Johnny Fever's Not Pop Not Indie Shambhala: 2012 ed.

Pop thread: "that's indie" (this has happened)
Indie thread: "that's pop" (this actually has never happened)

What a dilemma! But I find it happens frequently, so here is a save haven to enjoy songs that straddle the fence.

For starters, here is "Maiden" by MØ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXLjKKtXn8o

Is this where I can talk about Little Boots and Saint Etienne and Dragonette and how exciting their new singles are?

Nice Phoenix ca. "If I Ever Feel Better" afropop borrowings on the MØ. My favorite in the category so far this year is Lianne La Havas post-punky "Forget", though pop-purists would likely give it a pass.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPrdfvBVaA8

<i>Is this where I can talk about Little Boots and Saint Etienne and Dragonette and how exciting their new singles are?</i>

Indeed.

Their new singles are very exciting, then.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=l-vI8bFUB_U

This new Little Boots track is also pretty great, all "la la la" and massive filter-disco bits

http://soundcloud.com/best-fit-recordings/faye-water-against-the-rocks

riyl Niki & The Dove with a little bit of swing

Hopefully the copyright cops don't take this down in the future, but this track by Saint Lou Lou is excellent. Also, I just found out they're Steve Kilbey's daughters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T22Ozz1ceHI

Singles Jukebox tackled "Maiden" on Tuesday with positive results (except Alfred): http://www.thesinglesjukebox.com/?p=5627

Digging this (from Denmark, seemingly ground zero for this stuff):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yOC0woJemc

http://polypotion.bandcamp.com/

here's that Phone Tag single that i posted to the pop thread (out next week):
http://soundcloud.com/phonetag/ghosts-behind

I likes.

Proper video for the Saint Lou Lou track I posted above (and which was yanked from youtube almost immediately)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q_WjSWTh2s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nR67ntey3Y

New Taken By Trees

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmAy3Vwih7s

I love the way the final third of this song erupts in a joysplosion.

A jam and a half

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5asY4P77hFM

Also, this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_tIYmfemOk

New Taken By Trees album is a bit of a letdown, far too meandering and not in the "lazy day on a tropical island" it seems to be aiming for.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0JsPf8xK5k

This has quite an unexpected Cocteau Twins bent (and the single's b-side even more of one).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2Cyh-LVAVw

This may be the thread to share this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vRtx8cICvs

"Vitamin C" drum pattern, so must be indie, right?

this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raqxctNC04k

I'd heard the Kate Boy, like it. The Ultraista is new to me, though. Superb!

Ultraista is Radiohead/Thom Yorke's longtime producer Nigel Godrich, drummer Joey Waronker (Beck/REM/Smashing Pumpkins), and a relative unknown (but visually stunning) vocalist Laura Bettinson. The album reminds me a lot of slightly stripped down Laika, as this isn't the only Jaki Liebezeit drum rip.

I'm pretty taken with Swedish ambient pop duo Iberia's "An Ending (Ascent)" (Vimeo link), which takes the gem off of Eno's Apollo soundtrack as its starting point (in title, chord sequence, and sample).

Worth noting: MØ follow-up single had a video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB5RfOwrmWQ#!

I like "Glass" and "Pilgrim" both, but not as much as "Maiden". Still, she's one of my favorites these days. Looking forward to the album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lddHsCBdQu8

Fresh MØ!

that track rules

There an interesting music ecology of unsolicited remixes, all requiring Facebook likes to download, at the moment. Glad I have a fake account for this purpose.

This seems is too overt (tasteless?) for the house bobbins thread, and arguably doesn't belong here, but given J. Fever's affection for "Reverse Skydiving" I thought he might enjoy this:

Kate Boy - The Way We Are (Bixel Boys Remix)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebqFK54sMmQ

Oh hey, I made a new thread just the other day!

Johnny Fever's Not Pop Not Indie Shambhala 2013