12FV

Speak for yourself, 2013. 2012 did.

Check out our top 10 albums from last year after the jump!
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LA’s own indie-pop duo Pacific Air, formerly Ko Ko, recently released their EP LONG LIVE KO KO via Barsuk. An apt choice for a single “Float” is a galloping melody, hurdling through layers of whistles, tambourines and atmospheric vocals. It’s sure to be one of those songs that’s way over remixed, but it speaks loudly enough for itself. RAC did their own haunting rendition, lending itself to something very different from the original. Always hard to argue with RAC, though. The EP is a promising start for the two brothers, who credit Enya as their main influence. They’re doing their own thing, and it’s looking like that just might work out for them.

Float
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/album%20reviews/PAc%20AIR/36%20Float.mp3]
Float (RAC REMIX)
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/album%20reviews/PAc%20AIR/01%20Float%20%28RAC%20Mix%29.mp3]

It’s starting to look like 2013 will be a year of the rise of bands who have been in hibernation or claim to have been in the studio. It could even be that these bands are deep in soul searching to keep up with the fast moving music times of today. Of these bands, Toronto rock outfit Born Ruffians are starting to show evidence of a long awaited comeback! “With Her Shadow” is a step in a seemingly new direction much like their sophomore album Say It compared to Red, Yellow, And Blue. It just feels good to hear Luke’s voice come together with his fellow ruffians.

Though the band as a whole has been relatively quiet, their frontman Luke Lalonde has been working on his solo gig that you can check out here. I’ve also included a video of when I saw them play to an awesome crowd at the Troubadour in LA a couple years ago. You can see that after the jump! They are fantastic live.

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Yeah so it is true that the whole dance music scene is getting more and more commercial. Deadmau5 doing sky scraper sized projection shows for a phone. HARD being bought out by LiveNation and having a lot more sponsors selling stuff onsite. Pitbull taking TJR’s dance floor burner and turning it into……whatever he calls his productions. Lest we forget, no evil comes without some good. With big business tapping into the scene, we’ve been getting more and more free concerts! Something I’ll never get tired of. Sony is hosting Poolside for a free event at their store in South Coast Plaza. All you gotta do is RSVP (click here). Come. Chill. Dance. Eat free tacos. Buy shit (if you want). It’s all in good fun! Allow me to add events like this to reasons why I f*cking love southern California, and you should too.

Starfucker | Preorder Miracle Mile

Starfucker had been teasing on their facebook about big news that was to come on Tuesday…I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t scream like a school girl when I found out what it was. I’m not here to lie. I’m here to share facts. Their tour will take them from coast to coast and will include Los Angeles this time at the Fonda on March 2nd. Their live shows are just about everything you could ask for. Live drums. Enthusiastic guitar jams. Lights. Synths. EVERYONE dancing. It’s just a special place to be. Check the complete list of city stops here.

Listening to “While I’m Alive” is like revisiting a lost love. Such a warm feeling of curiosity and a yearning to find out more. The name comes from their bassist Shawn, who has a tattoo that says “Live while you are alive.” Takes me back to the YOLO mentality where every second of life needs to be considered, as it’s a gift. The track encapsulates their progress as a band, but their third full length will be different from previous releases. Frontman Josh Hodges formerly made all of Starfucker’s music on his own. In Miracle Mile, all the members come together to fine tune each individual track and make it a group effort. I simply can’t wait for this. Check the music, tour dates, and tracklist after the jump:

Check our interview with them!
Photos from Glasshouse show

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If Surfer Blood got really drunk and had a one-night stand with the Libertines and the Libertines got knocked up that mangy bastard child would be Jersey-based indie punk rock outfit Boxed Wine. Or at least that’s the first thing that comes to mind while listening to their debut EP. The catchy riffs and pop beats are certainly reminiscent of the aforementioned English rock mother and the nasally vocals kinda sorta similar to the Florida beach rock father. Their simply composed garage beats give them a classic indie rock edge. No fluff and few flourishes. I can dig it. Five short tracks long, the EP is lighthearted, fun and carefree.

Download it for free. Right here

Feral
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/album%20reviews/BOXED%20WINE/02%20Feral.mp3]
Summer Wine
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/album%20reviews/BOXED%20WINE/05%20Summer%20Wine.mp3]

St. Lucia is one of those bands that kept coming up in conversation, related artist recommendations, concert bills, and the like. About the third time a band comes up that I still haven’t researched, I’ll take it as a message from the universe. I was pleased to find the universe and I were on the same page with this release. St. Lucia’s self-titled EP was a trip abroad. It has the out-of-this-world feel of some of the Animal Collective I love, but manages to stay grounded in a way that reminds me of Miike Snow. It’s an 80s pop dream come true and is bound to be a treat for everyone on the synth wave.

The EP gets better as it goes along, but it really hit home with me after I heard All Eyes On You. I’m a sucker for catchy synth pop bands, and St. Lucia manages to do it well without getting too experimental. The EP took about 9 months to reach my library, but it really never is too late to pick up on quality music. The opening track is available for download for free (click here). If that’s not enough, I’ve included one of my favorites for download as well in an attempt to coax you into buying the EP here for $6!

St. Lucia – All Eyes On You (right click/save linked file)
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/Music/03%20All%20Eyes%20On%20You.mp3]