Posts Tagged ‘Brooklyn’

BLUSH – ” Blush ” EP

Posted: December 15, 2017 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Blush, which is released on 8th December, this S/T debut from the new project of ex-Darlings vocalist Maura Lynch doesn’t feel like it has any interest in meeting the standards of year-end critical praise.

Recording as Blush, Maura Lynch turns her bedroom demos into a 20-minute set of cozy guitar pop songs that maintain a sense of casual intimacy even, when given the studio treatment. Lynch, formerly of Darlings and Beverly, is joined here by members Jon Campolo (Pill), Andy Chugg (producer of Pop. 1280), and Nick Campolo who amplify her small songs while maintaining their simplicity through intelligent musical choices.

Lynch’s tracks are straightforward and concise, never relying on gauzy metaphors to complicate her declarations of love.

The record’s eight, mostly two-minute-ish songs only amount to 20 minutes worth of material, which includes a cover of a Mariah Carey song (“Fantasy”) and an instrumental that would be pegged as an interlude in most other circumstances (“Fire Island”). This isn’t to insinuate that Blush feels tossed together or underwritten—quite the opposite, actually. Despite its short runtime, the last four tracks transition gorgeously into each other, and the warm, silky mixing on here is evidence of a great deal of post-production thought. Blush is just what its name implies; a palpable yet briefly subtle flare of emotion.

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released December 8th, 2017
The Band are:
Maura M. Lynch: Vox, Guitar, Keys
Jonathan Campolo: Drums, Keys, Vox
Nicholas Campolo: Guitar, Keys, Vox
Andrew Chugg: Bass, Drums

Produced by Andrew Chugg

STRAWBERRY RUNNERS – ” The Garden, In the Night ” Best Albums Of 2017

Posted: December 14, 2017 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Emi Knight, the woman behind Strawberry Runners’ magical In The Garden, In The Night EP, has come along way since, as a seven-year-old in Indiana, she picked up the guitar and learnt to strum along to church hymns and Bob Dylan tunes. After a number of years drifting in and out of various musical projects, Emi seems to have stumbled upon something special in Strawberry Runners. Now based in Brooklyn, Emi formed Strawberry Runners back in 2013,  and has been crafting the tracks that would go on to make this most magical of records ever since.

The resulting record is an exploration of adolescence, presented from the point of view of an older songwriter reflecting on the experiences that shaped her. Emi paints beautiful lyrical pictures, rich musical canvases where joy and sadness co-exist; entwining, shifting and growing together. Take the stunning Dog Days, a track that contrasts the sheer joy of slipping off your shoes and dipping them into a winding river, with the shocking death of a friend’s child, ultimately concluding, “search your whole life long, there ain’t nothing strong as a Kentucky woman”. It reads like a teenager’s diary entry, fluttering from the usual everyday self-doubt, to moments of beautiful tranquillity and devastating loss. The brilliant Brother is an apology and a promise to a sibling, “born five years after me”. It reflects on how Emi never picked up on his loneliness, She never realised how her teenage exploits and nights outs left him with nobody, and concludes with the most beautiful of sisterly sentiments, “when you’re a little older I’ll explain it all to you, why the good will never stay and all the dark and scary things will never go away but we’ll be bigger than them someday”.

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Musically it is a record that drifts easily between styles, one second recalling the indie-pop of Allo Darlin’, the next drifting off into rich orchestral pop and then off to sweet honest alt-country that Lucinda Williams would be proud of. The record’s finest moment comes at it’s finale, Your Bed Was Tall is a tribute to Emi’s mother, who “stand’s tall in spite of the mighty tempest”. The tracks builds to a crescendo of entwined guitar lines and steady, booming drum beats, as Emi sings into the musical storm, “when the world ain’t crumbling, do you think we’ll stop fighting? When the world ain’t crumbling, will I let you in, will I let you in”. In a world where life can be a struggle, In The Garden, In The Night, was a reminder that we must always battle to  shape the world we want to see, that compassion, effort and, yes, music, can help us all make a little more sense of it all.

Emi Night: vocals, guitars, mandolin, additional percussion
Baby Timm: trumpet, vocals, keyboards
Sam Kelley: guitars
Tyler Morse: bass, vocals
Max Barcelow: drums, vocals, additional percussion
Rich Goldberg: keyboards

LCD SOUNDSYSTEM – ” American Dream ” Best Albums Of 2017

Posted: December 5, 2017 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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When David Bowie gives you the seal of approval, you can turn a permanent conclusion into a five-year hiatus and a stellar return album. James Murphy and co. ended all the rumors once and for all with American Dream and did so with a bang. The album feels incredibly present, addressing the pervasive existential loneliness and concern while bringing the family back together.

American Dream retains all of LCD Soundsystem’s ability to fill the dance floor and bring tears to your eyes. There were plenty of fears that they’d lose the goodwill earned by a public exit, but with an honest, powerful record like this, LCD only further cemented their spot .

Post-hiatus records tend to be mediocre attempts to rejuvenate the enthusiasm of the past. Fans probably applied this to James Murphy’s band, wondering how American Dream, the first LCD Soundsystem record in seven years, could live up to 2007’s Sound of Silver or 2010’s This Is Happening. Thankfully, American Dream is a beautiful work of art about aging, regret and an arduous search for meaning, an expansive record that explores a variety of sounds and themes, but it never feels confused or lost. As Murphy’s vocals dreamily weave their way into the intro of opening track “Oh Baby,” you immediately know that this is a different LCD Soundsystem. The frantic energy of hits such as “Get Innocuous!” and “Movement” is gone, but not necessarily missing. Sonically, American Dream is more spacious than its predecessors. This dreamscape suits a record that’s aware of beauty in life, but invariably realizes that what it once thought was beautiful is merely an empty void.

Essential Tracks: “oh baby”, “call the police”, and “i used to”

Yes, it sounds like a U2 song. Yes, they quit and came back in less time than many artists take just to write and record a new record , James Murphy complained about never playing on SNL..  James Murphy asked his fans to give him a number one record. But who really cares when the song is this good? LCD are the rare band that deals in singles and albums. Their long players play well all the way through and their singles are mountain peaks across the horizon of music.

If you wondered if their brief but well-discussed exit robbed them of their excellence – “Call the Police” was the ideal defeat of that worry. The propulsive song never relents from the click track at the top through Mahoney’s constantly locked groove, never straying from perpetual forward motion. The pieces continue to stack until you are in an F-Zero straight race for the goal. The understated lower case titles perfectly represent this song that is so much more compelling than it acts like it is.

The HOLD STEADY – ” Almost Killed Me / Separation Sunday ” Reissues

Posted: November 20, 2017 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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'Almost Killed Me'

Even on their first album, these Brooklyn-via-Minneapolis dudes had it all: drugs, sex, Catholic guilt, trashy bar-band guitars. Craig Finn splutters his crazed one-liners about killer parties gone bad, from “Mary got a bloody nose from sniffing margarita mix” to “I did a couple favors for these guys who looked like Tusken Raiders.” “Certain Songs” pays tribute to a bar where the jukebox has the perfect ratio of Meat Loaf to Billy Joel. Commercial? Not exactly. Yet the Hold Steady sounded so real and raw, so loaded with wit and compassion and energy, this made them a word-of-mouth sensation.

To celebrate the release of deluxe remastered editions of ALMOST KILLED ME and SEPARATION SUNDAY, all of the members of The Hold Steady share their memories from recording the band’s first two albums, with added insight from others involved in making the first two records in this podcast series.
Part One features a conversation between Craig Finn & Tad Kubler, founders and lead songwriters.
Come back this Friday for part two with Galen Polivka – and remember, both albums are available Now on LP/CD/Digital! Order at http://www.theholdsteady.net#

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The long-awaited release of the deluxe editions of our first two LPs are available on Frenchkiss Records! The Deluxe Edition LPs mark the first time both albums have been available on vinyl in more than a decade.

ALMOST KILLED ME: DELUXE EDITION comes joined with five rare tracks, including the very first Hold Steady 7” single, “Milkcrate Mosh,” and songs previously only available on the album’s original Australian CD release. It’s on blue vinyl.

SEPARATION SUNDAY: DELUXE EDITION features six additional tracks, including the never before available “212-Margarita” and “The Most Important Thing” along with previously unreleased demos of “Cattle and the Creeping Things,” “Charlemagne in Sweatpants,” and “Crucifixion Cruise.” It’s on white vinyl.

All extras are available on the Deluxe Edition CD releases and via vinyl download cards.

If you haven’t yet, go to http://www.theholdsteady.net to order physical copies!

“Almost Killed Me” and “Separation Sunday” Deluxe Editions now available on LP/Digital from Frenchkiss Records!

WIDOWSPEAK – ” Harvest Moon ” Neil Young Cover

Posted: November 12, 2017 in MUSIC
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Widowspeak cover Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon”. Catch them in Europe. Widowspeak released a new album, Expect The Best, earlier this year, and today they’ve shared a cover of Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon” in advance of their European tour. It’s as beautiful and plaintive as you’d expect from the Brooklyn group,

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11/14 – Amsterdam, NL – Sugarfactory
11/15 – Utrecht, NL – Db’s
11/17 – Birmingham, UK – Actress & Bishop
11/18 – Glasgow, UK – Nice n Sleazy
11/20 – London, UK – Oslo
11/21 – Brighton, UK – The Hope
11/23 – Rotterdam, NL – Rotown
11/26 – Berlin, DE – Volksbühne
11/27 – Hamburg, DE – Hafenklang
11/28 – Copenhagen, DK – Vega
11/29 – Stockholm, SWE – Obaren
11/30 – Oslo, NO – Revolver
12/01 – Gothenburg, SWE – Oceanen
12/02 – Lund, SWE – Mejeriet

OVERCOATS – ” I Don’t Believe In Us / Kai’s Song “

Posted: November 10, 2017 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Overcoats is a Brooklyn-based duo that mixes traditional folk, soul, and gospel with the forward-thinking electronic production of Sylvan Esso and Little Dragon. Their debut album “YOUNG” is built on the themes of family, love, and concepts of womanhood. Produced by Nicolas Vernhes (Daughter, Dirty Projectors) and experimental R&B artist Autre Ne Veut, the deluxe edition of their debut album YOUNG featuring the new track “I Don’t Believe In Us” is out now!

If you needed yet another reason to love Overcoats, bless them because they just gave it to you. At the end of April, Hana Elion and JJ Mitchell, uber-talented vocalists/musicians/all-around stargrlz, released their highly anticipated debut album, Young, and it’s a game changer.

The 12-song album, co-written by the duo, builds upon their self-titled EP (which featured “Smaller Than My Mother”, “The Fog”, “Walk On”, and “Little Memory”), and brings several new songs into the fold, each imbued with its own personality. The more familiar tracks have also been revamped, creating a fuller, more mature soundscape that personifies where Overcoats have been, where they are, and where they’re going. And boy, are they going places.

Overcoats have an incredible ability to create honest stories that allow us to heal openly.  A subtle, but ever-present concept throughout the album is learning who we are in the world and coming to terms with the ways in which we have changed

BLUSH – ” Daisy Chain “

Posted: October 31, 2017 in MUSIC
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Blush is the new project from Maura Lynch, formerly of cult New York-favourites Darlings. Inspired by a stint touring with Beverley, Maura was inspired to revisit the bedroom demos she’s been stashing away under the pseudonym Blush. Maura went into the studio with members of Pop 1280 and Pill and the first Blush album was born.

That self-titled debut will be out in December, and ahead of its release, this week has seen Blush share their debut single, Daisy Chain. A wash of fuzzy bass, gentle ringing guitars, and perfectly hushed, intimate vocals, it’s a track that seems to exist as two minutes of escapism, a flash of wistful summer sunshine breaking through an overcast skyline. As Maura repeats the line, “good morning baby, let the sun shine to your toes”, you can hear her genuine support, her desire for this person to not just have a good day, but to fulfil their wildest hopes and dreams. It’s a magical introduction, to a record Maura describes as “a diary of my late 20s”, a special record that simply can’t come quick enough. This album began as bedroom demos I recorded while playing with my longtime friends in Darlings. Once that band called it a day, I got together with Andy (producer: Pop. 1280, Yvette, Bambara) and the Campolos (Pill) to turn my demos into real songs.

Over nights and weekends in 2016, we recorded at Andy’s Gilded Audio studio, in both its first location in Chinatown and, later, in Dumbo. We ate many pizzas and watched many ridiculous YouTube videos. It was one of the breeziest, most fun music-making experiences I’ve ever had. Maura M Lynch.

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Blush is out December 8th via ArrowHawk Records. 

STRAWBERRY RUNNERS – ” Dog Days “

Posted: October 19, 2017 in MUSIC
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Emi Night singer songwriter writes vivid, empathetic portraits of all the heartbreak and beauty of adolescent existence. “In The Garden, In The Night” is Strawberry Runners’ official debut, but the project has been around in some form since 2013, and all five songs on the EP unfold with the unhurried pace of the supremely confident, blooming from intimate, spare folk to homespun indie-pop grandeur full of horns and harmonies. And at the center of it all is Night’s voice, plainspoken and clear, facing down life’s hardships with quiet grace: “All the dark and scary things will never go away/ But we’ll be bigger than them someday.”

Official music video for “Dog Days” by Strawberry Runners, From the EP In The Garden, In The Night 

Emi Night: vocals, guitars, mandolin, additional percussion
Davy Timm: trumpet, vocals, keyboards
Sam Kelley: guitars
Tyler Morse: bass, vocals
Max Barcelow: drums, vocals, additional percussion
Rich Goldberg: keyboards

HALF WAIF – ” Dream Cycle “

Posted: October 10, 2017 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Dream Cycle is a 9+ minute study on the surreal and slippery quality of dreams, written in 2014. The lyrics came from a dream journal I kept in a note on my phone at the time, detailing the most bizarre and vivid dreams I had. When it came time to select demos for what would become the full-length album Probable Depths, two of these sketches – ‘Nest’ and ‘Spaceship’ – made the cut. The rest still exist solely in this haze of ideas, a smattering of skewed images and curious sounds hovering in the space just beyond the dream. I’m excited to share ‘Dream Cycle’ now as a relic of my past, a marker of time, and a unique tributary for some of the songs on Probable Depths.” – Nandi Rose Plunkett

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HALF WAIF – ” form​/​a “

Posted: October 6, 2017 in MUSIC
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Half Waif brims over with sounds: underwater echoes of Celtic melodies; mossy, blinking electronic soundscapes; the ultra- sad chord changes of 19th-century art music; and eternal, unending bhajans. A finely crafted glass menagerie of songs. Nandi Rose Plunkett writes, records and performs under the name Half Waif. Her music is deeply personal and engaging, reflecting her lifelong endeavor to reconcile a sense of place. Rasied in the bucolic cultural hub of Williamstown, Massachusetts, Nandi was the daughter of an Indian refugee mother and an American father of Irish/Swiss descent. She was one of Williamstown’s only non-white residents. As a kid, she listened to a wide mix of music that included everything from Joni Mitchell and Tori Amos, to Celtic songstress Loreena McKennitt and traditional Indian bhajans. In college, she studied classical singing and became enamored with the works of Olivier Messiaen and Claude Debussy. Her output as Half Waif reflects these varying influences, resulting in a richly layered collage of blinking electronic soundscapes, echoes of Celtic melodies and the sad chord changes of 19th-century art music.

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form/a is released as a limited-edition 12”. Art for the cover was shot by Adan Carlo and hand-stitched by Chilean artist, María Aparicio Puentes. The first 50 orders will receive a limited edition poster.

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