Stroik has been receiving praise for his charmingly lo-fi bedroom recordings, and today we are excited to premiere “James,” the third single from the North Carolina-based songwriter. Where his previously released songs featured quaint keyboard sounds, this track centers on vigorously strummed guitar chords and robotic drum machines/claps. “’James,’ is a gesture of home for
Ash Lamothe and Else Gebremichael have been making music together for years, but they haven’t molded their project into what each of them really wanted until recently. After a number of member changes, the two decided that they were tired of trying to make a full band work and moved forward as a two-piece.
For a band that has only been playing music together for a year, Los Encantados has accomplished a tremendous amount. The New York-based sextet has released not one, but three EPs since March, all acting as installments of a larger concept called The Same Damned Soul. Aside from copious amounts of writing and recording, the
Cari Rae and Jordy Asher’s music outfit, Blonds, gets compared to groups like Tennis and Cults. Why? Because they are a boy and a girl making pop music. These are not bad comparisons by any means, but Rae and Asher’s project is not a rip-off of the pioneers of cutesy indie pop. In fact, it’s
Though this is her third album, Jesca Hoop is still a relative unknown to many music listeners. What is known, and should who aren’t familiar should know, is that Hoop has hobnobbed with some of the biggest names in the biz. She’s cut her teeth by working with the iconic Tom Waits (for whose kids
My search for groundbreaking Southeastern Asian gems has led me to this eccentric London-based, Singaporean-born soul by the name of Sharliza Jelita. Sharliza is indeed her name (with last name Rahman); but coming from a Malay/Java point-of-view, to end a stage name with the word ‘Jelita’ (which means ‘beautiful’ or ‘lovely’, depends on the context)
It’s been a quiet few years for Portland, Oregon-based duo The Helio Sequence. The two-piece, comprised of singer/guitarist Brandon Summers and drummer Benjamin Weikel, have released four studio LPs, the last being 2008’s Keep Your Eyes Ahead. In the four years since the electro-folk-pop outfit’s last album, the guys have kept a low profile, but
The largest downfall to most new bands’ debut albums is a lack of musical focus. Many groups are in search of their sound while recording a freshman record, which can result in floundering between genres. But one band’s downfall could be another band’s treasure, which is just the case for Saint Motel. The Los Angeles-based
Canada seems to be the breeding ground for crunchy electro pop these days, and Toronto-based Parallels may be one of the groups that helped start it all. The synthpop trio formed in 2008, when Cameron Findlay, the former drummer of fellow Canadian electro poppers Crystal Castles, teamed up with vocalist/composer/producer Holly Dodson. Since its inception
Ever since White Arrows released its Fireworks of the Sea EP this spring, the quintet’s full-length debut has been on my radar. The L.A.-based five-piece created its own brand of electro pop, incorporating calypso and tropical beats with soaring synthesizers and catchy lyrics, and its unique sound hooked me instantly. With all this anticipation built