Long time no post?
We’re coming back, and a bringing with us a few things you may have missed, including this vvavy mixtape from Reddie Edmayne (the new moniker of DJ John of Whaps)
Our weekly residency at the Paddock in Toronto comes to an end tonight, and we’ll be switching it up to a monthly Sunday night program starting in August.
That said, come out and party with us one last Thursday, tonight!
The first single from the mysterious & beautiful Jojee is a fantastic piece of future soul, sexy and slow burning. Huge kudos to the sublime production from Mickey Valen that immaculately suits Jojee's sweet & clean vocals. Check her out via the links below and grab a free download of the track while it lasts via her Soundcloud:
Another great instrumental track came through the wire, this time via Michigan's Michael Herrera. It's a funky future piece with some great 8-bit sounds, movement, and smooth production throughout. Check him out and a grab a free download via his Soundcloud (while it lasts).
AR Ferdinand is back with a great new single, absolutely made for summer nights. The track is a vibing instrumental jam with a great guitar line & loop, and just the right amount of chill to keep it cool. Check him out below:
Despite being a few months old. we just got turned on this awesome cut by Dual Citizen out of Austin, Texas. The sound of gulls and phat disco synth make this track irresistible, and worthy of many summer dance parties to come. Check him out below, and also grab a free download of the track from his Soundcloud.
Back in 2013 we stumbled onto Malibu, a gorgeous Californian ode by Tennessee 4-piece COIN, and fell in love: Their penchant for upbeat optimistic pop, inflected with synth and whirling choruses made it easy.
2 years, 3 EPs, and close to 100 tour dates later, the boys are finally set to release their self-titled debut record on June 9th. We had a chance to talk to them during the Toronto stop of their national tour (supporting Passion Pit) for our latest edition of GOOD TO KNOW...
John (of Whaps): So your debut LP is finally set for release June 9th -- congrats, that must feel amazing!
COIN (the band): Yeah, thank you
Whaps: Must feel like it has been a long time coming between the 2, even 3 EPs you've released over the last couple years leading up to this, and even the fact that (lead single) Run has been bouncing around for the past few months. I know we’ve been dying for an album -- has it been done for a while now, just waiting to get out into the world?
Chase: Yeah, we spent all year, mosty. I mean, it’s pretty much all the songs we've written since we've been a band, essentially. There are a couple extras that didn’t make the album, but when Zack & I were finishing school last year, we sat and intentionally wrote these songs for an album. We ended up recording the album in July, and it was done by December, and now it’s ready to be put out.
Whaps: Yeah, I noticed Atlas and ...
Joe: ...Time Machine yea! But new versions!
Whaps: Great tracks. Really dig the video for Run, including all the of the art direction, from the Teen Wolf car-surfing to the white golf clubs, shoes, walls, etc. That aesthetic has carried over to the cover of the last EP, and even now the cover of the new album. Is that something you guys did by design, is that coming from you guys?
Ryan: Yes, we decided that we wanted to kind of wipe our slate clean and start fresh with everything, and there are a lot of things both lyrically and conceptually that are just about starting over, you know, for kids, like moving out of their parents houses, painting their bedrooms white. We also never really established an aesthetic that we liked, so we wanted to delete everything and sort of start over, since this is the first time we'll really be introduced to the world, so --
Joe: It’s metaphorical.
Chase: Yeah, it’s also just really pretty too.
Whaps: Since you've mentioned not having an aesthetic that you liked, how important do you think that sort of 'packaging' is for a band? I mean, you guys obviously care about it a lot, for instance the intentional capitalization of COIN?
Chase: Yeah, that is absolutely intentional.
Whaps: Exactly, and I feel like in almost every bit of press I've seen for you guys, you're labled as some '90s' band, or "the 90s guys"
(Small collective groan to some degree from the gang.)
Chase: The 90s thing is less of like -- i mean, we were born in the 90s, so were just longing and yearning for the nostalgia of our childhood.
Whaps: I think we all are, really. Isn’t that sort of the world right now?
Chase: It’s not like we're all obsessed --
Joe: It’s not a fad, that feeling, it's not.
Chase: I think we were just trying to say "we're here, and we're young", and now it has just sort of stuck and people are like "ok they're 90s that works" its something to go with.
Joe: It was really a small statement piece that people have really taken seriously --
Ryan: Which means we get a lot of questions about Full House!
Whaps: I had the opportunity to listen to the new record -- which sounds really great, I think you guys have something really great there. One of the things I noticed about it was that is was certainly more rock, or perhaps guitar-driven than your earlier efforts? Even the reworkings of Atlas & Time Machine drive a bit harder. Is that a result of the time in the studio with (Grammy-nominated producer) Jay Joyce, or time spent with these songs, sorta honing them live and evolving?
Chase: The energy comes live, we've found from guitar. It’s where it seems to be driven from.
Joe: I think we've always tried to capture energy, and we've tried out so many different engineers in Nashville and the surround areas and stuff, but we've never really been able to catch the energy of our live show and make it sound coherent -- make it sound like a record, you know? I think Jay definitely helped get that out of us
Chase: The secret really was having it be more guitar-driven, more rock driven
Joe: It's still COIN, though!
Whaps: Absolutely, it still has your sound
Chase: But yea, you're right about it being more guitar driven-- Jay is a guitarist too, so I think that probably helped. Which makes sense.
Whaps: Another thing I noticed on this record, is that every once in a while, I feel like I catch a bit of a worship music vibe.
(At this point all of the guys all go "ohhh?" and start looking at each other)
Whaps: Yeah, there is something that comes out especially in the breaks -- take the new version of Atlas for instance has a very church-feeling break?
Chase: We definitely have some history there.
Whaps: Yeah, naturally a quick Google revealed that clearly about your past. Even your twitter description reads "church organist - COIN the band", in that order.
Chase: Absolutely. My dad is a pastor of a church, and I grew up playing church music, and that structure and seeing how a crowd responds to certain things. That will always influence me -- and Joe is the same way, growing up in a church.
Joe: Zach too, actually
Chase: Even if we tried to push it down, it's always going to come up and seep out
Whaps: Yeah, and I mean there is a long tradition of bands who come from that background who evolve into these large scale rock acts
Joe: A lot more than you'd think, actually
Whaps: Well it would have to be an excellent foundation for performance and practice, getting to play regularly in front of a large crowd
Joe: At a really, really young age too, between youth groups and all of that.
As we wrap up and the band heads to warm up, I ask if they are listening to anything specific at the moment (sort of a calling card for these GTK sessions), and Zach is the only one jumping to share: ”Tobias Jesso Jr!”
There are mentions of the last years (electrified & sonically-evolved) Wye Oak record from Ryan, while everyone else sort of mocks and looks at Chase, who reluctantly divulges a current obsession with New Edition. While it elicits laughter from the group (perhaps even more so when I say how phat Candy Girl is, showing my age), it is a great window into the cool, varied inspirations of a modern rock band, unafraid to get stuck on one sound or idea, be it 80s New Jack Swing or unabashed worship music.
This is just one of the many reasons it is Good To Know COIN.
This brilliant piece of modern electro R&B came through our inbox today from the hands of newcomer T. Ganley. The track has some very slick production from Sam Wills, and Tom has created a great fast-slow dynamic on the verse & chorus that really turns this into a jam.
Check out his Soundcloud, and grab a free download of the track (while it lasts).
Unsigned DIY band Sun Cut Flat out of Brooklyn have a chill & funky sound that you need to hear, especially on this appropriately titled track!
Really enjoying how they walk the line of being funky, soulful and a little psychedelic all at once. Is that some G-Funk deep in there too? Damn!
You can grab their equally funky & amazing album Copy Machine Dream via Bandcamp on a PWYC tip.
Back with some brand new music from J∆HS! Really enjoy how this one builds up. Feels so personal at the beginning and evolves into quite an electronic symphony by the end. Check him out below:
The very first STAR TROPICS | Thursdays launches tonight at The Paddock in Toronto!
We've been planning a night like this for quite some time, where we can bring you the best in synth, R&B, chillwave, and tropical pop-filled tracks & remixes, like you hear all the time on our Whapsmusic channel & feed.
DJ John of Whaps will be kicking it off at 9:30PM, and will slowly add a collection of friends & guest DJs into the mix as the summer progresses.
If you’ve never been The Paddock -- it is a great space in a killer location, fresh with a with a dope new sound system, a rotating hand-picked selection of brews on tap, and a completely chill & unpretentious environment.
No cover ever. Your money should be spent at the bar ;)
We're super proud to present the world premiere of 'Anchor', from Paris-based artist Dawn Geometry!
A bit of a departure from our usual sounds, 'Anchor' finds DG in full operatic scope: clocking in at over 10 minutes of dark ambient synth in 3 movements, and echoing shades of Moroder, Muse, Vangelis & more.
Certainly recommend spending a bit of time combing through his back catalog if you are into retro-sounding synth stuff (I know I am a sucker for it).
Let us know what you think!
Loving this new music from Sweden’s Moon Regiment, featuring the awesome Dominique on vocals. Moon Regiment's production is pretty unique, dark and spacey, matched perfectly with the airy sound Dominique has channeled on her performance here. Check them out, and grab a free download of the track while it lasts.
Discovered this amazing space-pop band, The Landing, yesterday and have not stopped listening to them. Literally! Their new single 'Then Comes The Wonder' is a brilliant piece of mod-infected pop, complete with whirling synths and harmony-filled vocals. These guys are an absolute do not miss. Check them out, and be sure to grab a free download of the track (and their INCREDIBLE "We Are" EP) while you still can.
Really digging this new track from Leeds band Glacier Pacific. Always been a big fan of soaring indie rock from the UK, and am always on the hunt for contemporaries of the likes of The 1975 and their ilk, so this was a really nice find.
Would really love to see what a band like GP could do with some amazing production, because the writing is fantastic, the tunes sound great -- these guys could be destined for some big things.
Had this new track from Irish electro-poppers R-Music roll in last week and have been meaning to share it with you all.
They have a really interesting sound -- last week was good for artists like that. Always enjoy hearing some genre bending sounds, and even more so when they have entirely perfect titles like ‘Bubble Gum Geisha’ here. I feel like this couldn’t be much more appropriately titled, right?
Let us know what you think!
dededos
janainaart
areudirty
blakekathryn
stormborns
ellievsbear