FIRST WEEKLY VIBES OF 2013
So I’ve been listening to a lot of electro pop these days and thought I’d share.
CocoRosie – “Lemonade”
Sisters Bianca and Sierra Cassidy compose the dreamy and ethereal music group CocoRosie. Bjork fans will appreciate their weird style. The two are complete vocal opposites but seem to weave together in such a beautiful way. I can honestly say that I have never heard anything like them before. Defined as “freak folk”, they incorporate a lot of genres from pop to opera within electronica at its core. And to be honest it is a little freaky and spooky. They play a variety of instruments such as guitar, piano, and harp, but the most interesting sounds are created from various different children’s toys and objects used for more unique sound effects. It kind of makes me want dust off my old toy keyboard again. They’re super bizarre, but their focus on percussion and background sound (even beat boxing) takes it one step further into music exploration.
STRFKR – “While I’m Alive”
STRFKR/Starfucker is an indie electro band from Portland, Oregon. Think Neon Indian-esque with a more dance pop aim. This song has a solid baseline, giving it a more bluesy impression that compliments its heavy beat. If you like what you hear, they’ve been releasing songs off their new album Miracle Mile like crazy recently so it is a good time to get into them. It sounds like their album is going to have a lot of variety, this one being more upbeat and fun.
George Maple – “Uphill”
This is the Australian female solo artist George Maple’s first single (yes, it’s a girl, and yes, half the reason I like her is because I love boy names for girls so sue me). She is also collaborating with Flume at the moment, another very talented Australian in the indie-electronic scene (if that interests you the track is called “Bring Me Down” and will be on his next LP). My favourite part about her sound is her low-key vampy qualities, resulting in a more mellow and soothing atmosphere. It has a faint beat mixed with soulful harmonies and deep synth that makes it feels really emotional and raw.
Ecstasy – “White Limo”
If you’re a fan of MGMT or M83, I’ve found their long lost British brother. They’re super new (it’s hard to believe they just formed just this past September) and are currently unsigned – after a release like this, I don’t think that will be the case for long. The instrumentals have a lot of power, but my attention always went back to the euphoric vocals, layered keyboards/synths, and tribal sounding harmonies. There’s not really a better way to describe the execution than intricately beautiful. I’m really looking forward to what they come up with next.
In other music related news I have officially started hosting a radio show with my friend GP (remember him from a past weekly vibes?) If you would like to hear the show, all of the information is in my Contact page. You can listen to it on the CHRW radio website (also linked) or through Itunes – Radio – College/University – CHRW 94.9. And if you really love it you can also listen to past shows if you miss it!
I have also been brainstorming ideas for new mixes on 8tracks. If you have anything you’d like me to listen to/add let me know on twitter. I’m always up for listening to new stuff.
Aaaaaand keep checking back in because I’m going to count down some of my favourite music moments of 2012 here, as well as music moments I’m most looking forward to in 2013!
- Leah
