This week brings about a plethora of new album releases in the city.
NJ based producer Clams Casino (pic above) is set to release its debut EP "Rainforest"which blends Massive Attack, Zero 7 and Cocteau Twins influences for an exciting new soundtrack for your "more intimate moments". Clams Casino plays MoMa's PS1 Space as Part of their “Warm Up Series” August 18th.
Brooklyn label, Electric Cowbell’s upcoming compilation "101 Things To Do In Bongolia" drops June 28th. This diverse group of songs includes music between the exotic and the experimental by NYC emerging artists we already praised like Superhuman Happiness and Talibam!, and others like surprisignly edgy afro-beat quintet The Sway Machinery and more. The album offers a nice collection of really original, exotic and enjoyable music made in NYC, and is the perfect summer soundtrack for the sophisticated ear.
The funk-infused Aabaraki (pic above) released its self-titled album on June 23rd. The Brooklyn group entertains R&B/soul influences with a quirky twist - their new EP gives indie/alternative lovers a new sound to dabble in.
Dreamy, folk- pop Minerva Lions’ EP "Great Strides, Priestess & Queen" drops this week. The six tracks’ possess sounds similar to Wilco, Blind Pilot, and Andrew Bird - read more about them here.
"Bad Things", the third single from The Whisperians, rounds out this week’s releases. The Whisperians create tunes heavily influenced by the indie rock of the 90s. For those looking for a more classic indie sound, The Whisperians encompass the quintessential grunge summer feel…if there’s such a thing. - Madison Silvers
We've always been big fans of Luke Temple, and it's good to see that, together with the Here We Go Magic crew, the man is keeping at it with increasingly beautiful records and videos. The band's new album "A Different Ship" (stream it here) will be out on May 8, and betrays at least a partial return to Luke Temple's more intimate and melodic sound from his solo repertoire - in this regard, lend a ear to "Hard to Be Close," "Alone but Moving" and "Over the Ocean". This is welcome news for fans like us who always thought that in most HWGM material Luke's noteworthy songwriting skills seemed a little sacrificed on the altar of textural experimentation. This doesn't mean that the band's signature hypnotic, impressionistic sound is lost - it's just that these two elements work together better than they did in past records, and this is what makes this album one of the NYC highlights of the year so far. Indeed, this collection also features songs more in line with the band's past releases ("Make Up your Mind", "I Believe in Action"), which follow on the steps of brainy-pop icons like Brian Eno and The Feelies, but there's definitely a balance here, also betrayed by the almost perfect alternation of melodic songs and less traditional ones.The just released video of "How Do I Know," telling the story of a rejected dancing robot that ends up revitalizing an older man's appreciation for life, seems to reflect on this brain/heart, mechanic/organic dichotomies and somehow bring them to unity. - PDG
