Young Magic Cast's It's Spell

Although now firmly settled in New York City, Young Magic's three members came together through equal helpings of openness and fortuity. In 2010, singer and producer Isaac Emmanuel had left his home continent of Australia to travel across Europe, over to New York, and down through Mexico, all the while creating and recording music with whatever instruments he found along the way. While in Mexico, Emmanuel kept a tight correspondence with fellow Australian expat Michael Italia, who for months had been similarly traveling across Europe and South America with portable recording gear in tow. They decided to meet up in New York, where their good friend from a few years prior, Indonesian-born vocalist Melati Malay, had been living and making her own recordings. In early 2011 the three friends, who had initially bonded over their broad musical palettes, began recording together and contributing songs to the record, culling influences and finding their own footing among them.

The immediately fruitful collaboration brought forth singles "Sparkly", "You With Air" and "Night In The Ocean," all of which were fitting indicators of the band's chameleonic sound, heavily informed by West African rhythms, Brainfeeder hip-hop, UK bass, and 60s psychedelic soul. Young Magic's full-length debut, Melt, comprises both of these tracks-as well as their B-sides-and expands on their varied aesthetic, at once electronically sequenced and completely organic.

Young Magic's debut album, Melt, is out on Feb. 14 on Carpark.

Download: Sparkly (MatthewDavid's Odyssey Remix)
Watch: Night In The Ocean

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Just Barelys

Stephen Kelly and Eleanor King are The Just Barelys. A two-piece art/pop project focused on the basics of danceable beats, thoughtful guitar playing, slanted lyrics, and poppy vocal harmonies. Independently recording and releasing three albums and a variety of singles since 2001, JB’s home recordings feature King on drums and Kelly on guitar, and incorporate a wide variety of instruments, computer manipulations and home-made noise devices.

Their most recent output Mad Bits was crafted slowly over a couple of years, developed playfully with constant additions and subtractions. The album is neither a document of their live shows nor a studio creation. It sits somewhere in between, like a distant blurred memory or a dream about the future. You’ll find songs about software problems in the patriot missile, working out and building muscle, skateboarding legends, and missing home. When The Just Barelys aren’t making music, they each spend their time on separate art practices, producing installations throughout Canada and abroad.

The Just Barelys release their long awaited new album Mad Bits on Tuesday, February 14.

Download: Lions
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The Rising Milano Sun

Milano Sun are 3 guys from Gothenburg, Sweden, who formed a band after they met on an escapism trip around Europe in 2010.  As you might guess Milan, Italy was amongst the many stops along the way. They all had long connections within the Swedish music scene as session musicians and felt they had their own sound and something different to contribute.  So what better way to contribute than to form a new band.

During 2011 they started to record an album which has just recently been completed.  With a Balearic soundscape that evokes the sea, cliffs, wind and a clear sky, the trio express their feelings in songs about love, loss, regret, betrayal and fear, and well, how to handle (or fail to handle) life as a teenager on the run.  A post trip autobiographical story in a sense, "Already Gone," is a hint at things to come.

Download: Already Gone
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Josh And Mer Are From Planet Music

Soon after meeting in their home state of Oregon, Josh Schroeder and Meredith Adelaide discovered that they share common ideas about music, art, life, and their love of the beautiful Pacific Northwest. This connection fostered a creative match that quickly evolved into a musical project as Josh and Mer.

Their debut album, Planet Music, was recorded with producer Jason Carter (Frank Black, Pete Yorn, Art Brut) and evokes a dreamy, experimental indie rock sound. The Portland duo furthered their artistic vision by filming and photographing elements of their collaborative process. "We each bring something to the table that we otherwise couldn't do alone, and I think that's why it works," says Josh, while Meredith adds, “We're always trying to one-up each other with concepts, visuals, and sounds." You can hear that on their single, "From The Sea."

Planet Music, the debut LP comes out February 14th as a free download.

Download: From The Sea
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Head To The Weatherhouse

George Cochrane met Christopher Vick in the wee hours at a San Francisco house party. George, an electronic music producer, DJ, and label owner, and Christopher, a disco evangelist and party thrower, spent much of the night talking Disco, and became fast friends. Soon enough, Chris moved to Los Angeles, forming a tropical goth band and a clothing company, while George continued his electronic music career.

A "Hey, we should make music sometime" chat eventually became reality, and before long, Chris and George began to collaborate long-distance as Weatherhouse, creating the blueprint album for their new sound, 2011's E Pluribus Calo Disco.

Single handedly creating a new sub genre, Calo Disco is everything you'd expect from someone from California; sun drenched, chilled, and gorgeous. 

As for what 2012 holds for Weatherhouse,  that's easy.  More EPs, a gang of remixes, and a growing list of live and DJ bookings are in store for 2012. Wax the starship and sequin up the space suits, crank up the sunshine and lets get Balearic.

Download: Koala
Download: Discasio
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Kishi Bashi Isn't Wishy Washy

As a member in of Montreal, Kishi Bashi not only played strings on the band's new album, Paralytic Stalks, but collaborated with Kevin Barnes as a producer as well - an experience which heavily influenced 151a, with Barnes pushing him to new heights of creativity and broader use of violin.

The result of this push is Kishi Bashi's debut full-length, 151a,   The album is set to be released on April 10, 2012 via Joyful Noise Recordings. The follow-up to his summer 2011 Room For Dream EP, 151a is a bright and soaring avant pop record written primarily on violin - Kishi Bashi's main instrument which has brought him to record and tour with the likes of Regina Spector, Sondre Lerche, Alexi Murdoch, of Montreal and more.

Check out the first track below and catch Kishi Bashi  opening up for his day job this Spring...
Mar. 07 -- Jacksonville, FL -- Freebird Live *
Mar. 08 -- Orlando, FL -- The Plaza Live *
Mar. 09 -- Mobile, AL -- Alabama Music Box *
Mar. 10 -- New Orleans, LA -- Howlin Wolf *
Mar. 11 -- Houston, TX -- Fitzgeralds *%
Mar. 12 -- Oklahoma City, OK -- ACM @ UCO Performance Lab *
Mar. 13 -- Dallas, TX -- Tree's *
Mar. 18 -- El Paso, TX -- Tricky Falls *#
Mar. 19 -- Tucson, AZ -- Rialto *#
Mar. 20 -- Los Angeles, CA -- The Wiltern *#
Mar. 21 -- San Francisco, CA -- Slim's *#
Mar. 22 -- San Francisco, CA -- The Fillmore *#
Mar. 23 -- Portland, OR -- Crystal Ballroom *#
Mar. 24 -- Seattle, WA -- Showbox at the Market *#
Mar. 27 -- Minneapolis, MN -- First Avenue * ≈
Mar. 28 -- Chicago, IL -- Metro * ≈
Mar. 29 -- Cleveland, OH -- Beachland Ballroom * ≈
Mar. 30 -- New York, NY -- Webster Hall ¥ !
Mar. 31 -- New York, NY -- Webster Hall * ≈
Apr. 01 -- Boston, MA -- The Paradise * ≈
Apr. 02 -- Philadelphia, PA -- Union Transfer * ≈
Apr. 03 -- Washington, DC -- 9:30 Club * ≈
Apr. 04 -- Carrboro, NC -- Cat's Cradle * ≈
Apr. 05 -- Asheville, NC -- Orange Peel * ≈
Apr. 06 -- Chattanooga, TN -- Track 29 * ≈
Apr. 07 -- Atlanta, GA -- Variety Playhouse * ≈

* w/ of Montreal

# w/ Deerhoof
% w/ Cults
≈ w/ Loney Dear
! w/ Computer Magic
¥ w/ Hard Nips

Download: It All Began With A Burst
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It's All Ad Ventury Like

After being introduced by a mutual friend, Heddy and Charles joined forces in 2011. Like two atoms colliding, Ventury was born out of an explosion, creating new life, breathing fresh air into the faltering electro scene. But, as Isaac Newton will tell you, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Something monstrous was born. Something terrible. And now that dreadful force called Ventury has come to destroy everything as you now know it

With Volcano they might just level it all.  Exploding in a fiery blast of beats, hard synths, and screaming Ventury hits hard and hits fast.  Reminding us of Does It Offend You, Yeah? (think Lets Make Out) the tune is all aggressive funk and brilliant beats that rips your ear drums out and hand them back to you.  When you name your single Volcano anything less would be disappointing.

This tune does not disappoint, it destroys and that's what's so great about it.  It's "heavy," but it still has enough a tune about it to never let you forget it.  And why would you...

Download: Volcano
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