‘We Can Learn Lessons From The Old Records’: Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard On Songwriting, Legacy & New Music

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Features / Music
New Music: Django Django – First Light
Django Django have dropped their fiery energy but kept their zany synths in their new single First Light.. First Light is our first sign of Django Django potentially shifting away from psychedelic jaggly indie-pop into a far more reserved synth-driven voyage. Indeed the track seems to embrace the use of synths over their previous tracks which played guitars, drums and synths off against each other. Highlighting a change from break-out tunes like Default with its catchy drum beat, instead First Light draws its appeal through a very '80s styled use of synths and a deep seated bass line. Which is really pushed in the uplifting chorus that is somewhat dragged down by the slightly monotonous voice of Vincent Neff. So while First Light doesn’t carry the explosive energy of their earlier work it does signal a shift in sonic direction towards more ponderous and varied synth-driven tracks.   Follow Django Django: WEBSITE / FACEBOOK / TWITTER / INSTAGRAM
Features / Music
Video: Kagu - Shadow Of The Wind
A beautiful debut gets an equally beautiful - and odd - video clip.. Early December last year saw the announcement of a new project from ex-Snakadaktal member Sean Heathcliff called Kagu, with a stunning first single in Shadow Of The Wind. At the time it was revealed since Snakadaktal's split Heathcliff had been immersing himself in the new project, taking ideas from daydreams and thoughts that will eventually lead to his debut EP release some time this year. Keeping our interest at peak levels, he's just released a melancholic video clip that is a somewhat oddly perfect accompaniment to Shadow Of The Wind. Enjoy it below, and keep your eyes peeled for one of our most-anticipated releases of 2015. Follow Kagu: FACEBOOK | SOUNDCLOUD | TWITTER
Features / Music
New Music: Panda Bear - Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper (Album Stream)
The first album you should definitely listen to this year.. One of my cultural resolutions heading into the New Year was to listen to more albums start to finish, instead of just zoning in on hyped tracks and thrashing them. First cab off the rank is Panda Bear’s Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper, and as I come to closing bars of the final track, I couldn’t have asked for a better album to confirm this was the right resolution to make. Interesting enough, nobody heard it first as a cohesive whole: in a cool marketing move, the album was premiered track-by-track on radio stations across the globe (including Sydney’s FBi). The fifth album from Noah Lennox, the co-founder of one of the most influential alternative pop-rock acts of the 21st century, Animal Collective, was has given us a pretty damn strong album showcase in Grim Reaper, going all over the place with his beatmaking (in a good way): thematically sitting between the drippy-hippy warmth of 2007’s Person Pitch and the darker, mor
Features / Music
New Music: The Prodigy - Nasty
And they're headlining Future Music's heavy Futuredome Stage.. With Future Music Festival 2015 rapidly approaching, news is coming thick in the lead-up. Late last year saw the addition of Sandstormin' Darude to the festival, and this week has seen a couple of big announcements. First there was the 200-strong local lineup drop - check the huge roundup of names HERE. And today sees the one-two punch of festival headliners The Prodigy dropping a new single/video clip in Nasty, and also being announced as the hosts of the Futuredome stage, which looks EPIC and a little like this: Check out the video clip for The Prodigy's Nasty below, pre-order their February 27-due new album The Day Is My Enemy HERE, and head to the Future Music Festival WEBSITE for tickets/more info.
Features / Music
New Music: Left. – Lay With Me
Sydney electronic duo Left. give us a taste of their upcoming LP with Lay With Me.. Rising Sydney twosome Left. are taking 2015 by the scruff of the neck with this brand new single, Lay With Me, ahead of the release of their debut LP Sirens, due February 6 via Create/Control (pre-order HERE). Drawing comparisons with the likes of AlunaGeorge and Little Dragon, there’s a lot to love about the group and the lush electronica, interesting percussion and soothing vocals on display in Lay With Me have us looking forward to February 6. They’re launching their album Friday 13 February in Sydney at the Oxford Art Factory – details and tickets HERE, along with a show the night before (Thursday 12 February) in Melbourne at Laundry Bar. Follow Left: FACEBOOK / TWITTER / WEBSITE
Features / Music
New Music: Jamie Now – Jamie Now’s Mystical Menagerie (EP)
Melbourne-based producer releases stellar future trap EP.. Fresh from releasing remixes for the likes of Golden Features, Alison Wonderland, HWLS and more, plus an EP release last year, Melbourne-based producer Jamie Now has released another cracking EP to kick off a big 2015. Entitled Jamie Now’s Mystical Menagerie, the EP explores the futuristic, chilled-out trap vibes that Australia has seemingly perfected since the rise of Flume a few years back. The EP starts with the slow-burning The Astounding Reality of the Flabbergasted Panda, which displays a balance of light synth, deep bass and chopped vocals to slowly build into a somewhat heavy song. The Sophisticated Komodo's Elegant Tea Party is a much more upbeat single, with a combo of swirling and bouncing synth packing some serious punch. The EP closes with The Unfortunate Demise of the Silver Fox which is trappier than the previously mentioned two singles. Have a listen to the EP below, which courtesy of Jamie Now, is available for
Features / Music
New Music: Purity Ring – Begin Again
Rapture in a song.. Future pop starlets Purity Ring have just dropped their second single, Begin Again, off their upcoming album Another Eternity (due March 3 2015 via 4AD) so just stop whatever you’re doing. It’s wild burning passion encased with a cold prison of dry percussions. Push Pull may have been a strong start but Begin Again with its tingling synths, growling bass and sharp percussive claps stay in your mind long after the track stops. And come the ecstasy-inducing breakdown it’s hard not to love this song. And that’s before the fiery love that anchors this song is even considered especially when singer Megan James cries, "My moon o my moon not even into another eternity will you stop your lovely orbiting…" Showing how much like the moon and earth they’re forever locked together. And I wouldn’t be surprised if you struggled to break away from the rapture that is this song. Follow Purity Ring: FACEBOOK / TUMBLER
Features / Music
CARMADA Text Message Interview
Bangers and bung eyes with Carmada.. We hope you enjoy this text message interview with the slightly-longer-haired half of bass music bros Carmada. Since officially joining forces last year as Carmada, Max Armata (Yahtzel) and Drew Carmody (L D R U) have been absolutely killing it. Their debut single Maybe is probably gonna poll quite damn well in the upcoming triple j Hottest 100, and their debut EP Realise very much caught the attention of one Sonny Moore, known to most as Skrillex, who opted to release via his OWSLA label (but the EP HERE). Basically, 2014 was huge, and 2015 is shaping up to be twice as large, and we caught up with Yahtzel towards the end of last year to try and get our heads around a crazy few months, discuss new shorts fashion, and also take the opportunity to share candid photos of L D R U's bung eye. WA kids will get the chance to throw down with Carmada on an island at CASTAWAY, Sunday 15 February - details HERE. Follow Carmada: FACEBOOK / WEBSITE
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