We’ve been listening to the new Fleet Foxes album Helplessness Blues for a few days now, and it’s a serious contender for best album of the year, so far. “Grown Ocean” is the closing track on the album and it’s a doozy! The pounding drums, flourishing flute, and the harmonies, mmmm…yeah. It harkens to Sigur Ros’ “Gobbledigook” which is one of my all time faves. The music video is also completely rad. The Super 8 (at least that’s what it looks like) documentary footage of their travels and the recording of this album is just gorgeous. I don’t think I could have come up with a more perfect visual aesthetic to complement the Fleet Foxes sound.
If you follow us on Twitter, you would have seen that last week I was quite the Jetsetter – I even got the Foursquare “Local” badge for LAX. Yeah that’s a lot of travel. I thought I’d share some of the tunes on my iPad that kept me going while I worked and got my Angry Birds on. All these albums help me get lost in the tunes and block out the fact that I’m sitting in the middle seat from LAX to JFK.
Destroyer – Kaputt – This album has been in heavy rotation since January. It features some super sexy saxaphone, synths, and an awesome retro 80s timbre. Dan Bejar’s voice is smooth and breathy enough to sleep to but rich enough to stay interesting even when it’s competing with a jet engine.
GBM Volume 19 – Gotta have the freshest GBM mix to keep the foot tapping and the mind occupied. I usually start off the flight with a mix since I’m not ready to zone on a full album.
Bibio – Mind Bokeh. Electronic wizard and producer Bibio’s third album on Warp is solid through and through. Bibio’s experimentations in textured broken beats and ambient moments mixed in with some really great fuzzy vocal tracks make for an excellent album to get lost in during a flight.
Scuba – Triangulation. This album is just over a year old, but I always come back to it. This sophomore dubstep album by Paul Rose aka Scuba features energetic beats that sound like they’re from a club a mile under the ocean. The album sounds like it’s under intense pressure, but in a good way. Along with the building clicks, claps and blurps that build into the tempo, Scuba’s sampling and added sonic textures are best appreciated with a pair of headphones. Weirdly enough, this is one of the easiest albums for me to catch a cat nap listening to. It just washes over me like a warm blanket and the tracks flow together to prevent any jarring interruptions, which aids in both sleep and productivity.
“New Beat” is the second video/single to come off of Chaz Bundick’s (aka Toro y Moi) sophmore release Underneath the Pine on Carpark Records. After seeing his labelmates Beach House in concert last Thursday, I’m pretty excited to see Chaz and the gang live at the Trubador on March 23rd. Sorry it already sold out.
Fresh off a residency at The Echo and the Detroit Bar, Foster the People are doin the band-in-a-van thing and building up from the bottom – hitting little joints all over the USofA leading up to Coachella. I’m excited to hear a full length from these Angelenos. All three songs on their self titled EP are pretty toe tappin’ strong. We’ll see if they can carve out their own niche. They are on a Major – Columbia Records – Meh. Catch ‘em while you can.
I really love the cinematic storytelling in this Taylor McFerrin music video Written, Produced and Directed by Simon Benjami. Overall, this work seems like a pretty mature and solid move by the LA based Brainfeeder label.
We’re seeing Florence and the Machine tonight at the Wiltern. Exciting! Even if it’s full of tweens who only know about FATM because they saw Eat Pray Love, it’ll still be a good show.
The artwork accompanying today’s post is brought to you by A Lyric a Day… a wicked sweet Tumblr project. Check it.
I’m loving this video and song by the unsigned San Diego band, Dirty Gold. Anytime I get to watch Endless summer is a good time. Its freaking November people! This year is screaming by.
Three of my favorite chillwave artists to kick off the work week. All three have have been featured along the way in the GBM mixtapes series.
Toro Y Moi is playing in LA with my fav Low End Theory alums Nosaj Thing and Jogger Nov 11 at the El Ray. Not sure if the misses will be down to go. $15 tickets. Anyone want to go???
I love me some LCD Soundsytem and the new video for their latest single “Home” off of This Is Happening is robo-tastic. Go get the album and see them live. Like right now. Or at least watch the video first, and then do that.
P.S. LCD Soundsystem is Playing at the Palms Hotel in Vegas 10/12 before coming back to LA to play at the Hollywood Bowl on 10/15. Go. See. Them!
