Obscure Sound

Obscure Sound: Best of August 2010 (1)

9/01/10 •

September has little value to me beyond the start of football. The weather manages to retain the worst aspects of summer (NYC is 95°F today) as our lifestyles adjust to more focused, goal-driven tasks. Nothing wrong with responsibility, but I’d much prefer to be doing work when it is bitter cold outside. Showing up to [...]

Recent Posts

His Dreams Feel Real (6)

8/31/10 •

Ross Fish, an 18-year-old from central Jersey, has interesting standards. Whereas most of his peers attempt to specialize in DJing, hip-hop beatmaking, or other more accessible pathways to the creation of electronic music, Fish actually has a grasp on the melodic and technical components of the style. Though his age suggests this is a recent [...]

Feu Thérèse (2)

8/27/10 •

Some things bear worth repeating. Feu Thérèse is one of them, as I feel exposing their music right now would be dramatically more effective than it was in 2007, when I found myself gushing over their debut, Ça Va Cogner. They had apparently split that same year, but their permanent elusiveness had prevented anyone from [...]

Woozy Viper (5)

8/26/10 •

This NYC-based duo have successfully taken the great pop sensibilities of the Mod era and interwoven post-modern nuances to form a refreshing aberration. Tracks like “Dirty Rat” and “King Kong” are reminiscent of The Monks in subversive catchy goodness, yet are original enough to not be imitative. Their debut album, which is free to download, should inspire fans of Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Dandy Warhols, and other ’60s revivalists.

Altar Eagle (5)

8/24/10 •

Altar Eagle are content under layers of gauziness, the duo’s music emitting the type of confidence and nostalgic yearning that triggered attention for Beach House, Cold Cave, and other recent breakouts known for their simultaneous recollection of shoegaze and implementation of electronica. Its two members, Eden Hemming and Brad Rose, have been working together throughout [...]

Lollapalooza ’10 Recap (8)

8/21/10 •

In preparation for next year’s 20th anniversary, Lollapalooza 2010 offered a fantastic display of artists both new and old. Taylor DeBoer was there and recaps the highlights, even if these nine well-known artists were just the tip of the iceberg during the festival. From everyone I have spoken to, the consensus seems to be that Lollapalooza is getting better each year. Summer 2011 in Chicago should be a damn good time.

Black Mountain – Wilderness Heart (2010) (5)

8/19/10 •

With their third album Wilderness Heart, Black Mountain produce something memorable with a feeling of passion behind every song. Overall, it has successfully achieved the high expectations that fans of Black Mountain have come to enjoy, as well as making itself prominent enough to be picked up by an audience who may have never heard a song by this Vancouver act in the past.

Of Montreal – False Priest (2010) (7)

8/17/10 •

Of Montreal’s tenth album is their most accessible yet, offering a meshing of cohesiveness and ambition that coincides with the band’s idiosyncratic sound. Kevin Barnes’ lyrical variation of humor and serious infliction aid an album that is emotionally demanding, humorously witty, and melodically superb. With help from Jon Brion, it is their best produced and most organic-sounding effort yet.

Pop Winds (5)

8/13/10 •

Continuing the surge of experimental-pop from Montreal, Pop Winds excel in diverging colorful psychedelia and indie-rock to create a sound that is familiarly addictive, yet still relatively incomparable. On “Owl Eyes”, the trio’s vocals combine for multiple harmonies over squirts of brass and synth arpeggios, the wide variety of synths sliding and squirming all over [...]

Interview with The Hood Internet (6)

8/12/10 •

A sit-down with DJ duo The Hood Internet in South Korea brought up topics like traveling, real-life occupations, and Korean alcohol. Their music, which is renowned for its hybrid of indie-rock and hip-hop, has been critically acclaimed for the loose, party atmosphere it provides, which is precisely what Daegu’s Club Urban was treated to a few weeks ago.

Cloud Nothings (2)

8/11/10 •

Cloud Nothings is Dylan Baldi, a 19-year-old from Cleveland that creates music his buddies would probably call outdated, if only for the fact that it hearkens back to a time when record stores were relevant. His interpretation of power-pop is not without its modern traits, but overall the result is one of throwback excellence in [...]

Shapiro’s Road Ahead (3)

8/09/10 •

He is eight days from home and Carl Shapiro, namesake of DC-based Shapiro, can’t wait to get into his own bed. The 6-foot-2, lion-maned bassist has been sleeping in a 15-passenger van for the past month, on the road with his bandmates to spread their sound of piano-infused pop-rock with audiences in small clubs and venues all over the United States. Here is a look at the band’s journey toward success and recognition.

Obscure Sound: Best of July 2010 (6)

8/07/10 •

The best featured tracks from the past month are collected and compiled into one file. This month has been very stylistically diverse, along with several debuting artists, so some worthwhile additions are bound to be included on your playlists. Artists include Kula Shaker, Ferraby Lionheart, Big Boi, Tamaryn, Spirit Night, of Montreal, Games, and more.

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