[RH Photos] Baths at Mohawk in Austin (4/17/14)
On a drizzling Thursday night, electronic artist Baths hit Mohawk in Austin. The semi-full venue was feeling the opening act, but most were waiting for Baths to hit the stage. When Baths took the stage for his set, fans were excited and ready for him. Diehard fans sang with and vibed out with Baths throughout his set. It was on the fence fans, however, that were not sure what to make of his set. He seemed to really try and get the crowd going, but most just hung back and watched. I'm not sure if it was the drizzly weather or the material, but it seemed like only a a few people were really feeling him. Baths is one of those artists that you can argue might be better on headphones or vibing out on your own in your bedroom instead of at a live performance.
My first experience with Baths was last year at Pitchfork Music Festival. I wasn't familiar with his music, but I really respected his fan base. This time around, I came in with a positive mind set and ready to see how he had developed over the last year. Unfortunately, like most people at Mohawk thought, the performance lacked something I really couldn't put my finger on, other than the fact that some material doesn't translate the same live as it does on headphones. Not to turn anyone away from Baths, but check out some photos from the performance below.
[EP] Glass Animals: "Gooey" and More
Oxfordshire quartet Glass Animals have been hitting my inbox since February, but it wasn't until last Tuesday's release of Gooey did I really begin to take notice. It was early in the morning when I checked the EP out, and I'm not sure if it was because it was still dark out or my mood that morning, but the song "Gooey" couldn't have been any more perfect. With frontman Dave Bayley's catchy lyrics and infectious production, "Gooey" hits all the right notes (pun intended). The EP consists of the original "Gooey" track, "Holiest" feat. Tei Shi, and three remixes of "Gooey" from Gilligan Moss, Kingdom and Chester Watson.
Glass Animals is the first signee to mega Brit producer Paul Epworth's Wolf Tone label in the UK. Epworth moved the band from their woodlands creative hub called The Shed to his studio in London to help the band refine and develop their sound. Combining their love of analog with digital Glass Animals have bee able to create a trippy-RnB-elecornic sound that's hard not to fall into a groove with.
"Gooey" was just the beginning of the Glass Animal's take over of 2014. With the EP out, the band has dropped a new song, "Pools," off of their full-length album, ZABA, due out on June 10th via Harvest Records. The press release for ZABA gives a taste of what's to come from the band's next project:
"Inspired by Kanye West and Charles Darwin, Nina Simone and the Velvet Underground, ZABA is a rich and textured work, a very special record indeed. With Dave producing and Epworth as A&R and mentor, the studio became their home and the band were free to record, improvise and write at their own speed, making their sound a bigger, brighter, heavier and more intense experience than ever before."
If "Gooey" and "Pools" are a sample of what to expect, I'm really looking forward to this project. I've yet to see them live, but hear their stage set up is pretty interesting with a show to match. With festival season well on its way, don't be surprised to see Glass Animals show up on more bills. Until then, check out the Gooey EP, the "Gooey" music video, and their new single "Pools" below.
Gooey is available on iTunes or on vinyl signed by the band here.
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Phantogram: "Nothing But Trouble"
And the anticipation continues. The lead-up to Phantogram's Voices, their first full-length studio release since 2009's Eyelid Movies, has been eventful to say the least. The New York duo of Josh Carter and Sarah Barthel released a self-titled EP towards the end of last year, which was the first anyone had heard from the pair since 2011's Nightlife EP and was preceded by the singles "Black Out Days" and "Celebrating Nothing". Today, in further support of their scheduled February 18 drop date for Voices, Barthel and Carter released their latest track, "Nothing But Trouble" today, which follows the lead single, "Fall In Love". Both tracks are available for download upon pre-ordering Voices, which is available on iTunes, here. If nothing else, Phantogram keeps listeners on their toes, both with their music and their frenetic release schedules, and this latest installment is no different. Listen to "Nothing But Trouble" streaming below.
Kenna & RJD2: "Imitation is Suicide" (Chapter 3)
Kenna has been on a marathon of music over the past four months as he has worked on his Imiation is Suicide music series which saw the blossoming artist team up with several acts, including Childish Gambino, who he recorded the track "Relations" with. For the past couple weeks we have been teasing the third chapter in Kenna's series as he has worked with DJ-juggernaut RJD2. Today, they released their three-song EP that serves as the final installment of what has been one of the more interesting and open-minded series of music releases to come about recently. Inspired by Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay "Self-Reliance", Kenna set out to pull from a multitude of different mediums and genres to create his eclectic mix of sounds across 12 brand new, original tracks that act as a lead-up to his upcoming full-length album due out in 2014. One of the beautiful thing about the Internet and the world we live in today is that collaborations like these can happen so seamlessly, at the benefit of everyone who gets to listen. Take some time out of your day to groove along with D2 and Kenna, stream below.
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Phantogram Announces New Album, Drop New Song
Phantogram has had a busy year, and looks to parlay a successful run in 2013 into the new year, announcing a new album today, Voices, which is slotted for a February 18 release through Republic. The synth-pop duo announced the new project alongside the release of their initial single off of it, "Fall In Love", which will get a 7" pressing in early 2014. Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter must be more into even years, as Voices is the first full-length release since the pair's 2010 LP, Eyelid Moves. Check below for the stream of "Fall In Love" and scroll down for a full track-listing for Voices, available for pre-order now via iTunes.
RJD2, STS & Khari Mateen: “See You Leave” (Insane Warrior Remix)
As end of the year lists continue to roll out from all over the internet, I have yet to see RJD2's More Is Than Isn't LP pop up on many people's favorites of 2013. Perhaps it was that this was the year I finally caught RJ do his thing live, but with each listen, his latest offering seems to hook me in more and more. Since the projects release in October, there have been a steady stream of off-shoots, one-offs and remixes. Today, Okayplayer premiered RJD2's collaboration remix with STS and Khair Mateen for the track "See You Leave". The track bears RJD2's alter-ego, "Insane Warrior" for the gritty intro that can leave your ears shaking while frequent collaborators STS and Mateen prove they know where the other will be heading with any track as they add their own unique elements to make the re-done version come together in full. Check out the track below, with upcoming tour dates, and cop More Is Than Isn't available now on iTunes.
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Tour Dates:
Wed. Dec. 4 Miami, FL @ Bardot Miami
Thu. Dec. 12 San Francisco, CA @ 1015 Folsom
Fri. Dec. 13 Santa Cruz, C @ The Catalyst Club
Fri. Jan. 31 Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
Fri. Feb. 21 Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Sun. Feb. 23 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club – DNA
[Video] Daft Punk: "Instant Crush" (feat. Julian Casablancas)
Daft Punk has been slowly rolling out visuals for their 2013 hit album Random Access Memories. Today, the pair dropped the latest, a video for "Instant Crush" featuring The Strokes' Julian Casablancas. The video has a very Flashdance feel to it that mimics the 80s synth vibes of the track and follows Casablancas on a sort of museum love story that is thwarted by the moving of one of the statues. Plenty of spotlights, bad haircuts and leather jackets and torn jeans to go around.
Ever see a Daft Punk performance, video, commercial or the like and wonder what the hell is under those helmets? The dance music DJs protective head gear has evolved over the years in dramatic fashion and Electronic Dance Music publication MixMag has all the answers you could ever want about the iconic coverings that Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo are almost perpetually seen wearing. Some of the notes from the video include mentions that Homem-Christo's helmet is made by the same people who invented the Jumbotron. Pretty heavy stuff. Check out both videos here below.
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[Video] STRFKR: "While I'm Alive"
Portland-based indie-electronic band STRFKR released their latest visual for their single "While I'm Alive" via Noisey today, also announcing a Fall tour. Their electro-jam dance songs are interesting enough to play in your headphones and up-tempo enough to play at a party - check out the video below and a complete list of tour dates below.
http://youtu.be/VoX9WIM6OoY