New Song by onDeadWaves, "California" (Debut Album Out)

James Chapman & Polly Scattergood of onDeadWaves (Photo credit: Cat Mook)

New band onDeadWaves is the result of combining the talents of British singer-songwriter Polly Scattergood and compatriot musician James Chapman, a.k.a. Maps. Their debut self-titled album is filled with a sun-soaked gauzy indie pop, as revealed on the song "California" with gleaming guitars and hushed vocals.

A new video for the tune is a long-shot of a magical 70s Californian party paradise where people actually swim in pools, as directed by Mexico's Groovy Chaos (who also provided a creative vision for Moby). The track has already been added to my favorite online radio new music sources KEXP and KCRW, and this album seems ready made for summer listening sessions. onDeadWaves is also sharing mixes and other compilations on their SoundCloud page to keep the vibe going.

Moby's "Porcelain: A Memoir" - Book Tour & Playlist w/Audiobook Samples

Signing w/his alter ego alien like he drew when working at Johnny's in Darien

Franklin Street Works Contemporary Art Space & Cafe in Stamford, CT provided the locale for Moby's homecoming on his current book tour for "Porcelain: A Memoir." He was born in NYC, then spent a childhood in my town of Darien before spending formative years squatting in one of this city's neglected factories and making a name as a DJ. I must have crossed paths with him during the 80s in Port Chester's club known as The Beat, but more recently we have connected in L.A. at the New Music Seminar (where I interviewed him for PopMatters) along with local talks, live concerts and Asheville's Moogfest 2011 festival.

From the passages shared at the event, the book rambles in Moby's stream of conscious style found on his website and multitudinous social media posts, peppered with a vocabulary formed during his affluent upbringing. Though living on the edge of society, Moby respects his mother's decision to return to Darien where her parents still lived and her son could reap the benefits of an excellent public school system.  And one of my favorite things about Moby, besides his musical gifts that I consider My Essential Music - Fave Band Playlists, is that he never throws Darien under the bus. I grew up a bit down the gold coast of CT and one of the best lessons I learned surrounded by wealth is money can't buy you love, or happiness for that matter. As similarly Moby explained in his Q & A after the reading, he defines happiness as being able to do simple things like "playing with a dog" or "eating an orange," having realized that wealth sometimes inhibits joy rather than bringing it.

Husband Paul, Me & Moby

The book covers the decade 1989 through 1999, and when it was our turn in line I asked if it was just volume one, since there was so much more to tell about being an music industry icon. He suggested it might be and I told him that was a very good thing. There's also a "Porcelain" playlist on Spotify with audiobook samples and a release planned for June 10 that pairs re-mastered Moby songs with inspirations at that time (see track list below).

Moby – Music From Porcelain
Disc One
1. "Mobility" – Moby
2. "Go! (Woodtick Mix)" – Moby

Paul w/Moby pals Stacy & Paul Johnson

3. "Ah Ah" – Moby
4. "Next Is the E" – Moby
5. "Rock the House" – Moby
6. "Thousand" – Moby
7. "Feeling So Real" – Moby
8. "God Moving over the Face of the Waters" – Moby
9. "Come on Baby" – Moby
10. "That's When I Reach for My Revolver" – Moby
11. "Honey" – Moby
12. "Natural Blues" – Moby
13. "Bodyrock"  – Moby
14. "Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad" – Moby

Disc Two
1. "Break for Love" – Raze
2. "Pacific State" – 808 State
3. "Scenario" – A Tribe Called Quest
4. "Definition of a Track" – Precious
5. "I'll House You" – Jungle Bros
6. "Top Billin" – Audio Two
7. "Follow Me (Club Mix)" – Aly Us
8. "Raw" – Big Daddy Kane
9. "Pause" – Run DMC
10. "Energy Flash" – Joey Beltram
11. "Anasthesia (Out of History Mix)" – T99
12. "Feel So Real" – Dream Factory
13. "Plastic Dreams" – Jay Dee
14. "Set It Off" – Stafe

Videos for Moby's "The Perfect Life" (Album Due September 30)

Yesterday Moby released another new song called "The Perfect Life" from his upcoming album, The Innocents, (due September 30 via Mute Records). This collaboration with wacky Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips is being called an "epic electronic soul track" by the label. 

The track begins as a sing along with an uplifting chorus, Flaming Lips style, yielding to a soaring melody by a songstress that acts as a typical Moby stamp of approval. The musicians share the verses, then continue on together in through the choruses. "The Perfect Life" video was shot in L.A. with these two dressed as Mariachis. Moby posted a casting call on his Facebook with some very specific requests: S&M gimp rhythmic gymnast, eight roller-skating ghosts, 12 goth choir members, a punk rock brass band, and a drunk king (guy with beard age 35-50).  I love the scenes of this funny pair just making their way through the streets of the city in full, yet somehow adorable, costume. According to my brother out on the West Coast the filming took place in downtown L.A. on Broadway between 6th and 8th where there are many old theaters -- The Palace gets a nice cameo. Check it out below, along with an impromptu teaser which finds Coyne in frontman mode egging people on to sing just like he does so well in concerts with The Flaming Lips.

Moby explains, "A few weeks ago Wayne and I spent the day making a video for 'The Perfect Life'.  Then at the end of the day we broke out an acoustic guitar and gathered all of the extras on a rooftop overlooking L.A and sang an unrehearsed, impromptu version of the song.  Please keep in mind we had no idea what we were doing." The pair met in 1995 when they were both openers for the Red Hot Chili Peppers' European tour.  Moby says, "I thought of Wayne for this song because The Flaming Lips have evolved in this very open, celebratory band when they play live,and that was the perfect vibe for what I was imagining for ‘The Perfect Life.’ I texted Wayne and said, ‘Hey, I have a song – want to sing on it?’ Thirty seconds later, he texted me back: ‘Yes, send it to me, it will be great.” Indeed!

Video for Big Deal's "In Your Car" Off New Album

Big Deal is a London-based duo that just released a sophomore album, June Gloom (via Mute Records).  They call their style noise pop, but their songs are full of swirling melodies featuring the evenly weighted vocals of Kacey Underwood and Alice Costelloe in an alluring he said/she said overlay.  Produced by Rory Attwell (Veronica Falls, PAWS and Male Bonding), the new collection utilizes a full band lineup with friends and touring mates Huw Webb on bass and drummer Melissa Rigby.  It continues the appealing credo of equally split gender lines for the group.

"In Your Car" serves as the first single off the collection. According to Mute, Costelloe first hummed this melody during a drive along the California coast.  It's a great summer sing along song, although the video veers into trippy territory complete with dance moves by unexpected company along the way as directed by Danny Perez (Animal Collective, Panda Bear and Black Dice).  As Costelloe explains, “We kept seeing these scary dancing bears in our heads when we recorded the song and we wanted this strange other worldly landscape to match it. I realized my home town of Joshua Tree would fit really well, I was there for my grandmother's funeral and she appears on the cover of the single.”  Underwood adds, “That fun, road trip kind of a song doesn’t happen a lot with English rock bands because it’s just not in the culture.”