So I know on this blog we’ve kind of been going Lana Del C-Rey-zy (that’s why you come here: for the quite frankly world class puns), but having spent the last couple of days in Paris and therefore not being able to write, I’ve decided to charm your ears with this nice little remix of such a big song.
There’s a new big-hitter on my list, and he goes by the name of Clams Casino. The New Jersey bedroom producer has stormed onto the scene, producing tracks for emerging acts like ASAP Rocky and Lil B. The man has put together an album full of the instrumentals that he has produced, and in a lot of ways I think they’re better than the actual songs. My favourite (and the one that has been plaguing my mind over the last week) is called Realist Alive. Take a listen. No wonder clams are supposed to be aphrodisiacs…
Calvin Harris: he just wants to Feel So Close to you.
Calvin Harris is an artist whom I’ve never paid much attention to. I’ve seen him live and he was disappointing; and the fact is, in a world full of adequate DJs, that’s enough to put you off for someone. Acceptable In The 80s is probably my favourite of his early efforts but as someone born in the 90s, makes me feel a little out of my depth. If Mr Harris only has hugs for me if I were born in the 80s, well then I’ll stick with Katy Perry. She kissed a girl and doesn’t discriminate on age (and had a rather amusing twitter based argument with Calvin Harris).
However, Harris has really impressed me lately with his Kelis colloboration, Bounce. It plays like a cooler, more restrained Hello. Every time that I hear this song, it grows on me which seems rare for a Calvin Harris song. You’ve bound to have heard it, or at least recogonise the nintendo-esque hook but here’s the stylish video:
His latest single, Feel So Close builds upon Bounce’s solid work. Both Bounce and Feel So Close are remarkably close to Calvin Harris’s work. They feature catchy electronic hooks, contain few lyrics and repeat the same phrase until Harris hammers it into your inner cortex.
‘It could be a successor to the Teenage Dream crown’
But Bounce and Feel So Close are so much more sophisticated than his earlier work that it’s almost incomparable. Feel So Close feels like a true song of the summer, even it is a bit late (there’s always next year; it certainly didn’t stop Last Friday Night). It’s both frothy and endearing in equal measure with lyrics like:
I wear my heart upon my sleeve, like a big deal
Your love bows down, I mean surround me like a waterfall
And there’s no stopping us right now
I feel so close to you right now
Teenage Kicks: The video builds upon the song's theme of young love (which I absolutely love.)
In the summer, nostalgic, teenage-centric, pop singles stakes it could almost be a successor to the Teenage Dream crown, no mean feat. Take a listen and a look at the video. As well as sound quality, Harris’ videos have become seriously cool and amongst some of my favourites this year:
Today I have a great song for you that I’m really excited about. The Naked And Famous’ Young Blood has begun to generate a buzz, and once you listen to this uplifting tune, you’ll know exactly why. Released from the New Zealand bands debut album Passive Me, Aggressive You, the song debuted on the New Zealand charts at number one, making it the first track produced by a kiwi band to do so in three years! Enjoy this one!
See? I told you it was great. What I love about this song is the way that it seems to so effortlessly blend aspects of the Passion Pit and MGMT type of electronic, with the assets of classic rock that we’re so used to hearing. Did you hear that electric guitar? Did it sound great? I thought so. You can check out the music video here, and a live performance of the song here.
For those of our readers the other side of the Atlantic, Pretty Lights is a reasonably well-known name on the electric music scene, inspired by a Pink Floyd concert poster that read “Come and watch the pretty lights!” A name able to command a festival crowd such as Coachella and Bonnaroo, and fill clubs. With his popularity soaring stateside he has turned his attention to the UK, something that got us all rather excited over here at Can You Hear This, as most of us are long term fans of Derek Vincent Smith, the man behind Pretty Lights. So you can imagine we had to seize the chance when invited to go to his gig at CAMP in London.
In a basement of the City Arts & Music Project, there is the throb of excitement and anticipation surrounding the arrival of Pretty Lights. I’m circled by a collection of people trickling in from the street outside. There is strong presence of young American fans, one rather loud and boisterous that assures me that “this is going to be awesome!” He’s a student from the states, who was a follower of Pretty Lights over there and like myself is seizing this chance to see him on the London music scene. He’s started telling me his life story almost relating it to the Colorado musician’s rise. By the time he’s explained how he’s currently living in Kensington, I’m watching a dance off between several other excited, avid followers. The atmosphere is far past buzzing and into some further state of anticipation.
Then the man himself walked up to the array of electronics on stage, hooded and ready to go. The room exploded. Derek Vincent Smith is a man who understands music. He seems to have a natural comprehension of how it works, and he doesn’t so much play the instrument but simply allows it to amplify the movements in his body. The sound is seamless, capturing the beat and the tune perfectly. Not a word has so far been sampled in his tracks and you are aware that you’ve been caught up in it all and swept along. There was no amazing light show that is often synonymous with Pretty Light shows, but there was no need.
As you can imagine and hear from much of Pretty Lights’ music, he takes inspiration from a very wide spectrum of sounds, sampling from all genres and doing so with flawless style. I would ask anyone to check out his tour dates and download his music (he notoriously gives it out for free on his website) because if the show here in London was anything to go by, the UK will be taken by storm by this young artist.
Here’s an awesome awesome awesome (that’s right) remix of Miami Horror’s already brilliant song Holidays. Cassian joined in and made this one an excellent summer jam. I recommend this on a long car journey or road trip. It will definitely make the time pass faster and put you in an great mood:
Hope you’re all having a great summer!
American composer John Maus has a huge repertoire of underground releases from the beginning of his career in music. However, I’d like to focus on the closing track from his latest LP, entitled We Must Become The Pitiless Censors of Ourselves. Quite a mouthful, I know, but just sit back, relax, and let Believer charm your ears.
I dare you to find chiming more sugary than that. The synths in this are gorgeous, and when they’re paired with a constant, punchy bassline and echoing vocals such as these, you just really hit the jackpot. The video that goes with it is pretty cool also. It’s very… colorful.
French musician and dream pop guru Anthony Gonzalez (stage name M83) just yesterday released the single Midnight City from his upcoming album Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming. M83 (named after a galaxy. Can’t get much cooler) look set to tour the United States in October to promote the new album. Take a listen to this beauty:
How’s that for awesome? M83 is, in my opinion, one of the kings of electro. If this song resembles the album in any way, then there is serious reason to get excited. There is even a saxophone on this track. What more could you ask for? A free download? Oh okay, here’s an answer to your prayers, as they’ve given it away for free off of their website.
Youth Lagoon (aka Trevor Powers) has shot into the spotlight after releasing two amazing tracks on his bandcamp page. Both July and Cannons are available to download for free. I have chosen to write about Cannons mainly because it was the first song of the two that I heard, and fell in love with. Ladies and gentlemen, this is beautiful, soaring electronic at its absolute finest:
The harmonies in this are beautiful, not to mention the actual melody itself. If you listen, you can almost hear it shimmer. This song is bursting with the sunny days and late-light nights of summer, and I will definitely be playing it over the next few months. Head on over here to download Cannons absolutely free of charge.
If you know Athlete, you probably know them for their utterly beautiful song Wires, which propelled the band’s second album, Tourist, to number one in the UK Album Charts after just a week. That song is was inspired when lead singer Joel Pott’s newborn baby was rushed to intensive care after a premature birth. Because of the colossal success of Wires, a lot of their other music has been outshone, and that’s why I’m here today to introduce you to Half Light:
Really love this song. It has so many different aspects, and I feel like it’s traditional rock but with a more electro twist. Tourist was really a great album, and I’d recommend going and buying the whole thing, because it’s one of those CDs where every song is strong.
Jonah McGowan
Michael Crewe
Henry Ellenthorpe
Bal Gill
