Featuring tracks from Alt-J, Fredrik, Gardens and Villa, Boy and Bear, Passion Pit, Beats Antique, White Arrows and The Raveonettes.
Stream it here:
Right click “save link as” to download mp3 here: The Breakdown with Ben Episode 36
Ok, here comes the first instalment in a wave of awesome music. It’s only been the regular 2 weeks since the last episode and I am already backed up like an elderly person on a low fibre diet (………..with amazing tunes). Admittedly I have spent the majority of the past 2 weeks alone in the breathtaking wilderness of the Coast Mountains of British Columbia and taking in live shows in one of the world’s best big cities, Vancouver. My music filled adventures now leave you guys with some pretty damn amazing soundtracks to whatever it is you like to do.
Firstly I should pay homage to the amazing albums I have been getting lost in, and the people who put me onto them. First up is Gardens and Villa, a chilled out group from California, USA. Their self-titled album is pure genius, their sound is so original that I would not dare to pigeon hole it into a particular genre. This is possibly my favourite album since Active Child, which I discovered 9 months ago. Thanks to my mate Tulloh, who lives upstairs from me, for putting me onto them.
Then comes Alt-J, another pure genius group out of England. They are quirky, they are catchy and they are extremely satisfying to listen to. I’d try to say they will be huge, but in honesty I doubt it considering the majority of the world listens to the puerile crap they are spoon fed by money hungry record companies and the commercial radio stations they control. Anyway moving right along ;-)
Swedish group Fredrik‘s album Flora is another I have fallen hard for, on the back of a 3 day mission out to Tenquille Lake in the Pemberton Meadows region of BC. This one is more of an acquired taste, but is perfect for those quiet contemplative moments in the mountains, along the lines of what you can achieve with Emancipator.
Another brilliant album is the most recent, Electrafone, by Oakland, USA group Beats Antique. Their own description of their style is “infusions of Middle Eastern belly dance music, down tempo, hip-hop, old school jazz, clown, afro-beat, and many styles of electronic music”. However I prefer to simplify it by thinking of them as an Egyptian The Glitch Mob. Ha ha. Very, very cool stuff and thanks to Keevik for putting me onto them.
Tracks appearing in brand new albums from old favourites Passion Pit and The Raveonettes are also featured.
The single tracks from my blog searches and other sneaky sources that have stood out come from Hollow & Akimbo, Jukebox The Ghost, Twin Shadow, DIIV, Dreyfus, Luvian and Charlie Mayfair.
These are all fantastic tracks, but lets face it, this whole episode is jam packed with great new music, each of which track has been carefully selected from a massive pool of tunes, so listen to the whole thing and I hope you enjoy it half as much as I did.
Tracklist
1. Fredrik – Inventress of Ill
2. Alt-J – Something Good
3. Hollow & Akimbo – Singularity
4. Boy and Bear – Part Time Believer
5. Jukebox The Ghost – Somebody
6. Charlie Mayfair – If I Fell Down
7. Luvian – My Life
8. Gardens and Villa – Star Fire Power
9. Teepee – Time Meant Nothing
10. The Raveonettes – Observations
11. Fidlar – Got No Money
12. Twin Shadow – Five Seconds
13. DIIV – Doused
14. Blood Diamonds – Phone Sex (feat. Grimes)
15. Alt-J – Bloodflood
16. Foxes – White Coats
17. Passion Pit – Take a Walk
18. White Arrows – Get Gone
19. Poolside – Slow Down
20. Slow Magic – On Yr Side
21. Koi – Lime
22. Teen Daze – Late
23. Dreyfus – Coleoptera
24. Matthew Dear – Her Fantasy
25. Beats Antique – Alto
26. Norman
The Indie Electro Breakdown 