If You're a Vinylholic & you know it, Listen Up.

It should be pretty evident by this point in time that I (Emz) am a vinylholic. Seriously, vinyl cures the soul whenever I'm feeling down, and there's nothing better than treating yourself by buying a new piece of wax for the collection at home. This past weekend I paid a visit to Amoeba Music in San Francisco, and as always - walked out an extremely satisfied customer.  Known as the "The Worlds Largest Independent Record Store", I consider Amoeba to be a staple if you're ever in SF (and don't forget to visit the original location in Berkeley along with the one in Hollywood, too!) 
I'm all about supporting your local record stores, but in case you happen to live in an area where there unfortunately isn't one, visit the Amazon links provided instead. I've never appreciated Amazon Prime this much until now.

 

Picture You Staring by TOPS (via Arbutus Records)

I've yet to catch this four-piece from Montreal in the flesh, but their sophomore release is filling the void until I do so. "Way To Be Loved" & "2 Shy" are essential tunes that will never grow old for these ears.

 

Peripheral Vision by Turnover (via Run For Cover Records)

I'm legitimately obsessed with this band, and could go on and on about how much I love Turnover's latest album, but that's already been taken care of.. 

Sprinter by TORRES (via Partisan Records)

This is Mackenzie Scott's (aka TORRES) second full-length, but this time around it's released via an independent record label based in Brooklyn/London. This record is raw to the bone, and . Sprinter was the May release for Vinyl Me Please, and i'm not sure how the VMP edition ended up at Amoeba, but there wasn't any hesitation from the first time my eyes recognized the cover. It's filled with extra special goodies, and at this current moment I'm already in the process of becoming a member, and I think you should too! For fans of Waxahatchee & Sharon Van Etten, dig into her discography ASAP. 

Middle America by Netherfriends (via Kilo Records, RIP)

Shawn Rosenblatt (who plays under the moniker "Netherfriends") released Middle America back in 2012, and in short, it's an eclectic mix of songs that are easy on the ears. Shout-out to Ethan from Source Weekly aka @ethos83 who introduced me to this album via "Columbus, Ohio." Each song is named after a different city, and the extremely cool part about that concept is "Middle America was recorded during a year long project in which Netherfriends wrote and recorded a song and performed in all 50 states."
 Pretty neat if you ask me. 

Brotherhood by The Chemical Brothers (via Virgin Records)

AHHHH. Did you know I'm a huge fan of The Chemical Brothers? It's true, it's very true indeed. I've been on the hunt for Brotherhood for what feels like forever, and it's a record that's filled with older gems such as "Do It Again", "Star Guitar", and my personal favorite "Galvanize." If you're looking for something to keep those feet tapping and the vibes flowing, this is the album for you. P.S. Don't ever pass up an opportunity to see them live, such as the upcoming Hard Summer 2015.

FRESHVIBESMONDAY #75

photo credit: @rradelet 

Happy Monday! As always, this week's playlist is rich in gems including the latest from Young Wonder, Gengahr, and Torres who each have records coming out very, very soon. I was recently introduced to "Calling Out" by indie-pop act Monakr from Chicago, and without hesitation added it to the playlist. In addition, Bay area newbies No Vacation & Hazel English caught my attention immediately upon first listen. These are definitely two bands I'm getting excited to watch as they grow. Although Hazel English only has one song exposed on SoundCloud, No Vacation has several including an album titled Amo XO.

Highlight of the playlist definitely goes to the silky vibes delivered by Leyya in "Superego."

Thanks to Ruth Radelet from CHROMATICS for letting me use the image above, if you didn't already know - they have an album coming out as well. Listen to their latest release "In Films" below.

P.S. An EXTRA SPECIAL THANKS to everyone who came out on Friday for the first ever We The Beat x Let Your Ears Decide show at Blind Tiger in Santa Barbara featuring JMSN, Olivver the Kid, and Harvey Leche! Your support means more than anything! xxxo

LYED SXSW WISH LIST 2015

So last year I made a wish list for SXSW 2014 already having the idea that I wouldn't catch as much as I wanted since I strictly went during the tail-end end of it (aka when SXSW is filled to the brim with humans and every venue is at capacity.) What I ended up with was a completely different experience that wasn't disappointing, but felt "just right" for the situation. Although I didn't consume as many tacos as I had dreamed of, I discovered a love for acts such as Tacocat, Royal Blood, Cashmere Cat, and many others (that unfortunately didn't have the word cat in their band name) through random showcases that I stumbled into until it eventually became a Lonestar infused blur. (If you're not a fan of Lonestar or Tito's vodka, prepare for a rude awakening.)

This year I'm expecting to make a repeat of my first year, and catch as many acts as possible (or at least attempt to) until I fall apart. 

A couple words of advice from a somewhat veteran:
If you don't have a wristband or a badge, your chances of getting into official showcases are as difficult as herding cats, so don't be shy! Ask around or take the dive to purchase one. Believe, me, it's worth the $$.
Wear comfortable clothes/shoes, seriously. This isn't the kind of festival that you can run back to your campsite when it gets too hot, because you're most likely staying in an AirBnB that's outside of Austin. Also, as much as you want to hop around to see all of the different artists/bands on your lists, sometimes the best bet is to just keep it simple and stay for the entire showcase that you've miraculously made it into. Who knows, you could find your next favorite act by doing just that. 
If you don't have a bicycle or live in the vicinity of downtown, have cash on you at all times because who knows how many petty-cabs you'll end up riding in, (and they don't come cheap so pay attention.) 
Tacos is a lifestyle. 
Pace yourself, because both official & unofficial showcases most likely go on until the wee hours of the morning. Don't make the same mistake that I did two years ago and miss Merchandise perform on a bridge in the middle of the night, ughh. 
Rally. Rally. Rally. 
Now it's time to unveil who I'm rooting for, and I kept it simple - 18 acts in alphabetical order. Each artist/band has a specific style or set of characteristics that draw me to them significantly, so definitely give this playlist a good solid listen or seven. My top 5? Definitely Meg Mac, Summer Heart, Torres, James Bay, and a certain someone I'll mention later on in the mix, but let's be real - you can't go wrong with any of the acts below.  
Hope to see you there! 

LYED Wish List 2015: 

Alvvays
George Maple
Hinds

Laurel
Leon Bridges
Liza Anne

Jack Garratt

James Bay
Meg Mac
Mitski
Shura 
Summer Heart

Tei Shi

TORRES
Viet Cong
Years & Years

Young Ejecta

If I'm extra lucky: I'll be seeing Laura Marling at SXSW this year. She's playing a total of 3 (official) showcases, and to give you a wee bit of personal background history: when I first moved to Texas, I was informed all about SXSW & one of the stories involved Laura Marling herself. A fellow co-worker of mine had randomly caught a performance of her during SXSW 2009, and one of her backing band members was Marcus Mumford (who at the time was practically a stranger) which is crazy to consider his current status. Yes they were dating around that time, but the coincidence of the experience is pretty f*cking awesome from an attendee's view don't you think? She's talented as hell for just barely striking 25, and it's nothing but a confident ride to the top from here on out. 



 If you're not familiar with this Brit, prepare to be impressed. Last summer while I was sitting at one of my favorite restaurants in Santa Barbara, my friend had mentioned that she wished her hair was as blonde as the female who had just walked in the door. As soon as I turned around I immediately had an internal freakout because it was Laura Marling herself. Let's just say for the remainder of my dinner - I didn't have much to say and did my best to keep calm but I was sure as hell nervous from the small. She's a bonafide legend in my book, and I am looking forward to catching her in the SXSW atmosphere this year. 


Now that you're aware of who's on the LYED wish list,
 stay tuned for Round 2: Acts I've Already Seen Live (that will be at SXSW 2015), but Will Never Say No To.

LYED SXSW 2014 Wish List

South By Southwest (SXSW) is one of the best places to discover new & rising talent - or see Lady Gaga perform at the Doritos stage? Either way, if you make your way to Austin, Texas this year - you're bound to witness events that are equal parts weird & amazing. Last year was a great experience for me personally, and definitely opened up my eyes to more than what I had imagined SXSW to be. All I have to say is: be prepared to run around (aka wear comfortable shoes) & always have a few extra backup plans because as the week goes on - the crowd multiplies and you might not get to see who you originally wanted to. If that has to happen - look at the bright side, take a chance and go see someone relatively *new* or venture to one of the smaller venues for a showcase, because you'll never know if you'll see those artists in such a small setting ever again. 
This year I'll only be there from 03/14-03/16 (Friday-Sunday) but if I was going to be there for the entire Music portion of the fest, here's who I'd definitely make plans to see! (Cross your fingers I'll get to see the ones who are still playing shows while I'm there.) 

My SXSW Wish List
(in no particular order)

1. Torres
Learn more about this talented singer-songwriter from when I first fell in love with her back in September.

2. Future Islands

3. Tomas Barfod 

03/15 HYPE HOTEL - ISO50 + No Fear of Pop (1pm)

 After reading that Nina Kinert will also be at SXSW this year, I hope the two of them perform a bit together since Nina supplies most of the vocals on Barfod's well-known tracks. 

4. Chela

5. Scavenger Hunt
(SH was one of my favorite finds from 2013, and you can check out their Friday Fascination feature here!)

6. Painted Palms

7. The Casket Girls

8. Young Summer

(Stumbling upon Young Summer was a real treat, check out her FF feature on the blog here!)
03/12: The Iron Bear - 121 W 8th St, Austin, TX (9pm)


9. Wye Oak

03/12: Hype Machine + Consequence of Sound @ Hype Hotel (4pm)
03/13: KUTX Austin @ Four Seasons Hotel Austin (10am)
03/13: Merge Records Official Showcase @ The Parish(11:45pm)
03/14: KEXP + Merge Records 25th Anniversary @ Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop (12pm)
03/14: The A.V. Club Rainey Day Party @ The Blackheart(4pm)


10.Temples
(This UK psychedelic band won my ears over last summer, and it wasn't long before I had to feature them on the blog.)

03/13: South By San Jose (3pm)
03/14: SPIN Day Party (1:30-2pm)

11. Panama

12. Wolf Alice
03/14 All Things Go + Indie Shuffle Showcase @Maggie Mae's Rooftop (11pm)
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/all-things-go-indie-shuffle-sxsw-2014-showcase-tickets-10820431201

If you're on the hunt for finding more artists, check out this: THE AUSTIN 100: A SXSW 2014 Mix for NPR or Showlist Austin.
Hope everyone has a great time in ATX!  xx -Emz

TORRES

Sharon Van Etten is one hell of a woman, and I can't thank her enough for recently posting about Mackenzie Scott aka TORRES. Scott is a 22 year-old singer-songwriter currently based in Nashville, Tennessee.  

When I first listened to "Honey" I literally felt chills run down my spine. It reminded me of the first time I listened to Sharon Van Etten & Wye Oak, borderline emotional. Check out a live performance of the "Honey" courtesy of OURVINYL.TV below!

 Her self -released debut album came out in January of this year, and is as raw as you'd expect it to be. It wasn't long before I found myself diving into the 10 track album, and knee deep in her emotional honesty.  

"No matter how you listen to it, though, the songs will cut right to the bone. Scott spills every inch of her soul on these tracks, reflecting the joys and sorrows, and the unpredictability and uncertainty of life and love." 

This album is definitely one that builds up, so please take my advice & give this album a solid chance before you realize if you like it or not. 
If you do, support this talented artist by picking up her album here!