clear out there

weather like today is (probably) good for only one thing: making me want to go and lay in a hammock near the beach. these are some of the songs i would like to listen to in a hammock:

small pyramids (aka californian zach hunsaker) recently sent us his 'another way to feel ep', and i have to say that have been very impressed. his brand of breezy, almost-cosmic disco has been happily stuck on high rotation for a few days now with no sign of relenting.
'look no further' is a sexy down-tempo interpretation of dennis edwards classic 'don't look any further'. i love the organic progression and composition of this song: so so smooth. and the vocal briefly poking its nose in the door right at the end is enough to make people swoon:

Small Pyramids - Look No Further (alt)

check out more small pyramids action here.. some tasty edits and remixes to be had.

i've been eagerly waiting the next teen daze release since first laying my ears upon 'four more years'. turns out that i didn't have to wait too long, as this little two track teaser called 'cold house b/w everywhere' has just been dropped.
teen daze focuses more on the dancey side of things with this release, and while it may not rock dancefloors, it will sure make your next tram ride or pool party that much more amazing.
'cold house' is like a cool breeze on a hot day.. he says that he has fallen in love with the 'rounded synth' bass and here he has used it really well with the wandering high synths and restrained drums.

Teen Daze - Cold House (alt)

get involved with more teen daze at his blog.. the 'everywhere' section of the release is also available for download there.

last up is this sunny slice of electronica lifted from the 'drift remixed' album by nosaj thing. i really cant imagine that any music would be more suited for hammock use than teebs' take on 'caves'. wet, drippy drums matched with aimless synths give this track a wandering and soft vibe.. perfect for when youre taking in a bit of sun in your rope bed.

Nosaj Thing - Caves (Teebs Remix) (alt)

even though 'drift remixed' was released a week ago, im finding it extremely difficult to find where it can be purchased from. head over to alphapup for more details.

i would like to teleport all tall people standing in front of me at concerts outside

god bless splendour 2010. while i didnt get to go, i did benefit from the stellar lineup in many other ways. while it is definitely true that i did get to see a few amazing sideshows, it was the other peripheral music that i was exposed to which i really appreciated.

while i was checking out some yeasayer remixes in the leadup to their show, i came across this mix that canadian artist teen daze made of "o.n.e.".. it instantly caught my full attention with its simplistic yet powerful melodies, catchy vocal hooks and overall lushness. the french/valerie-esque twist that he puts on, whilst still retaining so much vibe of the original song is ingenious.

Yeasayer - O.N.E. (Teen Daze Remix)

i was so captivated by the teen daze sound that i went and downloaded his album "four more years" straight after hearing this remix.
as a massive washed out fan, these beats are right up my alley: sun-drenched, deckchair lounging melodies with echoing, far-way vocals perfect for the summer that we havent quite reached. it is beautiful music that sits in a place that is housier and more upbeat than washed out, and poppier and d-floor friendly than toro y moi. it might be place where i want to go for a swim.

Teen Daze - No Regrets

grab '4 more years' by teen daze here.

im pretty ashamed to admit that i hadnt really heard much of matthew dear prior to the lcd soundsystem/hot chip gig from a few weeks ago. it took me overhearing someone mentioning how much better he was than hot chip to get me curious. and it turned out to be a pretty perfect time to get curious, as he had just released a new album, which he called "black city".
i came from an interesting perspective when first listening to this album, as i had extremely high expectations, yet had hardly heard any of his music. and after devouring black city, i must say that i was both satisfied and impressed.

Matthew Dear - Slowdance

to my untrained ear, dear slots into a similar yet slightly more "grown-up" world to hot chip.. and while he may lack some of their bounce and fun, he makes up it with his baritone swagger and sophistication.
'black city' is a dark, quirky and compelling effort - a genre bending album of many sides, as evidenced by the sex and grime of 'you put a smell on me', the house infusion of 'little people (black city)' or my slower paced personal highlight 'slowdance'.
i feel like it is an album that doesnt give it all up on first listens.. there may be accessible parts on this record, but i think that it is the challenging moments that reward the most. this is definitely an album that i will enjoy for a while to come.

Matthew Dear - Little People (Black City)

grab 'black city' by matthew dear here..