yesterday i had the longest ever dream that the world was endless with possibilities

The Sound Of Arrows - Magic
For those who've heard this song before, and wondering why the name is slightly different, it's because the band has renamed it from M.A.G.I.C to Magic for it's new release as a single. It also comes with one of the most amazing music videos I've ever seen.

A real sugary electropop ditty, it's catchy with all the prerequisite hooks and lyrics you can easily sing along to. Cue a video about 2 kids who wake up to realise they are the only ones left in their town; the adults are all gone. They go about their deserted town doing various things kids would do. The childlike innocence makes you smile inside, and it explodes into full blown fuzzy warmth when you see them packing for a road trip on their own. They meet other kids and "Where The Wild Things Are" type creatures. Pure pop bliss at its best from, you've got it right, a Swedish duo.

Yes Giantess - You Were Young
Bright synths and and a melody that just screams fun.

The Radio Dept. - Domestic Scene

all that you want from me you can take it away

Lusine - Double Vision
With a track so ridiculously chill, I just might get double vision once I get high on this drug called good music. A distant beat that palpitates in the quiet of the night, lingering for a while and drifting away just as you think it has settled. Fantastic for a late night jaunt.

André Obin - Soft Rain
It has a intro very similar to another song but I just can't put my finger to it. Whatever it is, sparkling lux synths dominate this outstanding track, along with whispered lyrics that you can't quite decipher its meaning. Multi-layered electronic sounds draw you magnetically into its glorious procession, providing a sort of secret warmth that you'd like to embrace.

Susumu Yokota - Tobiume
This is like dope from the land of the rising sun. I think one can vaguely sense the progression towards the end amidst the constant repetition of hollow synths.

i will hold on to you like a fool till my hands go blue

Think I'm just gonna do a Monarchy post. They've released tons of songs without actually releasing a full album, but they've finally decided to do so. Their debut album "Around The Sun" which will drop in about 6 days is a chockful of goodness, almost all of which has been released or floating around the interweb already. Pardon my excessive posting of Monarchy stuff (I've posted almost everything they have I think), but I really love their music. Don't think I'll ever tire of it.

Monarchy - You Don't Want to Dance With Me
This track has actually been around for quite some time, I'm surprised I didn't listen to it before. Big fat drumbeats invite you into this council of sound, curated by none other than the two kings of spacey electronic sounds behind their masks. Toss in some snazzy electrowork and scratching, with some cheesy (well, it works all the same) lyrics, you've got a sure fire hit among Monarchy fans.

Monarchy - Call
Heady mix of twinkly samples, fat beats and casual vocals in a part downtempo, part trance-ish dance track.

Monarchy - Floating Cars
I would hazard to say that Monarchy are synonymous with atmospheric spacey sounds incorporated into very catchy dance tracks. They do it with such panache and as much as some might say it gets boring, I'm sure they're getting themselves heard.

you want the moon but you've got the sun

I miss HK, it was a blast over there.

Pulseprogramming - First They Fire
Loving the synthy beats and vocals awash in 80s nostalgia. The song just latches onto your subconscious, be it the gentle cooing or how it invokes foggy memories of yesteryear.

Jatoma - Little Houseboat
Fancy little song here that's quite trippy, a generous helping of electronic bleeps and bloops before evolving into gorgeous deep bass beats. Sexyyyyy.

Digitalism - 2 Hearts
Electronic married to pop-bliss.

when you appear i know i won't be here

BACK!!! Like finally.

Tame Impala - Expectation
Totally wall of sound-esque, Tame Impala literally gives us a kaleidoscopic performance that seems like it's going to tear everything apart, yet in a weird sort of way, come across as cool, calm and collected. I think it's partly due to Kevin Parker's vocals which are eerily drug inducing.

Cut Copy - Take Me Over
I don't know what's more exciting, TRON which is soon to be released, next week in fact or that Cut Copy, fellow label mates of Tame Impala and Aussies dropping their first single for their new album "Zonoscope" in February 2011. As Whitford croons "Take me over, take me out, to the jungle through the night in paradise, paradise", it personifies this synthy pop funk that Cut Copy is reeling us in with. The synths are typical of Cut Copy, but this almost saccharine pop number less so. Nonetheless, you'll still love Cut Copy. I still do. Stay tuned for their new album!

Gorillaz - Crystalised (The xx Cover)
Check this out! It's dope as hell, Damon Albarn and co covering an XX favourite. So affecting and showing on his face, it contrasts a little with the minimalist emotionless style of The xx. Anyone's gotta love BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge for giving us music lovers all sorts of amazing covers, some of which I've featured before.

Chief - Night & Day
Utterly a-fucken-mazing. Succinctly summed up by Paul Lester from Guardian as "Masters of mellow, this LA four-piece specialise in pretty melodies evocative of 1970s America". Sounding similar to Fanfarlo, Midlake and by extension any 70s band, certainly not "smacking of originality" in Mr Lester's words, their arresting earnestness and lyricism sure is a breath of fresh air.

they forgot what they lost but they know it was good

Stars - Dead Hearts
They worked with BSS on the release of "World Sick" and yet managed to drop a fantastic new album that's more introspective than before. Lovely melodious piece that belies the melancholy evocated by lines like "It's hard to know they're out there, it's hard to know that you still care".

Stars - I Died So I Could Haunt You
They don't disappoint do they? Glorious synths take its place in the background, and soon complemented by driving beats. A cascade of sounds that's seemingly fitting for a song that has its roots in rock.

Wang Chung - Space Junk
Wang Chung - what a cool name. And equally matched by laidback vocals and dallying backing rhythms.

looking into your eyes for a sign

I think this will be my last post in quite a while. Don't have much time to do regular postings since school started, and I miss writing about fantastic songs. I would appreciate if anyone would like to fill in for me as a guest writer, maybe with me chipping in every now and then. I still love this sweet labour of mine and would still very much like to spread the goodness of indie music around.

Isbells - Reunite
Thanks to the anonymous reader who told me about this song. I was thoroughly enchanted by Gaëtan Vandewoude's crisp yet introspective vocals. He sounds like a cross between the folksiness of Fleet Foxes and the pensiveness of Little Dragon, in particular Twice. Gorgeous music with an equally stunning video. They managed to make music sound like an art piece, with subtle yet affecting strokes of the brush on a sparse canvas.

School of Seven Bells - I L U
Straying quite a bit from the dream pop that fueled most of their debut album "Alpinisms", this particular track plays up the expansive soundscape and clearer vocals from Alejandra Deheza.

Sarah Blasko - All I Want
All personal and straightforward, coupled with her smoky vocals, Sarah Blasko hits home with this folksy-acoustic number. She's from Down Under, and for those who don't know yet, she'll be performing a cosy set at the Esplanade Recital Studio on 8 Nov.


With this, I'm taking an unfortunate and indefinite hiatus, until I've figured how to squeeze time for posts. Unless of course, someone who can guest write turns up and offers his/her services. Till then!

you know these dreams can never stay right

Him: Jade
Her: Alexander
Him: Do you remember that day you fell out of my window?
Her: I sure do, you came jumping out after me
Him: Well, you fell on the concrete, nearly broke your ass, you were bleeding all over the place and I rushed you out to the hospital, you remember that?
Her: Yes, I do
Him: Well, there's something I never told you about that night
Her: What didn't you tell me?
Him: While you were sitting in the backseat smoking a cigarette you thought was going to be your last, I was falling deep, deeply in love with you, and I never told you until just now

- Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros in Home


Villa Nah - Daylight
There's a plethora of bands out there such as Tesla Boy, The Polyamorous Affair to name some off the top of my head, influenced by the sounds of the 80s. I'm not too sure what it sounds like since I was the last of the 80s, but if it's anything to go by, I'm sure it must have been a rollin' good time. Probably trying to recapture the halcyon days and lost youth, the Finnish duo that is Juho Paalosmaa and Tomi Hyyppä employ retro disco beats reminiscent of OMD, Depeche Mode and New Order. You feel the longing amidst the effects-laden vocals and the twinkling synths provide warmth that you're more than glad to retreat in to. There's no hurrying to speak off, where instead, more precise composition reflects the thought they have put into it.

Villa Nah - Emerald Hills
They waste no time and open with 8 bit synths that are a throwback to the 80s yet again, before mellifluous synths take over seamlessly. Akin to a joyous journey of self-discovery, measured intonations are sparse yet provide a curious sense of reality amidst the zen like soundscape they portray. A brilliant ode to the past which ends all too quickly.

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - Home
This ragtag bunch almost seem like an American version of BSS. Alex Ebert and Jade Castrinos' vocals intertwine to good effect here; the entire entourage of musical instruments make this a work of unabashed joy, a mix of wonderful romanticism and perky fun. How can anyone not feel unlimited happiness with such whistling and the earnestness that flows free from their voices?

My vote to this video for best use of a song. Triple thumbs up.


On a side note, I would appreciate comments, both good and bad, on the new banner picture.

put all five senses back to where they're meant to be

Tame Impala - Lucidity
Psych rock quartet Tame Impala from Perth dazzle with a rockin' good track off their debut album "Innerspeaker". Blissful trippy beats and fuzzy guitars make this quite the treat. Signed to Modular Records, the people who brought you Cut Copy, Tame Impala is definitely set to start rocking our ears.

Tame Impala - It Is Not Meant To Be
Guitars take centrestage in this mindblowingly amazing song. Underneath all the new wavey comfy rhythm is a simple straightforward song about a guy who wants this girl, but she doesn't like the laid back life of weed and bumming that he leads. Although he knows he can't get her and she'd prolly just remain his friend, he's more than happy just to watch her.

LCD Soundsystem - Dance Yrself Clean
What a long song. Clocking in just under 9 minutes like many other songs in the album (i think it's bordering on insane), James Murphy slowly but not painstakingly (this man revels in his craft) builds layers upon layers in this song. An extended and almost repetitive intro that could have been a song unto it's own, I say almost because it has slight twists of lyrics that make it different in each verse. His easy speak-sing along with that regular tock totally doesn't prepare one for the ear-bliteration that occurs at 3:09. Here you see the legacy, of marrying new wave, 80s synths, electro-funk and what not artistically, that James has built. And as fitting a lead-in track for "This Is Happening", it also more than suitably marks the end of LCD Soundsystem, at least for quite some time to come, according to Mr Best-creator-of-dance-music. Meanwhile, just soak in the vibes and dance yourself clean.

you love me like a bull in a china shop

Famous Italian designer Luciano Barbera and British designer best known for being the dress designer for HM Queen Elizabeth II and their take on men's fashion. Timeless advice indeed.


A man should own as many shirts as he wishes - the more the better. I personally have so many shirts that I sometimes walk into my closet, pull one out, and think to myself, “Now where did that come from?” Having lots of shirts will allow you to surprise yourself with your own good taste.

- Luciano Barbera


Approach to dressing is a delicate subject. A preoccupation with dress is unpleasant in a woman and repellent in a man; but both sexes should pay each other the compliment of giving the appearance that trouble has been taken if no more. A man should look as if he had bought his clothes with intelligence, put them on with care, and then forgotten all about them.

- Hardy Amies



Tesla Boy - Synthetic Prince
Tesla Boy is a trio of Russians, Anton Sevidov, Dima Midborn and Boris Lifshits, and for starters, they call themselves mind-blowingly good. Synthetic Prince is resonant with the 80s disco groove of yesteryears, reminding one of Giorgio Moroder and the subtle nostalgia of Tears for Fears. Despite this, they throw in a modern blend of electronic like The Golden Filter and Cut Copy. Epic and full of its own identity, it slowly takes root in your consciousness and demands your complete attention.

Dragonette - Easy
Hard as it might be to think, this is Martina Sorbara in a stripped down electronic ditty about a woman's simple love for a man. There's ample space for Martina to express her surprisingly lush vocals, without being overwhelmed by super synths and millions of layers of sounds. What's not to like about this electronic ballad?

jj - Ceo Birthday
Initially I thought it was their dedication to labelmate's ceo. But further listening yielded their own take of Jeremih's Birthday Sex. It was dropped on their label with an odd and mysterious message "here's to those moments when the illusions of separation collapse and we are one, we are life. here's to bonds stronger than blood. cin cin." A quick search shows that cin cin could be an italian way of toasting or saying cheers. (urbandictionary)

The song is astonishingly beautiful and ethereal if you ask me. Very simple yet larger than life, it is played out on the piano to an exquisite rhythm. Wonder why it wasn't released with "jj n° 3". Cin cin.

Get it from their label right here right now.

memory tells me that these times are worth working for

Whenever people agree with me I always feel I must be wrong.

- Oscar Wilde


Violens - Already Over
Psychedelic pop running riot.

Super Desserts - Ibiza
Kooky mid-western charm.

Stars - Fixed
The bliss of synth.

Local Natives - Camera Talk
Pure infectious hooks.

we're bound to wait all night

I was sitting across from the rotating sign
For the Liberty Brass Turning Company

Automatic Screw Machine Products


And brooding about our fathers
Always on the make to make more money

Screw Machine Products Automatic


Tender wounded brassy unsystematic
Free American men obsessing about margins

Machine Products Automatic Screw


Selling every day of their God-damned lives
To some Liberty Brass Turning Company

Products Automatic Screw Machine


Until they were screwed into boxes
And planted in plots paid and unpaid

Automatic Screw Machine Products


- LIBERTY BRASS by Edward Hirsch




Menew - Don't Give Up On Us Now
I've got to give much props to the music supervisor, a certain Alexandra Patsavas, of Chuck. She makes the most awesome song choices, totally apt for the situation, emotions, amplifying everything that the scene is trying to portray many times over. Take this song for instance, it cues at the instance when Chuck is tossed into the van after getting caught. He was utterly distraught at seeing his dad being shot by Shaw and everything seems bleak for Team Bartowski, as he says "There's no one left to save us." A glimmer of hope beckons as Devon asks Ellie if she's ready to do this (to save Team Bartowski), to which she firmly agrees. It's very apt in that while Chuck has all but given up, a glimmer of hope came from Ellie, Devon and Morgan, who haven't given up on saving them.

Miike Snow - Billie Holiday
Here's some Miike Snow who seem incapable of doing anything wrong in their eponymous album. Said track was supposedly exclusively available only on the CD release in Japan. It's got Miike Snow stamped all over it, the electro-reverbs with groovy synths coupled with really poppy hooks.

Broken Bells - The High Road
Broken Bells is a collab between Danger Mouse of Gnarls Barkley fame and James Mercer of The Shins. Beautiful soulful indie rock song, marrying obscure(?) lyrics about drugs with a touch of electronica to produce a charming song that speaks volumes about the prodigious talent these two have.

School of Seven Bells - Babelonia
Definitely a different direction as compared to Alpinisms. While still featuring the hushed lustre of the twins' vocals, it feels more textured and less dreamy, the expansive soundscape serves as a wonderful medium for their vocals to express themselves.

The Saturday Mix #41 - just gimme a second and i'll tell you

Got the picture of the cassette from here.



Hidden Cameras - Underage
Really comical video whatwith all the painted faces, even more so when they go "wa-ooh-wa-ooh-wa-ooh". Right off the bat as they stare at each other and break off in unison after a cacophony of birds chirping, it somehow feels right. Lovely catchy beat and lyrics I've yet to fully comprehend. And the shower (of I don't know what) at the end is beautiful.

Hidden Cameras - Underage (Holy Fuck Remix)

Sebastian Tellier - La Ritournelle (Mr. Dan's Magic Wand Remix)
Twinkly xylophones (probably a sample) dot this relax soundscape by Mr Tellier.

Shout Out Louds - Fall Hard
How does a rock song feel so elegant and punchy at the same time?

Shout Out Louds - Fall Hard (Passion Pit's Summertime Radio Remix)
This sounds like a keeper. It has a Neon Indian feel to the remix, going all psych rock on this song. The synths add a different dimension to this song, lovely.

Music Go Music - Warm In The Shadows (Fred Falke Remix)
Fred Falke does an 8-bit treatment of this song. Feels really warm and summery. Let's do the boogey now and get sashaying down the streets!

Florrie - Panic Attack (Fred Falke Extended Mix) (mp3)
Link provided by her own site.

Ooh, one woman show it seems. And if Fred Falke graces her songs with his magic, he's prolly seeing something in her. And rightfully so, she sounds polished and that bassline sounds sweet as hell.

i'm not the best you could have attained

Two Door Cinema Club - Undercover Martyn
Two Door Cinema Club are Alex Trimble, Kevin Baird and Sam Halliday. The Irish trio are the new found purveyors of electropop. Some say their songs lack depth, but with a song as catchy as this which hooks you line and sinker, I say we give them time to hone their craft, and soon we might get some catchy and meaningful stuff from them. Trust me when I say it's extremely catchy - cause it really is, good for the bright warm days of summer.

Two Door Cinema Club - What You Know
Catchy riffs and synths go rampant as they let loose with another similar sounding song, but I'm not complaining. I'm involuntarily bopping my head to the beat. Tourist History sounds like it's gonna be another remix galore.

The Morning Benders - Excuses
Sweet shiny strumming guitar that makes this a really lovely wake up song on a good summer morning. In a bright breezy mood right now, all cause of this song.

we are falling straight down so don't lose hope

Bear in Heaven - Lovesick Teenagers (mp3)
A synth cascade opens this seemingly simple and straightforward track. But the song is really much more than just 'lovesick teenagers'. It's more about hope. The persistent electronic ba-dump in the background seems lulling, while Jon Philpot's vocals seems to be treading with caution. Almost as if it would culminate in a climax as the pace hastens, bringing about a glorious eruption of what not, the song halts abruptly, leaving you hanging.

Caribou - Odessa
An intriguing song with seemingly Middle Eastern influences, Dan Snaith sings ponderously about a girl tired of crying and all her man's lies. There's something intangible about the song that ensnares you, compels you to put yourself into the shoes of this young girl, as she stands up for herself and decides to leave him.

Charlotte Gainsbourg - IRM

Class Actress - Careful What You Say (mp3)
Not a direct link, get it via RCRDLBL. A class act indeed, doling out pop ditties with graceful ease, controlled vocals melded with sparkly synths is definitely a recipe for guilty pleasure. Someone mentioned somewhere she sounded uncannily like Karen O. Anyone agrees?

i'll be right on the train

Fink - If Only
Excellent musician who dabbles in electronic to jazz to house. I really dig the slow laidback melody of this song, like taking a stroll along the streets of the city, under the glow of the streetlamps, shadows lengthening and shortening. The silence of the night a comforting feeling.

The Dutchess and the Duke - Living This Life (mp3)

Darlings - Teenage Girls
Quirky song and love it much!

Air - So Light Is Her Footfall