If you missed The Morning Benders’ shows in the US and unfortunately cannot afford a Christmas/New Years’ vacation in Australia where they are headed next, this may not quite be enough to counter the disappointment, but it can at least provide you with one extra tune you can impress your friends with. New York City electronic duo The Golden Filter have remixed the Californians’ ballad “Excuses,” off their album Big Echo (Rough Trade). In this shiny new arrangement, Chris Chu’s voice is complimented with Golden Filter singer Penelope Trappes’s for an eerie, echoed beginning. It quickly transitions into a steady beat that replaces the original song’s twirling guitars. Instead, a never ending keyboard loop will have you entranced, so much that the abrupt breaks in the song will have you disoriented, until you realize they were just there to let you catch your breath before another round of frenetic dancing.
You can download this remix for free on The Morning Benders’ website HERE but make sure to get a first listen below:
Summer always needs a good band that brings the best out of the season; Foreign Born does it for me. Just when you think you may possibly die of heatstroke and if you live in California you know the intensity that I am talking about, you turn to a Foreign Born track and it all seemingly becomes cooler. The group came together in the Bay Area circa 2003 and soon after, ventured into the underground music scene of Los Angeles where they now reside. When I think of Foreign Born, I think “tropical.” I don’t mean that they’re fruity but that their music conveys a global influence. The group is quite fond of incorporating global music genres into their music such as African rhythms and Latin folk. They use anything from bongos to banjos to maracas. The combination of all the different flavors results in something so irrevocably tasteful. Their newest album ‘Person To Person’ is the greatest example and measure of this group’s ability. Being that I live under the blistering hot sun, I have the album on constant replay. The clash of singer/guitarist Mark Noseworthy and the instrumentals transports you to a much breezier coastal region that can bring you sanity during wicked times as these. If their sound appeases you and you want to travel father outside of the U.S. borders, then check out the group’s other band, Fool’s Gold. This group heavily emphasizes the diversity of their instruments as they produce Kenya and island inspired songs. Foreign Born is definitely a group you can’t ignore; they bring so much to the musical table. Recommended tracks: “Early Warnings” “That Old Sun” “Winter Games”
Modern Mystery 