The Music Minute

It is not too often that you find a pop star from Rhode Island, but Spanish Dancer is much more concerned with infectious grooves then geography. I suppose you could call this indie soul or faux-pop, but while you are busy trying to classify his sound Spanish is making you move to his beats. Spanish Dancer’s debut full-length Burned Up, Bred High comes fresh off the heels of last years fuzzy bassed out future groover internet turned 12” vinyl single “Hustler”. Burned Up, Bred High finds Providence’s post-pop, post-whatever draft pick gallivanting through a songbook of freestyle, shoegazer, jangly pychedelia, and another planet’s modern radio.

Listen to: Hustler (mp3) and The Bloods (mp3)

I received an e-mail from UK's Dan Bull this week, and when I read the phrase "The Smiths meets The Streets" I just had to have a listen. His latest album, Safe, was released on Jan. 1st, and filled with smooth beats, indie pop, and an abundance of free form rap. It's a compelling mixture of styles and way more advance then anything The Streets every put out. What unique about Dan's approach is selling his debut is he has it available to purchase through CD Baby, but he is also giving away a lower quality digital verision away for free. So there is no excuse not to check out his rhymes and beats.

Download Dan Bull's debut Safe here for free

Austin's Golden Bear is back with a new ep called Everest. This is their third release, and in an attempt to achieve a more genuine sound they changed their recording process. In a letter from Chris Gregory of Golden Bear, he explains the approach like this; "I have heard people say that making an album is a bit like an exercise in one thing or another, be it songcraft, production, or any number of ideas. I agree with this. Golden Bear #1 was an experiment in even making an album, which I had no experience doing. It was learn-as-you go. Listening back, I take the good with the bad. Golden Bear #2 was about trying out a new style of songwriting (written on piano, rather than electric guitar) and a different method of recording (in my house on equipment we scraped together, rather than in a real studio). I would say Everest is our effort to catch the sound of Golden Bear circled-up, playing together like we would at a rehearsal or a show." They wanted the ep to sound like their live shows, and in doing do they created a collection of some of the catchiest indie pop I have heard this year.

Listen to: All The Stars (mp3)

Here is a little taste of what's coming up from the folks at 4AD.

Speaking of 4AD, Icelandic composer Johann Johannsson released a new album earlier this month filled with beautiful orchestration and well placed samples. Fordlandia is the second in a proposed trio of aural delights from Johannsson. The first was IBM 1401, A User’s Manual – a work themed around early computer music; the sampling sine waves coaxed out of a 60’s model computer and the emotional attachment of those who worked on its creation.

Listen to: The Rocket Builder (mp3)

Ok, let's switch gears completely from the soothing sounds of Mr. Johannsson and blow out the speakers with scream thrash of Coin Under Tongue. This is straight in your face rock, and these guys are not holding anything back. Released by the new collective Death By Audio, from these first single you can predicted great things from this label. Death by Audio is a collective of friends centered around the guitar pedal factory/independent rock venue by the same name in Brooklyn, NY. With so much music surrounding this DIY network,the founders of the Death By Audio camp have decided to take it a step further and create their own imprint.

Listen to: Night Weed (mp3)