simply sensational sounds

This Is My Top 10 Roundup Of 2011 Special!! Enjoy!

First of all Happy New Year Everyone!

Someone told me to do this, it's been lots of fun going back through the entire year in 2 and a half weeks, there was a fair bit of music I had forgotten about :)!

(For all mp3s right-hand click, save target/link as (or it doesn't work just click the link))

Songs -:

(I had to do a top 15 because a top 10 was too hard. Haha)

1. Teen Daze - Let’s Fall Asleep Together (mp3)

One style I got more aware of this year is what they like to call “Dream-pop”, this is an excellent example of it. It’s a lovely summer tune with dream-like vocals that I don’t think I will ever get sick of. (2010)

Buy "Beach Dreams" via Bandcamp (name your price)

2. Panda Bear - You Can Count On Me

This was an awesome way to kick-start an excellent album. I adore this song, lovely lyrics, clear vocals and amazing sound!

3. Fleet Foxes - Grown Ocean (mp3)

Fleet Foxes at their finest. A major climax, one hell of a story Haha. Clear vocals and harmonies. It's all about the vocals and drums in this one with some good guitars.

4. Beat Connection – Sunburn (mp3)

Best riffs I have come across all year, it’s a masterpiece!

5. Gauntlet Hair - Top Bunk (check "flashing lights" post 5th Dec)

Oh oho, oh. Emotional and very strong vocals, with some great as guitar work that the drums work really well with. A very well constructed song.

6. shortcircles - Iwishthatyouwould(pleaseloveme) (see EP's)

This instantly makes me think of surfing, because of its so chilled and the beat (to me) resembles the manoeuvres you do when you surf. Good to go sleep to or listen to during the anytime of the day.

7. Lord Huron - The Stranger (mp3)

“If you are who you say are then show your face”. He has a lovely voice and the music behind it is like a story, with a climax included. I love the guitar in this one.

Buy "Mighty EP" via Bandcamp

8. Sleep ∞ Over - La-Rose (mp3)

I really like Sleep ∞ Over because they remind me of Cocteau Twins because its dream-pop and a hint of both psych and shoe gaze influences. I really the vocals in this one.

Buy "Forever" via Amazon

9. Athletes - Fall Apart (go here)

What I love in music, is songs with a good build-up and lovely guitar riffs, this has just that with also some lovely vocals too.

Buy singles "Fall Apart", "Nowhere" and "Raincoats" via Bandcamp

10. Craft Spells - Party Talk (mp3)

I love how the tune is so upbeat, it makes me happy because of the nice hazy yet clear vocals and good repetitive guitar riffs, it’s a nice lil’ story within the vocals too.

Buy "Idle Labor" via Captured Tracks

11. Pure X – Easy (mp3)

This tune has lovely riffs (in fact all their songs do!). I love the emotion and its depth.

12. Washed Out – Amor Fati (mp3)

Amor Fati, (Latin) means love of fate or love of one’s fate.

This tune is like a breath of fresh air, deeply inhale and slowly exhale.

Amazingly beautiful.

13. Ducktails - Killin' The Vibe Ft. Panda Bear

“Don’t go killin’, killin’ the vibe, I can’t take your lame style, can’t you just sit awhile and try your hardest to smile”. I like those set of verses very much. Lovely voices and a cute lil’ tune.

Buy "Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics" via Amazon

14. Boy & Bear – Part Time Believer

“Oh, I remember sitting back on my balcony, I was a-listening to The Rolling Stones. See I was waiting for my dad to come home from work. So I could show him all the chords I had learned” (Love those lyrics). I love Boy & Bear's sound because it makes me wanna get on the road and head somewhere new. The guitars in this are pretty amazing and I adore the whistling.

Buy ''Moonfire" via JB Hi-Fi

15. Grouplove - Betty’s A Bomb Shell

Quite a cheery song, lovely guitar and nice vocals, quite a cute lil' story.

Buy "Never Trust A Happy Song" via JB Hi-Fi

Albums -:

1. Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues

2 years in making, 2 years’ worth waiting for, expectations were really, really high and all were met, harmonies and melodies = perfecto!

I had the recent pleasure of seeing them live the other night (6^th of Jan), it had to be one of the most brilliant performances I’ve ever seen, I was on the edge of my seat and it had my full attention, their sound was just brilliantly perfect, which is something rare to be seen at a concert.

Faves -: ALL OF THEM!

Buy via Sub Pop

2. Panda Bear – Tomboy

My lovely older brother and his gorgeous girlfriend gave this to me for my birthday, I instantly fell in love with it, Panda Bear, his best album by far, continuing with his amazingly perfect vocals and obscure sounds. I adore all of the songs.

Most Faves -: You Can Count On Me, Slow Motion, Tomboy, Surfer’s Hymn, Friendship Bracelet, Last Night At The Jetty and Alsatian Darn.

Buy via Amazon

3. Gauntlet Hair (self-titled)

I came across Gauntlet Hair in July, with Top Bunk and I really liked the strong vocals, the guitar work and most especially the beat, I had hear to more, so after hearing some more, I had to buy their whole album and it didn’t disappoint one bit with all the songs being very well constructed songs, reminds a lil’ of Animal Collective, because they’re quite experimental.

Faves -: Keep Time, Top Bunk, That’s Your Call, Showing and Mop It Up.

Buy via Dead Oceans

4. Cults (self-titled)

I absolutely adore Cults, she has gorgeous and really cute voice (espec. all her La La La’s) and good music to go with it! I love every song on this.

But my faves are -: Go Outside (mp3), Most Wanted, Oh My God, Bumper, Abducted and You Know What I Mean.

Buy via Amazon

5. Neon Indian – Era Extraña

Now this is the sort of music I would love to party down to, because I honestly really can't stand dub step, but that's just my opinion. This album is really chilled, most of the songs have love influences and synthy genres, I really enjoy this album.

Faves -: Heart: Decay, Future Sick, Hex Girlfriend (mp3), Polish Girl, Fallout and Era Extraña.

Buy via Amazon

6. Lykke Li – Wounded Rhymes

She started off with releasing Get Some, then we wanted hear some and “get some” more (sorry silly joke). Lykke Li has an amazing voice that she uses with so much emotion and it’s so effective. Her song writing is really great and so is the music that outlines her vocals. It’s an excellent step-up from Youth Novels.

Faves -: I Follow Rivers (mp3), Love Out Of Lust, Unrequited Love, I Know Places and Sadness Is A Blessing.

Buy via lykkeli.com

7. Austra – Feel It Break

Her melodic vocals draw you in and you become mesmerised by them… I love it.

Faves -: Beat and The Pulse (mp3), Darken Her Horse, Lose It and Spellwork.

Buy via Domino Records

8. Washed Out – Within’ And Without

Washed Out, Ernest Greene makes some beautiful music with lovely chilled-out beats with a combination of hazy and harmonic vocals, which I love listening to anytime of the day or night!

Faves -: Amor Fati, Eyes Be Closed (mp3), Echoes, You and I and Olivia (iTunes Bonus),

Buy via Sub Pop

9. Pure X - Pleasure

Formerly known as Pure Ecstasy.

Amazing guitar riffs, heavy bass, good build-up, harmonic/emotional vocals… what more could you want?

Faves-: Easy, Dry Ice (mp3), Dream Over, Twisted Mirror, Voices and Surface

Buy via Acéphale (currently sold out)

try via Amazon

10. Slow Loris - Routine Glow

"Slow Loris is a one-man lo-fi beach rock band". Slow Loris sounds very much like Beach Fossils. His songs all very chilling and make me think of summer, he does some very good guitar riffs and I love his fuzzy yet dreamy vocals.

Faves -: Practice (mp3), Flowers and Monsters, Minerals, Window By The Stairs and Astoria.

Buy via Bandcamp (name your price)

Remixes -:

1. *Blue Belt – YOYOYO (Tulips by The Bilinda Butchers as Backing Track)

Hip-hop with using Tulips, they are have made the tempo faster and added a lil’ bit of their own juice, I’m not that into hip-hop but I really like this one, the lyrics are really quite funny.

*Language warning for this one honey ;)

via Soundcloud (free)

2. *Crookers – Cooler Couleur Ft. Yelle (Junkie XL Remix) (mp3)

From the lovely Red Bull: Who Is J.O.B? Surf Movie. Lovely Stuff.
Nice beats and bass :) (Wait til about 1 min and 35 secs in).
*Language warning for this one honey ;)

3. The Morning Benders – Hand Me Downs (Wild Nothing Remix)

The vocals are pretty much the same, it’s just sound has no drums and is more chilled, soft and dream-like. I really like this remix.

Buy "Japan Echo EP" via themorningbenders.com

4. Lykke Li – Little Bit (AutoErotique Bootleg Remix) (mp3)

I've known of this song since October, from an amazing surf photographer & filmer, who has a blog also, check it out! http://jakobflynn.blogspot.com/
This is from one of his films, amazing stuff!
It's new take on one awesome song from an awesome album, I like it because it faster and a lil’ different without changing the song completely.
Buy "Youth Novels" via Atlantic Records

5. Sleep ∞ Over – Romantic Streams (Balam Acab Remix) (mp3)

There is real change of tempo, of it being fast and then slow, the vocals are the same but I love the tempo and the build-up.

6. The XX – VCR (Matthew Dear Remix)

This a lot faster than original, in fact it’s now more danceable, the music hasn’t really changed and the vocals haven’t changed that much either.

7. Caged Animals – Girls On Medication (Teenage Desert Mix) (mp3)

This mix has slowed this song down and it’s more of a chillwave song, the vocals now are the more noticeable part of the song.

8. The Beastie Boys – Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win Ft. Santigold (Major Lazer Remix)

An experimental hip-hop track remixed the Major Lazer way!

9. Pantha Du Prince – Stick To My Side Ft. Panda Bear (Walls Version)

I rather like this version of Stick To My Side, because I felt took ages to build-up and hit the vocals. I liked what they have done with the vocals on this one and I love it's obscure sound.

(2010)

10. Local Natives – Wide Eyes (Teen Daze Remix) (mp3)

The major guitar riffs are still there but they have changed the vocals little bit but have removed the drums completely, to make it therefore more chilled and dreamy the way Teen Daze has his music. (2010)

Covers - :

1. Tame Impala – Vital Signs (Midnight Juggernauts Cover)

Classic Tame Impala, doing what they do best, turning this song into their very own with the magnificent psychedelic style. (2010)

(mp3)

2. The XX – Hot Like Fire (Aaliyah Cover)

This is beautiful, with drawn emotional yet dreamy vocals and the bass and guitar riffs rule this one, they make the vocals sound even better.

From "Ministry of Sound: Uncovered Vol. 3"

3. Wild Nothing – Cloudbusting (Kate Bush Cover)

I would have to admit covering someone as talented as Kate Bush, would be very challenging, but Wild Nothing (one-man band by Jack Tatum) does an amazing job of this, mixing in his own styles like dream-pop and shoe gaze.

(2010)

(mp3)

4. The Drums - We Used To Wait (Arcade Fire Cover)

This is really good cover, by the surfie-rockers The Drums, they made the tempo faster, excluded the piano but they kept the emotional vocals and made it surfie, good job boys!

(2010)

5. Silver Swans – He Doesn’t Know Why (Fleet Foxes Cover)

I very happy to hear a girl sing this for change, it really an good cover of Fleet Foxes and the music behind it is really good too.

(mp3)

6. Warpaint – Ashes To Ashes (David Bowie Cover)

I really like this Bowie cover by Warpaint, they manage to make into their own but they don't take over, it still sounds like Bowie.

From "We Were So Turned On - A Tribute To David Bowie"

(2010)

7. Tiger Cub – Feel It All Around (Washed Out Cover)

This cover by Tiger Cub, is still very chilled and hazy, but they made it more about the vocals rather than music and it works really well.

(go here) (Soundcloud)

8. Mr Little Jeans – The Suburbs (Arcade Fire Cover)

This cover by Mr Little Jeans, is a whole new take on this slow song, they have a girl with an lovely emotional voice and some electro music behind it, it's really, really good.

(Also from Uncovered Vol. 3)

9. Robyn – Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall (Coldplay Cover)

I honestly like this cover tonnes better than original song, I feel Coldplay's songs have gone too commercial and aren't their best quality over last few years. I really like Robyn, she's got one hell of a voice and the music that goes with it you can dance to! This is a very, very good cover.

(mp3)

10. Real Estate – Barely Legal (The Strokes Cover)

The tempo is slower and has the classic Real Estate feel, I really like it, the vocals a lot clearer. (mp3)

This Is It, is my favourite album by The Strokes.

From " Stereogum Presents… STROKED: A Tribute To Is This It", you can no longer download it from Stereogum as a whole, but you can download it from Mediafire -: http://www.mediafire.com/?0qq3652ho9ac2vd (zip)

EPs -:

1. Beat Connection – Surf Noir EP

Surf Noir EP, is really nice chillwave EP, with a beachy and summer feel.

In The Water (mp3)

via Amazon

2. Beach Fossils – What A Pleasure EP

Beach Fossils is big on bass and including great guitar chords with dreamy yet deep vocals. A lot of it sounds similar, but it still manages to sound different.

What a Pleasure (mp3)

Buy "What a Pleasure" via Captured Tracks

If you haven't heard Beach Fossils before I recommend you to check out their first self-titled album.

Daydream (mp3) (Beach Fossils self-titled)

Buy "Beach Fossils" via Captured Tracks

3. Summerays – Lazy Blue EP

A lovely surfy/beachy rock EP.

(zip)

4. TV Girl - Benny And The Jetts EP

A combination of styles influenced, this amazing EP, hip-hop, indie pop and lo-fi pop to name a few.

(free via Facebook, like TV Girl) (then go here whilst you're still logged on) (email needed)

5. shortcircles – Mapzzz EP 04

Bliss-hop is what it's called, it is most definitely blissful.

(free)

6. Chalk And Numbers – He Knew EP

60s-like vocals and tunes, absolutely amazing voice.

via Bandcamp (free + email needed)

7. Oh, Oh, Ecstasy - Youth Daze/ All Away Now - Single

Two very lovely psychedelic tunes.

(zip) via Bandcamp

8. Saralee – DEMO

I like her slightly obscure vocals and their music with it, nice guitars and drums, they describe it as "rock soft pop power" on their Bandcamp.

(free) via Bandcamp

9. French Films – Golden Sea EP

Surfie-rock, need I say more!

Golden Sea (mp3)

via Juno (currently out of stock)

10. Palms On Fire - EP#2

Fun, nice surfie rock tunes.

Palm Tree (mp3)

Deep Forest (mp3)
You Are My Dream (mp3)

(all from last.fm)

Cheers, for reading this, I hope you having an magnificent summer!!

Lucky me is heading up to the Goldy for a few days.

simply sensational sounds

Thursday 12 July 2012

Sunday 6 May 2012

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Thursday 3 May 2012

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Thursday 12 April 2012

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Friday 23 March 2012

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Monday 27 February 2012

Summer

Tuesday 17 January 2012

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