The sheer quantity of new music in the modern world is incredible, overwhelming even. To the casual listener, it might be easy to skim the top of the latest hits, and let the radio do the research. But think of all the albums you know that were released this summer. Now look at all the rest of the albums that were released this summer. Now picture all of the releases that didn’t have a big enough record label to be included on Wikipedia. Think of all the hours of music released independently on sites like Bandcamp, Soundcloud, and ReverbNation. I’ll stop rambling, but the point is, there is an enormous amount of content available to us. This begs the question, how do we sort through all the extraneous noise? This brief review serves to highlight some of the most notable releases from this past summer.
Washed Out
If you aren’t already familiar with Washed Out, allow me to catch you up to speed. Not so long ago, in 2009, Ernest Greene entered the indie-electronic music scene under his stage name with a series of EPs and singles. Two years later, he released his debut album Within and Without, gaining a substantial following, landing his song “Feel It All Around” as the Portlandia theme song, and solidifying his place as a household name in the genre of chillwave music. With distant, dreamlike vocals, and misty electronic samples, it’s no wonder why his music took such an immediate hold on fans of the genre. However, after touring for the subsequent year, Greene began work on a new album, his goal being to rely less on the mixing of samples, and more on the sounds of his own instruments and original beats. That album is here, ladies and gentlemen. Paracosm was released on August 13, and features, as promised, a variety of organic sounds. Greene balances the ethereal electronics of his style with a confident, occasionally tropical percussion and bass section. Finally, his choice to distance himself from sampling other artists has significantly benefited the fluidity of his sound, as the album blends from track to track seamlessly. Washed Out will be playing at the Granada Theater here in Dallas on November 11th.
Hank & Cupcakes
This one might be a little goofy for some of you, but bear with me. Sagit Shir and Ariel Scherbacovsky met in Tel Aviv, Israel, whilst enlisted and playing in a band for the Israeli military. An odd origin story for a Brooklyn-based pop group, but nonetheless, the duo has spent their time in America developing vivid, unique electropop. With rich keyboard melodies accompanied by hard-hitting bass and drums, their music calls back to the synth rock of the eighties (e.g. “Send Me An Angel” by Real Life). Scherbacovsky has found a healthy balance with his instrumental backing, using the depth of modern recording equipment to the band’s advantage, without sounding too overproduced. Furthermore, the lyrics of lead singer Sagit Shir are more than enough to be entertaining, while avoiding being too melodramatic. After the release of their debut album, Naked, on July 2nd, the duo began a massive 50-city across the United States. I had the chance to see them on their Dallas stop, and can confirm that the couple was truly a pleasure to see in person. This is definitely a group to keep an eye on in the years to come.
Chambers
Technically, this group did not release any new music during the summer. Their catalogue is still confined to a single 4-track CD, independently recorded mid-February in Denton, TX. However, about a month ago, I finally had the chance to see them perform live, and I feel I have an obligation to include them in this review. With just four core members, Chambers is not an overly complicated ensemble, but don’t be fooled by their apparent simplicity; this band has an incredibly powerful group voice. Their music does away with excessive, showy vocal flourishes, resulting in the beautifully genuine sound found in each of their songs. Next time they have a show in town, consider it your chance to go out and support local music.
I won’t pretend that this review even comes close to capturing all the quality artists from the past summer. If you’d like a chance to share and discuss your favorite summer gems with others, contact John Jackson or Mr. Mark Batik via Moodle about joining the Underground Music Club.
