Lost in the sound of...

nothingsoundsbetter:

“Black Sage” - Elijah Behar

Singer-songwriters aren’t my thing - I told Elijah as much after listening to some of his music. Most of them take a tack that is far too easy, over-wrought, and well-trodden, and often take the idea of “earnest, honest, heart-on-sleeve” music to a point that is more nauseating than anything even remotely refreshing. This isn’t to say that I don’t enjoy a fair number of singer-songwriters with music of varying quality - it’s just a small number relative to the crowd they’re in.  

Behar has a good voice, and the tact to utilize volumes between shouting and crooning - at times his voice is quite bluesy and effective, and loose without sounding lazy. What I really enjoy, though, are the moments when he goes beyond guy-and-his-guitar. Especially in “Black Sage,” the measured moments when he inserts a rather simple piano line or a dash of percussion are remarkably effective - a bit chilling, even. It’s simply a well put-together song, especially for one found in a random email that just happened to catch my eye. The EP, Hollow Body, is available for streaming on Spotify [link] and download on Bandcamp [link].

- Tyler Hanan

nothingsoundsbetter:

“There Is No God” - Mrs. Magician

One spin into Mrs. Magician’s Strange Heaven and I’m already appreciating a fresh face on the musical embodiment of summer, leagues away from Best Coast’s domain on simplistic pop and even further separated from the jangle of bands such as Beach Fossils. The sacrilegious piece on display here is a slower morsel that showcases Mrs. Magician’s predilection for fuzzing up pristine beach-pop with just a brush of noise that renders the whole thing genuine. Credit Portals for hosting a soundcloud-based stream of the band’s debut on Swami Records (link), and then go purchase the record for any coastal destinations you might drive to in the upcoming months (link). 

- Kyle Minton

dnnyca:

Killing The Vibe
- Ducktails 

dnnyca:

I Stand Alone
- Theophilus London