Yulie and Yulia.

In case you weren't sure, yes, this album {WOLF PARADE : EXPO 86} is amazing.

An amazing everything.

Holstee, a company that is dedicated to design with a conscience.

This is their quote.

"To deliver on this, we hold every design accountable for the impact it has for on all people, our planet and the product's quality. 10% of all Holstee revenue is used to empower entrepreneurs in the developing world through micro lending."

This is their manifesto.


This is their address.

http://shop.holstee.com/

This is what I love.

Seven Saturdays any day of the week.

One of the EPs I have been anticipating the most for 2010, The Snowflakes That Hit Us Become Our Stars by Seven Saturdays, is now downloadable online, at a name-your-own-price. Not since the first time I heard Explosions in the Sky has such a richly emotional, mostly instrumental sound stirred up my insides in the way that these songs are responsible for reigniting right off the bat.

The Snowflakes... is Jonathan D. Haskell's second EP being released this year, preceding his journey from Los Angeles to Edinburg, where he has been working on his first full length album. The EP was recorded entirely in downtown Los Angeles with an impressive list of accompanying musicians : Lester Nuby (Verbena, Terra Naomi), Morgan Grace Kibby (M83), Mike Garson (David Bowie, Smashing Pumpkins), Wesley Precourt (Dave Stewart, Jenny Lewis) and Eric Heywood (The Pretenders, Ray LaMontagne). It was recorded, produced and mixed by Haskell and Daniel Farris (St. Vincent, The Black Pill.)

Download The Snowflakes That Hit Us Become Our Stars here : http://www.sevensaturdaysmusic.com

Listen to the second track "Au Revoir" now:


PS. Los Angelenos: Seven Saturdays will be playing at the ECHO CURIO in Echo Park on November 5. Hope to see you there!

Don't worry, you'll get it.

You and me, let's be friends ok?

Parlovr - Pen to the Paper from *safe solvent™ on Vimeo.

My j-o-b.

I know I haven't mentioned it much here, but as of June, I started a new venture in the TV/Film industry.

SO, here's the cliff-notes version: I now work full-time as a producer for an entertainment production company (here in Los Angeles) that is in the process of launching a new "under the umbrella" sub-company. The new project is an ipad/iphone app and website that provides short-form entertainment news blasts and original segments. Additionally, the main company is the west-coast/Hollywood affiliate for Canal Plus Spain, a popular cable network in...you guessed it...Spain. Basically, what that means for my part is that I get to do international press junkets, interviews, etc. (for upcoming films), which has already turned out to be pretty interesting.

Some of the segments are typical entertainment news format, but others...well, we're working on exactly how much creative wiggle room we're going to afford ourselves. So far, it's been an incredible ride and I'm ridiculously lucky to be a part of this process.

ANYWAY, my new job covers a lot of different ground; one of those facets being that I often do voice-overs for the segments that I write and produce. Yeah, that's right; you will now get to hear my charming coos in the palm of your hand (iphone) anytime you please. BUT, the entire point of this entry, and I'm pretty sure the question on your mind as well as mine, is WHERE THE HELL DID MY SOUTHERN ACCENT GO?

Giving credit where credit is due.

Now, my only brother and I are very different in almost every way imaginable. You know, the little things in life; ie : careers, life paths, activities, interests, location, etc.

HOWEVER, this same brother of mine, who lives in the DC area (like I said - we're even very different in terms of location), recently turned me on to a new musician that's leaping onto the music scene in his city. (Baltimore, sure. But DC? I'm starting to notice, there's more creative presence coming out of DC than I've ever seen before, causing me to rethink my take on that seemingly linear place.)

His name is Matthew Hemerlein, and he recently landed the Young Performing Artist Grant from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities to use towards recording his forthcoming album. A grant well deserved, indeed. I expect there will be an endless supply of amazing things coming our way soon, and I have every intention to follow this fellow, and his home, very closely...and perhaps you should too.

Matthew Hemerlein performs "Gyllenhaal Sandwich" :

Johnny on the spot.

Forest Fire :: Fortune Teller

Allow me to introduce my new favorite band...

...Future Islands, a post-wave/synthpop band out of Baltimore. They've been around for a few years, but have just landed on my radar; their latest album, "In Evening Air" was released in May of this year on Thrill Jockey.

I'm losing my mind.

Terry Gilliam directed Arcade Fire's concert at Madison Square Gardens this week, and partnered with YouTube for a new concert experience that is up for viewing: www.youtube.com/arcadefire. Aside from Terry Gilliam being a god, I can't imagine a better band for this project; in fact, I think it's safe to say that Arcade Fire is one of my generation's greatest products, ever.

Jinglin and-a janglin.

The past two weeks have been unfathomly (overwhelming)(busy)(exciting) so I haven't had much time to post, much less share all the (amazing) (wonderful) changes that my life has suddenly made. More on this subject will appear soon, pinky swear.

For now, I'll share my recent music review for the company with which I'm now writing editorials. I was very happy to recieve this particular assignment, since it was one of my favorite albums last year.


Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros,
Up From Below


The debut release from Los Angeles based Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Up From Below, was a sure fire top 10 of ‘09 pick for any hardcore hippie loving indie fan. For the virgin listener, this album poses an assorted collection of sounds, never defining which turn they’ll take next, but rousing a sense of enchantment and unquestionable confidence that it’s going to be one hell of a ride.

Starting off with a bang, the album’s opener, “40 Day Dream” evokes memories of Arcade Fire’s dynamic debut album Funeral; complete with clapping, steady rhythms, strings and compelling lyrics, “She’s got jumper cable lips, she got sunset on her breath now, I inhaled just a little bit, now I got no fear of death now.” Slightly seasoned with the flavor of the 1960’s and backed by a group of roughly 12 musicians, it’s an engulfing kick start that inspires curiosity of what’s to follow.

Ala the immortal style of Polyphonic Spree, “Janglin” opens with a childlike chorus of “mms” and “pops” that eventually intertwine with the song’s refrain, yet somehow each vocal manages to maintain their own anomalous quality of sound. A playful beat only adds to the enjoy ability of the song while impressively balancing heavy piano chords and strong horn interludes. “Janglin” takes a room that’s stacked full of vocals and instruments, then spits out a sound that’s perfectly clear; each element standing on it’s own to build an absolutely encompassing sensation.

The fifth track, “Home,” is undeniably the album’s Ace of Spades. An old-timey folk jam that connects co-ed vocals, horns, acoustic guitars, slap-happy beats, whistles, hoots & hollers with drippingly sweet lyrics like, ‘Home is where I’m with you.' “Home” carries a sense of happiness and simplicity that simply can’t be matched.

It’s tempting to peg this album as falling into indie-folk or alt-country, but let’s not forget the album’s esoteric magic carpet ride, “Desert Song” or “Black Water” in which Ebert’s haunting vocals at times seem to channel the late, great Elvis; or even the Spanish sung “Kisses over Babylon” or “Om Nashi Me,” a Sanskrit chant song. With so many twists and turns, it’s impossible to nail the endless depth of this album to any particular pseudo-genre.

Consistently throughout the progression of Up From Below, each track sustains an air of magic and mystery, and maintains a dizzying sense of wonder, even at it’s darkest moments. With each song acting as a chapter of it’s own, Up From Below is less of a collection of songs, and more of an adventurous storybook that keeps you turning the page, eager to discover where it will take you next.

Album Review - Copyright © Caroline Bolter, 2010.

Current spins.