Music for USB Ports @musicforusbports - Tumblr Blog

AUDIO: Julia Brown | "Library"

Julia Brown is the home recording project of Maryland-based songwriter Sam Ray, who recorded a quaint little mini-album called To Be Close to You "at various peoples houses over a long period of time." The album was released to tape back in February, and its DIY recording techniques are apparent throughout the album's 16 minutes. Atop the perpetual hiss and occasional chatter are eight gorgeously constructed slices of lo-fi bedroom pop with a diverse range of acoustic instrumentation. Yet it's Ray's propensity for brooding, meticulously crafted pop songs that makes the album so alluring. "Library" -- with its gleaming guitar picks and morose string arrangements -- recalls Phil Elverum or Elliott Smith at their most buoyantly endearing. And no matter how dense the melancholy, it's one of the more pleasant things to emerge from a four-track recorder that you're bound to hear all year.

#julia brown #maryland #audio #birdtapes

VIDEO: Dungeonesse | "Drive You Crazy"

Any song in which Jenn Wasner sings automatically assumes the character of her voice. The Baltimore native's silk-laden vocals have been featured generously over the last few years: everything from her own Wye Oak and Flock of Dimes projects to collaborations with Titus Andronicus and Sharon Van Etten, among others. Which is to say that pipes like hers are justifiably in high demand, resulting in a resume of material as unique as anyone working today. It shouldn't come as a surprise, then, that her latest work -- along with fellow Baltimorean Jon Ehrens under the Dungeonesse moniker -- is yet another venture into unforeseen stylistic territory.

The duo's self-titled album -- out today -- is an infectious foray into synth-driven pop and modernized R&B. It's especially striking given the earthy soundscapes of Wasner's prior work, yet she sounds so at home as a crooning diva that you'd have thought she'd been writing these types of songs for years. Of the album's many standouts, "Drive You Crazy" is especially infectious, with a rollicking electro-beat and whirling synthesizers that recall the kind of Balearic pop that's been dominating blog-waves in recent years. Yet, appropriately, it's Wasner's voice -- and her modern pop-influenced vocal inflection -- that carries the song into irresistible anthem territory.

From Dungeonesse; Out now via Secretly Canadian.

#baltimore #jenn wasner #dungeonesse #video #secretly canadian

PREVIEW: Norman Music Festival (Day 2)

There are basically two paths you can take Friday at NMF: ear-splitting punk or trance-inducing electronica. I'll probably find myself running back and forth during sets, as there's no shortage of difficult decisions to make (a festival staple). Like Thursday, it's a day heavy on the local scene, though there are some intriguing national (and international) acts worthy of your time as well. I was able to narrow it down to 16, which was an accomplishment in and of itself. If you're able to catch all of these (and I'm going to try), I'll buy you a beer.

#Norman Music Festival #nmf6 #norman #oklahoma #oklahoma city #feature

PREVIEW: Norman Music Festival (Day One)

Since its inaugural event in 2008, Norman Music Festival has been – for me, at least – the quaint little college town's rite of spring. Its downtown premises have hosted an endearing mix of old fogies and college-aged hipsters for six years running now, and the fest has grown from a single-day celebration to a three-day exposé of talent from the Sooner State and beyond, featuring such headlining acts as of Montreal, Dirty Projectors and The Walkmen. Even with a bevy of talented musicians each year, NMF’s organizers somehow manage to keep this thing free (which means more money for booze -- I mean, records and merch), so for that, let us rejoice.

We kick things off on Thursday again, and music-wise, it's pretty stacked. Almost all of the bands playing come from within the confines of Oklahoma, but there are some heavy-hitting locals – and even some under-the-radar bands on the verge of breaking out that are sure to please. So to make things a little easier, I’ve selected the acts I’m most looking forward to Thursday – a mock schedule of sorts – and compiled them into a chronological playlist for your reference/listening pleasure. You can check out the full lineup here and explore Thursday’s NMF primer after the jump. Oh, and make sure to keep an eye out for Friday and Saturday's picks in the coming days as well. See you there, dudes and dudettes.

#feature #nmf6 #norman #oklahoma #norman music festival

AUDIO: Mikal Cronin | "The Weight"

It’s a shame – a damn shame, even – but for whatever reason, Mikal Cronin has been living in the shadow of his axe-shredding bandmate Ty Segall since the latter stormed onto the scene a couple years ago. While Segall has consistently and forcefully established himself as one of garage rock’s most revered defenders, Cronin has quietly produced some of the most superbly crafted music within the genre. The two have their distinctions, sure: Segall’s songs are relentlessly scuzzy, as he often buries his hooks deep beneath a barrage of feedback and distortion. Cronin, meanwhile, has such a knack for 60s bubblegum pop that his melodies often tame the guitar, rather than the other way around.

“Weight” is unabashedly melodic and absorbing, and finds Cronin singing about “the weight” from the perspective of an aging adolescent wearily lamenting the prospect of adulthood. But what makes this arguably his most compelling and infectious song to date is the way in which he playfully juxtaposes between fuzzy riffs and sugary power-pop – something he’s done routinely in his prior work, but exceedingly well in this instance. If nothing else, “Weight” ought to serve as a warning to unsuspecting listeners: the man is a force in his own right.

From MCII; Out May 7th via Merge.

#mikal cronin #merge #audio #san francisco

VIDEO: Phosphorescent | "Song for Zula"

The video for Phosphorescent’s superbly lavish “Song for Zula” unfolds in a manner similar to that of the song itself: the camera, transfixed on an individual – in this case, a woman – glides at a placid, yet deliberate pace along its earthy foundation. Filmed in only a single elongated shot, we gradually come to realize this woman’s struggle to be free from the chains that bound her, each strike of a rock emitting a vivid burst of light. And as the camera inches closer, the torment on her face becomes more apparent, the metaphor more discernible and the struggle more absorbing. This imagery, coupled with the words of Matthew Houck – who co-directed the video – suddenly makes phrases like “I saw love disfigure me” and “I could kill you with my bare hands if I was free” all the more affecting.

From Muchacho; Out now via Dead Oceans.

#phosphorescent #brooklyn #dead oceans #video

AUDIO: Caveman | "In the City"

Coco Beware, Caveman's mesmeric 2011 debut, was an exercise in slow-burning melodrama, each cut warping and warbling along through textured harmonic layers. Though, for the most part, the album was largely muted and understated, opting for hushed intricacy over big, sweeping choruses. “In the City” – the stellar lead single from the band’s forthcoming self-titled follow-up – takes this notion and shoots it through a confetti cannon filled with molten platinum. From its opening notes, a towering synth assumes the forefront, serving as its bruised metallic backbone. Meanwhile, reverberating guitar noodles and a flurry of “oohs” and “ahhs” mount atop this synthetic glow, as singer Matthew Iwanusa yelps through discharge with relentlessly impassioned melody. It all amounts to a soul-churning, yet deeply enthralling listen. And in an album filled to the brim with standouts – many of which display a familiar, albeit more refined sense of muffled grandeur – “In the City” is perhaps the most distinguished output from a band of remarkable ability; one that refuses to rub it in, no matter how great the temptation.

From Caveman; Out April 2nd via Fat Possum. Stream the album in its entirety via NPR.

#caveman #new york city #audio #fat possum

VIDEO: Sigur Rós | "Brennisteinn"

A couple months back, Sigur Rós hinted that their new material was more "aggressive" than anything they'd done. Granted, the glacial soundscapes that came to define the band in the early 2000s were hardly adrenaline-fueled, having routinely demonstrated a propensity for the dainty and fragile. It was part of what made them so great; Sigur Rós did (and still do) "pretty" better than anyone else. But it was the louder moments, the moments of brooding catharsis, that benefitted most from the more ambient passages (side two of ( ) comes to mind).

"Brennisteinn" is the band's answer to those who said Valtari -- which I happened to love -- was too quiet. The song is unabashedly sinister in its approach: a scuzzy bass stab warbles like a cog in an underlord's factory, while their signature bowed guitar adds layers of metallic sheen to emphasize the industrial flair. Yet despite its confrontational stature, there still resides beauty beneath all the chaos -- and that's a good thing, because it just wouldn't feel right if it didn't.

From Kveikur; out June 17th via XL.

#sigur ros #iceland #xl #video

AUDIO: Tallows | 2012 Demo

On the heels of their buzzed-about SXSW performance, Tallows seem poised to emerge as one of 2013's most promising new upstarts. Recorded material from the Oklahoma City four-piece is scant, but what little glimpse we have is enough to know that these guys are a rare talent around these parts. Some label will inevitably swoop them up, buzz will generate and they'll take the world by storm. Bands this refined, this polished at such a nascent stage in their career, don't just fizzle into darkness.

The group put out a two-song demo toward the end of last year, which flew under the radar for the most part -- even locally. But you'd never know it was a demo, more closely resembling a tenured and established band at the peak of their career. There are modern touchstones aplenty: "Soft Water" recalls the fractured pop of Born Ruffians and the dramatic potency of Arcade Fire. "Small Talk," meanwhile, sounds like "In This Home on Ice" if it was written and recorded by Broken Social Scene. There's a striking compositional maturity to both of these songs, yet the band presents them with such endearing enthusiasm -- almost naivety, unaware or uninterested in how good they actually are -- that makes them so incredibly easy to fall in love with. Listening to Tallows feels like the first time I heard some of my favorite bands. Time will tell if the same heights are eventually reached, but they've undoubtedly taken off with the same trajectory.

Tallows are playing tonight (3/22) at The Conservatory in OKC. Buy tickets here.

Download the band's 2012 Demo at the Tallows Bandcamp.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://tallowsmusic.bandcamp.com/album/2012-demo" data-mce-href="http://tallowsmusic.bandcamp.com/album/2012-demo"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;2012 DEMO by Tallows&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

#tallows #oklahoma city #okc #self-released #audio

VIDEO: Pajama People | "Drum"

Pajama People put out one of our favorite EPs of 2011, and after a steady output filled to the brim with promise, the Brooklyn indie pop four-piece is poised to release its first full-length album. The lead single, "Drum," marks an assured leap forward in both the band's confidence and song craft, with an infectious nu-disco hook that manages to retain the soft-spoken sincerity that made their early work so warm and welcoming.

From the band's forthcoming debut LP, Cool Intentions; Listen to more Pajama People at their Bandcamp.

#video #pajama people #brooklyn

VIDEO: Haim | "Falling"

Despite the strength of Haim's releases over the last year (two EPs, two singles), "Falling" might be the track that sees the infectiously groovy trio of sisters into commercial success. Which, at this point, is about as inevitable as rain. Speaking of rain, the Los Angeles-based band is apparently quite fond of the rainforest -- the setting for the song's new video. Watch it/vibe out below:

From Falling EP; Out April 1st via National Anthem/Polydor.

#haim #video #los angeles

AUDIO: Shlohmo feat. How to Dress Well | "Don't Say No"

The best new collaboration you never expected (but probably should have) comes courtesy of chilled-out beatmaker Shlohmo and falsetto-auteur How to Dress Well. Both are in prime form on "Don't Say No": Shlohmo's production is meticulous and dense, while Tom Krell's vocals soar toward the heavens, as the track ascends from luxuriant to downright divine. When the ambient noise and subsequent tension begin to build, the static electricity pervades in a way that makes this one of the more intensely emotional songs I've heard in some time. And with talents as pure as theirs, something tells me this isn't merely lightning in a bottle -- even if the song conjures something seemingly supernatural.

From the Laid Out EP; Out March 4th via FoF.

#shlohmo #how to dress well #audio #fof

AUDIO: Wampire | "The Hearse"

Since they've emerged on the scene in recent weeks, much has been made of Wampire's name. It's goofy, yeah, and it's totally appropriate that they've just embarked on a tour with bands called "Unknown Mortal Orchestra" and "Foxygen" (kids these days, right?). But if you're familiar with either of those two (great) bands, the marriage of Wampire's music with such whimsical and eccentric musicians makes even more sense.

"The Hearse" is glammy and capricious, with a synthesized feather boa of a hook giving life to an otherwise glum tone. Yet the song is driven by a krautrock tempo that, halfway through, dissipates into harrowing drone, only to make a dramatic return with an explosion of melody in a rapturous climax. It's a moment that proves these four Oregonians are worthy, if only emerging compatriots of the wacked-out West Coast pop that their torch-bearing contemporaries brandish with irresistible flair.

From Curiosity; Out this May via Polyvinyl.

Wampire are playing with Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Foxygen March 11th at the Opolis. Buy tickets here.

#wampire #audio #polyvinyl #portland

AUDIO: Born Ruffians | "Needle"

Here's a new track from Toronto four-piece Born Ruffians, who are about as reliable as any when it comes to piercingly catchy indie pop. "Needle" turns the reverb dial up a tick, which, for a band who writes such sparsely defined, almost staccato rock tunes, is used to a pleasantly cavernous effect. But it wouldn't be so rousing if not for its boyishly potent melody -- a trademark I don't see being relinquished any time soon.

From Birthmarks; Out April 16th via Yep Roc.

#toronto #born ruffians #yep roc #audio

AUDIO: Jagwar Ma | "The Throw"

Easily the most entrancing, out-of-left-field single released in 2013 so far, "The Throw" is the kind of mesmeric, psychedelic dance-capade that could have emerged from any number of decades. From the get-go, an unabashedly lavish, almost Avalanches-esque hook is mated with a steady, snare-driven metronome, yet the track wastes little time in its acquiescence to a ruthless cyclone of dizzying atmosphere and pulsating rhythm. It's the kind of thing Tame Impala might make if James Murphy helmed the studio, which, as a fan of post-millennial pop music, is about all one can ask for.

From The Throw single; Out now via iTunes.

#audio #jagwar ma #sydney #australia #self-released

AUDIO: Blue Hawaii | "Try to Be"

Way back in 2010, Blue Hawaii -- then a quaint little pop duo that seemed to emerge from the damp sand of a murmuring, cloud-covered shoreline -- released an immensely charming debut EP, Blooming Summer (a must-listen, and certainly worth the $1 download). The release was a launching pad of sorts for Raphaelle Standell-Preston, who would go on to form Braids and hence, release one of 2011's finest LPs. But it also laid the groundwork for the languishing, endlessly sensual compositions laid forth on Untogether, the duo's upcoming full-length debut.

"Try to Be" is harrowing in its introspection: an inward rumination detailing a presumably lost adolescent seeking comfort in a cold and unwelcoming world. Standell-Preston's vocals rightfully assume the forefront, with a dizzying array of bellows and whimpers meticulously arranged atop a delicately plucked acoustic guitar. Yet it's her remarkable ability to transform something with minimal instrumentation into a densely atmospheric wonder, almost exclusively through the use of vocal manipulation, that makes this song both technically fascinating and chill-inducing. With Braids and now Blue Hawaii, Standell-Preston may be constantly seeking spiritual atonement, but with each subsequent release she seems to be finding her voice.

From Untogether; Out March 5th via Arbutus.

#blue hawaii #arbutus #montreal #audio

PLUGGED IN: Waxahatchee | American Weekend

Admittedly, I'm a sucker for bedroom recordings — those that sound less like an accomplished professional and more like a person, an individual, pouring their innermost thoughts and emotions into song. In these moments, the relationship between musician and listener often attains its peak intimacy and personal clarity: the melodies seem more pervasive and familiar, the words more potent and relatable. And despite the typically muffled audio, it feels as if I'm right there in there in the room, mere inches from an artist who has no idea anyone is even listening, or ever will.

American Weekend is precisely that type of album. With a stripped down acoustic guitar as her vice, Katie Crutchfield (formerly of P.S. Eliot) evokes feelings of youthful isolation through haunted recollection, and does so with a folk pop immediacy that's ripe for repeated listens. Her girlish, guiltless voice, on its surface, would suggest a sprightly singalong, as would the affable simplicity of her songwriting; Yet the thoughtful intricacy of Crutchfield's poetry casts a looming shadow over the album's instantly memorable melodies. It all makes for a fascinatingly heartfelt listening experience, and one of the most overlooked and under appreciated records to be released in the last year.

American Weekend is out now via Don Giovanni.

#plugged in #waxahatchee #brooklyn #don giovanni

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

Music for USB Ports