Interesting new video of The Features’ single “This Disorder,” previously reviewed HERE, featuring cool breakdance moves and a parrot. Look out for The Features at the Black Cat on 5/15, and get ready to dance your pants off in a room filled to the brim with that new album smell. Official release date is 5/14.
Pay attention to disco in the coming months because it’s about to have another moment. As EDM is spiraling off into a thousand digital redundancies, back comes Daft Punk who rather than riding the cash wave of corporate ravers have released a disco single and are about to release a disco album. Live instrumentation is about to replace Skrillex. It’s not just the right moment musically, I agree with Manchester DJ legend Greg Wilson,
“Get Lucky has dropped at just the right moment. At a time of recession and austerity, the uplifting nature of Disco is at its most potent, as proved in the past. What must be remembered is that this was a movement that flourished in New York at a point when the city was on its knees, only just avoiding bankruptcy. Disco thrived through the hard times, the release it provided from the stresses and strains of the everyday…”
That’s not to say that the many forms of disco ever really went away. The line between house and disco is often very thin and in the last 10 years great disco has come from two places: New York City and Norway. Norwegian producers like Lindstrøm and Todd Terje have been releasing euphoric underground disco tracks and edits for almost a decade. New York’s disco output centers around James Murphy’s DFA records and a handful of NYC artists. DFA’s sound is really reflected in their motto, “Too old to be new, Too new to be a classic.”
DFA’s lineup includes Holy Ghost!. The duo have been releasing synthy disco-pop tracks since 2007 and have a serious knack for grooves. They use mostly live instrumentation and actually feel like a continuation of New York’s Disco heritage. More importantly, they are the perfect antidote to EDM’s aforementioned digital cliches and might become a centerpiece of the upcoming Summer of Disco. Check out their nearly shot for shot remake of New Order’s Confusion music video above and they put on a super fun live show so be sure to check them out at Sweetlife (more HERE) on May 11, and keep your disco eyes open in 2013.
There is no doubt that DC’s sundry music scene continues to flourish. With good reason, acts like the District’s own Paperhaus ought to be much more anticipated than the semi-disappointment that the capital’s renowned Cherry Blossoms annually provide.
Paperhaus drops their sophomore EP, “Lo Hi Lo”, later this month as they embark on a 50 date nationwide tour. The band’s new record will be slated for digital release on May 28th.
The four track follow-up to the band’s self titled album is an alt-blues teaser with some funky neo-psychedelic influences. Their single, “Helicopters,” buzzes with groovy guitar segments set atop a cool lo-fi backdrop. “Lo Hi Lo” also features the catchy tune “Corazon”, which is a bubbly pop-inspired gem. Collectively the EP provides a mellow feel properly suited for enhancing the season’s rooftop barbs and for gallivanting in the summer’s vibrant rays.
Be sure to join Paperhaus for their homecoming show at the Rock & Roll Hotel featuring other buzzing local bands Shark Week and Young Rapids on June 7th.
Caveman’s new self-titled album, which was released on April 2nd, is their follow up to 2012’s CoCo Beware and sports tracks that are decidedly more single friendly. The top single off the album, “In The City,” is low-key and dream inducing, with a small dose of synth to keep you on your toes. The band will be at the Black Cat on 6/19 so BE THERE. More singles from the album are available to stream on their soundcloud. If you’re in for a shoe-gazey time that won’t put you to sleep, the show is worth checking out. words by Leah Norod
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are back after a hiatus following 2009’s It’s Blitz!, after which our only doses of Karen O were her collaborations, most notably with David Lynch on Crazy Clown Time. April 2013 has seen the release of their 4th studio album Mosquito, and it’s a bit of a departure from the atypical Yeah Yeah Yeahs sound that drifted in and out of our collective adolescence. Honestly it’s easy to imagine that the collaboration with David Lynch continued on some of these tracks, since a few are downright bizarre. Still, the new album is sure to win new converts, as they’ve changed their sound to reflect the changing nature of the indie music scene.
Listen to the single “Sacrilege” below and for those who miss the old high energy, “Slave” and “Area 52” are good places to start when trying to find hints of Fever to Tell. It’s not as sexy as their older stuff, but Mosquito is a new, experimental direction for a band that has been in our lives for over 10 years. See ‘em live at Sweetlife May 11th, 2013!
Clearly the number of soulful British songstresses knows no bounds. Elli Ingram is a new voice out of the UK in the vein of Adele, similar in tone and gravitas but with more edge and more swag. Check this cover (below) she does of Kendrick Lamar’s “Poetic Justice” (arguably one of the best songs on his new album good kid m.A.A.d city). This version gives the original a run for its money. It’s sexy and melodic. Not only does it show off the versatility of Kendrick’s lyricism, but it totally amps up that Janet Jackson “Any Time, Any Place” sample.
Thankfully, Elli Ingram isn’t a one-hit wonder. While she also does covers of Kanye West, the original stuff she’s been recording is strong too. Her album “Sober” is supposed to drop in May. In the meantime, check out our another one of our favorite from the record, ballad “Silver and Gold”.
words by Melanie Weniger
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Though Sweetlife (happening May 11) may only remove festival goers approximately 30 miles outside of the District, Youth Lagoon possesses the hypnotic power to transcend its audience light-years away from Merriweather Post. The concert experience makes for a metaphysical voyage floating atop electronic waves of warbly guitar tunes and introspectively poignant lyricism. The captain of the ship, and Youth Lagoon front-man, Trevor Powers, channels bands like Animal Collective and the Beatles circa Sgt. Pepper.
Youth Lagoon shines, especially on tracks such as “Mute” (listen below) and “Pelican Man”, when Powers highlights his ability to create music that is simultaneously ethereal and discordant. The band comfortably calls upon dissonant guitar coils to juxtapose Powers’ crisp yet soft-spoken vocal performances. Most songs journey into an electronic mash up of jarring, unearthly tones along side capricious, rhythmic synths. Markedly, within Youth Lagoon’s overall composition lies a maturity that adds to the minimalist aesthetic of their quietly profound ambiance.
The band is set to play the Treehouse Stage at this year’s Sweetlife Music Festival. Festies should nab tickets HERE and prepare for an awesome ride.
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