New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
The debut album from Emily Cross (aka Cross Record) is as its title states a Magnetic Current. This is a collection of gentle composed and purred home recorded lullabies that conjure images of equal parts Mazzy Star, Bjork, and St. Vincent. When she urges to "feel it in your bones" in "Shark In The Ocean" I actually do feel it. Musically, this album combines lo-fi electronics, echoing bedroom recordings, and layered acoustic rhythms. In recording these seven intimate tracks Emily enlisted the help of Ben Babbitt on several of them and Douglas Tesnow on Clarinet for for two of them. When all of the parts are working together on a track like "Dark Before Light" the result is truly "Magnetic". The melody swirls and chases you around the room. There are big things ahead for this young musician.
Magnetic Current is her debut album and it will be released on April 19th by Another New Calligraphy. The release show for the album will be on April 23rd at Saki record store on Fullerton.
Zula is a state of musical mind expanding pop. This Brooklyn quartet was born when cousins Henry and Nate Terepka joined forces with Mike Lawless and Zach Nicita to create a fresh Indie music style. Tuesday, April 5th marked the premiere of their debut EP "Crescent Intake Session" – stream it here. The EP romps through a velvet, synth, pop-jam band journey into the ether. The first track "Grind" breaks you into the head trip with typical Indie beats, then surprisingly takes a turn into a new soundscape. By the time you get into "Grind is a shuttle" there are elements of a Radiohead exploration occurring. Zula is going beyond your typical Indie synth band and tripping into the nether regions of amazing tunes not of this world. They play May 7 at Spike Hill. – Michele McMannon
Kordan‘s shoegaze-electro sound with synths and bleak soundscapes, first received attention and acclaim from Cut Copy, who chose them to open for tours across North America in 2008. Since then, they’ve played with The Drums and dream pop aces The Mary Onettes, gaining a steady following. Their debut album "The Longing" foretells a broken love story in the hazy metropolis of Tokyo, circa 2036. The story is told over post-punk rhythms that evoke haunting imagery and macabre overtones a la The Cure and Bauhaus, as well as waves of guitar distortion and pulsating beats to reflect energy and light in the style of My Bloody Valentine. We heard rumors that the band is temporarily on a hiatus, although band leader Arthur Eisele is still very active in the NYC scene as a DJ and remixer – RCRD LBL premiered his remix of Sacramento based Sister Crayon‘s "I’m Still the Same Person" on April 4. The band shared the 96th place in The Deli’s Best of NYC Emerging Artists Poll 2010 with Taurus and Forgetters.
The soaring melodic sounds of indie-pop quartet Robatanists are both fun and meaningful, danceable but headphone material as well. Riding the wave of the electro trend, they manage not to overdo it like a lot of these types do. Their third album, Plans In Progress, has an overall light and pretty feel, with cascading beats, airy guitars, and heart-heavy vocals. The dreamy and nostalgic track "The Ghost You’re Haunting" has a similar feel to Yeah Yeah Yeah’s "Cheated Hearts", with fading chants in the background, fluttering guitar reverbs, and an impressive showcase of Ellquist’s vocals during the bridge. Their single "On/Off The Ledge" is a bit darker and progressive, and the music video is a visual mind blow. Set atop a Los Angeles rooftop, the elements of the video are Warhol-esque, as some bright pops of color and art are thrown in with the party scene captured. Robotanists set themselves apart from most bands, keeping an upbeat and interesting style at the same time as being deep and sensual.
Upcoming shows: April 13th @ The Satellite, April 27th @ The Troubador, and April 27th @ The Cabana Club.
***For those who like: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Feist, Florence and The Machine, The XX.
–Jenna Putnam
Robotanists – "On/Off Ledge" from Consequence of Sound on Vimeo.
