Neon Indian v. Summer Dregs

I have to admit, the last few weeks have been a bit of a blur. Weddings, work, essays, friends, family, dogs, etc.

This Summer Dregs remix of Neon Indian's Mind Drip is about as blurred & blissed out as my month of April, which has been amazing and full of good energy. Looking forward to what lies ahead...

Neon Indian - Mind Drip (Summer Dregs Remix)

Best Coast

For all its simplicity, there’s some deep feeling going through Best Coast's “Our Deal”. The song stays true to lead singer Bethany Cosentino's style. But, like each of her songs, they give me something different while keeping a 1960s inspired pop style that I love. Water your palm trees and break out your beach blankets because the Best Coast is the west coast.

Best Coast - Our Deal

Gauntlet Hair

 





































Gauntlet Hair is a duo from Lafayette, Colorado. Their new single "I Was Thinking" comes out with that chillwave feel that I am so into, while bringing in some heavy guitar reverb that gets me going. Let's save this for a nice highway drive with the top down.

Gauntlet Hair - I Was Thinking

Ariel Pink

Ariel Pink is a Los Angeles based musician who will bring a sound you are not used to. Pink really goes out of his way to sound as underproduced and demo-like as possible. But once you get past his production style, it becomes apparent that his sounds that most wonderfully skew your eardrums are original and, most of all, catchy pop tunes. Ariel Pink and his new project, known as Haunted Graffiti, has signed onto 4AD Records (Atlas Sound, Bon Iver, TV on the Radio) and plans to take this studio sound live this Summer.

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Round and Round

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Can't Hear My Eyes

Twin Sister

I don't know much about this band, except they're from Brooklyn... go figure. I think their music is just beautiful. Twin Sister's first single is "All Around and Way We Go" and should probably be played with the lights dimmed. This might be helpful advice for another track I got from their website "Lady Daydream."

Twin Sister - All Around and Way We Go

Twin Sister - Lady Daydream

Wait What - Notorious B.I.G vs The XX

Now this shit is ILL-NANA!!! Wait What out of my hometown FRISCO CALI came out with a whole album mashing up Biggie Smalls with the XX. I don't need to say much more than press play and you won't take this off for a HOT MINUTE.

Pouring out some liquor for my homie Biggie as March 25th was the 13th Anniversary of Life After Death's release, one of my favorite albums of all time. peace yo, NOW TURN IT UP!

Wait What - Juicy (The Notorious B.I.G. vs The XX)

Wait What - Islands Is the Limit (The Notorious B.I.G. vs The XX)

Cults

The Cults are a boy & girl duo from New York, set to release their first 7" on, get this, December 23, 2012. That's over 2 years away. So I guess their track, Go Outside, which will be included on the 7", is a song from the future. What's funny here is that the song harks back to 60's pop and Swedish sing along folk more so than lasers, pleather and all things made in the future.

Check it out, and see what the 2012/1962 sounds like.

Cults - Go Outside

Light Asylum

Light Asylum is a duo out of Brooklyn comprised of singer Shannon Funchess and synth-junkie Brother Bruno. These guys are hands down the most exciting, dynamic, amazing-sounding band I've seen live in a long time. Taking their cues from Joy Division and the coldwave movement, they hold nothing back on stage. And Shannon's voice is un. real. Supposedly she gave an unsolicited demo to TV on the Radio and was subsequently invited to sing on their newest album. Just like that! If you have a chance to see them live, do it.

Light Asylum - Shallow Tears

The Black Keys

In less than a month, the Black Keys will release their latest full length effort, Brothers. For one of the new songs , the blues-rockers from Ohio had Dangermouse do the production. I have had a very big place in my heart for the gruff yet smooth sound of the Black Keys since my college days, and am very excited to get my hands on Brothers when it drops.

Here's Tigthen Up, the track Dangermouse produced. It's a gem...

The Black Keys - Tighten Up

Beach House & Phoenix

Not too long ago, I posted about Baltimore's Beach House, who I love. And if my memory serves me correct, I posted about Phoenix long ago when they released Wolfgang Amadeus. Well, now I feel like posting a pair of totally rad remixes of songs from each, neither of which I had heard until tonight.

Man, all I can say is that I love music, and these tracks are why. They just make me feel good & are the reason why I am still awake at 3:17 am on a Wednesday night vibing with my headphones on and dog sleeping at my feet. It's the crave of finding new music for the next day, the next DJ set, the next road trip, that keeps me going late into the night. If you're here reading this blog & I am sure you understand the feeling. Thanks be to music...

Beach House - Zebra (Ring Trick Remix)

Phoenix - Fences (Def Starr Remix)

Bon Chat, Bon Rat

Bon Chat, Bon Rat is a new trio out of Sydney I stumbled across recently. The group's name intrigued me so I listened to their debut album and after finishing the first track, the name all made sense.

The expression "Bon Chat, Bon Rat" by definition means "an attacker and an attackee grow stronger from finding new ways to outwit each other" - and that's exactly what these three guys accomplish on this short six track album. Rus Smith, Alex Murray, and Reece Coope play with synth pads, pop sounds, and random guitar tracks back and forth to create unique chilled-out beats that hit. Good shiz in my opinion.

Bon Chat, Bon Rat - Map of São Paulo

Bon Chat, Bon Rat - A Still Life

Conrakk v. Lil Wayne (sort of)

A remix of Lil Wayne's I Feel Like Dying, but get this, with no Weezy vocals. Now, I realize that might be a bit of a turn off, b/c we all love Lil Wayne's raspy voice and quirky verses, however, I'm not lying when I say this track is superb without them. Instead of focusing on Lil Wayne, Conrakk worked with female vocals off the original track, those of Karma, and then added his own flavor of beats, drums, highs and lows. The result is a really beautiful song. Next time your driving/walking/lounging late night, this track is a must.

Lil Wayne - I Feel Like Dying (Conrakk Remix)

Happy Birthday - Subliminal Message

So, I can't stop listening to this song. I don't necessarily feel guilty because It's not a LOVE song, rather its more like you're crushing hard on that certain someone, kinda love song. It reminds me of a song I would add to a cd that I would make for that special girl back in the day... who am I kidding here, I still do that shit. The track is called "Subliminal Message" which makes perfect sense to me. 

Happy Birthday - Subliminal Message

Happy Birthday used to be known as King Tuff and is the newest sign to the long list of SubPop indie rockers. Here's an old track from King Tuff that has seen its fair share of plays on my ipod.

King Tuff - Sun Medallion

Tegan & Sara v. Toro y Moi

 















Tegan & Sara are Tegan Rain Quin and Sara Kiersten Quin, twin sisters who create a breed of pop music I think you'll like. They have released six studio albums since 1999, Sainthood being their most recent. Toro y Moi, who Jep touched upon in an earlier post, remixes Tegan & Sara's track Alligator, and the result is a pretty damn good tune, laced with synths and beats that make you smile.

Tegan & Sara - Alligator (Toro y Moi Remix)

And here is a track by the 21-year old California producer, Baths, who reminds me a lot of Toro y Moi, in fact. Both dudes are pushing the lo-fi, chillwave, dream pop vibe (whatever you want to call it), and producing some nice sounding and a bit less predictable electronic music. Hall is off Bath's forthcoming LP, Cerulean.

Baths - Hall

Erase All Texts, 4.12.10

Car Crash Set

Picture this....

Auckland, New Zealand circa 1983, at the hippest late night joint in town, spandexed babes and white washed dudes, total mayhem. Here's your soundtrack. Auckland's own Car Crash Set, a pioneering early 80's New Wave / Post-Punk act that never made it big, but should have.

Car Crash Set - Fall From Grace

Love Jams

Hey, it's the weekend. So why not share some sweet sugar coated love jams? Nothing new or too cool for school, just a pair of classic R&B jams to bring it back to when we were all a little bit younger, and hopelessly in love with the older 8th grade girl/boy.

Enjoy these 7 minutes in heaven...

Maxi Priest - Close to You

P.M. Dawn - Set Adrift on Memory Bliss

Your New Neighbor /// WORLDWIDE

Gabe, Jeff & Renee, welcome to Your New Neighborhood! It's a pleasure to have you.

With a contributor in each of four major cities around the world, Your New Neighbor just went global. Expect insights into what's happening in music, art, design and fashion in New York, London, San Francisco & Sydney. Boom!

Future Islands

Look, I'm not saying that Steffen invented the blogosphere. I'm just saying that he is solely responsible for making it what it is today: a place where good-looking people can get together to talk about cool, fun and/or sexy things...

Enter Future Islands from Baltimore. They're cool, fun AND sexy! And hot diggity dog do they make some insanely good tunes. They're a synth-pop outfit fronted by a dude who looks like Jack Black and sounds like Danzig. Their songs are just drenched in that kind of wistful sun-drenched beauty you can only find at a sunset bonfire with all your best homeys... 'naw mean?

Thanks Steffen for inviting me to contribute to this blog. As far as I can tell, it is the best blog. I hope I can do it justice.

Future Islands - Tin Man (video)

Future Islands - Little Dreamer (Jones Remix) [ft. Victoria Legrand]

Temper Trap

Thanks be to Butters for sending me the first remix I have posted below and peeking my interest in Temper Trap. Not sure how I missed these guys until now, but anyway. Seems like the dudes from Melbourne (now living in London) have gotten a good deal of attention over the last year, since playing at SXSW in 2009 and again in 2010 to promote the release of their first full length album, Conditions.

In any case, Temper Trap is now on my radar, and yours as well. Here's a pair of remixes. The dude's voice is as catchy as sand on wet feet, god damn!

Temper Trap - Love Lost (Keljet Remix)

Temper Trap - Fader (The Knocks Remix)

Chromatic Flights - Sunset Bell

Chromatic Flights is the solo project of Kyle Wyss of Blind Man’s Colour. Kyle has been running under the electronic moniker of Chromatic Flights for a few years. Interestingly enough, I think Kyle is only 19 years old and after listening to his other stuff, all I can say is WOW.

I played this track a little while ago for STEFFEN as we were rolling across the Embarcadero on a sunny San Francisco day on our way to Doobtron. He inquired into its origins, but luckily I beat him to the punch.

Chromatic Flights - Sunset Bell

KId Kudi v. Band of Horses

In the last week, I have had a few heated conversations on the notion of mash ups. My stance is a bit more negative than most. That said, every now and again I'll come across a mash up that I like. I am unsure of my own criteria for liking or disliking a mash up, but I'll leave that for another day. Perhaps I am a believer in the originals always sounding better than the mash, especially if the combo feels a bit obvious? But then again, I love a good remix, often times better than the original song being mixed, so who the hell knows...

In honor of the mash up argument, here's one that contradicts my typically negative point of view on the mater. In a nutshell, I like this one.

Kid Kudi - The Prayer (Band of Horses mash)

psychic chasms (BRAHMS rmx)

BRAHMS (?) mixes Neon Indian and Neon Indian mixes Grizzly Bear.

Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms (BRAHMS Remix)

Grizzly Bear - Cheerleader (Neon Indian Remix)

Kleerup v. Lykke Li

To continue with the female vocalist tip I have been on these past few posts, here's a fine collaboration between Kleerup and Lykke Li. The track, Until We Bleed, is included on Kleerup' debut album, which dropped last summer. Enjoy.

Kleerup - Until We Bleed (ft. Lykke Li)

The XX (Remixed)

By now, we all have fallen head over heels in love with The XX. Album of the year, indeed.

Here are a few remixes of their track Shelter, along with a totally rad cover by El Perro Del Mar (see my previous post on her). I'll post the original as well, in case you don't have it. And if you have not picked up The XX album by now, it's a must have. You're commute to work just got better.

The XX - Shelter (Album Version)

The XX - Shelter (Them Jeans Drum Edit)

The XX - Shelter (Vitamins for You Remix)

The XX - Shelter (El Perro Del Mar Cover, Live @ The Knitting Factory 2.17.2010)

El Perro Del Mar

El Perro Del Mar is Sara Assbring, a wonderfully talented Swedish singer and songwriter from Gothenburg, Sweden. Her warm, fuzzy, calming pop music is perfect for sunny afternoons at home or at the park. El Perro Del Mar's latest album, Love is Not Pop is beautiful from start to finish and totally worth nabbing off iTunes.

Below, I have included three original tracks off the album, as well as a totally amazing remix of Change of Heart. I played this remix out last night, and was stunned by how great it sounds loud. I was completely immersed, stopped carrying about what to play next, stepped back and simply let myself go.

El Perro Del Mar - Change of Heart

El Perro Del Mar - L Is For Love

El Perro Del Mar - Let Me In

El Perro Del Mar - Change of Heart (Rakamonie Remix)

Scarface

Not sure what gets me more, the kids, or the adults in the audience. Either way, hilarious. Also, the teacher towards the end, priceless. Enjoy Mother Fudgers!

Broken Bells

Broken Bells is a collaboration between Danger Mouse (artist/producer) & James Mercer (lead vocalist and guitarist for The Shins). The two first met at a Danish music festival in 2004, and decided to collaborate. All good love stories are staged in Denmark. It took until March 2008, however, when the two began recording together in secret in Mercer's LA studio. Their self-tilted album was released exactly two years later, in March of this year.

A few Broken Bells tracks have massaged my ears since January, but none caught my attention as quickly as these two. Enjoy.

Broken Bells - The Ghost Inside

Broken Bells - The High Road

Erase All Texts, 4/8/10

Beach House

First of all, a big warm fuzzy welcome to the NeighborNeighborhood to Jep. Looking forward to your future contributions my friend.

Since Jep had to go and bring up summer & stilettos, I figured I'd chime in and add a few olives to his martini. Summer is sprouting & the longer days and warmer naps are inevitable. In the spirit of BBQ's, picnics and dirty feet, I bring you three new tracks from Baltimore's Beach House. Their new Teen Dream album, just released on Sub -Pop, is truly a midsummer night's dream and perfect for the pool, for the road, for the late night or early morning. They're out touring the U.S & bits of Europe from now through June, selling out shows left and right. Buy a ticket if you can, and say hello to summer.

Beach House - Walk In the Park

Beach House - 10 Mile Stereo

Beach House - Lover of Mine

Toro y Moi

Super stoked to be contributing to this blog. Thanks to STEFFEN for having me out. I hope you all enjoy my posts. Please send your comments and let me know what you think.

For my first post, Im going with something I really like -- Toro Y Moi (“toro-ee-mwa”). Toro Y Moi caught my ear late last summer right as my pool season was ending. Fortunately enough for me, they're new single comes out right when pool season is beginning. This music was meant to be played by the pool. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy a dope pool party with some G-Unit blasting and bikini models serving martinis dirty in stilettos. But, I really like something like Toro y Moi, where I can take a sip and a quick puff, put down my shades and fade out into the blur of the sun.

Creating a new scene out of South Carolina, along with another Buzzcock gamer Ernest Greene of Washed Out, Chaz Bundick is the brains behind this chill-lo-fi-whatever-gaze mix of intoxicating tracks. Here's the new single "Talamak"

Toro Y Moi just released a full-length album "Causers of This" that includes "Talamak" and other tracks off an earlier LP. These jammies plus another remix are pretty delightful too:

Toro Y Moi - Blessa

Toro Y Moi - Human Nature (MJ Tribute)

Body Language - At a Glance (Toro Y Moi Remix)

I will be seeing you.

The Invisibles

At this month's Milan Furniture Fair (April 14 - 19), Japanese designer Tokujin Yoshioka will present a new collection of furniture titled The Invisibles. The transparent polycarbonate furniture will be on view at the Kartell Showroom. Great chairs for lounging in the nude, among other things.