Electronic/Ambient
Listen: Battle Lines – “Colonies”
Alternative pop quartet Battle Lines, just unveiled their new track “Colonies” from their upcoming 7″. Following the success of their first release Hearts, they returned to the studio and recorded their next single which you can stream below. The blistered lullaby is replete with wistful paradoxes of emotional and sexual indifference; echoing distaste with the hypnotizing line, “You mean nothing to me” repeated throughout by vocalist Carly Humphries.
The forthcoming limited 7″ features the titular track as well as a new song entitled “Push.” Interestingly enough, the artwork for this release was created by Nick Steinhardt of Touché Amore. Pick up the 7″ via No Sleep Records here. or more information check out their Facebook and catch them at SXSW in Austin, Texas later this month.
Tour Dates:
Mar 13 – Austin, TX – SXSW (British Music Embassy @ Latitude 30 – 3:00PM)
Mar 15 – Austin, TX – SXSW (Esther’s Follies – 9:00PM)
Apr 17 – Brighton, UK – Green Door Store †
Apr 18 – London, UK – Birthdays †
Apr 19 – Bristol, UK – Hit The Deck Festival †
Apr 20 – Nottingham, UK – Hit The Deck Festival †
Apr 22 – Glasgow, UK – 13th Note †
Apr 23 – Manchester, UK – The Star And Garter †
Apr 24 – Birmingham, UK – The Flapper †
Apr 25 – Leeds, UK – Cockpit 3 †
Apr 26 – Southampton, UK – Unit †
† w/Seahaven, Nai Harvest
Stream: Arrange – “Home”
Tracklist:
01. A Fog
02. Home
03. Stranger
04. Dream
05. Time
06. Heart // What If This Were It?
07. Alumni (with Ricky Eat Acid)
08. Movement
09. Dark Rooms
10. Say You Will
LITS’s Top 10 Tracks Of 2013 – Erik Barns
10. Idol – Smith Westerns from Soft Will
The Smith Westerns have such a nice feel good sound, as Harri remarked. The whole album flows really well. Gotta show some love for the bois comin out of chi-town, ya dig?
9. Opposite of Afternoon – Unknown Mortal Orchestra from II
Even though they have even more current work than II, Opposite of Afternoon was the song that really turned me onto the rest of their songs. A really mystical and psychadelic sound that always feels really smooth.
8. On Doing An Evil Deed Blues – Lil Ugly Mane from Prelude to Panopticon
The song changes its sound a lot as it progresses but I love the production. I’m a sucker for some nice brass instruments thrown in there for a bit too, you have to love that brass.
7. Sleep Apnea – Beach Fossils from Clash The Truth
Sleep Apnea really turns down the tone of Clash The Truth, but I loved how Beach Fossils used some acoustic guitars and just went with this extremely dreamy melody. There are other favorite tracks off this album but at first listen Sleep Apnea caught my attention and I’ve loved it since.
6. What Drugs Got To Do With It? – Pussy Wizard from What Drugs Got To Do With It?
Pussy Wizard remarks that this is “15 minutes of shits and giggles” but I loved it. Whether or not this compilation of songs is a joke, it has some really sick tunes in it. It tends to be pretty low key but has a few drops in the heavily distorted beat that just hit me like a wall.
5. Dig Deep Enough – Gogol Bordello from Pura Vida Conspiracy
I have to throw some love at Gogol Bordello. Dig Deep Enough reminded me a lot of the song “Ultimate”, a really pleasant song that isn’t afraid to get down and dirty. A lot of fluctuation between punk and softer acoustic sounds.
4. Kill Someone – Cool Serbia from Cool Serbia
Kill Someone has a kind of dark sound but has a lot of jams in it.
3. A Lizard State – King Krule from 6 Feet Beneath the Moon
This song is just really groovy, a really catchy guitar that feels really jazzy to me. I loved the whole album and would have thrown it all up here if I could have. Really stoked to see what else he does in the future.
2. Philadelphia – Mumblr from White Jesus/Black God
I kind of wish I could combine Philadelphia, Cats, Yo Nobody Gives a Feel, and Space God all in one “top track”. These songs are relatively short and are intended to go together on the tape. The combination is just a really fun set of songs for me.
1. Side One – Lil Ugly Mane from Three Sided Tape Volume Two
Side One is probably not a very reasonable choice for a top track. It’s a mixture of short beats often with a few rap verses thrown in there but I love each an every beat on it. They all are just so phat, it makes the 16 minute compilation just kind of fly by.
LITS’s Top 10 Tracks Of 2013 – Keith Yeo
10. So Long Soldier – All Time Low from Don’t Panic: It’s Longer Now!
In October, pop-punk giants All Time Low re-released their 2012 record Don’t Panic, entitled Don’t Panic: It’s Longer Now! (haha penis joke??) promising four brand new songs to the original track list (along with the obligatory acoustic versions of the bigger songs on the album, of course). While I definitely didn’t love the new songs (A Love Like War featuring Pierce The Veil frontman Vic Fuentes felt like a waste of a great collaboration with a ton of potential), the re-release pushed me to revisit the 12 songs ATL released in 2012, and, damn, So Long Soldier was a good fucking song. Alex Gaskarth tells the story of his journey from being a “little boy from just outside of London” to becoming the “voice of a generation” with his powerful vocals, highlighted by aggressive guitar riffs played over Rian Dawson’s lightning speed drumming. So Long Soldier is an awesome throwback to the band’s early punk roots, and gives long time fans incredible amounts of nostalgia which is something that I’ll always appreciate from any band as big as All Time Low. (Also that guitar riff, goddamn!)
9. Peace Sign – Lights from Siberia (Acoustic)
Siberia (Acoustic) is pretty much exactly what the name suggests, an acoustic reinvention of Lights’ second album Siberia. The acoustic album was a really interesting take on the synth pop (and occasional dubstep) flavor of the original. The track Peace Sign features fellow canadian singer, Coeur De Pirate, who contributes her voice to half the song… IN FRENCH. Safe to say it took me by surprise, the french translation of the original lyrics give the track an interesting spin, making it much more than a plain, boring “acousticyfied” rendition. Additionally, (after a quick wikipedia check) I feel that it was a sick way to include the francophone from Montreal who is credited with “bringing la chanson française to a whole new generation of Quebec youth”. Peace Sign (Acoustic) is a great, mellow spin on the more upbeat original (which I also love), dishing out a more intimate listening experience with a finger plucked acoustic guitar and small touches of orchestral strings. And besides, french lyrics make everything at least 20% better.
8. Right Back At It Again – A Day To Remember from Common Courtesy
It would be a bit of an understatement to say that A Day To Remember’s latest album was highly anticipated. After a three year wait filled with legal battles and huge delays in release dates, Common Courtesy was self-released by the band. Right Back At It Again was the second single released off the album and is probably one of my favorite tracks off the record. Filled with catchy hooks and heavy breakdowns, the song isn’t the most creatively experimental thing the band has done. But after a three year wait, the typical pop-punk/metalcore combo song is just what I wanted from A Day To Remember. Besides, how sick was that “BRACE FOR IMPACT” right before that final breakdown? (Answer: really fucking sick!!!)
7. Clairvoyant – The Story So Far from TSSF vs STYG Split EP
Read my review of the track here!
6. Dead – Real Friends from Put Yourself Back Together – EP
Real Friends is great pop-punk band that I, unfortunately, only got around to checking out this year. Their EP Put Yourself Back Together was released in June. With 7 solid tracks, I found Dead to be my favorite; and great example of Dan Lambton’s extremely honest, albeit straightforward lyrics and his raw, heartfelt delivery. Also, was it just me that got majorly hyped when the the last few lines came in?
5. Atonement – Georgia Maq from Friends & Bowler’s Run – EP
One of the coolest things about working at Lost In The Sound is the awesome music that gets recommended to me from the other writers. Shoutouts to our editor Harri Gibson for introducing me to Georgia Maq, an acoustic singer-songwriter from Melbourne, Australia. I fell in love with the her EP at first listen, the angst-filled track Atonement being a favorite. Some of my favorite lyrics from the song include, “All my fucking rhymes are bad, / and my only good song is about my Dad” and “My name’s Georgia Maq, / and I have to learn to be comfortable with that / because I am all I have.” Georgia’s songs are simple, straightforward, incredibly witty and just overall a good time.
4. The Robot With Human Hair Pt. 4 – Dance Gavin Dance from Acceptance Speech
The Robot With Human Hair returns for the fourth time in Dance Gavin Dance’s new album Acceptance Speech. The band has seen its fair share of lineup changes and three different vocalists throughout their lifetime. Acceptance Speech marks the first album of Jonny Craig’s replacement, Tillian Pearson. I pretty much love everything this band puts out, but Tillian’s unique vocals are just such a good fit for the band, which he shows with this song. The back and forth between Tillian’s clean vocals and Jon Mess’s screams give me chills every time I listen to it. “I wear my soul on my sleeve at night, SE-SE-SEARCHING FOR SUBSTANCE!!!” Pretty much everything in this album is great, this song just gets a little extra love from me, being the Robot’s final appearance before it’s death.
3. This Is How and The Wind Shifts – Silverstein from This Is How The Wind Shifts
2013 marks the 13th year for canadian post-hardcore band Silverstein since their formation. Despite being the soundtrack of my angst-ridden middle school existence, the band had unfortunately fallen off my musical radar in recent times. After a recommendation from a friend, I decided to check out their February release This Is How The Wind Shifts, a solid album with great tracks from start to finish. While listening, I came across a fan made youtube video that merged the two tracks that formed the album’s title, This Is How and The Wind Shifts and just, holy shit. Alone, the two tracks seem like two interlude tracks, but put together, they formed an entirely new song. The coolest thing about it is, each song lyrically makes sense on it’s own, but still remain cohesive when put together, the back and forth between the two tracks a giving it whole new meaning. This Is How The Wind Shifts makes for one hell of an easter egg, giving a whole new level of depth, creativity and craftsmanship to Silverstein’s songwriting and sums up the entire concept of duality that the album is built on (each song has a parallel e.g. Arrivals//Departures). If that isn’t the best damn example of a what a title track should be, I don’t know what is.
2. Can You Feel My Heart – Bring Me The Horizon from Sempiternal
UK metalcore band Bring Me The Horizon really pushed the creative envelope of the genre with their latest album Sempiternal. Can You Feel My Heart is the first track on the record and I was pretty surprised with what I heard. A big booming synth intro and epic ambience in place of down tuned breakdowns over Oliver Sykes’ intense screaming. Speaking of, Can You Feel My Heart it’s probably the most impressive examples of Sykes’ vocal work to date. The frontman shows a newfound diversity in his skill set, from big melodic screaming to, surprisingly, mellow clean singing. The track is also a huge step up lyrically, containing one of my favorite lines ever, “the higher get the lower I’ll sink, / I can’t drown my demons they know how to swim.” Can You Feel My Heart was a great surprise for me and just set an awesome tone for the rest of the album which was in my opinion, one of the best releases of the year.
1. Passing Through A Screen Door – The Wonder Years from The Greatest Generation
This year, we saw the release of the the third and final installment in The Wonder Years’ three album trilogy, The Greatest Generation. Passing Through A Screen Door was the first single revealed by the band and honestly is probably one of my favorite songs of all time. The song comes in strong, with vocalist Dan “Soupy” Campbell belting out his honest and heartfelt lyrics at the top of his lungs, declaring his fears and anxiety toward growing up and what society demands how someone should live their life. Soupy’s defeated, emotional delivery of the line “Jesus Christ, did I fuck up?” is my favorite moment in my entire music library. The track is half emotional breakdown and and half what can only be described as “FUCK YEAH MOTHERFUCKERS”. Passing Through The Screen Door is everything I love about this band and definitely deserves the number 1 spot on my list.
LITS’s Top 10 Tracks Of 2013 – Harri Gibson
10. Manger – The Sweater I Gave You from One
I only found out about the One, Two, and Three EP’s a couple of weeks ago, but the constant tape fuzz warmth and the duet vocals create this great pop tune perfect to start off my list.
9. Glossed – Smith Westerns from Soft Will
Hailing from Chicago, their album Soft Will is one of my feel good albums when I want to stray away from depressing tracks. Frontman, Cullen Omori’s airy vocals make this dreamy pop number for me and I’m looking forward to whatever is next from them.
8. I Still Think About Who I Was Last Summer – Old Gray from An Autobiography
I had to put at least one emo track on here… There’s an acoustic version of it on the Big Footprint Records compilation that’s pretty cool too. The slow guitar melodies, the heart wrenching lyrics and the spoken word prose at the end really show how far this band have come since their 2011 demo.
7. Good Shit – Georgia Maq from Friends & Bowler’s Run
Melbourne’s second finest, Shit Street Band for life! Plain and simple – acoustic strumming, strong vocals and easy relatability for any lost teenager. Friends & Bowler’s Run has been on repeat since I first picked it up, and a new release in the new year would be greatly appreciated.
6. Virgin Veins – Coma Cinema from Posthumous Release
Amongst the melancholy, this track stands out the most for me on the album. I would have chosen Survivor’s Guilt but the little blues-like electric solo and the refrain, “so lonely / so ugly / and confused” pushes it ahead of the others. The 12″ just got here yesterday so thanks Fork & Spoon Records!
5. Other Voices – The Orwells from Other Voices EP
Raw garage punk straight out of high school, with all the teenage angst you could ask for. This song only makes sense if it’s played loudly and any track that has the lyrics “Don’t grab my hand / I’m not your friend / I’m waiting for my life to end” deserves to be on a top ten list.
4. How They Made Us – Wil Wagner from Laika
I know that I should probably choose the titular track from this release, but it just wasn’t as relatable. I used to sing this song when I walked home, and had no clue where Punt Road was but it still meant something. I believe there’s a new solo album from Wagner in the coming year, and I’m pretty happy about that.
3. library – Julia Brown from to be close to you
There’s a hi-fi recording of this song on their 7″ but I’ve always preferred the fidelity of the album. Hauntingly beautiful lyrics, a violin, and Torts’ hair all coming together for an exceptional pop tune.
2. Back Flip – The Front Bottoms from Talon of the Hawk
I was skeptical when I knew they were adding two new members to the band, but everything stayed the same, the trademark lyrical style, Ullyich’s pulsating percussion and the arpeggiated powerchords. If anything the additional members just created bigger fuller build-ups and songs, which is always a plus. I just loved the lyrics and couldn’t get it out of my head for a very long time.
1. Ducks Fly Together – The Smith Street Band from Don’t Fuck With Our Dreams
Simply put The Smith Street Band are better than The Beatles ever were. I was split between this and Self Control for my favorite track of the year, but this song has everything, the sense of pining for someone, the signature crescendos, and a chorus that deserves to be shouted. Also it’s a bit more optimistic than the rest of these tunes and that’s needed at times.
LITS’s Top 10 Tracks Of 2013 – Alex Huang
10. Angels – Mayday Parade from Monsters in the Closet
It took a while to get used to Mayday’s new sound after their perfect debut full-length A Lesson in Romantics, but the while was worth it. While there are no refreshing curveballs, Angels is just an amazing song that is just representative of the band’s talent.
9. Violence is Violence (Enough is Enough) – A Day To Remember from Common Courtesy
The one track that convinces me that A Day To Remember can make heavy songs well. An amazing song that got the hype for Common Courtesy rolling and really highlights how versatile the Floridian outfit really is.
8. A Disasterpiece – Palisades from Outcasts
Metalcore has been suffering from a wave of mediocrity and unoriginality—similar-sounding vocals and breakdowns being played over and over again. This breaks it. I like this track a lot because it keeps true to metalcore while experimenting successfully with heavy electronic influences. I lose it every time when the dubstep kicks in.
7. Life @ 11 – A Day To Remember from Common Courtesy
Because just one ADTR track wasn’t enough. Life @ 11 is my favorite track off the new album, which is saying a lot because Common Courtesy was, in my opinion, the best overall album of 2013. This track both reminds me why I fell in love with ADTR in the first place and comforts me that their talent and creativity haven’t burned out yet.
6. hostage – Dangerkids from Collapse
Dangerkids has made an amazing breakthrough. Being called “Linkin Park 2.0,” their songs can be characterized by metalcore with angsty rap influences—not the steamy senseless stuff that Attila screams about. This is probably my favorite track off the album, especially since I really love the chorus on this one.
5. Crooked Young – Bring Me The Horizon from Sempiternal
When it comes to musical direction, Bring Me The Horizon’s Sempiternal really takes the cake. They really stepped it up in this album, particularly in the clean vocals department. Crooked Young is my favorite on the album particularly because of the instrumentals… so, so good. I’m a sucker for classical influences and this is a perfect example of how well they mesh with heavy tracks.
4. Pompeii – Bastille from Bad Blood
This is the one track that got Bastille the global recognition they deserve, and for good reason. It’s just an all-around sublime piece. The background vocals are enchanting and the melody is catchy as hell. There’s also something about that accent that fits with the song perfectly. There’s also a version of Pompeii where they play at the British Museum—an alternative version that is equally powerful, one for which I give my highest recommendations to watch.
3. What I Never Learned in Study Hall – Ice Nine Kills from The Predator
Ice Nine Kills are underrated, and I don’t know why. They are an incredible band with an especially talented vocalist. Their recently-released The Predator is a solid EP that really shows potential. In particular, What I Never Learned in Study Hall has become one of my favorite songs ever. Really.
2. A Love Like War – All Time Low from Don’t Panic: It’s Longer Now!
All Time Low, with their upbeat swag and their witty lyrics, have never disappointed, and their recent album has been nothing short of spectacular. And they killed it again with the re-release, including new songs such as A Love Like War. Since first listen it has quickly become a staple in my pop punk playlist. The music video is particularly awesome… watch it!
1. Technicolor – Madeon from Technicolor Single
I don’t think a list could be complete without this eargasmic piece. After no original tracks for months too long, Madeon dropped us a massive, six minute long track that just blows all his old work (besides Finale, but that’s my opinion) out of the water. This is just an incredible track that progresses from beginning to end, like a novel or a movie. It tells a story. It’s amazing.
Listen: Japanese Gum – “Homesick”
Italian electronic psychedelia outfit Japanese Gum known for their heavy use of soothing vocals and dreamy loops, have unveiled a new single titled Homesick from their forthcoming album ‘High Dreams’. Supporting the likes of Teen Daze, Selebrities and Prince Rama over the past year, and touring both Europe and America, this eclectic duo turned trio have been busy performing their brand of experimental electronic music.
Japanese Gum’s new single “Homesick” is layered with ethereal echoed sounds, hypnotic vocals, a medley of different percussion, and synthesizers creating a celestial shoegazing soundscape. Their new album ‘High Dreams’ will be available on December 2nd 2013 from all good digital stores. A 12” vinyl version of the album will also be released in early January. For more information “like” them on Facebook and check out their website. To download some of their past releases visit their Bandcamp and stream the new single below!
Listen: Teen Daze – “Glacier”
Ambient electronic artist Teen Daze out of Abbotsford, BC, Canada earlier this week released Glacier. At forty three minutes long, this mesmerizing album takes you on a sonic journey through every aspect of droning ambient music; serene synthesizers, sparingly used airy vocals, field recordings, and drum loops.
“As 2012 came to a close, Teen Daze entered a state of repose. He chose the company of insular, droning ambient music. He wrote new material, and for the first time he found the process not to be a means of escape or refuge. Rather than imagining an outward utopia, or seeking an inward sanctuary, he simply engaged his work with his reality, his physical world. . . . The album’s fixation on manifesting physicality translates to being a highly performative production. The role of live instruments, field recordings, and general human presence is evident in these songs, just as millennia-old organisms lay suspended in a frozen core. This was a deliberate choice; Teen Daze plans to tour in support of the release for the first time as a full band—essentially to actualize Glacier in the physical world.”
To be a part of this actualization check out Teen Daze’s tour of North America as well as his three shows in Japan. In addition to the album, Jamison created a music video for the track Listen which you can watch here. Pick up the album in its entirety on Lefse Records’ Bandcamp page. Glacier is now also available through iTunes, and you can stream it below!
Stream: ODDESSA – “Intrigue”
New label meets new sound. Australian Pilot Records are just a year old, but ever since their inception they have been looking for the best electronic-instrumental projects out there. They are dedicated to releasing new music in their own ‘hybrid electronic’ style; music with a live electronic character that incorporates traditional ‘band’ instruments. That’s when Pilot and ODDESSA crossed paths; and we at Lost In The Sound couldn’t be more excited about it.
ODDESSA is Phil Rogers, owner of the Adelaide bar/club Cuckoo and local label Cuckoo Music. With help from Pilot Records and friends Surahn Singh Sidhu (Empire Of The Sun) and Ben Smith (URTEKK), Rogers has exclusively released his debut album Intrigue via Juno Digital Release. He will be releasing Intrigue everywhere else later this October.
For now, you can take a sneak peek at what ODDESSA sounds like on his Soundcloud, below:
Stream: Tape Deck Mountain – “Half Life”
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