[upcoming bands] Numbers Game

Numbers game is a kind of new DIY aesthetics musical project of Doc Matthews. When I hear his songs, I think of a different Ariel Pink. Like a more audible Ariel Pink with extended tracks, you know. I still don't get why Numbers Game isn't already one of those hype bands. Take this as a fine example: Wavves are an overrated band, so why isn't this overrated too?
I only hope Doc Matthews keeps producing songs like these. Check out his website. He's got free MP3 there too [and flacs].

[Interview] Floating Colors

Yesterday I made an interview through myspace with Floating Colors. Their music seems to me intense and chaotic but still really appealing. I won't speak much about them, because all of this interview has got enough info to satisfy most of you:
Most of the interview, it was the band member Stephen Palke answering the questions.
The interview went like this:

1. How and when did the band form?
Floating Colors came out of the ashes of a now defunct band whose name I choose not to mention. This defunct band started out as a two-piece with me and a guy whose name I choose not to mention, we improvised ambient soundscapes with keyboards and guitar. Eventually, Chase, joined this defunct band as a drummer. We had a couple of good shows and good moments together. We played with some really cool acts like The Crypts, Head Molt, Religious Girls, and Leo Heinzel, who now goes by Flesh Control nowadays. Unforunately, general fuckery transpired, and my musical partner in this defunct band, and I went our seperate ways, and so the band broke up in early July of 09. Shortly after, Chase invited me to spend time with him and his wonderful family, at his late grandfather's farm not too far from Ocean City, Maryland. Chase and I spent two weeks there, watching good films, helping out at the farm, shooting targets, drinking shots of whiskey at night, going to the beach. We talked alot. We walked alot. We found that we really respected and trusted one another, and related to one another in a special way. Our friendship became really strong. This was the musical partnership that was suppose to happen. We were both excited about starting something new, with no baggage from the past. Eventually, we both settled on the name Floating Colors. We liked Floating Colors, because it didn't pin us to any genre, and that it would be more or less true to whatever evolution we undergo as a band in the future. Chris Vincent and Alex Forck joined our band soon after. It's been really good.

2. What are your influences and favourite genres?
Stephen Palke: Broken Social Scene, John Frusciante and Jim O'Rourke have always been favorites of mine. Lately, I've been listening to Grouper, Broadcast and Beach House alot lately.
Chase Gilbert: Influences- Frank Zappa, Bill Bruford, Les Claypool
Genres- Trip Hop, Progressive genres, and Jazz.
Chris Vincent: You already covered Claypool for me....definitely Tom Morello as far as guitar goes and Crimson...Radiohead, Portishead obviously...and genres are also trip hop, progressive, stoner rock, and electronica.

3. Do you prefer to produce music or to play live?
Playing live is the headspace we're more into. We improvise every show, so playing live is the focus rather than making recordings.

4. In the future, will your music change or will you keep an uniform direction in your evolution?
In a year or in a month, I could never say. Who knows how things could change.

5. What instruments do you use to create your music?
I play on a microkorg, some guitar, and found sounds. Chase plays on a Premier drum set. Chris plays on guitar. and Alex plays on bass guitar.

6. If your music could have an environment, what would it be like?
A really rough dive bar or a cathedral.

I have here some live recordings, courtesy of the band. Click here, to obtain them (it has around 70 megabytes - but is sure worth it!).
If you're more curious about Floating Colors, visit their myspace.
If you're more interest now in this band, send 6 dollars North America or 10 dollars via paypal to stephen_palke@yahoo.com to purchase albums, or for digital copies, go to floatingcolors.bandcamp.com.

High Places "High Places"

High Places released their debut album in 2008, self-titled "High Places". It's good, even Pitchfork reviewed it as one of the best new albums of that year. I totally advise you to hear it, if you're into more soft indie pop or/and psychedelic pop genres. Synths, nice feminine vocals and some sort of bongos that seem to fit always well with their music.
They were formed in Brooklyn, NY (in Williamsburg, I think, the epicentre of all these new indie artists... MGMT, Gang Gang Dance, Das Racist, Chairlift, Telepathe, etc.).
Recently, this duo has relocated to Los Angeles and its label is named Thrill Jockey.
Like many bands who are similar in some ways to High Places, this band also features their own blog. Of course they also have a myspace page.
The album's lenght is only 30 minutes, however one of the tracks, "From Stardust to Sentience", was listed as the 417th best song of the 2000's by Pitchfork.It was released September 23, 2008.
You can get this album right here. By the way, they've also released a compilation.

One of my favourite songs of them can be heard along with an unnoficial videoclip right below: