Far From Noise

This mix seems to be a little on the down-tempo side for me. Not quite as rockin’ as some of them. Might be my mood due to all the rain. More focused on simple, pretty songs. And the 60′s inspired surf rock is probably me looking forward to warmer days. Enjoy.

1. Go Outside by Cults
   From: New York, NY
   Album: Cults 7″,3:21″ 
   There is practically no information about this band on the interwebs. And just try searching for “Cults” in Google. I’ve pieced together that it’s a boy/girl duo out of New York. The song actually has quotes from a cult leader and then it gives you this light and airy song about going outside. I’ll let you decide what it’s about. Be sure to check out their website by clicking on their name above. You can download a couple other songs from them.
   
   
2. Trap Doors by Broken Bells
   From: New York, NY
   Album: Broken Bells 
   Not a pairing I would have predicted but here we have Danger Mouse, which some of you may know from Gnarls Barkley, and James Mercer, the lead singer of The Shins. I don’t always like what Danger Mouse puts out there, but this particular track draws me in. It feels like they are truly relying on each other and building off the strengths that they both bring to the project. This record was released early last month.
   
   
3. Boy Lilikoi by Jónsi
   From: Iceland
   Album: Go 
   Jónsi is the lead singer of Sigur Rós and I believe this is his first solo project and I think it shows how much he brings to the band. It’s a beautiful song that builds on itself and has an orchestral quality to it. Go came out March 8th.
   
   
4. Giant Stairs by A Weather
   From: Portland, OR
   Album: Everyday Balloons 
   Everyday Balloons, the second release from A Weather, came out March 2nd. It’s a simple sound that just goes along at the right pace and the hushed harmonies are beautiful.
   
   
5. Boys Who Rape (Raveonettes Cover) by Suckers
   From: Brooklyn, NY
   I know this is a bit of a heavy topic, but I found this cover too good to pass up. The Raveonettes did it with a bit more pop and I think Suckers bring the appropriate weight to the song. The Suckers will be releasing their debut LP on June 8th.
   
   
6. Vacation by Beach Fossils
   From: Brooklyn, NY
   Fuzzy surfer pop. Just something simple with effects on the vocals to make it sound a little different. Definitely reminds me of something from the 60′s. They should be releasing an album this month but I couldn’t find any specifics.
   
   
7. Coldest Morning Light by The Pharmacy
   From: Seattle, WA
   Album: Weekend 
   I know…Fuzzy surfer pop. More keyboards, less twangy guitar, and slightly less effects on the vocals. But it does conjure up that 60′s feeling again. The entire album, which was released last month, was recorded on a 4-track, one microphone, and a reverb pedal. Seems like I’ve heard a lot of bands taking this retro approach and opting for analogue over digital.
   
   
8. Cranberry by The Ruby Suns
   From: Auckland, New Zealand
   Album: Fight Softly 
   I never realize until I line the songs up, but this one also has a bit of that beachy feel to it. Fight Softly is their third release and again, came out last month. Looks like I’m playing catch-up.
   
   
9. Demons (Body Language Remix) by Yes Giantess
   From: Boston, MA
   I think most of you have figured out that I like to end on a dance beat. The original song is by Yes Giantess but I want to make sure that Body Language (the ones in the picture to the right) get proper credit. I wouldn’t like this song if it wasn’t for them. It verges on tween pop but I feel like they rein it back in and put enough interesting elements in there. Body Language released a 5 track EP last December called Speaks   .
   
   

Top image borrowed from Nan Lawson