Comprised of cousins Reese Donahue and Christopher Prudhomme, the electro pop duo of Painted Palms have almost always used the Internet to collaborate on songwriting — initially out of necessity, as the project started with Donahue based in San […]
Category: Indie Electro Pop
Originally, known as the frontman of pop act Throw Me The Statue, Scott Reitherman’s solo recording project Pillar Point has received attention for a melancholy yet bouncy electro pop sound primarily comprised of vintage, analog synthesizers, drum kits and sleek bass lines. As the story goes, Reitherman was planning to write and record his sophomore full-length album in his Seattle home when he received an unexpected invitation to record the album at Kevin Barnes’ home studio, while Reitherman was opening for of Montreal during their US tour.
Once the tour wrapped up, Reitherman spent a few months crafting demos of the material that would wind up comprising Marble Mouth before spending a month at Barnes’ house refining and recording alongside of Washed Out‘s drummer, Cameron Gardener and Kishi Bashi‘s percussionist Philip Mayer.
Reithernan then spent a six period in New Orleans writing and refining both the album’s lyrics and vocals. And as Reitherman explained in press notes, “New Orleans was the most meditative and mysterious part of making the record. I wanted to sink into that city and scrutinize the romantic southern sojourn.”
Marble Mouth‘s first single, album opening track “Part Time Love” pairs layers of twitchy and cascading synths with propulsive, four-on-the-floor drumming and Reitherman’s ethereal cooing to craft a sound that’s reminiscent of The Talking Heads, Tobacco and others, while subtly nodding at Top 40 pop; in other words, the sound is tense, neurotic and incredibly danceable and accessible pop with infectious hooks.
New Video: Introducing The Joyful and Sensual Electro Pop Sound of Lydmor and Bon Homme
Lydmor and Bon Homme is Scandinavian electro pop duo featuring Tomas Høffding, a.k.a. Bon Homme, the vocalist and bassist of experimental Danish electronic pop trio WhoMadeWho, and an acclaimed DJ and producer known for remixes of Digitalism, […]
Since their formation three years ago, the Washington, DC-based duo GEMS, comprised of Lindsay Pitts and John Usher, have developed a reputation for crafting material that’s intimate and confessional, and expresses heartache and longing paired with eerily atmospheric and hypnotic synth pop that’s subtly influenced by contemporary R&B.And the duo’s forthcoming full-length debut, Kill The One You Love, which takes its title from a line in Chuck Palahniuk‘s Fight Club will not only further cement the duo’s reputation for their take on contemporary pop, it will also help expand their already growing national profile.
Kill The One You Love‘s latest single “Soak” is a haunting song that pairs ominously swirling electronics, Nile Rodgers-like guitar played through gentle layers of reverb, a shuffling yet sinuous bass line, stuttering and skittering yet propulsive drum programming with aching boy and girl vocals expressing desperate loneliness, heartache and longing that comes as a relationship splinters apart. In particular, the song focuses on that feeling that life being irrevocably different after a breakup — that in some way just trying to move forward and live one’s life without that other person seems as impossible as breathing underwater or walking upside down. And yet, there’s a subtle ray of hope as the narrators of the song blindly attempt to accept the uncertainty of their lives. It’s an emotionally raw song that evokes yanking a bandaid off a barely healed wound — and it does so in a way that’s incredibly sensual.
With singer/songwriter Victoria Celestine having spent a significant portion of her childhood growing up in France and in San Antonio, TX, music became a refuge and one of the languages she was most fluent in was music; in fact she first learned the piano and upon her return to States, she learned guitar, both of which helped her as a songwriter.
As the story goes, Celestine was at an open mic in downtown San Antonio when Gordon Raphael, best known for his work producing The Strokes, Regina Spektor and others had discovered her and invited her to record some of her then-more acoustic-based material. In fact, with her acoustic material, Celestine placed highly in the International Songwriting Competition, was nominee in the International Acoustic Music Awards, and as a result she’s had several songs hit the iTunes Charts. (From what I understand, some of her acoustic material will be released on a 3 song EP, produced by Blake Harnage of VERSA sometime next year.)
In the meantime, her debut EP, which is also slated for release sometime next year is a slickly produced collection of crafted pop songs that’s remarkably contemporary; in fact, the EP’s third and latest single “As We Grow Old” manages to be reminiscent of the likes of Little Boots, Chelsea Lankes, Phoebe Ryan and others as it pairs Celestine’s sultry cooing with a bouncy, upbeat production featuring gently cascading synths, skittering drum programming and swirling electronics. But lyrically the song stands out from a crowded field as it openly discusses how difficult it is to be what you think you might want to be when other people are forcing you to be and do things that you’re not — or that you’d hate. But it also suggests that the only way to live is to be unabashedly you because you don’t want to be old and live a life of regrets. Imaging popping in an actual message in between catchy hooks, eh?
New Video: The Decadent, Sensual Video for BYRN’s “Electrify”
BYRN is a New York-based singer/songwriter, who according to her Facebook fan page describes her sound as “Evanescence meets Aaliyah in a new twist of emotion and dance.The lyrics are poetic and the melodies are sexy/sweet […]
RITUAL is a London-based production and electronic music trio, who have quickly risen to both national and international attention with the release of the “Low Season,” the first single off the band’s recently released EP, The City To The Wilderness, as the group has seen airplay and praise from BBC Radio personalities Annie Mac, Huw Stephens and Jo Whitley, as well as airplay from KCRW and praise from Hot 97‘s Peter Rosenberg. Adding to a growing profile, EP single “Josephine,” which features Lisa Hannigan recently surpassed 1 million Spotify streams, and was adding to the BBC Introducing playlist on BBC 1 XTRA.
“Too Deep,” the EP’s last single, which features vocals by up-and-coming vocalist Delilah, the members of the group is largely influence by the band’s fascination with the inherent duality of male-female duets. “We’ve always been fascinated by dual female/male vocals on records — the electricity of the connection between two people, two different takes on the same emotion and the tension and harmony this creates.” Throughout “Too Deep” there’s a tension through the song that’s palpable and yet mesmerizing as Delilah’s vocals express an aching desire but with a steely confidence and an angst-filed vulnerability; after all, there’s the acknowledgement that one’s desire may well be unrequited or not taken seriously. The male vocalist expresses need but with a plaintive urgency. And this is paired with a sparse, minimalist production of skittering and stuttering drum programming, gently undulating synths, swirling electronics and bleeps and bloops that emphasize the song’s tension between fiery sensuality and hyper modern iciness — while being a moody marvel of modern production techniques.
Texas-born, New York-based singer/songwriter Melany Watson has been performing music for as long as she can probably remember — but she can trace the origins of her music career to two particular events: performing in school choirs and touring the Southeast Texas Ol’ Opry circuit alongside her mother, as the mother and daughter country music duo Melva Lee and Melany. According to Watson, her own artistic self-discovery was inspired by Whitney Houston and The Bodyguard soundtrack, and a lengthy list of 90s R&B vocalists, which naturally opened a new world of expression to her. After singing Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” at a local karaoke bar when she was 12, Watson had what she has called an epiphany — that she was singing and performing the music she had to devote her life to. And as a result, Watson realized that she needed to set out on her own path.
So far Watson has had quite an accomplished career, as she’s performed at PBS‘ Christmas at Belmont with Trisha Yearwood while as an undergrad at Belmont University, was a Top 100 Finalist during Season 6 of NBC‘s The Voice and she recently backed YouTube pop sensation Tori Kelly during Kelly’s performance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. And among some within the music industry, Watson has been compared favorably to Etta James, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and others — but with a country music leaning towards lyrics that tell stories informed by her own experiences.
“Illuminate,” the first single off Watson’s forthcoming EP, Lilith in Virgo pairs Watson’s effortlessly soulful vocals with a slick, modern production comprised of skittering percussion, shimmering synths, swirling electronics and twinkling piano chords in a way that meshes 90s inspired R&B and soul, contemporary electro pop and a very subtle nod to the country music that Watson grew up listening to and performing. While possessing a dramatic and moody heft, as the song thematically discusses what it truly means to be in a relationship and to be someone’s soulmate, the ethereal production suits Watson’s vocals perfectly, as the arrangement allows room for Watson’s vocals to soar and dart through and above the mix.
If you’ve been following the blogosphere over the course of the past year, you’d likely know that this year has been a big year for pop music — and an even bigger year for women artists, as a number of women artists have dominated the attention of the blogosphere. And with the release of “Illuminate” Watson adds her name to a growing list of artists that are making a name for themselves.
Dave Groszek is a Brisbane, Australia-based singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer and his solo recording project, Groszek specializes in a very deliberate, ambient yet cinematic electro pop. His latest single “Your Eyes” is an eerily sparse and slow-burning track comprised of twinkling keyboard chords, stuttering and skittering percussion, swirling electronics paired with Groszek’s plaintive and soulful crooning. But underneath the song’s icy surface layer is an urgent, aching desire at the song’s core — and in some way the song is reminiscent of the work of Beacon, Seoul and others, thanks to its plaintive and thoughtful nature.
bells roar is the DIY solo recording project of Albany, NY-based singer/songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Sean Desiree. Originally, the project began with just Desiree’s vocals accompanied by guitar but over the last few years, the project’s sound has taken on elements of hip-hop and electro pop, which has further expanded the project’s sound — all while allowing Desiree to keep her voice ever present.
Desiree first started to receive attention with the release of her self-titled debut, which featured drumming from Kiran Gandhi, who was part of M.I.A.‘s touring band during the Matangi tour. And as a result, Desiree had opened for the likes of MSMR, Mirah, K. Flay, and Chrisette Michele. Her sophomore effort, Second Chances, Vol. 1 was released through Tom Morello‘s Firebrand Records, and the effort, which was largely inspired by the work of renowned poet bell hooks thematically focuses on pushing back against white supremacy and speaking truth to power. Considering the events of the past 18 months and the emergence of the Black Life Matters movement, hearing music that fearlessly discusses the sociopolitical and socioeconomic issues of the day in a thoughtful and serious manner feels desperately necessary — especially since many of those issues are largely being ignored among mainstream radio-friendly artists.
“Slow (remix)” is the first single off Second Chances, Vol. 1, and the single is a slow-burning, atmospheric single comprised of slowly cascading synths, swirling electronics, mournful horns, stuttering and skittering drum programming and shimmering and angular guitar chords paired with Desiree’s piercing and achingly mournful vocals. In some way, the song sounds as though it were drawing influence from the Cascine Records roster — moody, 80s-inspired synth pop but in this case with a powerful and needed message. And although the song feels incredibly and desperately sad, its tinged with hopefulness at its core — in some way it suggests that things can get better, but that it requires actual work. Maybe we can all learn from that, huh?
You can catch bells roar on tour. Check out the following page for info: http://bellsroar.tumblr.com/shows
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for MS MR, Mirah, K Flay, and Chrisette Michele you can tell that her sophomore EP, due out November 13th, 2015 is going places. bell’s roar has the potential to be the voice of her generation and she refuses to be ignored.
Bay Area-based duo Maybe the Moon, comprised of Karmen Kimball (vocals, keyboards) and Alex Lasner (guitar, keyboards) can trace their origins to when the two met at an “End of the World” Party — a party on December 21, 2012, the end of the 13th cycle of the Mayan calendar, and the alleged end of the world as we knew it. While at the party Kimball and Lasner chatted and bonded over a mutual of Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music. As the story goes, during their conversation the duo discovered that at one point, they had attended the same elementary school. Shortly after their meeting, the duo got engaged and they started working on the material that would become the singles that they’ve released over the course of the past year to 18 months or so.
Now, if you’ve been frequenting JOVM over the past 12-18 months, you’d likely come across a couple of posts on the Bay Area-based duo. Their latest single “Washout” continues the duo’s burgeoning reputation for carefully crafted, thoughtful electro pop with lyrical content that possesses a novelist’s attention to their character’s psychology and psychological motivations, and nuanced psychological states; in other words, the song’s characters speak and feel like fully-fleshed out people — like someone you may have known or dealt with at some point. In the case of “Washout,” the song’s narrator regretfully and candidly speaks of a relationship that she sabotaged. She speaks of that period with a little bit of perspective, and with the recognition that she had someone who lovingly dealt with her until they couldn’t deal with her anymore. Of course, the duo has also maintained elements of the sound that have caught my attention over the past few months — moody and minimalist production composed of slowly cascading synths and sparse yet propulsive beats paired with Kimball’s ethereal and mournful vocals, which evoke a desperate and urgent desire to connect with another, and a fear of the heartache that connection can bring. Thoughtful and detailed pop is sadly relegated to misfit status, and it’s shameful because in the increasingly perilous times we live in, we need music that forces us to think and moves us to feel something.
New Video: The Surreal, New Video for Slow Hands’ Atmospheric and Bluesy “Phonograph Love”
Vermont native Ryan Cavanaugh is a classically trained multi-instrumentalist, who grew up listening to jazz, the blues and soul and Cavanaugh is probably best known for his solo recording project, Slow Hands, which has seen quite […]
New Audio: Chet Faker’s Club-Friendly and Sexy Collaboration with Marcus Marr
Up-and-coming, London-based DJ, producer, electronic music artist and multi-instrumentalist Marcus Marr has received international attention over the last couple of years for a number of critically acclaimed singles released through renowned dance music/electro pop label, […]
It’s CMJ week yet again and of course, it means that I’m running around trying to catch a number of sets at various showcases across town, as well as connecting with friends, associates and colleagues. Of course, that also means extremely long days and nights of live music, so the amount of posts I’m able to commit to this week will be somewhat sporadic at best, until things slow down later on this weekend/early next week. (Such is the life of a busy blogger, right?)
In any case, let’s get to the immediate business at hand . . .
If you’ve been frequenting JOVM over the past couple of years, you may recall coming across a couple of posts about the Los Angeles-based, indie electro pop duo Pr0files. It’s been some time since I’ve written about them, so some backstory will likely be necessary: Comprised of Lauren Pardini (vocals, keys) and Danny Sternbaum, Pr0files can trace their origins to when Pardini and Sternbaum were bandmates alone with Sonny Moore, best known these days as mega-hit electronic music artist Skrillex in The Boy Traveller. When the project split up, Pardini went on to write for Pardini went on to write for DJ Khalil’s camp and has written tracks for Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and Drake; she also has collaborated with Purity Ring’s Corin Roddick and was briefly a member of The Silver Lake Chorus. Sternbaum on the other hand started his own band Baby Monster, an act that has toured with Klaxons, Miike Snow and Metric; and as a producer and remixer, Sternbaum has remixed tracks by Ellie Goulding, Gorillaz, Foster the Children and Miami Horror.
As Pr0files, the duo of Pardini and Sternbaum won attention across the blogosphere with the release of singles “Call Yourself A Lover,” “Luxury” and others for a slickly produced sound that possesses elements of R&B, electro pop and electronic dance music that for their earliest releases bore an uncanny resemblance to Beacon. However, “I Know You Still Care,” the first single off the duo’s long-awaited full-length debut, Jurassic Technologie, feels and sounds like a decided change in sonic direction, as the song possessed an urgent, insistent sensuality reminiscent of Giorgio Moroder‘s legendary work in the 1970s, as the song consisted of layers of shimmering and cascading synths, skittering percussion paired with Padroni’s seductive cooing to create what may arguably have been the duo’s most sensual and straightforward dance track.
The duo’s latest single “Empty Hands” is slow-burning and anthemic pop song comprised of layers of cascading synth stabs, swirling, atmospheric electronics, propulsive drum programming and Pardini’s earnest, pop belter/torch song vocals to craft a song that sounds as though it owes a debt to 80s synth pop (for some uncanny reason I thought of Howard Jones‘ “It Can Only Get Better“) and more contemporary fare, such as Haerts and St. Lucia.
San Francisco-born, New Orleans-based singer/songwriter, producer and composer Abby Diamond initially caught the attention of several blogs with her collaboration with Yugen on “Single Cell,” an icily, minimalist, slow-burning track that featured Diamond’s sultry crooning over gently strummed guitar, and off-kilter syncopated beats, which gave the song a glitchy, stuttering feel.
Diamond saw increasingly attention with a subtle yet brilliant reworking of Froyo Ma‘s “I Live All Alone” that rearranges a sample of Bill Murray’s character from Lost in Translation by having it appear within the song twice, and although Diamond’s reworking retains the original’s hypnotic and forcefully propulsive nature, her soulful vocals drifting over the mix gave the song a sinuous and sensual feel. The New Orleans-based pop artist quickly followed that up with the first single off Down, Down, Deep, “I Love To Watch You Leave,” a song that Diamond wrote when she was 19. Initially produced by her then-boyfriend Luke Todd, the track featured her coquettish vocals over a minimalist production. Producers Liam Shy and Alex Cowan assisted Diamond on a rework that managed to give the breezy original a bit of heft, as the song was given a funky, 80s-inspired R&B groove — the sort of groove that bears an uncanny resemblance to the sample on Biggie’s “Juicy” and the radio version of “One More Chance.”
Diamond’s full-length debut, FEMINISTA, which will be co-proudced by Dimaond and Blue Hawaii features collaborations with artists and producers Kyross, weirdinside and others. As Diamond told me via email, the 10 song album will be released in several parts over the course of the next 8 months or so with films, feminist zines to bring about a larger discussion about what feminism means to variety of artists across different media. According to Diamond, “Each music video that I release along with FEMINISTA will be available for download (along with other b-roll film) as well so film makers can make their own films using our footage. The album itself will be free for download online and CDs will be sold inside feminist art zines, which are being created by myself, other female musicians and artists as well as artistic fans who submit work to us. These zines will be reminiscent of Riot Grrrl and other female punk rock zines that helped spread feminist concepts like wildfire in the late 80s and early 90s. The idea is to resurrect this movement within a new context and culture—bringing feminist zines into the pop/electronic scene as a vehicle for all different women who share a similar taste in music to express what it’s like to be a third wave feminist today.” Clearly, the project aims to be bold, brash and enormous. And as Diamond told me, “I see this project as a unique opportunity to look at art through the lens of all different types of feminists.”
The album’s first single “There’s a Light in My Room” is a subtly layered production comprised of wobbling low end, skittering and stuttering beats, ominously swirling electronics, brief bursts of twinkling keys, handclaps and finger snaps that’s spacious enough to allow Diamond’s sultrily soulful vocals to gently drift over the mix. Lyrically, the song reveals a fully-fleshed out and vulnerable narrator, who longs for someone with an urgent, desperate need, and through the length of the song, the narrator walks a tightrope between asserting herself and self-doubt; the sort of self-doubt that comes up whenever anyone puts their heart on the line for another, with the hopes that their affection and desires are reciprocated — while knowing that most of the time, love doesn’t make much sense, and will often be unreciprocated.
With Diamond’s vocals bearing an uncanny resemblance to a young Mariah Carey, the song subtly seems to mesh 90s R&B, soul and pop with incredibly contemporary production in a song that sonically speaking is a marvel, as the song reveals subtle nuance on repeated listens.