Your Twenties: Folks Back Home

Your Twenties is a band from London that blend a curious mix of upbeat, keys-driven alt pop and west coast-styled rock fusion. The frontman of the band is former member of Metronomy but broke away and started Your Twenties on his own. Listen to ‘Folks Back Home’ of the album Caught Wheel below.

Listen to “Folk Back Home” Here

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Gray Kid: Lonely Love

The first time I saw the Gray Kid perform many years ago on Valentine’s Day at Spaceland in Silverlake, CA, I fell in love. His one-man-band, wacky beats and off tempo dance moves come together in a high-energy and mesmerizing performance. Whether he’s rapping over old MOP songs or singing one of his original sultry melodies, Gray Kid kills it every time.

Listen to “Lonely Love” Here

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Julee Cruise: Falling

If you’re a David Lynch fan, you may know Julee Cruise from her musical appearances in Blue Velvet and most famously, in Twin Peaks. Still, her music goes unnoticed to most. I came across her album several years ago separately from Lynch’s introduction, but have revisited in in light of Halloween as I’ve been watching the Twin Peaks series. It reminded me of my love for her dreamy, retro sound. Her album Floating Into the Night was released in 1989, but it remains in the melancholy-music hall of fame. Listen to Twin Peaks theme, Falling below.

Listen to “Falling” Here

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The Very Best: Rain Dance (feat MIA)

The three members of The Very Best hail from Sweden, France and Africa. As one would expect, their sound has a global diversity to it. Warm Heart of Africa, their second album, was released in September of 2009 and features collaborations with MIA and Ezra Koenig. Their infectious music is picking up a lot of recognition here in the states.

Listen to “Rain Dance” Here

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Billie the Vision and the Dancers : A man from Argentina

Billie the Vision and the Dancers. The brainchild of Lars Lindquist and some honest friends. This track typifies their simple and sincere approach to music. A great song to  smoke cigarettes to.

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Wavves: So Bored

SO FUN! San Diego resident Nathan Williams makes blistering, doo-wave rock about teenage boredom in sun-drenched suburbia. The self-described surf punk says his sound is about: “buried melody. A combination of musical influence both from my parents and friends growing up.” This means a stew of Beach Boys harmonies and the lo-fi energy of Nirvana and Sonic Youth.
Listen to “So Bored” Here

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Salem: Redlights

Im currently obsessed with Salem’s slo-mo, Chopt N Screwd hip hop beats bathed in nihilism and waves of dread. They describe their sound as: “being underwater at night.” In case you were wondering, they did indeed name their band after the Salem Witch Trials. This band is dark in a delicious way. Their second EP, Water, will be out on XL in February, with an album to follow. In the meantime, listen to Redlights below.

Listen to “Redlights” Here

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Great film director David Lynch is fan (see his thoughts below) and so do we ! -  Directed by Brendan Colthurst and Vikram Gandhi of DISPOSABLE, the latest music video for “Shadows” by Au Revoir Simone – Cool song and great yet simple video, Enjoy !

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The Black Angels: Manipulation

Even though the Black Angels released their first EP on my birthday back in 2005, they’re gift of sound managed to escape my cognizance. In fact, it wasn’t until recently that this band’s amazing psychedelic rock was brought to my attention. Over the course of the last four years, The Black Angels have toured with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Warlocks, and The Black Keys to name a few. Their music draws comparisons to bands such as The Cramps and The Velvet Underground. Most songs are simultaneously eerie and upbeat. While their latest album, “Directions to See a Ghost” was released in 2008, I choose to share a song off their earlier album, “Passover”, simply because I currently cant get enough of it. However, I recommend you download it all, start to finish.

Listen to “Manipulation” Here

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Los Angeles artist and musician Marnie Weber taps the dark side of Brother Grimm (if that is possible) with her photo collages and costumes. Using a semi-regular cast of costumed animal and human characters, Weber shares the dark wonderland of her subconscious. Over the span of 20 years her series of videos, collages, sculptures, music and performances elicit the uneasy vulnerability and eeriness conveyed by classic folklore tales.

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Cass Mccombs: Prima Donna

Cass Mccombs has been in the music biz for a while. To this date, he has released five albums, and is just starting to get the attention he deserves. Mccombs music first got my attention when a friend played me the song “Thats That” of his 2007 release, “Dropping the Writ”. That song remains one of my favorite songs all around. But none of the other songs on that album lived up to its brilliance. Fortunately, Mccombs has released a new album, “Catacombs” which has the consistency of his tender harmony genius throughout. The album flows nicely the whole way through. Each song as enjoyable as the next. Its easy to get side tracked with these sweet melodies playing.

Listen to “Prima Donna” Here

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Crocodiles : Soft Skull (In My Room)

San Diego zoo has a couple motionless crocodiles you can look at through a glass window, but San Diego the city created the far from motionless band of the same name. Rumor has it that the Crocodiles‘ lead singer has some pretty fancy footwork on the stage and he may look like Bob Dylan but don’t go calling him Bob or Dylan. The duo made use of the drum machine in such a way in Soft Skull (In My Room) it is definitely a hit at first listen. The band also has a blog somewhat appropriately [and hilariously] entitled KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL. Appropriate in that their album released earlier this year is called Summer of Hate and the second song on it is called I Wanna Kill. Despite all these negative titles, their music happens to uplift the listener; it is not at all harsh on the ears nor does it make one want to put razor to wrist. They recently toured with UK band The Horrors but catch them live touring with UK bands Pens and Graffiti Island on their West Coast Summer Tour – Coming to a Spaceland near you this coming Thursday August 27th, Los Angeles! ..and you can look at these Crocodiles from the front row, kill a glass window.

Listen to ‘Soft Skull (In My Room)’ Here

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Little Dragon : Test

A good portion of the universe should know about Little Dragon by now; they are far from little. The city of Gothenburg in Sweden [well, Sweden in general] seems to be the mother that births all catchy loveable music. The Knife, Jose Gonzalez, and Jens Lekman to name a few others. The lead singer of Little Dragon, Yukimi, has a jazz vocal background which is evident in her highly addictive soulful voice; the perfect main ingredient for such a musical meal. There are girls that sound black but are actually white, but this femme sounds black but is actually Japanese! Listen to one single song one single time and you’re hooked, no matter the mood you’re currently in or attempting to channel in the near future. This particular song speaks of the obstacle course we call life that stresses us then rests us, tests us and depresses us. Emotions darken and lighten as minds get lost over and over again just to find another way back with an entirely different view. Test is actually from their 2007 self titled [and first] album but don’t think they broke up and went solo like all the rest; they released a new album recently by the name of Machine Dreams.

Listen to “Test” Here

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Designers Mike and Dan started silkscreening posters for various bands when they were working at Planet design firm in Madison, Wisconsin years ago, and from those roots grew Aesthetic Apparatus, and they are now Minneapolis gig poster heroes. Jack White from The Dead Weather recently commissioned the duo to create the posters for their national and Canadian tour. They create amazing prints that you can purchase online if you did not get to the show. Here is an interview with Mike and Dan in their studio.

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An editorial named after a classic Velvet Underground album absolutely deserves mention. Especially in these times of ripped denim, leather aplenty, sheer sexy fabric, messy hair, smokey eyes, chains, and studs. Sex, drugs, and rock & roll makes its return in this shoot for SOMA Magazine by Kobal. See full spread on PaperMode.

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