. It's on Apparat's Things To Be Frickled, and it's a remix of 'Schallstrom' by Thomas Fehlmann. Those Germans are bloody wiz at ambient house!
