Presenting Phoenix’s new pop sensation Blissing Room who bring about boatloads of bliss delivered in sweeps of synths & sensations on the world premiere of “Know You”. Found off the forthcoming album Comfort Life Eternal available later this summer; band leader Dane Jarvie introduces his bandmates Anthony Brant, Brian Whelihan, David Hjelmstad, & Nick Regal along with the following words on the road to recording their new album:
The long process of writing this material was during a time when I was in an intentional period of relative isolation, not attending a lot of shows. I had just gotten back from my last tour with another group [Phoenix group Emby Alexander], and I was increasingly disenchanted with the thought of making another rock LP.
I made it a point to write music in a way that broke old habits I had relied on—the primary use of electric guitars, using traditional rock drum kits, with lots of guitar pedals, etc. I wanted to create songs with pop structures, but relied heavily on piano and synths as main base instruments.
I was listening to a lot of jazz—read every book on Coltrane and Pharaoh Sanders I could find. I was listening to Joni Mitchell, I was listening to Prince, I was listening to CAN, I was listening to Kate Bush the entire time we recorded. I was enamored with sounds from the 80’s and 70’s, I was excited by forms of music that had mistakes. I wanted to shy away from my perfectionism that tended to mar previous works. I wanted to start over.
[engineer Eli Crews] used almost all analogue gear on this record, and mixed it all on this massive Neve 5316 Custom Console from the 1970s, giving it this huge warm sound, he helped us achieve a lot of our sound design, and he was very patient with us. I’m very grateful that I had the opportunity to collaborate with him. He stressed the importance of getting raw takes, and helped me find beauty in vocal imperfections without getting hung up on them. I think he felt that those vulnerabilities welcomed the listener, and made the music more relatable.
The album title reminds me of growing up. Being a kid with so few years to compare against each other, that you are oblivious to the passage of time. The comfort of being years away from living inside a womb, with your entire life ahead of you. If you listen to the lyrics, a lot of them were written from the perspective of being an adolescent. I’ve always wanted to have them sound like they were slightly juvenile, like they were ripped from one of my old Xanga posts as a kid. Like they were taken from some kind of pre-Myspace blog, or something.
Blissing Room begins with the lo-fi chords strumming an intro that is followed by a blaze of feedback that kickstarts all the big beat percussion bars that takeover. An unusual sort of dance track, chirps of special effects fire across the arrangement as clusters of keys surround the listener for an experiential feeling of being fully immersed in a cycle of full body bouncing rhythms. The musical knowledge demonstrated by Blissing Room on “Know You” is a sampler of further creations soon to follow.
Dane also shared with us the following insights on the making of “Know You”:
“Know You” was recorded around Halloween time in Oakland, at New, Improved Recording.
Outside after tracking one night, I remember watching these kids thrash around in skull masks, bumming people for cigarettes, and screaming at the top of their lungs. I thought of how completely untethered they were when approaching strangers, in costume. I kept replaying the image in my mind when recording, comforted by it. I felt like a total outsider in the city. It was exciting to have no connection to anyone or thing but the narrative I had created for myself. I think this all informed the track.
We experimented heavily with dance rhythms and a heavy bass sound, but still wanted to wrap it in this melodically dense haze. We wanted to use all of this old analogue gear, and somehow use in a way that we felt wasn’t dating the song. We were all really conscious about not letting in too many contemporary influences during the writing process.
Blissing Room’s Comfort Life Eternal album will be available later this summer.
Watch the Jess N. Pierson video for “Easy” taken from The Late Great’s debut album available this August, where you get to run around with the band about Portland as they get into all kinds of trouble. The song entertains the ins and outs of serial, sort of monogamy while creating a rhythm that operates on it’s own hedonistic axis.
The Regrettes emerged on the scene with their single “A Living Human Girl” that makes a humanitarian plea with the world at large for an understanding that extends beyond the superficial or simple. The Regrettes from their chosen moniker to their sound turn all their misgivings into a personified art that allows their audience to take notice & attention to the content of the complexities of the lyrics that revolve around identity, feelings, perceptions, & much more.
Seattle’s favorites and the darlings of the DIY world at large; we are super-psyched to announce that iji’s new album Bubble will be available July 29 through Team Love Records and it is our pleasure to share the single “Summer of 2069” with you. Zach Burba and the gang continue to create beautiful mind expanding & heart opening sounds as they follow up Whatever Will Happen with sounds to landscape what could be a future summer of love that looms ahead on a distant road.
Toronto’s Jaunt delivered the warm friendly salutations of “Hello” from their upcoming Chat EP available in July. A duo that emerged as a Hamilton bedroom project during the the winter of 2014 blooms into something greater where the greetings on “Hello” provide invitations of intimations of future fancies and more delights to behold and enjoy.
Grumbling Fur dropped the electro-frazzled fun & thrills with “Acid Ali Khan” which finds Daniel O’Sullivan and Alexander Tucker having a ball with all consoles available at their disposal in the studio. Taken off their forthcoming Thrill Jockey album Furfour, the frantic spills & chills makes for an addictive & awe-inspiring mix that only Daniel & Alex could ever deliver proper.
In case you ever wanted to hear Outkast’s “Hey Ya!” given the big pop vocal treatment; check out London’s own Leena Ojala providing her own emotive take on the timeless single that defined the oughts for many of us.
London’s Lull has a brand new second EP Nouvelle that is available today from PaperCup Music, and we bring you the single “Cursed” that rocks with some of the best Brit pop that wasn’t made in the 90s. The vexed & hexed sentiments are depicted in rock balladry that echoes out from the unknown depths right before being absorbed into the ether.
OVVLS dropped the solstice splitting single “Winter” that brings some chill for your sunny summer escapades. Part of their three-part Recrudescence series that was co-produced by Clinic’s Brian Campbell; “Winter” delivers the heart of the things that get obfuscated by the whirlwinds & fog screens brought by everything from sandstorm cyclones to snow blizzards.
With news that serpentwithfeet (aka Josiahwise) has signed to Tri Angle, we bring you the flame glow of “flickering” featuring production from The Haxan Cloak that trembles like the cadence of a match fire. The vulnerable nature of the track dabbles in choral concepts that are met with a manner of arrangement that emulates the very act of a flame’s ebb & shine.
Shout Out Louds leader Adam Olenius presented us with the following cut “News Are Saying” (featuring Say Lou Lou) taken from the forthcoming Looking Forward To The New Me EP available June 29 from his ABWO imprint. The duet takes on a timeless manner where the back & forth dialogues of amour are exchanged like the most treasured & divisive dialogues that deal with love as well as yesterday’s papers.
High Water’s Crush will be available July 1 from Other People, and you can groove to the fuzzed-out evening insinuations of “Moonlight Mind”. This is one of those midnight pop ballads that walks a wonderful tightrope balance between it’s own piano lead visions and electric dissonance.
Enjoy the electro r & b of Sundai’s new single “Roses” that boasts a bouquet of flavors, fragrances & summer sensation. Sundai spells out the sort of connection between two people that is ordained by a greater supernatural force of attraction.
Featuring direction by Charlie Ahearn that features none other than the W.A.F.F.L.E. Litefeet Crew NYC & filmed live on the Q train; you are cordially invited to start a dance party wherever you are with our favorites and yours, The So So So Glos, with their infectious “Dancing Industry”. The Glos remind you from the Q train that “this ain’t a party that we’re starting it’s a dancing industry,” as the commuters & lookers-on check out the fancy foot work from the NYC’s Litefeet Crew & more.
Behold the Bob Gallagher video for “In Plastic” from Girl Band found off their upcoming 7″ for “In Plastic” available July 8 via Rough Trade b/w “The Last Riddler” (live). Playing a handful of stateside dates in Brooklyn at Baby’s All Right July 14 & Pitchfork Fest in Chicago on July 16; the Dubliners prepare to bring their distinct brand of off kilter post-noise pop across the pond. The following stoic & stern visuals present an absurdist TSA-esque experience that is taken out of some kind of modern-futurist short story where a surreal & unnerving security experience ultimately makes an astonishing revelation at the finale.
Parcels dropped the stripped down clockwise-funk & freshness on the single, “Anotherclock”, available today courtesy of Maison Kitsuné that feature thoughts on time measurements & rhythm. The organic restrained cut muses on the momentum of time’s motions as it forever swings in a forward direction that waits for nobody.
NOTS elaborate upon the whole “Smells Like Teen Spirit” request of “entertain us” with their rip-tide-rocking & railing new single “Entertain Me” taken from their new album Cosmetic available from Goner Records on September 9. Natalie Hoffmann & her Memphis bunch of Alexandra Eastburn on the synths, Meredith Lones on the rumbling bass & Charlotte Watson keeping the beat in check; NOTS continue their rallying call for infinite amusement & entertainment as they give the signal of their upcoming second album attack.
Wicklow, Ireland’s Kolumbus shared the single of warm & well wishes with “I Hope You’ll Find Happiness” that features meditations on Irish out-migration. Available everywhere July 14, the track urges all wandering country-folk to find that tranquil light of peace & comfort somewhere (anywhere) in the great & vast surrounding universe.
Introducing the sun-bright pop of Stockholm, Sweden’s STEELE who creates shimmering, intimate electro pop tones of emulated emotion as heard on the beck & call of the single “Follow”. STEELE works in subtle & sensual ways where the lyrical delivery matches the rhythm synth measures like slow steps made in a world of snow that suddenly turned into a new day, a new, & a new chance granted by sun’s settled beams of light.
Introducing London’s Cherryade who dropped the aberrated lullabies of “Fractured Fairytales”, found off their upcoming debut EP available later this year. Working with an elaborate roster of artists & insiders from producer Shaun Canning, Dimitri Tikovoi, Lewis Gardiner, & Ian Watt to deliver the most cheeky brat-pop around that boasts with all that schoolyard call & response swagger.
Fresh & Onlys’ own Wymond Miles brought us a song for the solstice with “Summer Rains” taken from the forthcoming Call By Night available July 8 from Sacred Bones. Miles shows off his chops as a songwriter & tune-smith of songs that seem like they literally seeped out like sap from the fruit of the earth’s arboreal follicles of many leaves & branches.
Priz’s “Don’t Let Go” brings about the benefits of holding on & holding out for the long haul. From the basements of Brighton, Priz & Ghostcopy have been cooking up DIY paranormal productions that are now finally emanating & ascending above the surface levels.
