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The Midnight Faces of Sergio Flores

Felipe — Mon, 13 Feb 2017 15:47:37 +0000

Slide in to your Monday with these appropriately easy to listen to tracks with enough sexy sax to boost your spirits (granted, they could always use a little more sax, but I’ll take it. Did I listen to “Careless Whisper” on repeat afterwards? Maybe I did, so what? That’s the sexiest sax. Did I google funny Sergio Flores Sexy Sax Man videos after that? Signs point to probably). Midnight Faces is a Los Angeles-based synthpop+rock band by way of Grand Rapids with a new album out last fall called “Heavenly Bodies.” The album seems to be Monday morning appropriate: not too intense, got its ups and downs, easy tempos to settle you down after a raucous and sardine can-like subway ride to work. Is it an album you’re gonna crave to listen to when you get home, no, most likely not. Not me at least. But would I put it on shuffle in the background while idly working, doodling, or cooking? Ya, I would / I currently am. Would you put it on while nighttime driving, preferably with the windows down? Most certainly, it’s a very LA album.

Well, Feli Says he’s back, with hopefully less hiatuses to come. Here’s two sexy sax tracks off of Midnight Faces’ “Heavenly Bodies”, and an extra dose of “Careless Whisper” for good measure.

Crying for a fakeout #tbt

Felipe — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 22:48:19 +0000

Aaaaand we’re back! After a brief hiatus and whirlwinds of emotion, it seems a fake out throwback Thursday-style track is the proper way to celebrate the last few weeks. Take the past, reminisce, and improve on it (maybe “cry” a little, then “revive”… ya know, cuz of the band and song name…? idk man). First time I heard this track, I immediately thought, “what stupid 80’s playlist did I accidentally click on? I don’t listen to 80s unless I’m at a cover band show with my mates, listening to Punk Goes 80s (amazing album btw), or at McFadden’s on 42nd and 2nd. Everyone knows, if you’re at McFadden’s, you go 80s” (and yes, I thought all those things right when the song came on), half way through the song, after I finished that thought, it was followed by, “hey wait a minute… that riff would be great for a movie montage! Maybe MY biographical movie’s montage!?”, and then, “oh this is actually a really good song… niiiiice”. Crying, an odd name for a band that’s for sure (although let’s be honest, we’ve seen much worse on this blog… Shit Present? Diarrhea Planet??), are an NYC-based trio who have matured from snarky EP writers to full-blown intricate LP debuters. Crying mix 80s synth with modern day indie sensibility and top it off with some stadium rock flare for good measure – “minus the teased hair, laser light show, and stadium,” according to NPR. You’ve got touches of Rush, REO Speedwagon, and Van Halen, all smoothed over with some silky female indie vocals. Their debut album, Beyond the Fleeting Gales, is an all around awesomely fun music experience. It goes fast, it goes slow, it goes just right. The full Goldilocks album, minus the bear walking in and ripping your face off.

Feli Says he’s back alive and kickin’

Leach; Leap-Year Legend: Millennial Spirituals

Gaby — Fri, 18 Mar 2016 00:34:46 +0000

Leach; verb
(soluble chemical or mineral) drained away from soil, ash, or similar material by the action of percolating liquid, especially rainwater.

… percolate; verb – gerund to be precise.
1. [Liquid or gas] filter gradually through a porous surface or substance.
2. [Of Coffee] be prepared in a percolator…

Let’s get this straight, a musician who [claims] the fruit of their labor embodies the essence of distilled rainwater in its purest form. Nothing sounds more refreshingly soothing; my thoughts exactly while listening to “What I do.” Luscious vocals lull us on a cloud of choral-soulful-electro/synth-chill-folk-alt ~ just fabulousness. I haven’t heard the organ included in any releases of late; brava, Leach. The variety of instruments, vocal styles, attention to detail, and ultimately raw talent demonstrate an artist ensnared in the vastness of musical possibility. I predict a non-conformist, Sherlock; Millennial Spirituals.

Put it to the test, imagine, your version of crystalline leach –

Millennial Spirituals was released March 15, 2016

female vocals on tracks 2, 5, and 6 – Alyssa Frost
electric guitar on track 3 – Richard Carpenter
drums & percussion on track 5 – Bobak Loftipour
drums & percussion on track 7 – Jeff Taylor
mastering – Mark Chalecki

Seramic ~ “Waiting”

Gaby — Tue, 15 Mar 2016 21:54:18 +0000

Wait no longer; Hot off the press!

Est. London, UK

How is your 2016 going? I heard today that 20% of the year is over… leaving 80% for [some] sensible decisions about: “health,” work, lo0o0o0ove, politics, and if there’s time, you! Besides successfully cooking unburned chili and finishing 1 book with my students (!! screaming internally !!) … not much for me. Enough about me, let’s talk about you – but first, from the pit of darkness – a slap of soul sparks my sedentary thoughts back to sense; not to mention, fierce undertones of funk free your bones to moo0ve. Finally, shall we?

I’m impressed and excited by Seramic’s sound. They first released “People Say” on New Year’s Day (or Dec. 30th whichever is more badass). More recently, 11 days ago to be precise, they’ve graced our cochlea with a groovier approach; a unique sound in our era of synthemaxiwaawaaaa..what kind of pedals? Which brings me to my focal point: “Waiting.” Listen as you read, this London-based group is both mystical in physicality as they are in talent – show yourself! You can find Seramic at a few upcoming underground/bridge festivals I may or may not have frequented in my London life, but to preserve the sanctity of London’s vibrant speakeasy scene, I’ll stop myself there.

Despite the fact an 1/8th of the year is complete, it still feels like just the beginning, and what a way to kickoff 2016, Seramic. Bon a petit, New York.

Moon Walkers – Charmé[d] to meet ya.

Gaby — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 01:05:33 +0000

I present to you, Moon Walkers for some 2016 charmé[d] (tenses: ing, s, ed) listening. The name comes from what I can envision would be the perfect (not to everyone) playlist for my first walk on the moon. Don’t make me wait too long, Branson.

2016 just keeps throwing curve balls our way, so why not take ourselves out of the present, and think for a moment. Thank you and R.I.P. Don Addis for our adapted image.

Playlist Skim:

– Highlighted artist: Raleigh Ritchie a.k.a. hip, hip, hurrah – Jacob Anderson! I am thoroughly enjoying the hype of his sound.

– Watching Miike Snow’s come back has been lush! He’s on tour currently, ahem.

– Throwing it back to Beautiful Girls has sparked my fantasy of quitting my job, moving to Australia, and becoming a surf instructor. 2016 goals? Anyone with me?

– You like eclectic, eh? You’ll like this; listen and think.

Turns out, Nicole Millar does not study volcanoes :-/

Felipe — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 15:02:53 +0000

Out with her first solo EP is the 22 year-old Aussie volcanist (I mean vocalist), Nicole Millar (you may recognize her voice from Peking Duk’s tripled platinum song “High”). I coulda sworn a volcanist was the same as a volcanologist… ends up it’s just a made up word (and I’m dumb) :-/ and an easy typo from “vocalist”. Although it’d be pretty cool if she was a trendy singer/volcanologist, right?! Especially cuz then her new single “Tremble” would have a sweet double meaning (a double entendre if you will, given it’s risque nature of course) and not just the whole linear sex/missing you motif. But what can you do… She’s fresh off opening for Troye Sivan and her tunes are prime for my Girl Electrochill playlist. With a new solo career Nicole is just gonna wing it, and ya know, see what happens.

“Listen Piper, there’s a big difference between winging it and seeing what happens. Now let’s see what happens.” – MacGruber

If Feli Says something and no one is around to hear it, does he make a sound?

Gabriela’s 2015 Funkouement

Gaby — Sun, 13 Dec 2015 21:23:07 +0000

I remember the precise moment I sold my soul to the music devil; South by Southwest, ATX. The very own Most Definitely’s Stoli infused afternoon at The Yard. Before that my unexposed dreams twinkled in classical piano, A Capella’d harmonies, and celestial music festivals. Needless to say, this year had me hooked. My fellow writers and cousins have inspired my search for musical talent. Oh, and I finally got that electric guitar, oww. I bid you adieu Beelzebub’s year. A brief confessional precedes my list; in the words of our most mystical Calypso, “My intentions are honest ones, and my heart is not made of iron…”

Maybe I should blame my fiery zodiac, or just admit… Sharing this list exposes the soundtrack of my year thus far, a personal and utterly biased list. I can’t speak for you, but, if you take a gander you might just find yourself learning moves you’d never dreamed feasible (or flexible enough for). Two quick confessions and then we’ll commence musically, I promise. As a small town high school English teacher, the music industry is comparable to Dante’s second ring of hell, a daunting fiery pit of passion, authenticity, and soul; a niche I am gingerly stepping into through wonderful role models and musical talents. Finally, my draw to the music is through my synesthesthetic (new word?) viewpoint. I see the notes morph through spools of color across my lids, they roll, bubble, pour, through my veins. It’s a direct reaction to the art and dedication of the artists. Alas, enjoy. Make space to dance, lay, and free your body from our daily mundanities.

Here’s a Soundcloud version of the playlist, with a few added bonuses not found on Spotify:

Cheers, 2015.

Double Dose of Dames: Catey Shaw & POLICA

Felipe — Tue, 24 Nov 2015 17:09:07 +0000

Double Dose of Dames: Tuesday Edition, brought to you by dope ladies who sing good songs. Catey Shaw – the bisexual Brooklynite ukulele subway performer – and POLICA – twin city synthpopper named for the Polish word for “work ethic.” What do they have in common? Well Channy Leanagh (POLICA frontwoman) is a big fan of the radical Canadian feminist Shulamith Firestone, author of the 1970 book Dialectic of Sex: The Case for Feminist Revolution. Once she opened up the book, she couldn’t put it down, even naming her last album after it. And well, Catey Shaw is kinda the embodiment of that feminist freedom. Catey is also from Brooklyn, where there is a Shulamith School for Girls (albeit no direct relation, although a good word coincidence, it’s an Orthodox Jewish school & “shulamith” translate approximately to “peace”). Shulamith Firestone had some pretty out there ideas, for instance she described pregnancy as “barbaric;” and with regards to patriarchal societal structures imposed on women through their biology and the disadvantages caused by pregnancy, childbirth, and child-rearing: “she advocated the use of cybernetics to carry out human reproduction in laboratories as well as the proliferation of contraception, abortion, and state support for child-rearing to enable them to escape their biologically determined positions in society.” — The More You Know —

Feli Says “Get Learned”

Nimino – Milo Evans

Gaby — Sun, 11 Oct 2015 21:15:52 +0000

Milo Evans [pseudonym] nimino

Nimino is on the brink of a tumultuous adventure of sleepless nights and symbiotic artistry survival. Nimino transitions the crux of a night into dreamlike dawn with his smooth decrescendos and soulful influences. An emerging artist from Brighton, UK, Milo Evans transfixes crowds with his fluctuating rhythm ensuring a fluid denouement of the night’s antics. Milo’s youth is riddled with the heavy influence of the dubstep scene in Brighton; a mecca where dubstep fans could transcend the barriers of life through a jolt of music and a slap of salt air. He takes a softer approach to the electronic hub that had emerged, creating soft ambient tunes to sooth the soul’s transition before emerging into the salty sunshine.

I am always struck by an artist with a calling. Passion is a devil that strikes inopportunely, yet a calling shines through the face of aversion, failure, and perseverance. Milo has graced the stage since 14, his artistry will remember his innovation in the face of a jarred musical scene, introducing soothing ambients to a future of listeners.

Sources:

Wed Ogden of ThatDrop.com

http://bit.ly/1jXAPfK

Huffington Post: Artist of the week

Count Counsellor

Gaby — Tue, 25 Aug 2015 22:13:20 +0000

Oh yes. On the verge of elevating to stardom, Count Counsellor sends a shock of soul through my bloodstream. I’m reminded of a fifteen-year-old version of myself sneakily peering through a wire fence as a newborn Passion Pit performs in some nondescript daytime location. Counsellor has inspired me similarly, those melted butter synths have me buzzing melodies and childhood reminiscence – as he touches upon nostalgically. If Count Counsellor isn’t on your radar, listen closely and eagerly anticipate his arrival. Need I say more? Just listen.