Seer Group blends sun-warped nostalgia for cassette tapes and analog synthesizers with the sugary-sweet melodies of early video game soundtracks (think Mega Man III vs. Boards of Canada). These guys are new to Grinding Tapes and are currently finishing up their contribution to a split cassette single with Sylphid. This will be our first ever electronic release. Needless to say, we are very excited!
Posted December 9, 2009 by Matt at 12:44 pm ·
Filed under Lost Classics
The other day I opened my very overpriced Issue of Spin Magazine, the issue with naked pictures of Wayne Coyne, really. Anyway, in the middle of the page titled “hot right now” or something, there was an old familiar face.
That face was Jonathan Pierce.
You see, on one magical evening in the fall of 2003, Eastern University, the school I was attending at the time, hosted a concert in the first floor lounge of my dorm. The headlining band was Cool Hand Luke, but the openers, playing under the light of my desk lamp, were a young Sony signed band yet unknown to me:
That band was Elkland, and they became the rage of indie set at Eastern that year after their brand of new wave pop got the whole party dancing that evening. Two years later, in Chicago, I happened across their full length album in a Virgin megastore. The same day I bought the Wilco classic Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, the thing I couldn’t keep out of my stereo was this sentimental, emotionally open, hook-laced, synth driven pop record. Right around this same time, The Killers and The Bravery were all over rock radio, but somehow this total gem missed the pop charts. Hindered by a program which wouldn’t allow it to be played in standard audio players, and prevented file saving or sharing, this album was heard by few. But speaking for myself and a few others, we couldn’t shut it off.
Shortly there after, the newsfeed on the band’s Myspace informed me that Elkland would be no more. Crushing my hopes for a sequel to this closet classic. But two weeks ago, all that changed, from the pages of my overpriced music rag, I discovered that Jonathan has formed a new (and extremely hyped) band called the Drums. Very exciting!
But still, nothing will match the magic of the 2003 dance party, and this gem of a record that just won’t quit.
Posted April 15, 2009 by Jason at 6:00 pm ·
Filed under Promising Artists
So, I may be a little behind the times, here, but I just discovered DatA when I was browsing the Ekleroshock website. If you recognize Ekleroshock, it’s probably because DataA is label mates with French house heroes, Danger.
“Rapture” is DatA’s latest single, which features Sebastian Grainger of Death From Above 1979. It’s a super-catchy, hyper-compressed French-disco-house tune that will appeal to fans of Danger, Justice, and She and will undoubtedly be stuck on repeat all week.
Posted April 12, 2009 by Jason at 9:00 am ·
Filed under Live Recordings
As much as I expected to enjoy The Books‘ show at the ICA on Friday night, an avant garde performance at a museum sounds somehow a little more academic than fun. It’s just like those crazy Books to defy expectations, though.
Each song was accompanied by a video montage projected behind the band, many of which were funny both in and out of context. The footage incited audible laughter at several points in their hour-long set and was pulled from a wide variety of sources, ranging from ’90s commercials, to home videos, to self-help videos, to nature documentaries.
In addition to previously-released favorites like “Take Time” and “Smells like Content”, The Books played a bunch of new stuff as well. Here’s a fun new song that I can only assume is called “Cold Freezing Night”, which features samples of kids saying some fairly disturbing things. The voice samples were recorded on Talkboy cassette recorders in the ’90s. Do you remember those?
Posted April 9, 2009 by Jason at 6:00 pm ·
Filed under Upcoming Shows
I am very excited to see The Books when they play a pair of sold-out shows at Boston’s ICA tomorrow. The Books play a highly-recognizable brand of experimental folktronic that combines cello, programmed drum beats, acoustic guitar, and spoken word samples to create unique and frequently-beautiful textures.
Ontario pop band Junior Boys released their new album, Begone Dull Care yesterday on Domino Records. Begone Dull Care finds the duo continuing to refine their 80s-influenced electronic sound and further establishing themselves as one of the best indie synth pop bands going.
Fans will have a chance to hear the new songs on their spring US tour, which will conclude at the Middle East Downstairs on Friday, May 8th!
April 12 at NEUMOS, Seattle, WA
April 14 at Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
April 16 at Bimbo’s 365 Club, San Francisco, CA
April 18 at Coachella, Indio, CA
April 19 at Rhythm Room, Phoenix, AZ
April 22 at BlueBird Theater, Denver, CO
April 24 at The Record Bar, Kansas City, MO
April 25 at Billiken Club, St Louis, MO
April 27 at Canopy Club, Urbana, IL
April 28 at Southgate House, Newport, KY
April 29 at Skully’s Music Diner, Columbus, OH
April 30 at The Dame, Lexington, KY
May 1 at Mercy Lounge, Nashville, TN
May 2 at The Earl, Atlanta, GA
May 3 at Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, NC
May 5 at Black Cat, Washington
May 6 at First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, PA
May 7 at Webster Hall, New York, NY May 8 at Middle East Downstairs, Cambridge, MA
Posted March 22, 2009 by Jason at 12:38 pm ·
Filed under New Releases
As a huge fan of The Knife, I experienced the usual side project ambivalence when I heard about Karin Dreijer Andersson’s solo project, Fever Ray. Certainly, I was excited to hear her take The Knife’s trademark sound in a different direction, but I was also worried that she might neglect one of my favorite bands while focusing on a sub-par side project. I am pleased to say that Knife fans will not be disappointed by Fever Ray, which can best be compared to Silent Shout’s quieter moments (think “Forest Families”).
Fever Ray’s self-titled debut has been available as a digital download since January, but is coming out on CD on Tuesday.
Posted March 16, 2009 by Jason at 1:15 am ·
Filed under Promising Artists
It’s always exciting to stumble across great music when you least expect to. That’s what happened when I clicked on the link for Grinding Tapes’ new MySpace friend, Sylphid. I’m somewhat ashamed to admit that I was mostly checking to make sure they were a legit band that wasn’t going to flood the Grinding Tapes MySpace wall with male enhancement deals. Sylphid’s understated charm caught me completely off guard and I’ve been listening non-stop since.
Citing influences like Múm, Cepia, and Kira Kira, Sylphid sound like the half-awake recollection of forgotten childhood memories. The best part is that they’re based in Northampton–Boston’s proverbial backyard. Fans of organic electronic music akin to the aforementioned bands should check out Sylphid right now.
Posted March 11, 2009 by Jason at 7:13 pm ·
Filed under New Releases
The beloved video game music label, 8bitpeoples has released a five-track mini-album by Swedish chiptune artist, Cornbeast. We’re big fans of 8bitpeoples and were naturally excited to check out their latest release. We are pleased to say that it doesn’t disappoint! Driving rhythms and super-catchy melodies make this a release you won’t want to miss!
