Mostly Music. Often Insight. Sometimes Nonsense. Follow @markzohar
Rise by Antony and the Johnsons. When the operatic voice of Antony Hegarty tells you to “rise for the corals, rise for the sea,” you really ought to listen. Those lyrics are taken from “Rise”, a typically and outstandingly lush tune from Antony and the Johnsons. The song was recorded for the film Coral Rekindling Venus, a documentary about the mysteries of coral and other sea life, a fittingly haunting and beautiful topic for the harp, violin, and piano swelling behind Hegarty’s voice. The track is free to stream, but a donation to the Australian Research Council Centre for Excellence for Coral Reef Studies gets a download. So, do some good, and float in the sea of Hegarty’s vocal contortions. - Consequence of Sound
Passage by Exitmusic. The Brooklyn duo of Aleksa Palladino and Devon Church make evocative and emotional music that shakes the soul and leaves you wanting more. The title track of their new album is a richly textured and stunningly beautiful song that begins quietly and enigmatically then builds to a symphonic swell of percussion, electronic arrangements and raw vocals that will send shivers down your spine.
How Do I Know by Here We Go Magic. A breezy and infectious love song that raises all types of questions about the possibilities and uncertainties of an unconvential romance. Featuring a catchy melody and a driving rhythm that moves like a freight train. From this Brooklyn band’s latest release, A Different Ship.
Life by Summer Camp. The first single from Summer Camp’s forthcoming EP, Always, starts out as a brooding mid-tempo track then builds into a dancehall jam powered by Elizabeth Sankey’s provocative and powerful vocals.
- Ocean Floor For Everything
- By: How To Dress Well
- 262 Plays
Ocean Floor For Everything by How To Dress Well. The first track from lo-fi R&B crooner Tom Krell’s (aka How To Dress Well) forthcoming album, Total Loss, is true to its aquatic title. Lush, fluid and blissful, it is precisely the type of music I imagine one would hear at the bottom of the sea.
Among The Leaves by Sun Kil Moon. The title track from singer-songwriter Mark Kozelek’s (aka Sun Kil Moon) upcoming fifth album is a melancholic affair that finds Kozelek mostly playing nylon string guitar and reminiscing about his not so glamorous life as a musician. The album releases early next week.
A Troubled See by Girls Names. Belfast foursome Girls Names is back with a new sound that retains some of their surf and indie-pop roots but leans more towards a brooding psychedelic direction that recalls Echo and the Bunnymen, Morrissey and even David Bowie’s Low.
House Shape by Mount Eerie. Phil Elverum is the modern master of creating a soundscape characterized by distortion, drones and disorientation. The tension and angst he manufactures is masterfully counterbalanced by the quiet beauty of his musical progressions and his laid back, laconic vocals. As NPR recently observed, “the transportive music of Mount Eerie is rich in atmosphere and imagery of elemental forces commingling; anything can be a muse for his songs, from the moon and wind to mountains and cloudy skies.” From Mount Eerie’s forthcoming album, Clear Moon.
Christine by Marissa Nadler. A haunting, hypnotic and heartbreaking song from Marissa Nadler’s latest release, The Sister. Stream the entire album on Nadler’s SoundCloud page.
The House You Made by The Walkmen. In a world tantalized by the new and shiny, we often lose sight of the things around us that continue to sparkle and shine. Case in point, veteran indie band The Walkmen, who, on their sixth and most recent album, Heaven, have produced some of the most magnetic and dramatic music you will hear this year.
Root Down by The Beastie Boys. “Enough of that, just want to give some respect due M.C.A. Grab the mic and the Ma Bell will connect you.” Namaste. #ripmca
The Race Is On by Blacks&. The first single from Los Angeles quartet Blacks & is a sumptuous piece of beachside surf-pop. Featuring a tropical rhythm accented by popping synths, glorious harmonies and a hook-laden melody that demands repeat listening, this track is a definite early contender for summer single of the year. From the band’s EP, A Ghost That Follows Me.
Forget The Song by Beachwood Sparks. The lead single from this LA band’s first album in over a decade is a mellow and hazy bit of alt-country gold that will “melt the winter in your heart” and have you dreaming of carefree summer days under cobalt blue skies.
Useless by Beat Culture. Beat Culture is Sunik Kim, a 17 year old Hong Kong producer and electro-experimental wunderkind. This latest track showcases Kim’s precocious talent as a producer and artist. Opening with an airy tropical rhythm, the track progresses into a layered electro-haze melody and builds to a crescendo with an explosive bassline and a wall of synth sounds.
Late Nights by Brown Shoe. “Three brothers plus their best friend make up California’s Brown Shoe, a new indie rock band from Sacramento that’s drawing comparisons to bands like Kings of Leon & Explosions in the Sky. With climatic guitar riffs and a pretty memorable chorus, “Late Nights” is appropriately suited for late nights, preferably driving, with windows down and hair flowinnn’. Don’t just get lost in the catchy rock melodies though, because there are some pretty poignant lyrics that also deserve attention.” - Indie Kollection
