Tuesday Tunes--October 20, 2015
Shaun Cordingley
This week for Tuesday Tunes, I'm going to let my old DJ self fly a bit, with a heavier slant to EDM, house, and electro (although there will be something for you indie-alt fans as well).
The Guys From do not hold the rights to any of these songs, it is more our desire to expose our readers to new and different music, or re-expose them to things they may have forgotten about.
At the top of each section, will be the song name, followed by the artists' name linked to their website, so you can fall down the rabbit hole, finding and supporting what you dig.
Here we go:
First off this week is this track from May of this year. 'The Hum' is one of those addictive electro-house songs which has a hook made for the club. This is probably one of the more "already popular" tunes that would end up on a Tuesday Tunes, however I definitely understand that EDM, especially house, is hard to bridge across to music fans of other genres, due to the density of the music, and the fact that there is so much out there, and so many sets you can go through, which is why we're going here.
Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike are a Belgian/Greek duo (brothers) who are presently ranked #2 in DJ Magazines #100 DJ's list, and this song hit #1 in Belgium...however as far as I can tell, outside of a few niche lists, they have not really broken into the North American market, which is a shame, as they are spectacular DJ's who scored a hit here that if I were still spinning, I would be putting into every set I could.
And if EDM/Electro-House isn't your thing, you could watch this video for Charlie Sheen and Jean-Claude Van Damme. Seriously.
I Had This Thing- Röyksopp
Off of the Norwegian duo Röyksopp's final traditional LP, The Inevitable End, 'I Had This Thing' is a lyrically downbeat song dealing the "confusion, pain and remorse in the wake of loss." sung perfectly by Jamie Irrepressibles, set to a trance like melodic beat. The Inevitable End is an album that really belies the bands' push toward creating singles, and other projects (as the threads between the songs are thin, but there if you are looking, in both lyrical structure and theme). 'I Had This Thing' perhaps got overshadowed by bigger singles on the album ('Monument' for example, or the lead single, a very dark song (for Röyksopp) 'Skulls'), however it deserves a good deal of attention as it is a fine example of the duo's skill, both in production and songwriting.
Plus, there's something amazing about a band deciding to make their stage debut making a Franz Kafka comedy.
Sparks- Beach House
Dream-pop/shoegaze duo Beach House released their fifth album, Depression Cherry, this summer, and it is a return to instrumental simplicity--the songs are a little bit more melodic, featuring the bands' hallmark spare, beautiful compositions, and sad, often...well...depressing lyrics. 'Sparks' is just a little bit different from your standard shoegaze, or even standard Beach House song, as there is a blown-out, fuzzy guitar that really punches through the keyboard, and compliments Victoria Legrand's beautiful, if muted voice.
This is a tune that is not going to be for everyone, but if you are looking for a hazy, somewhat sad song that is perfect for sitting on a porch in autumn, sipping on something warm, then 'Sparks' is a good introduction for the non dream pop fan to one of the most consistently good bands working the genre today.
Distant Past- Everything Everything
Caveman Fight!
Everything Everything is an UK indie rock band (who are often referred to as an art rock group, taking inspiration from a wider base of genres than your standard indie act). Founded in 2007, 'Distant Past' is from their third (and latest) album, Get to Heaven released this past June, and heavily features their eclectic blending of styles--retro guitar strain, deep hip hop/dance beat with rapid fire lyrical verses offset by a very radio friendly pop chorus.
This is a great song, by a very interesting band that feels like they are just simmering below stardom.
Braces - Ten Bears
This is an indie song that has haunted me for 5 years. Ten Bears broke up (kinda) after it was released...a chunk of them becoming the band Swiss Lips, who had label problems, toured in the U.K. a bit (including a successful tour with Bastille), and then broke up this summer after digitally releasing a pair of albums, and yet despite how good their music was, never seemed to click at the right time.
This is one of those Indie electro-pop rock bands (think Foster the People, before Foster the People), with a little heavier rock flavor than most. Ten Bears' 'Braces' features a great mix of traditional rock sounding guitar and drum, with some of the looping and aesthetic of newer indie music. This song could almost be considered a "missing link" between two indie groups, and it is a shame that this is really all we got from the band...sorta...*sigh*
The best thing to do, however, is enjoy the hell out of this song.
Thanks to the proliferation of streaming services, these five songs are readily accessible throughout the web, but we do encourage you to purchase any music that fits into your groove. Believe us when we say artists cannot be expected to produce work for free; most are willing to spend 5$ on a cup of coffee, maybe chuck 1$ or (*shock*) 10$ at an artist.
See you again next week.