I tend to assign music to specific life events, namely vacations and the types of things that require travel time (a.k.a. listening time). So, what do I listen to on an 8-day excursion to Glacier National Park? Empire Of The Sun's latest release "Ice On The Dune", couldn't have arrived at a better time. Dreamy synth-pop at it's finest, "Ice On The Dune" should prove itself to be a superb soundtrack to wandering the wonders of the world. Current favorites below.
I've been a Star Slinger fan for the past couple years now, his work becoming a staple in mixes I make for friends and acquaintances. This particular song caught my attention- 1. Because he's remixing a group my Dad had to tell me about (yep, outdone by the patriarch), and 2. It's simple beauty at it's best. Nothing terribly fancy here, just ethereal vocal cutting and pasting over swishy drum beats. Shout out to the original by London Grammar as well. Lovely, lovely voice from Hannah Reid.
This 20-something is doing remarkables things with notes. See a full (if not slightly outdated) interview here about Jeremy Malvin, the man behind Chrome Sparks.
It's been a time, folks, but here we are again with another track. This one emerging from the collaboration of producer/musician Lindstrøm and eternal dance master, Todd Terje. "Lanzarote" is the name, and synths are its game. As music festivals begin and the air gets warmer, in sweeps that stomach-fluttering sense of adventure, for which Lanzarote is nothing but a catalyst. They'll even spell it out for you in kitschy lyrics in the last minute and a half. If you aren't booking a trip to the tropics by the end of this track, you're wishing you could. Listen in.
The self-titled album from Ohio based WALK THE MOON is the album I didn't know I was waiting for all year. I'd heard a few of their tracks before from their EP "I Want! I Want!", and a couple of them appear on the album, so I decided to check it out.
It's really hard for me to just pick out the highlights because, seriously, it's incredible. From the danceable lead track "Quesadilla", you're hooked. Every track has something to offer, but personal favorites include "Next In Line" (featuring a driving rhythm and some nice guitar riffs) and "Jenny" (coincidentally strikes me as a dancier version of The Killers' "Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine").
The only time I doubted was during the slowed-down "Iscariot". Don't get me wrong, I love a more relaxed track, but one of my biggest pet peeves is when everyone (drums, bass, guitar, keyboards, voice, everything) is in rhythmic unison with short, spaced out phrases. I've never really enjoyed it, and that's how "Iscariot" starts off. As I was listening, I was thinking of skipping the track, but then WALK THE MOON is all like, "Hey Anthony, we got your back. We're gonna keep it slow, but here's a little bit of drums to spice things up a bit."
The album finishes off with the new and improved recording of "I Can Lift a Car", a gradual crescendo of energy that concludes the album perfectly. At only $6.99 on iTunes, this album is absolutely worth the purchase. Check out the included tracks, listen to the previews if you want, but you will not be disappointed if you just buy whole thing and press play from the beginning.
RAC (Remix Artist Collective) never disappoints me. Every once and a while I will find a song that I love to death, that I can't possibly imagine being any better, and RAC will make it into something incredible. That's not to say they improve on it; RAC has a particular gift for making you listen to a track from a different perspective, and "Sleeping Lessons" is no exception. This is one of my favorite songs by The Shins, and has always evoked a strong mental visualization, for lack of a better term.
Those I've talked to about The Shins, and specifically Sleeping Lessons, have oft heard me say that the song makes me feel like I'm inside a raindrop. You start out in a little droplet of water, falling from the sky, picking up speed, then finally hit the ground and burst into awesome.
The RAC remix works backwards, kind of. You start out on the ground, laying in the field, and then you start getting slowly pulled up towards the heavens, ascending and ascending, gazing in awe at all that is around you, until right you plant your feet firmly on the clouds and start dancing will all your homies and homettes.
If you think I'm crazy, you're right, but check out the track anyway. It's an awesome twist on an already incredible song. And while you're at it, check out RAC's site; there's tons of stuff you can sink your teeth into.
