Category Archives: New Releases

Robin Pecknold’s “Olivia, In A Separate Bed”

Olivia's new home, perhaps?

Robin Pecknold, frontman of the folk saviors The Fleet Foxes and arguably one of the best songwriters of his generation, released a demo of a song entitled “Olivia, In a Separate Bed.” As he describes in his post, Robin has intentions of changing the track. However, the song’s unembellished, raw character–both in lyrical content and in tune–give it a sense of vulnerability that grants the listener access to a window into the creator perhaps previously unseen in other work. That is to say, we hear Robin’s bitter longing for a lost lover. Regardless of whether or not it is in its final incarnation, the song stands upright for that reason alone.

Reptar’s “Sebastian”

Yeah, we’ve been waiting for this one. After teasing us with EP Oblangle Fizz Y’all  the kooked up boys from Reptar have dropped their first hint from up-coming full debut, Body Faucet. Besides evoking some particularly strange bodily imagery, the album and opening track “Sebastian” seems to have some promise. Lots of it.

Jammed with tribal percussion, steel drum samples and one surf-happy guitar, “Sebastian” is a perfect encapsulation of Reptar: crazed and care-free to the point of bliss. With lead singer Graham Ulicny doing his best Ezra Koenig impersonation– “Mixing my emotions, you just don’t care!” he wails–Reptar takes off on choral hollers and sets the bar high for the rest of its 11 tracks.

Reptar’s Body Faucet comes out in May 1 on Vagrant Records.

Reptar- Sebastian (sign up for their mailing list to download)

Shlohmo’s Vacation EP

This short three song EP from Shlohmo–LA’s maestro of muddied, mellow beats–finds the classically trained, maximally blunted producer trading in the live-session feel and soul-rending howls of his debut album, Bad Vibes, for something with a little more bounce to the ounce.

Vacation is a short but sweet slice of the young beatsmith’s gray matter, three songs under 15 minutes in which you can hear innovation and talent coalesce into a vibrant palette of sound that Shlohmo, born Henry Laufer, would use to paint the damn sky if they’d let him.

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Do you hear that SIREN?

It’s been a while since I’ve heard about a really good, new, independent artist.  Usually, when I browse through Hypem, it’s filled with Skrillex remixes amongst recycled rap music and the like.  Then making his entrance is Stefan Evan Niedermeyer, or SIREN, the 21 year old with a bright future in front of him.

21-year old Stefan Evan Niedermeyer aka SIREN is a half-German, half-Australian musician, who is a young man of many talents. Raised in Singapore, Niedermeyer’s life was initially all about skateboarding, but after moving to London and getting more and more into making music, he’s now about to release his first single ‘Buckets Of Blood’, a beautifully crafted and catchy song about not finding the right path with the right girl. With plenty of more great tunes written and an experienced production team behind him, 2012 will be the year of the SIREN. (via Lodown)

It’s been a while since I’ve heard something sound fresh, yet so familiar and welcoming in a while, so be sure to listen and share with all your friends.

SIREN – Buckets Of Blood (download)

M. Ward’s “The First Time I Ran Away”

You can argue all day about whether to love Zooey or hate Zooey, but here’s the rub: M. Ward was around before her and will last long after her.

Need proof? The first 20 seconds of his single, “The First Time I Ran Away,” starts out bare-bones tinkling and then — boom — it’s lush, rich texture à la M.

The three-part ditty tells a tale as formulaic as a country song but with the tiny sweetness that Ward’s work never misses, accompanied by animation that plays with motifs of fish, waterfalls, faces and pink argyle patterns. It works. (Bonus point: You might recognize the work of Joel Trussell, the video’s director, who also did the video for “Chinese Translation.”)

Ward’s A Wasteland Companion is out April 10.

M. Ward- Rave On (Feat. Zooey Deschanel) (download)