Tag: electro pop

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Indie, Experimental Electro Pop Supergroup’s Latest Pairs a Tight Groove with Deeply Empathetic Lyrics and Visuals

Interestingly, the album’s latest single and album title track “Our Puram,” has a narrator, who describes the sense of ecstasy and belonging that members of the Rajneeshpuram community felt and the gaping sense of dejection and hopelessness when they were forced to return to what they felt were dreary, ordinary, meaningless lives. While sonically, the trio pair distorted four-on-the-floor-like breakbeats, layers of wobbling and distorted synths, twinkling keys, distorted and droning guitar chords and mournful horn notes held together with a motorik-like groove that builds up towards the song’s last half/last third or so. It’s arguably the trio’s most mournful song but paired with one of the deepest and trippiest grooves they’ve released to date, while retaining a cinematic quality.

The recently released video features found footage that provides an intimate peek into the daily lives and practices of the Rajneeshpuram community and it gives the song a deeper, empathetic feel as it reminds the viewer and the listener of the subject’s essential humanity.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms
With the release of their first singles “Lost” and “Dreamers,” which were featured in ad campaigns for Estee Lauder, Virgin Mobile and Hollister and made an appearance in the major motion picture Bad Moms, Los Angeles-based electro pop duo Scavenger Hunt, comprised of singer/songwriter Jill Lamoureux and producer, multi-instrumentalist Dan Mufson quickly rose to national attention for a sound that’s deeply influenced by Fleetwood Mac, 80s-era Stevie Nicks, Annie Lennox, Sade, Robyn, 80s and 90s pop and R&B — while to my ears sounding much like Yaz and New Order. And adding to a growing national profile, the duo have toured with the likes of Haerts, Dragonette, Shura and Capital Cities. (In fact, I caught them open for Haerts at Brooklyn Bowl several years ago.)
“River Runs Dry,” the first single off the duo’s forthcoming EP manages to mesh 80s pop sentiment with slick and contemporary production that features propulsive drum programming, subtle use of xylophone that pop out of the ether and undulating synths paired with Lamoureaux’s sultry, pop star/pop belter vocals and an infectious and anthemic hook to craft a breezy, radio-friendly, dance-floor track that packs in quite a bit of swooning, aching emotion.

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

 

 

Initially comprised of founding duo Jennifer Grady, a classical music teacher and Justin Hosford, a film and tv music composer, the Joshua Tree, CA-based duo Chelan (pronounced sh-lan) can trace their origins back to 2007. And since their formation, the duo released three full-length albums that the band’s founding members have described in press notes as a “mostly electronic, subdued, indie aesthetic;” however, last year, the duo recruited Chad Austinson (drums) to further flesh out their sound and as the newly formed trio began writing, performing, revision and recording the material that would wind up comprising their soon-to-released, fourth full-length album Vultures, the band’s sound went through a change of sonic direction as the trio’s sound began to employ the use of analog synths, guitar, drums, cello and piano to create a lush, wall of sound-like sound as you’ll hear on the album’s latest single “Beams.”

In the case of “Beams,” the trio layers of pairs jagged synth stabs, propulsive, motorik-like groove, Grady’s ethereal vocals, which bear a bit of a resemblance to Kate Bush, and shimmering guitar chords in a cinematic, lush and urgently swooning song that lyrically focuses on both the desire to connect with someone and the difficulties to connection once you consider the weight of one’s past and how it impacts their present.

 

 

 

 

 

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: The Bittersweet Visuals for Fleurie’s Gorgeous, Swooning and Anthemic “Sparks”

Certainly, if you’ve been frequenting JOVM over the past 12-18 months or so, you’ve likely come across a handful of posts on Canton, MI-born, Nashville, TN-based classically trained pianist and singer/songwriter Lauren Straham, who writes, records and […]

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: The Lighthearted and Ironic Visuals for Adult Karate’s “So Low”

If you’ve been frequenting this site a bit over the past few months, you may be somewhat familiar with KC Maloney, who is perhaps best known as being one-half of renowned electro pop act Radar Cult, and his solo side project Adult Karate, which expands upon the sound that his primary project gained across the blogosphere — and while arguably being much more minimalist at times, the project’s sound clearly draws from several styles and sub-genres of electronic music including house music, acid house, techno and ambient electronica. “So Low,” a collaboration with up-and-coming Canadian singer/songwriter Adaline was the first single off Maloney’s LXII EP. And the single consists of Maloney’s sleek, hyper-modern and minimalist production featuring gentle cascading of shimmering synths, stuttering drum programming, led by finger snaps, a wobbling bass line, swirling electronics, wobbling low end and an anthemic hook featuring duetting boy-girl vocals towards the song’s last third — but with Adaline’s sultry and smoky vocals propelling the song forward.

The recently released music video features a man awkwardly preparing for a date with a beautiful woman, and an already uncomfortable meeting goes even worse when the man rebuffs his date’s advances — that is until they share a moment of some super white people dancing and some surreal lighting effects; however, the video ends with a wildly ironic twist.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Comprised of Ryan McGroarty, Cheylene Murphy and Aimee Williamson, the Belfast, Northern Ireland-based synth pop/dream pop trio Beauty Sleep have quickly received attention from The Irish Times, The Sun, several blogs and airplay from BBC Radio 1 for a sound that’s been compared to Washed Out, Teen Daze and Summer Heart. And as you’ll hear on the trio’s latest single “Living Right,” you’ll see why as the trio pairs gorgeous and ethereal melodies with shimmering synths, reverb-filled guitars, a propulsive rhythm section and an upbeat, anthemic hook in a carefully crafted song that’s summery and extremely radio-friendly — but with a subtle and underlying wistfulness at its core.

 

 

 

 

 

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: The Swooning and Heartbreaking Visuals and Sounds of Charlotte Cardin’s Latest “Like It Doesn’t Hurt”

Big Boy’s latest single “Like It Doesn’t Hurt” will further cement Cardin’s burgeoning reputation for aching jazz/soul and pop vocals — and in this case paired with a sparse yet extremely contemporary production featuring twinkling and moody keys, undulating synths and electronics and stuttering boom bap-like drum programming and a guest spot from Montreal-based emcee Husser; while lyrically, the song describes a turbulent and dysfunctional relationship full of ecstatic highs, crushing lows, bitter and aching separations. And as a result of both Cardin’s vocals and the production, the song possesses a swooning almost drunken urgency — and it should remind the listener of young, foolish, passionate, heartbreaking love.

Directed by Kristof Brandl, the recently released video for “Like It Doesn’t Hurt” features the song’s collaborators Charlotte Cardin and Husser as the video’s central couple and with a series of frenetic cuts and flashbacks, the video emphasizes the turbulent and tumultuous relationship at the core of the song as you’ll see a couple who fight and love passionately and are separated after a violent incident, which has Husser arrested and sent to jail.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Earlier this month, you may have come across a post about “Westside,” the latest single from the somewhat mysterious Los Angeles, CA-based electro pop duo Sibling, a single that built on the buzz that they’ve received with the release of their debut single “Easy,” as the duo paired a sparse production consisting of shimmering cascades of synths, an anthemic hook and pop belter vocals in a radio friendly song that swooned with a bittersweet longing. The duo’s latest single “Revolve” may arguably be the most dramatic and cinematic song they’ve released so far as they pair a production featuring twinkling piano keys, undulating synths and swirling electronics with sultry pop belter vocals in a song that is as much of a tell off as it is a song in which its narrator asserts her strength and resolve.

 

 

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Earlier this year, I wrote about young, up-and-coming,  Toronto, ON-based singer/songwriter Charlotte Day Wilson, who initially began her recording career as the frontwoman of locally renowned act, The Wayo. And with the release of “After All,” the Canadian singer/songwriter quickly emerged out of her hometown’s jazz, soul and R&B scenes, adding herself to a growing list of nationally and internationally known acts including friends and collaborators  BADBADNOTGOOD and River Tiber.

 

Wilson’s highly-anticipated debut effort CDW is slated for an August 26, 2016 release and the effort will include the critically applauded singles “After All” and “Work,” as well as the slow-burning, soul ballad “Find You,” which features the Canadian singer/songwriter’s effortlessly soulful vocals over a contemporary and minimalist production consisting of twinkling keys and synths, gently swirling and fluttering electronics, finger snap-led percussion and stuttering drum programming in a song that evokes a plaintive and urgent need. And as much as the song is celebration of finally feeling ready to love someone else and desiring love from someone, it’s equally a celebration of finding one’s true self and place within the world — both of which are incredibly difficult, no matter how strong and sure of yourself you may feel. Certainly, for a singer/songwriter as young as Wilson is, her vocal range and her lyrics betray a wisdom and experience far beyond her years.