Lotus Plaza

Finally had some time to post today!  Feels relieving after being under the stress of college, and I'm getting to write about my favorite release thus far in 2012.  By this point, it's a pretty well-known fact that Deerhunter guitarist Lockett Pundt took a strong role in writing one of the best songs on 2010's Halcyon Digest, "Desire Lines".  Furthermore, it also made people realize that he could be a pretty damn good vocalist.  So as his songwriting had begun to become a better crafted version of his debut solo LP The Floodlight Collective, it only seemed like a sure thing that this year's record Spooky Action at a Distance would kill it.  For me, it absolutely did.  As good as Attack On Memory and Blondes were, Spooky Action at a Distance is the first album of 2012 that really floored me.  Each song contains a great sense of nostalgia, a certain dreaminess that allows the listener to get lost in.  Much like Real Estate's Days, Pundt is able to achieve a certain soundscape that puts you right in his world.  Mentally, it can put you somewhere else; the beach, a walk in the park, or cruising around your hometown in the summer.  It's a comforting listen, and one that you will always be able to go back to.  Below are two of my favorites, "Eveningness" and "Remember Our Days", which just so happen to go back to back as tracks 8 and 9.  Hope you like!


Eveningness


Remember Our Days

Arbor Lights

The quartet Arbor Lights, hailing from Birmingham, England, started in a way much similar to other bands; they met at a bar.  This coincidental gathering allowed for the formation of their band in June 2010, and the single "On A Sea" in May 2011.  Well, almost two years since the upstart of their partnership and a year removed from their first song Arbor Lights released their debut EP, Arbor Lights, on March 15th of this year. The release is most definitely post-rock; an instrumental compilation of complex guitar wails and intricate bass grooves.  What I'm loving about the EP right now is the band's ability to mix the dark with the breezy; intense layers of sound almost appear submerged under airy guitar riffs.  This allows for an interesting mood.  It's also really cool to listen to their progressing track builds, "Post-Rock/Paper/Scissors" begins with an ambient tone only to erupt into a frantic post-rock jam.  On top of all of this, their production is gorgeous; everything sounds so crisp! Gotta hand it to Hockley Street Studios on that one.  Hit up their Bandcamp if you want to download the EP for free, and for a sneak preview I've posted "Post-Rock/Paper/Scissors" and "El Arborlito" below.  Enjoy!

Good Dangers

Recently I've been listening to a lot of '80s inspired new-agey, power poppish stuff, and I'm not embarrassed to admit I have definitely fallen for some of the cheesiness that comes with it.  So when I heard the opening piano chords pounding at the beginning of Good Danger's single "D.F.Y.F.", I was most definitely sucked into to wondering where it would lead.  The uptempo, bass-heavy jam (would stands for "Don't Fuck Your Friends") certainly has that '80s pop sound, but is mixed well with a more modern version of indie pop.  As they say, the title of the song may be "a statement that not everyone will agree with, especially those with extremely attractive friends", but I'm thinking it's a fair assessment we can all agree on the quality of the song.  Check it out on SoundCloud below!

 Good Dangers - DFYF by GoodDangers