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castles and suburbs

19 Aug

Friday. Yes please. This is rare for me, but I am ever so ready to settle into a restful weekend.

Today’s Emo: The Suburbs / Mr. Little Jeans (Arcade Fire cover)

‘kids wanna be so hard / but in my dreams we’re still screamin’ and runnin’ through the yard’

The original Suburbs is a kind of song that manages to cause shivers despite warm, upbeat tones, making you pine for home and sprinklers and simpler times, while simultaneously making you realize you can’t go back. Norwegian born songstress Mr. Little Jean slows it down here, smooths it out and adds some weight, making the sound match the scene it paints. Chills.

With silvery vocals and rolling bass, she practically sighs her way through the chorus, letting the words speak for themselves without trying to overly emote anything. The result, as with most things that make me feel nostalgic, is that kind of quiet comfort found in allowing yourself to really miss something. SO #emo

Today’s Untz: Baptism / Crystal Castles (Germany Germany remix)

One of my favorite Canadian untz crafters, Germany Germany has produced a sprawling take on Crystal Castles’ gem, Baptism. It’s not a new track, but there is nothing like a good Nintendo-esque indie pop remix to smooth out the end of a long work week, and I am tracing these sounds in zigzags around my head, dreaming of dance beats in a dark place far far away from powerpoints. I love musically inclined geeky bros, so am delighted Drew is producing these tracks while studying engineering at the University of Victoria. Hope he keeps them coming steady between studies.

Since it is Friday, a bonus untz with this hot mess of a Hood Internet mash up of Baptism and RihRih’s Rude Boy.  #untz

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static atlas

17 Aug

I love that I can put “I need an untz” as my gchat status on a Tuesday afternoon and get three solid responses within an hour. Music definitely seems to be running in everyone’s veins since Outside Lands exploded over San Francisco this weekend.  I haven’t been able to pull myself away from speakers/headphones all week, slipping into happy memories between emails and meetings and lots of coffee.

Today’s Emo: Trojans / Atlas Genius

‘change the locks, change the scene  / change it all but can’t change what we’ve been’

I love coming across a group’s first legit release – not the debut of a new album, but the debut of a new musical entity – and having it blow me away. So much potential in the air. I have been stuck on the debut single from Australian foursome, Atlas Genius to the point where they have to be shared. There is something early Death Cab in this beat, and excitingly unique in these vocals, and the image of trojan horse relics from past lovers in your head is too good to pass up. These newbies have recently signed with Cosine records and I can’t wait to hear the rest of their sound. Enjoy. #emo

Today’s Untz: Long Time (Takin My Time) / Static Revenger & Angger Dimas (electro remix)

All three of yesterday’s untz recs are going into my vault, but this made today’s cut… some steady Wednesday ‘tro. Breezy summer beats, sexy samples, and hurricane untz builds combine to craft the perfectly shaped SoundCloud. Done. #untz

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it feels good to be poolside

15 Aug

Outside Lands: amazing music, backdrop, and company. Completely tuckered out in the best kind of way. Two tropical sounding tracks to ease back into regular life, slowly, carefully…

Today’s Emo: Harvest Moon / Poolside (Neil Young cover)

‘when we were strangers I watched you from afar / when we were lovers I loved you with all my heart’

A couple months ago I posted Teen Daze’s take of Neil’s Harvest Moon. This cover takes a similar angle, with playful, trickling  synth, a clap along feel, and hazy, soft vocals. Still, totally digging this jazzed up spin of the classic. LA electro duo Poolside self identifies as daytime disco, and this feels like the perfect track to accompany my feel good summer feelings of this weekend and three days outside in the sun and fog. #emo

Today’s Untz: It Feels Good to Be Around You / Air France

Going to continue to ride the chillwave right into my untz today with this breezy gem from another electro duo, Air France. Layers upon layers of whispy, echoed vocals, soft beats, and a hint of the theme from Koopa Beach intertwine in the Swedes’ new release. It Feels Good to be Around You is the cutest song name I have come across in a while, perfectly embodying that first little sigh when you realize you might be smitten, and it feels good. More please. #untz

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titanium dragons

12 Aug

Outside Lands has arrived and I am taking today off to not miss a beat. Time to bundle up, brace myself against the wrath of San Francisco summer in Golden Gate Park, and dance my face off (and chill) for three days.  Most excited to start the weekend with Foster the People, dance through the middle with the boys of Starfucker, and close things out with Arcade Fire. Sleeping is giving in… so lift those heavy eyelids.

Two Outside Lands oriented tracks to start things off right.

Today’s Emo: Ritual Union / Little Dragon

‘I was wonderin’ / how the white dress / and the mistress / and his spirit / are holdin’ my hand’

Sassy and sultry, just how I like my lady driven music. Our protagonist sounds to have fidelity troubles, but makes them sound so good… strong vocals, trickling echos, little pockets of trambone-like synth, and a beat that makes you want to sway your hips and/or grab someone’s hand.

Japanese-Swede Yukimi Nagano fronts this Swedish electro-soul group, and this is the title track off their third LP. Lucky I found LD before they slay Sunday afternoon at OSL. #emo

Today’s Untz: Titanium / David Guetta ft. Sia

‘fire away’

New Guetta with a side of Sia… a surprisingly delightful combination of guilty pleasure untz: Sia’s signature beautiful vocals, fierce lyrics, and oh yeah, some serious beats. The track has leaked off of Guetta’s upcoming LP, Nothing But the Beat, due out August 30th. The album will be dripping with collaborations (surprise) with the likes of Flo Rida, Jennifer Hudson, Timbaland and Dev throwing down in tracks. I will be riding this first taste of it all into my weekend, where I will hopefully be seeing Sia at the Twin Peaks stage tomorrow. #untz

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now seville

10 Aug

[guest post by Nicole]

A guest post from my best friend Nicole, who happens to been the queen of untz, with a closet full of emo. We have enjoyed dancing our faces together throughout the city and beyond – Deadmau5, Benny B, Axwell, Boys Noize, Tiesto – but Nicole has also spiritedly tagged along with me to see me cry to The Head and the Heart not one but two times, and is not so secretly obsessed with Our Lady Peace and Incubus. She is also known to come home late from a night of raging only to continue dancing in her room by herself into the morning. My musical life and adventures would not be complete without my better half, and I cannot wait to take Outside Lands on with her on this weekend. In the meantime enjoy her impeccable taste and musings below. – Tor

Today’s Emo: If Not Now, When? / Incubus

If Not Now When / Incubus

‘I’ve waited all my life / if not now, when will I? / stand up and face the bright light / don’t hide your eyes it’s time’

My taste in the emo skews towards alternative rock, so I’m gonna highlight a brand new song from one of my favorite alt bands, Incubus.  I’m really liking this title track from their latest CD, released a few weeks ago. Funny enough, I was introduced to Incubus on an incredibly emo day – sitting in the doctor’s office, homesick at sleep-away math camp (math camp…who does this to their child?).  Anyway, the TV in the doctor’s office was playing their video for ‘Stellar.’  I looked it up when I finally went home, found more of their music, and the rest is history.

The melody of ‘If Not Now, When?’ definitely contains elements of the band’s signature sound from their last three CDs, including the necessary showcase of lead singer Brandon Boyd’s vocal ability.  In my opinion, his voice is one of the most notable in rock music ever, and it’s flawless here.  With regard to lyrics, they are posing a question that I often need to hear. (Tor also asked me the same question about writing this post for months.) This is a pleasant addition to the emo playlist, especially for those days where you hesitate to act on what you truly want to get in life.  Ugh… so #emo.

Today’s Untz: Largo Al Factotum / The Barber of Seville (Mustard Pimp remix)

The untz is what I live for, and I try to indulge in many of the shows that come through this city. I also make it to the opera house a few times each season to enjoy my fair share of arias. (Gotta balance the #rage with some #culture from time to time, you know.) You can thus imagine my delight in stumbling upon this fun electro remix of ‘Largo Al Factotum’ early Monday morning before the dreaded work day.   And yes, I did find out that this is actually the Jersey Shore Season 4 anthem, but I have no shame; I’m loving the epic cascades and escalations, the famous chorus interspersed throughout the song, and that Jersey club beat on the 1s and 2s. Even with Mike or Ronnie equivalents in my personal space at the club (oh, Ruby Skye), I would dance happily and emphatically to this on any night out. Might even break out the fist pump myself. I am short, brown person named Nicole after all…

Mustard Pimp is on Steve Aoki’s label, Dim Mak.  I like what he has to offer with this tune, so off to his SoundCloud page I go in hopes of a work day full of solid #untz.

– Nicole / electroNic

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scattered indians

8 Aug

Don’t tell Tiesto, but I have started trading in his sets for an occasional podcast of This American Life during my recent runs, just to mix things up. Heard a great one titled Break-Up the other day, featuring a contributor who decides to write a break up song to help her get over her own, and ends up consulting Phil Collins who has some surprisingly thoughtful commentary on the matter of love lost. Highly recommend squeezing in, between the untz and the emo.

Today’s Emo: Four Days Straight / Scattered Trees

‘first your heart beats me and then your church bells ring / oh I cannot wait for you to touch down’

Scattered Trees is a five piece indie rock group hailing from Chicago who I stumbled upon the other week. I found myself mesmerized by this quiet masterpiece on first listen, with lots of melancholy and wistful thinking stirred up from the sound.

The group has been together since 2006, but went on hiatus for the past several years until the passing of frontman Nate Eiseland’s father caused him to start writing music again. The track is off the group’s recent resulting album, aptly titled Sympathy, and is interesting because if you listen from the obvious angle, it sounds to be about the broken hearts residing from an epic breakup. However, upon further listen and with the context on when/why it was written, it’s more likely intended to be  about something entirely different. Give it a close listen and hear for yourself. #emo

Today’s Untz: Polish Girl / Neon Indian

‘was this only in my head / just like most things go misread / when over thought’

A bit of a chill untz, but it is Monday and I want things a little slower. Besides, these beats are righteous. I got excited about this song because of its name – one of my favorite people is Polish, and I promptly sent this her way. Another blog described this as a glowing jam, and I couldn’t agree more. The perfect background music for just about anything.

Neon Indian is fronted by Texan chillwaver Alan Palomo, and have a new album out, Era Extrana, which could be translated to she was weird, or strange era. Hmm. #untz

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nicest hook

5 Aug

I brought along my ipod and plugged into my favorite The National album to drown out the sound of the drill during three hours of terrible dental work a few weeks ago, and now my favorite band is making me cringe. Never again. Next time I get attacked at the dentist (god forbid), I am bringing along Rebecca Black. Speaking of… it’s FRIDAY.

Today’s Emo: Nicest Thing / Kate Nash

Nicest Thing / Kate Nash

‘I wish that you needed me / I wish that you knew when I said two sugars / actually I meant three’

All aboard the emo express, because this one is a doozy. Kate Nash has a fragile but firm, innocent but polished kind of sound to her, which serves as the perfect platform to deliver this knee buckling song of want. The young British songbird reminds me of a more subtle Lilly Allen, and I enjoy all of her music, although some of her tracks can come off a bite trite.

Not Nicest Thing. Simple and aching, it basically says all the things we wish we could say but can’t… beautifully brutally honest to a point where it makes me a little uncomfortable, in a good way. As someone I know put it, this song is love. #emo

Today’s Untz: Take You Higher (club mix) / Goodwill & Hook N Sling

‘she said “hello mister, please to meet ya” / I wanna hold her, I wanna kiss her’

Play time! Sleepy folk siblings Angus and Julia Stone’s Big Jet Plane gets woken up by what sounds like Laidback Luke’s You Used to Hold Me? Wha? Never thought I would hear the day, but wow does this work. Take You Higher has been the number one song on Hypem the past couple of days and I can see why… I have been riding this wave throughout Thursday and now into the weekend. #untz

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last midnight

3 Aug

Capped off my Oregon trip with three days in the house I grew up in, hiking in the woods, drinking micro brews, and saying what might be a final goodbye to my loyal yellow lab of twelves years, Callie. I also spent a lot of time 11-hour-a-night hibernating in my old bedroom, which is oozing with the emo of a younger self.  Dried prom corsages, a signed Matt Nathanson stub, a battered ticket from a 2001 Dashboard Confessional show at the Salem Armory, and most noticeably, sharpied lyrics etched onto the wall, from Third Eye Blind’s Background to Ben Harper’s “not talking ’bout a year, no not three or four” to an abrupt ending halfway down the wall at “Enrique Ig” because I never did look up how to finish spelling the Hero singer’s name before I lost the sharpie.

Eight years later, and it is all still there, right next to my shining disco ball. I, however, am back at the grind in SF.

Today’s Emo: Last Night / The Morning Benders (Strokes cover)

‘see, people they don’t understand / no, girlfriends, they can’t understand’

The Morning Benders put a refreshing spin on a classic, injecting coy vocals, smooth guitar and playful synth into their take of Strokes’ Last Night. The Berkeley turned Brooklyn indie quartet pay tribute to that angsty rush of a ‘no one understands me – I am better off alone’ feeling, where you are suddenly ready to kthxbai yourself out of something. They make it sound good. #emo

Today’s Untz: Midnight City / M83 (Christian Strobe remix)

French electro-dream poppers M83 named themselves after a spiral galaxy, Messiar 83, a perfect name for such celestial sounds. Waves of electro, ambiguous noises melded together, soft indiscernible vocals over rolling beats… shoegazing ‘tro at its best. Wish I could gaze my way through Wednesday instead of facing catch up crunch time. #untz

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sonic sound

1 Aug

A brief presentation because I am still on vacation in the wonderland that is Oregon.

Today’s Emo: Three Rounds and a Sound / Blind Pilot

Blind Pilot / 3 Rounds and a Sound

‘I was sleeping /  my eyes were dark til you woke me / and told me that opening / is just the start / it was’

A favorite track from some of my favorite Oregonian indie rockers, Blind Pilot. I was reminded of BP by the playing of another one of their tracks in a shitty indie movie we rented at our Portland hotel after the epicness that was brew fest because all the mainstream stuff looked too blah. Should have gone with Jennifer Aniston, but at least I was reminded of this gem… a blurry installation of hope amidst silvery sweet vocals, gentle guitar, and yes, rounds. Not worth forgetting again. #emo

Today’s Untz: Sonic 2 -Chemical Plant Zone / RAC

I was sliding through song after song my Hypem Latest list last week, plugged into work and not paying attention to what was going into my ears when I heard the playful electro start to build in this song, and tuned back in. I was not surprised to find it was the remix mastermind that is RAC that caught my ear, but was surprised to find this whole jingle is not original untz but a SONIC remix. I am Nintendo 4 lyfe, and barely touched Sega and the hedgehog, but this track has me wanting to roll through some golden hoops. #untz

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fire wax and wire

29 Jul

Today’s tracks both come from the influence of friends… one of my favorite attributes of music is how easily and happily it is both given and received. I am homeward bound to Oregon this morning for a long weekend, ready to escape for the annual beer fest, mountains, family, and friends. The happiest of Fridays.

Today’s Emo: Wax and Wire / Loch Lomond

‘I’m helplessly needless and needless to say I owe you’

My friend Chris who is usually an untzer tipped me off on this great indie a couple of weeks ago, and I have been listening steadily since. I love the music box intro, that the song fearlessly takes a moment to break and rebuild in the middle, and the way the words want to make something broken whole again. With a little research I was even more delighted to discover the six-piece band is from Oregon, although they are mysteriously named after a lake in Scotland. #emo

Today’s Untz: Set Fire to the Rain / Adele (Plastic Plates remix)

‘but there’s a side to you / that I never knew, never knew / all the things you’d say / they were never true, never true’

Another untz pulled from my friend Tom’s Blogjuice, where he has succinctly summed the track up in his description:  ‘Sexy voice + Sexy Beat = Sex.’ Well done. Sydney turned Los Angeles transplant Plastic Plates preserves the sincere angst of Adele’s ballad, while upping the tempo to something more engaging and movable. Dish it up. #untz

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