Cuddle Up With: Twin Shadow

Cuddle Up With: Twin Shadow

Its not like I meant to get into the 80's. It just sort of snuck up on me, like everything else these days. Lightening fast fads suddenly appearing on me ipod - its not even ironic anymore, I just like it because I like it.

Twin Shadow writes great music. Thats all that really matters in the end. He writes catchy songs. Its sort of a wonder that his debut album is called Forget, when all he seems to be doing is remembering. I mean, the guy's name is George Lewis Jr. Give me a break.

The name comes out of a lot of different things, I am in fact a twin, but it had less to do with that and more to do with motorcycles and stuff. You know, twin engines, first bike I ever wanted was a Honda Shadow, which is a pretty awful bike in my opinion these days, but it was the first bike I ever wanted. It just has a lot to do with always feeling like there's two sides or one side with another part of me offset from that side. It's about what the relationship is with that other part of myself. So kind of like a combination of motorcycle imagery, and coming into this new type of music. 

[via baeble music]

Honestly, what the hell is he talking about?

[mp3] Twin Shadow :: I Can't Wait
[mp3] Twin Shadow :: Castles In The Snow

Forget is produced by Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear and is being released September 28th on his rookie record label, Terrible Records. Highly Recommended.

[myspace]

Cuddle Up With: Secret Cities

Cuddle Up With: Secret Cities

When I first heard Secret Cities' single "Boyfriends" I immediately thought of Brandon. Maybe it was the cute whistles or the loveable lo-fi jangle but for whatever reason I knew Brandon would love it. I'm not sure if he does because he is half way across the world right now and I have yet to discuss the matter with him (so, do you?). The fact that he hasn't beaten me to posting about Secret Cities is, in retrospect, quite astounding.

Hailing from Fargo, a not-so-secret city that post-1996 has only been remembered for one thing, Secret Cities crafts a well balanced blend of funeral strings, harmonies, fuzzed percussion and simple lyrics. The songs on their debut Pink Graffiti (no relation) flow seamlessly, each track leaning slightly towards the next with a heavy rhythmic grace.

Its the type of music I would write if I could. Each vocal melody drops exactly where you want it to-- the first listen is like rereading a picture book from childhood; somehow you know what is coming next.
Childhood does seem to be the main stylistic inspiration for Pink Graffiti. Bells and whistles conjure up the playfulness of Sufjan but are juxtaposed with sad drawn out melodies. Like Arcade Fire, Secret Cities settles within a melodic chasm between happiness and melancholy that can really only be described as child-like. Their label sums it up quite nicely: "Pink Graffiti is (mostly) about Brian Wilson and young people".

[mp3] Secret Cities :: Boyfriends
[mp3] Secret Cities :: Pink City

Pink Grafitti is out now on Western Vinyl 

Cuddle Up With: Sonny and the Sunsets

Cuddle Up With: Sonny and the Sunsets

There are a number of artists that I have been meaning to write about but there are none that I am more excited about than Sonny and the Sunsets.

They make music perfect for a lazy summertime afternoon bbq. Like you can't imagine anything could be all that bad even though you know there are bad things but because you know about all the bad things you know that they are not so bad that you cant sing these songs. Naturally they are from San Francisco, which has consistently turned out non-electronic chill music (for a doo-wop feel, check the video below for "Strange Love"). They have the harmonies down for sure. They exude the same sort of playfulness that made moldy peaches so fun a few years back, only without the self-hating irony. Apparently they put on a good show too.

They released their debut album Tomorrow is Alright on Soft Abuse but it was recently picked up by Fat Possum (home to the likes of Wavves and Andrew Bird). They will re-release the album on August 17 with a wider distribution. Stay tuned.

Too Young to Burn - Tomorrow is Alright

Stranded - Tomorrow is Alright

More and More.

Cuddle Up With: Baths

Cuddle Up With: Baths

Will Wiesenfeld, known as Baths, writes electronic music that continuously seems to be on the verge of falling apart. I've heard it called "glitch" pop, and the name is quite fitting. The music is unsettling; it sets you on edge. Electronic music isn't exactly supposed to be uncertain; the genre's precise repetition rarely skips a beat, if you will.

But here we are listening to Baths' debut album Cerulean, our heartbeats raised by the anxiety of the music. It's the aural equivalent of watching a clown on stilts meander his way through a crowded fairground. And yet we can't turn it off because it's beautiful. In all good music there is a tension, a conflict that is at play and must be negotiated, resolved, or held up for all to hear. Most often this tension is in the music itself, the melodies or chords; other times it's the tension between the lyrics and the music. Baths creates his tension between the intimacy of his bedroom pop melodies and the cold, glitchy electronic rhythms with which he supports them. It's as if the robot is trying to become human by pursuing imperfection.

"That was where it was idealized for me—where the experimentation in electronic music was still there, but there was humanity to it. That was the perfect blend of everything for me."

Does Baths succeed at this attempted "perfect blend"? The album isn't revolutionary by an means; indie electronic music was "humanized" long ago by acts like The Notwist and The Books. But isolating the album from any supposed—how does Pitchfork put it... "avant beat music that's coming out of L.A. right now"—finds us with a solid collection of electronic pop songs that should have a decent shelf life in this fast-paced digital age.

[mp3] Baths :: Hall 
[mp3] Baths :: ♥


Cerulean will be available for digital download on July 6.

Myspace
All quotes via P4K's interview. 

Cuddle Up With: Cloud Control

Cuddle Up With: Cloud Control

Cloud Control is good. Really good. They play pop songs. Good pop songs. Debut album (the properly titled) Bliss Release is out now, and I would highly recommend directing your ears in its general direction.

The band draws from quite a few influences in the rock world, including New Pornographers, Vampire Weekend, Paul Simon, The Smiths, and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah; its all present here, but they are all swallowed by the band's incredibly mature and self-aware song writing. Not one detail is overlooked, every song is intentional and confident; there isn't one track that could even be considered mediocre.

I try not to beam too bright for a particular artist, but this band is going places, and going quickly. You can't hide music like this. If you are the type to purchase music, don't hesitate to drop some digital dough on Bliss Release.

Cloud Control :: Ghost Story
Cloud Control :: Gold Canary 

Purchase via Itunes
Myspace