Pop | Rex Manning Day music blog.

Top 5 indie tracks of the week

May 20, 2013 in Alt-Folk, Alternative, Experimental, Folk, Hip Hop, independent bands, Indie, Pop, Rap, Rock, Synthpop

Galaxius Mons – “Cup My Aching Mind (Crazy Epitaph)” {Experimental/Synthpop} + Free downloads

Do you know what time it is? It’s synthy cheese o’clock! And seeing that the only instrument this band uses is a Moog Rogue monophonic synthesizer you best be prepared for a whole lotta cheesy synth coming your way…You can download the Montrealers’ tunes for free here (but you can also purchase their new album as a name-your-price download here).

Dollaz Da Deejay – “I Am Music” {Rap/Pop}

This is the first single off the Toronto-based rapper’s new record My Pen, Pad & My Smartphone (story of my life), which is already creating a huge buzz in the underground Ontario rap scene. The chorus features Alicia Cinnamon, and if you dig his tunes you can purchase one of his previously released tracks for $0.99 here.

Amanda Merdzan – “Afraid” {Pop/Folk}

This Australian songstress has supported a crapton of mega artists throughout the course of her career (like Eskimo Joe, Split Seconds and Oh Mercy, just to name a few), and she recently performed at the Canadian Music Week 2013 this past March. This is the first single off her most recent EP The Map Has Been Redrawn, which you can purchase for $6.99 via iTunes here.

One Mile An Hour – “Sunken Ships” {Alt-Folk}

Giving City and Colour a run for their money, this three-piece has been making music since 2011, and their recent self-titled debut album has been described as a “complex, introverted outsider-folk record.” (Ed. note: Okay then!) The self-produced album was mastered by none other than John Dent (who has worked with the likes of PJ Harvey and Nick Drake), and you can purchase it for £14.99 here.

Pete Carr – “Weight of the World” {Pop/Rock}

This Australian musician was born into a musical family, so it’s safe to say that creating awesome music is pretty much in his DNA. Drawing inspirations from The Beatles to Elliott Smith, he just released his brand new album Mistaken & Misplaced, which you can purchase as a name-your-price download her e.

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Tags: Australia, Boston, Canada, Massachusetts, Melbourne, Montreal, Perth, Quebecois, UK
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Top new tracks: Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Black Flag, Camera Obscura + CHVRCHES remix MS MR

May 17, 2013 in Dream Pop, Electropop, Funk, Garage Rock, Hardcore, Pop, Punk, R&B, Rap, Soul, Synthpop

Lauryn Hill – “Neurotic Society” {Rap}

Looks like that $1 million dollar deal with Sony finally paid off, because Lauryn Hill is back and ready to pay off the taxman yo!! This is the first of five new songs Hill is supposed to release as per her deal with Sony, and although the song sounds rushed and forced, if it helps feed the grandchildren of Bob Marley then I’m game. And no, the irony of the song title is not lost on me.

MS MR – “Hurricane” (CHVRCHES remix) {Synthpop}

Let’s see here…We love MS MR and we love CHVRCHES, so it makes sense that the CHVRCHES remix of the hot new MS MR single is a double dose of awesome. And just in case you didn’t already know, MS MR’s brand spankin’ new full-length Secondhand Rapture was released on May 14th, and you can purchase it via iTunes here.

The Weeknd – “Kiss Land” {R&B}

After weeks of teasing fans about a mysterious debut LP which will be released later this year, Toronto’s Abel Tesfaye surprised everyone by posting his forthcoming album’s title track online yesterday. And in classic Weeknd style, the topic of the song is about (you guessed it) sex, sex and more sex!

Black Flag – “Down in the Dirt” {Punk/Hardcore}

Not to be confused with FLAG (consisting of the Black Flag leftovers Keith Morris, Chuck Dukowski, and Bill Stevenson) the newly membered punk legends have officially unveiled their first single in what seems like a gazillion years. No word yet as to when their new album is going to be released, but if you dig the song you can download it here.

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – “Retreat!” {Funk/Soul}

Sharon Jones and her Dap-Kings have finally given fans a taste of what to expect from their forthcoming album. The 11-piece (yes, there is 11 of them) won’t be releasing their new album Give The People What They Want until August 6th, but if you pre-order the release here you will get an immediate download of “Retreat!” sent directly to your Inbox.

Say Lou Lou – “Fool Of Me” ft. Chet Faker {Dream/Electropop}

Everyone’s been talking about this new track from the twinsies (Eleketra and Miranda Kilbey), who are based out of both Australia and Sweden. The track features the mega Melbourne-based electronic artist Chet Faker, and you can watch the music video for the single here.

Camera Obscura – “Fifth in Line to the Throne” {Pop/Rock}

With all the big releases slated for 2013, we almost forgot that Edinburgh’s Camera Obscura are releasing a new album in June, which is bound to generate a lot of buzz in the music blogosphere. The release is titled Desire Lines, and will be out June 3rd (in Europe) and June 4th (in the U.S.).

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Tags: Australia, Brooklyn, California, Canada, Edinburgh, Glasgow, New Jersey, New York, Ontario, Scandinavia, Scotland, Stockholm, Sweden, Toronto, UK
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Rex Manning Day’s Top 5 Independent Bands From London

May 13, 2013 in Alt-Country, Americana, Doom Pop, Electropop, Free downloads, independent bands, Indie, Industrial, Pop, Rock, Synthpop

London has always been the epicenter of the music scene in the UK, so naturally the city is bursting at the seams with a ton of undiscovered talent. If you’re lucky enough to live in Londontown it’s as easy as scoping out the popular clubs and bars (like the ones listed at http://www.latenightlondon.co.uk) to find out about the city’s up-and-coming bands, but for those of us who aren’t lucky enough to live anywhere near London, finding these artists may prove to be more difficult.

Because we love London and all of its independent bands who deserve as much promo as they can get, here is a list of our top five favourite indie bands from London; for your listening and reading pleasure:

Cat Meat {Alt-Country/Americana} + Free downloads

We’ve been sucking up the delicious cat meat for quite some time now, and seeing that a good London-based Americana band is a rare commodity these days, there’s no denying that Cat Meat are the leaders of the pack in London’s independent alt-country scene. And because it’s a true travesty that the band only has a mere 213 likes on Facebook, if you dig their tunes you should head on over to their Facebook page and hit that “Like” button; (and don’t forget you can download their entire album for free here).

Pet Friends {Alternative Rock} + Free downloads

We’re all about having pet friends, so obviously we checked out this group’s tunes as soon as we heard about them. This four-piece has only been around for six months, and they just released their debut EP (awesomely titled I Don’t Want Pet Friends) a couple of weeks ago. If you like their music then make sure you take advantage of those free downloads yo!

Rafael Rozenson {Electropop}

When we first heard Rafael’s tunes we thought it was the lead singer of Hot Chip trying to pull a quick one on us, (just because we’re a sucker for a good conspiracy theory like that). His songs border on the electro, house, dance and pop genres, and he produces his own music which is impressive in itself. For more info on any upcoming concerts and releases make sure you check out his Facebook page, and to listen to some of his other songs visit his Soundcloud account.

Elephants and Castles {Pop/Rock}

This trio was founded “‘neath the tower blocks of London town,” and their most recent track ”Concrete Love” has already been on the receiving end of some love from BBC. The group has only played a handful of South London gigs thus far, but are currently prepping for a ton of live shows this summer. To stay up to date on any of their upcoming concerts give them some “Like” love on Facebook, and to listen to some of their other tracks check out their Soundcloud account.

DOLLS {Synthpop} + Free downloads

Combining dark pop, pulsing new wave, and industrial synthesizers, the DOLLS’ frontwoman Nikki Awesome and her “multiple personalities” just released their self-produced solo debut (although she founded the group back in 2009). Her music is clearly influenced by bands like Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, New Order and Joy Division, and describes it as a “more offensive byproduct of a commercial pop career gone AWOL.” (Ed. note: COOL!) You can download a crapton of her songs for free via her Soundcloud account, but if you dig her tunes make sure you like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

To listen to the epic track that is “One On One” click here.

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{Photo credit: Elephants and Castles}

Tags: England, free mp3 downloads, London, UK
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Album review: James Blake – Overgrown {Indie Pop/Indietronica}

May 10, 2013 in Album reviews, Electronic, Guest Post, Indie, Pop, R&B

BRYNN’S RATING: 8 / 10

KEY TRACKS:

“Retrograde”

“Overgrown”

“Dim”

“Digital Lion”

I want to go ahead and start by addressing the elephant in the room: Antony Hegarty. Yes, the comparison is going to be made, because it can’t be avoided. If you’re a fan of Antony and the Johnsons, it’s impossible to listen to James Blake and not think that he sounds a lot like Hegarty. A lot. In addition, Blake’s music is not that far away from the dreamy alt-pop style that Hegarty and his crew are known for.

So then the question becomes, is there room in the genre for two artists who are so similar? Initially I thought no. I’m kind of over the whole Antony Hegarty thing anyway, so why would I want a rehash? I threw James Blake’s album into my “new stuff” playlist, and it got mixed into the shuffle, and to be honest, I pretty much expected it to get buried there forever.

Three days later, though, I found myself humming a song, and I thought, who sings that? Eventually I figured it out: it was the vocal riff from James Blake’s “Retrograde.”

You have to admit, it’s catchy.

In fact, it’s surprising just how much of Blake’s melodic structures are natural hooks, especially considering that he doesn’t really do anything bouncy or anthemic. It’s all about groove, and drawing the listener into that groove, and this is where Blake really comes into his own.

If your idea of good indietronica is clever dance music with a retro edge, it’s safe to say this album won’t be for you. This is rainy day music, not gloomy as such, but relaxed, muted, and subtle. There’s a lot of digging to be done, layers upon layers of lyrical meaning and plain old good musicianship to be discovered. It’s somewhat surprising, not necessarily because Blake so easily could be written off as an Antony Hegarty knock-off, but because his eponymous first album was in a very similar vein, and yet he managed to pull off a second volume of chilled post-dubstep without falling into a rut.

That said, this is either your thing or it isn’t. Detractors have described him as derivative, depressing, even boring, and I can see where those comments come from, and indeed subscribed to that point of view after a first listen to Overgrown. But repeated listens helped open me up to this album, and now it has moved from my “new stuff” playlist to my “summer chill” playlist – a strong upgrade, indeed.

There’s very little about this album I don’t like, but I would say that Blake needs to be careful about sticking too much to the same formula. He managed to pull off two albums like this; I don’t think a hat trick is on the cards. It’ll be interesting to see where he heads from here, as his voice and songwriting style point to a very specific place, and any attempt at reinvention could easily come across as overly contrived.

Not to worry, though – regardless of what James Blake releases next, we’ll always have Overgrown to fall back on, as it has a timeless quality that’ll hold up for many years to come.

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Tags: England, London, UK
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Album review: Snoop Lion – Reincarnated {Reggae/Pop}

May 3, 2013 in Album reviews, Pop, Reggae

REX’S RATING: 3 / 10

KEY TRACKS:

“Here Comes the King”
“Smoke The Weed”
“So Long”

When Snoop Dogg announced that he was changing his stage name to Snoop Lion and switching his tunes from rap to reggae, I couldn’t help but give a little side eye to the famed rapper. Then he started talking about converting to Rastafarian and being the reincarnation of Bob Marley, and I really started to worry about the guy; (do we have another Lauryn Hill on our hands here?) But as months went by the suspense got the best of me, and I started to wonder if maybe, just maybe, his new reggae album might actually be better than I thought. Was I ever wrong.

I really wanted to give Snoopy boy a chance. I really, truly did. But let me get one thing straight: Reincarnated isn’t a Snoop Lion album. It isn’t even a Snoop Dogg album. It’s a Snoop Dogg & Friends album (heavy emphasis on the “Friends”), and if you listen to the entire album from start to finish you’ll hear appearances from Drake, Busta Rhymes, Chris Brown, the spawn of Billy Ray Cyrus, and even Snoop’s daughter (Cori B)…but where’s Snoop?

Also, Reincarnated isn’t even a reggae album. It’s a clubbed-up reggae compilation of different “pop” artists, and all of the songs on the album are just rip-offs of different scenes and movements. A little Jamaica dub here. A little clubby dubstep there. The whole point of this album is to sell, sell sell, and as a listener I felt guilty, ashamed and downright embarrassed that I even caught myself nodding my head to some of the songs on the album knowing full well it was all just one big scam.

If Reincarnated was a legit reggae album it might have eventually won me over. Tracks like “Here Comes The King,” “So Long,” and “Smoke The Weed” weren’t all that bad thanks to the more chilled out, reggae vibes, strums and beats…if only the rest of the album sounded like that.

So basically Reincarnated is a mid-life crisis in the form of a clubbed up reggae album, and it was released solely to help earn Snoop Dogg some more cash, (weed is expensive yo!) It just goes to show that just because you go to Jamaica for a few months doesn’t make you an expert in reggae music, and smoking weed doesn’t make you a reincarnation of Bob Marley either.

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Tags: California, Long Beach
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Top new tracks: Beady Eye, Noah and the Whale, Atoms for Peace, Surfer Blood + Daughter covers Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky”

May 1, 2013 in Ambient, Art Rock, Electronic, Experimental, Free downloads, Pop, Psych Pop, Rock

Atoms for Peace – “Magic Beanz” {Electronic/Experimental}

We’ve been listening to Amok nonstop since it was released a couple of months back (which may or may not have something to do with being swooned by Thom Yorke’s HOT moves in the “Ingenue” video), so we were surprised to see that the group is already releasing new material. The track made its debut this past Saturday during Thom Yorke and Nigel Godrich’s glorious DJ set on the French radio program Nova Club.

Beady Eye – “Second Bite of the Apple” {Rock}

Now that Noel Gallagher and his High Flying Birds had their time in the spotlight with their 2011 record, it’s time for Liam Gallagher and his Beady Eye to do what Liam Gallagher does best: Steal the spotlight from his brother. Beady Eye’s new album finally has a name (Be) and a release date (June 10th) and just in case you missed it you can listen to the album’s first single “Flick of the Finger” here.

Daughter – “Get Lucky” (Daft Punk cover) {Psych Pop}

Everyone and their mother is talking about this new Daft Punk track, so of course everyone and their mother decided to give it some remixing and cover love as well. This song debuted on the BBC Radio One Live Lounge show, which is also where Daughter covered Hot Chip’s “Ready For The Floor” and Bon Iver’s “Perth” last month.

Said The Whale – “I Love You” {Pop/Rock} + Free download

Said The Whale’s new album is out June 18th, so you know what that means….you best be preparing yourself for a plethora of music videos!! And because the band are the awesome Vancouverites that they are, they’re offering this single as a free download if you join their mailing list here.

BRAIDS – “Amends” {Experimental/Ambient}

Whenever a new BRAIDS track is released, a long line of music bloggers step up and start ranting and raving about how awesome it is, and this track was no different. This trancey, ambient tune is off the art rockers’ new 12″ In Kind // Amends, which is being released June 11th via Arbutus.

Noah and the Whale – “Heart of Nowhere” ft. Anna Calvi {Pop/Rock}

It’s less than a week until Noah and the Whale release their fourth LP, which is bound to be on the top of everyone’s top album lists this year. The track has got some heavy-duty violin action going on, and also features the Brit Award/Mercury Prize-nominated artist Calvi.

Surfer Blood – “Slow Six” {Alternative Rock}

This track is off Surfer Blood’s forthcoming LP Pythons which is being released June 11th (although the song originally debuted on their Record Store Day 7″). And in case you didn’t already know, the band started their mega North American tour with Foals today; to check out their upcoming concerts click here.

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Tags: Alberta, British Columbia, Calgary, California, Canada, England, Florida, free mp3 downloads, London, Los Angeles, UK, Vancouver
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Top 5 indie tracks of the week

April 29, 2013 in Alt-Folk, Experimental, Folk, Free downloads, Garage Rock, independent bands, Indie, Pop, Rap, Rock

We Are The West – “Hammer” {Alt-Folk}

As soon as we read that this Los Angeles-based duo recorded their music in storm drains and performed on sheep farms we just had to check them out; (because nothing is as badass as performing on a sheep farm). This track is off the second release of a four-part album of recordings, and you can purchase it for as little as $3 or each individual track for $1 here.

Wooly Mammoth – “Gold” {Pop/Rock} + Free downloads

Originally from Woodstock (no, the Canadian Woodstock silly) this band’s brand spankin’ new record North Shore is currently available as a free download at their Bandcamp page (although we highly recommend you buy it as a name-your-price download here). The group is prepping to play at various shows in London, Kitchener and Toronto; to stay up to date on their upcoming concerts check out their Facebook page.

NO CODA – “Holy War” {Alternative Rock} + Free download

With music so awesome it will fit like a glove in your eardrums, these Swedish noise rockers won’t be releasing their debut album until later this year, but in the mean time you can download this track for free via Soundcloud (and make sure you give them some “Like” love on Facebook and follow them on Tumblr too).

Gatas & Sorvetes – “Highlights On You” {Garage Rock} + Free downloads

It’s not too often we get submissions from Brazil, but a lo-fi surfy garage rock band from Brazil? Now that’s something special. This track is off the group’s brand new four-track EP Headbanger, which is currently being offered as a free download at the group’s Bandcamp page.

Benin City – “My Love” {Experimental/Rap}

Named after a Nigerian state capital, this “fused genre band” has been on the receiving end of some remixing love from Paper Tiger, Spoek Mathambo’s Nicolaas Van Reenen and Dan le Sac, so it’s about time these guys got some love from RMD as well. This single is off their debut album Fires In The Park (produced by Marc Pell of Micachu and the Shapes) which is out on June 24th.

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Tags: Brazil, California, Canada, free mp3 downloads, Los Angeles, Ontario, Scandinavia, South America, Sweden
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Top new tracks: The xx, MGMT, Sigur Rós, Joy Orbison + Unknown Mortal Orchestra covers Lindstrøm

April 26, 2013 in Alternative, Ambient, Dance, Experimental, Free downloads, Pop, Psych Pop, Psychedelic Rock, R&B, Rock

Unknown Mortal Orchestra – “Rà-àkõ-st” (Lindstrøm cover) {Psych Rock}

Just when we thought things couldn’t get more awesome than the mega Norwegian producer remixing UMO, the psych rock giants went and returned the favour by covering one of Lindstrøm’s tracks (which is off his 2012 album Smalhans). The cover is pretty epic, which isn’t surprising given that everything UMO touches turns to psych rock gold.

Joy Orbison – “Donell” {Dance/R&B} + Free download

Fans will be wringing out their panties once they find out that not only has the popular UK producer released a brand new single, he’s also making it available as a free download (so get on that shit). The track doesn’t sound a whole lot different than his previous work, but given that a new Joy Orbison track is a rare commodity these days I’ll quit my bitching.

The xx – “Together” {Alternative Pop}

With all the big-wig names being pinned to the new Great Gatsby soundtrack, it’s easy to forget that London’s beloved xx gave their own little indie touch to the release. Other artists featured on the soundtrack include Beyoncé, Jack White, Gotye, Florence + The Machine and Jay-Z (who served as the soundtrack’s executive producer).

Wild Nothing – “A Dancing Shell” {Electropop}

We only just found out about this new Wild Nothing EP a few days ago, so we were pretty stoked when we saw that the dream poppers had already released the EP’s first official single earlier this week. The release only has seven tracks on it, but if it’s as awesome as their 2012 album Nocturne or this, then it’s bound to be a killer.

Baths – “Ironworks” {Ambient/Experimental}

It’s been three long years since we’ve heard anything from Baths (AKA Will Wiesenfeld), so obviously fans have been buzzing about this new dreamy, ambient tune. The track is off Wiesenfeld’s second LP Obsidian, which is being released on May 28th via Anticon.

Sigur Rós – “Ísjaki” {Alternative Rock}

Sigur Rós’ new LP won’t be released for another couple of months, but they’ve already released not one, but two new tracks off the album. Even though “Brennisteinn” made its debut online last month, ”Ísjaki” is said to be the first official single off their new album, which is being released June 17th/18th via XL Recordings.

MGMT – “Alien Days” {Psych Pop}

Although this track was included on the duo’s limited-edition Record Store Day cassette of the same title, “Alien Days” is the first official single for their brand spankin’ new album which is due out this June. It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly three years since Congratulations was released, so all we can say is it’s about damn time, MGMT!