Sylvan Esso Returns with Upbeat New Track “Radio”
What hasn’t changed: Sylvan Esso, the duo of Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn, still employ smooth synths and thumping bass to create infectious dance-pop on their new song “Radio.” What’s new: “Radio” quickens…
Track Premiere: Francine Thirteen – “Queen Mary”
Skittering percussive clicks, periodic echoing handclap effects, and the occasional pulsing beat comprise the minimalistic soundscape on Francine Thirteen’s newest track, “Queen Mary.” Over these sounds, Francine sings in a high yet brooding…
The Cost of Efficiency: Reflecting on Seeing The Blow
Without a doubt, computers have made our lives easier, more efficient, and more productive. The hours and effort saved by technological advances when quantified and totaled would surely yield staggering numbers. But does…
Album Review: Niagara – Don’t Take It Personally
Italian experimental duo Niagara have been turning heads and perking ears since their debut album Otto dropped onto the scene last year. Their follow-up, Don’t Take It Personally, released earlier this month on…
Contest: Win Tickets to Slow Magic at Mohawk September 17th
Mysterious, masked DJ Slow Magic, who blends electronic beats with live drum performance will play the Mohawk a week from tomorrow on September 17th. Slow Magic is yet another DJ in the rising…
Jamie xx at Mohawk: Live Review
I’m glad there’s a market for Jamie xx. There’s certainly risk in the work of the esteemed DJ behind The xx’s electronic soundscapes and beats. It doesn’t offer the emotive depth and traditional instrumentation that…
Caribou Shares Extended Mix of “Can’t Do Without,” On Tour in the Fall
Composer and producer Daniel Victor Snaith, aka Caribou, is set to release his new album Our Love, which drops October 7th on Merge. Anticipation is high for fans, as Snaith has proved he can continually…
Portland’s Cars & Trains Release New EP
Portland band Cars & Trains just released a new EP, “The Moon and the Earth,” comprised of three somber pop tunes created with acoustic guitars, synths, and toy instruments. The group’s folk and…
Castanets Return with Excellent New Song, “Out For The West”
The early 200os rise of indie folk shaped what music I fell in love with during my formative years of discovering independent music. Among those artists was Raymond Raposa’s project Castanets. I listened to…
Flume at Emo’s: The Burgeoning Genre of EDM
Electronic Dance Music continues to increase In popularity as electronic producers garner headlining spots at festivals and hold top slots on radio charts. The world of indie rock still remains a little aloof,…
Electronic Musician Flume Plays Emo’s Tonight
EDM continues to grow in popularity both within mainstream culture as well as in the world of independent music. Australian electronic music producer Flume is a name at the top of the pack…
Album Review: I Break Horses – Chiaroscuro
I still remember the first time I listened to the song “Winter Beats” by Swedish dream-pop band I Break Horses; I was only just discovering indie music then and its icy, synth-driven cascade…
Public Service Broadcasting Releases Debut Album Today, Stream It Now
UK group Public Service Broadcasting releases their debut album, Inform – Educate – Entertain, today. The group’s music emphasizes rhythm and evolving soundscapes while heavily utilizing soundbytes and samples. The band has taken the…
Weekly Rundown: Mirror Travel, Crystal Antlers, Tycho, Matthew Squires
In an effort to make your consumption of what’s happening in popular music and in Austin, TX easier, we’re rolling out a new post called “Weekly Rundown” that will run near the beginning…
New Track: Tycho – “Awake”
Electronic artist Tycho has released a pulsing new track that balances upbeat snares and dreamy synths. Perfect for that morning drive, the song is fittingly called “Awake,” and is the first single to…
Check out Jon Hopkins’s “Breathe This Air” Featuring Vocals by Purity Ring
As a continuation of the mutual appreciation shared by electronic artist Jon Hopkins and dream pop group Purity Ring and on the heels of the announcement of back to back shows with each…
Show Preview: Baths with Houses and D33J at Mohawk Tomorrow
Tomorrow night, the Mohawk will be filled with the hard hitting beats of electronic DJ Baths, who will be supported by electronic pop group Houses and the DJ act appropriately christened D33J. What’s…
Album Review: Cloud Boat – Book of Hours
Cloud Boat has created ambient and transcendental music in their first full length release, Book of Hours. This London duo doesn’t subscribe to contemporary compositional styles, injecting electronic elements into mournful ballads, like…
Video: Daft Punk Releases Album Teaser Preview
Secretive and mysterious electronic duo Daft Punk have released an album teaser preview video in advance of their forthcoming record Random Access Memories, due out on May 21st. As is common with the band,…
Small Black Shares New Single, Hosts Art Show, Announces Tour, Inspires Beer
It’s a big day for news with Small Black. We’re looking forward to the band’s upcoming album Limits of Desire, out May 14th on Jagjaguwar. The album’s first single, “Free At Dawn” was a…
EP Review: Neon Indian – Errata Anex
Intended as a companion EP for Neon Indian’s 2011 album Era Extraña, ERRATA ANEX (meaning ‘compiled errors’) is a collection of five remixed tracks. Neon Indian’s style is a sort of psychedelic eighties…
Album Review: The Cyclist – Bones in Motion
The Irish producer known as The Cyclist has already received a wide variety of accolades for his upcoming LP, Bones in Motion, due to his innovative style of experimental electronica. It’s lo-fi variety…
Album Review: Brandt Brauer Frick – Miami
When I read about Berlin group Brandt Brauer Frick’s music, described as “techno with the technology,” I was dutifully intrigued. Optimistically anticipating some sort of new-found instrumental techno magic, I plugged my ears…
Album Review: André Obin – The Arsonist
Boston electronica artist André Obin, who has been large on the touring scene for almost five years, opening for acts like M83 and Washed Out, has finally dropped a full-length album this week. His…
Album Review: Herbcraft – The Astral Body Electric
With monikers like “Herbcraft” and “Astral Body,” you know it’s going to be time to darken the room, light some incense candles and roll out that yoga mat for some deep meditative experiences….
Album Review: Mister Lies – Mowgli
Not until halfway through the debut album of twenty-year old bedroom producer Mister Lies did I remember and realize that Mowgli refers to the feral boy-character from The Jungle Book. Given the unique…
Album Review: Jim James – Regions of Light and Sound of God
After a couple of prolific decades and involvement in collaborative projects like Monsters of Folk and the New Multitudes Woody Guthrie album last year, it seemed almost impossible that My Morning Jacket frontman…
Album Review: Crow44 – Crow44
A self-entitled EP, Crow 44 is actually a sampling of songs taken from over twenty-five albums of super-obscure lo-fi bedroom music. Multi-instrumental recording artist James Pants was hunting through cobwebbed corners of the…
New Track: Pure X – “Things In My Head”
What happened after Pure X released their widely acclaimed debut album Pleasure? Did the Austin electronic pop group go into hiding for fear of unhinged bloggers attacking them in a crazed state of fandom?…
Album Review: The Ruby Suns – Christopher
The first time I heard the Ruby Suns, I was riding in a friend’s car. The first track sounded good, so I asked who it was. The song ended and the next track…
Album Review: Nightlands – Oak Island
Dave Hartley, the one-man force that is Nightlands, emerges from the electronic shadows with his second album, Oak Island, out this week on Secretly Canadian. After “inviting [us] for just a little while,…
