yvynyl

Cruiser - Moving to Neptune This is pure pop. Despite the...

Wed, 30 May 2012 10:43:00 -0400

Cruiser - Moving to Neptune

This is pure pop. Despite the full-band sound and layered vocal harmonies, it happens to be a solo pop project by Philadelphian Andy States, and “was brought to life in the walk-in closet of a crowded inner city loft.” His home recorded demos were heard by Jeremy Park, rising producer of Youth Lagoon’s blockbuster The Year of Hibernation, who then offered to produce this EP.

If you’re looking for a good time, don’t miss the rest of the self-titled EP out now on his Bndcmp.

RIP Ween

Tue, 29 May 2012 23:38:40 -0400

So Ween broke up today. To be honest, I’ve never been super into them, or that is to say, I was never a rabid fan like my friend Dan here. Count me in the camp that felt like a confused onlooker. You either loved or hated their quirky, half-humorous songs or you weren’t in on the joke. Regardless, more than a few of their infectious melodies have burrowed their ear worms into mine more times than I’d care to admit. I can’t deny their influence, and they’ve certainly always been true artists.

coughcool:

Ween - From Someone Who Really Cares

Today WEEN is a thing of the past. I first heard ween in ninth grade - a year before i moved to their hometown of New Hope, PA. The song was Baby Bitch, a warped acoustic love sick jam - timeless really. I bought Chocolate & Cheese and pretended to “get it”. Really though, it was like this weirdo compilation of different bands that were all kind of stoney. It was cool.

Fast forward to 24 years old and I have spent the last 10 years obsessed with all things brown. I have tried to turn probably like 50 people onto Ween. It stuck with like one or two of them - and that’s sweet. My close people get it like I do and they are going to be fucking bummed that we will never go to a ween show again and be pissed that they don’t play Right to the ways and the rules of the world.

Ween are my Beatles. I bought a four track because they made Good Ween Satan and The Pod on one, and they sounded really fucking good. I learned that you don’t have to be perfect right out of the box, you can just kind of love music and go from there.

Pitchfork will probably write a thing on Ween and how they were like a joke for awhile and how they had a huge jam-head following because Phish covered “Roses are Free”. It will all be true but it will suck a whole lot. Don’t read it and don’t watch the videos they post. Listen to me - someone who really cares, a lot.

For now i’m just going to keep on watching the same bootleg videos i have been since I found the YouTube.

One of the best guitarists ever. countryandwestern: Folklore...

Tue, 29 May 2012 20:13:00 -0400

One of the best guitarists ever.

countryandwestern:

Folklore Productions reports that Doc Watson has passed.

R.I.P.

Dylan Shearer - Afterwhile Fell in love with this song in 30...

Tue, 29 May 2012 15:46:12 -0400

Dylan Shearer - Afterwhile

Fell in love with this song in 30 seconds flat, especially after he’s been called an ‘elusive pop wizard’ by his label.

Get Porchpuddles LP on limited-edition vinyl from Endless Nest Records.

Andy French on AdHoc:

There is a history of records from the ’70s that were recorded by reclusive but oftentimes starkly brilliant songwriters (see Bill Fay, Skip Spence, Kevin Ayers) that used their recordings as an outlet of demons, neuroses, and heartbreak. The records were usually overlooked on release and relegated to critical favorites and collector obscurities. Prior to the enthusiastic reissue market that exists today, stumbling on one of these treasures felt like a secret discovery, an entry into the fractured world of its creator that few would know or appreciate.

Dylan Shearer’s songwriting has the same haunted, secretive quality of these records. Shearer has a way of capturing melancholy and pouring it cocktail-smooth into the grooves of Porchpuddles. His songwriting, his voice even, feels disjointedly out of time as if echoing from the expanse of 30 or 40 years in the time it travels from speakers to ears. Full of restless ennui and monumental sadness, it’s been years since a singer has accurately captured the sense of desperate, gentle soulfulness that’s inherent in Shearer’s work. As I’ve remarked about his last release (which had a scant run of 100 copies), this is the kind of record that haunts collectors years down the road and it should haunt you if you know what’s good for you. (Raven Sings The Blues co-premiere)

Long Walks on the Beach - We’re Growing Up Fritz Kramer...

Tue, 29 May 2012 14:36:00 -0400

Long Walks on the Beach - We’re Growing Up

Fritz Kramer writes:

Mark,

Hey dude, new tune, here’s the story.  

After you premiered “Literally Crazy” last summer, industry folks came out of the woodwork. All the big markets, New York, LA, London — pr, managers, publishers, a handful of producers. I would take these calls, and have these conversations, and get these speeches about the ”importance of staying relevant in the industry,” and “brand management,” and “monetization,” and etc etc etc.

  And while it was extremely flattering, it gave me pause. First off, it was clear that there was suddenly an audience listening, which, honestly, made me self-conscious of my sonics. I care about what I put out, and these songs are home-made, like laptop recorded/headphone mixed/unmastered homemade, and I just wasn’t happy with how the other cuts for the EP were sounding. I straight up shelved them, just put them away for another time when I knew a little bit more about wave propagation or sidechain compression or whatever was gonna allow me to achieve the sounds in my head.  

But really, more than all that, I wasn’t convinced that any of the stragegizing would make for better tunes or a more interesting project. I wasn’t convinced an increase in output would make Long Walks a more sustainable creative outlet. I mean, the www presents so much opportunity, so much inspiration. And, sure I’m cognizant of the fact that there are now accepted modes of engaging an audience on the web, but the scale at which I was working makes a lot of that impractical anyway.  

I’m not yelling about how much I hate money and collaboration and the man, all that stuff is cool, it all serves a purpose. But at the end of the day, after all the phone calls and all the pitches, nobody ever said, I really like what you’re up to, I can help you do it better. So I decided to just keep moving, make demos like normal, take my time with recording, and put things out when they’re really ready, which because of my television work has been a long long time.  

So not only is this a way of saying I’m sorry — I didn’t deliver on what I said I would, and I apologize for that — but, in as sincere a way as possible, I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank you. Without people like you and all the blogbros supporting and nurturing new sounds, projects like Long Walks don’t exist. It’s been incredible to have all these experiences, to meet all these people, to be put in the position to even have the luxury to think about artistic integrity, or the creative process, or how someone could actually find the tunes twee (like, have they actually listened to the tunes??).  

Attached you’ll find the new one, it should also be sitting in your inbox on soundcloud. I haven’t seen many lately, but if you’re still  into doing premiers, all yours. Ultimately, it’ll go up on bandcamp for free dl with the others. It’s about growing up, individually and collectively, and my little sis is on the cover with me. She’s had an eventful last few months, so this one’s going out to her. Lyrics below, they’re always the #1 search in my analytics.  

Hope our paths cross sooner than later,

Fritz

Broncho - Losers When you read the name of this Oklahoma band,...

Fri, 25 May 2012 09:16:00 -0400

Broncho - Losers

When you read the name of this Oklahoma band, you’re gonna be hard pressed to miss the ‘bro’ part. But when it comes to rock n’ roll, some dudes get it right. The quartet of Ryan Lindsey, Ben King, Nathan Price, and Johnathon Ford are on a search and destroy mission to find the heart of American rock through blood + gasoline.

They’ve just embarked on a massive US tour, so catch them in yr town. And look for their brand new Can’t Get Past The Lips LP coming out in August.

Gold Julius - Houndstooth Suit Chill vibez. treetopsorbet: The...

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:24:29 -0400

Gold Julius - Houndstooth Suit

Chill vibez.

treetopsorbet:

The brainchild of Philadelphia’s own, Kevin Comly. Tape coming soon!

Indoor Voices - After (feat. Sandra Vu of SISU) Some time ago,...

Thu, 24 May 2012 10:08:19 -0400

Indoor Voices - After (feat. Sandra Vu of SISU)

Some time ago, Toronto shoegazer Jonathan Relph ”asked Sandra to play drums on a song (‘If I Die’). It never happened, so I was able to use that as leverage to guilt her into singing on this song.” Here’s the product of that relationship - a song that I’ve been sitting on, regretfully, far too long. Ethereal, spaced-out swirls of hypnotic vocals layered on a dream-pop melody.

Get the Nevers LP now from his Bndcmp.

Ultrafan. countryandwestern: true-believer: Country Music...

Thu, 24 May 2012 09:28:42 -0400

Ultrafan.

countryandwestern:

true-believer:

Country Music Fan

Wearing his heart on his sleeveless shirt.

RElyse - New Universe A couple years ago, I met John K when he...

Wed, 23 May 2012 14:35:13 -0400

RElyse - New Universe

A couple years ago, I met John K when he lived in Philly for a spell and was making radical, simple synth tunes wrapped in his gentle falsetto. He’s since moved back up to New York City, releasing amazing bedroom singles through his Tumblr whenever he felt like it. He’s just put out a new EP of tunes with his friend Elyse - and you should get into these immediately. White-washed pop minimalist brilliance.

Listen to the whole self-titled EP on Sndcld. If you dig this, yr not gonna wanna miss his solo work here.

Honeydrum - Do U Party? This quartet - “Joseph Black...

Wed, 23 May 2012 10:05:27 -0400

Honeydrum - Do U Party?

This quartet - “Joseph Black (voice & guitar), Raymond “Ray” Schwab (guitar & keys), Erik ‘Dougal’ Sandberg (bass guitar), Marc ‘Klein-Goldblatt’ Esterow (drums & magic act)” - seem to idolize Prince in the way Ariel Pink does. Except they squash the sound in a press and eek out only the essence of the waveform, like an echo of a distant past.

Do You Party? EP + Stranger Calls 7” both out on May 9th May (the latter on ltd edition opaque pink vinyl) from AMDISCS.

Previously: “Traci’s on the Phone” + “Skin City”

Beauty! smokedontsmoke: PORTALS May mixtape is here. And look...

Tue, 22 May 2012 15:39:05 -0400

Beauty!

smokedontsmoke:

PORTALS May mixtape is here. And look at that album art!!! Compliments of Laurent Hrybyk.

STREAM//DOWNLOAD

Yung Life - Isn’t This The Knoxville crew of Whites...

Tue, 22 May 2012 10:46:28 -0400

Yung Life - Isn’t This

The Knoxville crew of Whites - Elliott, Gabriel, & Judah w Will Farner - have a certain knack for melody that feels like they walk around their yard and just pluck it from heavy-laden fruit trees. Succulent.

Look for more from these guys very soon - the rest of this album is just as ripe as this track and should be avail for public consumption this summer!

Imaginary Family - The Bird Watcher Lovely stuff. Also brings to...

Tue, 22 May 2012 09:36:16 -0400

Imaginary Family - The Bird Watcher

Lovely stuff. Also brings to mind Mariee Sioux, a favorite of mine.

Disco Naivete:

Premiere: Imaginary Family is the project of Joanna Isselé, a lady that was born in the French Alps but currently resides in Ghent, Belgium. Her parents gave her an acoustic guitar for her 15th birthday, and off she was. Romantic folk is her thing, yet it is a very minimalistic take on folk with the sparse guitar arrangement - maybe because she’s left-handed but plays the right-handed guitar upside down.

If you like the folk of First Aid Kit and Marissa Nadler, you will admire Imaginary Family. She doesn’t only share first names with Joanna Newsom, but there’s definitely a hint of the imaginary (hah!) story-telling in her lyrics as well. The beautiful animated video, directed by Dries Bastiaensen (also from Belgium), really takes The Bird Watcher to the next level. An EP is set for a September release via Unday/NEWS.

White Birds - Waters James Harvey has a sort of magnetic charm -...

Mon, 21 May 2012 10:46:03 -0400

White Birds - Waters

James Harvey has a sort of magnetic charm - this sort of force that draws you into his songs like a ex-lover you know you shouldn’t speak to any longer but you can’t help yourself. There’s only a matter of time before the seduction pulls with enough force that we’re all playing his game.

Get this on the When Women Played Drums EP limited edition cassette from Grizzly Records on July 10th.

Previously: “When Women Played Drums”

Tours - Grand Lux Get ready for summerztime y’all. The...

Fri, 18 May 2012 13:55:47 -0400

Tours - Grand Lux

Get ready for summerztime y’all. The chillwave tracks be bangin’ this time of year for good reason! Philly kid Dylan Sieh knows that.

hearinggold:

PREMIERE: Here’s the accompanying found footage video for Philadelphia’s Tours and his stunning new beat “Grand Lux”. The video features edited footage from the 1979 film Sam’s Song alongside some beautiful surf shots. The beach with De Niro, ’70s nostalgia, general fun-in-the-sun—sounds about right. Grab the track over at Young Latitudes’ Bandcamp.

Ugh God, Weed, Honey Radar + Swimmers Ear at Little Berlin in...

Fri, 18 May 2012 10:09:00 -0400

Ugh God, Weed, Honey Radar + Swimmers Ear at Little Berlin in Philadelphia - Saturday night May 19th at 8pm.

RSVP

Meth Dad - I DO The very first track on my Tumblr dashboard this...

Fri, 18 May 2012 08:43:19 -0400

Meth Dad - I DO

The very first track on my Tumblr dashboard this morning was the perfect compliment to my first sips of bleary-eyed coffee. Slipstream meditations to compliment the blossoming springtime.

Owlhead Collective artist and Nashville native Tyler Walker has more tracks for your break-out mind state on his Sndcld.

jackinthepocket: Here We Go Magic picks up a hitchhiking John...

Wed, 16 May 2012 16:29:15 -0400

jackinthepocket:

Here We Go Magic picks up a hitchhiking John Waters on I-70 in eastern Ohio
Last night, I interviewed Here We Go Magic in Pittsburgh. This morning they pick up director John Waters in the middle of nowhere, Ohio. Maaaay just have to get a follow up from them now… Read the full story here.

Michael Bloch tells it: “There’s a hydro-fracking boom in western Pennsylvania. You can’t get a motel room. We had to drive til 4AM, and finally found a Days Inn in eastern Ohio. Getting back on the highway this morning, there was a man at the side of the on-ramp with a sign that read ‘to the end of Rte 70.’ Jen wanted to pick him up, but we drove past him. As we passed by, our sound guy said ‘John Waters’ Luke said, ‘Yep, definitely John Waters.’ We got off at the next exit and circled back. He was still there. We pulled up, opened the door and asked where he was coming from. ‘Baltimore,’ he said. And we said ‘Get in, sir.’ “

Another instagram from Jen Turner below:

TEEPEE - Time Meant Nothing Erix S. Laurent works to convert...

Wed, 16 May 2012 12:35:18 -0400

TEEPEE - Time Meant Nothing

Erix S. Laurent works to convert Miami the town into Miami the stage for romantic episodes, bleak visions, and sun-bleached hopefulness. His orchestrated vision is beautiful and lush, yet particularly restrained. I think that’s his translation.

Look for the forthcoming Distant Love or: Time Never Meant Anything, and Never Will LP out soon.