I Had A Hot Summer

Toronto's Elevator Boy "spends his days in a reverie and drinks loads of lemonade. He loves life for its whimsical existentialism".

Not a bad way to spend this final August afternoon. At least metaphysically, perhaps through headphones, existing within a series of images, emotions, or ideas sensed during states of abstraction, beauty, or sleep. It's not a seasonal function, but damn does spacing out feel especially right under a warm breeze.

Elevator Boy | I Had A Hot Summer
Elevator Boy | No More Sessions

The 17 track collection of ambient, dream-hop infused guitar manipulation is at bandcamp.

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Friday Send-Off | Gone To Sea

Nothing else was in the send-off running after Jamie Harley set another one free to inter-sea just a moment ago, this time for Italy's A Classic Education. Wonderful.

(via//photo by Victoria)

Have fun. Be safe. Get weird.

With You

Aligned with this simple snare drum today, living the good life, courtesy of one Seapony from Seattle. "With You" has harmless pop presence. It's a cute throwback and it's pretty open about it. Destination is clear.

Seapony | With You

The self-titled EP is free at bandcamp.

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Cathedral

“It’s all I’ve wanted for a while.”

'To feel loved' is what Melbourne's James Wallace aka Wintercoats seems to be getting at. On the title track to Cathedral EP, he whirls that universal desire through a feathering of trinkets and strings. It lands in a lush middle ground, somewhere between heartfelt rawness and orchestral grandeur; simply beautiful.

Wintercoats | Cathedral

The 3 tracks leading up exist in a similar realm. Which brings us to bandcamp.

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Island Cottage

"The long anticipated conclusion. The layer of dust on the bookshelf. The missed flight. The memorized view from a window. The space between."

That memorized view has gone gray at the moment. Warped through glass, blurred by rain, the Sunday skyline is resting. As if aware of my stationary fate, Montreal's Sea Oleena appeared a few hours ago by way of visual, leading to an extended sit with her dream spun self-titled EP.

Sea Oleena | Island Cottage

The entire release is waiting at bandcamp.

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Friday Send-Off | Tattooed Tears

"I've been wanting you use the song title for a long time to write a dreamy pop song about Morrissey and latino gangsters but as I worked on it I happened to notice a triangle of synchronicity take shape around the Smiths, Cholos, and East of Eden so it ended up being about all three."

Ice Cream Shout are a young 4-piece from Kansai, Japan. "Tattooed Tears" seems to have arrived straight from the 80s, into rapid replay, and my shortlist for songs of the year.

Ice Cream Shout | Tattooed Tears

Their debut (somewhat) album is available now. I'm all ears.

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Have fun. Be safe. Get weird.

When You Feel Like

"Thinkin about you, got me goin outta my head, outta my head"

Guy will do anything for girl. If sincere, it's timeless. Same goes for a simple guitar pop song. LA's Adam Anderson aka Rraaiillss manages to pair the two in this gritty declaration of love that just appeared at his bandcamp.

Rraaiillss | When You Feel Like...

The track will be part of an upcoming full length called 1098. Between this project and Incubator (US), I'll agree with Mike from Dead as Digital: Anderson is on some streak here.

Odd Tymes

Green Gerry gave away Odd Tymes in the middle of summer, but his brand of folk transcended seasons altogether, better suited for a cottage on mars. Perhaps that's what happens when Georgia and California are crossed; some deformation of spacetime appears, where birds and trains and toys swirl in cyclonic harmony. We can only hope this freak of nature can be repeated.

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3 Songs For Ryan

"...sonic backdrop of a huge thunderstorm that rolled through Toronto 2 days ago."

Anything the wind brings in from Warren Hildebrand is a treat. Hopefully soon, some words I submitted elsewhere on Swung From The Branches will surface, but to paraphrase a bit: it seems that each year there's one album that can stop my clock and simply gravitate, and in 2010 it's been his.

Now 3 Songs For Ryan is as Warren says "easing" himself back into recording, after a summer without working equipment to do so. "Rain Falls" is as eased as they come, resting at a comfortable distance from the strobe-lit skies. This reintegration only lasts a moment before "Along" breaks through clouds with sudden flashing lights-esq zest. An outro to a piece all too brief, "Courtyard Summer" drops us off in calmer conditions, where all we can do is wait for more.

Foxes in Fiction | Along

Follow links above for both releases. And Slow Evolution should arrive in the next few weeks.

Whalemary

The creative travels of Maine's Yellow Ostrich can go unmentioned here no longer. His output expands at will, with undeniable talent present in each direction. Releases now range from the hymnal hypnosis of Fade Cave to the digital dance of The Serious Kids (not to mention that EP inspired by Morgan Freeman's Wikipedia page). The track above is one half of Whalemary 7", and like the rest, is free at bandcamp.

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Friday Send-Off | I Am You

No outsider to love here, among many other realms, COOLRUNNINGS takes today's duties with this fan-made-gone-official visual for "I Am You". Like like the song, I've returned to its nectar for seconds and thirds since debut (we'll say at least 10 of its 272 views).

The track hangs free at their bandcamp, and if EPs Buffalo and Babes Forever are yet to sweeten your speakers, grab those too.

Have fun. Be safe. Get weird.

Memoryhouse, Twin Sister, Oberhofer @ Mercury Lounge [08/11/10]

A stacked lineup had the Mercury Lounge filling up early last night. Young buzz-darling Oberhofer lived up to expectations, howling through guitar pop with fevered charisma. Twin Sister was tighter than ever, making two lovely EPs glow over what seemed like one continuous smooth jam. And they do jam.

With a more subdued style and overall presence, Memoryhouse aimed to slow down and spellbind. Dreamwaves were cast from the first lines of “Lately (Deuxième)”, as soft visuals projected past faces onto walls. Some newer tracks were sprinkled between gems from The Years and standout "Bonfire". The set wasn't without a few sounds off balance and transitions unpolished, but not much was lost (should improve as the tour goes on). Like recent Boston show, they closed with an airy cover of My Bloody Valentine’s “When You Sleep”.

Victoria has the rest:

Oberhofer



Twin Sister





Memoryhouse






Twin Sister and Memoryhouse play Monster Island Basement tonight.

Raindeer

To be honest, that found image doesn't quite fit. Like the misspelling might be hinting at, Baltimore's Raindeer are a rare breed these days. Their cutesy synth-pop doesn't directly reach for weirdness of the psych or the prog or the chill nature; it simply dances in a field, brushing up against them on occasion, more concerned with that of the fun nature.

Raindeer | Green Light

Raindeer | This is My Last Transmission

The debut EP is free at bandcamp.

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Nude Sunrise

"I really love ya, yes I do...the sky above ya, is crystal blue"

Patient and comfy in psychedelia today. The repeated phrase above takes on mantra status by the end of its 8 minute "Lean Love" greet to Hunks Like Us. This full length cassette from Chicago's Nude Sunrise is not a quick fix, it's a slow drift for those dreamers with mist in mind, and no end in sight. And just before we're long gone, these caffeinated guitar tangents break through to keep everything in check.

Nude Sunrise | Mondo Drag

Nude Sunrise | Fruit Snacks

Nude Sunrise | Lean Love (NITETROTTER session)

Nude Sunrise | Skatepark USA (NITETROTTER session)

Grab two more shorter lo-fi versions from NITETROTTER here, all recorded in one take. And thanks to Boy Attractions for those mp3s.

August in Ombrosa

"The winds blew high and the trees did sway. Not much from life was I asking."

This afternoon's daydream encountered pink sunrises and indigo evenings, first provided by Cosimo, then by BANDJO, and now by an entire Swedish collective. I'd attempt to make sense of it all, but it's more fun to let the breeze lead.

Cosimo | Morning and Evening

BANDJO | August in Ombrosa (remixed by Cosimo)

Korallreven | Loved-Up (Cosimo's Paradise)

BANDJO Mixtape | Second Day of Summer

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Redondo Beach

"Welcome to Redondo Beach."

Amazing what 3 minutes and 15 seconds of marvelously fashioned exotic beats can do. All we get here is a track and a half teaser of some secret island utopia, as if this mermaid just swam up, grabbed your hand on her way to the party, and let go just before the portal gates, leaving you on a sandbar, trying to remember it all. The glimpse is at bandcamp.

Baths @ Mercury Lounge [08/03/10]

Baths played his first show in NYC last night. I was happy to share that mark with him (my first as a resident). The set was early, making for a more laid back vibe than that of his release party in LA last month. But Will's aura remained the same: ever-gracious, passionate precision.

BV has the full round-up with headliners Fol Chen. Both acts play Union Pool tonight.

And grab this live "sprout session" Baths did for a dublab podcast. Too good.

Wednesday Love | Dragonfly

"Basically my Tony Bennett impersonation." - Porcelain Raft

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La femme

I grew up on these VHS tapes by NBA Entertainment (see: Jam Session, Rising Stars, etc) that cut circa 93' highlights and urban imagery to new jack swing era beats. No, DannielRadall is not a disciple of Teddy Riley, but there's something about this La femme EP that takes me back to the days of dunking Nerf hoops hung from bedroom doors. The memories play smeared at half-speed. Shawn Kemp is there, and he's all messed up.

DannielRadall | Stoned

DannielRadall | Lucie Lu

The disco-dream EP (free here) seems to be Radall's first as a solo act after being in a few other bands out of Jalisco, Mexico.

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Secluded Malls and Scenic Byways

"Consider the space it represents, tumbleweeds of any kind should be free within it."

Bootgazing in adobe-coated space suits, George & Caplin cross penchants for Hitchcock thrillers and The American West into this one strange, road tripping LP. Sonically sprawled from prairie folk to midnight electronic, Secluded Malls and Scenic Byways calls to the gods of ambient fuzz with fleeting strings, sparse vocals and arrowhead rocks.

George and Caplin | Sleep Deep

The physical/digital release along with a bonus disc of infinite drone loop called Requiem For an Encyclopedia are available (to purchase) at bandcamp.