Purity Ring - Obedear

Purity Ring releases the ricocheting Obedear. The track boasts a minimal-inspired club beat, and it's replete with a hypnotizing bleep. The vocals are pixie--and pixilated. The top Youtube comments reads: 'I just licked my headphones.'  For once, a Youtube comment makes a weird kind of sense. Obedear is strange, and sour. Obedear is off of Purity Ring's debut album, Shrines, out off 4AD on July 24th.

The Magician - MagicTape Twenty-Two

The Magician releases the rhythm for the 22nd time. It still feels like the first. Highlights abound, but this listeners favorite has to be the power breakdown at the 32 minute mark. It is when electro gets electrified and the rare gets rarefied. Keep 'em coming, The Magician.

Zambri - Hundred Hearts (Video)

Zambri releases a video for their irresistible dream-trip pop hop song 'Hundred Hearts'. If that seems like a lot of genre tags, it's because this song is genuinely hard to pin down, in the best way. At times it takes the best of shoegaze without ever looking at their shoes too long. At other times, the drums sound like the best of hip-hop boom rap. And the vocals, the vocals recall the best of 1960's french sirens. Is it any wonder that the video is so concerned with being a nomad with materials? Zambri's 'Hundred Hearts' will reach the hearts and minds of many.

Jupiter - One O Six (Bantaam Remix)

Bantaam remixes Jupiter's One O Six. The result is a delightful mish-mash of jungle groove and galactic  gutter. The song moves along at a brisk pace, and is bolstered by layers of warped synths. Every once in a while, a nice ticking effect comes in and rolls you back around the ring. Techno in total control.

Ladyhawke - Sunday Drive (Gigamesh Remix)

Gigamesh rolls out a stunning remix of Ladyhawke's Sunday Drive. The mix is a speedy one, and the vocals sound in a breathless race to catch up. Things don't let up on this mix. If the previous remix of Sunday Drive that we featured was the soundtrack to a rainy Sunday afternoon drive with the windows up, this one is the soundtrack to a cloudless 80 degree day with the top down. Gigamesh's remix  of Ladyhawke is out May 22nd on Modular Records.

Starfucker - Jackalope (Julius) (Van Mix)

Starfucker's Jackalope (Julius) gets the remix treatment from Vans. The song is appropriately fantastical, in fitting with the mythical animal that makes its name. Over a synth glittering and altogether limning instrumental, the singer delivers the most beautiful indecipherable sounds this side of MBV and Cocteau Twins. Remember the phenomenon where you play the record backward and you supposedly hear secret messages? This is a record that can be played front, back, side-to-side and still maintain its incomprehensible charm. Spin this one.

Foe - A Handsome Stranger Called Death (Video)

FOE releases a trippy and teetering video for the Bad Dream Hotline cut 'A Handsome Stranger Called Death'. The video finds FOE superimposed across galaxies and time zones. She's in front of Disney princesses, she's moving on a glitzy strip, she's scratching her head in front of the atom bomb. I'm a kid full of history, she sings, and we believe it. It takes an artist of true charisma and sheer presence to not become overwhelmed by these kind of images in the background, and FOE shines white and bright and center. She'll make her own history, thank you very much.

We also left you the Com Trusie remix to the track. One of our personal favorites. 

Ladyhawke-Sunday Drive (Scissor Sisters Remix)

The Scissor Sisters remix a cut from Ladyhawke's sophomore album, Anxiety. Few things are as typically distant from anxiety than a 'Sunday Drive', and there are few better answers to your worries. Sunday Drive, bolstered by a pretty piano line and rain washed vibes, is a song for wistful longing. Longing to escape, longing to go home. Longing to be in solitude, longing to be with someone.

Tommy - Tuned in to the Future [EP]

Tommy releases a 5 song EP, Tuned in to the Future. If the title trips you up a bit, that's ok. It's a trip to think about passively watching,well, the future. But music is a shorter pathway to sensation than television is, and listening to the sonic inventiveness of Tommy's EP will take you places no HD TV could. This synth-wave EP is perfect for the drive to 2pac hologram concerts, post-apocalyptic landscapes, flying cars, teleportation, and more.

Devin - Masochist (Video)

Check out the video for Devin's Masochist. The video is shot in pristine black and white, and puts you front and center with the dapper dressed, gnarly guitar Devin. Think Frank Black in Fred Perry. Masochist is a steamrolling punk ditty. It at times recalls the best of 80's college rock, and other times the bravura of Buddy Holly in a Vegas diner. We might take an ecstatic pain in replaying it over and over at the expense of doing anything else. It hurts so good.

Jonquil - Run (Keep Shelly in Athens Remix)

Keep Shelly in Athens remixes a cut from their touring mate, Jonquil. The mix is the haute-haze we've come to expect and adore from Keep Shelly in Athens. This remix of run, with its submerged vocals and lightly hanging overcast, sounds like the perfect song for when one hits the 'runners high'. It is a whole different zone, one that feels free of constraint and limits of elevation. Maybe KSiA should score the remake of 'Chariots of Fire'?

Flashlights - Slow Down (Slow Magic Remix)

FLASHLIGHTS 'Slow Down' gets the remix treatment from Slow Magic. 'Slow Down' is off FLASHLIGHTS' recent EP, So Close to Midnight, and Slow Magic stays true to the vibe of the title. Things are stunningly slow, expectant, and bubbling toward a burst. It's tempting to make a remix that ups the ante, and it's often assumed that this necessitates that it be loud. But Slow Magic moves their 'Slow Down' at an expertly tuned pace, slipping within and without crescendos and come-downs.

PLASTiC PLATES - White Light 55

Plastic Plates does their part in the Neoteric mix series, White Light. The White Lights series is about two things: music, and----and here's something you might not find on most mix tapes---spacing. Tracks are sculpted around space, and are given their maximum attention. And a warning: No Dance Music Here. The tape includes cuts from the likes of Talk Talk, Miles Davis, Nick Drake, and more.

Track List:

Talk Talk – Myrrhman
Miles Davis – Guinnevere
Stevie Wonder – Visions
Air – Alone In Kyoto
Dick Annegarn – Coutances
Tortoise – Ten-Day Interval
Jamie Lidell – Rope Of Sand
Al Green – Simply Beautiful
Herbie Hancock – Vein Melter
Sly & The Family Stone – Just Like A Baby
Nick Drake – River Man
Bill Withers - Grandma's Hands
Curtis Mayfield – Billy Jack
Bob Marley & The Wailers – Concrete Jungle

Hot Chip-Night and Day

Listen to Hot Chip's 'Night and Day', the first official single off their forthcoming album, In Our Heads. The track opens with a bass line that is a rubbernecking-friendly joy, and the track gets no less fun from there. We read one comment that said this record sounds like 'if Prince grew up on the south side of Thames'.  We would argue it more has the surreal zap of vintage Morris Day and the Time, plus the attitude on the south side of Thames. We could argue about the tracks precedent all day, but one thing is for sure: This is the jam for today.

Beach House-Lazuli (Video)

Beach House's 'Lazuli' is shot through with blue. From its track name (short for Lapus Lazuli') to its Tuesday afternoon low tide atmospherics, the song is built to be absorbed. 'Lazuli' is characteristic of the honeycombed delicacy that has bought Beach House so many rewards. Cymbals drift in and out, drum machines never stay too long, or arrive too soon. Beach House have said that their upcoming album, Bloom, will be their darkest, and the run-up to the album has the vibe of the calm just before the bright blue light.

Bjork - Crystalline (Current Value Remix)

Current Value remixes Icelandic queen Bjork's Crystalline. This is the first in an 8-part series of Bjork remixes. Unlike the spare, slow buildup of the original, Current Value speeds up the track from the very first second. The drums are less industrial, more dubstep-like. For those who complained Bjork's latest LP didn't have enough of the 'Army of Me' ferocious side, this remix might be just what you're looking for.

Zimmer - Desert Drive / April Tape

Labor day weekend is coming up, and that means one thing for a lot of us: Road trip. Zimmer is here to give you an April closing soundtrack for the drive into May. Desert Drive/April Tape is an hour long compendium of the best in Nu-Disco. The highlight for this listener is the Motown inspired sounding track that fades in at the 22 minute mark, only to fade out later into a schoolgirl-like disco chant record. It's a seamless transition, and the tape is full of such serendipitous moments that make long drives the memorable listening experiences they are.

Track List:
1. Zimmer - Cruisin' (Lou Teti Remix)
2. Neighbour - You Can Do It
3. Chordashian - Black Eye
4. Lou Teti - Love It (Dublin Aunts Rework)
5. Monitor 66 - Triscuits
6. Moon Boots - Got Somebody
7. Alpine - Hands (Goldroom Remix)
8. Only Children - Down Fever
9. Munk & Peaches - You Can't Run From My Love
10. Sebastien Tellier - Cochon Ville (Hey Champ Remix)
11. Lauer - Trainmann (Tensnake Franceman Mix)
12. Housse De Racket - Chateau (Mickey Remix)
13. Balla - Montra (Moullinex Remix)
14. Zebra and Snake - Money In Heaven (Helsinki 78 82 Remix)
15. Dimitri From Paris & DJ Rocca feat. Hard Ton - Pretty Baby
16. Kennedy - Karate (Tronik Youth Edit)
17. Zimmer - Slave To Your Heart (ft. Jeremy Glenn) (Xinobi Remix)
18. Mercury - Running Back To You (feat. Christopher McCay)
19. M83 - Reunion (Mylo Remix)
20. Duff Disco - Over To The Left

Breakbot - Programme

Check out this worthy b-side from Breakbot. Breakbot has just announced the upcoming release of his first album, "By Your Side" (Ed Banger), in September 2012. "Programme" is a stunning b-side from the forthcoming single, and if the b-sides are this solid, the album is bound to be a major breakthrough for an already accomplished artist. You may have seen Breakbot over at the Sahara Tent in Coachella this past weekend. We trust you'll be seeing a lot more of him.

Eight and a Half-Go Ego (Official Video)

Eight and a Half release the official video for 'Go Ego'. The video is transfixing in its portrayal of living on the edge (literally). Living between all consuming ego, and the possibility of its death. A gorgeous woman tip toes on a high rise balcony, and we are not entirely sure why. She jumps off the edge only to fall into her bed, or is that really true? The chorus is teetering between two points itself: There goes my ego. There goes my ego meaning I've let it consume me? Or there goes my ego meaning I've finally let it go? We are unsure what it means, and we're happy to sit in its mystery.

Sebastien Tellier - Cochon Ville (Official Music Video)

Check out the official, uncensored video for Sebastien Tellier's 'Cochon Ville'. Often music videos take up an 'uncensored' tag as a quick way to generate some publicity, or they leave you wondering what needed to be uncensored. Such is not the case with the video for 'Cochon Ville'. The video takes place at the most lurid, glamour dance club you can imagine. Stefon (of SNL fame) would visit this club and be shocked at what he sees: Men dancing in purple chaps with 'Beyonce' written on them, magicians with white stars for eyes lurking in the corner, a hairball flute player in a baby blue bathrobe, a lost cocker spaniel, someone lighting fireworks in someone else's you know, and more.

Tears for Fears - Shout (SIMØNE remix)

We'll take any opportunity we can to write about Tears For Fears.  SIMØNE remixes a classic Tears for Fears track, Shout. The result is decidedly more glitchy and giddy than the original. 'Sinth Wave', they call it. SIMØNE keeps remixing our favorites from the 80s. Do check out the Barcelonian's SoundCloud page for more. The track calls for you to shout for things you could do without. OK we'll keep quiet, and keep listening to this track, but know that you should never have to jump for joy.

Major Lazer-Get Free feat. Amber of Dirty Projectors (Video)

Major Lazer, one of the tops in dance music, links up with Amber Coffman of avant-garde indie band Dirty Projectors fame. The result is as exciting and fun as you'd expect. 'Get Free' is a slowed down, sprinkling indie dance track. The video finds Major Lazer vibing to Amber's high vocals while flying with seagulls, surfing the cosmos, and sitting atop dinosaur bones. Just another day.

Ana Lola Roman-Keep It Mellow EP

Ana Lola Roman, a favorite of the Scotch & Murder team, releases her Keep It Mellow EP. The three-track EP is the best of what we've come to expect from Ana Lola Roman: Magnificently cascading across genres, eminently danceable, and explosive even in small spaces. The EP contains three joyously strange and DIY suggestive synth-pop tracks. From the track names, the EP is about taking things apart, deconstructing them: Keep it Mellow, Decode, No Architect. Ana Lola Roman succeeds in breaking things down---all the way to the bottom---and building them into her own, and juggling all the pieces effortlessly before you the whole time.

Walter Sobcek - Hollywood Cries (Video)

Walter Sobcek releases a video for Hollywood Cries. The video is an 80's treasure trove of abandoned A list, B list, C list and more Hollywood stars and moments. Hollywood Cries is taken from the French Duo's second official single Miami and includes three remixes of the title track by Muffin, Pharao Black Magic, and Kido Yoji. Miami was recorded and mixed with notable producer Samy Osta (Chromeo, Cocosuma, and Syd Matters). We expect big things from the Walter Sobcek boys in the future.

As for Hollywood Cries, the track is set against things like a orange soaked 80's Entertainment Tonight Set, and you realize how strange it would be if dark electro like this were the theme music for todays celebrity news shows. The assemblage of weird and somber Hollywood moments feels downright quaint when you consider the surreal celebrity onslaught we have today. Val Kilmer also makes an appearance in the video. I am unsure of what to label him. You can also listen to the full length uninterrupted version of the track after the video (below).

Alexander Holland - City Full of Lights (Gigamesh Remix)

Gigamesh remixes Alexander Holland's 'City of Lights'. One of the fun things about this mix is trying to guess what kind of city is being grooved about. At times the mix gets very aquatic, with slight wails that sound like the longing of whales in Atlantis. Other times, the mix has some post-industrial drums that could only come from a burned out metropolis like Detroit or Berlin. Whatever city you're in, whether above sea or under it, this mix is for you. Download Alexander Holland - City Full of Lights (Gigamesh Remix).

Live Review: The Rapture at Music Hall of Williamsburg

On a weekend where Christians were honoring the resurrection of Jesus Christ and Jews honoring redemption, hundreds of fans poured into the Music Hall of Williamsburg to honor the music of The Rapture. Their work is an infectious blend of disco from the 70's, punk rock from the 90's and electronica from naughts. The band's obsession from their very beginning is to blur the lines of these genres – so much so that The Rapture’s ever-stomping, ever-dancing, wild-arm-flinging fans could listen to them anywhere – from a grungy dive bar to a glitzy dance party.

In all of their songs, but especially in their performances of  Get Myself Into It, House of Jealous Lovers and the show's finale, How Deep is Your Love, Vito Roccoforte's relentless force of drums and Gabriel Andruzzi's propulsive melodic saxophone blend into a groove with Luke Jenner's soulful, shrilling, aching-but always powerful voice. The audience was mostly young, dressed down and unpretentious – fans who let the music take control and simply danced their hearts out. The first encore, Children, seemed a touch on the emo side, but Miss You and How Deep is Your Love even motivated fans from the very back of the second level to get on their feet and move.

Other works to highlight were Whoo! Alright Yeah... Uh Huh (or WAYUH) and a recent favorite of mine, Sail Away, where Luke Jenner's voice is haunting and romantic and nostalgic all at once.

There were no variations between their performed and recorded songs – proof that Jenner sings and wails his heart out just as much in concert as in the studio. It's clear the band is confident in their identity and their accomplishments. Jenner recently posted this on the band's blog:

Because “House of Jealous Lovers” didn’t get played on the radio and sell millions of records I thought I had failed....That song changed the game, we were the first band of our generation to write a really killer song that incorporated something that you could DJ in a club full stop with a punk vibe. ... I think it’s finally time for me to claim it, to be myself, fearlessly. Ten years ago, I accomplished everything I ever wanted in music. To make a mark, to be part of the awesome chain of music history, however small.

The Rapture proves that obsession is a prerequisite to success. Their music succeeds because of their never-ending chase to perfect their sound – they are game changers and they should claim it.

The Rapture will be playing at Coachella in San Diego on Friday, April 13. We hope to see you there.

Stuck in the Sound - Brother (Yuksek Remix)

Yuksek remixes Stuck in the Sound's 'Brother'. The freak-funk is released on this mix. Instrumental wise, the beat would not be out of place on a conga line during a Soul Train episode. And the vocals? The vocals sound like Bon Iver on PCP. Brother, where aren't thou fun?

Sebastien Tellier - Cochon Ville (Brodinski Remix)

Brodinski takes a spin with Sebastien Tellier's Cochon Ville. Brodinski pushes the track every inner working to a furious pace. For crescendo fiends, this track is a marvel. The crescendo's build up with infinitely spliced electro effects, and come down in pounds of menacing synths and hand drums. A mix not for the faint of heart.

Krychek - Room No. 237

Scotch & Murder favorite Krychek releases Room No. 237, a blistering 50 minute mix of the best in house, disco and funk. In case you've lived in a secluded hotel all winter and are unfamiliar with the Room 237 title, it is a number play on the mysterious room in The Shining where no one is allowed to enter. In that room (should you ignore the warning)people age backward, red rum is a favorite, and all things hedonistic rule. You can leave anytime you want, so step in to Kyrchek's seamless mix and at least get some senseless dancing in. The mix features the likes of Oliver, Pat Lok, JBAG, Moon Boots, Childish Gambino, and many more. On second thought, you might not be able to stop, and you might lose all desire to leave, but what the hell.

Destructo (feat. Oliver) - La Funky

Destructo, featuring Oliver, releases 'La Funky'. The track is a blood brother from the land of where all funky things come. The fun part about the record is that it combines this deep rooted funkiness with a lively industrial feel. Destructo's EP "Technology" was just released. You can find it over on iTunes.

Final DJ's - F.A.R.E.W.E.L.L

Final DJ's bid you a supremely 80s adieu with 'F.A.R.E.W.E.L.L'. The instrumental, elegant and well-paced, brings to mind the best of New Order and French house. The track is an ideal one for closing the party. Final DJ's should be your last guide for the night. It is not a goodbye, but a 'see you later'.

Destructo - Technology (Video)

Destructo releases a video for the title track of his EP. The video first appears like just another modern day, technology assisted breakup video. Everyone is talking loud, but saying nothing. But this is Destructo, and things get especially complicated when your girlfriend is a robot. This isn't 'Revenge of the Fembots' or 'Attack of the 50,000,000 MegaWatt woman'. Things get a lot weirder than that. Check it out below.

Lifelike - New DJ Set

Lifelike release a new, expansive DJ set. This 50 minute set includes tracks from Alan Braxe, Daft Punk, Eric Pyrdz, and more. And each have the Lifelike touch, of course. Personal standouts for this blogger include Lifelike's remix of Visitor's 'Coming Home' and Petar DunDov's 'Stairway'. Take a listen and pick yours.

Track List: :

1- SURRENDER - Conflicted - (Original Mix) - HotdamnDirty Disco
2- STEVE STRIP & DAS GLOW - Calcium - BNR Trax
3- HOUSSE DE RACKET - Roman - (Oliver Remix) - Kitsuné
4- TYSON - Out Of My Mind -(Original Mix) - Backyard Rec.
5- M83 - Midnight City - (Eric Prydz Remix) - EMI
6- VANDROID - Master & Servant - (Yuksek Remix) - Vandroid rec.
7- ROMAN D'AMOUR - Make Love Tonight (Peo DePitte Remix)-ComputerScience
8- ALAN BRAXE & FRED FALKE "Rubicon" (Lifelike re-edit) - Delabel/EMI
9- LL TON J - Roger More - (Phonat Re-edit) - Mofohifi
10- BOYS NOIZE - Yeah (Original Mix) - Boysnoise Records
11- VISITOR - Coming Home - (Lifelike Remix) - Glasgow Underground Ltd
12- TIGER & WOODS - "Deflowered" - (Original Mix) - Running Back Rec.
13- LIFELIKE & POPULAR COMPUTER "Getting High" - ComputerScience PROMO
14- PETAR DUNDOV - Stairway - MusicManRecords
15- JOKERS OF THE SCENE - Black Mountie - (Shadow Dancer Remix) - Fool's Gold
16- SEBASTIAN feat. MAYER HAWTHORNE - "Love In Motion" - Ed Banger/Because Music

RÜFÜS - This Summer (Official Video)

RUFUS releases the official video for 'This Summer'. The video begins with a person emerging from a sepia tinged swamp, and things get stranger from there. They invade a wedding reception, star on the dance floor, and they're not even the focus for the whole video. The camera follows a cast of characters with deft tracking shots, detailing the throw-ups, fist fights, and occasional blood that comes with some sweltering summer nights. There are some nights when a figure emerging from the water, impeccably dressed, is the least bizarre thing.

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - Tapes & Money (John Talabot's Ritual Reconstruction)

John Talabot releases a 'ritual reconstruction' of T.E.E.D's Tapes & Money. The track is a sinisterly spinning instrumental with looped vocals lamenting 'it's all lies, it's all lies'. Soon a swimming synth breaks in and you're hooked. An interesting thing about the 'it's all lies' loop is that if you listen to it, it almost sounds like it echoes back 'so have I'. Lying and being lied to rarely felt so ok.

Zimmer-Horizontal Disco (Remixes)

Zimmer releases six remixes in a set of Horizontal Disco (remixes). The remixes feature the likes of Lou Teti, Moon Boots, Xinobi, and more. Zimmer's 'Slave To Your Heart' gets the most reworking here, with three distinct remixes to its credit. Horizontal Disco, while having many meanings, has one I can confirm. These tracks are meant to be enjoyed sequentially, zipping one-by-one down the Zimmer line.

Simian Mobile Disco - Cerulean

Simian Mobile Disco a remarkable visual treatment for 'Cerluean' that would make Paul Klee and Kandinsky proud. The video is so many things. At times it looks like brickles on acid. Other times it looks like Pong skimming on stardust. The video may seem like too much just by these descriptions, but a single, humble ball guides you through the virtual wonders. The video astounds, but never overwhelms.

Air France - It Feels Good To Be Around You (Memory Tapes version)

Air France announced their breakup not long ago, but that doesn't mean a mood of doom and gloom has to be the only response. Tributes and memories can lighten the mood. Memory Tapes provide a wonderful tribute to Air France in their remix of 'It Feels Good To Be Around You'. The remix has an indelible loveliness befitting of the artist it re-imagines. The members of Air France may not be around each other all the time, but they'll be around in the speaks of Memory Tapes and everyone else. And in this sense, Air France has never left.

Air France-It Feels Good To Be Around You (Memory Tapes Version)

Tanlines - All of Me (Video)

Playing a little catch up here. Tanlines released a video for 'All of Me' a minuet ago. The video is at times remarkably noir and futuristic. Tanlines play their tune on a faded television in the middle of bar that gives new definition to 'seedy'. The lowly figures in the bar watching Tanlines on the telly may look removed and gruffed, but that does not mean they can't dance once in a while if inspired. The indie pop stylings of Tanlines do just the trick, and we are privy to hilarious, stiff but sincere dances among the bar folk. Sometimes you just gotta give in.

Jack's Vengeance-Gimme

Jack's Vengeance gives you Gimme. The electronic song is a slow, magnetic builder. The track begins with cold crushed drums, slowly sliding in bumpy bass, and soon things become awash in layers of hypnotic sounds. The track is off of Jack Vengeance's EP, the 'Vengeance EP'. The EP, which features four nice cuts in house and electro styles, can be purchased here.

Ben Browning - Lover Motion (EP)

Ben Browning releases his Lover Motion EP. Browning, a bassist in Cut Copy, brings the exuberance of his famed band and combines it with his strong individual vision. The EP has the best of what we expect from Browning. Delicate turns of phrase, and sonic synths. Lover Motion EP is fun from front to back, from the opening club-pop of 'I Can't Stay' to the closing instrumentals of 'Bullet Island'.

Violens - New 7" "Totally True" and East Coast Tour

Violens announce a new 7" of their 'Totally True' track---and if that tantalizing prospect is not enough for you---they also announce a small string of East Coast tour dates. 'Totally True' will be out April 17th on Slumberland Records, while Violens will be out-and-about starting with Miami on April 14th and ending with NY on May 16th. The tour and 7"--the first single-- are in celebration of Violens' upcoming album release, True. If there was ever a single name that promised to give you a taste of what the album will sounds like, Totally True is it. We expect the track to be the best of Violens---silk harmonies, crafted guitar, and delicate improvisation. And we expect to see you at the NY show.

Vilones East Coast Tour: 

4/14 - Miami, FL @ Maps Backlot -Art Walk Concert Series  

4/28 - Hamden, CT @ Outer Space w/Lower Dens

4/29 - Boston, MA @ Great Scott w/Lower Dens

5/03 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda's w/Lower Dens

5/04 - Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel w/Lower Dens

5/05 - Baltimore, MD @Otto Bar w/ Lower Dens

5/16 - New York, NY @Le Poisson Rouge (Record Release show)

Gramatik - #Digitalfreedom (Mixtape)

Gramatik releases his #digitalfreedom mix tape. This six song, free EP features Gramatik switching it up a bit, moving from his hip-hop roots toward dance and electronic. We are pleased to say that his foray succeeds. Tracks like 'Fist Up' and '23 Flavors' find Gramatik at his most wobbly wobbly, and he actually makes the term not a bad thing. The tracks are powerful and confident, but never forced, and always freeing.

The Beatles - While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Guideo Re-Edit)

Young upstarts The Beatles get a remix--courtesy of Guido Minisky-- of one of their biggest hits, 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps'. The Beatles original is one of the most covered tracks of theirs, its sonic depth lending itself to remixes from acts as varied as Wu-Tang and the very own Guido Minisky. Minisky labels his remix as 'Playing God with the Legend', and Minisky is in total control here. The song takes an approach not yet heard as it loops the memorable '1.2.3.4' from the songs opening, and layers it over the classic chord progression. The rest of the track is just as bold and fun, from breakdown to chorus. The guitar doesn't weep hear. It claps.

Cut Your Hair-Utah in Pictures

Cut Your Hair release their debut single, Utah in Pictures. Catalan three-piece set Cut Your Hair are awash in indie euphoria (coincidence or not, their band name shares the same name as one of indie god Pavement's most famous tracks), and their music is a burst of golden guitars and melodies. Consider it wonderfully strange, then, that the source of inspiration for this euphoric band is, of all places, Salt Lake City. Salt Lake City, for many Americans, may best be remembered for the Winter Olympics and impeccably gray haired John Huntsman, but Cut Your Hair gives the city a well needed shot of spritely spirit. We look forward to seeing what Cut Your Hair enliven next.

Goldroom - Morgan's Bay (Video)

Goldroom release a video for 'Morgan's Bay'. The track is the definition of 'summery', and as we seem to finally hit our stride in nice weather this week, the timing is opportune. The video---containing found footage---is a golden testament to familiar summer tropes: Surfing, sunsets, and, well, seagulls. The visuals switch between faraway, panoramic views, and very minute close-ups of things unexpected. Perhaps the coolest shot is of bubbles bellowing and faintly bursting on the water, just like the beats on the track.

Moon Boots - Got Somebody

Moon Boots offer up 'Got Somebody'. The tropical-tinged track is described as 'balmy, romantic, and free'. The song brilliantly re-imagines Wayne Wonder's 'No Letting Go', and Wayne Wonder is in need of reinvention. However, instead of the words 'No Letting Go', the remix seems to say 'No letting back'. Don't let affect your feelings about the replay button.

The Naked and Famous - No Way (Co-Pilots Remix) + Video

The Naked and Famous get the remix treatment from Co-Pilots. The remix is heavy on the tribal drums, and the soft melodies. At about 1:30, it breaks into a lilting guitar melody. But seconds later, we are crashing into a wall of jarring guitar. This remix will keep you on your toes, physically and mentally. We've also included the stellar video to the original track. 

Ana Lola Roman - Telegram (TEEEL Remix)

Two Scotch & Murder favorites, Ana Lola Roman and TEEEL, feature on a remix of 'Telegram'. TEEEL's remix of Ana Lola Roman's 'Telegram' stretches the vocals to a truly cascading chorus. The chorus sounds as if someone is tickling Ana Lola Roman's throat with a fuzzed out record player needle. It takes a bold artist to match the inventiveness of Ana Lola Roman, and TEEEL is just the match. How does one recreate an artist who is already a remarkable collagist? By throwing all those concerns out the window, and jumping into the creative ether right alongside her.

Cosmic Opera - Act II - Imbroglio

Cosmic Opera unveils their second act, a visual and aural feast featuring the likes of Fedde Le Grand,  Zedd, FunkAgenda, Felix Cartal, and more. Set to take place at Hammerstein Ballroom on April 5th & April 6th, Cosmic Opera Act II has taken the ambition of the original to even greater heights. One often wonders, when listening to a particularly great electro/house track, what would it be like to put my inner experiences into concrete images (beyond the iTunes visualizer)? Cosmic Opera Act II is the answer to the that: It's a full-on laser show, prop and electric dance spectacular. It is telling that, in the reviews for Act I, nearly every critic had their own favorite moment or image. You don't have to go to the actual cosmos to celestial experience. Just go to the Cosmic Opera: Act II show on April 5th & 6th.