Cash Pony’s debut full-length album

04 January 2013

With only a few days into 2013, last year’s records are the ones getting our attention. Oakland’s Cash Pony released their debut full-length album, Carpal Tunnel Vision Quest, last March.

Now a quartet, stripped down from the six-piece who recorded the album, they describe their sound as “ethno-slacker prog rock, – something like a distillation of urgent, algebraic psychedelia and reckless jazzpunk.”
Cash Pony draw influences from 70’s progressive and psychedelic rock to jazz, from funk to North Indian Classical music, and they quote artists like Frank Zappa, Robert Fripp and Fred Frith as inspiration.

Carpal Tunnel Vision Quest, recorded and mixed on analogue tape over ten days. is available to stream/download via their bandcamp.
Here’s ‘Take Chai’ and ‘Infant Massage’, two all-around excellent cuts from the album, which will surely get you dancing. ‘Take Chai’ is an ‘Electric Sitar’ homage to ‘Take Five’. Enjoy!


Sam Ospovat offers brand new solo album

03 January 2013

We wanted to start the year with something amazing, and at first listen, drummer/percussionist Sam Ospovat‘s recently released album PIKI clearly earns this spot.

Hailing from Nebraska, and now based in Oakland, California, Sam Ospovat has been involved with several other outfits including Beep, Naytronix, tUnE-yArDs, Timosaurus, Anteater, Kapowski and many others.

Under the moniker PIKI, Sam released his self-titled solo album last November, which he describes as a “a collection of solo pieces, polyrhythmic songs, and sound tableaux”. PIKI was recorded with the help of Ross Peacock, Chris Golinsky, Carlos Arredondo and mastered with Eli Crews (Mwahaha, tUnE-yArDs, Deerhoof, Geographer). You can stream and download the whole album for free or on a pay-what-you-want basis via his bandcamp.
Here’s two gems from the album, ‘Choisi non choisi’ and ‘Non Clapping Music’, to enjoy as you start your new year!


David Lemaitre set to release debut album this Spring

27 December 2012

Berlin based Bolivian singer-songwriter David Lemaitre has announced the release of his debut full-length album, due out in Spring. The yet-to-be-titled album follows his first EP, Valediction, released last year.

David draws influences from different cultures and genres, from the songs of the South American highlands where he grew up and the 70’s psychedelia his dad listened to, to progressive rock, electronica and folk.

According to a press release, “David’s song writing process is an ever-evolving journey, while remaining unattached to whether the resulting songs have a minimalist or electronic pop sound.”
In David’s own words, “something is only complete, not when nothing can be added anymore, but when nothing can be removed.”

Whilst we wait for the new album to drop, here’s the charming and dreamy ‘Jacques Cousteau’ off Valediction.

Superhuman Happiness unveil new clip from ‘How To Survive A Plague’

20 December 2012

Earlier this month and as we previously mentioned, Superhuman Happiness released the original soundtrack to the critically acclaimed feature-length documentary film How To Survive A Plague, written and co-produced by the septet’s own Stuart Bogie and Luke O’Malley and featuring special guests Kronos Quartet as well as compositions by Arthur Russell.

Superhuman Happiness have unveiled a new clip from the documentary and the accompanying music is described by Stuart Bogie as an “urgent piece that was written to reflect the dire circumstances, the fragility of life, and the tenderness of the home treatment.” Proceeds from the soundtrack will go to the Student Global AIDS Campaign.

In other related news, Superhuman Happiness’s debut full-length album, Hands, will see the light of day on March 5th via The Royal Potato Family. We already heard the incredible and catchy lead single, ‘See Me On My Way’, and we’ll keep our eyes peeled for more.

Now here’s the clip from How To Survive A Plague.