Last week, I went up to Vermont for a few days with my girlfriend, and we spent a fair amount of time driving all over the Northern part of the state. In amidst all those vast snowy landscapes, pine trees, and frozen ponds, we got to enjoy a lot of long, music-filled drives. Which leads me to this week’s mix…
Mondrian are a band from Paris who sing in English, make surreal videos, and dabble in styles that range from ’60s-’70s California pop to Folk to hints of Synthpop. That’s the nutshell version, but, honestly, these labels fail to capture the varied sounds of Mondrian’s first EP: Pop Shop, or the quirkiness of their visual style.
Fleet Foxes debuted a new track from their forthcoming album – Helplessness Blues – on Radio 1, this evening, and now you can hear it, too! The album’s out 5/3 on Sub Pop/Bella Union, and you can bid on a vinyl test pressing to help the Japan Earthquake Relief Fund by going here. And now, “Battery Kinzie!”
Continue reading “First Listen: Fleet Foxes – “Battery Kinzie””
Andrew Malo’s second album – Wait For Miles – is a real gem of an indie-folk/country album. There are hints of Tom Waits in songs like “Hotels,” and traces of early M. Ward in numerous tracks, but the real star here is Andrew himself. The songs have a true intimacy, and are almost hypnotizing as they slowly unfold. And while the production is high-quality, the album itself has a decidedly lo-fi atmosphere that bristles and shines with rich textures. The result is a remarkably chill album that’s well worth a look.
This one’s a good one. Literally, the one that started it all for me. I’ve written about The Mix before on my other site (returning soon!). It’s full of amazing punk, post-punk, British new wave, and all the quirky Alternative a guy could need to build a life on. I know this, because I have. And now, it’s yours to enjoy!