Sydney group The Griswolds have been on my radar ever since I saw them support Last Dinosaurs. It’s lucky, because they just released their video for “Heart Of A Lion”, which I’ve been holding my breath for, and it’s really quite good. It’s just under three minutes of bright, fluorescent, tropical pop – in short, it’s a bit of a summer jam. From that description, it could easily be stale and dull, but The Griswolds manage to balance all of those warm influences out, and focus it into something great.
Last night I witnessed in real-time (thank you Twitter) the online music media scramble to publish articles on How To Dress Well’s latest track – “Ocean Floor For Everything”. It raised questions about the nature of such scrambling, but perhaps those would be best saved for another time and a more apt release. This is a great track, and the fact that it’s reaching more ears is only a good thing.
Tom Krell’s latest experimental lo-fi outing contains but a faint trace of the characteristic, and sometimes overbearing crackle and hiss of his debut album Love Remains, but fret not. The smooth, unearthly textures are still there in spades, whispering around the track and building what proves to be a grand and affecting song.
How To Dress Well’s second album, Total Loss, is due out in September (via Acéphale in North America and Weird World internationally).
How do you like your pop? A mix of sun, sand, and fun? Ghost Beach might just be your thing. The New York duo make, self-described “tropical grit-pop”, and while their latest track “Miracle” might not be very gritty at all, it’s definitely tropical. It’s a shame Australia is moving into winter right now, but if you’re heading somewhere warm and pleasant over the next few months, this might be just the right song to soundtrack it all. The pulsing bright rhythms are sure to bring a smile or two.
Take a listen below, and grab a free download at their website in exchange for your e-mail address.
I know it’s only Tuesday, but it’s never too early to start putting together your weekend party mix, right?
New York duo The Knocks, who have remixed artists like Katy Perry and Marina & the Diamonds, and toured with artists like Big Boi and Chromeo, are steadily on the rise. “Learn To Fly” just missed out on being included on their Magic EP, but the band have decided to give it away anyway. Can you resist the dance hooks?
Have a listen, and download it. You really should.
jj are a Swedish pop duo, and “Beautiful Life” is the name of their newest track. As the title suggest, it’s quite beautiful. jj are known for their blissful, floating, hazy pop music, and that’s exactly what they deliver here. It manages to sound so unaware and spontaneous, yet still retain that crafted drive and pulse.
The single – titled jj n° 4 – is set for release on May 8 digitally and on 7″ via Sincerely Yours and Secretly Canadian, and will contain another new track called “Burn”.
Bluejuice are renowned for having cool video ideas. Anyone who didn’t find “Act Yr Age” hilarious should probably chill out a bit, and “Vitriol” will forever be a stellar example of doing budget film-clips right.
“On My Own” continues that tradition. It’s a karaoke video that looks like it was ripped from an old VHS, and they really nail the cheesy aesthetic. The song isn’t bad either. Check it out below.
Bluejuice are also hitting the road with The Cairos and Loon Lake (except in Brisbane). Check out the details!
All Tickets On Sale Fri Feb 24th – $25 Pre / $30 Door
THU 12 APR – WAVES, WOLLONGONG
Tickets available from the venue & Moshtix www.moshtix.com.au, 1300 GET TIX & corresponding outlets
FRI 13 APR – THE METRO THEATRE, SYDNEY – ALL AGES
Tickets available from the Metro Theatre Box Office 02 9550 3666 & Ticketek www.ticketek.com.au, 132 849 & corresponding outlets
SAT 14 APR – HI FI, BRISBANE
Tickets available from www.thehifi.com.au, 1300-THEHIFI (8434434), Kill The Music, Butter Beats-CBD & The Valley, Gooble Warming & Atlantis Music-Southport
THU 19 APR – SETTLERS TAVERN, MARGARET RIVER Tickets available from Oztix www.oztix.com.au, 1300 762 545, Moshtix www.moshtix.com.au, 1300 GET TIX, Heatseeker www.heatseeker.com.au 08 6210 2850 & all corresponding outlets
SAT 21 APR – THE GOV, ADELAIDE – ALL AGES
Tickets available from Moshtix www.moshtix.com.au, 1300 GET TIX & corresponding outlets
THU 26 APR – EUREKA HOTEL, GEELONG
Tickets available from Moshtix www.moshtix.com.au, 1300 GET TIX & corresponding outlets
FRI 27 APR – PELLY BAR @ PIER LIVE, FRANKSTON
Tickets available from the venue & Ticketmaster www.ticketmaster.com.au & corresponding outlets
SAT 28 APR – HI FI, MELBOURNE – UNDER 18’s ONLY (2pm – 6pm)
Tickets available from www.thehifi.com.au, 1300-THEHIFI (843 443), Polyester Records-CBD & Fitzroy, Sight n Sound – Northcote & Boronia
SAT 28 APR – HI FI, MELBOURNE – (18+ 8pm to late)
Tickets available from www.thehifi.com.au, 1300-THEHIFI (843 443), Polyester Records-CBD & Fitzroy, Sight n Sound – Northcote & Boronia
Almost surprisingly, I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for this Rihanna tune. It probably has something to do with Calvin Harris being on board, because as far as musicians that can hit a beat go, he’s well and truly up there.
So I jumped at the chance to check out a remix of the track, by none other than Star Slinger – the UK producer who’s been making waves since mid-2010 – and who it’s taken me far too long to notice. This glitchy reinterpretation (not a remix, but a “refix” according to his SoundCloud page) singles out Rihanna’s chorus while putting a much more dominating beat behind it – one of those exciting beats that encourages dancing, but still has that dangerous edge that could throw you.
Holy Ghost! are an electro duo out of Brooklyn, New York. Hipster central, I know, but don’t judge it just yet, because this is some unpretentiously fun dance music, with a real groove behind it. And it’s not the kind of dance music you’d hear in some kind of normal pop nightclub either. You know that moment when you walk in and think “I’ve heard this before – a million times before. I don’t even know this song, but I’ve heard it because it sounds THE SAME AS EVERYTHING ELSE” – you know that moment? Well this isn’t like that moment at all.
The strong bass line helps carry the song’s momentum, and the choir in the background that eventually comes in really lifts it onto a new level. If the song wasn’t so groovy, the keyboard riff would sound cliched, like it was from some dodgy old-school hip-hop track. Fortunately, that’s not how it comes across at all, and it just kind of all works. Somehow.
Stream or grab a free download of “Some Children” over at Pitchfork! (Who are incidentally just celebrating their 15th birthday – happy birthday P4k!)
Fool’s Gold are one of the most cheery pop outfits to have graced my lucky, lucky ears. They radiate this tropical vibe, similar to musicians like El Guincho, and welcome these infectious African rhythms into their music. The result is this pop with amazing guitar melodies, and it just makes you want to dance.
They recently released a new video for their song “Wild Window”, which you can find on their sophomore album Leave No Trace (which incidentally, came out today on August the 16th). Check it out below. The colours really match the song’s atmosphere quite well.
Melbournian indie-popsters Buckley Ward have just returned from a year of working on their sophomore album, and with a new line up as well! They’ve just announced a couple of shows around the country in support of their latest single, “So Pretend”.
Thursday 8 September – Oh Hello, Brisbane, QLD (free show)
Friday 9 September – Lightspace, Brisbane, QLD
Saturday 10 September – FBi Social, Sydney, NSW supporting Winter People
Saturday 24 September – Melbourne, Yah Yahs with I, A Man
Take a listen to “So Pretend” below. Full of lush pop harmonies, they manage to craft this relaxing atmosphere around beautiful guitar melodies. Well worth checking out. You can download it for free over here too.
On The Tune 