Well here we are, LI$TNRS. Somehow we survived the onslaught of bad jokes provided by April Fool’s Day and have landed firmly in the quiet-before-the-storm of tornado season. It is for this reason (and because so much good music’s already being released this year) that I’ve compiled this rather star-studded LI$T in which you’ll probably recognize most of the artists’ names. This one packs a punch.
- Small Black (somewhat surprisingly) is still releasing music, managing to illustrate that chillwave need only add synths and remove some of the lo-fi production hiss to stay relevant and thrive in today’s culture.
- I’ve already mentioned Damon Albarn, the mastermind behind Blur and Gorillaz, is releasing Everyday Robots April 28th. “Lonely Press Play†is the second cut released from the forthcoming album thus far, and it succeeds in keeping anticipation for the official release high.
- S. Carey and White Hinterland both released new albums last week and are currently on tour together. Hopefully you were at The Opolis in Norman last Saturday to catch the intricate, texturally beautiful sounds they presented.
- On a side note, this show was a reminder of how much concert etiquette can make or break a show experience. Drunk bros yelling about nothing need to realize that if the person at which they’re talking are facing the stage and not responding to their hooting/hollering, it’s not an invitation to yell louder. It’s a subtle way of relaying the message that they’re embarrassing themselves and aggravating others.
- Even further side note, don’t fart in a small crowd. It’s just not cool. Especially don’t fart three different times within a 30 minute timespan in that same crowd. Seems obvious, but this is a strange day and age in which we live.
- On a side note, this show was a reminder of how much concert etiquette can make or break a show experience. Drunk bros yelling about nothing need to realize that if the person at which they’re talking are facing the stage and not responding to their hooting/hollering, it’s not an invitation to yell louder. It’s a subtle way of relaying the message that they’re embarrassing themselves and aggravating others.
- This is the second track I’ve included on a LI$T from Avey Tare’s Slasher Flicks project, which is officially released in full today. The group includes Avey Tare (Animal Collective), Angel Deradoorian (ex-Dirty Projectors/ just might be my biggest unrealistic crush) and Jeremy Hyman (ex-Ponytail).
- Mac DeMarco is just so great. Everything about him is great. His music, his approach to writing, his attitude toward the music scene, his live shows, everything. Salad Days just came out last week, and you need to listen to it.
- Timber Timbre’s another personal favorite due to the creepy beauty conveyed in his writing. Hot Dreams was also just released last week, and it’s a must-listen. The track I included here sounds like it fits perfectly into a Tarantino slow-motion death scene. Enjoy.
- Thievery Corporation’s recently released Saudade happens to be another must-listen recommendation. I love Portuguese music and relaxing, so this album’s actually kind of a dream come true for me. The track I included here, “No More Disguise,†sounds like it could be a James Bond theme song, and I mean that in the best way possible.
- Austin based Pure X* released blissed-out, lobe massaging Angel last week, and if you’re looking to kick back and free your mind of worry, this is the album to help you achieve your goal.
I’m currently headed to Denver with my band DEERPEOPLE once again, this time to open up the Ogden Theater stage for Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, so, needless to say, I’m incredibly excited. I hope this LI$T finds you in equally as positive of a mindset and that the rest of the week treats you well. I’ll see you back here next Tuesday.
*Editor’s Note: Pure X is playing Austin Psych Fest. We may just have to come up with a special set of posts about all the awesome music that is going to be at this festival.
I nearly forgot to listen to Timbre Timbre again, like it is on my radar, hello horn section (!), but it keeps slipping off somehow. White Hinterland was another one I heard on SoundCloud first. Kind of wanted to go to that show, but gross about the jackasses that showed up that night. I’ve been listening to some albums on this list, S. Carey was another as well as Pure X and a song here and there from Mac Demarco, great set of tunes as usual.