I Can Lift A Car: pop

Showing posts with label pop. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

tongue full of acid, a lung full of nicotine

Here's what you need to know:

Cass Lowe has written and produced for artists like Toddla T, Chance The Rapper, Say Lou Lou, Diana Vickers, Madeon(!!), and, wait for it, the Backstreet Boys.

So one could say that he's gifted at crafting huge...Larger Than Life pop anthems that will move you emotionally.

Cass Lowe has a new single called "Birthmark".

"Birthmark" is a massive, dark, soaring pop song and Lowe's voice leaves absolutely nothing to be desired. If all of his solo stuff sounds like this, I would be a very happy camper. Also, the music video is a gorgeous and fittingly dark piece of art. Here's hoping Cass Lowe produces a full album of amazing.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Introducing: How Sad

The name How Sad doesn't really fit a band that's just so damn happy sounding. These Montreal peoples got together in early 2012, made a name for themselves in Canada, then set about touring with awesome peeps like Darwin Deez (OMG LOVE) and Purity Ring (SWOON). Their shrink-wrapped synth pop is summer-ready, or at least the one song they've released to the interwebs is. That song is called "Indian Summer" and it does not disappoint. It's sunny as all get out, so you should probably put on AT LEAST some SPF 30 to avoid a burn.

"Indian Summer" is the first single and title track off their upcoming debut EP which will be coming out in August. These guys will be popping up on your radar soon enough, why not get a head start?

Monday, July 8, 2013

Everything I do I do in slow motion.

PHOX is a seven-piece folk-pop group coming out of Madison, WI. Powered by the stellar vocals of Monica Martin, PHOX has found a way to somehow mix the magic of the cup scene from Pitch Perfect with all of your favorite indie pop in their song "Slow Motion." It's catchy, mysterious, quirky, and curiously inviting.

That song, "Slow Motion," is off their Confetti - EP, which is available as a free download on their bandcamp (HERE). They also released the EP as a full 30-minute video (HERE).

The rest of their EP flutters in between smoky and soulful numbers like "Barside" and adorable piano-fueled pop ("Noble Heart"). No matter what your taste, you should definitely download this EP. It's amazing.

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Guns hidden under our petticoats.

Okay, so I found out about The 1975 back in October when they released the video for "Sex". I was enraptured by them. I listened to both of their EP's nonstop for weeks. Then came their "Music For Cars" - EP and that was the end of the story. They had solidified themselves as one of my favorite bands. Their uniquely British brand of indie pop wavers between airy, ethereal, spacey tunes and the occasional ridiculously perfectly crafted pop song.

The "Sex" - EP is practically flawless. While "Sex" is what caught my initial attention, the slow jam "You" is definitely my favorite track.

The 1975 have since released another EP (IV) in anticipation of a full album, likely made up of tracks from each of the EP's they've released, in September. The point of this post is to promote the song "Chocolate", whose lyrics grace the title of this post. It's the iTunes FREE single of the week, and you should totally download it.

CLICK HERE for the iTunes single link.

Monday, June 17, 2013

Let me float away.

The creative core of the band is provided by the brothers Lawhon out of Santa Ana, California. They formed a band called KO KO in 2012 that eventually evolved into Pacific Air with the release of their Long Live KOKO - EP that year. The entire EP went on to be parts of their debut album, Stop Talking, which they released last week.

Pacific Air's debut album, Stop Talking, dropped this week and they lived up to their name. This record is a flawless collection of aqua-tinged poolside pop. After picking it up, I listened to it once while driving around the Kentucky country side and it was great, but it didn't really come to life until I listened to it by the pool.

"Move", for me, is the stand-out track on the album. It's easily one of the quicker songs on the album. It's catchy. And it keeps their summer aesthetic.

The new songs are all great, too. "Suits," "Play Nice," and "Duet In B Minor" all satisfy that itch you're trying to scratch with this band. It's perfect sugary summery tuneage for your relaxed consumption. "Sunshine" is probably my favorite of the newer stuff though.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Introducing: Alice & The Glass Lake

Strikingly beautiful, the music of Alice & The Glass Lake is keenly cinematic. I can feel the wind coming in from far off lands, blowing my hair back as I set off on an adventure that will change my life forever. If the light of the full moon made a sound, it would sound like Alice & The Glass Lake. Her brand of pop music is effortlessly brilliant.

Hailing from Wisconsin, Alice associates the Glass Lake with escaping: "It's the lens through which I live my dreams. It's an escapist place of possibility and heartbreak. And it's a sonic space to become lost and find truth." Her music is just that: audio-escapism.

Check out her music video for "Higher," where she conjures shapes out of the air and pulls you into her world and introduces you to her brand of dream pop.

She recently released a stream of her debut EP, The Evolution, which can be streamed HERE. It's awesome to the max and you shouldn't deny your ears the pleasure of listening to it. You can purchase the EP on iTunes and bandcamp (it's also available on Spotify).

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Introducing: Teen Sensations

Talk about old school. The Australians of Teen Sensations are making waves with their retro sounding surf pop.

"Surf And Sway" caught my ear and won't let it go. The same is true of their other song ("Get Fit For Summer"), which I'm currently living out. Both of their songs are available for a free download on their bandcamp. You should show these Brisbane boys some summer love.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Introducing: Books of Love

Books of Love is a kinda sorta super group comprised of Vivian Girls' Katy Goodman and The Hush Sound's Greta Morgan. They've teamed up to produce tuneage that sounds gloriously like The Best Coast. Their origin story, as told on their bandcamp, goes as follows:

While hiking past the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, friends Katy Goodman and Greta Morgan were struck with the idea to record a song together: A song about physics and love, science and romance, space and time. Have you ever felt the lovesick pain of falling for someone from a different dimension? We have too.

And the very next day, Katy and Greta recorded "Space Time."

In addition to that song, they made a music video to accompany it:

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Introducing: Boxed Wine

Boxed Wine makes perfectly portable pop music. Great for your jogging playlist and awesome at parties. These Jersey boys sound like a lot of bands that I really like mixed together: Foals, Two Door Cinema Club, Phoenix, Surfer Blood. It's a bit more obscure, but they also kind of sound like local boys The Pass and Wild Party (not so local).

I found these guys last summer when Speakers In Code posted "Feral" as their Jam of the Day and instantly downloaded their eponymous EP. With lyrics about werewolves and silver bullets, this song is a wild trip that reminds me of when I used to read Goosebumps on summer vacation. SO GREAT. ------------------------------------------------------------------------>

Anyways, Boxed Wine just released their debut LP Cheap, Fun on their bandcamp for FREE. It's amazing and summery and fully deserving of your attention. In fact, all of their stuff is free at the moment. You should give a thorough listen to these dudes. They deserve it.

Friday, May 17, 2013

Introducing: Smallpools

This is unbelievable. I mean, really, unbelievable. I'm completely baffled when bands show up out of the blue and release an absolutely stellar single. Not that I'm surprised they're good, it's just surprising that they're already this good. With that said, let me introduce you to Smallpools and their debut single "Dreaming".

I was sold immediately. Pretty much from the opening notes. Small Pools sounds like someone took Swiss Lips, Autostrada, The 1975, Fun., Foster The People, and Passion Pit and then put them in a blender set on puree. This will be one of the songs of my summer. I've also neglected to mention, it's a FREE DOWNLOAD RIGHT NOW. Download it now.

This song has huge radio potential. I think you'll be hearing this on the radio soon. Even though I've only heard one song...it's good enough that I would commit to buying an album right now. I need more. I need it now. Thank you, sincerely, Neon Gold, for bringing them to my attention.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

I need you to holler.

Some pretty cool music comes out of Louisiana. Of course, you have your dixieland jazz, your blues, your zydeco, and everything else. Well, nowadays, there's some pretty awesome alternative music coming out of the Bayou State. Great bands like Givers, GASHCAT, and Royal Teeth, among several others. But today I'm talking about John Michael Rouchell. John Michael Rouchell crafts a unique blend of soul pop, full of singalong choruses and cool arrangements. He only has two songs up on his soundcloud for streaming, and a recently released five-song EP (The Separation). The lead single and my favorite song from that collection is "Holler".

I sincerely implore you to check out the rest of his EP. It's goddamn fantastic.