Joywave - 88888

One, two, three, four, everybody hit tha floor.

Five, six, seven, eight, everybody celebrate.  

Eight... eight... eight... eight... eight...

With the release of their third album - 88888, Joywave is celebrating... and making waves.  Self-describing their music as Neon Noir, they mix hints of Hot Chip and Depeche Mode on songs like "All I Want" with Kanye-esque beats on songs like "Facility" (we're thinking 2007, The Graduation style). On "Motherless Child", the band pushes a modern political agenda through the sound of a civil war era drum, yet they still manage to bring the new gold standard of rap lyrics from Philly native STS on the heavy hitting "Ray Lewis".

Oh yeah, we almost forgot to mention the chart-topper, Tongues.  Makes us want to learn new languages.  Free classes here.

Check out their sophomore album 77777 too.

Diamond Rings - "I'm Just Me"

First track off of John O'Regan's synth pop project and second album, Free Dimensional.

Get it for free here.

Diamond Rings - "I'm Just Me"

Jukebox the Ghost - "Somebody"

On the heels of their Letterman performance in late 2010 and subsequent worldwide touring, Jukebox the Ghost returned to the studio is about to release their third full length album.  We were connected with JTG early last year via Milly Beau and Hey Lady, two reliable sources, and of course instantly became fans.

Safe Travels is the name of the album and the first release is "Somebody".  We posed a question to Tommy (vocals & guitar) a few days ago for you current and future fans, why buy this album?  Here's what he had to say:

"Safe Travels is a big milestone for us and a record we're very proud of -- We're trying a lot of things we've never tried, and we had a lot of time to work on it (a luxury we hadn't been afforded in the past). If someone was going to buy one Jukebox the Ghost album, I think all of us in the band would agree that this one represents us the best. We're stoked!"

The album already has that game-changing feel that could take JTG next level.  Safe Travels is due out 6.12.12, pre-order it here and support the dudes that played all five burroughs in one day two years ago.

St. Lucia

St. Lucia is what happens when the long and bleak winters of New York recede and summer emerges; giving birth to memories of childhood holidays, faded photos of exotic places and the dream of recapturing this. Inspired by his homeland of South Africa, his journey through the UK and relocation to Brooklyn, St Lucia could reference the sonics of Temper Trap, or the infectiousness of Empire of the Sun, but ultimately it is a wall of atmospherics crafted with an inordinate amount of time-consuming precision.

Debut EP available digitally: http://smarturl.it/stluciaep

Snowmine - Laminate Pet Animal

For decades Brooklyn has nurtured a burgeoning hotbed of musical creators and talent.  Snowmine is the latest act to emerge from the hipster-filled streets of BK this year with an infectious and unique sound that deserves attention. 

Perhaps best framed as an ambient-infused version of The Shins, layered with string instrumentation and just the right touch of expirimentalism, they've created what they self-describe as an, "indie pop sound rich with echo pedals, tribal beats, electro-acoustic soundscapes and classical orchestrations." 

Snowmine - "The Hill"

The influence of front man and new-classical composer Grayson Sanders is evident throughout Laminate Pet Animal, no more so than in the intro to "Danger in the Snow."  Check out and buy the entire album off their bandcamp.

Neon Indian - Era Extraña

Neon Indian's much awaited sophomore album Era Extraña is out, and it's fairly glorious.  "Halogen (I Could Be A Shadow)" is the best of the tracks that had not already been released. Biggest disappointment from this album is that the unreal beats from Heart: Attack and Decay aren't longer.

The below video was posted last week for their "classic cyber-track "Polish Girl," incorporating light painting to tell the story of a disjointed personal journey."  Directed by Tim Nackashi and produced in collaboration between The Creators Project, Neon Indian, and Mom + Pop Music.

Absofacto - Sinking Islands

It's been since February and "Kiko (103 words)" that Absofacto released new music, so it was no stretch to assume the forthcoming work would be another appreciable piece of work.

Absofacto - "Feathers (Don't Change on Me)"

Released three weeks ago, Absofacto coupled this along with another new one called "The Breath and the Bell"and 8 remastered ones to create Sinking Islands. 

As for most people, music on the troysnoise rotation is oft-times indicative of a certain mood, and amazingly Absofacto's tracks have a way of evoking particular dispositions at their time of release.  Check out the entire catalogue.   

Absofacto - "Synthesocietal"

Soft Pipes - "Stay Pretty"

Soft Pipes - "Stay Pretty"

Anthony Polcino (pictured left) is the sole creator behind the LA-based Soft Pipes. and "Stay Pretty" is a new release, while "Golden Grace" and "The Boy I've Been" are off the October '10 album When You're Done Here You Get To Go Home.  

Soft Pipes - "Golden Grace"

props to Knox Road

AM & Shawn Lee - "Spin it Around"

Conceived after AM heard Lee's Music And Rhythm album on the radio in LA and reached out to him via email, this fairly new musical collabo between London's Shawn Lee and AM is quickly proving successful. 

AM & Shawn Lee - "Spin It Around"

If you weren't already convinced, AM & Shawn Lee are hittin the road with Thievery Corporation in September and then heading out to play the East Coast, UK, & France.  Chew on this single until their debut album hits stores, Celestial Electric is out Sep. 6th. 

Peep this behind the scenes video look into "building the track" for "Dark into Light" from earlier this year.

Real Estate - "It's Real"

Their sophomore album, Days, is due out October 17 via one of UK's increasingly popular indie labels, Domino Records. (Mentioned here this February and late last year)

Real Estate - "It's Real"

"Recorded in Upstate New York through the late winter/spring of 2011 with Kevin McMahon (The Walkmen, Titus Andronicus), Days is a gorgeous suite of timelessly melodic, achingly melancholy pop songs and a delightfully confident follow-up to 2009’s exceptionally well-received eponymous debut."

Good to see the already infectious "Out Of Tune" from last year get a rework and make the cut for inclusion on the LP.

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Reptar - Oblangle Fizz Y'all [Interview]

Troysnoise recently caught up with Graham Ulicny, lead vocals and guitarist for Reptar, with the "space chasm electro dance" sound that's quickly surpassing the bounds of their hometown fan base.  After sparking the buzz at CMJ '10 and literally blowing the roof off of SXSW '11 (see above video @ 2:30), the Georgia-based band recently booked both New York's summer Governors Ball and the massive Austin City Limits concert in October. Visual hallucinations up next.

What's it like having the chance to work with producer extraordinaire Ben Allen and what influences is he having on your sound.

It's been really great. Working with Ben has been wonderful. He's a really great guy and beyond that he is incredible in the studio. I think that being in the studio with him has helped us take a step back and listen more onstage and off. Ben doesn't really try to influence our sound directly, but the advice he has given us over the last couple years has been invaluable.

Thoughts on comparisons of Reptar to Animal Collective + Vampire Weekend?

 

I don't really know. Personally I don't think we sound like those bands, but I guess it's flattering to be compared to more established bands. We are still very young and stuff. We are trying to do our own thing, ya know? What exactly that will end up being is still evolving.

Y'all literally blew the roof of SXSW this year at your Friday show at Side Bar, what were the other highlights from Austin's marathon of shows?

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Mathieu Santos - "I Can Hear The Trains Coming"

The bassist from Ra Ra Riot, Mathieu Santos, announced this week the upcoming release of his solo album, Massachusetts 2010.  With that message came this preview.

Santos currently boats a Fender American Vintage '57 Precision Bass - white with a gold pickguard.

Mathieu Santos - "I Can Hear The Trains Coming"

From Mathieu - It's going to be available both digitally and in a very limited pressing (500 hand-numbered copies, sick!) on smoking-hot white vinyl. If you want to get a copy of the vinyl, please do it quickly – I’m told that the album is available for pre-order at some kind of early-bird discount ($18) from now until the end of May in the Barsuk shop, along with a limited-edition 7" single on some pretty green vinyl (via the good folks at Old Flame Records).

Gardens & Villa - "Black Hills" [video]

Over a month ago troysnoise unearthed Gardens & Villa from the "coco vibes" of Santa Barbara as one of the best new sounds of the year.  Yesterday they delivered this entertaining piece of black and white cinematography for "Black Hills," one of two singles they've released digitally.  Full album release set for July, stay tuned.

Everything Everything

"Cowabunga dudes, I'm dead."  Classified as a “surrealist neo-classical avant-pop for the digital age,” the Brits called Everything Everything satisfy the essence of troysnoise - emerging music. discovered.

"Imagine a band who fuse three part harmonies with scalding post-punk guitars; floor-filling bass lines with syncopated rhythms and lyrics and everything from high-school massacres to R&B lotharios musing on their lot in a post-apocalyptic wilderness."  Their single, with a newly release video, "Final Form," permeates the essence of indie electro pop as a seemingly Radiohead sound meets the experimentalism and modernism of Home Video. 

Everything Everything - "Final Form"

Everything Everything - "Schoolin"

We're in the middle of nothing we can hold

tUnE-yArDs - "Bizness" [video]

'Bizness' is taken from the band's second album, w h o k i l l, set for release on April 18th. In promotion of the album's release, tUnE-yArDs tour North America and Europe from April through to June. A full set of dates are listed below.

tUnE-yArDs - "Bizness"

26th Apr - Great American Music Hall, San Francisco
28th Apr - Doug Fir Lounge, Portland
29th Apr - The Crocodile, Seattle
30th Apr - The Biltmore Cabaret, Vancouver

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