jj // My Life, My Swag

Probably the most pleasant surprise from this mid-summer Captured Tracks 7” release extravaganza was getting to hear a trio of tracks from Brooklyn’s hazy indie-rock group Minks. Other than playing an mp3 of “Funeral Song” a while back, I hadn’t had a chance to get my feet wet with their tunes; but after a couple of spins of their latest 7”, I think it’s safe to say that I’m an auto-fan now.

Opening with the reverb-laden “Ophelia” on the A-side, Minks don’t get too lost in the mist of echo-y vocals and fuzzed out background guitar. At the one minute forty-five second mark, a crisp, and catchy, lead guitar line not only holds your attention but forces you to tap your foot to the groove. The reprieve from the fuzz is slight, as you get tossed back into the sea foam of the singer’s vocals and drift away for the remaining fifty seconds. On the B-side, Minks open with a dreamy, synth-heavy head-bobbin’ track in “Our Ritual” followed by a fucking-around instrumental, entitled “Believer Dog”, filled with noisy dissonance and groan-like sounds. Maybe it’s my being inundated with out-there instrumental music lately, but this third track is my favorite in the bunch.

You can check out an mp3 for “Ophelia” below as well as a tight video for their prior track “Funeral Song”. Also, head over to Delicious Scopitone to read a bilingual interview with the band. Oh yeah, and don’t forget to cop their 7”(s) from the Captured Tracks store.

Minks // Ophelia

The team also has another Cloud Nothings fan-generated vid, this time for “Water Turns Back”, which is definitely worth checking out:

Got my mid-summer batch of 7′’s from Captured Tracks earlier this week and, surprise surprise, they are all pretty damn AMAZING. Starting off the four-pack was the new 7” from Vancouver BC minimalist electro-pop group Cosmetics. With “Sleepwalking”, the A-side to this two-track vinyl, the synth/vocal duo of Aja Emma and Nic M produces a more upbeat track than what we’re used to, with the slightly spaced-out, woozy synth line reminding me more of drunken afternoons in the park than back alley solicitations. The B-side “The Cries” is a bit of a return-to-form for the pair, with driving bass pulses and near-monotonic, ritualistically chants of “I got the cries” pushing the track deeper into darkness.

You can check out the A-side and GvB approved “Sleepwalking” below before inevitably deciding to snag the 7” for a measly $5.50 (I seriously don’t know how they make money at C/T). An added bonus is that the vinyl is on clear wax (pictured above) which makes the physical release so much more aesthetically pleasing than an intangible mp3 file.

Cosmetics // Sleepwalking

I have to admit, I was a little skeptical when I got an e-mail with “Peruvian/French/Argentinean lo fi pop artist in London” in the subject line — there were enough slashes in there to make Kordell Stewart envious. However, considering I’m a Texas/Danish/German blogger in Utah I guess I shouldn’t be surprised about how globe-trotting isn’t all that shocking in the 21st century world.

Anyways, when I actually took a listen to the tunes that Francois Peglau makes in his free time, I was astonished at how polished these tracks are for being a lo-fi artist. To be honest, I think the moniker is used just to indicate how little money was available for production, however, the sound (as well as the video quality for “One Minute…”) is incredibly first-rate. Composing some delectably sweet bedroom pop tracks, Mr. Peglau creates an intimate environment with his soft-spoken, slightly-distorted vocals, making you feel that your attending a private concert at all times.

Peglau has an album worth of material available for download from his bandcamp page, but if you’d like an abridged introduction, check out my favorite track, the xx-esque “Spring Lovers Song”, as well as his video for “One Minute to Midnight Dream (So Sad)” below:

Francois Peglau // Spring Lovers Song

For anyone who reads my site on the regular, it isn’t a surprise that I love remixes. That’s why I auto-clicked when I got an e-mail containing Roman Ruins remix to Beach House’s stellar Teen Dream track “Lover of Mine”. Now I haven’t heard too many Beach House remixes (this must be a testament on how hard it is to tackle their music), however I think it’s safe to say that Roman Ruins puts in a damn good attempt at making his own spin on this modern classic. Maybe it’s due to the fact that he’s their tour drummer that he’s able to put in such a great effort…

Meant to be a promotion for his newly released PASTOR/AL 7”, available on Gold Robot Records, I have to say that the remix pales in comparison to the two original tracks on the 7”. I was blown away when I first tuned in to the B-side “The Comedown” for the first time. Complete with woozy vocals and skylit synths, the track is a definitely headphone listen that is sure to capture your attention until the last airy syllables.

Check out the two tracks below and head on over and cop yourself a sweet orange 7” at Gold Robot’s shop for a measly $5+S/H (I already did!).

Roman Ruins // The Comedown

Beach House // Love of Mine (Roman Ruins Remix)

If I had to write down some of my favorite bands from the last five years, all-girl trios would probably dominate the list. I don’t know what it is, but the energy these women possess when they are slaying on their guitar/bass/drums is something that’s unparalleled. Certainly near the top of the over-talented trios is the Swedish group Liechtenstein.

Originally starting out as the brainchild of Naemi Pebaqué (bass), Teresa Jaksetic (guitar), and Renée Gustafsson (guitar, vocals), the project has had it’s fair share of restructuring — leaving the latter as the only original member in the current arrangement. What better way to usher in a new Liechtenstein era than to release a brand spanking new 7”, entitled “Passion for Water”, out now on Slumberland. Unsurprisingly, the music is just as catchy as some of the band’s earlier releases, however, it does seem to be a bit more mellowed out than say something like “Roses in the Park” (although the B-side “On the Tram” is pretty damn raucous). You can certainly tell that a new direction is forthcoming with this group, and I can’t wait to hear the result!

You can check out the A-side title track below as well as watch a video the band put together for the B-side “On the Tram”:

Liechtenstein // Passion for Water

Annnnnnd I’m back! The move from Portland to Utah went well and I’ve completed my first couple of days at my new job. Obviously, my time for blogging will be a lot more limited now, however, I still plan on posting often about all the great tracks that grace my ears on a daily basis.

What better way to jump back into the mix of things than with a brand new track from LA’s Rraaiillss. Certainly more straightforward pop than much of the demos he dropped a couple months back, Rraaiills (né Adam Anderson) still is able to keep you captivated by his deep, coarse vocals while sweeping you away on a sea of ellipses with his laid-back guitar strums.

“When You Feel Like…” is taken from Anderson’s upcoming debut LP “1098″ which can’t be released quick enough for my taste! Check out the track below and head on over to his bandcamp page(s) to hear some demos as well as some stuff from his other musical project, Incubator (US).

Rraaiillss // When You Feel Like…

To keep up with the “lazy blogger” motif, here’s a “brand new” track I received from Drew this past June by his band Baby Birds Don’t Drink Milk. Although it’s been a while since I’ve heard a peep from the Kansas group (maybe due to their constant touring, recording, and starting their own label), “Last Night Sucked” is a reminder of why I really like this band. An unquestionably raucous anthem, the track maintains the powerful fuzzed-out “Wall of Sound” started at the 0:01 mark all the way through until the final chords. It’s a song certainly worthy of a couple of fist-pumps live.

You can download an mp3 of the unmastered track below as well as order a physical copy (from the Skeletor & Me Cassette) over at the Solid Melts store.

Baby Birds Don’t Drink Milk // Last Night Sucked

I’ve been sitting on the upstart Father/Daughter Records for a while now for absolutely no reason and I thought it would be better to expose their awesomeness later rather than never (however, it seems like they really don’t need my help). Started by a pair of music lovers from San Francisco and Miami, the label was created to “bring this long distance family just that much closer.” And that’s exactly what this duo does with their first two releases: Family Trees’ Dream Talkin and Tooth Ache’s Skin — two very intimate bedroom pop 7′’s.

What better way to get an idea of what these folks are about than by just checking out the A-sides to both F/D releases below. Also, if you dig what you hear, you can get the label’s latest updates and musing by following their twitter feed here.

Tooth Ache // Skin

Family Trees // Dream Talkin