I put together a few best-of 2011 lists in music over at Friends With Both Arms, covering everything from best music blogs to girl crushes. Download some tunes, discover gems new and old, or pass it along. There are enough tracks on there to make a decent mixtape for a last minute gift *wink wink*
Happy Holidays!
-Nada
Brooklyn Band Forest Fire‘s recent release “Staring at the X” via FatCat Records, a sophomore release that has been described as, “an electrifying leap forward from the Cosmic Americana of their debut” and by the looks of their new video for Future Shadow, it’s certainly explosive.
Invisible Children - a non profit crew of artists, filmmakers, and visionaries dedicated to ending the longest-running war in Africa is at it again this year with another holiday benefit show hosted at the iconic Troubadour in Los Angeles.
Last year I had the honor of co-ordinating this benefit with my friends at Yours Truly, who helped me curate an all-star lineup of some of the biggest names in indie music: Cass McCombs, Guards, Mountain Man, Deer Tick, and Middle Brother. Not to get too hyperbolic but it was a dream, and one of my best memories of 2010. I remember sitting next to mega babe Rachel Bilson (of OC fame) watching Mountain Man, blinking out a few tears while trying to play it cool.
Coasting is the perfect band name for shoe-gazey, dream-pop kind of music. It ellicits that kind of ‘meh, whatever’ quality that bands like Real Estate or Best Coast pull off so well. It’s no surprise that this two-piece girl band includes Vivian Girls’ drummer- Fiona Campbell, and friend Madison Farmer.
Watch the video below!
The husband/wife duo that is Peaking Lights just released a video for Hey Sparrow, directed by Cam Archer (Xiu Xiu, Julianna Barwick, Sarabeth Tucek), off Weird World‘s reissue of their record 936.
Watch the video below!
For fans of: The Cardigans, Yo Gabba Gabba, Bjork, Marina and the Diamonds, MIA, and dancin’.
I came across this video for M+A called Bam, on Indie Music Filter (I highly suggest you check this blog out) and I was immediately mesmerized by the synchronized lady clones until I realized it was all one girl. She must have had to twirl and jump for hours to make this happen. Her movements were perfectly in rhythm to the sample beats in a way that was totally hypnotic. Seriously though, she doesn’t even break a sweat. Not how I remember gym class at all.
