Small Black

I am looking out my window, and it's snowing.  Just checked the weather, and it's 28 degrees here in London.  While Small Black's warm tones and hazy melodies might seem more appropriate for Summer, I have to say, they are keeping me pretty warm right now.  Good music has a way of doing that, it seems. 

If you like Washed Out, Toro y Moi, and all that blissed out chillwave goodness, you'll love this.  As Pitchfork writes, "feels like a sunrise bike ride with a head full of weed, but this time in full-blown technicolor."  Yeah, that's about right.

Small Black - Photojournalist
Small Black - Despicable Dogs
Small Black - Despicable Dogs (Washed Out Remix)

TO DOWNLOAD: Click the link(s) above & then click the 'Download' link in the top right corner of the box.net web page that appears.

Washed Out

Washed Out is the solo project of Ernest Greene. In 2009, the young man from Georgia (via South Carolina) started releasing hazy synthpop jams under the name Washed Out.  His initial EP, Life of Leisure, is infectious and perfect for summer - a claim based on fact.  Last summer, all my playlists had a Washed Out track from the EP included.

With a new summer upon us, I was overjoyed to stumble upon a new release of his.  "You & I"features the female vocals of Caroline Polachek and a nice & subtle Madonna sample.  Listen for it...

I'll post a few tracks from the Life of Leisure EP as well as the new single "You & I," which is fantastic. Your summer just got warmer.

Washed Out - You & I (ft. Caroline Polachek)
Washed Out - New Theory
Washed Out - Feel It All Around

TO DOWNLOAD: Click the link(s) above; then click the 'Download' link in the top right corner of the box.net web page that appears.

Niva

In my previous post, I mentioned my all consuming affection for summer Hip-Hop jams.  Well, allow me to backtrack ever so slightly.

On those cloudless blue sky days of June, July, August and September, my mind often drifts to a more tranquil place.  Accompanying me on my way are blissed-out songs from the likes of Million Young, Neon Indian, Beach House, Wild Nothing, Toro y Moi and other breezy electro-pop bands.  Now included in that list is Niva, a solo artist out of Sweden, who's music I find quite uplifting.

As your imagination wanders, be sure to take Niva along for the ride.  Here are two tracks off his soon to be released Feverish Dreams EP.  Your sounds of summer just got better.

Niva - Ghost In My Head
Niva - The Boy from the Sun

TO DOWNLOAD: Click the link(s) above & then click the 'Download' link in the top right corner of the box.net web page that appears.

Bye Bye Blackbird

In honor of Mother's Day, here are a few new tracks as beautiful as the women who raised us.

Bye Bye Blackbird is a one man band making a totally infectious type of blissed-out electronic pop music.  And to make things even better, he's from San Francisco.   The dude is signed to Arcade Sound LTD, who also happen to have Your New Neighbor favorites Million Young and Memoryhouse on the bill as well.  The comparisons between Bye Bye Blackbird and Million Young are immediate.

Enjoy these and love your mom...

Bye Bye Blackbird - Happy High

Bye Bye Blackbird - So Sorry, Girl

Bye Bye Blackbird - Pure

If you dig the sound, you can go ahead and download the EP for free right here, along with some other great Arcade Sound bands, including Million Young and Memoryhouse.

TO DOWNLOAD: Click the link(s) above & then click the 'Download' link in the top right corner of the box.net web page that appears.

Nap Time

I included these two tracks on an iTunes playlist titled "Nap Time."  Anytime I come across songs that might be nice to fall asleep to, I add them to the playlist.   Now, that said, these two songs certainly would fit well into other playlists, i.e. "Sandy Feet," "Sunday Brunch," "Baja," "Family Heirlooms," or "Frozen Lemonade."

You get the idea.  Take a listen and enjoy your R&R, whenever you have the chance.

Frankie & the Heartstrings - Fragile

Pool Holograph - Fireworked Beach 

TO DOWNLOAD: Click the link(s) above & then click the 'Download' link in the top right corner of the box.net web page that appears.

Wild Nothing

I had heard of Virginia native, Jack Tatum's Wild Nothing last September after their release of "Cloudbusting", which I enjoyed tremendously. However, I nearly wet myself when I got my hands on their new single "Chinatown". This little pop jam with a repetitive, but catchy guitar hook could possibly be the song of the Summer.

Wild Nothing - Chinatown

Wild Nothing - Cloudbusting

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)

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

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

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.

Million Young v. Memoryhouse

Ever since I first posted about Million Young a few weeks ago, I have had the South Florida dude's blissed-out & dreamy pop tunes on heavy rotation, often while driving alone, in weather I find beautiful, or at home, late at night, with my sleepy dog at my side. Since then, I've seen other music bloggers and DJ's take a serious liking to Million Young, and added a few more of his tracks not included in the Sunndreamm EP.

Now I am finding remixes Million Young has done for other other blissed-out & dreamy pop bands, such as Memoryhouse, which makes sense, as both are on Arcade Sound Ltd.. Take a listen to a few Million Young tracks of his new Be So True EP out 1/19/10, as well as remix he did for Memoryhouse.

So much good stuff...

Million Young - Mien
Million Young - Cynthia
Million Young - Feel the Same
Memoryhouse - To the Lighthouse (Million Young Remix)

And if you missed the boat the first time around, you can download both Million Young's Sunndreamm EP and Memoryhouse's The Years EP for free RIGHT HERE.

Million Young

I honestly don't know much about Million Young at all. That said, I do know I like the way the kid from Florida sounds. And I like the fact that he is offering up his Sundream EP for free download here. The first Million Young track I feasted on was Hammock, and it's what hooked me. So here it is, along with another track, Chlorophyl. Both are included on the five track EP.

Million Young - Hammock

Million Young - Chlorophyl

Sidwho?

Sidwho? Who? Exactly. I don't know much about the dude or the Future Classic Label that supports him, but based on the way he sounds and the way he dad's, I'm down to know more about the man they call Sidwho?. Millionaire, his track featured on the thrird installment of the Australian record label's Apres compilation series, is a treat for the senses.

What a pleasant first taste for what is to me, a new artist and a new label. Enjoy this rain storm. Heavy clouds and pleasant mist.

Sidwho? - Millionaire (12 inch mix)