Song of the Day

Posts Tagged ‘Ambient’

Upside Down by dreamthieves

Dream Thieves is a 4 piece indie electro group out of Iowa City, Iowa that just released their debut album Ocean Spell this year. Their own unique blend of gradually progressing new wave synth pop dance beats and misty whispering lo-fi vocals bring back a dream-like reflections of the past.

Their music would be the perfect soundtrack to Cyndi-Lauper era films about teenage romance, adventure, and exploration. If you could take the Goonies, 16 candles, and a steamy romantic horror film about vampires and turned them into a music video with Ocean Spell as the audio you’d have one killer experience! Although their sound is equally fitting today with new wave electro bands like M83, Phantogram, and Sono.

Listen to their entire album “Ocean Spell” on Sound Cloud. Be sure to check out their song “Capsized” which is another one of my favorites off their album.

Dream Thieves has been doing live shows in and around the Iowa City area and are only just getting started. It was with luck that I met the group while flying into Moline about a month ago, so here they are, fresh out of their garage recording studio for your listening pleasure.

Starting with their EP in June of 2009 the classical ambient pop sounds of I’m Not A Pilot made their full length debut last November with “Need Money For Rocket Fuel” making waves on the Milwaukee music scene. With half the band working full-time throughout recording process the group has been building a grassroots following with the loyal support of friends and family along with their growing local fan base. Touring locally they earned the title of “Band Of The Year” by Radio Milwaukee and I believe has a bright future ahead of them.

Sample all of their latest tracks on the I’m Not A Pilot official website and get a free song download when you “Like” their Facebook page.

Also, check out the music video for their song No Heart off their EP.

I wonder if the historical slate of band names was whipped clean would indie bands like this one out of Brooklyn still choose the names that they do? I guess every band has a different reason for picking their name aside from trying to sound cool, but it just makes me wonder. After watching this music video for some reason I feel like I’ve could toss my brain into one of those side loading laundry machines for a few cycles and I wouldn’t know anything strange happened. There’s something emotionally strong about this song but like most of the objects in the music video, all the sounds seem to be slowly destroyed like dragging something behind a car while it slowly grinds away.

The masks remind me of a bunch of other music videos. Is there some kind of psychological trend or message here that I’m missing here? Anyone, anyone, … …. Bueler, Bueler?

Here’s a double whammy. By a great new band that I just found. It’s hard to overstate the power this indie band has to produce good music. They have a combination of energy and heart the likes of which are rarely seen, not by being energetic enough to yell loudly or bang on things quickly or fiercely. I’m referring rather to having the ability to create a depth and range of soundscapes, to possess the capacity to produce music that can create an enormous variety and emotions while maintaining a mastery of their craft amidst that variety. They aren’t really breaking outside of their genre of acoustic indie folk alternative music, but they are orchestrating songs so well it’s like they belong in a movie in which the soundtrack alone is powerful enough to create all the imagery, story, and drama you need. Maybe I’m being too optimistic, maybe their music is just the kind of thing that I like personally, go ahead and let me know what you think. I’d like to hear your thoughts on this band. I’m excited about them!

Also, their album covers are not to miss! Check them out along with more of their music videos at the Rogue Valley official website.

New digitalism, Eleven Tigers blends elements from all electronic genres into a psychedelic kaleidescope that keeps on giving. Jokubas Dargis a Lithuanian now living in London is responsible for all this madness.

Listen to and download more of their tracks using the player below, donations to the artist welcome!

Listen to the tracks Autogenesis, Prosthesis, and Trail in the player below.

Delorean, not to be confused with Dolorean, or a rapper, or a car.

Update: 4/11 Just talked to the band Dream Thieves today on a flight on their way back to Iowa City from Coachella 2011 and they mentioned Delorean was on the list of amazing bands playing at the festival. Said they really enjoyed Delorean along with the rest of the showing. Perhaps Dream Thieves will be there next year? Dream Thieves sounds much like a mix between Phantogram and Crystal Castles. Very good tunes.

Ratatat is a Brooklyn based duo that produces some good tunes that are easily recognizable but diverse in their minimal synthesized melodies and progressions. Their music can replicate tonal landscapes that are reminiscent of bands like Radiohead, The Strokes, Crystal Castles but also vary into different musical themes that employ melodies riffs and sounds from all sorts of musical genres from hip-hop, to R&B, to New Wave and Rock. It’s hard to find any bad songs by this band. Here’s a bunch of other great songs with music videos on YouTube that I found by them that are really worth listening to. You have to hear them to get a taste for what this band can do. Be careful not to play them all at once.

San Francisco based artist Scott Hansen shows his best work here. This music has creates such a rich multi-layered experience that it’s hard imagine any possible way this song could be better other than making it longer. This indie techno music track is a refreshing journey into sound that I wish more people had the opportunity to experience. I don’t understand why popular radio stations avoid playing this music and think that they are doing us some sort of benefit by trying to play only those artists that have the largest mass appeal. And yet, anytime you go to a spa or get a professional massage you’ll find the rooms often playing music like this because it IS APPEALING to most people especially when they want to relax.

I just hope Tycho keeps up the good work and gets more of his music out and into our ears. Be sure to visit the official Tycho Music website to learn more about this talented electronic music artist.

Recommended today by a friend of the band. Ishi is from Dallas Texas I believe. Good song, nice band. Here’s a little push. I also really like the other “Unofficial” music video that’s up for this song on YouTube. Take a look at Pastel Lights on Roller Blades.

After hearing the song, the name of the band, Washed Out, and the name of the song make perfect sense, the ethereal song by this band seem to wash up and all around us like soft waves which we can swim in, and as you watch the music video you can feel yourself floating in the water, soaking it in, and letting the slow steady movement of the waves take over.