Archive | October, 2012

moonlight matters

17 Oct

T0day’s Indie: The Fear / Ben Howard (Moonlight Matters rework)

‘oh I will become what I deserve’

I apologize for my lapse in posts, but it has been a big week with Treasure Island Music festival, my birthday, and big announcements on their way. To make up for it here is a great ‘rework’ of Ben Howard’s The Fear done by Belgium’s Moonlight Matters, aka, Sebastiaan Vandevoorde. MM ups the tempo on the track, giving it a great pace and artful twists without undoing Ben’s original work. His retake on the song is reminding me of the subtle but skilled work of RAC.

I’ve been worrying that my time is a little unclear
I’ve been worrying that I’m losing the one’s I hold dear
I’ve been worrying that we all live our lives in the confines of fear

When I listen to this song it makes me want to do something, anything. Here’s to not living life in the fear. #indie/tory

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lipstick & lace

17 Oct

Today’s Untz: Lipstick & Lace / Benoit & Sergio

“”Lipstick & Lace” leads off the New Ships EP by following a similar formula for Benoit & Sergio, laying woozy vocals atop protruding basslines to hypnotic ends. The track opens with what sounds like a gargantuan rubber band, as it strings out the loop that will underpin the six-minute song. Sergio’s vocals enter, as he sings to a partner on the dance floor about making moves, lipstick and lace. His voice, the song and its disco-inspired adornments are all tailored equally — and perfectly — to clubs and cars.” – npr #untz/tom

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work that shit

16 Oct

Today’s Untz: Work That Shit / Xtrafunk

Here a smooth n groovy track to round out your day. I’ve still in search of my soul after two days of Treasure Island festival in SF. I was also able to catch John Talabot and Jamie XX Sunday night. Both were extremely impressive.

This track comes from a 29 year old German producer. Smooth at fuck. Work that shit. #untz/tom

PS. Happy Birthday to my other indie half!

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another brick in the wall

12 Oct

Today’s Untz: Another Brick In The Wall (Laser Sex Remix) / Pink Floyd

In their own words: “When Laser Sex creates music, we like to picture someone at the grocery store going down the aisles arm swiping everything in their path in their shopping cart… except the groceries are musical genres and the shopping cart is beats. When we write our tracks we don’t ever really try to create a track that sounds like this or a track that sounds like that. We create music based on whatever we are

feeling at that very moment. This allows for a maximum amount of emotion poured into the creation process. We seamlessly integrate livetronica elements with a DJ element. We have sampled everything from Rage Against the Machine to Neil Young to Tears for Fears to John Butler Trio and beyond. We also live sample our instruments on stage so we can stack instrumentation to give the performance an almost orchestral feel. Our audiences have used words like “fresh”, “new”, “different”, and “cutting edge” to describe our music and performance… We tend to agree with them. Ultimately the only thing audiences can come to expect from Laser Sex, is to never know what to expect. (besides sore legs from dancing and sore cheeks from smiling). Hopefully you’ll come find out for yourselves.”
Feel free to stream and download their music for free at: http://www.lasersex.bandcamp.com #untz/tom

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y la bamba

12 Oct

Today’s Indie: Ponce Pilato / Y La Bamba

‘hold my hand and grow / whisper in my ear and be bold’

Oh those happy moments when a song hits you for the first time at right time and plays as poetry, granting the auditory version of an unexpected warm breeze or the feeling of an arm wrapping around your shoulders. These are the feelings Ponce Pilato makes me feel.

This wonderful birdlike, transfixing voice comes from Portland’s Y La Bamba’s Luz Elena Mendoza, who I discovered in a roundabout fashion via a playlist published by The Lumineers’ Neyla Pekarek’s on Consequence of Sound this week. Pekarek’s list has a lot of gems, but I was most taken with the final track and its description: “Watch a sunset, hold hands, and switch this puppy on. You won’t regret it.” That’s what Fridays are for.

Let’s drive to California 
Let’s go and find our homes
We come from the same town 
Let’s drive through the woods
And bring them with us

#indie/tory

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places that you go

10 Oct

Today’s Indie: Ventriloquism / Savannah Smith

It’s folk Wednesday friends, and here is a promising young lady I found via the wonderful blog Folkhive. Savannah Smith is a ukelele toting 22 year old hailing from Minneapolis, Minnesota, with a genuine  sound that rings beyond her years. I am loving both of these tracks: Ventriloquism has biting foot taping oomph to it, while the earnest simplicity in Places’ soft spoken words of pining bring peace: ‘and I want to be the places that you go / and the reason that you turn around and come back home.’  

Ms. Smith has been on the YouTube circuit the past couple of years, but I imagine it will only be a matter of time before she graduates beyond the online world. Enjoy.

Places That You Go / Savannah Smith

‘honey I’m not trying to save you and I’d write it off as sin / but I’m dying to be the one that you let in”

#indie/tory

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dreams

10 Oct

Today’s Untz: Dreams (Gigamesh Edit) / Fleetwood Mac

Debuted in Gigamesh’s sets worldwide and then on Triple J’s ‘Lunch’ last week, this is the one we’ve been waiting for. His edit of Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 hit ‘Dreams’ has easily become the number one song asked about after every Gigamesh show. Today, the highly-anticipated track has been released for free. Just go to Gigamesh’s Facebook and click ‘Like’ to download.

Gigamesh has been ‘single handidly trying to make pop cool again in America’ and his remixes have proven time and again that he is the ‘king of disco.’ Gigamesh’s version of ‘Dreams’ is a shining example of what happens when he takes inspiration from the past and adds his own smooth and modern disco touch to it. ‘One of the absolute best remixers in the game for several years running now,’ Gigamesh has been blowing fans away this year with remixes of everyone from Grouplove to Ladyhawke to Moullinex.

Bonus Track: Don’t You Want ME (Dimitri Disko Edit) / The Human League

 

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new world

8 Oct

Today’s Untz : New World EP / Southern Shores

I first came across the Toronto Duo, Southern Shores, sometime late last year. I was thrilled when I first heard them as their shoe-gaze, dreamy, and Balearic soundscapes were perfect for any sunny day. In fact they’re especially great when you yearn for sunshine and happiness.

After familiarizing myself with their old EP, ‘Atlantic’, I’ve finally had the chance to check out their sophomore effort titled ‘New World’.  All I can say is it’s pure bliss.  A quick listen immediately brings you to tropical coastlines. I love when music can transport you to some idyllic paradise. This is exactly what this album does for me. My personal highlights are New Love & Natural High. #untz/tom

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flaws

5 Oct

Today’s Untz: Flaws ( Russ Chimes Remix) / Bastille

It’s Friday so it’s time for a little energetic jolt. Cue London based Russ Chimes who’s known for fusing driving beats with irresistible grooves and heartbreaking melodies.

Russ has already racked up an arsenal of huge remixes for established artists like Mark Ronson, Booka Shade, Kelis and Marina & The Diamonds, including an enormous remix for Ellie Goulding and now…Bastille. Enjoy. #untz/tom

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can’t hardly wait

5 Oct

Today’s (throwback) indie: Can’t Hardly Wait / The Replacements

‘I’ll write you a letter tomorrow / tonight I can’t hold a pen’

San Francisco is gearing up for what has to be one of its biggest weekends in history: three days of tunes at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival at Golden Gate Park, both epic air shows via the Blue Angels and the America’s Cup at the Marina, lots of nudity and revelry at the Castro Street Fair, and a string of home playoff games for the Giants over at AT&T park. While it is going to be absolutely impossible to get anywhere, I love this city. There is a lot to look forward, and I can’t hardly wait. #indie/tory

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