Sgnow Sowngs

Tuesday a couple of EPs dropped that'll fit your feelings about the snow y'all are either ensconced or enshrouded in (depending on your feelings, right).

Atlantic at Pacific is a chill mustachioed producer from Santa Cruz named Austin Wood. His new EP, Seasons, was released on Eric and Adam Sarmiento's Alchemist Records (as was his full-length album, Weddings like back in August). The cheery and layered sounds blend kind of jazzy, easygoing, almost Dilla-type hip hop beats with the kind of wintry but somehow upbeat piano-y instrumental music of maybe like the Album Leaf or somebody. Fix up some Swiss Miss, check out this track and lounge.

Atlantic at Pacific - "My Fault"

Or, if your soul is swooning slowly as you hear the snow falling faintly like the descent of the last end upon all the living and the dead or whatever--like, the snow's kind of a bleak thing for you--then zone out and brood with ∆Aimon's new Amen EP out on Tundra Dub. The album is creepy in a heavy epic and mischievously smirking sort of way. Fucked up stuff. Get gloomy I guess and maybe let this song drone out the existential burdens the weather's making metaphors of.

∆Aimon - "A Screw (Holy Money)"

And well here's a bonus track in case what you're feeling about the snow is to do some drugs. Enjoy.

Chrome ft. Frayser Boy - "What Cha Need"

Announcing: Kudzu Music Fest

It's here! Johnny Whopper, working with The Ivory Tower (full disclosure: I work with both organizations) is pleased to announce Kudzu Music Fest, to be held March 12, 2011 at Brick House in Conway, AR.

Heading off the billing are Denver's heavy chaos-trippers Woodsman, who just released their latest album, Rare Forms, on Lefse/Fire Talk. You might have heard their mega-jam "Insects" on episode 14 of our show, but if not, you can grab it below.

Representing Fayetteville are blown-out swamp reverb gods Voyageurs and lo-fi retro-psych dealers Niall.

From Russellville, William Blackart lends his guitar and gravelly voice to his "poor man's Gothic" songs, and Conway collage composers The Light Brigade round out the bill.

More acts will be announced, though, so stay tuned for additional information, as well as complete coverage of the festival itself.

MP3: Woodsman - "Insects"

MP3: Voyageurs - "Lil' Jimmy Swing"

MP3: Niall - "Faces"

Johnny Whopper episode 15

Broadcast on 2/7/11:

01. Lord Huron - Auld Lang Syne
02. Lia Ices - Grown Unknown
03. Sun City Girls - Esoterica of Abyssynia
04. James Ferraro - Killer Nerd
05. Dos - The Rescue
06. Forest Swords - Rattling Cage
07. Tim Hecker - The Piano Drop
08. Vivian Girls - I Heard You Say
09. Dum Dum Girls - He Gets Me High
10. Hype Williams - Rescue Dawn
11. Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie xx - NY Is Killing Me [Adam's weekly column]
12. Range Rover - There's Nothing For Me Here
13. Sic Alps - Do You Want To Give $$?
14. Hurt Valley - Monuments
15. Baths - Pop Song

Adam's Gil Scott-Heron/Jamie xx pick just made me more excited for their forthcoming album We're New Here. Also, San Diego teens Range Rover delivered on their dreamy jam "There's Nothing For Me Here," and I wish Dos had more of an internet presence outside of his Soundcloud.

Hear Hums

We're barely 40 days into 2011 and it's already off to a fast start. Aside from the quality LPs we've seen from Tennis, James Blake, and Smith Westerns, Hear Hums have dropped one of my surprise favorite albums of the year. We first heard from the Jacksonville, FL trio (wonder if they hang out with unouomedude?) on the Dope Mountain Fuck cassette, where their 6:23 marathon jam "Mokom Wolos" made episode #9 of our show. Then the beautiful Feels-inspired "BXYZ" made epsiode #14 of our show last week.

On their second album, Psych Cycles (Crash Symbols, 12/21/10), there are no shortage of beautiful songs, from the soundscapes of "Mokom Wolos" to the stuttering breakbeats of "Change" to the, well, sunsoaked shimmer of "Sunsoaked." And, of course, there's "BXYZ," which could legitimately be accused of sounding a little too much like "The Purple Bottle," but we're not going to bother with pedantic influence-spotting exercises because it just sounds so good.

Besides, Psych Cycles never lets one influence dominate. The fact that all of these songs can fit together in one album means you should go buy it now. It's only limited to 300 copies, and because Hear Hums are nice dudes, there's even a free download link further down the page.

MP3: Hear Hums - "Woo"

MP3: Hear Hums - "BXYZ"

Hear Hums Bandcamp

Hear Hums Blog

Crash Symbols Bandcamp

Sinden Presents: Free Gucci II, the Burrrtish Edition

Dunno if Gucci is a free man or not, but then I dunno if Gucci will ever be a free man, and so Sinden and Mad Decent have come through with a Burrrtish edition of Diplo's so flossy classic of last year and of same inspiration. Cop it mostly for the cachet you'll earn when people lookin through your iChunes and see it, and for the grime guest verses, which are pretty raw innit.

Galapagos

Galapagos makes songs that remind you of how pretty soon you'll be sitting outside pretty much doing nothing but sitting and there'll be lemonade and girls in shorts and the grass will be a healthy green stretch to lie on if you feel like it because it'll be Spring. And it'll be songs like this one below playing in the background from somebody's iHome, and people will remark like, "Who is this? This is cool." Maybe things are like that all the time in Phoenix which is where this guy is from, and that's how he can make such take-it-easy sounding songs in the dead of winter. Hell yeah. Pretty sure he puts out his stuff on his own, too?

So check out his Soundcloud and Bandcamp--lots of good vibes and downloads, too.

"No Where Else," Galapagos

DUDES - King of the Hips

DUDES - King of the Hips

DUDES is an elusive solo-project or group project from San Diego. Their only page contains no information on who or how many people are in the band. It certainly seems that some of the members from Da Bears have something to do with DUDES. But all of this doesn't matter. With an EP due out at some point this year, DUDES have created some sweet tunes that are rather endearing. Until NARCISSISTS ANONYMOUS comes out, dig on the above mp3 and this video.