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Phoenix – Lisztomania (live)

Phoenix are possibly the breakthrough act of 2009 so far and yesterday they recorded an eight-track session at KCRW’s  Morning Becomes Eclectic (they also did one in 2006, if you’re interested in hearing what they were like back then). But this set is a good opportunity to hear a good quality recording of their much vaulted new material without the production sheen of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, out now on v2. Below you can watch a video of the band covering Air’s ‘Playground Love’, which lead singer Thomas Mars provided the vocals for on the original. Continue Reading »

Popularity: 2% [?]

The resemblence is not accidental. Crocodiles are serious about their influences, revitalising them and paving forward with a melodic presence that will charm no matter how familiar the sound is. This is the new video for the San Diego duo’s debut album, Summer of Hate, out now through lo-fi champions Fat Possum. Continue Reading »

Popularity: 1% [?]

Pearl Harbour – Sunburn

There have been a lot of hazy, lo-fi songs about the summertime recently but you would be hard-pressed to find better song to brighten your Monday afternoon than this effort from Piper and Skyler of Pearl Harbour, two young blondes from L.A. who are riding the wave of dreamy, washed-out pop flooding the web at the moment. You can buy a handmade CD-R of their recordings for $8 by emailing them directly or hold out for their first official release, a 12″ EP on Mexican Summer in October. Continue Reading »

Popularity: 2% [?]

Alan Wilkis – N.I.C.E.

Some musicians would never dream of admitting their influences; others gladly offer them up in the hope that they’ll attract a shared audience. Is one more credible than the other? Do they have different motivations for creating music? Alan Wilkis  is another artist who mailed me music recently, in this case his self-released EP of retro electro-pop Pink and Purple, which he recorded with the help of “hired hands” for TV On the Radio, Dirty Projectors and Asobi Seksu. It also came with some honest comparisons from Wilkis himself (Prince, Scissor Sisters) but listening to this track, I hear even more specific elements to name check: George Clinton, The Delfonics and Rockwell. If that gets you in the mood for similar fun tests for music geeks, you can listen to Wilkis’ back catalogue, cover versions and even a remix of ‘1901′ by Phoenix here. Continue Reading »

Popularity: 2% [?]

Last year tUne-YaRds (Merrill Garbus) sent me an mp3 of one of her lo-fi experimental folk compositions, recorded on a hand-held digital voice recorder and edited using free mixing software, which I posted back in October. But this beautifully-shot live performance animates her material in a way that does it justice. In the months since that email, her album BiRd-BrAiNs (which took two years to put together) is no longer offered through a pay-what-you-feel option but can be bought through Marriage records. Continue Reading »

Popularity: 10% [?]