Eolune - Tiny Oceans

Eolune, the genre blending band from Boston, are back with the follow up to last year's Canvas EP.  I wrote about Canvas way back in March of 2010.  I was fond of the band's ability to create a tight sound that successfully merged various styles of music.  Some bands claim that they incorporate influences from other types of music, but Eolune actually does it.

Their new EP, Tiny Oceans, is very much a sequel to Canvas.  It possesses the same elements as their debut and builds off of them.  The vocals are very Clash-esque at times.  At other moments, such as during the intro to "Ghost Departure", they remind me of Fleet Foxes, echo-laden harmonies.  Although these comparisons, which may sound bizarre, are helpful when finding a reference point for new listeners, Eolune doesn't depend on another band's work.  They know their strong points and they stick to them.

If you stripped every song on this EP of the electronic based sounds, you would be left with an articulate guitar driven album.  If you instead took away every organic instrument, you would have a heavy beat driven, yet melodically ambient, record.  That's what I like about the album.  You can dig beneath the layers for a different perspective.

Eolune have released Tiny Oceans as a "pay what you want" album.  Any and every amount that you do pay for the record will be directly donated to the American Red Cross in order to aid Japan.  It's an honorable and incredible move on their part, so please do purchase the album here to help.

Download: My Name Is Kay (Stone Nelson Remix)

Hello readers.  This post is about something a little different from the usual flow of the blog.  Most of the time, I write about artists that I believe should have more exposure.  Every once in a while, I'll cover a public event such as the Grammys.  Today, I'm writing about my own work.  Yes, the tables have turned.  I recently produced a remix for the incredibly fresh new artist, Kay.  I figured that my followers may be interested in checking out the non-writer side of me.  It's available as a free download below, so you can snag a copy for yourself if you fancy it.  If you have the urge to hear the original track, pre-remix, then you can head over to Kay's Facebook for more info.

  My Name Is Kay (Stone Nelson Remix) by StoneNelson

I have some great music to write about this coming week, so stick around and thanks for reading.

Glasvegas - The World Is Yours

Glasvegas, the alt-rockers from Glasgow, are prepping for the release of their sophomore album, EUPHORIC /// HEARTBREAK \\\.  Since their self-titled 2008 debut record, which received critical acclaim, the band has found a new drummer.  Replacing Caroline McKay behind the kit is Jonna Löfgren.  With this fresh face, Glasvegas recently released the stellar track "The World Is Yours".  It's an anthemic song that has been stuck on repeat since my first listen.

What starts with the dipping vibrato of a guitar ends with a bang.  This single is packed with energy that never gives out.  James Allan's thick accent may be the one defining factor that completes Glasvegas' unique sound.  In the internet age where "epic" is the most overused adjective you can find, "The World Is Yours" truly deserves that title.  The song is simply epic.

EUPHORIC /// HEARTBREAK \\\ will be released on April 4 (April 5 for US).  The band also just put out the record's second single "Euphoria, Take My Hand".  I recommend giving both of the tracks a listen.  You can download "The World Is Yours", for free, below.  If this single is a taste of what's to come, then keep an eye on Glasvegas.

Perfume Genius - Learning

This single was actually released last summer and the album is climbing towards its one year anniversary, but I feel that it's still deserving of a few words.  It's never too late to discover music, right?  Perfume Genius is Seattle's Mike Hadreas.  His music is mostly made up of a piano, that sounds slightly out of tune at times, and his small emotional voice.  Much of his work is extremely lo-fi.  The songs echo and buffer as though you're hearing him play them live from a neighboring room across a long hallway.  I first heard of his work last year, but since Hadreas is currently working on his sophomore album, I revisited his older material for another listen.

The title track from his debut album is "Learning".  I'm not quite certain as to what is so appealing about this song.  Is it the simplistic melody and chords?  Maybe it's the innocent vulnerability in his voice.  The combination of these elements make the lonely "Learning" mesmerizing.  Hadreas' voice isn't particularly strong traditionally speaking, but it's unique and honest, and that makes it strong in a different way.

Perfume Genius has a few European shows later this year.  His live performances consist of the very same components that are found on the album, his piano and voice.  He is joined onstage by his backing musician, and boyfriend, Alan Wyffels, who plays various keyboards.  It's all reminiscent of Antony And The Johnsons, without the haunting vibrato.

Young Adults - Let Us Out

Young Adults, the Boston based rock trio, released their new album, Black Hole, late last year.  Covered in layer upon layer of distortion, their music is punk meets shoegaze.  On the album, there are long stretches of instrumentals with powerful vocals hidden underneath.  Young Adults sometimes sound like they could be the offspring band of Bad Brains and Sonic Youth.  It may be loud, but their music gives off a strange kind of ambience.  The crashing and grinding guitars really set a particular mood that says, "This is Young Adults".

They recently debuted their music video for the single, "Let Us Out".  This song reaches more towards the alternative noise rock side of Young Adults.  Although the lyrics are often hard to distinguish from the music, the vocals help add to the song's lush sound.  The video starts and ends with, as their album title states, a black hole.  The rest of the clip consists of stacked and blurred performance footage.  They've successfully transmitted the distorted and humming vibes from "Let Us Out" over to the video.

Check out the music video for "Let Us Out" after the jump...

Metric - Fantasies Remixed

Late last year, Metric launched a contest to find the best remixes for every song released on their 2009 Fantasies album.  After supplying the stems to any musician or producer up for the challenge, hundreds of remixes were submitted.  Last month, the winners were announced.  One remix for each of Fantasies' ten tracks was officially released through RCRD LBL.  The mixes range from dubstep to full orchestrated pieces.  It's incredibly interesting to hear the different takes on these usually alternative rock songs. Most of them ditch the guitars for other sounds, but there are a few pieces that still focus on the acoustics.

My absolute favorite remix from the set is the Kostia Rappaport remix of "Collect Call".  The original track is mellow and lush.  This remix has completely stripped the song of its original instrumentation.  While Emily Haines' vocals are still intact, with a bit of editing, the mood is now almost cinematic.  The song is heavy on strings, most of them being pizzicato.

You can stream and download all of remixes on RCD LBL, here.  Each one takes a different approach to the music and some of them are unbelievably brilliant.  A lot of modern remixes simply supply a new beat instead of reinventing the song.  This group of remixes, however, sets the standard for how it should be done.

You Me At Six & Chiddy - Rescue Me

You Me At Six have reached across the pond to recruit Chiddy, of Chiddy Bang, for their newest single, "Rescue Me".  The English band and American rapper are the latest match-up for the "rap rock" style single destined for the radio charts.  In recent months, we've heard B.o.B team up with Hayley Williams for the highly successful "Airplanes".  "Rescue Me" is actually pretty similar to the hit song that soared to the top of the charts around the world.  It starts with the chorus, supplied by You Me At Six, over a piano.  The verses are then made up of Chiddy's rapping.  The song continues in this back and forth pattern.  The result is a perfectly catchy single that may be You Me At Six's key to mainstream success in the US.  The song really isn't anything groundbreaking as a whole, though.  It's a drastic change in style for the band, but the song itself has been done in many different forms over the years.  That doesn't make it any less enjoyable, but that lack of a certain flair may hold "Rescue Me" back from taking off completely.

If you enjoy You Me At Six's usual pop-punk music, then brace yourself for a major shift in style when you watch the video for "Rescue Me" after the jump...