Heart Mechanical
The new EP featuring "We're Here to Recruit Your Kids"
Available March 26, 2012, at iTunes, Amazon, CDBaby, and more. See lyrics and details
For every EP sold, I'm personally donating $1 to the Trevor Project, which provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth. Learn more about the Trevor Project
More Time with The Young Professionals
I featured The Young Professionals in a quick post about music videos a couple months ago, but in the wake of the release of their album “9:00 to 17:00, 17:00 to Whenever,” I’ve realized they deserve a proper post of their own. (This also makes them the first artist to get mentioned twice in my “faves” list!)
Led by singer Ivri Lider, who is a successful solo artist in his own right in Israel, and Yonathan Goldshtein, the duo has released a debut album that is, in a word, fantastic. It’s a thrilling mix of electro, pop, and acoustic elements that is frequently flavored by subtle references to world music styles (such as the Indian samples in the video verison “20 Seconds”). The overall effect reminds me strongly of Mirwais, particularly his work on the Y.A.S. “Arabology” album. The Young Professionals also explore sexual, humorous, and even political themes (sometimes all at once, as on “Family Value”) in a way that is often so unexpected you’ll find yourself rewinding to make sure you heard that right.
My favorites so far include “Blood Makes Noise,” the previously featured “D.I.S.C.O,” “With Me,” and “Fuck Off Berlin.” And, just as with “D.I.S.C.O,” the duo delivers another mesmerizing video for second single “20 Seconds,” which you can watch below:
Find The Young Professionals on iTunes or visit their website
Friendly Fires’ Refreshing Dance-Rock
Today’s fave: English alternative dance/rock band Friendly Fires
Friendly Fires – Live Those Days Tonight
While many of the artists I feature on my site add some acoustic elements to a mostly electronic sound, Friendly Fires flips that formula. Their sound is rooted in alternative rock but is refreshingly optimistic and energetic with elements of dance and electronica drifting into their soundscapes. They took me totally by surprise when I first heard “Live Those Days Tonight” earlier this year — this not a style I’m usually drawn to, but somehow that song absolutely infected my brain in the best possible way, and has some of the most brilliant lyrics and melodies I’ve heard in awhile. Their entire “Pala” album is fantastic (“Blue Cassette” is my second favorite track) and serves as a great way for any electro-pop lover to expand their collection to include more organic/acoustic instrumentation among the beats and synths.
Visit the Friendly Fires website
Bright Light Bright Light’s Disco Moment
Today’s fave: Welsh electro-pop singer Bright Light Bright Light
Bright Light Bright Light’s biography highlights that NME once called the Welsh singer, whose real name is Rod Thomas, “the boy Robyn in all but name,” and it’s certainly fitting. His utterly addictive “Disco Moment” has shades of Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own” percolating throughout its softly pulsing synths, while the lyrics mix melancholy with a love for the dancefloor. (Can we all just agree that “Dancing On My Own” is pretty much a modern classic?) After digging through his Soundcloud page, I must say he seems like the full package — great voice, looks, and tremendous songwriting talent. I also particularly enjoyed “A New Word to Say.” Here’s hoping for a full album of material very soon!
Visit the Bright Light Bright Light website
Ellie Goulding’s Bright Start
Today’s fave: electro-acoustic pop singer Ellie Goulding
Ellie Goulding “Lights (Bassnectar Remix)”
Ellie Goulding has already made quite a name for herself in her native UK, where her debut album “Lights” hit #1. It seems the US is quickly warming up to her as well, after a performance on Saturday Night Live earlier this year, and just this past week her song “Lights” became her first song to appear on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. I’ve been aware of her for close to two years now and have been thoroughly loving her work, and I got the chance to see her live earlier this year to a sold-out crowd in Boston. (In fact, she had to move her show to a larger venue to accommodate demand.) I already enjoyed her slightly raspy (yet still strong) voice, but she further impressed me live by also playing drums and guitar on stage. Her sound, which is like a much more energetic version of Beth Orton’s “folktronica,” brings a healthy dose of artistic substance to the electro pop scene.
Visit Ellie Goulding’s website or Facebook
My Summer 2011 Playlist
Now that I’ve been amassing a list of some of my fave electro-pop indie artists, I thought it was time to actually put together a cohesive playlist highlighting some of the songs that I’ve been listening to all summer. You can stream my playlist below or listen to it at the 8tracks website, which also has its own app if you want to listen on the go. (And, of course, I snuck in one of my own songs in there!)
Monarchy “I Won’t Let Go”
Swedish House Mafia “Save the World”
Garcon Garcon “Stay In Touch (Byron St. John’s Dream Mix)”
Michael Hensley “You Don’t Own Me”
Neon Hitch “Bad Dog”
Martin Solveig featuring Dragonette “Boys & Girls”
Sky Ferreira “One”
Frankmusik featuring Far East Movement “Do It In the A.M.”
The Young Professionals “D.I.S.C.O”
The Black and White Years “Up!”
Friendly Fires “Live Those Days Tonight”
Florrie “Speed of Light”
Calvin Harris “I’m Not Alone”
Robyn “Call Your Girlfriend (Sultan & Ned Remix Radio Edit)”
Erik Hassle “Are You Leaving”
Katy B “Perfect Stranger”
Mason featuring Roisin Murphy “Boadicea”
Ali Love “Done the Dirty”
Sophie Ellis-Bextor “Starlight”
Jamie Woon “Night Air”
Let me know what you think! (And note I’ve made this just be streaming only, so please support those artist you like and buy their music!)
Nice bit of press from Fabtastic!
Many thanks to Aaron of Fabtastic! Music for this nice little feature of my music! Scroll down a bit to see it, including this quote:
“I’m crushing hard on the electro-pop beat and bassline of You Don’t Own Me a lot at the moment. Thumping stuff with an amazing sound. I love it.”
The Black and White Years’ Colorful Sound
Today’s fave: Austin-based indie rock/dance band The Black and White Years
The Black and White Years – Up!
This past Friday, I had the pleasure of attending a free concert hosted by Ryan’s Smashing Life featuring Boston band Mystery Roar and Austin-based band The Black and White Years (TBAWY). I hadn’t heard of TBAWY before, but became an instant fan after their engaging live set. I’m now thoroughly enjoying their 2010 album “Patterns,” particularly its lead single “Up!” Their sound is like a more electronic counterpart to Modest Mouse or even The B-52′s. It’s no surprise that they caught the ear of Talking Heads member Jerry Harrison (who produced their previous album), as lead singer Scott Butler employs a similar sing-song style with his vocals. It helps that the band was also extraordinarily nice, as I enjoyed a quick chat with Butler after the show. Here’s hoping for their continued success!
Visit The Black and White Years website or Facebook page
Frankmusik Returns
Today’s fave: British electro-pop singer Frankmusik
Few people embody “electro pop” so literally as Frankmusik. When I discovered his debut album “Complete Me” a couple years ago, what struck me most about him was that he wasn’t just “electro,” he was electric in every sense of the word, infusing his music with a level of excitement and surprise well beyond your standard synths-meet-beats formula. Songs like “Better Off as 2,” “Three Little Words,” and “Time Will Tell” were thoroughly invigorating in their ability to take innovative, high-energy production and merge that with supremely solid pop melodies. (It helps that he also has some of the strongest vocals in the electronic music world.)
He is about to release his newest album, “Do it in the AM,” and from the sounds of the preview single “The Fear Inside” and the title track (which features Far East Movement), he’s pushing toward a cleaner, less frantic sound with a heavier emphasis on pop elements. “Complete Me” stands as one of my favorite albums of the past ten years, and I’m looking forward to hearing the rest soon!
Visit Frankmusik’s website and Facebook page.
P.S. I also had the privilege of seeing Frankmusik live last year and chatting with him after the show, and combined with his Twitter friendliness, I don’t think I’ve ever seen another musician be more willing to interact with his fans. Luckily I got a (blurry) snapshot of me with him and my friend Tyler:
Neon Hitch’s Quirky Glow
Today’s fave: quirky electro pop singer Neon Hitch
Listen to Neon Hitch – “Bad Dog” on Soundcloud
Neon Hitch first caught my ear with her song “Silly Girl,” which sounded like the distant cousin of Robyn’s “Konichiwa Bitches.” Mixing a midtempo hip-hop-meets-electro beat with heavily processed vocals and the sounds of electric zaps, it was an off-beat instant favorite. Her current single, “Bad Dog,” is a little more pop-inflected and adds a hint of Ke$ha to her Robyn-esque vocals with its refrain, “you’re just an animal that I caught.” It’s brash, confident, and extremely catchy. Turns out Neon Hitch has a fascinating bio as well. Not only is Neon actually her real name, but she was a street performer and trapeze artist during her childhood and later toured with Neneh Cherry. She’ll soon be releasing her full-length album and I’m eager to hear more!
Get a free remix of “Bad Dog” on Neon Hitch’s Facebook or visit her website.
Erik Hassle: More Proof Sweden is Awesome
Today’s fave: Swedish electro-tinged singer/songwriter Erik Hassle
Sweden is basically pop music’s fertile crescent, and Erik Hassle only further cements the country’s reputation for producing pop geniuses. The young singer already has an album and a few EPs under his belt, but it’s the songs on his most recent offering, “The Mariefred Sessions,” that really caught my attention. I’m particularly drawn to “Are You Leaving”and “Sometimes When It Rains” — which both echo Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own” in their ability to juxtapose mournful melodies and lyrics against a pulsating electro sound. (Robyn fans may also want to track down Hassle’s cover of “Be Mine” with rising British star Ellie Goulding.) Hassle’s other songs are generally a little less synth-heavy, but I think his increasing interest in the marriage of electronics and live instrumentation suits him well, and I’m eager to hear more from him!
Check out Erik Hassle’s website and Facebook
