Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving! One more thing to be thankful for is a new Weekly Roundup. Here we go!
-I am digging this tune "Alive" from Bang, You're Dead. The duo is a collaboration between DJ Quickie Mart & Jes Hudak. It's a cool fusion of a haunting, soulful piano ballad and some ambient effects, and I think it comes together very well.
Bang, You're Dead (Jes Hudak & Quickie Mart) – "Alive" by Quickie Mart
–Maria Taylor is part of Azure Ray but she has also released several solo albums. Check out the video for "Matador" from her latest album Overlook. The song mixes bluesy verses with a more purely pop chorus, and I like how the video is a performance tableau, like a living painting. You can go here to order the album or get downloads of this song and another from it.
Maria Taylor – Matador from Saddle Creek on Vimeo.
-I'm pretty excited about this new band called Slothbear (well, they are at least new to me). They have an EP out called Canter On, which is an adventurous work that tickles the ears. I hear plenty of 80s and 90s indie touchstones in the tones and guitar work, as well as influences of the avant-garde and the psychedelic from other times and genres. Check out the track "Wide Berth," below and be sure to click the link to get the EP at a price of your choice.
-I don't really know a lot about this next act Boyscout Discovery (not exactly the most Google search-friendly band name), but I think that sense of mystery enhances the intrigue of its sample-based music. I enjoy the collaged soundscapes of this untitled EP (I believe a precursor to a forthcoming LP, though I don't know for sure) and encourage you to check them out. This is a fascinating way to make music and a cool listen.
-I was lucky to have the chance to live in Italy for a few months, so I'm always happy to learn about any music coming out of that country. Amycanbe is my latest discovery and I think you'll dig it. This video for their new single "Truth Be Told" is full of interesting first person point-of-view shots involving sports and outdoor activities and it's definitely a really great indie rock song. Their latest release Mountain Whales should be a good one.
-We're going to close it out with a trifecta of new singles from previously featured bands. First, there's "Luminol" from the always delightful Miracles of Modern Science (album due 12/6):
-Next is Saint Motel's latest: the ambiguous anthem "At Least I Have Nothing." Order the 7-inch it's on with "Puzzle Pieces" here.
SAINT MOTEL – At Least I Have Nothing by saintmotel
-Finally, the rocking "Pink Champagne" from Lovedrug, complete with a lovely black-and-white music video. Looking forward to Wild Blood in March 2012.