Artist You Should Know: Aux Arc

The best thing I like about this breakout act from Savannah, GA is they don’t sound like everything else out there right now. They aren’t completely indie or chillwave, they are musically eclectic and just easy fun tracks that spell out the soundtrack of a dream you just woke up from that left you smiling but you cant remember what it was about.

Their new song, Round House, is really pretty. The more I listen to it, the more I love it. A piano intro leads, paired with distant vocals and then crashing cymbals and heavy drums become the loudest and biggest force on the track.

Aux Arc is Marshall Trotter and Elgin Braden (Elgin is also in Baby Jazz, which forthebeat wrote about last week)

Look out for a video accompanying this track, out in a few months, as well as the full EP, most likely set to be titled, “It’s Hard Swallowing a Novelty” out next year.

Aux Arc – Round House

You can download the track now, for free on their bandcamp.

CMJ Line Up Announced…

forthebeat + Transparent
with ABC News Amplified
Present…

Cloud Nothings – Hey Cool Kid
Kisses – Bermuda
Dominant Legs – Clawing Out At The Walls
Hooray For Earth – Rolling / Nectarine
Sunglasses – Whiplash
Mon Khmer – Passwords
Bronze – Horses
Psychobuildings – Terror Management
Wise Blood – STRT SRNS
DJ set by Heats

Wednesday, October 20^th
7PM

Public Assembly
70 North 6th Street between Wythe and Kent
Brooklyn, NY

FREE

RSVP required — e-mail forthebeat@gmail.com or “Like” forthebeat on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/forthebeat/114005406873

Motel Motel Release Second Album

The Brooklyn quintet, Motel Motel, recently released their second album The Big Island.

The album is self-proclaimed as being filled with ocean imagery and explores the themes of loneliness and isolation. It’s musically intricate and really beautiful. Stand-outs include Ocean and Helena, MT.

The Big Island was mixed by Alex Newport (Mars Volta, Death Cab for Cutie) and mastered by Paul Gold (Dirty Projectors, Grizzly Bear, Health).

The band recently served as cultural ambassadors for the U.S. to Egypt which is a pretty unique tour to have under your belt… Their album release show (a forthebeat presents) sold out at Brooklyn’s Union Pool with support from Bronze and DJ sets by Chairlift and Violens.

Motel Motel will next play this Wednesday at Saatchi & Saatchi’s upcoming 7X7  showcase in NYC at 7 pm for $7 tickets, get them here.

Motel Motel – Helena, MT

Motel Motel – Eli

i put on my shoes and im ready for the weekend

h a p p y w e e k e n d.

special love to doris for the pic.

Your heart beats in double time:

Florence and the Machine – Addicted to Love (cover)

I never fall back. I’d rather go forward:

Lil Wayne – Outstanding

But I think you would know but I thought you knew:

Museum of Bellas Artes – Watch the Glow

New Artist: Death Metal Disco Scene

We caught up with our friend Chris Coombs to hear about his latest musical venture — Death Metal Disco Scene.  Comprised of Scorch Shepherd, David James Billing and Coombs, DMDS is a band experimenting with creating music on both sides of the pond– Coombs is currently based in Brooklyn and Shepherd and Billing are running around London town.  And while the New Yorker and Brits are best buddies on the Internets, they’ve never actually met in person.

Where did they meet?  The radio.  Coombs heard the DMDS single “21” while streaming BBC Radio One in his apartment last year, and e-mailed the band as a fan.  One thing led to another, and before he knew it, Coombs was part of a UK-based band, but lacked a super sweet accent.  Within just a few months, the band completed a new EP Beyond The Valley Of The Animals – which came out on September 13^th and you can download it for FREE right HERE.

So what is it like making music with band mates that live on another continent that you’ve never met in person?  And does this open you up to the idea of an Internet girlfriend?

Coombs: I can’t speak for my bandmates at the moment on account of it being past any civilized Brit’s bedtime, but for me it’s easier than making music in a conventional band where you’re all in the same mildewed basement rehearsal space trying to mash ideas together in your allotted two hours twice a week.  The insecurities that come along with working ideas out at the scrutiny of your band mates just doesn’t exist and it gives you the freedom to be really honest & efficient with what you wind up putting down.  As for an internet love affair, I’m going to stick to real live girls.  It’s that 3rd dimension that just does something for me.

Death Metal Disco Scene – Plastic World

KISSES New Track

KISSES released a new track called Bermuda a few weeks ago, in anticipation for their full length, The Heart of the Nightlife (9 tracks), out October 19th.

If you don’t know Kisses, they are an L.A. based “disco” project featuring Jesse Kivel and Zinzi Edmundson. The Heart of the Nightlife was written and inspired by Jesse’s trips via his day job as a travel writer.

Described by Force Field as “minimalist approach to pop music that revels in the celebratory moments of life, those fragments of time that we only remember in postcards or faint recollections. The Heart of the Nightlife takes these elusive moments and celebrates them openly, without fear of scorn.”

I really love that description.

They have two very special CMJ showcases coming up. The first on October 19th at Santos and the second is a secret, at least for a few more days…but its *very* awesome.

You can pre-order the album now on itunes.

Kisses – Bermuda

Viernes – I wish it were

An oldie but a goody, Viernes is Florida-based Sean Moore and Alberto Hernandez.  Fine, this isn’t an oldie.  Their debut full-length Sinister Devices came out earlier this summer on Kanine Records — you can pick it up HERE.  For whatever reason though, these moody tunes have been more impactful as summer comes to a close and fall sets in.  The leaves are beginning to turn and the quiet intensity of the textured, layered sounds signifies change and something new to come.  The music is nostalgic, and their methods are fitting for the feeling they create.  According to their bio, “the two would spend their afternoons and late into the night secluding themselves in their homemade studio at Moore’s mother’s house.  Incorporating instruments passed down to them, Moore’s old Wurlitzer piano inherited from his late father was used for every piano part, and Hernandez borrowed his father’s Puerto Rican cuatro.”

Viernes will be in town for CMJ, accompanied live by a drummer, to round out the ambient sounds on stage.  Listen here and check them out.

Viernes – Entire Empire

Viernes – Honest Parade

New Artist: Baby Jazz

This is crack. This is crack.

Baby Jazz is duo Elgin Braden (Teen Wolfe) and Samuel Cooper (Golden Chow). Elgin is also in Aux Arc with Marshall Trotter and Sam is 1/2 of the duo, Sunglasses.

Baby Jazz has a new track out called Michael Jordan that is just an eclectic mix of sounds, bumps, thumps, beep beeps, shazams oh and a sweet a** beat that comes in about a minute 1/2 deep. It’s a 12 minute adventure, pay special attention to around minute 8.

What’s even sweeter is that it will be accompanied by a comic book starring the duo, Golden Chow and Teen Wolfe. I hope its in 3D and comes with sparkle glitter red glasses.

Michael Jordan is the first off of what will be a full-length album for Baby Jazz.  Catch the new track below but DEFINITELY listen to their older tracks: The Song for the Season (Holy Jam) and Billy Ocean- both currently on their Myspace page.

Baby Jazz – Michael Jordan

Free download of the song on their BandCamp…

New Single from Home Video

NME, Paper, XLR8R, Rolling Stone and others have praised them as “intoxicating, ” “artist to watch” and “sublime.” They are no hidden secret but I still like to think they are my special discovery. Brooklyn based Home Video has a brand new single titled “The Smoke” which is a preview to their new 11 track album The Automatic Process out November 16th.

My two favorite genres, indie and electro are blended into one with this artist. I can’t say enough good things about this band, but seeing Home Video live only further speaks to their talent. Catch their next show  September 30th if you’re in New York at Glasslands w/ Film School and The Depreciation Guild.

Home Video – The Smoke

Warpaint Release First Single

Warpaint is about to release their debut LP “The Fool” on Rough Trade.  The first track is called “Undertow” and is currently available, free to download on their site.

Undertow is a strong indicator that The Fool will be a great listen. This four female band is beautiful dreamy/jammy rock at its best. We caught the ladies twice at this past sxsw and they were incredible both shows.

Undertow has the Warpaint trademark guitar rifts that are reminiscent of their last album, also released by Rough Trade,  Exquisite Corpse. Favorite tracks off that LP are Beetles, Elephant and definitely check out their Bowie cover of Ashes to Ashes, for your listening pleasure, below, along with, Undertow…

Warpaint begins a 3 week U.S. tour with the xx next week, followed in mid-October by a 3 week European tour with shows in the UK, Ireland, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, France and the Netherlands.

The Fool (9 track album) will be released October 25th. The band recorded the album in LA with help from a few notable producers including Adam Samuels (John Frusciante).

Warpaint – Undertow

Warpaint – Ashes to Ashes (David Bowie cover)