This week’s mixtape starts right off with the A-side from Gringo Star’s new 7 inch, and who we reviewed recently. Haim just happens to follow, since Katrina had a Q&A with oldest Haim sister Este, where she talked about being in a band with siblings, their recent success, plus a top 5 album list for 2012 that has some great picks. Other tracks on the mix are:
Dream Curtain – William Hamparsomian’s first foray into experimenting with making solo electronica on his laptop. This track starts out chill enough, like good background hanging out music, but then about halfway through it takes the chillin’ to a higher level.
Young Dreams, “Fog of War” – this track came out the end of last year, but they’ve now released a interview/short documentary. They’ve been described as a cross between The Beach Boys and Animal Collective, and that’s pretty on point. What makes their style, however, is that unlike The Beach Boys, they’re from Bergen, Norway, a place where it’s dark and rainy all the time (even MORE than Seattle), so it’s only through their music that they can escape to sunny beaches.
Othello Woolf, “Odysseus” – first single off the London-based electronic R&B artist, who describes his forthcoming album as “Music for listening on your headphones late at night in darkness on your own or with your girl.”
MS MR, “Fantasy” – the mysterious and intriguing duo have announced their debut album proper, due out May 14, and this is the first track off of it.
SUUNS, “Edie’s Dream” – this is the first single off the band’s second full-length album, Images Du Futur, due out in March. They made a video that “started as a kind of nightmare, with burial themes and the cold and lonely woods. But gradually, it melted into a kind of bittersweet daydream.” In their words.
Lady Lamb the Beekeeper, “Bird Balloons” – It’s been quite some time wince we first caught her live at the Living Room, agreed she was one of the top 100 artists on the verge, and had the opportunity to talk to the lady about the music, and now she’s finally about to release her debut full length! This is exciting news, and this studio working of her tune “Bird Balloons” is amazing, in that it’s basically a tour de force of what she can do.
Ólöf Arnalds, “Sudden Elevation” – this latest from the Icelandic singer/songwriter is best heard through headphones, where the subtle intricacies and the closeness of her voice can be felt. Then, it feels exactly like sudden elevation.
BestNewBands.com Mixtape #9 by BestNewBands.com
Tracklist:
Gringo Star – “Going Way Out”
HAIM – “Don’t’ Save Me”
Young Dreams – “Fog of War”
Dream Curtain – “Glowing”
Othello Woolf – “Odysseus”
MS MR – “Fantasy”
SUUNS – “Edie’s Dream”
Lady Lamb the Beekeeper – “Bird Balloons”
Ólöf Arnalds – “Sudden Elevation”
Bonus:
New Iceage Video for “Ecstacy”
