New Song "All Your Love Is Gone" by Boxed In (Debut Album Out)

Boxed In (Photo: Wendy Lynch Redfern)

Another new fave song has caught my ear for the next playlist -- "All Your Love Is Gone" by Boxed In is getting plenty of airplay on KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic" so I tracked things down to learn more. This electropop tune is crafted by London singer/songwriter and producer Oli Bayton, taking a band moniker from a painting by Francis Bacon, Head VI (showing a bust of a man screaming while trapped within a glass box).  It is from a self-titled debut album that was released last month via Nettwork Productions.

The staccato piano intro reminds me fondly of LCD Soundsystem, as layers of synths and moody vocals appear before a fuzzy yet brazen guitar solo takes over. Check out the video here or over on YouTube and see what you think.

New Song by Dan Deacon "When I Was Done Dying" (Free Track Download & NYC Tour Date May 22)

Baltimore's prolific electronic musician and conjuror of instant dance parties Dan Deacon has released a music video for "When I Was Done Dying," a new song off his latest album, Glass Riffer via Domino Records (along with "Feel the Lightning" which I picked for my Spring 2015 New Music Playlist).  It was directed by Adult Swim's Off the Air, utilizing an equisite corpse style of collaborative animation, with nine animators taking over for thirty second segments before handing off the creative baton. The visuals match the psychedelia of the music, churning with energy for each artist's vision.

I was introduced to this creative mind via LynchLand, a podcast by his friend and frequent collaborator Liam Lynch. He vocalized many characters, most memorably the lizard that is immortalized in the popular video from 2003, "Drinking from Cups." (Most assume it's a recording of a guy high on something fierce, but it is actually Deacon's ramblings while watching TV and supposedly neither Lynch or Deacon do drugs.)

The first time I saw Dan Deacon on stage at Moogfest 2010, where he asked a large arena crowd to blow a kiss to Bob Moog in heaven and then create a countdown to the next song, going nuts along with his fans when the music started blasting. (Witness this wonderful concert moment in the video at the end of the post around the 4:06 mark!) He also opened for Arcade Fire when we saw the last tour stop in Montreal, admitting to the Canadian crowd how the U.S. government thinks our country is too stupid to be able to handle two languages like they do. Deacon split the thousands in attendance into two groups for a Simon Says dance off, something he repeated recently at NPR for a Tiny Desk Concert, where he even got the hipster worker drones of public radio moving. During an interview at a live session for KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic" (listen or watch here), Deacon describes his gear set up and why he took to vocal manipulation as a way to bring a performance element to electronic music. Using his voice as an oscillator plus group participation prompts certainly adds to the experience -- his live shows are famous for the sweaty fun involved. 

"When I Was Done Dying" starts off in typical Dan Deacon fashion, with a busy structure that just gets busier as he adds in those vocals and multiple layers of synths. This craziness all seems to make sense in this universe, as it carries along any willing listener. Check out the video here or on YouTube, and the song is available as a free track download on iTunes US here. And after sold out shows in L.A. and NYC back in February, Deacon is heading out again on a headlining tour with a date at Brooklyn's Warsaw on May 22. It's sure to be one fine dance party!

SXSW 2015 - Being There By Being Online

For those not traveling to Austin this week for this year's SXSW, there's  plenty of opportunities to join in the festivities online. Start with an overview of performers on NPR Music's The Austin 100, where I found blog fave (and Austin's own) The Octopus Project, along with worthy listens from Bell Gardens, Cheerleader and  Mayor Hawthorne.  Billboard posted "10 Musicians You Need to Watch For at SXSW 2015," where you'll find Aussie Courtney Barnett, who is releasing a sophomore album on March 24 with a title reflecting her stream-of-consciousness style, Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit (Mom+Pop Music).

Courtney Barnett will be busy, playing the NPR Music Showcase on Wednesday, March 18 (along with Boogie, Shamir, Strome and TV on the Radio) and the Public Radio Day Stage on Friday, March 20 (with Twin Shadow, Gang of Four, Ryan Bingham, Best Coast, Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear). NPR Music will post videos "days following the concert" but you can listen to the Public Radio Showcase from 1 pm - 7 pm EST online via your favorite station: NYC's WFUV, Philly's WXPN, KXT Dallas, KCMP The Current in Minneapolis and Austin's KUTX.

L.A.'s KCRW will also host two showcases in Austin on Wednesday, March 18 during the afternoon and evening, which will be featured during the Morning Becomes Eclectic show on Friday, March 20 from 12 pm to 3 pm EST and Anne Litt's show on Saturday, March 21 also from 12 pm to 3 pm EST.  Be sure to check out  "Newbies to Know at SXSW 2015" and "Bands We Love to Make a Splash at SXSW" as well as updates all week on KCRW's Music Blog.

SXSW will also launch a live video platform this year called SXSW On with a full schedule of presentations and a few showcases to look in on from wherever you are. Happy listening!

New Band Alert James Supercave -- New EP & Listen To Fave New Song "Burn"

L.A. quintet James Supercave has been getting heavy airplay on KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic" lately, with its song "Burn" KCRW Song of the Day back in January.  Its instant danceability and classic arty glam rock vibe caught my ear, and it quickly became a "must have" in my musical life. Indeed, Musical Director Jason Bentley named the band one of five to watch in 2014, and I've been eagerly awaiting some sort of official release. This is definitely a band to ready to make their mark.

An EP,  The Afternoon, appeared this week, but my new favorite song was not on it! There is the song "The Right Thing" (listen from the Soundcloud stream here) along with "Old Robot" (check out the sweet little hand drawn lyric video below), but neither have the inner cool of "Burn." Thankfully you can find that one in the KCRW archives here, see if you agree!

New Video for Moby's "Almost Home" (Plus Recent Appearances on KCRW)

A few years ago, Grammy-winning electronic musician Moby switched coasts, relocating from New York City to the Hollywood Hills. He recently appeared on the L.A. NPR station KCRW’s new program “Press Play” to discuss the decision (listen to the entire program here) as well as "Morning Becomes Eclectic" where he played some "random songs." He also discussed "the dark side of digital photography" and his belief that the apocalypse has already happened. (Listen to that program in the KCRW archives here.)  

Moby's latest video for "Almost Home" explores the universal tug of home, wherever that may be, is portrayed from the vantage point of one tiny stuffed dog, using a shoestring budget of just ten dollars. I just love Moby's cameo, reminding me of the time I flew into L.A. and the driver left me waiting as he circled around looking for the actress Jane Seymour. As a heart ache of a song, “Almost Home,” features the plaintive tenor of Damien Jurado -- just one of the collaborations on Moby’s latest album, Innocents. It seems there’s just no place like home, even for a tiny stuffed animal. 

Jon Hopkins Live Session on KCRW

London's electronic music producer and composer Jon Hopkins stopped by the KCRW studios this week on "Morning Becomes Eclectic." While I was unable to catch it live, the show is posted in the archives for listening on demand.

In his dreamy British accent, Hopkins says right off how he's "delighted" to have a grand piano for the session.  As I found out researching my 2010 interview with him at Moogfest in 2010, Hopkins was a child prodigy on the instrument, as the love of all things electronic would come along a bit later.  He presents several tracks off his latest album, Immunity, calling the collection" concealed experimentalism" in the interview.  (I wrote about the single, "Open Eye Signal" back in June which appeared on my Late Summer New Music Playlist.) Hopkins also talks about working with Brian Eno, who would draw a diagram for "introducing accidents" during the artistic process.  Unfortunately, time ran out before the entire set list but it's still worth visiting, along with the new album if you haven't already.  This classically trained musician has an ear for form and beauty, along with an inventive electronic wizardry.

Link to listen in the KCRW archives here and watch the performance of the first song in the video below.

Track Listing:
1. Breathe This Air, Immunity (2013)
2. We Disappear, Immunity (2013)
3. Abandon Window, Immunity (2013)
4. Nightfall, How I Live Now (2013 Movie Soundtrack)
5. Autumn Hill, Insides (2009)
6. Open Eye Signal, Immunity (2013)

New Song by Pete Yorn's Latest Project The Olms, "Wanna Feel It" (Album due June 4 plus NYC Tour Dates June 10 & 11)

Peter Yorn & J.D. King

When people hear I'm a music blogger, I get all sorts of reactions.  Sometimes I try to explain my preference on new indie pop by up-and-coming bands, but usually I just wince through stories of "awesome" bro rock concerts at huge arenas. (I was once asked if I liked "jam," which by itself made me think of the kind that comes in a jar.)  However, there is always room for a song on my playlists by the heart-on-the-sleeve troubadour or a fun, jangly group jam.  The Olms' new song "Wanna Feel It," perfectly sits in this latter category, ready for my summer soundtrack.

The Olms is the latest project of Pete Yorn, whose 2001 solo album, Musicforthemorningafter, brought wide acclaim as that singer/songwriter troubadour type, even going gold.  His 2009 album with Scarlett Johansson, Break Up, continued the theme of deeply personal songs about relationships.  Here Yorn teams up with musician, artist and photographer J.D. King, enjoying the partnership of a band.  

"The album has an old-sounding feel, but I feel like it still sounds really fresh,” Pete Yorn writes on the band's Facebook page. “It sounds uniquely like us and a hybrid of our influences, from my love of Brit-pop and groups like The Beach Boys and The Kinks, to J.D.’s love for British Invasion bands like The Animals, as well as bluegrass and country music.”  As friends, Yorn and King decided to write a song together that quickly let to enough to fill and album.  They decided to record on tape, utilizing a vintage AMPEX 440 analog recorded that provides the "warmth and hiss," according to King on Facebook.  “It gives the sound a transience and depth that you don’t get when you track straight to digital,” he explains.  The full album is due out June 4, but there is a three-song EP available with art nouveau-inspired cover artwork by King.  The band is the first signing to the newly re-launched label, Harvest Records of Asheville, North Carolina, home of classic 70s albums by Pink Floyd and ELO.

The kicker tune, "Wanna Feel It," is on heavy rotation on KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic," where it caught my ear. Its golden SoCal feel belies the themes of "numbness and apathy" (according to the band), with lyrics wistfully asking for "time for a conversation."  The song is available as a free download when you sign up to their newsletter on their website, theolmsmusic.com. Take a listen with the retro black and white video and check out tour dates below. 

TOUR DATES:

5/21 San Jose, CA - Blank Club

6/03 Hollywood, CA - The Troubadour

6/06 Asbury Park, NJ - The Stone Pony

6/07 New York, NY - Housing Works Bookstore Cafe

6/08 Philadelphia, PA - Prince Music Theatre

6/10 New York, NY - The Gramercy Theatre

6/11 Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall

6/12 Washington, DC - U Street Music Hall

Toro Y Moi Live Session on KCRW -- NYC tour dates Feb 13 & 14

Chazwick Budwick (photo via ForceField PR)

Chaz Budwick of Toro Y Moi (which roughly translates to "Bull and Me" using both Spanish and French) released his third studio album a few weeks ago, Anything In Return.  With a background playing punk and indie rock, Bundwick found his voice as a solo artist while studying graphic design at the University of South Carolina.  Taking far reaching influences from French house to Beach Boy Brian Wilson's pop to 80s R&B and hip hop, Bundwick started the chillwave genre with classmate Ernest Greene of Washed Out after graduation in 2009.  Along with two studio albums, 2010's Causers of This and 2011's Underneath the Pine, Bundwick has created many singles, remixes and a dance music side project called Les Sins with Dan Snaith of Caribou.

He appeared yesterday on KCRW as part of their new "In Studio HD" sessions on "Morning Becomes Eclectic,"  with his touring band. (Toro Y Moi has two tour dates in NYC this week, check list at the end of the post.)  Listen at this link here or watch below, which is especially enlightening with a band like Toro Y Moi to see who's doing what, with their layered mix of tripping sounds and playing instruments.  There is no studio audience, and of course this being radio they just have themselves to play for, but really interactions between band members are always interesting to watch, no matter what the setting.

They begin with "Rose Quartz," a song I've already picked for my next new music playlist, which juxtaposes quirky synth samples over a thumping drum beat (and that's just the introduction!)  With the new HD video, things get a bit too up close and personal with KCRW's Musical Director Jason Bentley, but the info from the chat from these two sitting feet apart is telling.  Budwick explains how most his songwriting is done wherever he happens to be on his laptop -- from a recent move to California, to stops on a world tour which included New Zealand. "To be able to work as much as possible is fun for me," Budwick says in his laid back style.  He even finds time to indulge in his artistic side by drawing doodles,  go figure.

TORO Y MOI 02/13 New York, NY - Webster Hall *+ 02/14 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg *+ 02/15 Boston, MA - Paradise *+ 02/16 Montreal, QC - Club Soda *+ 02/17 Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace *+ 02/19 Chicago, IL - Metro ^+ 02/20 Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line Music Cafe ^+ 02/21 Lawrence, KS - The Granada Theatre ^+ 02/23 Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater ^+ 02/24 Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge ^+ 02/26 Vancouver, BC - Biltmore Cabaret ^+ 02/27 Seattle, WA - The Crocodile ^+ 02/28 Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom ^+ 03/01 San Francisco, CA - The Independent ^+ 03/02 San Francisco, CA - The Independent ^+ 03/03 Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda Theatre ^+ * w/ Wild Belle ^ w/ Sinkane + w/ Dog Bite

In Honor of Patti Page - Groove Armada's "At the River"

Groove Armada

Patti Page's passing was announced on WCBS Newsradio yesterday as a trivia question. Who was the best selling female singer of the 1950s? Patti Page.  She is probably remembered most for that overly saccharine ear worm "The Doggie in the Window." It was also shared how Page used to double her own vocals because she didn't have enough money to pay for background singers.  Now there's a trend setter...

Today on KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic," I learned that a fave song by London dance music duo Groove Armada features Page's vocals.  Tom Findlay and Andy Cato sampled Page's original tune, "Old Cape Cod" to create a sumptuous background for  "At the River." In Page's honor, I've embedded it below for another listen.  In this era of overdone vocal contest trills, her languid delivery is simply homespun Americana, finding another perfect niche.