So after looking at all of the facts, it seems as though 2012 is going to be such a great year for music and movies. I’ve compiled a MASSIVE list here that should get you as excited as I am about this year.
It’s broken up into three parts: determined album releases, to be determined or rumored releases and movies.
Alright, I know I’ve posted three other posts today, but this song just NEEDS to be posted. It might be my favorite song of this year so far. So many great things are going on in this song, have it be Mariam and Santigold’s vocals winding together, the great layers of guitar work or the chanting choruses. This song really is a tour-de-force that deserves to be listened to. There will be an EP with this song and three others released on January 24th and a new album, Folila, will be released March 27th. I have something new to look forward to now! Excellent!
Have a FANTASTIC day!
Hey y’all!
So as you can see, there’s a new layout on the blog! Hope you all like it! On to the music!
Most of these songs came out last year and I’m just now coming around to truly feature them on the blog.
The first song I’m featuring is one that came out last year by electronic producer Blood Diamonds. His style can be easily described as a sort of tropical r&b infused with some mellowing, psychedelic drugs. I like this song, and a lot of his other songs a lot and I can’t wait to see what else he comes out with in 2012.
The only recent song on this list! How wonderful! It truly sounds like its name, which could sound like a bad thing but it really isn’t. After the 3rd or 4th listen of the song, it gets it’s groove going and it really proves itself to be one of The Shins greatest tracks.
Another song from early 2011, it just now knocked my socks off. Before listening to this song, I didn’t really know what to think of it. I saw all the hype that this album was receiving and didn’t really but into it. Yeah the album was okay, nothing special. Then, I decided to listen to this song again, for the heck of it. It was my favorite off of the album, so why not. For some reason, I was 100% knocked back by the sheer brilliance that is the track. The synths, the vocals, the bass… Everything is just so great about it. Alright, just go listen to I can stop rambling.
I featured this album on my “Should Have Been in my Top 50 of 2011” list and I thought I’d share my favorite song off of the record. The whole thing is really good, but this song takes the cake. The build up in the beginning turning into a tight groove that is held throughout the song is legendary. The snippets of the female vocals in the song really helps the depth in the song, putting something behind the crystalline, glossiness of the synths. CHECK IT OUT.
This last song is another that I missed the boat on, “Winter Beats” by I Break Horses. I think when I was listening to the track before I didn’t have enough patience to go through with it, so I didn’t get to the huge explosion of sound that occurred about mid-way through the song. Icy (LIKE WINTER PFFFTTTCHHH) beats characterize this song. Pretty freakin’ good.
Have a good day!
WOW
Well, right here, we have the stream to Cloud Nothings’ new album “Attack on Memory” which was engineered by punk/rock legend Steve Albini. Previously, Cloud Nothings joined the ranks of bands that created fuzzed out lo-fi pop that had quite a following. They put out two albums and a few EPs, following that lo-fi format, yielding a few very good songs (Hey Cool Kid), but last year they released two singles from this album that were unlike anything the band had put out before. This newer sound is harsher, cleaner and more driving. It’s really cool to see a band totally evolve their sound like that and the whole album is right here for you to stream. It’s VERY GOOD. WOW. It may be early, but this is a serious contender for an Album of the Year award.
Dang the album got taken down. Oh well, if you got to listen to it while it was up, you’re very lucky! Can’t wait til it officially drops soon!
Have a great day!
Hello all,
We’ve got a new video from Nerves Junior for their song “Swimmer’s Ear”, one of my favorites off of their exquisite debut album they released last year. They really take the seriously dark vibes that this song gives off and morph it into an equally-as-dark video. I dug it a lot, hope you do as well!
Also you can see that there’s a new layout for the site! How fun!
Have a nice day!
Hey y’all
Here’s a new Shins song! I’m not one of those people who really got into The Shins back when they were in full-swing in the mid-00’s, so I can’t really compare it to many other songs. But, I like it a lot. So there’s that. Check it out at Gorilla vs. Bear, since the Soundcloud isn’t embeddable yet, I don’t think.
Also if you haven’t yet, like me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter! Well, if you want to.
Have a nice day!
Hello all!
Here’s a few new(well, Pictureplane is new to me) tracks that I stumbled upon recently and thought they would be very worthy to share on this fine blog.
I really had no idea what to expect when I first listened to this song. Thankfully, I was extremely pleased. The first thing that struck me about this song were the sweeping, filtered vocals. They truly are beautiful and show a good use of the vocoder instead of it being shown as a way to seem like you have a good voice. Ah well, this track is very pretty and has it’s dynamic moments taking you on a auditory ride through lush synth soundscapes and upbeat percussion. Definitely check this band out.
Lana Del Rey graces us with another song and this time it really showcases her voice unlike her other songs have. It’s more bare-bones than the others, mostly featuring a finger-picked guitar, a bit o’ piano, bit o’ drums, etc: but Del Rey’s is on the main stage in this song. A scene that reminds me of this song is the scene in Annie Hall where Diane Keaton is singing in the bar, but to critical acclaim. It’s has that feel of being sang to a bunch of people in a dark bar or 1920’s club, which is fantastic. Really looking forward to her debut album in a few weeks!
Now this song has been out for awhile now, it came with Pictureplane’s great 2011 album Thee Physical which I totally overlooked. My apologies, good sir. This song is a great representation of how the album sounds, infusing 90’s pop diva attitude with trance vibes that make you picture a strange warehouse loaded with strobes, glowsticks, people on ecstasy and awesome dancing. The sample of the woman singing in the background really cements the 90’s glam diva feel, plus the hard-hitting quarter note beats help with the constant dance feel. Gah. I love it.
Have a great day, everyone!
Hey y’all,
SO. I found this great new-wave/post punk band called Pylon the other day and decided to share them with you all. Pylon has it’s main roots in the 80’s and were pretty big in the new-wave scene associated with acts like Mission of Burma, Wire, The Raincoats and Public Image Ltd. The first song I heard, Danger, was posted on Reddit’s r/listentothis subreddit (a very helpful method of finding out new music, I might add) and I instantly fell in love with the track. Sounded like a classic cut out of the 80’s framework (which I love) and had a ridiculously catchy bass line. I then proceeded to download two of their albums, Gyrate and Chomp, which I think should both be considered classics of the 80’s.
You should all check these folks out if you really dig an 80’s sound, great guitar and bass work or music in general. Sounds appropriate.
Pylon – Dub
Pylon – K
Pylon – Precaution
Have a great day, everyone!
Ever since I saw this morning that Grimes, the creator of one of my most anticipated albums of this year and the owner of one of my favorite tracks from 2011 “Oblivion”, had released a new mp3 from her upcoming LP “Visions,” I’ve been bumping it all day.
This track is hot: extremely catchy and contains that signature “future pop” Grimes sound. The start is what gets me the most, I think. First it starts the main, bouncy synth line (a Grimes trademark, as far as I can see), then comes in Boucher’s feathery vocals layered on top of it. The upbeat drums burst in after awhile which at first don’t really fit with the song, but as the song builds and warps, they lock into their place as essentials of the song.
If the rest of “Visions” is this good, we might have an album of the year contender on our hands. We’ll see when it comes out on February 21st!
DOWNLOAD “GENESIS” HERE
Hope you all have a fantastic day!
Hello all!
Well, I am writing this from my wonderful friend’s beach house in Marshfield, MA, and I thought it would be appropriate to make a playlist that reflects a nice, relaxing sentiment that promotes happiness and a general carefree attitude. After this stressful (happy?) Holiday season I think YOU (yes you) should chill out. One of the bands listed is even called Beach House. How perfect. Here’s some nice, relaxing, somewhat dancey themed jams!
Marathon – Tennis
Tell Her No (The Zombies Cover) – Tennis
Easy – Real Estate
It’s Real – Real Estate
Weekend – Smith Westerns
Feel It All Around – Washed Out
Street Joy – White Denim
Giants of Canaan – Air Drops
Wouldn’t it Be Nice – The Beach Boys
Daydream – Beach Fossils
Silver Soul – Beach House
Throw Down Your Heart – Bela Fleck
When I’m With You – Best Coast
Lover’s Carvings – Bibio
Libet’s Delay – The Caretaker
Decide – Caveman
Fast Challenges – Chad Valley
Bumper – Cults
Fresh – Daft Punk
Two Weeks – Grizzly Bear
Holocene – Bon Iver
If Looks Could Kill – Camera Obscura
Hits Me Like a Rock – CSS
Stay Close – Delorean
Balance – Futures Islands
Have a wonderful, relaxing winter and I hope you all enjoy yourselves with this plethora of warm, musical vibes!
Warm Visions 