Sorry / not sorry for not posting in forever. Featured above is the English musical 4some “Arthur Beatrice,” posed, it seems, to look a lot cooler than they probably are in life (note how half the band is too Gucci to face the camera at their own photo shoot). Whether Arthur Beatrice is the name or names of the musician(s), I don’t know. Their only EP to my knowledge, Carter, was released this July. Sorry / not sorry for posting a song that’s been out for more than three months. Listen.
Montreal’s CFCF (Michael Silver) usually delivers with his chilled-out, ’80’s influenced beats without being too nostalgic about synth-pop and New Wave. “Jump Out Of The Train” is a great example.
Oh, and we included The Hood Internet’s mash-up of Ice Cube and CFCF because we’re nice.
What just happened? Why is Andrew VanWyngarden dressed like a cave man Elton John? Why is he smacking a giant cowbell? Why are they playing this boring and overly repetitive song on national television? Why does it suck so bad? Oh, that’s right, I forgot; I wouldn’t “get” it. Of course! Silly me! But let me give it my best shot nonetheless. Maybe the whole point of the song is to be mindless and droning, thereby illustrating that our lives are monotonous and unavailing. Clever enough. But here’s an idea; if you want to sell records, don’t make bad songs.
However, I really did enjoy that cringe-worthy pause after the end of the sone before the audience started to awkwardly clap.
“Just you watch, Roland; the world is going to quit making fun of New Wave one day…”
The band famous for ’80s staples such as “Shout,” “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” and nothing since then popped out of nowhere today with a cover of Arcade Fire’s “Ready to Start.” It’s not bad. But we think they would gain more notoriety if they next took on “Whip My Hair.”
The Hood Internet graciously recreated this mashup after Phoenix and Mr. Kelly performed it live at Coachella this year. Phoenix performs in Kansas City on September 27th.
I’m a bit behind on posting about this, but my internet access in Europe was limited the last 2 months. The Texas family band Eisley released their fourth full-length, Currents, late May. I’ve been a fan of theirs since high school, but I always thought of them as a band of great singles and OK records. I found Currents, however, surprisingly enjoyable as an album. Good bands further develop their sound with each new release, and Currents showcases a newfound melodic maturity in Eisley’s music. They have yet to release any music videos for the record, but you can find the audio from the title track below.
The Athens-based musical duo Marsheaux has been producing provocative synth-pop for almost a decade. I was introduced to them this summer when hearing their April 2013 album Inhale. Their recent work represents the most progressive trends in the genre. Below is the video for “Can You Stop Me?” from the same release. Also check out their single “Summer” which dropped this month.
As one of today’s best DJs, Los Angeles’ Goldroom rarely disappoints with his smooth, disco-influenced remixes and original mixes. Verano is no exception. As Goldroom himself puts it, Verano “should be an escape, a pathway to losing your problems for a day.” It is. Check it out below.
Proof once again that the world’s best music comes from Sweden. See also: Niki and the Dove, The Knife, etc. Postiljonen’s Skyer is out July 5th. Check out more from the band below.
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