Sound is the color I know

After experimenting with a variety of traditional European folk styles and experiencing unexpected popularity amongst the indie music community since its formation in 2006, Santa Fe-based group Beirut headed by the hipster music sweetheart Zach Condon have produced their third and most confident album, The Rip Tide, released yesterday. While Beirut's previous albums were indisputably interesting and fun to listen to for their variety of instrumental combinations and foreign sounds, Condon finally seems to have settled on a style to call his own. His pleasant and full-hearted vocals sing out gorgeously (but not too much so, as perhaps on earlier projects) over a folk-pop blend of catchy and, as reviewers have variously branded it, "agreeable" tracks. Although containing only 9 songs, The Rip Tide accurately and elegantly makes a statement of the band's unique styles without some of the abstract instrumental interludes that may have turned off listeners on his previous albums. It still maintains the heart of Condon's composition, often trading in guitars for ukeleles and horns, but appeals to a wider and less European audience, with excellent results. Check out these examples, then look up "A Candle's Fire" and "Port of Call," respectively the opening and closing tracks of the album.

Santa Fe - The Rip Tide by PompeiiRecordingco

Beirut - East Harlem by artsandcraftsmx

Beirut will be playing in Chicago at the Congress Theater on September 26 with Laetitia Sadier, so get your tickets NOW.

Constant drip and drop

Although they are well-known amongst the progressive reggae scene, Toronto-based Bedouin Soundclash remains relatively unrecognized outside the genre, despite their genre-bending tendencies and accessible alternative sound. Since their independently-released debut album Root Fire while they were still in college together in 2001, they have produced a steady flow of part-reggae, part-ska, part-completely unique sound and have slowly gained renown throughout their native Canada and parts of the U.S. While frontman Jay Malinowski's vocals and lyrics may have seemed fragile and tentative on their early albums, with the release of Light the Horizon this past year, they dispel any hint of insecurity and truly define their own style in a way they have never before. Alongside the beautiful duet with fellow Canadian Coeur de Pirate on "Brutal Hearts," the album maintains their signature sound but polishes the details to create an even smoother listening experience. Give it a try:

Bedouin Soundclash - Brutal Hearts (ft. Coeur de Pirate) by BallgameTracks

A Chance Of Rain by BedouinSoundclash

Like lightning striking ground

One of my good friends introduced me to the marvelous synthpop of the Boston-based duo Magic Man when their album was released online last year, but since then they have not received nearly as much attention as their unique style and promising sound deserve. The project that became their debut album was begun while working together in the French countryside, then mastered in American dorm rooms after their return with surprisingly polished production quality. Self-classified as "glo-fi"(in the style of the aforementioned Washed Out), Magic Man blends heavy electronic beats with experimental synthesizers to create an engulfing and enthralling mix of lo-fi tunes. Some of the slower songs fade slowly in and out of focus in instrumental waves, while the more upbeat tracks captivate the senses with catchy beats and illustrative lyrics. The mystery behind their musical layers is only superseded by the mystery behind how this group is still unsigned by a record label. Hear for yourself:

Magic Man - Daughter by coolthanks.net

Magic Man - Like Sailors by coolthanks.net

In an effort to spread their album, you can even download it for free here. They have also made themselves available to play private or public East Coast shows, so if you happen to live over there and are interested you can contact them on their Facebook page or at this email address.

How the leaves hang over the street

A young emerging act from Santa Barbara, Gardens & Villa introduced themselves into the summer indie rock scene with the release of their two most popular tracks, "Black Hills" and "Orange Blossom," followed by the release of their full eponymous LP this fourth of July. The album makes a somewhat successful attempt to fit in with current trends, but only a handful of songs really stand out. The two tracks listed above establish the band's sound as something promising and unique, especially with their stated oath to "always play all parts live," a bold move amongst an increasingly synthesized indie scene. Upbeat and layered, the style of each track changes with a chameleon-like effect that has not earned rave reviews from the tough critics of the internet music world. Nonetheless, based on their standout songs they are still an emerging act to follow, so hit up their popular tracks and then check out these two that also promise big things:

Gardens & Villa - Thorn Castles by Sound Thinking

Gardens & Villa - Neon Dove by pilwo

They are also playing in Chicago at the Empty Bottle on October 7 along with Youth Lagoon, so get your tickets NOW.

Stay on track

San Francisco-based Vetiver's summer album The Errant Charm, released this past June, follows in much the same style of their 2009 indie-breakthrough album Tight Knit, but demonstrates that frontman Andy Cabic is exploring new limits for both his vocal range and song depth. After the band's origins in the freak folk movement alongside close associate Devendra Banhart, they moved toward a gentler, more accessible style that is best enjoyed floating gently through your open windows on a sleep summer day. Where Tight Knit seemed almost too gentle, Cabic has explored a slightly more experimental style on this new album while still maintaining the accessible and dreamy "charm" that has made his sound popular among the indie scene. Enjoy these:

Vetiver - Can't You Tell by subpop

Vetiver - Wonder Why by subpop

They are coming through Chicago on September 8, playing at Lincoln Hall with Fruit Bats and Breathe Owl Breathe. Get your tickets NOW.

Your faith decides

Ernest Greene began his career in the bedroom of his home in rural Perry, Georgia, and the sleepy origins of his music pervade through the style to the very core. From the myspace upload of his first few songs as Washed Out a couple years ago, he immediately became a music blogger favorite, and his first full-length album Within and Without, released last month, has already achieved widespread acclaim from the online music community. Like a soundtrack to a dream, the smoothly pulsating 80's-style beats and soothing unintelligible vocals lull you into the most peaceful nap of the summer. Developed in the Sub Pop studio with indie favorite Ben Allen and the same production crew as Animal Collective and Deerhunter, Within and Without delivers a more polished and enchanting sound than Greene's previous releases and, along with other chillwave acts including Greene's personal friend Toro Y Moi and Neon Indian, the album is crafting a new sub-genre appropriately dubbed "glo-fi."These two tracks are perfect for playing on the beach, in the park, on your daily commute, or just about anywhere that could use a little chill:

Washed Out - Eyes Be Closed by adamlunatone

Washed Out, "Amor Fati" by The FADER

As mentioned in a previous post, Washed Out is opening for Cut Copy at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago on September 20, and it is sure to be brilliant. Get your tickets NOW.

It's the distance

Many of you may already know of Columbia, South Carolina's Chazwick Bundick for his remixes of popular indie dance songs, but Toro Y Moi is becoming much more than just another indie DJ. His first album Causers of This, released January 2010 with generally positive reviews, played like a collection of well-crafted beats with thick layers of vocal dissonance on top, in the style of Baths or Animal Collective's Avey Tare. His latest album however, Underneath the Pine, provides a much more accessible and musically pleasant experience, tapping into the chillwave movement alongside his personal friend Ernest Greene of Washed Out. The album, released this past Fenraury 2011, makes allusions to a sort of smooth-listening disco, similar to the popular synthpop of Erlend Øyé's The Whitest Boy Alive but with its own unique brand of funk. The style of his new work is always notoriously difficult to predict, but one can only hope he continues to tap into this sound on his future albums. Check these out:

Toro Y Moi "New Beat" by Carpark Records

Go With You - Toro Y Moi | Pacific Festival: OC 2011 Sampler by FILTER Magazine

He is releasing a new EP titled Freaking Out on September 13, so make sure to get it from his website. He is also playing in Chicago at Lincoln Hall on September 24, so get your tickets NOW.

Your heart, concrete

As mentioned previously, Memory Tapes played here in Chicago last night, and the show was excellent. Frontman Dayve Hawk trades in keyboards and synthesizers for electric guitars in his live shows, and the result is a refreshingly organic combination of synthrock and indie dance. That show concluded his current U.S. tour, but make sure to catch him next time he is out on the road.

Today's emerging artist, White Denim, has been producing experimental garage rock out of Austin, Texas since 2006, but with the release of their latest album D this past May, they have truly come into their element. Leaving behind the lo-fi jam band sound of their previous albums, they added a fourth member and focused their talent in the studio for a much more polished and accessible result. Drawing on classic rock roots (something between Deep Purple and Jethro Tull), each track on this new album is unique but coherent in the progressive and slightly psychedelic style of the band's new resolve. Give it a try:

White Denim - Drug by ProspectPark

White Denim - Anvil Everything by explodinginsound

Hands of silver, hands of gold

Today's group is hardly "emerging," but I felt that their latest album Zonoscope released this past February deserves to be raved about again.

Cut Copy is a four-piece outfit from Melbourne, Australia, who have achieved widespread popularity amongst the indie dance scene for their infectiously catchy beats and hooks since their formation in 2001. Headed by former DJ Dan Whitford, Cut Copy maintains their signature synthpop style on this third album, but the new melodies and instrumentation demonstrate the maturity and development of their sound. Try these on for size:

Cut Copy - Pharaohs and Pyramids by modularpeople

Cut Copy - Blink And You'll Miss A Revolution by modularpeople

You can catch them coming through Chicago on September 20 at the Riviera Theatre with Washed Out and Midnight Magic. You'll want to get your tickets NOW, because this show will sell out for sure.

Heaven is waiting

It has been a beautiful past couple weeks here on the shores of Lake Michigan, perfect for the great new sounds of this summer.

Memory Tapes is the brainchild of New Jersey-based Dayve Hawk, former frontman of the now defunct Philadelphia group Hail Social, and he has made great strides in the uniqueness of his sound on this new project. Generally classified as "chillwave" (think Cults or Washed Out), Memory Tapes combines styles from nu-gaze and synthpop to create a wonderfully fresh sound. His 2009 album Seek Magic received attention from the blog community for songs like "Bicycle" and "Green Knight," but his new LP Player Piano released last month reaches new heights in creativity and accessibility. Check out these excellent selections:


08. Sunhits - Memory Tapes by Republic of Music

Memory Tapes - Worries by EmergencyBroadcastSongs

Memory Tapes is playing at the Empty Bottle in Chicago TOMORROW with The Field Auxiliary and The Ultrasounds. There are still tickets available, so get them NOW.

A Brave New World

Having recently moved across the country from Los Angeles to Chicago for graduate school and finding myself supplied with an uncustomary amount of free time, I decided to begin sharing one of my greatest passions with the world and create an amateur music blog of sorts. Music is one of the greatest uniting products of humankind, as it reaches across lingual, cultural, geographical, political, and generational gaps. Music makes us feel better, feel worse, feel excited, feel angry, feel alive. I, like many of you, spend a significant portion of my life exploring and discovering excellent new music, much of which never makes it off the ground for lack of recognition. This trifling attempt to remedy the situation is my small contribution to the beautifully uplifting universe of music.

For my first recommendation, I find it appropriate to pass on an up-and-coming band that is starting to make a big splash in the world of "indietronica" this summer alongside leading acts à la Yeasayer, Animal Collective, etc. Hooray for Earth is a four-man group originally from Boston, masterminded by singer and producer Noel Heroux. They often collaborate with the Zambri sisters in New York City, with wonderfully harmonious results. After a commendable effort on the MOMO EP in June 2010, they released the marvelous full-length True Loves this past June 2011. Check out these two tracks:

Hooray for Earth - True Loves by memphisindustries

Hooray For Earth - No Love by luzguz07

They are coming through Chicago on October 21, playing with Cymbals Eat Guitars at Lincoln Hall. Get your tickets NOW.