Sparrow

"Don't you follow me to the ground."

Photo by Sara Sani

You want more pop? Ok. Here's a beautiful little song I picked up over a month ago at Neon Gold, the NY-based label and blog known for their impeccable taste in pop acts. Keeping up with the trend, this song by Brooklyn's Savoir Adore is nothing short of magical. It's got a melancholic whimsy tied together by subtle, swirling synths and boy-girl vocal harmonies, making it of those odd little songs with sad lyrics but candy-sweet melodies. There's a dichotomy of form versus function here, such that your head is confused about having such a melancholic song stuck in it, but it sounds so good that in the end your heart wins out. Forget the lyrics and let this bright number be your new springtime staple. Savoir Adore's second album is to be released later this year, on Cantora Records. In the meantime, get Sparrow below, pick up their first LP here, and head over to their website to download the equally-as-sweet Loveliest Creature for free.

Sparrow - Savoir Adore

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Bankok Hilton

"All this and more."

So, I screwed up. A week ago, I travelled from Paris to London in the middle of my exams week to see one of my all-time favorite bands, Death From Above 1979, after having waited 6 years for the opportunity. It was kind of a precarious situation time-wise: I had to get to London and back in 16 hours, just before my next exam was supposed to start. I knew I was cutting it close, but it was going to be worth it. So worth it. DFA1979 were the band, after all, who's ferocious and sexually aggressive anthems soundtracked my 'fuck the world' teenage years. (I was only 15 and hating everyone when You're A Woman, I'm A Machine was released.) The good news is, I made all of my trains and aced my tests. The bad news is: even though I had made it across the channel, and had been in London for a good 3 hours prior…I still somehow managed to miss the show.

Bankok Hilton (Feat. Sebastien Grainger) - Knight Stalker


And now? Now I can't even listen to DFA1979. What started as a simple miscalculation of to-the-gig-travel-time has become the ultimate 'you idiot' moment of recent memory, and I'm so miffed by the whole situation (SIX YEARS) that I find myself as-of-yet unable to play DFA1979, my ultimate beat-things-up music, for fear of becoming even more frustrated. But, there's hope. This hope comes in the form of a band called Knight Stalker, a trio based out of Los Angeles. They've been mailing me songs for months and I've rudely been ignoring them, until the other day I noticed a song in my library of theirs which claimed to feature vocals by Sebastien Grainger, the legend. Unable to listen to DFA, but still craving that croon, I swallowed my pride and put it on. Good choice. Bankok Hilton [sic] is a fuzzy piece of dark disco; sleazy yet dangerously sexy, indeed much akin to Thai hookers. This isn't music for beating things up, but damn is it good. I still haven't tried listening to DFA yet, but with this I'm totally ok for the time being.

In addition to collaborations, Knight Stalker also have a slew of impressive original work, encompassing a wide range of styles from lo-fi rock to house-influenced electro. Be sure to check out their funky, filtered piece of dancefloor heaven, We Don't Care.

We Don't Care - Knight Stalker

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Princess

In addition to psychedelic disco, Leno also makes some psychedelic doodles.

When I first heard Leno Lovecraft, I wasn't quite sure what to think. Well, besides "What the hell?" Take for example the track Princess, the first single off Leno's debut EP, out today on Paris' Maman Records. What starts off as gay (I mean homosexual) italo disco--complete with the lyrics "I'll be your Princess, sleeping on your spaceship made of crystal"--launches into the sunniest, bounciest chorus this side of Jupiter. It might be a bit bizarre at first listen (hence the previous expletive), but it ends up being pure fun. His entire debut EP adheres to that formula--an initial uncertainty followed by the inevitable succumbing of your judgement and your body to the pure, bright, joyful (albeit perhaps a bit strange) work of Leno. This is disco for those of you with a sense of humor and a penchant for fanfare. It's completely unlike anything else out there right now and sees Leno is carving out his own psychedelic, technicolor niche. It's the type of music I'd expect to be playing as I frolicked in a field of luminescent flowers on some distant moon. Wait, did I just use the word frolic? And did I really namecheck that scenario? Check out Leno Lovecraft, and you'll understand why.

Stream Princess on the player, then be sure to go buy the EP HERE.

05 Princess 1 by Maman_Records


Bonus: Download the b-side Passionate Fantasia for free
Passionate Fantasia - Leno Lovecraft

Houdini's Pumped Up Kicks

Let it be said: I love pop music.
I used to think I was too cool for pop. My junior high years had me realizing I was 'way ahead of my time,' and so were filled with music from the New York garage rock revivalism movement; high school saw me turning to post-rock and post-hardcore (so many posts) to fuel my teen angst; while the beginning of college saw me start doing drugs and thus turn into a little raver (I still have David Guetta in my top-3-most-played on my Last.FM profile to show for it…ugh). But today, I'm older, sober, and only wish I were too cool. So now? I'm all about the feel-good. And that's why I love pop music. Because it too is all about the feel good.

Pumped Up Kicks (Gigamesh Remix) - Foster The People


Then imagine how excited I was this week when not only one but TWO amazing pop songs were released, by none other than the leaders of the feel-good music pack, LOOSE L!PS favorites Gigamesh and RAC. (In case you missed them, check out past words on Gigamesh here and RAC here.) This week saw them both drop remixes for Los Angeles' Foster the People, who's debut album, Torches, is set for release May 24. Gigamesh and RAC both had the opportunity to work their magic on two upcoming singles, and the results don't just feel good, they feel GREAT. RAC's remix of Houdini, sees Andre's production tasteful as ever, but this time incorporating a healthy dose of disco--the world's second-greatest genre. It's considerably more dramatic than the original, complete with an urgent baseline and an acapella chorus commanding you to "focus on your ability," and to get out to the dance floor. Gigamesh's remix of Pumped Up Kicks, on the other hand is, well…pumped up. Exuberant keys and claps, coupled with a driving beat should have your hands in the air and a smile on your face in 5 easy, breezy minutes.

To download the RAC remix, click the downward-pointing arrow followed by the "Buy" button on the Player. I promise, it's really free.
Foster The People - Houdini (RAC Mix) by RAC

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Love In Motion

Here's something we've been waiting for for a while. A new track off of SebastiAn's upcoming debut LP was just premiered last night on the BBC's Radio 1. Here's a radio rip of the new single, titled Love In Motion, courtesy of the French blog SeekSickSound. Featuring soulful crooner Mayer Hawthorne on vocals, it's deep funk bass line, filtered guitars, and overtly sexual Prince-esque vocal colorations make it perfect baby-making music. Yeah, this is sexy. Between Embody and now this, it seems as though this upcoming album, Total, out May 30th on Ed Banger, will be everything we hoped for...and perhaps even a bit more.

SebastiAn - Love in Motion (feat Mayer Hawthorne) [Radio Rip] by SeekSickSound

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Dancer

Photo by Elizaveta Porodina
Maybe it's just because I like the name (it reminded me of a certain David Bazan), but when I got an e-mail from singer-songwriter Grandpa Was a Lion, I made sure to check it out. Although the sound is a lot more folkier than the aforementioned lion of another name, Brooklyn's Justin D'Onofrio has a handful of interesting and witty tunes in his arsenal. Apparently, he recorded most of his stuff with an old iBook, a cheap mic and a tape deck. The super lo-fi atmosphere of D'Onofrio's work is why it works so well, and what gives it so much charm. Not to mention, the songs are actually well-written.

Dancer, a track off Grandpa Was a Lion's The Whalestoe Tapes, is definitely one of the highlights of the Connecticut native's work. It's easy to get absolutely lost a couple minutes into the song after the buildup - D'Onofrio starts layering even more vocals (a recurring theme of his). It's simple stuff from a guy in a basement who lacks any real professional equipment. What he doesn't lack is the ability to craft some really heartfelt songs. I think that's what makes it so damn endearing.

Check out Grandpa Was a Lion's bandcamp and give this guy's music a listen.




Bonus: Download Grandpa Was a Lion's War for free, from his Archaic EP
War - Grandpa Was a Lion

Monster

Everybody knows I'm a motherfucking monster.

Photo by Hannah Davis

Lack of posts, but not only am I super busy, I'm rather uninspired. I just have no time for new music because I can't stop listening to Kanye's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. This happens every once in awhile, just because it is potentially the greatest album of the decade. Perhaps of our generation. Don't fight me on this.

Here's an edit of the infamous and amazing Monster. Every one knows Nicki Minaj's verse is the best part of the song, and this edit whittles the 6-minutes-plus number down to 3.5, showcasing Minaj's spit in all of its deserved glory. I didn't make this edit, I actually can't remember where I found it (if you made it email me and I'll credit you), but whoever did...thank you.

Monster (Nicki Minaj Solo Version) - Kanye West