A juxtaposing theme in Bad Wave‘s new single, ‘1955’; a “nostalgia for the future” if you will.
Much like the melodies within the song, ‘1955’ is split between the progression of the past and hope for the future with it’s echoey harmonies and rocky guitar riffs.
‘1955’ is out now via 10K Islands.
Sounds like: Phoenix, Death Cab for Cutie, GUSH, Hot Chip, The Foals, Two Door Cinema Club, Ghost Beach
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Bad Wave
Intermittent roommates-turned-best friends, Bad Wave, share the video for ‘Extraordinary’.
The track is a seemingly pleasant one to start, but it soon changes into a more sinister tone.
The name Bad Wave itself is taken from the Spanish phrase ‘mala onda’, which translates as “bad waves” but you can take it as meaning “bad vibes”. “We’re trying to spread good vibes though,” reassures Patrick.
By releasing their own anxieties through Bad Wave, these two only have great intentions.
Sounds like: Phoenix, Death Cab for Cutie, GUSH, Hot Chip, The Foals, Two Door Cinema Club, Ghost Beach
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The Griswolds
It’s been a while since we’ve written about Aussie synthpop on Indietronica.
What better reintroduction than with the fun-filled video for ‘If You Wanna Stay’ by Sydney-natives, The Griswolds.
Sounds like: Phoenix, Smallpools, Great Good Fine Ok, Cut Copy, Hot Chip, Chromeo, Passion Pit, The Foals, Local Natives, Fenech Soler, Vampire Weekend
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Bad Wave – Look Out
Bad Wave is an electro-pop duo from Los Angeles/Miami comprising of Tucker Tota and Patrick Hart.
Their first single, ‘Look Out’, caught the ear of Ghost Beach, and found its way onto their new label Crazy Heart Records.
It is a sway-inducing track; perfect for a chilled summer’s day.
Sounds like: Phoenix, GUSH, Hot Chip, The Foals, Two Door Cinema Club, Ghost Beach
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Bipolar Sunshine – Daydreamer
Bipolar Sunshine is the Manchester raised alternative pop sound of Adio Marchant.
This time in collaboration with SBTRKT and with production by Fraser T Smith (Adele, Lily Allen, Sam Smith), new single ‘Daydreamer’ transmits to your ears an upbeat and catchy pop sound with intelligent lyrics.
The Tomek Ducki-directed video for the track is a kaleidoscopic vision of a daydreamer’s wild mind, and definitely conjures up the romance of escapism.
‘Daydreamer’ is released on 25 January 2015 followed by a UK headline tour in March and April. Pre order on iTunes here.
Live dates below:
26 Mar Dublin Whelans
27 Mar Belfast Limelight
28 Mar Edinburgh Electric Circus
29 Mar Glasgow Oran Mor
31 Mar Newcastle Think Tank at Riverside
1 Apr Leeds Belgrave Music Hall
2 Apr Liverpool Kazimier
3 Apr Nottingham Rescue Rooms
7 Apr Leicester The Scholar
8 Apr Birmingham The Library at The Institute
9 Apr Oxford O2 Academy 2
10 Apr Cambridge The Junction
12 Apr Bristol Thekla
13 Apr Brighton The Haunt
14 Apr Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms
16 Apr London Heaven
17 Apr Manchester The Ritz
Like your tunes jazzed up? Then have a listen to the excellent and tropical Gryffin remix of ‘Daydreamer’ below:
Sounds like: SBTRKT, Lane 8, Crystal Fighers, Goldroom, Viceroy, The Foals, Metronomy, Blood Orange, Lily Allen, Sam Smith
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Vancouver Sleep Clinic at The Hope, Brighton
Vancouver Sleep Clinic is the moniker of Tim Bettinson.
Indietronica watched VSC play Brighton the other week and they didn’t fail to impress. We don’t want to harp on about Tim’s age, but you are constantly having to remind yourself that he’s still a teenager, yet he can effortlessly and smoothly amalgamate falsetto vocals with deep and mature lyrics.
We’re not sure how he does it, but we tried to find out…
Tell us a bit about yourself (where you grew up, when you first started singing/songwriting).
I’m from this city called Brisbane in Australia! I’ve been lucky enough to be born to parents who have always had instruments lying around, so getting into music was easy from a young age. I started with drumming and piano, and then a couple of years ago I picked up a guitar for the first time and started putting some high school bands together. I started writing for this project about a year ago in my bedroom.
Sum up VSC’s sound in 3 words.
Cinematic, dynamic, ambient.
Where do you cite your musical influences from?
I actually get inspiration from a wide variety of things. I first fell in love with music via a lot of post-rock (sigur dos, mogwai, this will destroy you etc.), but now i also garner a lot of inspiration from the electronic world (fka twigs, the weeknd, the xx, sohn, james blake). I also have strange obsessions with World music & Celtic instrumentals..
Rumour has it, you wrote ‘Collapse’ during your maths lessons. Where did you find the inspiration for ‘Collapse’, and, more importantly, did you pass maths?
Haha, yep – in the back of my maths books. Collapse is about a dark state of mind that i think everyone goes through when they feel like they can’t reach an expectation or a standard. I aced maths! But i was doing the easy maths so it probably doesn’t really count ;/
VSC is currently on a tour around the UK. How is the tour going?
The tour is amazing! There have definitely been some mixed shows, like you would expect on a first international tour, but the two London shows in particularly were super special! Really excited and thankful to be here.
You were recently in the US. Are you planning on hitting up the US again anytime soon?
I love the US – we will see! Yet to tour there so hoping to make that happen ASAP. Priority now though is putting everything we have into this record.
We love discovering new music at Indietronica. What new music are you listening to at the moment?
You NEED to listen to a kid called Raury. He’s changing the game in the USA. Also really loving ‘The Acid’.
Vancouver Sleep Clinic at The Hope, Brighton
Sounds like: Island Fox, The Kite String Tangle, Broods, Active Child, The Foals, New Navy, The Postal Service, Bon Iver, James Blake, TDeL2
Bear Hands – Giants
Bear Hands is a US indie rock band, comprising of Dillon Rau, Val Loper, Ted Feldman, and TJ Orscher.
Having studied at the same college as MGMT, Bear Hands unfortunately missed the wave that MGMT rode in 2008, and were too late for the punk rock scene in the early 2000’s. However, the tide has changed and the bands persistence is starting to pay off.
As apparent with all Bear Hands’ tracks, they take a while to mature. The track ‘Giants’ was actually released in late 2013, but some cheeky remixes have been doing the rounds of late and ‘Giants’ has picked up momentum again.
The tone of ‘Giants’ is summed up with the sexy, but pretty frantic video which features the band watching some girls rock out.
The director, Mark Pellington, explained about the video; “I wanted to make a sexy noisy pop blast…The energy and weird electric sense of desire and aggressiveness of the track was our theme…Love this band and this piece.”
Have a listen to the remixes below:
The Knocks remix
Adrian Lux remix
‘Giants’ is taken from the new album ‘Distraction’ which was released in the UK on 8 August 2014 via Warner Music UK and available for purchase on iTunes here.
Sounds like: Future Islands, MGMT, The Foals, Harts, Empire of The Sun, The Knocks, All American Rejects, Jimmy Eat World
Lane 8 feat. Bipolar Sunshine
German/San Fran Lane 8 has joined forces with Manchester vocalist Bipolar Sunshine (aka Adio Marchant).
Lane 8 hasn’t given us a remix this time, but a rework of his original disco-inspired track, ‘Every Night’.
It’s hard to understand how this collab occured, as both talents are heading in separate directions, but we are not complaining. Lane 8 has developed ‘I Got What You Need (Every Night)’ into a track that is a bit more meaty than it was before. The customary house bass line remains, but the mellifluous vocals from Bipolar Sunshine step it up a notch or two.
Time for a sunset, a beach and a mojito…
Sounds like: Bipolar Sunshine, Crystal Fighers, Goldroom, Viceroy, The Foals, Metronomy
Lane 8
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Bipolar Sunshine
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Zola Blood
Zola Blood is the latest signing to Pond Life Songs, the label synonymous with Talk Talk’s 1991 album ‘Laughing Stock’ and more recently Liverpool’s avant-pop trio Ninetails. Despite a 22-year hiatus, Pond Life’s passion for bold, inventive new music remains strong, as proved by their newest signing.
First track ‘Grace’ combines R&B with ambient electronica and haunting vocals similar to the that of Foals’ Yannis Philippakis.
Zola Blood’s intricate arrangements were developed over a year on a Hackney Wick industrial estate, dissecting mobile phone recordings and programming synthesisers.
Despite the allure, Zola Blood is a competent group with a bright future ahead.
Sounds like: The Foals, Portishead, Talk Talk, Ninetails, Elbow, New Navy, Mogwai, SOHN, James Blake
Crystal Fighters
Time for some more summery and tropical tunes! This time from Crystal Fighters.
Having premiered on BBC Radio 1 as Zane Lowe’s Hottest Record in the World, the upbeat ‘Love Alight’ has the Crystal Fighters Spanish-inspired stamp all over it.
As with all Crystal Fighers’ tracks, it’s a shame it has to end.
‘Love Alight’ is released on 4 August via Zirkulo/PIAS and can be ordered on iTunes here.
Sounds like: Is Tropical, The Foals, Crystal Castles, Rudimental, The Naked and Famous
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