Hawksley Workman, Steve Bays, and Ryan Dahle make up the Canadian trio Mounties, who recently put out their first single in the form of “Headphones”. Bays is best known as the frontman for Hot Hot Heat. “Headphones”, like much of HHH’s material, is silly catchy while also being slightly weird. The band has said they recorded something like 30 songs over the course of a two-week writing binge in Vancouver. Everyone sings on this track, and even Bays’ recognizable voice is blended in well enough to only add to the mix, rather than dominate it.

Mounties will apparently have a full album out soon, but it might be hard to fit into Bays’ schedule, which has the recently released Fur Trade LP and the upcoming Hot Hot Heat record taking up his time as well. The man keeps busy, and the quality seems to be maintained throughout each of these full-fledged projects.

The post Mounties – “Headphones” appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

In the wide realm of ’90s TV shows for kids, with the limited acting skills and ridiculous plots, Goosebumps was one of the most memorable — more so for the awful acting than anything else. One of its episodes shares the same name as this next band, who make spines tingle in a completely different way.

Ghost Beach are seductively good, with endless factors shaping their sound. In parts it sounds like synth-laden ’80s pop, and on others resembles a punk-rock vibe with lengthy guitar solos, like on single “First Time”. Their confused adolescent genre is a result of influences from the likes of Depeche Mode, Daft Punk and The Police. The American pairing are reminiscent of an early Hot Hot Heat, with a semi-fem vocal, unashamedly bathing in a pop bath – and I don’t mean the bubbles. They produced something that’s a lot more grown up. Saying that, they have the fun factor, the nonchalant attitude, and a contagious “let’s not stop partying until we throw up” glitter factor — especially on tracks like “Empty Streets”. It’s the sort of a song for an all-nighter party.

Ghost Beach have not set sail for the UK as of ye,t but I’m hoping they’ll plonk their anchor down at some festivals next year. They sound perfect for a festival, in a forest with fireworks.

RIYL: Hot Hot Heat, The Drums, Erasure, White Rose Movement, Foals, She Wants Revenge, Robots in Disguise, Washed Out, Daft Punk, The Police, Sting

Ghost Beach – Bones

Ghost Beach – First Time

Ghost Beach – Empty Streets

Official Site / BUY

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For many, Outside Lands is the premiere music festival for the West Coast. Numerous Coachella comparisons are warranted; headliners like Arcade Fire, Phish, and Muse mixed well with an assortment of independent acts, many on the verge of breaking out after a hot year of exposure. A handful of them – Lord Huron, Tamaryn, and Major Lazer – should be familiar with OS readers, all touting a following that has been growing rapidly. Outside Lands’ lineup was an excellent representation of old favorites, emerging stars, and unknowns with a boatload of potential. For every big name like Arctic Monkeys and Big Boi, there were groups like Cosmic Suckerpunch, The Stone Foxes, and Diego’s Umbrella; they all maintained a small but avid following prior to Outside Lands, but by the end of Sunday (the 14^th) it was evident their fan bases grew exponentially. Their live presence is the main reason such groups were chosen to appear at this prominent festival. Unlike headliners, a poor performance is a make-or-break scenario, an opportunity that may never be salvaged.

With beer/wine in one hand and something off the grill in the other, most listeners excitably made their way around the Golden Gate Park over the three-day festival. Listeners could have stumbled upon a variety of interesting occurrences. Even to the least dedicated of music fans, it would be fun to see Dave Chappelle cracking jokes on stage during a Big Boi technical malfunction intermission, deadmau5 exposing an orgasm of lights and hallucinations on a crystallized stage, or Arcade Fire frontman Win Butler sharing the stage with soul maven Mavis Staples. And that’s mainly a bunch of superficial appeal, separate from the musical aspect (which Outside Lands dominated as well). Or perhaps you’re one to enjoy the difficult decisions of carefree affluence, like on Friday choosing between seeing Beirut or The Decemberists. For me that’s a fairly easy choice (Beirut), but you know the massive followings for either group would have a strong opinion either way.

In any case, enjoy the tracks from some of Outside Lands’ more unknown artists below. The Stone Foxes present a swanky form of bluesy alt-rock that brings to mind The White Stripes, Allman Brothers, and 12-bar blues modernists. Diego’s Umbrella calls their sound “gypsy rock”, though it sits more in the flamboyant indie-pop category with sparkling key-led hooks and a little bit of Latin percussive flair. They remain a bit rough around their edges, but clearly have the pop smarts to traverse beyond the Disney soundtrack limits. Their sound will be a bit too cartoonish for some, but it’s hard to deny their fast-paced bursts of creativity. Then The New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars, Paper Diamond, and Orgone present something entirely different. Gypsy instrumental, lush electronica, funk revivalism… a bit of everything perhaps? Take a listen:

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THE STONE FOXES

The Stone Foxes – I’m a King Bee

The Stone Foxes – I Killed Robert Johnson

RIYL: The White Stripes, Allman Brothers, The Dead Weather, The Kills, The Black Keys, The Hives, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Dan Auerbach

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DIEGO’S UMBRELLA

Diego’s Umbrella – Richardson

Diego’s Umbrella – Downtown

RIYL: Queen, Hot Hot Heat, The Cross, Deep Purple, Rooney, Randy Newman, Boy Kill Boy, We Are Scientists

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And now for some REAL Gypsy-inspired tunes, courtesy of THE NEW ORLEANS KLEZMER ALL-STARS. They tend to be surprisingly eclectic as their songs progress, showing influences hovering in blues, pop, and R&B:

The New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars – Moroccan Roller

RIYL: Gogol Bordello, Kultur Shock, Balkan Beat Box, Fanfare Cioc?rlia, Goran Bregovi?, Csókolom

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PAPER DIAMOND

Paper Diamond – Levitate

Paper Diamond – Snowfall

RIYL: Röyksopp, Air, Junior Boys, The Field, Groove Armada, The Chemical Brothers, Zero 7, Daft Punk

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ORGONE

Orgone – Who Knows Who

Orgone – Bacano Come Around

RIYL: Funkadelic, Parliament, Sly & the Family Stone, Graham Central, The Poets of Rhythm, Baby Charles, Lefties Soul Connection, Speedometer

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Cosmic Suckerpunch – In Love with a Robot

RIYL: Pearl Jam, Built to Spill, Pavement, Sebadoh, Archers of Loaf, Superchunk, No Age

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But alas, the days of summer festivals are over — at least for another nine or ten months. So for those starting to shuffle to class, save on next year’s tickets by checking out the Back to School Music Guide presented by Best Buy. Enter to win a $250 gift card to Best Buy and save on tablets, smartphones, and laptops. This deal was passed on to me, but I guess it’s more of a shock that you can buy a decent laptop these days for $300. That gift card would do the trick:

The post Dark Horses From Outside Lands appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

Ross Fish, an 18-year-old from central Jersey, has interesting standards. Whereas most of his peers attempt to specialize in DJing, hip-hop beatmaking, or other more accessible pathways to the creation of electronic music, Fish actually has a grasp on the melodic and technical components of the style. Though his age suggests this is a recent upstart, Fish has been working in various projects for years now. Alongside frequent collaborator Max Fishkin (Mass Fiction), his past efforts in Hey Zeus! showed a songwriter with a mind for structure and melody, even if his skills in those areas had yet to come to fruition. With the recent release of a new album, Dreams Feel Real, he has advanced from manufacturing snazzy electronic sounds to memorable songs. For many his age, this is a complex jump that results in failure or premature retirement. But for him it simply marks a beginning worth taking seriously.

The album begins enjoyably enough with some vintage chiptune, courtesy of “Outside Your Mind”. While the rest of Dreams Feel Real shows more technically advanced material, this is one of the more downright infectious efforts. The chorus, with Fish’s accentuated delivery and addition of moog-like synths and organs, raises the stakes from elementary to advanced. His melodic grasp here is commendable, with a voice that emits a nasally burst of emotion akin to Steve Bays or Rob Crow. “I’m thinking it’s time that you step outside your mind,” he sings, paving the way for an organ to momentarily take over before the chiptune beeps resume. The sentiments of romanticized regret and opportunism are the farthest from complex or thought-provoking, but the intentions of this pop-minded track would not have coordinated well with that. It is a fun and bright opener for sure.

“Francine the Dub Queen” features some help from Fish’s grandmother, even if the assortment of moogs and sampling is a bit beyond her years. But like her grandson, she may be ahead of them. Grime, dubstep, hip-hop… Fish has a grasp of them all. And while this solo release sees him taking more accessible ground in “Outside Your Mind” and the bouncy “Eyes on You”, tracks like “Francine the Dub Queen” and “Nihil ex Nihilio” resemble his past project, Hey Zeus!, in its incorporation of acid-induced electronica. For that, think Avalanches’ sample-friendly demeanor, but replace their summer-y vacation vibe with a darker, more dubstep-oriented approach. On “Francine”, his grandmother’s chopped-up vocal additions are great in the sense of novelty, but even that fact aside the track shows great leaps in terms of Fish’s developmental ability. This track flows with studied vigor, the twinkling synth pads and stuttering beats finding a cross between DJ Shadow and Justice that should entertain both the dance-friendly and beat-intense crowds.

“The Smoker” rides on its abrupt transitions, perhaps serving as a bit too hectic and transitional for the stoned state its title may suggest. The evolution from ramped-up electronica to a more subdued, pop-minded arpeggio is tasteful here, as are the subtle additions Ross makes to each verse of the former vein. Some of the transitions to broader melodic territory seem forced, but the actual melodies are never to be reckoned with. Cohesiveness will come in due time for Fish, but as his melodic and technical skills cast a shadow over most of his peers.

In terms of commercial appeal, I think the only track with more potential than “Outside Your Mind” for radio play is “Crack Me Up”. The song loves it some tremolo, as the keys and guitars create a stomping stampede of sorts before Fish gives in to a wholly reflective vocal melody in the verse. Like “Outside Your Mind”, it is not the most advanced effort by a long shot, but at least when Fish relies on simplicity he produces a melodically satisfying song. You have to love little touches, like the concluding sax or key-aided percussion, on top of general success.

Dreams Feel Real is an album worth listening to for several reasons. On one hand, it shows an artist that has gotten increasingly better over the past few years. This appears to be the first release of Fish’s where his experience has finally paid off into something cumulatively worthwhile. Some tracks are simplistic and poppy, while others are ambitious and require patience. However, for whatever lacks in cohesiveness is always made up for in melodic and technical appeal. In that spectrum, Fish has little to improve upon. This is precisely why his next release is on my radar.

Download Dreams Feel Real by clicking HERE. (.ZIP file, 90.8MB). You can also check out more info at Ross’ Dropbox.

Top photo by Charline Tetiyevsky. Album art by Stephen Cohen.

RIYL: DJ Shadow, UNKLE, RJD2, Kid Koala, Cut Chemist, Amon Tobin, Avey Tare, Pinback, Coldcut, Dr. Octagon, CFCF, Massive Attack, Bonobo, The Chemical Brothers, Gorillaz, Nightmares on Wax, Daft Punk, Mr. Scruff, Skalpel, Avalanches, Hot Hot Heat, Animal Collective, Boards of Canada, Aphex Twin, Quantic

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Ross Fish – Outside Your Mind

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Ross Fish – Francine the Dub Queen

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Ross Fish – Crack Me Up

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The post His Dreams Feel Real appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

by Max Fishkin

Tokyo Police Club are a four-piece that hail from Canada, home to many indie artists such as Arcade Fire and Wolf Parade. These guys don’t have the same stigma attached as the previously mentioned bands. Instead, Tokyo Police Club are the indie garage heroes you hear about on the local nightly news, saving the world one show at a time. Joking aside, they really have grown comfortable in their own sound. Our interview with the band’s keyboardist, Graham Wright, could suggest as much in regard to their recording ideology alone. As you can see by that conversation, the reason why they are “heroes” is because they enforce a very straightforward garage-rock sound with very little pretension, contrary to the intricate electro-rock fusion of Wolf Parade or the epic anthem-like demeanor of Arcade Fire.

Such artists seem a bit inaccessible to certain listeners, who see that vein of songwriting conflicting with an innocent yearning for straightforward garage-rock. The songs on Tokyo Police Club’s previous releases, A Lesson in Crime and Elephant Shell, were relatively short and more vigorous in this garage-rock vein, while their new album Champ clocks in at 35 minutes and hosts a more mature but still energized band. When the promo copy for Champ came in the mail, I furiously ripped open the packaging and fed it into my CD player and it hasn’t moved since. For the past three weeks, I spent more time enjoying and listening to Champ than even thinking about writing this review.

The opening track, “Favourite Colour”, is a great summation of the band’s sound on this record: personal, melodic and lively. The glitchy synth intro unfolds into a spotlight on acoustic guitar and vocals. With lyrics like, “You were looking back on your days/how you spend them all in a blur/when they asked if you were for sure/let sugar melt down your throat/cuz you know its sweet getting old”, these guys are aware of taking the title of champ as they age, which is aptly depicted throughout the album. What could be better than playing in a kick-ass band and living life as you please during your ‘greatest years’, as most nostalgic parents remind us?

The single on Champ is “Breakneck Speed” and will serve as a great setlist staple while Tokyo Police Club tour with Passion Pit this summer. After catching a tight performance at All Points West last summer, I eagerly wait seeing their set at Bonnaroo this Friday. My next favorite track, “Bambi”, features a glitch-echo guitar effect that settles into a flurry of notes. Vocalist and bassist Dave Monks really understands his range and role as singer, which really lets all of the songs shimmer throughout Champ. But the track “Hands Reversed” shows a different side of Tokyo Police Club without completely making an about-face. This video, filmed about six months ago, strips the song to its core of guitar and vocals. The band’s contribution to the song on the album cut is subtle but very effective. The sluggish drums and bold synths develop the dynamics of the song, gradually building and releasing tension in rewarding fashion. The greatest part about Champ is that, in an age where most albums are half-filler and no-killer, this CD is a promise that rock ‘n’ roll will never die.

RIYL: We Are Scientists, Born Ruffians, Ra Ra Riot, Foals, Vampire Weekend, Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, The Maccabees, Metric, Minus the Bear, Wolf Parade, Harlem Shakes, Land of Talk, Death Cab for Cutie, Cold War Kids, Matt & Kim, Hot Hot Heat, The Futureheads

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Tokyo Police Club – Favourite Food

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Tokyo Police Club – Breakneck Speed

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Tokyo Police Club – Hands Reversed

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Official Web Site

MySpace

BUY

The post Tokyo Police Club Remain Champs appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.