Future Sex

In October last year we bought you White Hinterland’s fantastic cover version of Justin Timberlakes’s ‘My Love’. It was our first encounter with Casey Dienel’s soft, eloquent voice, and we’ve since discovered that White Hinterland has a new album, titled Kairos, coming out on March 9 via Dead Oceans (Bishop Allen, Akron/Family).

After releasing two previous albums, one under her own name and one as White Hinterland, Dienel has now been joined by Shawn Creeden, officially making the band a two piece. The result is a minor step-up in tempo and intensity, revealed on two tracks released off the forthcoming album. ‘Icarus’, first heard in mid-January, bounces on a pulsing electronic beat layered with dreamy vocal loops and a gentle keyboard whisper. It’s comparatively similar to Beach House, structured around the interaction between voice and keyboard. ‘No Logic’, unleashed yesterday via Gorilla vs. Bear has a rattling drum cackle, a very light bass riff and an often rigid guitar sound. It’s the most complex song we’ve heard from White Hinterland but it still keeps within their cone of making dashing dream pop.

Leading up to the release of Kairos, Dienel has been playing keyboard in Taken By Trees, Victoria Bergsman’s live band. White Hinterland also played support for Taken By Trees at the sold out Union Hall show in New York City on February 13.

If you pre-order a hard copy of Kairos (vinyl or CD) you will instantly receive a free download of the entire album. 10 pre-orders will also be randomly selected to receive a unique piece of art-work, designed by White Hinterland’s Shawn Creeden.

White Hinterland- Icarus: MP3

White Hinterland- No Logic: MP3

 White Hinterland- Myspace

Posted by Nick Fulton under Oregon, Portland, U.S.A
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In A Dungeon Without Light

Reigniting memories of her live performance last year in Auckland, Grouper’s new tracks recently added to her myspace page perfectly capture her live persona. Using minimalist guitar chords as a back drop to her whimsical, shady voice, she creates a dark atmosphere, still and lifeless. ‘Hold The Way’ and ‘Vessel’ purr with an emotional instability, focusing on the mind and laying to rest the darkest of secrets. Both sound like lullabies written inside a gloomy dungeon; the type of music that insomniacs use to put their minds to sleep.

Her live show saw her playing in a dark corner lit only by a projector screen that at times barely exposed her face and guitar. She had a passive control over the audience that hushed every corner of the room, making for a very tense, intimate environment. It’s something that comes through in all of her music, if you can imagine yourself surrounded by strangers standing silent in the dark you’ll be able to understand what it was like to be there.

There is no details yet as to whether the songs will appear on any upcoming release, but if you want to purchase some of Grouper’s music then check out her myspace.

Grouper- Disengaged: MP3

Grouper- Heavy Water/ I’d Rather Be Sleeping: MP3

 Grouper- Myspace

Posted by Nick Fulton under Oregon, Portland, U.S.A
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Make the hipsters dry heave

The three girls who make up Portland, Oregon-based band Explode Into Colors all bring an intense array of talents to the band. Their sound, punctuated frequently by low, rousing yelps, jazzy, climbing bass lines and continuous looping drum rolls like thunder creates a momentum that’s invigorating. EIC combine a mix of playful melodies the likes of Moron Says What?! with offbeat, eccentric song structures akin to Lightning Bolt and the earthy ambiguity of a tribal African band. They also chant “bombs over Baghdad” in the slowed-down sounding refrain of their song ‘Heat’ over ’60s bass you’re more likely to hear in a WOMEN song.

Claudia Meza (who sings and plays a Danelectro baritone guitar in EIC, which she named Nico) is a freelance graphics and video artist, Lisa Schonberg (drums) is an illustrator and Heather Treadway (melodica, keyboard, percussion) is a fashion designer and dancer with Janet Pants. Claudia recently said in an interview with Under The Dog that EIC was started as a creative vehicle for all of their artistic interests.

Members of EIC have played in other bands including Thunder!Thunder!Thunder!, Hornet Leg and Japanther, and currently Lisa also plays with Kickball and Heather plays in Tender Forever.

NME called EIC’s “arty mechanics and party semantics” the B-52’s lost kraut-core album. They recently released the first two of a set of three 7″s;  ‘Eyes Hands Mouth’ b/w ‘Wooden Ghost’ on Kill Rock Stars, ‘Coffins’ b/w ‘Sharpen The Knife’ on M’Lady’s Records and the third, yet to come out, will be on Just For The Hell Of It. Later all the songs from the 7″ series will be released in an EP on CD and vinyl, and following that will be EIC’s first full-length album, to come out on Kill Rock Stars.

Explode Into Colors- Paper (Hot Sax Version): MP3

Explode Into Colors- Sharpen The Knife: MP3

Explode Into Colors- Myspace

Posted by Sarah Gooding under Oregon, Portland, U.S.A
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