My favorite jams of the year (in no particular order)

Escucharemos’ Songs of 2010 mix

tracklist after the jump

Read More

At the end of October Philadelphia-based electronic pop duo Sun Airway dropped their debut album, Nocturne of Exploded Crystal Chandelier. The ten-track LP pushes beyond Sun Airway’s previous releases under the name A-Sides. “Sun Airway has hit on the sweet spot where infectious hooks and cerebral electronic pop intersect, pulling textural sound and pop songcraft into one.” Side A’s ‘Oh, Naoko’ is one of the songs off the album that stretches, pulling away from my simple, first-listen classification of Sun Airway as chillwave or bedroom pop. I’ve come to appreciate the album’s complexities— its peppy keys, deep soundscapes (‘Five Years’ is an endless expanse wrapped up into seven minutes), Jon Barthmus’ warm vocals and of course its catchy pop hooks. Pick up Nocturne of Exploded Crystal Chandelier here.

Sun Airway - Oh, Naoko

Sun Airway - Oh, Naoko (Houses Remix)

Delorean - Stay Close (Sun Airway Remix)

A few weeks ago I posted two great songs by Chicago-based duo Houses, ‘Soak It Up’ and ‘Endless Summer’. Now they’ve released yet another awesome soundscape off their debut release All Night, which drops on October 19th. Pre-order the ten-track album from Lefse Records. ‘Reds’ is probably the last single before the release of the full-length so go ahead and soak it up. The simplicity of Houses makes each track a soothing dive into deepest depths of bliss. Check it.

Houses ~ Reds

Houses//tumblr|myspace|pre-order

Chicago-based duo Houses dropped the rapturous ‘Endless Spring’ back in May and now they’ve released a second track off their debut LP All Night, ‘Soak It Up’. The ten-track album is set to hit stores on October 19th via Lefse Records. See what front-man Dexter Tortoriello had to say about the story behind All Night.

Houses - ‘Soak It Up’

Houses - ‘Endless Spring’

“I got laid off from my job at the end of last year and decided I needed a change. My girlfriend put in her two weeks and we moved out to a little cabin in Papaikou, Hawaii. It’s a pretty remote place outside of Hilo (i.e no plumbing/electricity/gas). We worked for meals during the day cultivating microorganisms and learning the basics of sustainable living. We drank showered and cooked with rain water. In our downtime, she would paint and I would record.

We’d have to light candles in an effort to save solar power to keep my computer running. We inspired each other a lot out there, and I think it shows on the album. The music comes from a place of love and ease. The video for ‘Endless Spring’ was shot there in our spare time, and the music was sketched out loosely over the course of a few months. We just kind of melted into one person. We were able to keep our heads above water for a few months before we both went broke and moved back to Chicago. I put together all the arrangements and field recordings, and that became All Night. The album was pressed to vinyl on a vintage Neumann cutting lathe and then sent through a series of old analog mastering equipment. It then underwent a digital transfer. The idea is that everyone can hear the very first pressing of All Night. It’s a sonically intimate record and we wanted to capture that feeling in the production as well.”

All Night // Pre-order | Amazon | Insound

Read More