A year and a half ago, alone in his bedroom in Allston, Massachusetts, Jimmy Hewitt began Orca Orca, then called Young Minds. In the fall of 2010 he pushed aside the plaid shirts lining his closet and recorded jangly guitars riffs. He drove around Boston, finding moments of solitude to record vocals. He put everything together and uploaded a five-song set of bedroom pop gems entitled Imago Demos.

His demos made the rounds, gracing a handful of blogs. Jimmy wanted more than a mere cameo. Fleeting blog fame was not tangible— he wanted to play shows around Boston. The project was in transition. Before one of his first shows, Jimmy told me how surprised he was to see his demos on the internet. He didn’t know how Tyler from Flashlight Tag even came across his music on Bandcamp. A month after uploading the demos, Jimmy was contacted by French netlabel Beko DSL asking if he wanted to contribute a track to an upcoming compilation that would feature some of my current favorites, like The Bilinda Butchers, Sad Souls and Endiamonds (download it here). Still, it all felt distant. People in far off places listened and loved his tunes. Yet, at his first few shows, the crowd was largely friends and family. The propagation of his music via the internet gave him hope for the project, but, at least in his hometown, he would have to wait for recognition. So, he stood on the stage, draped in reds and purples; he jammed away. Sure, maybe he’d break a string in the middle of a song, but he’d keep playing, keeping up with his trusty drum machine. Over the next few months, or perhaps the next year, Jimmy developed Orca Orca. He focused on his live show. He added a drummer, a bassist, a guitarist— it was coming together.

Now, Jimmy, alongside a couple of his closest high-school buddies, has played all over Boston. Two years ago, he may not have had the self-assurance to sing in front of his roommates, let alone a club full of judging, iPhone-wielding faces. Orca Orca is now a more complete project. After his short set a month ago, someone in the crowd shouted, begging for another song. Jimmy laughed and leaned towards the mic— “We don’t have any more songs.” Well now Orca Orca has a few more songs to its name. He’s spent the last few months crafting a new set of tunes. Today, Jimmy released his latest EP, a limited-edition cassette entitled Make Live. His new songs don’t stray far from his early demos. Recorded in his apartment in Allston, they are about the same youthful simplicities— cruising around with friends and staying up until the sun pierces the hazy horizon. You can snag Make Live over at Orca Orca’s bandcamp for free, or drop a couple of bills on a sweet tape.

Catch Orca Orca play some tunes off his new EP April 6th at O’Brien’s in Allston. Also, he’s opening for the like-minded Abadabad— so be there. Check out a couple of new ones below…

Orca Orca - when the sun comes up (original demo)

Orca Orca - Say So

Orca Orca - Make Live

Algodón Egipcio (aka Ezequiel ”Cheky” Bertho— one half of Venezuelan duo Jóvenes y Sexys) released his debut album La Lucha Constante last year on Lefse. After a year of touring around Venezuela, Portugal and Spain (he’s trying to get a US visa), Cheky’s back with a new single off a limited run split 7” with Spanish band El Faro from the Canary Islands, it’s out now on Club Social. Stream Algodón Egipcio’s pair of dreamy jams off the single below.

Almost a year ago Allston, Massachusetts-based artist Jim Hewitt released a set of five songs called Imago Demos under the name Young Minds. After months of listening to the mysterious project, I finally got a chance to meet up with Jim and see him play live, back in April, in front of a crowd of made up in part by his friends and roommates on Easter. After he played through his set we talked about how he really wasn’t into his project’s name, but that it kind of just happened so he went along with it and was thinking about switching it up in the future. He also mentioned a new song of his that he played for the first time live that night (he strummed the hell out of his guitar in the process and it ended up the worse for wear). Jim had only just “released” the jam, called ‘Change of Pace’, subtly on his bandcamp page a few weeks before the show. He admitted that he kind of regretted uploading it, but that since he hadn’t come up with anything since his first set of demos he couldn’t wait to share it, even if he later wished he’d waited and mastered the hell out of it.

Now months later, and after several reassuring emails telling me that there was more on the way, he’s back with a new set of songs— and a new name: Orca Orca. His first release under the new name, the Change of Pace 7”, is available for free download over at his bandcamp. It includes a new recording of his song ‘Change of Pace’, that he mastered stuck in traffic while driving home from work this summer, and a new song ‘Get Up (Get Out).’ Make sure stay on the look out for more from Orca Orca in the next few months.

Orca Orca - Get Up (Get Out)

Orca Orca - Change of Pace

Orca Orca - introduction (bonus track)

Oh and Jim also sent over a couple of covers he that recorded for some of his friends earlier this summer. He made sure to assure me that this Katy Perry cover is a joke, for the most part…

Orca Orca - teenage dream (katy perry cover)

Previously

Young Minds - Change of Pace

Young Minds - Underground

For months, Washington DC-based TV producer by day, musician by night Fritz Kramer has been recording energetic bedroom pop gems under the moniker Long Walks On The Beach as he finishes up the project’s debut EP entitled SINGLES.  The release will be out sometime next month and will feature his three previously released jams ‘TRUE LOVE or bust,’ ‘I Didn’t Want To Make Out,’ and ‘metaPhysical’ as well as three new tracks. Check out one of the new tunes, ‘Literally Crazy For You,’ below. You can download Fritz’ tunes over at his bandcamp.

Long Walks On The Beach - Literally Crazy For You

‘let’s fall asleep as we’re watching Tina Fey’

A few months ago I posted a few demos from San Fransisco-based bedroom pop project the bilinda butchers. A few days ago, Michal (one half of the duo) sent over an almost finished EP that he and Adam have been putting together since the coldest of winter’s days when I first stumbled across a handful of tracks up on the band’s tumblr. Their debut EP, which is due out sometime in mid-May, is a six-song feast of relaxed dream pop. From the nearly six-minute synthscape of “Secrets” to the youthful vigor of ‘All My Friends’, the release draws from influences ranging from The Radio Dept. to the soundtrack of the video game Animal Crossing. The band mixes together hazy vocals, dreamy guitar rhythms and electronic elements to craft a diverse and truly enjoyable set of jams. The track “Boyfriend” off their forthcoming release will also feature on a compilation on ZOOM LENS in the next few days, so look out for that. Also, check out the band’s tumblr to pick up the EP when it drops.

the bilinda butchers - boyfriend

the bilinda butchers - all my friends

Loft Apartment is the new solo project of Aaro Vahtera, a college student from Turku, Finland. His first release, Kolipri EP, is only four songs but it moves between a handful of genres. Spanning from classical piano compositions to chillwave to dream pop and even mixing in a bit of downtempo dubstep, the variety of Aaro’s first few songs shows his ability to blend together his many influences to craft unique sounding tunes— and he promises there are many more in the works up in his loft apartment. Check out his Kolipri EP over at his soundcloud.

Loft Apartment - Elän

Loft Apartment - Have I No Reason

Loft Apartment - Kolipri

KYNAN is an up and coming electronic pop artist from San Diego— and he’s got his eyes set on becoming quite a prolific one too. His debut release entitled Try Harder (January Mix) is due out January 31st and will be the first in a series of monthly EPs KYNAN has planned. The second of five tracks off this month’s mix, ‘Charlie Found A New Ghost’, is a shifting song— it starts off very electronic, with layered loops over a baby’s soft rambling, which soon changes into somewhat creepy laughter about halfway through. Then the song morphs, revealing Kynan’s familiar surroundings. The second half of the tune drifts into mellow bedroom pop before fading away. Stream the whole mix from his bandcamp and after the 31st it will be available for free download. We’ll see what his February Mix brings us.

KYNAN - Charlie Found A New Ghost

The Bilinda Butchers is a bedroom pop duo by two college students from San Fransisco, Michal and Adam. They started making music together when they were sixteen. As they’ve grown, their music has progressed, taking on a new dimensions. Their third single ‘Stevie Nicks’ debuted this week on French digital label beko. The group is in the midst recording their first EP, primarily in Michal bedroom.

The Bilinda Butchers - Stevie Nicks

The Bilinda Butchers - Sigh

find them. facebook. bandcamp. tumblr.