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Erik Barns

Erik Barns has written 34 posts for Lost In The Sound

Stream: Unknown Mortal Orchestra- II

By ⋅ January 27, 2013 ⋅ Post a comment

ii
On February 5th, Unknown Mortal Orchestra will be releasing their sophomore record II. Unknown Mortal Orchestra is a three piece American/New Zealand indie rock band formed by Ruban Nielson in 2010.  With the release of their first track “Ffunny Ffriends” they created mass amounts of buzz throughout the indie scene, everyone wanted to know who was behind this lo-fi/psychedelic single.  II is a wonderfully breezy, psychedelic record. It’s full of poppy guitar riffs that blend well with the soft and mysterious falsetto vocals. Tracks like “The Opposite Afternoon” and “From the Sun” are some of my favorites and relate to some of R. Stevie  Moore’s work, but with a more well rounded sound. The record flows very nicely and is full of tracks that don’t disappoint.

Their new record II, is available for streaming exclusively through NPR and can be preordered from their website. They begin touring February 2nd, all of their February dates are available below, the dates to the rest of their tour are also available on their website.

Tour Dates:
Feb  02 – Zepp Divercity (Tokyo, Japan)

Feb 06 – Trix Club (Antwerp, Belgium)

Feb 07 – Paradiso (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Feb 08 – Prince Charles (Berlin, Germany)

Feb 13 – Great American Music Hall (San Francisco, CA)

Feb 14 – Constellation Room (Santa Ana, CA)

Feb 15 – Echoplex (Los Angeles, CA)

Feb 16 – Beauty Bar (Las Vegas, NV)

Feb 18 – Lowbrow Palace (El Paso, TX)

Feb 19 – The Korova (San Antonio, TX)

Feb 20 – The Mohawk (Austin, TX)

Feb 21 – Fitzgerald’s (Houston, TX)

Feb 22 – One Eyed Jacks (New Orleans, LA)

Feb 23 – 529 (Atlanta, GA)

Feb 27 – Rock & Roll Hotel (Washington, DC)

Feb 28 – Bowery Ballroom (New York, NY)

Mar 01 – First Unitarian Church (Phildelphia, PA)

 

 

Listen: Pill Friends – “Forgetting You”

By ⋅ January 19, 2013 ⋅ Post a comment

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Next week Pill Friends will release their EP Murder Me For My Sins. Pill Friends is a three piece lo-fi band out of Philadelphia, incorporating cello, drums and guitar. While their number of releases are limited, their style varies greatly from song to song. They recently released Forgetting You, one of the featured tracks on the new EP. The track has a very ambient feel to it, which is a completely different direction compared to songs like Bummertime and Pillspillspills. Despite lack of a completeness factor to each release, Pill Friends are admirably something different to add to your music library. The punk/lo-fi feeling is energizing and catchy. Stream or download Forgetting You below and be sure to check out the full EP sometime next week and download their previous EP for free on their Bandcamp.

Review: Beach Fossils – Clash The Truth

By ⋅ January 9, 2013 ⋅ One comment

 Beach Fossils – Clash The Truth

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Released: February 19, 2013
Label: Captured Tracks

 

Beach Fossils sophomore record Clash The Truth is set to be released on February 19, 2013. Following their self titled release in 2010, Beach Fossils became well known for their catchy Jingle Jangle styled guitar riffs in songs like “Sometimes” as well as their electrifying stage presence. After several members moved on to side projects, Dustin Payseur began writing Clash The Truth  “determined to capture the urgency, human flow and spontaneity of the live performance.” This goal for the record  has shown to be a trouble for many bedroom recording styled bands. Many lo-fi bands have spectacular albums, but the dreamy and somber melodies don’t  always translate to a live show.  Yet with this presence of urgency, Clash The Truth doesn’t lack in energy throughout every track.  The excitement in the tracks give off a punk rock experience with a shoe-gaze styling.

The progression of Beach Fossils sound in Clash The Truth is near perfect, they translated the lo-fi bedroom recording style to a well tuned studio project. I initially had some fear that their highly praised vibes would lose their originality, yet the album beautifully captures Dustin’s vision. Clash The Truth is much more instrumentally complex than the records before; with each track standing out more individually, yet still creating one complete record. This is most prevalent in songs like “Sleep Apnea” that bring in a more acoustic presence whereas “Caustic Cross” has  more energy and power in the guitar. Another great addition to the album is the development of the drums. The drums are much more established in the album, “the drums were recorded live in a room with Dustin on bass to give the album a driving and energetic force.” In previous records the drums have a presence but appeared to be very simple,  I never found myself mesmerized by the beat.

While this album is one of my favorites, and well deserving of a listen, there are some weaker points to the album. Oddly enough, I felt the title track along with the previously released track “Shallow” didn’t live up to the rest of the album. When Shallow was first released a year ago, it wasn’t as enchanting as songs like “What A Pleasure”. It generated no anticipation or excitement for the rest of the album. The title track is a nice melody that eases into the rapid pace of the album, yet I felt a lack of connection with the song. It has a catchy aspect to it, yet that wasn’t a highlight for me.

Following the release of Clash The Truth, Beach Fossils will begin touring through the US and Canada. All of the tour dates can be found on their Facebook Page. The song “Careless” is available for free Stream or Download below.

8.0

Standout Tracks: “Sleep Apnea”, “Crashed Out”, “Generational Synthetic”

Tracklisting:
1. Clash the Truth
2. Generational Synthetic
3. Sleep Apnea
4. Careless
5. Modern Holiday
6. Taking Off
7. Shallow
8. Burn You Down
9. Birthday
10. In Vertigo [ft. Kazu Makino]
11. Brighter
12. Caustic Cross
13. Ascension
14. Crashed Out

Listen: Lord Huron – “Ends Of The Earth”

By ⋅ October 14, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

Lord Huron is a folk/rock band from Michigan. Their songs are filled with smooth dreamy vocals and sweet acoustic melodies. While their albums are full of emotionally deep and soothing tunes, these guys can get incredibly loud and intense live. When I saw them at Lollapalooza in 2011, I stood front row and watched their nice folk sound transform into a rock concert with such natural flow. The music is crafted beautifully with such attention to various kinds of instruments.

On October 9th, Lord Huron released their first LP, Lonesome Dreams. The first two tracks to their new release can be streamed below. Also, check out their Fall U.S tour dates.

Lonesome Dreams

  1. Ends of the Earth
  2. Time to Run
  3. Lonesome Dreams
  4. The Ghost on the Shore
  5. She Lit a Fire
  6. I Will Be Back One Day
  7. The Man Who Lives Forever
  8. Lullaby
  9. Brother (Last Ride)
  10. In the Wind

Fall U.S Tour
10/08 Philadelphia, PA @ KungFu Necktie
10/09 New York, NY @Mercury Lounge
10/11 Allston, MA @ Great Scott
10/12 Brooklyn, NY @ Glasslands Gallery
10/13 Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place
10/15 Chicago, IL @ Schubas
10/16 Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St. Entry
10/18 Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
10/19 Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
10/20 Boise, ID @ Neurolux
10/21 Seattle, WA @ Barboza
10/22 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
10/24 San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
11/01 San Diego, CA @ Casbah
11/02 Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo

Watch: Kent State – “Behind Closed Doors”

By ⋅ October 14, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

Psychedelic-pop band Kent State recently released their latest EP Behind Closed Doors through Rok Lok Records, which is currently available for free on their Bandcamp page. I interviewed Nicholas Vance of Kent State earlier in the year which can be found here.

Behind Closed Doors creates a great medium between lo-fi and punk. It has the real “head-nod” quality of punk with a great range in the guitar but the catchy vocals that are softly drowning in reverb. The EP sounds a lot cleaner and tightened up.

On Oct. 10 they released the official video for their EP’s title track. Kent State paired up with some of their friends at Pumpkin Morgue Paranormal Investigators to make the video. All of the side clips in the music video are from Pumpkin Morgue Paranormals ghost hunting mockumentary tv show. Check out the video below.

Listen: Tearjerker – Hiding EP

By ⋅ August 31, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment


Tearjerker recently released their new EP, Hiding. This Toronto based dream-pop/indie-rock band is full of dreamy guitars, soft vocals and easy listening lo-fi vibes. This past summer I fell in love with their older LP Rare, which carries the same, smooth flow as Hiding. I wish it was longer only because it has such an easy feel to it and he tracks flow so nicely in all of their albums. It’s one of my favorite releases of the year and I’m loving the band more and more.

The EP is currently available for free on their Bandcamp, or can be streamed below. There are also limited copies of the EP available in cassette form on their Bandcamp.

Back to School Mix

By ⋅ August 28, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

It’s a new school year for me and that normally means a lot of new music. I like to try and switch it up every year, always exploring different stuff. While there are some favorites, like Coma Cinema, that I’ll probably never stop listening to, there are other bands that I have grown out and thus they must be replaced.

I’m quite awful at stringing a bunch of songs together that flow well, or that even correlate with genre. In my mind it’s all about being open minded and just experiencing different music, the flow of the mix shouldn’t really matter.

Tracklist:
01. “Something Soon” – Car Seat Headrest
02. “Twenty Seven” – Why?
03. “Strangers” – Car Seat Headrest
04. “Frequency II” – Unouomedude
05. “Sometime” – Diiv
06. “How To Cook Everything” – Those Lavender Whales
07. “White Trash VHS” – Coma Cinema
08. “Grim Reaper” – Teen Suicide
09. “Sidewalk” – Tearjerker
10. “Rare” – Tearjerker

Goblin Problems from fanfare909 on 8tracks Radio.

 

Stream: Why? – Sod In The Seed

By ⋅ August 15, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

Why? recently released their new EP Sod In The Seed, which will be the first release since Eskimo Snow (2010) for this four-man indie/hip-hop/new-wave band out of Cincinnati, Ohio. Naturally, I’m excited for this EP since I have always been quite a big fan of Yoni Wolf and his extensive list of bands and collaborations including Clouddead, 13 & God, and Hymie’s Basement. The EP gives a different sound than their last LP Alopecia and the songs don’t carry as much of a dark feeling to them. I wasn’t digging it at first listen and the change took a bit to get used to, but eventually the songs really start to groove.

Why? will be preforming their new EP on their 2012 tour. You can stream the entire release below. Tour dates can be found further down the page.

Sod in the Seed EP Tracklist:
01. Sod in the Seed
02. For Someone
03. The Plan
04. Probably Cause
05. Twenty Seven
06. Shag Carpet

WHY? 2012 Tour Dates:
08/24 – Columbia, MO @ The Blue Note
08/25 – Norman, OK @ Opolis
08/26 – Santa Fe, NM @ SOL @ Santa Fe Brewing
08/27 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
08/28 – Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex
08/30 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
08/31 – Arcata, CA @ Arcata Playhouse
09/01 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
09/02 – Seattle, WA @ Bumbershoot Festival
09/03 – Boise, ID @ Reef
09/04 – Salt Lake City, UT @ In the Venue
09/05 – Englewood, CO @ The Gothic
09/06 – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room
09/07 – Lawrence, KS @ The Granada
09/08 – Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center
09/09 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
09/10 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
09/11 – Ithaca, NY @ The Haunt
09/12 – Cambridge, MA @ Middle East
09/13 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
09/14 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
09/15 – Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall
09/16 – Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle
09/17 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
09/18 – Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge
10/05 – Düsseldorf, DE @ New Fall Festival
10/06 – Evreux, FR @ L’Abordage
10/07 – Paris, FR @ Maroquinerie
10/08 – Brighton, UK @ Old Market
10/09 – London, UK @ Electric Ballroom
10/10 – Manchester, UK @ Central Methodist Church
10/11 – Bristol, UK @ Fleece
10/12 – Glasgow, UK @ SWG3
10/13 – Oxford, UK @ The Bullingdon
10/15 – Berlin, DE @ Volksbühne

Listen: Professor O’blivion – Demo 2012

By ⋅ August 8, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

Professor O’blivion is an experimental project featuring John Deguide on bass guitar and Patrick Piper on drums, two hip boys rising from the depths of Barrington, Illinois. I’m big on supporting local and self produced music — “Think locally, fuck globally.”  When I found out long ago that they had almost finished their first demo, I hassled John about it for months. I was extremely pumped to finally hear some local music that didn’t reiterate the stereotype of Barrington. Alas due to some problems they ran into, I was forced to be a patient crow and waited for my moment to strike.

This demo is exactly what I had hoped it would be: it’s creative and very experimental. The intro to the demo has the same kind of vibe as Old Gray‘s track “Instrumental”, even though the music overall doesn’t have the same Old Gray pop/emo feel. Professor O’blivion has a very heavy sound that is really raw, but in no way is it trashy noise-rock. They use a very deep bass, which in my opinion really rounds out and enhances the flow of the songs. The drums are sick and Patrick is a pretty hardcore drummer. Together, they equally create this hip underground sound that is Professor O’blivion.

The new demo is currently available for free on the band’s Bandcamp or you can stream it below. Be sure to also check out Patrick’s side project BlackWindom.

Demo 2012 Tracklisting:
1. Intro
2. Curmudgeon
3. John Haley
4. That Would Be The Closet

Soapbox: Wild Nothing – Nocturne

By ⋅ July 25, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

Now I’ve never been one to jump on new albums the second they come out. That’s mostly because I’m fairly lazy and don’t keep track of when certain things are actually being released. Wild Nothing somewhat recently released their second album Nocturne under Captured Tracks. I wasn’t too excited to jump right on this album because I can still groove to their first album Gemini released in 2010. So often, new albums ruin the band for me and I can just never dig the new music as much because the sound has always shifted. Yet at the same time I get frustrated when I see bands that don’t know how to change their sound one bit and basically reproduce the same song over and over. Clearly the way I look at music is logical. Yet either way, I was positive that Wild Nothing would bring some chill nostalgic vibes just like they did in songs like “Summer Holiday” and “Chinatown” from their first LP.

Gemini had some great stand out songs but as all together it lacked the beautiful flow that these guys have now brought into Nocturne. After several listens to the new album, no song specifically stands out as being better than the rest; every song is solid. The songs are still incredibly catchy beats that are perfect for summer days.  And the album isn’t one hit surrounded by a bunch of filler trash either — it’s an experience of hip synth vibes and again, a really strong beat with the drums. That’s one thing that I notice the most in Wild Nothing: the presence in the drums becomes quite dominant, all of the beats are put together beautifully; they give the song it’s originality. You have to greatly appreciate the instrumental structure to their songs. Incredibly impressive are the variations of sound in songs like “The Blue Dress”, which feel so much heavier but never out of place on their album.

These guys have been recently touring with Diiv, who also recently released a new album that is worth checking out.

Check out the song “The Blue Dress” below, from their new album.

Nocturne Tracklist:
01) Shadow
02) Midnight Song
03) Nocturne
04) Through The Grass
05) Only Heather
06) This Chain Won’t Break
07) Disappear Always
08) Paradise
09) Counting Days
10) The Blue Dress
11) Rheya

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