Sameblod have just released “Loud”, the first single from their debut album out later this year and featuring the art work of Anna Johannesson. The Swedish duo occupied a cozy number three spot on our Best EPs of 2011 list along with an appearance on our Best Songs of 2011 list. According to the band’s Facebook page: live shows will happen when our debut album is here or near.
Related Articles:
Sameblod – Our Future EP & Show Info
British band Superhero Eugene and The Orange Juice Sunshine Band offer Dead Bears EP, a collection of 5 original songs and a cover of The White Stripes’ “Do”.
I couldn’t help but think this EP is full of all kinds of weird, eccentric, bittersweet, sad, full of love and loss…it’s super emotional and kick ass. The music is a cross between Devotchka, Beirut, Moldy Peaches, Dirty Three, mixed with folk, country, rock, and a lot of soul. I’m very impressed. Check out the band’s Bandcamp page for more goodies.
Superhero Eugene and The Orange Juice Sunshine Band on Facebook
The Intestellar Elevators is a band from Weston, CT – our vecinos, neighbors if you will. A six piece band that melts Jazz, Funk, Ska, Rock and Hip Hop into a scrumptious and groovy indie fondue. Paper On Plastic is their latest EP and available as a digital download on their Bandcamp. They describe themselves as “a 6-piece fiesta-in-a-box from a sleepy Connecticut suburb. Combining superfly hip-hop with cottage cheese whiteness and the indie cred to stay legit.” Fans of Los Amigos Invisibles will be pleased but whatever your taste might be, if it’s good, you’ll find something to like on Paper On Plastic…and if you like what you hear, you might also be inclined to help these guys out as they raise funds to participate in a musical competition in California. Check out this page for further details on how you can help.
What a special way to begin the year. If you follow us regularly then it comes to no surprise that we would only have great things to say about Brooklyn band Conveyor. That is because with every release so far they’ve been able to hypnotize and charm us into hitting that repeat button.
In January of 2011 the band teased with the release of “This Building Is For Everyone“. A quirky, upbeat track, that doesn’t seem promising at first but gradually evolves into something nothing less than majestic. Available as a digital copy only, the track can be downloaded free of charge below or on the band’s Bandcamp.
A few months later in April, Sun Ray [EP] saw the light of day. The mood of Sun Ray is just what its title suggests. With its bright tones and warm shades it was fitting that it would come out in Spring and accompany its listeners all the way into the Summer. Sun Ray has the soul of an endless Summer of love. Vivid, and fun, and certainly set to leave its mark. Available as free download below or for $10 on a Limited Edition orange vinyl.
Three Carols [EP] was released in September of 2011. This is the first installment of a planned series of four releases on tape with custom-made, hand-stenciled packages (limited to 25 copies each). Three Carols is a perfect example of how much can be accomplished with an acoustic guitar in the right hands. The release was, instrumentally, a stripped down version of the band though not any less captivating. Where Sun Ray was a beam of light, Three Carols is a cool Autumn afternoon watching leaves fall.
Conveyor‘s latest release is “Mukraker” from their forth-coming debut full-length album (which we eagerly await). It’ll also be released on a split 7″ which is set to feature fellow Brooklynites Illuminator on its B side. “Mukraker” doesn’t stray from that special formula Conveyor have mastered. They encapsulate simple lyrics, beautiful harmonies, and great instrumentation in four minutes. As a band, Conveyor have this natural ability to shine beauty where other bands might just not make the cut. To that we say: shine on Conveyor!
Conveyor are: Timothy John Masters // Evan Michael Garfield // G Alan Busch Jr. // Michael Ryan Pedron
Conveyor on Facebook
Conveyor on Twitter
Conveyor live: Jan 28 , 2011 – Le Poisson Rouge – New York, NY
Related Articles:
Conveyor – The Guys Strip Down For Free, But $3 Gets You The Package
Posted in 2012, Artist of the Month, Music, Oye This!
Tagged Conveyor, Oimos Artist of the month
Oh fuck yeah! And that’s all we have to say about this. Just check it out.
Floyd Van Marek aka Floyd The Phenomal Cat-Trophy is back again. You may recall the “Introducing” post we did on him not too long ago where we showcased his album Outdoor Cattrophen. This time around we feature the follow up InDoor Cat-Trophy. This collection of songs see Floyd and his distinct brand of music in a more affectionate, melodious, catchier and lighter err light. In comparison to Outdoor Cattrophen where the songs felt angry and dark, InDoor Cat-Trophy feels tamer with a more optimistic disposition. Where Outdoor Cattrophen felt abrupt and impersonal as Floyd most likely intended, InDoor Cat-Trophy feels complete and round and welcoming. Each song has closure and speaks to its listener with an intimacy that wasn’t as obvious in Outdoor Cattrophen.
We sat down to interview Floyd and this is how it went down:
O: You released Outdoor Cattrophen on September 27th of this year. November 1st rolls around and you release a new album, InDoor Cat-Trophy. Talk to us about the process of writing and recording both albums. Were these songs you have lived with for a while or was it more of a develop as you go situation?
F: Well, I released my first album this year on May 22. I did that one in two weeks from as close to scratch as I get, which is looking at the little notes and nuggets I’ve been writing down and playing with them to flesh them out for the first time. A small part of that album (http://www.archive.org/details/SangSongsInPaints) was written during the recording from the inspiration of putting it together. After that, there were still notes and nuggets to sort through and I realized I wanted to do an outdoor and indoor album so I started organizing and dividing songs up. They both have a couple of songs on them that are from a few years back that fit and a few that were freshly written from the inspiration of recording, but mostly from nugget notes again. Not that my nugget notes aren’t fresh, they were all from the last year and half.
O: You also have a tendency to create a painting for each song. How did these come about? Were they inspired by each song as you finished writing it or has a painting ever been the inspiration for one of your songs? (buy a painting here)
F: The song definitely comes first but I love bouncing back and forth and letting them affect each other. I always liked album art and how the colours and shapes related to the material, how it can direct the tone and mood so much.
O: Your music has a dark tone to it at first listen but at the underbelly there is this humor provided by the lyricism. Whether you’re talking about articles of clothing having feelings or comparing one’s penis size to the size of a light switch. Do you intentionally set out to create such contrast?
F: I suppose I do and I don’t. My major influences are certainly things like that, the more twisted and unbalanced and skewed whatnot with secrets and curls hiding here and there, so that’s definitely informing my work but I just crack open with as little planning as possible so it’s a bit happenstance as well, I can only do what I’ve taught myself to do.
O: Outdoor and Indoor definitely compliment each other. They’re kind of like a negative of the other, are you thinking of a third installment or are you even thinking of a follow up project at this point?
F: Thank you! I actually am, I know the next 2 or 3 albums I want to do and I might even squeeze one more into this year but they’d be unrelated.
O: Do you play all the instruments in the albums? If so, what can one expect at a live Cat-Trophy show? Speaking of which, any shows coming up?
F: I do indeed [play all the instruments]. I hope to really focus on shows in 2012 and I plan to just put the instrumentals on my Ipod and sing and twitch about. I can play with just a guitar like Robyn Hitchcock though. Just less twitching about.
O: That’s excellent! Love Robyn Hitchcock! Would you consider collaborating with other musicians on record or stage? Anyone in particular you’d like work with?
F: Definitely. Kanye of course! And I’d do anything to be friends with Tom Waits. Also I’d love to help out with a new season of Flight of The Conchords, or anything with David Lynch, especially since he’s making music now and I want to be on Yo Gabba Gabba.
O: I can definitely hear your music on a Lynch soundtrack. That’s great! Thanks for speaking to us today we look forward to more of your wild creations!
InDoor Cat-Trophy and Outdoor Cattrophen are both available for FREE download here.
Related Articles:
Introducing: Floyd The Phenomenal Cat-Trophy -AMouthfulAnEarfulAndAnEyeful
Posted in Interviews, Music, Oye This!
Tagged Floyd The Phenomenal Cat-Trophy, Floyd Van Marek, InDoor Cat-Trophy
“The Way Inside” is Ghostandthesong‘s latest single. An electric guitar introduces itself, reminiscent to those classic rock anthems of yesteryear. It all then shifts direction entirely to a more drum-driven experience that gives way to far off echoes and distorted noise. “The Way Inside” has it all: electric guitar with the right amount of rough around the edges, chill drum beats, and enough noises to help you trip. Ghostandthesong allows each ingredient in “The Way Inside” to shine on its own but then lets them all to collide and melt into each other to create a rich listening experience.
Ghostandthesong is the child of Matthias Kanik who is based in Berlin. What’s really interesting is that Ghostandthesong, though a solo project, it also often incorporates the collaboration of other musicians who add their touch to the songs and photographers who capture the images to go along with it all. For more Ghosandthesong join them on Facebook here.
With his new EP Unicorns & Ghosts, Sonny Carntyne affirms that good folk music and storytelling are very much still alive. His music is like a lake, placid on the surface but full of gorgeous life once you dive in. If you like Nick Drake, Simon and Garfunkel, Elliot Smith and other greats of the genre then be ready to add Sony Carntyne to the list.
Sonny Carntyne is a native of Scotland and Housewarming Records‘ latest addition. Unicorns & Ghosts EP is available for purchase and download on Sonny’s Bandcamp page but you may also download the new single for free via Housewarming Records here.
Related Article:
Housewarming Records – An Interview With Founder Erik David Hidde
There is something about A Classic Education that is simply enticing and beckoning. Their name alone is fucking cool but it is also indicative of the feel and mood of the music. Though the band has been active for only a few years the music has an older soul with subtle hints of sixties, a bit eighties, and definitely some nineties; think of The Byrds, The Smiths, and Jeff Buckley all rolled into one lovely package with added flavor…all organic of course. This is not to say the music lacks originality or feels old, on the contrary, it is all original work that sounds fresh. There is a proper balance of contrast with sparkling, illuminating, oh fuck it BLAZING, instrumentation and melody paired with sweet, sullen vocals that when all combined carry a heavy load of emotions that live in all of us. Perhaps it is this harmonious symmetry that makes A Classic Education‘s music sound so universally nostalgic, familiar and innate whether you’re listening to their First EP, Hey There Stranger EP, or their new debut album Call It Blazing.
Formed in 2007 and currently based in Bologna, Italy A Classic Education is comprised of Paul Pieretto, Luca Mazzieri, Giulia Mazza, Federico Oppi, and Jonathan Clancy who is originally from Ottawa, Canada.
Purchase your copy of the music and by doing so you also get a piece of great art. The Call It Blazing cover features the artwork of Aleksandra Niepsuj. The EPs feature cover artwork by Ester Grossi.
FIRST EP
12″ format with a code for the mp3’s. Order/Buy now at www.aclassiceducation.com
Related Articles:
ON TOUR: A Classic Education & Okkervil River
A Classic Education: Call It Blazing, Call It Bellissimo
Posted in 2011, Artist of the Month, Music, Oye This!
Tagged A Classic Education, Call It Blazing, Hey There Stranger, Oimos Artist of the month
Urban Dictionary‘s definition of the phrase pink mist is: (Military) The blood that comes out of a sniper’s target when he/she is hit. The blood appears pinkish over the distance and the quick burst of blood that comes out makes a misty effect.
Pinkmist released their EP 12 earlier this year and have beautifully bridged 60s psychedelia to the modern age. The songs are alluring, aerial, harmonious and frightening all at once. They range at only four minutes in length or less but each song is its own intricate galaxy in the universe that is 12. Outstanding lead female vocals intertwine with bewitching electric guitar and seductive drums and meet with unusual sounds along the way.
According to Pinkmist’s Facebook page “the band met during a snow storm while stranded at JFK in New York. As they were waiting for their respective flights, they realized they shared the same passion for music and Film noir”. To which we say: thank you music gods for snow storms.
So if in military terms pink mist refers to the effect of a violent action. In musical terms we define Pinkmist in a single word: stellar.
How would you define Pinkmist?
OIMOS 