November 20 2008
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NYC multi-instrumentalist Skew was featured in this space back in January, but it wasn't until earlier this month that dude released his self-titled debut album, a collection of crackly electronic instrumentals that bite from pop, rock, ambient, and dance music equally. We're offering up three tracks from that album today along with an exclusive remix of "Can I Get More Of Everything In The Monitors" from Brooklyn's Shakeyface, who raves things up a bit with wobbly bassline synths and frenetic programming. Side note: Skew is listed as "emotronic" on MySpace. It's astounding that NewsCorp gets down with the micro-genres.
Sounds like: Passion Pit, Minicomp, edIT
Skew - Can I Get More Of Everything In The Monitors (Shakeyface Remix)
Skew - Stadiums Are Ok Too
Skew - Can I Get More Of Everything In The Monitors
Skew - Can I Get More Of Everything In The Monitors (Elliot Lipp Remix)
Previously:
Skew - Classic Moves
Skew - Turning Point
Skew's RCRD LBL Page
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On days when life is getting you down, we've found two quick solutions. One is this 24-hour live stream of nuzzling, cuddly puppies. All it takes is watching 5 minutes of these little fur balls breathe, lick, and tumble in their playpen and you're suddenly regress to a rare state of absolute zen. The second quick fix is Ed Banger's Mickey Moonlight remix. The track starts out ambient and mystical like Sigur Ros, with shimmery, ethereal wind-chimes. Slowly and dreamily, it builds up layers of whimsical steel drums, atmospheric synths, slide guitar sweeps, and sweet vocal harmonies until you are transported into full, zoned out daydream mode. Simple sonic bliss. Thank you Mickey. Thank you Apollo Sunshine.
Sounds like: Sigur Ros, Beach House, The Islands, Brian Wilson
Apollo Sunshine @ Myspace
Apollo Sunshine @ RCRD LBL
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"One Twenty" is the weirdest, grooviest song you've never heard, and good luck getting it out of your head once you do. Frank Musarra and his compatriots lay down their icky thump and dress it up with a healthy disregard for rules and structure. Frank's remix work with Gregg "Girl Talk" Gillis as Trey Told 'Em has only sharpened and enhanced his sense of melodic terrorism. Grab the 12" on Deleted Art on December 1, but this is the only place you'll find "One Twenty". The novel was a head trip by itself-- now imagine plural.
Sounds Like: Art Brut, White Williams, Japanther
Download: Hearts Of Darknesses - One Twenty
Hearts of Darknesses' RCRD LBL page
Man, auxiliary percussion is the best. All "More Cowbell" T-shirts aside, doesn't a righteous tambourine or enthusiastic handclaps just make your pop music day? Friendly Foes know all about that shit, and they know how to make your pop music day. With Ryan Allen from Thunderbirds Are Now! working main vocals and "yeah yeah yeah" backing vocal fist pumps form Liz Whittman, this is a band that loves choruses and tambos and propulsion and Elvis Costello and Superchunk. Speaking of which - there was a Superchunk T-shirt in the day that had an Scooby-Doo style van with the arm of a dude throwing horns out the window. Simple, to the point and full of power - kind of like Friendly Foes' first full length Born Radical on Gangplank. These guys get "it," so if you want "it," grab "Get Yr Shit Together."
Sounds Like: Guided By Voices, Spoon, Superchunk, Thunderbirds Are Now!
Abigail Warchild are a Brooklyn-via-Boston quartet that sound like Wolf Parade with Marshall stacks or The Murder City Devils if they'd put out records on Merge. Unafraid of copious distortion but certainly in league with a lot of the new grizzly psych set, the band has just joined the roster at our RCRD LBL label and we're stoked to be putting out four of their tracks today. There are some big guitar sounds amongst these tunes, but we're mainly geeked on their unabashed use of B3, which will hopefully soon become the indie rock version of AutoTune.
Sounds like: Wolf Parade, Crystal Antlers, Awesome Color
Download: Abigail Warchild - Nixons Guns
Download: Abigail Warchild - The Dive
Download: Abigail Warchild - Trash Can Fire
Download: Abigail Warchild - The Silence
Abigail Warchild's RCRD LBL Page
London duo Gentle Friendly’s DiY pop has needed to be lo-fi so long you fear discomfort in slicker sonic surrounds, fascination with Sizzurp-quaffing Lil' Wayne or not. Still, there’s something oddly poignant and ceremonial about "Ride Around Shining", which starts off sounding like Yoni Wolf’s Why? and ends up loitering somewhere between Crystal Castles’ most cherished moments and the woozy drift of Arch M, David Morris’ warped vocal brilliant light rippling out across a melange of toy keyboards and misfiring lasers. More resolved is "Ride Symbols", which we posted at RCRD LBL back in spring. It’s one of four tracks that will appear on Gentle Friendly’s awesome debut 7”, out on Monday (24 Nov) through No Pain In Pop.
Sounds Like: Baby Venom, Joe Meek, Dan Deacon
Exclusive Download: Gentle Friendly - Ride Around Shining
Previous Downloads: Gentle Friendly - Ride Symbols
Gentle Friendly's RCRD LBL Page
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It really was only a matter of time before Chromeo got the remix treatment from some of the producers and deejays signed to Fool's Gold, considering that Dave 1 and FG co-founder A-Trak are brothers and all. Coming correct for the final remix of "100%" is Bay Area producer Trackademicks, who keeps the jazz sax and but adds an uptempo bump underneath, a nice hip-hop flavored bookend to this collection of three. Grab all of them below!
Sounds like: Kid Sister, Jokers Of The Scene, Treasure Fingers
Download: Chromeo 100% (Trackademicks' B-LIVE Pemberton Mix)
Download: Chromeo - 100% (Nacho Lovers' B-LIVE Pemberton Mix)
Download: Chromeo - 100% (Treasure Fingers' B-LIVE Pemberton Mix)
Chromeo's RCRD LBL Page
Nacho Lovers' RCRD LBL Page
Treasure Fingers' RCRD LBL Page
Debuting on the site today are our new single track widgets, which allow our readers to stream and download tracks directly from posts. Much like our playlist widgets, these can be embedded through Javascript on blogs, other sites, etc. so enjoy the newfound conveinence and spread the love around!
"Shove It" is one of the dubbier cuts from Santogold's debut album, a track weighted with sighing reggae horns and ghettotech pulses from late producer Disco D and sporting a great, laidbback cameo from Naeem of Spank Rock. For our anniversary, the folks at Downtown have graciously hooked us up with an exclusive remix of the song from Switch, a guy who had his paws all over Santi's album but does little here to one-up D's perfect work. By opting for some more crystalline hi-hats and a soupier kick sound, Switch has kept the track at a turtle-crawl pace, drawing the island vibes out even more but never dulling Santi or Naeem's performances. Say Happy Birthday by downloading below.
Sounds like: Damian Marley, Spank Rock, 77Klash
Exclusive Download: Santogold - Shove It (Switch Remix)
Exclusive Download: Santogold - Your Voice
Stream: Santogold - Creator
Stream: Santogold - L.E.S. Artistes (XXXChange Remix)
Stream: Santogold - L.E.S. Artistes
