Listen To/Download: Geoff Geis “Princess”

Geoff Geis, an integral member of multiple Los Angeles-based bands including Big Whup and Pizza!, spent the opening months of 2011 collecting the material that has become Princess, the first release for his boutique cassette label Vanity Projects. To say Princess is a strange hodgepodge of sounds would be an understatement. It pulls equally from the contradictory sounds of lo-fi Electronica, old school Country, 80′s synth pop and blue-eyed soul, while still finding time to touch upon a dizzying variety of other genres in its brisk 24 minutes run time. In less skilled hands a combination of that sort could sound muddled or worse yet ridiculous but Geis’ attention to arrangements, honest vocal delivery and ear for melodies keeps Princess unified in its charming appeal.

Download: “Where Have You Been (All My Life)?” (cover song) here (right click + save link as)

Download: “Mother of All” here (right click + save link as)

New Music Video: Tidelands “Holy Grail”

Tidelands asked illustrator Ami Kutata to create a video for their new single “Holy Grail”. Four months later, Kutata had completed the video, based on more than 1,000 pages of her watercolor work.

Kutata isn’t fluent in English, so Mie Araki, one half of Tidelands, translated the lyrics to “Holy Grail” for her. This created slightly different meanings which combined with Kutata’s own storyline to make for something entirely new altogether.

“She was really attached to the line in the song, ‘Over-dignified is just another way to compensate for what you’ve lost’, which became her main inspiration for the story and the images of a traveler, the queen and the dwarf town,” says Araki.

“Holy Grail” is the first single from Tidelands upcoming self-released debut If…, out July 26.

New Music Video: I Break Horses “Hearts”

Meet I Break Horses, the nom de plume of Maria Lindén and her musical partner Fredrik Balck. These Swedes are heavily (and openly) influenced by My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Jesus & Mary Chain and the like – but “Hearts” is far from an exercise in the typical. The noise and volume, reverb and tremelo of shoegaze is a part of I Break Horses but it’s just that, a part. There are plenty other textures and colors in their music. Something they achieve by infusing and combining the dichotomous emotions of the human condition – optimism and despair, anger and compassion – into their music.

I Break Horses’ debut album, also entitled Hearts, will be released August 16 via I KILL LOVE Records in the U.S. and August 15 on Bella Union Records in the UK.

Check out the video for “Hearts”, which was directed by Alex Southam and features what I assume to be beautiful shots of the Swedish countryside. Download a copy of “Hearts” from the Soundcloud below.

Listen To/Download: Motorboater “Left Limb” + “Lessons”

Motorboater is Dan Eaton. Dan Eaton is a Kansas City, MO chillwave producer best known for his playful remixes of unexpected artists like Carly Simon and Taylor Swift. Judging by the the airy hooks, popping beats and unflinching groove of “Left Limb” and “Lessons” – two tracks from Motorboater’s debut album Sports, out July 11 on The Record Machine – Eaton will be making a name for his own material very soon.

LEFT LIMB by Motorboater!

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Download “Lessons” here (right click + save link as)

New Music Video: Ganglians “Jungle”

Sacramento’s Ganglians are set to release their new album, Still Living on August 23 stateside via Lefse and August 29 throughout Europe on Souterrain Transmissions. Pete Dee directed the video for “Jungle”, the first single from the new album, starring a grim version of the band sporting prosthetics courtesy of Beatrice Turner.

Download “Jungle” here (right click + save link as)