Work Drugs

After a busy past couple of months, including a show opening for Umphrey's McGee up in Boston, the Philly duo Work Drugs have officially released their first single of 2012.  The song is also the first single to come off of their new album, which is supposed to be ready by sometime this year.  As soon as there is more information on it you can expect an update!  For the time being, enjoy the fresh "License To Drive", a track that follows up on their theme of keeping it "smooth".  Download it over here!  Enjoy!

 License To Drive by Work Drugs

Villa Kang

A lot of people have come to know the Canadian duo Memoryhouse as a band that lays your ears down on to a soft pillow.  Blissful and ethereal, Memoryhouse has proven to be a strong player in the chillwave genre.  So what if you made it a little more glitchy and psychedelic?  Villa King, an emerging producer out of Toronto, must've had that question boiling in his subconscious as well. Around one week ago he released a single with an A-side/B-side, with the former containing a sample of Memoryhouse's "To The Lighthouse".  He calls the track "Hallucinating Arkansas", and it's easy to see why he would refer to Memoryhouse as a base for the song; the mix of dream pop with psychedelia soar in the background, the combo supports the added glitch and snugly-fit sample.  The end product is what some artists have been referring to as "bliss-beat".  To get a listen I've posted the song below, yet also feel free to hit up his SoundCloud for additional listens and free downloads.  Or if you prefer, he has a homepage you can visit.

 Hallucinating Arkansas by Villa Kang

Another

It's a surprising 60 degrees where I'm located, as such the windows to my apartment are wide open and I can hear kids playing basketball on the courts adjacent to my complex.  To celebrate this spring feeling I'll hit you up with the album Since June, a new release from solo guy Douglas McGillivray, who goes by the name Another. Since June is classified as "intimate ocean pop", which is a descriptor that seems to be coming up more and more often.  In my eyes this has come to represent a conglomerate of several ideas; usually there is an element of warm and fuzzy synths that reveal a sense of dreaminess, to support this the vocals are usually in echo and the instruments are given a fair share of reverb.  The end effect is meant to be relaxing and calming, perhaps simulating a lazy day on a boat in the middle of summer.  A favorite at Audio Splash, Work Drugs, follows a similar formula.  Since June has resemblance to this pattern.  Comforting?  Yes. Touches of electronic music?  Yep.  Moreover, it's in high spirits, which usually constitutes a pleasant listen (especially true for a day like today).  I've posted three songs below; album opener "Same To You", the ukulele-driven "Helicopter", and the slightly funky "Maika".  Have a listen, and if you dig it be sure to hit up his Bandcamp for a free download of Since June.  Peaceeeee.

Palms

The cover art for the song "Lake Marble Falls" is a picture taken from the popular Punch Bowl Falls, an area in Oregon known for it's numerous waterfalls.  As I'm sure you can see, it's also appreciated for its unparalleled beauty and tranquility.  So when Palms sings out "my memory begins here, in Marble Falls", I can see why!  I wouldn't mind having such scenery being the first vision I could recollect. Using this image as an icon to their song makes sense too, the duo Palms carry such a sense of serenity and purity in "Lake Marble Falls" that anything else wouldn't do it justice.  The most notable comparison would be Bon Iver; a spacious guitar, vocals set in falsetto, and an isolated atmosphere gives the impression of a something constructed in nature, surrounded by nothing but woods.  I guess since "Lake Marble Falls" sounds very reflective, there is an aura of solitude embedded within the chords.  Palms is in no way a cut copy of Bon Iver, the group utilizes an electroacoustic-like sound to set it apart.  The culmination is very sedative, and it's way easy to be lulled into it.  I've posted it below for you to listen, and if you dig it you can hit up the Studio Palms homepage to snag it for free.  Enjoy!

 Lake Marble Falls by Palms Music

A$AP Rocky

I never expected to like A$AP Rocky.  When I was introduced to his mixtape LiveLoveA$AP, my friend told me that all he does is "rap about smoking weed, being fucked up, and getting his dick wet".  Since I find these themes to be one of the most annoying problems with modern hip-hop, I wasn't exhilarated with such a preface.  Then "Palace" came on; epic.  Next came     "Peso"; smooth.  I was hooked.  Knowing my tastes, I still can't figure out why I like him so much.  I'm thinking it may be how he carries himself, a basic dude who likes to have a good time.  He never appears to take himself too seriously, in fact at times LiveLoveA$AP is actually humorous, and I think he's aware of that.  Also, the auto-tune is at a bare minimum, if even used at all; what you see is what you get, and you gotta give a guy credit for that.  So what do you get when A$AP decides to make a more party-ready, synth-lined track?  The answer is "Celebration", an unbearably infectious hip-hop ballad that gives tribute to loving life and living large.  In typical fashion, there is no shortage of getting women and spending money.  The song is getting me amped, I can't wait to hear what he comes out with next.  He has all the criteria to make it huggeeee one day.  Check it out below!  Hopefully it'll get the weekend off to a good start.

Celebration

Jordan Bolton

Much like the beginning of     "Maps" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the 19-year-old Jordan Bolton uses a similar quick strumming pattern to establish a platform for his new song "Love Was Always Cruel, It Just Wasn't Cruel To Me".  Building on top of this base, the solo artist manages to add some cozy guitar lines cradled by a comforting bass rhythm.  Bolton isn't new to this, though, there is a resemblance to similar atmospheres in songs like "Duluoz Nights" and portions of "Black and Grey".  Listening to his set you really see he's trying to stretch out and experiment with new ideas, and since "Love Was Always Cruel, It Just Wasn't Cruel To Me" is the first of a collection of three songs to be released, it'll be exciting to see what comes next.  Have a listen to the track below keeping in mind that Bolton is playing every instrument except the drums, and afterward head over to his SoundCloud to download his repertoire for free.

 Love Was Always Cruel, It Just Wasn't Cruel To Me by Jordan Bolton

Happy Valentine's Day!

My lovely dates I'm taking out to dinner tonight.

Yep, it's that time of year again...Valentine's Day!  It has got to be the most loved and most hated holiday ever brought to existence; I have never seen so many opposing posts come up on my Facebook.  One half are people ecstatic for love and romance, the other half are disgusted and couldn't give less of a fuck.  Me?  As you can see from lovely mistresses, I'll be quite okay.  Anyway, I've made a little Valentine's Day playlist for all of you to enjoy...nothing too special.  In an attempt to mix it up a little, not all songs are happy, but all of them have to deal with some sort of relationship or connection whether good or bad...I guess we can call it some form of "love"?  All of them have managed to strike an emotional chord in me at some point in life.  So without boring you, I've placed the quick 10-song list below.  I've also created a Mediafire link at the bottom to download if it interests you.  Hope you enjoy! And of course, Happy Valentine's Day to all you lovebirds.

"Our Way To Fall" by Yo La Tengo
"To The End" by Blur
"You Are My Sun" by Sun Kil Moon
"Vapour Trail" by Ride
"Darling, I Am Almost 20 Years Old" by Cherry Chapstick
"Your Arms Around Me" by Jens Lekman
"Photobooth" by Death Cab For Cutie
"When You Were Mine" by Prince
"It's Been Eight Years" by The Radio Dept.
"In Spite of Me" by Morphine

If you want, you can pick up the playlist here.

The Man Whom

What is the point of music? For some it's to dance, for some it's scream, for some it's to unite, and for others it's to relax.  There is a multitude of reasons why we listen to music, but the base root is the same; to make us feel something, to instill some kind of emotional embodiment.  Ian Doyle, the lead singer of Ireland's The Man Whom, understands this. On his upcoming album The Greatest Event, Doyle makes strides to have you look into yourself and come out with sentiment.  It's a deep exploration, and with Doyle's swooning strings and melancholy atmosphere the door is wide open for self-reflection.  As the band writes, it "takes the experience of losing everything in the great Irish recession and translates it into rich, soulful layers of sonic longing".  Complemented with a mellow tempo, The Greatest Event simmers, allowing it to soak in.  The album is due out February 28th in America, but you can get a little preview with one of my favorites "I Know Your Face".  Have a listen to it below!  Enjoy!

 The Man Whom - The Greatest Event - 03 I Know Your Face by matchlessminds

Cloud Nothings

Ok I'll admit, I'm one of those kids on campus riding a bike to and from class.  For some reason we don't get much appreciation, but now that I do it I can't go back to walking.  Besides the obvious reasons of speed and efficiency, I've come to absolutely love throwing on some headphones while I'm cruising around and jamming out.  Loud, pulsating waves of music are just superb for it; for example, Crystal Castles is a great way to get amped in the morning. Another contender is Cloud Nothings and their new album Attack on Memory which came out on January 24th of this year.  The noisy release coincides perfectly with my recent affection for punk music, so naturally the stomping vibes have been satiating my appetite.  One of the great things of this album that makes it special are the adrenaline-laced guitar rhythms; it's some of my favorite work that I've listened to in quite some time, everything just fits.  One of my favorite bangers on the album is the instrumental "Separation", which I've posted below.  For those groggy morning classes, it's the perfect remedy to get my blood pumping.  To add some perspective, I've added another song, "Fall In", to show their lyrical side (but with no loss of delicious guitar).

Separation

Fall In

Tut-Piece

I have another beat tape coming to ya from the up-and-coming Bronx producer who calls himself Tut-Piece.  Released only four days ago on February 2nd, the album Gold Jury is a mellow collection of jazz and soul infused hip-hop influences.  Leaning more on the chill side of things, Gold Jury provides a solid platform to get lost in the breezy beats. He offers the whole thing for free over at his Bandcamp, so be sure to snag it up. Below I've posted one of my favorite hits from the release, "Honky Tonk".  Enjoy!

Porcelain Raft

I'll leave you off on this fine Friday afternoon with Porcelain Raft, the solo project of the Italian Mauro Remiddi, and his new album Strange Weekend which came out January 24th of this year.  After releasing a few EPs and gaining some buzz through some hit singles, I was finally able to give the album a listen last week.  Although it's still early on in the year, Strange Weekend has been one of my favorite releases to come out in 2012.  It may not be breaking boundaries in its composition, but it has been a dream pop delight regardless.  It think it's pretty fair to say that Remiddi has listened to his fair share of My Bloody Valentine, for both Loveless and Strange Weekend share a lot of the same fuzzy sonic textures.  I've posted two of my favorites below, so feel free to check out "Unless You Speak From Your Heart" and "Put Me To Sleep" below.  Have a great weekend all!

Unless You Speak From Your Heart

Put Me To Sleep

Jean Caffeine

At this point last year my university was being pummeled with feet and feet of snow, we had at least one snow day per week for the first four weeks of school. Today is a different story; somehow, what is usually tundra is a lively 60 degrees and people are out in t-shirts and shorts.  To fulfill this spring spirit, I present to you the happy-go-lucky Jean Caffeine.  To say that she is new to writing music would be a complete lie; she used to be a drummer for the all-girl punk outfit called Pulsallama, and before the band separated they had the good fortune for opening for such legendary groups as Public Image Ltd. and The Clash. Unfortunately following the break-up, music was "thrown on the back burner"....until last year, when Jean released Geckos In the Elevator, a departure of her punk roots for some upbeat, fun, indie folk sensibilities.  It's hard not to sneak a smile when listening to the album's first single, "Jane Rearranged", it's just so damn happy!!  Luckily for us listeners, Jean has posted the track for free on her Bandcamp, which you can pick up here.  The rest of the album is also available here.  For your convenience I've placed the bright and melodious "Jane Rearranged" below.  Enjoy!