Perfume Genius - “Hood”

In less than twenty years from now, we’re going to look back at the video to this wonderful piano-driven heartfelt gay ballad and go “Oh! Gimme a break! What was so controversial about this back then?” People are still reacting weirdly to this. I don’t think most people are just “there” yet. Perfume Genius’ Learning was among Ghost FM’s 2010 favorites and I still haven’t regretted a thing. Here on Put Your Back N 2 It (and how it brings a hip-hop album title rather than anything else to mind), the restlessness is replaced by the span of affection and Mike Hadreas songwriting reaches a content level. Frankly, I’d rather go with Learning. But the maturity resembles Antony & the Johnsons migration from I Am A Bird Now to The Crying Light. “Hood” is by a significant distance my pick from the album. But it deliberately commits suicide at the summit of its beauty. The song reaches the end of the road the moment you familiarize yourself with it. It’s the short anecdote of dysfunctional love and fear for a fragile courtship. So I cannot foresee a happy ending to that. Gorgeous sad love song nevertheless.

Ghost Loft - “Slowdowntime”

On March 26th, Joel Karlsson and Henrik Markstedt of the Swedish electronic duo Air France decided to end their short Euphoria in this post. I think they’ll be missed. I personally wanted more of that tropical aimless beach walking. But the aura of those vibes leaves a ghost to rise from Los Angeles. I’m not doing analogies here, but if you could set your worries on hibernation with Air France or if you’re an afloat chillwaver in your calm ocean enjoying the likes of Washed Out, Danny Choi is bringing you the very effortless ecstasy. So put your feet up, avoid any sort of challenge and swim this well of innocence.

Bondax - “All Inside”

A liquid intermission. Easily digestible. There’s nothing about Bondax’s “All Inside” that disrupts, interrupts or puzzles your ears. It’s a long inhale of red roses scent through an oxygen mask. It sets your focus on autopilot. These soaped up and then rinsed cathartic sonic textures come from a Lancaster county duo of teenager producer/DJs. This is already hyped on blogosphere here and there. So, I’m not here to add up junk scribble to that. So hear me out! Hear me out! It comes with today’s lengthy 10-post prescription. Lord, I haven’t ever posted this much stuff in a day. Somebody stop me! Not you! Sit down! Keep pushing those triangles! Good.

////G.R. Zømbie/// - “That’s Not Jesus”

There! I thought I lost track of this relentless post-witch-house nightmare somewhere in the bottom of my inbox. I’m glad it finally surfaced when I got a chance to go through all the latest review requests and looking at the number of posts you see here on the blog tonight, it’s safe to say most of them turned out to be…dope, or swag or whatever school kids re-define as cool and worthwhile these days, I don’t care. This idiosyncratic amalgam of coldwave okkvit goth is the work of a living entity called M▲vϟ✡l€vm ϟh∆w†y from Pittsburgh/NYC.

As for an avid masochistic sonic wrestler like me who also got a kick out of Gatekeeper’s Giza EP last year, this heavy dose of sci-fi death rave is quite essential. It keeps you remote from any sort of deity that entangle you in exhausting rituals for it’s a church of its own. A cathedral with holiness sucked out and a murdered God. No offense. But that would at least put a smile on Marilyn Manson face, innit?

Possimiste - “Clockworkbird”

From Tallinn, the capital and the largest city of Estonia, the 19-year-old uber-experimentalist girl behind this dreamy fairy parade likes to hide behind her moniker. As of now I think it’s wise. And hearing the shady Disney murmurs on her latest video single proves the buzz for she being one of the mysterious new faces in Estonian underground music. Influenced by Björk and Cocteau Twins, “Clockworkbird” is a theater play. You’ll be someone like Alice being dragged into an otherworldly bliss. And somebody’s showing you around.

But no talk required as there’s a video to this that elaborates everything.

The Breakups - “Sentimentalities”

Here’s your Easter egg! They call it Påsk in Sweden and it has already started. And I’m coming back to this delightful pop song because I tweeted about it a while ago but I don’t think it was enough.

“Sentimentalities” comes from this LA band’s debut full-length called Running Jumping Falling Shouting. It blends a handful of factors that each tempts me alone. So, sorry but I cannot resist. Jake Gideon’s voice as tender as Figure 8 era Elliott Smith, riffs as melodic as Aimee Mann’s slick touches on Lost In Space, a permanent American Beauty/Eternal Sunshine state of mind throughout the progress and an enchanted noisy guitar solo that brings the likes of Silverchair’s “Ana’s Song” even though a bit less darker and more optimistic. All in all, playful and catchy.

The Chaplins  - “Black Nights Amber Lights”

I’ve seen Control. I’ve watched all Joy Division videos. I’ve been reflecting upon those epileptic moves. I even listen to New Order regularly if that helps. But I want to know when exactly during the 24-hour spin of clock hands did Ian Curtis start writing those nocturnal soul-shakers? Because I’m becoming obsessed with that lightweight indifference of midnight. That’s how I started this blog: with a Burial song. But whatever went on Curtis’ head back at those (presumably) nights, gave birth to a torrent of wavelengths.

This song by these newcomers from North East England is nothing exceptional, but it conveys the very emotionless feeling of a nightly memory. Except that it’s backed up with so much rhythm and groove. So it won’t stand in the same queue as JD for there’s also a yearning for Morrissey in its mindless post-punk swagger.

Radials - “Ships In the Night”

Looking for a London band with a girl called Sara Tanat-Jones behind the drums and doing the vox? Apart from that, Radials’ debut EP comes with 4 separate precious artworks for each of its songs and “Ships In the Night” is their tune up, switch on and kick off.

Entrepreneurs - “I Am 3!”

This was my last week’s jam in this minimal web sensation This Is My Jam. I created a profile there and I guess it means nothing but fun. I embrace these small ideas. I wish I could come up with one as well. But this uncanny room shaker comes off Entrepreneurs new EP called The Florida Root Canal. No further comments on this one as this paragraph on The Burning Ear has beautifully put it already. Free download link, too.

And oh great, the guy has just shut down his MySpace and Bandcamp. But no regrets for there’s always Soundcloud and Facebook. No more info available on him yet except that he has a tumblr and he tweets…and he’s from London. It’s in UK.