We Dance to the Beat

An aspiring screenwriter living and working in Japan. I'm a bit obsessive about music and this blog has become an outlet for me to share all the stuff I am constantly stumbling upon. (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-44566836-1', 'wedance2thebeat.com'); ga('send', 'pageview');

[youdancetothebeat]

Song Premiere: Bon Iver Writes A Tune For Zach Braff

It's been awhile since we've heard any new Bon Iver (2011?), so let's all give Zach Braff a BIG old e-hug for inspiring Justin Vernon to slip back into his Bon Iver shoes and record this gorgeous new song for Braff's upcoming film Wish I Was Here. 

Bon Iver's Justin Vernon took one look at Wish I Was Here, the new film by Zac Braff, and was immediately inspired to write this song.

[youdancetothebeat]

School of Seven Bells Share Final Song, Joey Ramone Cover “I Got Knocked Down (But I’ll Get Up)”

School of Seven Bells had shoegazey pop down to a science, and it was incredibly sad when band member Benjamin Curtis passed away last year. Today, the band shared their final track with Curtis, recorded from his hospital bed. 

The full story and song are over on Pitchfork.

[nothingsoundsbetter]

"Dangerous Days" - Zola Jesus

Well that didn’t take long. Last week, we got an ambient trailer for a new album from Zola Jesus, along with the title Taiga and word that it’d be released in October. This tells us so much more.

We have a release date - October 7 from Mute - but that’s not as important as this song. This song, you guys. Nika Roza Danilova has been getting bigger and more expansive in her music, but this is so much more, so very pop. Crystal clear, melodic pop that soars through night skies, something that could capture the same swath of people that fell for “Midnight City,” the M83 track Danilova wasn’t on.

I loved Conatus, but I’m also immediately in on this new shift. In the past, various permuations on “goth” would often be included in blurbs on Zola Jesus. Danilova is far beyond that now, or at least some brand new version of it. There are still plenty of traces of old iterations - the music, though its jagged edges have been sanded smooth, is still familiar, and the voice is unmistakable - but that first verse could pop up when turning the radio dial without so much as arched eyebrow. Please, let this song start popping up everywhere.

As an added bonus, as noted by Pitchfork Taiga was mixed by Dean Hurley, who has worked with former Zola Jesus collaborator David Lynch, including on the masterful Dark Night of the Soul.

- Tyler Hanan

[youdancetothebeat]

Loving her new, poppier direction.

[youdancetothebeat]

OK Go | The Writing's On the Wall

Pretty much every video Ok Go have ever made has been a marvel, and this one might just be one of their best yet. I might be a bit biased though because I'm a sucker for cool optical illusions, and they cram a ton of them in here in one long take that is immensely impressive. 

[perfectmidnightworld]

"Weightless" by Washed Out // Dir. David Altobelli

Washed Out's Ernest Greene is onto something. Namely, bringing back the storytelling music video. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of artists who still put together solid videos, but for his latest album, Paracosm, the artist has been collaborating with some very talented directors to create gorgeous short films soundtracked by extended versions of the Paracosm singles. First time out was the bittersweet road trip video for “All I Need”, and this time around we get a stunning, heartbreaking short film for Paracosm highlight, “Weightless”. Director David Altobelli crafts a beautiful little film about an unrequited love from the perspective of a young gay teen who is inching closer to revealing his feelings to his crush. It features some downright spectacular cinematography. Come for the pertty song and visuals, stay for the story. Highest recommendation!

[youdancetothebeat]

Kimbra | 90s Music

Talk about sensory overload! This wack-tastic video for New Zealand sensation Kimbra is an acid trip love letter to the 90s, and being perennially in love with everything from that decade I can't help but love this, too.

[pupfresh]

NEW MUSIC VIDEO: Lana Del Rey - “West Coast”

[youdancetothebeat]

Sia | Chandelier

I'm a sucker for videos that are full of off the walls dancing, and the girl in Sia's "Chandelier" is a little force of nature that delivers just that. And this song has huge radio hit written all over it IMO.

[youdancetothebeat]

Lovestarrs | Get Your Sexy On

Get it

[youdancetothebeat]

First Listen: Royksopp & Robyn – Do It Again + Every Little Thing

New Röyksopp and Robyn! New Röyksopp & Robyn! New Röyksopp & Robyn! New Röyksopp & Robyn! Stream "Do It Again" and "Every Little Thing" now! Every Little Thing Do It Again

Not 1 but 2 new Robyn songs released at one time! Oh, my heart! 

[youdancetothebeat]

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart | Simple and Sure

Pain's new album, Days of Abandon, is out May 13 and it's shaping up to be a glistening introduction to the warmer days ahead. "Simple and Sure" was the first single out and it now has a repetitive clip to go with it--and I don't mean that as a putdown. Also, check out the latest offering, "Eurydice," which is just as killer. 

[youdancetothebeat]

Gunshot

Lykke Li's blessed us with another new track. "Gunshot," a melancholy offering that houses an explosive chorus well-fitting of the title. 

The Swedish popstar's album, I Never Learn, drops May 5. 

[perfectmidnightworld]

"To the Top" by Twin Shadow // To to Top - Single (Available Now via 4AD)

George Lewis Jr (Twin Shadow) seems to have taken a break from his monthly covers series to work on a new album. One of the songs that may pop up on that as-yet-untitled album is the soaring anthem, “To the Top”. The artist continues to evolve his sound which started as dreamy chillwave before morphing into 2012’s dance-able synth rock. “To the Top” isn’t exactly either of those things, in fact the song is mostly a straight-forward widescreen power ballad that feels built for the big stage. It’s a great track and surely a hint at what awaits later this year when we hopefully get to hear a new full length. In the meantime, you can download this track for free from Twin Shadow’s Soundcloud page.

[perfectmidnightworld]

"Eurydice" by The Pains of Being Pure at Heart // Days of Abandon (Out 5.13.14 via Yebo Music)

The new album from The Pains of Being Pure at Heart is just around the corner, so the band has dropped a second single - the shimmering, blissed out “Eurydice”. The track is a lushly textured beauty that stands up with the best of the band’s catalog. The band continues to push further into sweeping dream pop sounds, stepping back from the heavier shoegaze pop that they originally started with - and i couldn’t be happier to hear the evolution. It’s a great track. 

[youdancetothebeat]

What he said. Eurydice sure gets name dropped a lot in the indie music world.

[pupfresh]

NEW MUSIC VIDEO: Childish Gambino - “Sweatpants (feat. Problem)”

[youdancetothebeat]

So many Gambino's!

[robyncom]

Monument is special to this album and to me. Its about space in time and defining oneself. Svein and Torbjorn and I were in a zone when we made it, it was like a dream. Like a meditation…

[pitchfork]

Listen to a snippet of a new track from Robyn and Röyksopp’s forthcoming collaborative mini-album Do It Again.

[youdancetothebeat]

I. NEED. MORE!

[youdancetothebeat]

Lana Del Rey | West Coast

LDR has just released the first single off her upcoming album Ultraviolence, titled "West Coast" and she definitely still has the music in her. Check it out above, Boy Blue.