AWD CASTLES

Seapony — “Where We Go”

The many lofi surf pop albums out there really put a damper on the entire sound of it all. It becomes difficult to decide whether you can really appreciate any of these albums for a respectful amount of time. Seattle’s Seapony follows this twee path to indie pop goodness, almost feels a little bit late, but at the same time, the trio open their album, available on Hardly Art, and finish it as smoothly as one would want from a surf pop album. With sun-bleached reverb washed over the entire album, the sand-coated jams behind it keep it worth listening to.

Stream a few more tracks from the trio @ Seapony’s Soundcloud

mp3//Seapony — Where We Go

Vacation Dad — “I’ll Always Find You”

Unwittingly present and slowly building, as if you lost all sense of time and you’re at that moment where you are unsure whether it’s night or day, the deep sounding drums transition into an ample cascading presence. The chilling vocals are a compliment to the narration of it all, where you can connect on the same level behind this entire atmosphere. So then it becomes that reaching out can bring us close, or maybe right at that level, both marginal and present. 

Vacation Dad is led by Andy Todryk, one half of MJ MJ Records, the same label that’s brought us the wonderful Yohuna, with her Revery EP, as well as Moro, with the captivating single in “Embers”. Also backed by Charlie Collier, MJ MJ aims to expose bold artists through their cassettes and provide us with wonderful tunes, often found around ghostly harmonies. 

Unfortunately though, bad things happen to good people. Two Michael Jordans ran into some trouble with missing equipment on their way to LA, as i’m sure many of you have heard the story. Now, there’s a good opportunity to help these folk behind MJ MJ. With a Kickstarter open and ready for backers, anyone and everyone is encouraged to send some love towards the emerging label. Though with that, rewards come as a bonus with each level of donation, just more reason to back this project, let alone that it will lead to the debut 12” of Vacation Dad.

Pledge some <3 and get some swag @ Vacation Dad’s Kickstarter

Stream and Download more releases @ Vacation Dad’s Bandcamp

mp3//Vacation Dad — I’ll Always Find You

(via NFOP)

Headless Horseman — “Wavlngth”

The baritone Icelandic folk sound from Headless Horseman, is about one of the most unique sounds I’ve come across in a long time. Headed by Fareed Sajan, Headless Horseman creates a glitched out, stuttering atmosphere, strung together by the collection of vocals found throughout their available work. Signed onto Heems’ Greedhead label, this might be the most exciting artist to be on the emerging label.

Stream all of HDLSS @ Headless Horseman’s Bandcamp

mp3//Headless Horseman — Wavlngth

mp3//Headless Horseman — Swansong (Ft. Kegan Hollister)

The Fabulous St. Knicholas Cage — “Bloody Beach Blanket”

Quick psych-beach tune from The Fabulous St. Knicholas Cage, a reverb wrangling band out of Tulsa, Oklahoma who plan on doing big things in the future. First things first, they’re going to release a split 7” with New Jersey’s Mountain Dude on Viking Campus Records.

Look for more releases to follow @ St. Knicholas Cage’s Soundcloud

mp3//The Fabulous St. Knicholas Cage — Bloody Beach Blanket

Blouse — “Shadow”

As far back as you’ve been carried, you’re brought back even further with each second played. Almost like when people claim that the other senses become stronger once vision is out of the picture. Could be a fitting example here, but that’s not what’s meant to be noticed first. Quickly driven drums to open up, but where is this all going? The vocals rewind us back a bit and we’re stuck in the middle, this is where we’re meant to be, isn’t it?

Blouse uploaded this single half a year ago, but they’ll be releasing it, backed with “Nights & Day”, on May 31st with Sub Pop. Their first single “Into Black” really introduced their sound earlier when it was released on Captured tracks at the end of March. Along with the few other tracks, Blouse’s aesthetic became easily noticeable, but these few singles aren’t enough to completely dive into that same aesthetic and, although repeat is our friend here, at some point we’re going to need all of this to be followed by a proper LP release.

Listen to the B-Side, “Nights & Day, and more @ Blouse’s Soundcloud

mp3//Blouse — Shadow

Ricky Eat Acid — “Birds”

Ricky Eat Acid recently uploaded this song to his Soundcloud, after a long night of mixing it all down. The track fills in glitchy synth leads over a skipping-heartbeat bass drum and is likely to make it to the final mix and tracklist of Ricky Eat Acid’s long awaited full-length. With releases like this, it is really hard not to get excited about the album.

Follow Sam’s new releases @ Ricky Eat Acid’s Soundcloud

mp3//Ricky Eat Acid — Birds

Maximino — “Quitters”

Humming along with the choir, because it’s almost like we’re keeping tabs of halfheartedness and taking the lead gives into that feeling much more. Only fitting that there’s a context of vocals to add to and a halcyon percussion to keep in line with. Essential to how we keep going and slated to go on, it’s all fit around that very mood we’ve come across early on, but now it seems much later, much more recent and still worn in.

Maximino (follow here) is the project led by Gerald Perez, while based in the Orlando area. Mixing soul led vocals around an experimental backdrop of guitars, synths, samples, and even cellos, Gerald invites an almost passive mood where sometimes you can find it around a celestial atmosphere and only ends as soon as it has played all the way through.

Download the free demos @ Maximino’s Bandcamp

mp3//Maximino — Quitters

Casiokids — “London Zoo”

Released, on Record Store Day, as a b-side to Of Montreal’s Buffalo Springfield cover of “Expecting to Fly”, the Casiokids tune into more of their low key pop goodness that we can only find in these Norway-hailing lads.

Listen to a different spectrum of Casiokids’ sound @ Polyvinyl’s Soundcloud

mp3//Casiokids — London Zoo

(via lydo)

BOBBY — “Sore Spores”

This really soothing tune from BOBBY adds another perfect element to this beginning of summer for me. The complimentary vocals hold it all together, while the fantastic spectral synth keeps an early animated horror feel, and the overall sluggish whim arranges exactly how some days are. Enough to keep you excited for a release, with Partisan Records, hopefully soon.

Listen to a couple more tracks @ BOBBY’s Soundcloud

mp3//BOBBY — Sore Spores

(via Yours Truly)

Moby — “The Day (Yeasayer Remix)”

Moby has always been a coin flip for me. 18 was an awesome curve ball album when growing up, partly due to the limited music exposure, but I still find myself enjoying it a lot more than most have ever. The releases after that didn’t really sit all too well with me and it was difficult to jump into, so I kind of let my Moby venture dissipate. That is until recently, where I decided to listen to his Be the One EP and found something I really liked in it. Recently putting out Destroyed, Moby is still at it and with this awesome remix of “The Day” by Yeasayer, i’m excited to give it a listen.

Stream Moby’s new album Destroyed @ The Little Idiot’s Soundcloud

mp3//Moby — The Day (Yeasayer Remix)

The Antlers — “Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out”

The Antlers seem to know how to write captivating music. They announced earlier this year, that they had been working on a new album, that’ll take on a different sound than most of us are used to from them. With that, Burst Apart, out today, still leaves an equal satisfaction that Hospice had. More than that though, Peter Silberman’s superb vocals seem to standout most in this release and the production that took place is equally as wonderful. Also, should be noted that this album is very likely to appear on many of the end-of-the-year lists, that appear at, well, the end of the year.

Listen to “Parentheses” @ Frenchkiss’ Soundcloud

mp3//The Antlers — Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out

Tobacco Pat — “The Skull”

Tracks over old footage from, what seems as, a lost time. Though, these keep it all alive and the humming of these strings, even after each strum, find a way to dig at it even deeper. The old western vibes, all around, start to settle in, but at the same time, there’s something going against it. Maybe the droned vocals? As if once scarred, but now there’s almost a resonating effect and we’ve become cast upon it.

Subdued concepts, almost muddled, of the Bible connotations and stories, now shown in a dim light. At once a blind truth, well not in its entirety, but never as bluntly concealed. The atmosphere behind it all seems amply applied and when trying to imagine it in any other way, the feelings seem almost lost, almost expended but with traces of these roots.

Tobacco Pat’s God Moves on the Water might be the most conceptually fit album, I’ve heard from the one man folk act behind Tobacco pat. Fitting enough, the last release, Vimanas, is really close and with this you can gather a sense of a developed songwriter, newly found in Logan Farmer. Virtually, my only current connection to the folk world right now, but I hope these releases soon become tied to the recognition that they deserve.

Stream God Moves on the Water in its entirety @ Tobacco Pat’s Bandcamp

mp3//Tobacco Pat — The Skull

Sun Glitters — “things are…”

Faded, but bright, euphoric energy capturing heavy feelings with distant voices and sharp percussion. This is Sun Glitters

mp3//Sun Glitters — things are…

thenewblack:

Obvi new Sun Glitters track is off the chain. Way to put Luxemborg on the map. New track is ghostly and glittery, just how you like it…

Of course, if you dig this track, be sure to check out Victor’s releases Everything Could Be Fine, and the remix album, all on his bandcamp.

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs — “Trouble”

It’s been a long time since I’ve heard from the one man act behind Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs. I remember really digging his first EP around this time last year. Now, releasing his new single, “Trouble”, today, it should be obvious that he’s prepping his debut full-length for this year. Remixes and a video for Trouble will be made available on June 20th. Follow this rad dude on his tumblr here.

Explore more of his work @ T-E-E-D’s Soundcloud

mp3//TEED — Trouble

Key Losers — “Horizon Line”

Dudes over at Holy Page Records just dropped a new artist our way and first impressions are pretty good. Vocals are extra lovely with this and the slow humming of the bass behind it, bring it all around to showcase this wonderful composition. This is the single for the debut full-length, California Lite, which will be produced by Phil Elverum, of The Microphones and Mount Eerie. Keep your eyes out for it’s late May release. 

Download the single for free @ Holy Page’s Bandcamp

mp3//Key Losers — Horizon Line

Now Forever — “Protection Spectrum”

Spectrums scoped out without an extent, followed through to every dark enigmatic range, while keeping a feeling of analytical apathy. Not as if any of it is reinforced, though these ghostly vocals cast us through a path that transitions on to the next without any concern. Eerily the keys keep us a little bit nervous, as if walking down this path might take a sudden turn, but then we notice the lights. These lights shone keep the sound true to where it all began, almost as a beacon to where it’ll take us next, remaining lit, now, forever.

Now Forever, a 25 year old musician who recently made the move from LA to Colorado, records her music outside and so the stark atmosphere is there from the beginning. Ashley, builds her project around the idea of a rainbow totem, “connecting the dark and deep to the bright and vivid in a natural way. It’s the terrain of experience, beauty in every color, every feeling.” This is easily found in her music and it becomes difficult to place an exact feeling through out it all. Look for her Made of Stars EP to be available on Bandcamp later this year. I know I will be.

Listen to more tracks @ Now Forever’s Soundcloud

mp3//Now Forever— Protection Spectrum

mp3//Now Forever — Thanks to the Forest

Photo by Marianne Williams

Two Suns — “Chances (Failing Charity)”

Don’t let the cover art mislead you here. The EP is about as polished as any good shoegaze album would be, while “blending acoustic & electric guitars, dream-like vocals, rhythmic synth lines, melodic bass playing, and laptop percussion.” With influences of NIN, Pink Floyd, Phantogram, Caribou, and Grizzly Bear, one can only hope for more than just this EP from Two Suns.

Stream/Purchase the EP @ Two Suns’ Bandcamp

mp3//Two Suns — Chances (Failing Charity)

Saskatchewan — “Dreamboat”

A few weeks ago, I had met Chandler of Saskatchewan. I had missed my many previous opportunities to meet this pretty rad dude, but I’m still glad I had the chance. Here he is again, with the rest of Saskatchewan, releasing a really catchy tune to kick off the summer. If you’re going to be in Orlando on the 28th this month, make sure to catch this awesome show.

mp3//Saskatchewan — Dreamboat

heardinstinct:

This is exactly what I want to hear on a Friday morning. Orlando’s Saskatchewan (sa-skach-uh-won) have impressed in the past.. that I love this song is not a real surprise.

“Dreamboat” is an infectious pop track and a complete delight to listen to. Just try not to sing along.. you can’t! Croons in all the right places will make you fall in love with Saskatchewan with ease. 

Their Nice Daze digital 7” released earlier this year was played nonstop at Heard Instinct HQ—“Beast Coast” and “Nice Daze” are both gorgeous! Definitely need to hear them if you haven’t already.

Grab “Dreamboat” via bandcamp for free!

Saskatchewan: bandcamp| tumblr| last.fm| twitter|

Running in the Fog — “Missed the Rain”

More times than not, we’re looking for context. Looking to understand as quickly as possible, but this time it’s here on its own. Keeping still because it’s there and it’s not expected to leave, we watch from our window as the vocals fall to the back of our minds and this percussion keeps our thought in rhythm. From here, our minds keep on racing, but I can only feel mine, as you stay distant and that’s where the blame seems to fall. It’s the distance outside of this window, counting every mile, trying to—Oh look, it’s rained.

Amanda Harper (tumblr) creates her music under Running in the Fog and it’s almost as if something like this should have been come across a long time ago. Mining for her upcoming EP, Amanda keeps us all anxiously waiting with these simply, but beautifully, composed tracks.

Follow any new releases of hers @ Running in the Fog’s Soundcloud

mp3//Running in the Fog — Missed the Rain

mp3//Running in the Fog — Faaaade

Com Truise — “Fairlight”

Grids fall all around and you start to think geometrically, but before you have time to react, there’s already a synth there to narrate your life. So you just kick back with the sharp percussion and let the bass drum gather your momentum. This feeling keeps on going, but towards the end, you begin to understand that there was never a way out of it, almost as unready as the next tracks’ title suggests. As if it’s flaky, without feeling unfinished, but don’t worry I’m sure it’ll become stable soon enough.

Com Truise finds a way to bridge his sound so closely to a future outlook found in the 80s. The Fairlight EP seems to be the b-sides of Com Truise’s upcoming full-length, Galactic Melt, to be released on July 5th from Ghostly International. This EP seems to tie us over for now, but soon after, many will be anxiously waiting for Galactic Melt.

Listen to “Cathode Girls” off of Galactic Melt @ Com Truise’s Soundcloud

mp3//Com Truise — Fairlight