12FV

With the emergence and booming success of the likes of RAC and Starslinger, Indie remixes are becoming increasingly popular on the music scene. These most likely aren’t the kind of remixes you’ll hear at a party and you definitely won’t hear them at a rave. Typically, they’re the instances of a musician or a band adding their own colors and flair to another artist’s work. They usually don’t meddle with the song to the point where it’s something completely different. RAC for instance, has a knack for taking an already original and hooky track and embellishing it without disemboweling it. A lot of times I think these reworked songs are better than the original. Plus it’s always cool to see how one artist envisions another’s song.

Indie Remixes Playlist

^click to download

1. Everything to Me (Christian Strobe Remix) by Lips
2. Colours (Xaphoon Jones Remix) by Grouplove
3. Escapee (Lo-Fi -Fnk Remix) by Architecture In Helsinki
4. Hawaii (Niva Remix) by Blackbird Blackbird
5. Rad Racer (Summer Heart Remix) by Work Drugs
6. Rollerskaters-Sleep Tight (Star Slinger Remix) by Starslinger
7. Cough Syrup (Ra Ra Riot Remix) by Young the Giant
8.Worse It Gets (RAC Remix) by Penguin Prison
9. I Remember (Painted Palms Remix) by Yeasayer

It seems that the dream pop genre has shoved aside the chill-wave and garage rock that reigned in 2010 to dominate in 2011. These bands that seem to have pirated the soundtrack from your dreams are everywhere this year. I couldn’t exactly say why because it’s not like you’re gonna turn dream pop on if you wanna bust a move and you definitely can’t sing along with it. Regardless, there’s something ineffably catchy about it when its done right. Dream-pop outfit Braids is set to release a 7″ with Purity Ring in October. Purity Ring has caused quite a stir on the blogosphere lately and I have a feeling Braids will catch up with the repute pretty soon. Take a listen to Braids’ contribution to the upcoming release “Peach Wedding.”

BONUS JAMZ

Loftcries by Purity Ring

Ungirthed by Purity Ring

New Jersey based psychedelic beach-pop four-piece Real Estate has released their first single off their upcoming album “Days,” set to drop later this month. This track, titled “It’s Real,” is breezy and languid as ever. It’s carelessly poppy and sweet, with enough hooks to catch the Loch Ness Monster. Real Estate presents a kind of honesty that makes them easy to love and this song does not stray from that. There’s not really any other way to describe it. It’s just real. Ha.

It’s Real

12FV

I think it’s a real measure of someone’s skills not only as a musician but as an artist when they are able to take someone else’s work and make it their own, while still remaining reverent to the original piece. My iTunes library is stuffed with covers, simply because I like to see how artists remaster music that isn’t theirs. I compiled a few for your listening pleasure.

Indie Covers Playlist

^click to download

1. Girl U Want (Freelance Whales Cover) by Devo
2. Teenage Dream (Foxes in Fiction & Weed Cover) by Katy Perry
3. Pink Moon (Beck Cover) by Nick Drake
4. Kids (The Kooks Cover) by MGMT
5. When You Were Young (Noisettes Cover) by The Killers
6. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (STRFKR Cover) by Cindy Lauper
7. Under Control (Tokyo Police Club Cover) by The Strokes
8. Pull My Heart Away (Alex Winston Cover) by Jack Penate
9. I’m Going Down (Free Energy Cover) by Bruce Springsteen
10. I’m Going Down (Vampire Weekend Cover) by Bruce Springsteen
11. Temptation Inside Your Heart (Morning Benders Cover) by The Velvet Underground
12. Bring It On Home To Me (Spoon Cover) by Sam Cooke
13. Computer Games (Yalls Cover) by Mi Sex
14. Baby I’m Yours (Arctic Monkeys Cover) by Van McCoy
15. Your Song (Ellie Goulding Cover) by Elton John

BONUS

Weezer and Foster the People have been covering each other at their live performances lately. I had the pleasure of hearing Foster the People perform “Say It Ain’t So” at Outside Lands two weeks ago and it was awesome. You can listen to low quality recordings of both covers below. I’m crossing my fingers both bands record these covers in the studio. Shitty recordings will have to do for now.

14. Pumped Up Kicks (Weezer Cover) by Foster the People
15. Say It Ain’t So (Foster the People Cover) by Weezer

You might know Alexander Ebert as the hippie-with-a-Jesus-beard frontman of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. After years on the music scene working various projects (Edward Sharpe being the most prominent), Ebert has gone solo, releasing his self-titled debut earlier this year. “Alexander” showcases the same sort of California hippie-on-acid vibes, composing his melodies out of whistles and ooohs and aaahhs and hand claps and yodels. His music has this organic, olive oil and whole grain sort of feel that relinquishes its general folk-rock eccentricity. Between the buckwheat melodies and lyrics about moonshine you feel lost somewhere in the 1970s amidst adolescent drug culture and Bob Dylan’s latest record. It just might make you want to kick your shoes off and grow your hair out but please, don’t disregard your hygiene.

Million Years

Truth

The Kooks have released a video of a song off their soon-to-be-released third album “Junk of the Heart.” The song “Is It Me” is very classic Kooks, that same sound we fell in love with five years ago. If this video feels oddly familiar it just might be because it was directed by Warren Fu who’s done videos for The Strokes and Daft Punk.

Free Candy

The Saboteur

The goose that is Fat Possum Records has laid yet another golden egg, or more accurately signed another golden egg. When I read that Brighton’s one-man show Gross Magic sported “the pop sensibility of ELO, the grunge riffs of early Nirvana, the care-free adolescence of Loser-era Beck and the lo-fi production of Ariel Pink” I called bullshit. There’s no way you can package so many good things together well without those sounds competing and violently erupting in a heinous chaotic mess of sound. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that the description is actually quite accurate. (I might add Girls into the equation though.) Initially I was half expecting his debut EP Teen Jamz to be one of those things you turn on, give one ear to and kinda skip through without paying it much mind. On the contrary I found myself turning it on and listening to it all the way through, giving it my full attention the whole time. It’s mesmerizing. Treat your ears, buy the album. It comes with three bonus jamz. This guy’s gonna be big.

“Teen Jamz” Tracklist

1. We’re Awake Tonight
2. Teen Jamz
3. Sweetest Touch
4. Can’t Ignore My Heart
5. Dream Gurl

BONUS Jamz

6. P.Y.T
7. Sick
8. Yesterdays