We Talk Music

After months of listening almost exclusively to music from Youth Lagoon and The National, my music tastes took on the form of one of those black ghost orb things commonly depicted on Celebrity Ghost Stories - a sort of hovering, depressed energy.

So, this week, with a new spring in my step and Hype Machine at my command, I set forth for greener pastures of happier, more carefree music. Here’s what I found:

Of Monsters and Men - “Little Talks”

The Icelandic six-piece are the new Edward Sharpe. They sing to your ears and play to your eyes, but dance with you in your heart, holding your hand and playfully nudging your elbow.

Download the track here, via The Muse In Music.

Passion Pit - “Take A Walk”

I’m not entirely sure how I feel about Passion Pit, with 70% of my judgment a result of “Sleepyhead”, and the other 30 from what I heard when I saw them a couple of years ago. But man does their lead single off the upcoming album make me want to take a walk in the park (and staying in the park theme: Beach House - “Walk in the Park” Live on Pitchfork TV).

Seeing as how I’m no Passion Pit expert, I was surprised that the theme of the song was so mature - it is about a family doing their best in times of turmoil. Good job guys!

Milo Greene - “1957”

Milo Greene came to my attention through the Deskless performance series, run by the NPR Music interns. They are my favourite new band, and their brand of fuss-free folk pop is immensely inclusive; sing along and you’ll feel like part of the gang. They’ve got such extraordinary pop sensibilities that snippets could pass off as a Backstreet Boys song (oh yes, that’s a compliment).

Move over Local Natives? Maybe just for now.

Download the track here, via Kata Rokkar.

www.ofmonstersandmen.is
www.passionpitmusic.com
www.milogreene.com

Hot Chip will be hitting our shores real soon, in support for the band’s upcoming release, In Our Heads, due out 11/6 via Domino.

Here’s the new video for lead single “Night & Day”, with the dancing hoodie-clad version of the Dead Poet’s Society, a supermodel in a UFO, two hunky fellas grooving next to a giant egg, and a white-haired dude whose name will suddenly come to mind sometime during lunch tomorrow.

Here’s “Over and Over”, still my favourite Hot Chip song:

And details of the show:

Tuesday, June 26th 2012
Doors at 7.30pm, Stage at 9pm
Avalon, South Crystal Pavilion, Marina Bay Sands
Limited Early Bird at $48; Advance at $65; Doors at $80
On sale at www.ticketbooth.com.sg
For table reservations, email davis@avalon.sg.

www.hotchip.co.uk

Oberhofer is essentially 20-year-old Washington native Brad Oberhofer, whose brand of pop music will make you want to hug all your primary school friends. The music preaches a sort of infectious joy that would make your mom embarrassed to bring you to your Aunt’s birthday party. Also, they sound like they could have the entire Human League discography in his iPod, which is in fact very cool indeed.

Here is Oberhofer’s “Away Frm U” (I totes h8 the shorthnd title), which oddly reminds me of Bejewelled and croissants (although I am well aware that the dancing thing that looks like said pastry probably isn’t so). They also performed their lead single on Letterman. That is here.

And here is “OoOoOoOoOoOoOo” (I’ll be honest. I am not sure how long the title is supposed to be). Any song that repeatedly uses oh’s in the chorus is a winner in my book. This version is acoustic; download the studio track here (via Indie Rock Cafe).

They’re so gonna get Glee-ed. I called it!

www.myspace.com/oberhofermusic