Singles and More: Imaginary Mixtape 3/3

            This is the 3rd imaginary mixtape, here on Track-By-Track.

            Well, here’s the last part of mixtape month.  I leave you with shoegaze, chillwave, post-rock, and dream pop songs that are inspiring, catchy, an above all else, enjoyable.  Loads of great artists, loads of great songs, and loads of room for checking out more about anything you see here.
            It's been exciting to spread the word about things I wouldn't normally review, due to being singles, or being slightly out-of-genre; and this one boasts some singles with production-values galore.  Maybe next September...
            Here's my TBT:

            1. “1991” by The Fauns (2009)

            This track is like if a band were transported from the ‘90s, straight into right now.  When I listened to “1991”, I felt waves of an intensely personal, yet distant contentment, shrouded by some cold sense of looming melancholy.  It so beautifully captures the sound of ‘90s dream pop, trapped in a modern digital winter.  The feeling of long-lost memories tainted (or perhaps improved) by data-loss.  I know this sounds a lot like gibberish, but it’s how I feel when I listen to the track.  Beautiful almost-whispered vocals with great delays and lyrics, a soft textured beat, delayed and processed guitar, bass that compliments the rest of the track through taking a major role (and perfectly so), and samples or synths (or both) that provide a great backdrop to the intensely melodic and evocative “1991”.  Every track was leveled, processed, and performed to perfection.   Beautiful job; absolutely beautiful.  The Fauns are coming out with a new album this December, which will likely be fantastic.  (http://thefauns.bandcamp.com/)

            2. "Hiding Place" by Observer Drift, [single] (2012)

            I can't say enough about this artist.  This is a chillwave track in all the right ways.  Great lyrics sung under just enough reverb, Summery reverb-drenched guitar with surfy overtones, old-school digital drums, addictive bass, and warm synths.  There's a certain feeling that the song evokes; a kind of happy nostalgia, not too bittersweet, but just enough of an old-feeling vibe to make the song instantly and constantly repeatable.  All the elements fit together perfectly to make a song that really defines Collin Ward's Observer Drift sound.  Be warned though, it's so addictive that you won't be able to listen to it just once. (http://observerdrift.bandcamp.com/)

            3. “Front Porch” by Gloss, [single] (2013)

            "Front Porch" is the kind of indie/chillwave crossover that I predict will explode on music scenes everywhere in the coming years.  It's a track with definite '80s influences, but it's not a direct '80s copy of style.  Vocals and guitars are indie, but with a bit more processing than I'd expect of most indie tracks, which really differentiates Gloss from straight-up indie.  The synths are really nice, and drums aren't too harsh to take away from the relaxing mood, despite being at a fast pace.  Bass is a bit like the more melodic songs by Sonic Youth, and the lyrics work perfectly with the vocal style and reverb/delays.  Just listening to the guitar makes me want to take up surfing.
(http://glossmusicmn.bandcamp.com/)

            4. “Winter’s Hum” by Silver Wren from Thought Streams (2013) (originally from the Fall Sky-Winter’s Hum 2011 Bad Panda Records release)

            "Winter's Hum" is a great acoustic/shoegaze crossover song.  It has a very icy sound; loads of hi-freqencies in the vocals and guitars.  There are occasional cymbals, but mainly, it's a couple acoustic guitars wonderfully making use of stereo, vocals sung expertly with great poetic lyrics, and an understated shoegazy guitar loop beneath.  This is what I think, when I think of alternative music in general.  Instruments and chords that could be ordinary, that are turned into new sounds through production and artistic intention.  In less verbose terms, Silver Wren (Ross Campbell) has created an icy alternative treat with "Winter's Hum" (http://silverwren.bandcamp.com)

            5. “Anonymous” by The Sound Of Rescue, from their eponymous album (2012)

            The instrumental track starts with a sweet warm ambient wash (likely of guitar), then a nicely equalized bass comes in, pre-empting what the track is going to turn into.  It's similar to Georg Hólm's bass in Sigur Rós, and going with that, the track becomes a thoroughly uplifting post-rock song.  Guitars with huge reverb and slow, emphatic drums come in, for a track worthy of Sigur Rós themselves.  "Anonymous" is the kind of richly mixed and performed ambient/post rock track that makes it feel like finding a haven in otherwise undesirable surroundings; relaxing or stimulating depending on what mood you're in, and often both. (http://thesoundofrescue.bandcamp.com/)

            6. “Totally True” by Violens, [single] (2011)

            Amazing ‘80s sound, with almost no hint of modern distortion of the style they’re going for. 
One of the rare times I’ve actually thought a song was around 30 years older than it is.  Violens somehow managed to write, perform, and produce music that sounds like contemporary competition for Unforgettable Fire-era U2.  New wave to the nth degree, the only clue to its modernity is the lead guitar at the end.  Amazing melodic structure, with all the right sounds to really prove that good and classic music can still be made right now.  Great vocals and harmonies, slightly chillwave guitar, bass that defies modern style, classic drums and tambourine, and did I mention “competition for Unforgettable Fire-era U2”? (http://violens.bandcamp.com/track/totally-true)

            7. “Visions of Katya” by Bulldog Skin, from White EP (2012)

            Warping galore, with this heavily compressed and strangely equalized track.  Vocals jump out as a mix of older rock influences, and modern surf, through eqs that sound almost like a megaphone frequency-range.  Drums and synths start the track, both distorted and processed in a strangely analogue-digital collaborative sound.  Then comes the guitar; huge and drifting in and out of key with that trademark shoegaze warping.  I can’t really tell if there is a bass in the track other than the synths, but if there is, it’s obscured by the other sounds pretty heavily.  Lyrics are odd, and fit well with the track.  Just think surf-music by post-EDM shoegazers.  And amazingly, it's a solo project!  Marc Z. Gold from Toronto produces and performs almost the entire EP.  (http://bulldogskin.bandcamp.com)

            8. “Locationship” by This Gratia, from Qi (2012)

            This is a more ambient track than the rest of this imaginary mixtape.  There are elements of shoegaze in it, but it’s definitely deep-ambient as well.  It starts with a warm low-passed synth loop, and then come the sounds of something strange being phased, sped up and cut up guitars, flurries of vocals, and a soft bass kick.  “Locationship” keeps on going from there, progressively adding more and more sounds and instruments.  Synth bass, backward-sounding other instruments, and a sympathetically pitch-warped piano or similar-sounding sample, are among the many sounds.  It’s intensely relaxing, and there’s just enough reverb and compression to give it a decidedly soft, warm sound. (http://thisgratia.bandcamp.com)

            9. “You Came Out Of Nowhere” by Owsey, Stumbleine & Shura, from Remixes and Collaborations [Stumbleine] (2011)

This one took me by surprise.  I don’t know whether the samples are from other songs, but I do know this one is as Summery as anything I’ve listened to.  While not strictly shoegaze or alt-rock, Stumbleine (named after a Smashing Pumpkins song) has the sensibility of softer ambient/dream pop/shoegaze/EDM crossovers, especially present in “You Came Out Of Nowhere”.  A string section, a pre-dubstep tremolo-affected bass synth, and a slow, textured beat are the perfect backdrop to soft and beautiful vocals, glockenspeil, and possibly a koto.  Reminds me of Bonobo’s downtempo songs, but with a more free-flowing, less obviously loop-based style, and with loads of delays and reverb.  Definitely on my playlist this Spring and Summer. (http://stumbleine.bandcamp.com/)

            10. “Heaven Is A Place Where Nothing Ever Happens” by Wheat Fields, [single] (2012)

            This is a track that sounds instantly classic.  The guitars alone create a beautiful, textured sound, with interesting and beautiful chords; but that's only one element.  The bass takes a front-role as well, in what I guess can be called lead bass.  It's as prevalent as any other element, and the guitars seem almost to support it, instead of the usual other way around.  Drums are kept to a minimum, with only a tambourine loop and bass pedal kicks keeping the beat, a little like a slower Spacemen 3's "Walking With Jesus".  Vocals sound wonderfully as if they're out of the '70s; sung with just enough emotion, and through heavy reverb, with simple but good lyrics.  Synths come in late, and they're in keeping with the mood and sound as well.  When I first heard the track, I wanted a certain guitar-bass combination to happen at the end, and I wasn't disappointed.  Basically, I love this track.  (http://wheat-fields.bandcamp.com/)


            Overall, these are 10 more great tracks from 10 more great artists.  I call this imaginary-mixtape project a success, with all of the sounds from these posts.  Next week I’m back to one-release reviewing, but it’s been a blast reviewing so many bands that have become musical staples in my ears.  No, not the metal kind.

Eclectic and International: Imaginary Mixtape 2/3

            This is the 2nd imaginary mixtape on this blog.

            For this week's imaginary mixtape, I'm going to break with style a bit, and showcase some songs that don't fit in the genre I've been focusing on.  Next week, I'm delving back into the overarching shoegaze/alt-rock theme, but for this week, you can check out some great tunes from other styles.
            As usual, there are loads of great bands from all over the world, and many of them are largely undiscovered, so I hope this post helps, even if only a bit.  So get ready for another installment of the imaginary mixtapes, this time, from across borders, musically and physically.
            Here's my TBT:

            1. "Someone With My Face And My Name, But Not Me" by Portabot, from There Must Be A Sunrise In Every Ending (2009).

            This is a heavily ambient/shoegaze/psychedelic/microglitch/electroacoustic instrumental.  As you can see, it almost defies genre description, but fortunately, what it lacks in similarity to other songs, it makes up in what sounds like pure distorted sound created straight from the mind.  It starts out with a calming cinematic under-sampled melody, which sets up the almost 8 minutes to come, well.  There's harmony and dissonance at once, crushed through under-sampling distortion which gives it a kind of hypnotic and meditative effect.  Loops alter throughout, and the song changes face after the 3 minute mark, to eventually include what sounds like glasses being played musically, and synths overtop the ever-changing crushed sound.  It's hard to decide what the sounds actually are, but I'm guessing reversed acoustic guitar.  Needless to say, there aren't enough words (in English, at least) to accurately describe the sound without getting ridiculously technical, but I highly recommend it (and the entire There Must Be A Sunrise In Every Ending by Barcelona's own Portabot), especially in headphones, when you're in that space between waking and sleeping.  Portabot has since released a few newer songs available at the same link (http://portabot.bandcamp.com/)

            2. "With Our Eyes Closed" by Prevrat, from Symbols (2013).

            "With Our Eyes Closed" starts with a strange and modern analogue-sounding loop.  There are definitely dream-pop influences in the track, but it's mainly an indie-pop/synthpop track.  Vocals are fed through a soft vocoder, and loads of addictive synths, drum samples, and harmonies create a cold yet upbeat atmosphere.  "We walk through the world with our eyes closed" is an awesome lyric.  It also has a bit of a video-game sound to it, like some of Yoshito Hirano's and Yuka Tsuhiyoko's compositions.  There are some intricate compositions of notes in the track that transcend ordinary video-game music as well, and retain a kind of strange welcoming alternativeness.  (http://prevrat.bandcamp.com/)

            3. "Ophelia (among the flowers)" by What,Really? from s/t Promo 2013 (2013).

            To shake things up a bit, here's a power pop track from Italian band What,Really?.  "Ophelia (among the flowers)" begins with a bandpassed guitar, and then hits the mark with sharp drums, indie-rock-style guitar, and a great following bass.  Vocals fit so well in the sound What,Really? is going for, with nice harmonies, and an easy-going attitude, lyrically and tonally.  It's upbeat, and catchy like the Dickens.  There's a catchy energy like songs the Newglads release, Here There Anywhere Like You (which I reviewed earlier in the year), but it reaches the ears in a distinctly different way.  Once again, music from across the sea holds its own against the sea-like swarm of pop-rock/power pop bands from my own continent.  (http://whatreally.bandcamp.com)

            4. "Ol Rudy" by Euphoria Again, from Bedroom tapes part 1 (2012)

            "Ol Rudy" is a great lo-fi track.  The thing about lo-fi that I really love is the ability to create a certain organic mood, without overusing instrumentation, and this track is no exception.  A sleepy, emotionally worn-out sound comes through, in a nice low-frequency range; with the sound of soft double-tracked vocals, beautifully (and deceptively) underplayed acoustic guitar, and a southern/indie twang of an electric guitar fed through a quiet-sounding amp.  John Forrest Klein's name for his project, Euphoria Again, is a perfect description for the mood both musically and lyrically.  There's almost a kind of sarcasm of the track, but it also sounds at least equally honest.  Relaxing, bittersweet, and folky; lo-fi euphoria again.  Euphoria Again has since released a new compilation of remastered versions of the bedroom tapes releases available at the same link. (http://euphoriaagain.bandcamp.com/)

            5. "Machines Fall Apart" by Tree Wave, from the EP Cabana (2004)

            This is an interesting alt-pop/dream pop crossover track.  It starts with strange and wonderfully warped electronic sounds (likely made from some sorts of archaic synths), and then an old-school 808-reminiscent drumbeat leads the song forward.  More layers of synths, and great vocals that sound like they're sung by a slightly-more-awake Bilinda Butcher (shoegaze in-joke) make it both alternative and poppy, but as the track goes on, the sound evolves into a structured and serious yet upbeat melody, similar to Billy Corgan's amazing solo album, TheFutureEmbrace.(http://archive.org/details/os034)

            6. "half open" by The Bilinda Butchers, from Goodbyes (2012)

            From sounds like Butcher, to named after Butcher, here's the 6th track of this imaginary mixtape.  This is a dream pop band I've been wanting to mention for some time.  No, it's not Bilinda Butcher in some new solo project, but it is a dream pop band with some great tones.  "half open" is a bit poppy, and has some mild Eastern-stylized synths as well as loads of other ones.  Vocal "ahhs" are in a great amount of reverb, and the melody is catchy and greatly sung.  The layers of different synths, drums, vocals, and guitars, give it an overall modern style, even though there are some definite '80s sounds in there too.  The instrumental ending is like listening to an epitome of something not yet named.  Oh, and don't be freaked out by the sounds at the end; they're part of the track, not actual radio interference near your ears.  (http://thebilindabutchers.bandcamp.com/)


            7. "Community College" by LAKE R▲DIO (feat. PIXEL GRIP), from Hypnagogia (2013)

            "Community College" is a laid-back instrumental with house influences by LAKE R▲DIO (Caden Moore), featuring PIXEL GRIP.  There's a lot of reverb in all the right places, and a synth solo that's analogue-yet-new-sounding.  Vocal samples turn into blips, and the track brings a slow style to the electronic music scene, that doesn't rely on bad writing, vocal trills, or ambient loops to make it sound that way.  Slight hip-hop influences also come through, and it sounds just as good when sped up at time and a half (I like to experiment with music on my computer).  (http://lakeradio.bandcamp.com)

            8. "I'm Not Perfect, Are You?" by The Silence of a Whisper, from The Past, The Future, The End (2011)

            This is a moody and pensive instrumental track from Swedish artist The Silence of a Whisper (Jerome Engström).  It reminds me of the kind of dusk when it's getting dark-blue outside; like a rainy day spent in a tub surrounded by the atmosphere, and a soft yellow light.  As much as that isn't in musical terms, it really defines the sound to me.  "I'm Not Perfect, Are You?" is one of the slower and non-distorted tracks off the largely post-rock/metal The Past, The Future, The End.  Starting with a deep bass drone, and soft nostalgic melodic electric guitar fed through reverb, the track takes on a beauty reminiscent of Sigur Ros, or some of the softer early Pumpkins tracks ("Luna" comes to mind a bit).  Drums are as evocative as the rest of the track, and the whole track has a kind of relaxed, resolved sound that is almost completely unique.  The Silence of a Whisper has since released 2 new singles, available at the same link (http://thesilenceofawhisper.bandcamp.com/)

            9. "Downtown" by The Shipyard [single] (2012)

            This is a nice nighttime-ish alt-rock track from Polish band The Shipyard.  This track is upbeat and catchy, as well as being sophisticated and mellow to a point.  Great lyrics and singing are complimented by perfectly equalized and processed drums, loads of heavily melodic guitars, a chorus-processed bass, and synths that sound like a new beginning for popular music.  "Downtown" has the great quality of being moving without being overdramatic, and catchy without being annoying; it's a slight chillwave influence on top of a post-rock/pop-rock style that seems to do the trick.  And the ending is just how I wanted it to be, before I heard it.  It's also featured on the new album by The Shipyard, We Will Sea, under the name "Downtown 2012". (http://theshipyard.bandcamp.com/)

            10."a smoothie robot for my moon mansion" by Ricky Eat Acid, from (2011_demos) (2012).

            The final track of this imaginary mixtape is a somewhat ambient track, with a sweet beat, and beautiful piano, accented with delays, and other soft synths on top.  It's a rich atmosphere of contemplative melancholic contentment, as uplifting as it is nostalgia-inducing.  An instrumental, it reinforces the power of instrumentals to evoke the same amount of emotion that non-instrumentals do.  The track sounds like Air, but mixed by someone like Brian Eno, maybe with help from Nigel Godrich, and a lo-fi/chillwave producer as well.  Beautiful sums it up well.  (http://rickyeatacid.bandcamp.com/)

            Overall, this is an eclectic mix of genres, from different albums, from different countries, and they all bring great sound to the table.  Now just see how that can work, physically.

Indie Gaze: Imaginary Mixtape 1/3

 

            This is the 1st imaginary mixtape on this blog.

 

             Well, it’s Friday the 13th, but if you like Track-By-Track, today will be a lucky one.  For September, since it’s a kind of new-beginning time of year, instead of reviewing albums or EPs, I’ll turn you on to 10 great tracks each week, from different albums and compilations I’ve found over the years, for the duration of the month.  Don’t worry, I’ll return to album/EP reviews in October, time willing.

            I realize I’ve been giving the whole of indie music a bit of a hard time so far. Many of these tracks have indie influences, and they sound great because of it; so don’t think I’m against the genre, I’m just against it being where it doesn’t sound good, like any other genre.

            Here's my TBT:

            1. “Dreaming” by Adam & The Amethysts, from the compilation album Foreign Trade - A Music Exchange Between Minneapolis & Montreal [CJLO 1690AM (Montreal) & Radio K (Minneapolis)]

            Dreaming is a soft new-wave/old-school dream pop track.  The lyrics are great, with a storyline about some kind of archeological site.  A slow, relaxed beat mixes with soft guitar and bass, and natural, harmonized vocals.  No extreme processing of any kind, but the style sneaks up and relaxes, like a chillwave take on 80s ballads.  Adam & The Amethysts are from Canada, which makes them the first band I’ve reviewed from my homeland, astonishingly.  What sounds like a sax brings the end home, and makes the over-six-minute length seem short and worthwhile.  “If it seems like I’m dreaming, don’t wake me.” (http://cjlo1690am.bandcamp.com)

            2. “Flourish” by Jesper Lundager, from I Could Fall in Love Again EP (2011)

            This is an old-school dream pop (very little synth, more guitar processing) song, very reminiscent of 90s dream-pop band Cocteau Twins.  Despite what might be a dark tone lyrically, it’s uplifting musically, and really otherworldly with acoustics heard through chorus processing, and soft, unusual, and fitting vocals.  There’s either a slide guitar, or a synth that sounds like it, that really drives the emotion in the song, and as bass and bass synths soothe, a certain sadness also comes through the nostalgic and upbeat song.  Lundager is now in another band, Tusindfald and I can’t wait to hear more from either.  “See her candle light calling out for you.” (http://jesperlundager.bandcamp.com)

            3. “Double Vision” by Hunting Club from Mosaic (2013)

            And now, this is what I call new-style dream pop.  There are definitely indie influences in the track, and at times it reminds me of Arcade Fire’s “No Cars Go”.  Vocals are like pop vocals, pre-pitch correction, with enough warm, resonant reverb to really get that indie feel.  The beat is fast, guitars are repetitive and Summery, bass creates the real base of the melody, and the synths show why digital, done right, can be just as good as analog.  “I cannot forget with double vision.” (http://huntingclubmusic.bandcamp.com/)

            4. “Know Me Right” by The Sorry Shop from Mnemonic Syncretism (2013)

            “Know Me Right” is definitely shoegaze, but indie comes through as well.  Awash in reverb, the track starts off with over 40 seconds of shoegaze guitar, bass, and drums (and tambourine).  Then comes the pitch-treated vocals, which emphasize a kind of Jesus and Mary Chain atmosphere already hinted at with the music.  Fortunately, lyrics are included, so you can understand a kind of agoraphobic story nicely playing with the static and energy of the song.  “Why will I ever need anything from the outside when it’s so good in here”. (http://thesorryshop.bandcamp.com)

            5. “Headcleaner” by Hypermagic from Sugar (2011)

            “Headcleaner” is an instrumental shoegaze/drone/ambient track by Hypermagic, that mixes the sound of heavily-driven tremolo-effected guitar, soft vocal trails, an interesting and kinda syncopated beat, and great resonant sounds all around the ears.  It’s drone in a way, because it doesn’t change the main chord structure, yet it also reminds me of ambient tracks, and shoegaze, with a very slight touch of indie in the vocals and mixing.  Hypermagic has since released more music, with their newest 3 track EP, Of Marsh and Mallow. (http://hypermagic.bandcamp.com)

            6. “Saint Étienne” by Abiku from Techincolor (2011)

            Where would my blog be without great Italian music?  Well, let’s put aside that scary rhetorical question, and look at this track.  Abiku’s “Saint Étienne” opened my heart through this song so much, that I wish I knew more Italian than what digital translations tell me.  It has a rich sound like a fine wine, or perhaps something finer, and both relaxes and invigorates.  There are touches of indie without being overbearingly so.  Beautiful vocals, a perfect and prominent bass, and warm textured synths in the beginning make it very warm and sunlit.  Drums bring out the energetic side, and just when you think it’s set in a certain sound, distorted and inverted-sounding guitars enhance the mood.  There’s really no way to describe the full sound, but needless to say once you’ve heard it, it’s bliss.  (http://abikuband.bandcamp.com)

            7. “Alpine” by Apollo Vermouth from Burning in Heaven (2012)

            It was hard to choose which song off Apollo Vermouth’s Burning in Heaven release I wanted to review for this imaginary mixtape.  “Untitled” was a runner up, but “Alpine” took the cake for its strong shoegaze sound.  “Alpine” is an instrumental shoegaze/drone track.  Through its repetitive drone nature, and huge distortion, a relaxation sets in, like a kind of obliteration of the senses (or at least one).  It’s like a My Bloody Valentine coda, and a bit like their “Sometimes”, in the way of relaxing distortion that most people would use in harsher rock.  You can tell some of the indie edges in the track, even through its meditative and pensive overall sound. (http://apollovermouth.bandcamp.com)

            8. “I’m Not Talking” by AC Newman From Shut Down the Streets (2012)

            AC Newman released Shut Down the Streets last year, and “I’m Not Talking” starts the album off on the right foot.  The beginning has some great analogue-sounding synths, and soon the song explodes with the full energy that’s throughout almost all of the song.  The beat has lots of 60s-style tambourine, and the song screams indie done properly.  It’s warm and full of heart, with great harmonies, and an overall great focus on melody.  The classic sound of acoustics and bass, give the song retro flair, and I’m happy that this sound was made in Canada.  “I Like the way things are, I say abandon the search, for an author of small work.” (http://www.acnewman.net/)

            9. “Sunlight” by Yuno [single] (2012)

            “Sunlight” is another alt-rock song with great melodic sense.  Vocals with heavy reverb, layered guitars, warm bass, and an addictive beat.  The song is nostalgic and hi-frequency tones make it sound both back and forward looking.  It’s definitely a hit, but like a like a lighter, more shoegaze or dream pop style version of an older one.  (http://yvno.bandcamp.com)

            10. “Untitled” by Sea Oleena from Sleeplessness (2011)

            The last track by someone from my homeland in this imaginary mixtape, is a song titled “Untitled”, by Sea Oleena (writer/performer Charlotte Oleena, produced and mixed by her brother Luke Loseth).  It has both background noises that enhance the track’s indie/lo-fi vibe, and music that sounds professionally constructed.  The writing and style reminds me of Leonard Cohen, which is a big plus lyrically and musically.  It has a certain sparseness, enhanced by guitars (acoustic and processed) and soft evocative vocals sung through airy reverb.  The bass is addictive, just like the beat, made up of strange sounds sometimes with interesting delays on them.  “Untitled” is from Sea Oleena’s second release, Sleeplessness, which I highly recommend for ghostly alt-acoustic tones. (http://seaoleena.bandcamp.com)

            Overall, these are inspiring and amazing indie-alt-rock crossover songs that you should check out right now.  I mean it, right at this moment.

Pink Elephants: The Good Kind of Hallucination

 

            This is a review of Pink Elephants’s eponymous EP (2013), and the 16th Review (and 2nd bonus review) here on Track-By-Track.

            Pink Elephants (teenage solo artist Bradley Coy) released the Pink Elephants EP this year, and after finding it, I loved the somewhat nostalgic-yet-modern sounds.  Cooper's music has an interestingly 80s retro vibe, but done in a modern way, a bit like M83.  As with most good modern dream-pop, It’s like glide-guitar (pitch warping) has been taken straight from My Bloody Valentine, and applied to synths.  The vocals are generally very airy, with loads of reverb, and the great synths drive this EP.
           Generally, the release is on the technological side of dream pop (new-style dream-pop), though it isn’t a complete turn away from the laid-back alternativeness that paved the way in the pre-'00s.  Sometimes I felt like digging out my old Sega Genesis, because some songs sound like classic video-game music running through loads of pedals.
            Here’s my TBT:

            The first track, “I Think I Know” is pretty great new-style dream pop.  It has some basic drum samples, but the atmosphere created by the synths, bass, guitar, and vocals, make up for them in spades.  It’s like if Priums were remixed by Cocteau Twins or Echo & the Bunnymen.  Cuts are abrupt and sometimes disconcerting, to good effect.

            “Iridescent” has classic synths, and some pop-style ducking, with an equalization that washes everything in an ocean of digitally created waves.  This is the hit song on the EP.  The drums are more classic than low-end, which is a plus for this EP.  If there will be singles from the EP, this one should lead.  Great vocal harmonies accentuate the drifting feeling of the song, which is just like what I’d expect a producer from the 80s would die for.  It's ridiculously addictive, and the major glo-fi/chillwave sound helps with that addictiveness.

            “Lemmings” overpowers with bass, though the drums sound very Garageband despite their great beat (near the end they don’t seem too distracting though).  Vocals and synths are very dream-pop.  The sound, though lo-fi is addictive and harshly ethereal.  I wouldn’t be surprised if Cooper was out of breath after every take, or even every line, because they’re wonderfully breathy; seething with understated emotion.

            The 4th track, “The Flying Bandstand”, starts with the one word that can be definitely discerned from the vocals on this entire EP:”F**k”.  The synths are very classic-sounding, and it almost sounds like great vocals put to great video-game music.  Just like the rest of the EP, discernible words are sacrificed for the sake of atmosphere; we of the shoegaze ilk don’t mind that, but non-gazers might not understand.  It makes me think of a large circus tent at the end.

            “When I Will Learn” sounds like the vocals were either recorded backwards, or sung to sound backwards.  It’s the folk song on the EP, and the guitar is kinda indie-lo-fi.  I can’t figure out the lyrics completely, though “when will I learn” is part of the chorus.  It’s like all the seams of the melodic structures from the previous songs have been whittled down, and we’re left with the sound of unwound threads, scattered by a skilled artist while slightly under some unknown influence.  Or, in musical terms, good guitars and lo-fi vocals.

            Overall, a good dream-pop EP, and I can’t wait for more.  I’m hoping that in the future, Cooper will play with more drum samples, or live drums, to perfect his sound.  You can check out Pink Elephants at http://pinkelephants1.bandcamp.com, and stream and download this EP for a pay-what-you-want price (as of writing this).  After taking a listen, if you’re anything like me, you’ll want to see more Pink Elephants in the near future (pun intended in a good way).

Week Lag / Mixtape Month

Well, it’s that time of year again.  Colds, spending, and cramming, for many.  I’ve missed writing this blog, but needed some time to recover.  I’ve been working on a new project for this month: Creating imaginary mixtapes for people interested in Track-By-Track, for the duration of the month.  So, though it’s been delayed by a week, I present to you the first of three imaginary mixtapes: Indie-Gaze.  Of course, it wouldn’t be fair to be late, and not have anything to make up for it with, so I also include as the only review of an actual entire EP this month: The Pink Elephants’ EP, Pink Elephants (2013); dream pop galore, which should help with the shock of the temporary but sudden change of style here on Track-By-Track.

   Enjoy,

     -Daniel Trainor-Mckinnon, Track-By-Track