BAND CRUSH: Ballet School

Here's my current obsession!

BAND CRUSH: Gingerlys

Hey guys! You should be listening to this band I just discovered called Gingerlys. They are from Brooklyn and they play some neat indiepop tunes. One of the reasons why I am in love with indiepop is its distinct summery sound. Gingerly's new EP Summer Camps has that. It so sunny it could turn your white skin red.

BAND CRUSH: Old Lacy Bed

Since I'm still hung-up with my previous Nippon-inspired post, lemme share this all-girl indiepop band from Nagoya, Japan called Old Lacy Bed which reminds me of The Autocollants. I think they will be releasing a single under Dufflecoat Records soon. Here's fave from their current releases.

MUST LISTEN: Dance With Me by No Rome

If I were to ask someone to be my prom date, I'd use this song and would not take no for an answer. Well, forget about my teenage dream and focus on Number Line Records soon-to-be teen sensation Rome Gomez aka No Rome. His track Dance With Me drops this morning and it's been looping on my iTunes since then. This 17year old has been making music since he was 15 and that makes me hate my teenage self for not having a talent like that hahaha. Dance With Me is an infectious sun-kissed synthpop song perfect to kickoff the summer season. If you dig Millionyoung or Tory y Moi or you just want to hear good music then this track here is for you. Download it right away!!!

BAND CRUSH: Hospital

There's nothing clinical about this Moscow-based band but their name. First time to hear Hospital's Time Will Tell, I never thought that these guys were from Russia. I mean, I havent heard anything from there specially with their brand of music that can be mistaken as something British or Scandinavian or from elsewhere. According to the band's site, they try to fuse classical brit-pop, shoegaze, power-pop and even post-punk. And the result is this amazing seven-track EP When The Trees Were Higher which you can download for free. (Image by Anna Kova)

BAND CRUSH: Naked.

I've been obsessing with this new band from UK called Naked. the whole week and I think they deserve a separate post here. There's not much info about Naked. on the Internet as of the moment or at least about this band. Try googling 'Naked' and you'll see what I mean. They play this achingly beautiful dream pop music which sounds familiar but I couldn't find a reference to it.

The vocalist's eyes kind of remind me of Cocteau Twins' Elizabeth Fraser's...

Here's the only track on their Soundcloud and it's major LOVE!! Hope to hear more from Naked.

BAND CRUSH: Afraid of Stairs

COUNTRY: Sweden
SOUNDS LIKE... jangly 80's dreampop/shoegaze and all those Swedish awesomeness


Here's a new track from their upcoming 7" on Dufflecoat Records.

BAND CRUSH: Northern Spies

Hey guys! Check out this amazing indie-pop act from Stockholm, Sweden- Astrid a. k. a. Northern Spies. She plays calming indie-pop tunes in sweet acoustic numbers. Her EP My Middle Names is released under Eardrumspop and you can download it for free here! The track one is a major catch! Perfect song to reminisce your first date with your loves!! hahaha Stream the whole EP below :p

BAND CRUSHES: Womb and Gumdrop Season

Manila, i love you, but these two acts from the south could give your basic, over-hyped indie bands a run for their beer money.

WOMB
Cebu-based trio Womb is trying to make trip-hop a comeback with a lechon twist- crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. Im not sure why i used lechon to describe this band (i know it sounds awful)  but once you listen to their debut track, Good, you'll hit the repeat button over and over again. It's that delicious. If you're into Lamb, Massive Attack or even Dido, Womb's music is good for a nostalgic spin.

GUMDROP SEASON
Im not sure if this is the best delicacy in Cagayan de Oro but Gumdrop Season's music makes my sweet tooth satisfied. It's dancey, catchy, melodic, everything i love in a pop song. Plus the vocalist sounds like Emma Bunton! How cute is that?! Gumdrop Season has a big potential in breaking out in a much wider audience here in Manila and we are ready for them. Here's their debut single Buoyant

via Vandals on the Wall

BAND CRUSH: Library Kids

Before you list down your top/best/favorite whatever of 2012, you might want to check out this duo whose brand of indie folk might put them on your number one spot. Barely a month old project, Library Kids' dreamy take on folk music can be compared to Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes or even Sigur Rós with pop sensibilities. I have here two of their demos, still hot off their recording sessions. Hit play and abuse the repeat button.




Oh! Did i tell you they're a Filipino band?

BAND CRUSH: Astronauts, etc.

If Justin Vernon sings for The xx, it would sound like Astronauts, etc. but less boring. HE IS AMAZING! Thanks to my friend Jerry, I found his music from my spam mailbox amid the scam proposals and erectile dysfunction ads. Astronauts, etc or Anthony Ferraro IRL plays my kind of music- dreamy and melodic. No wonder he named his soon to be released debut EP Supermelodic Pulp out on September 8. I have the first two tracks from the EP below and you might want to plug in your ear/headphones for this for maximum aural pleasure.

Check out his Facebook page for videos and updates!

BAND CRUSH: Horrible Houses

Garage-folk in lo-fi. Delicious! I really dont mind the bad audio quality this act produces but Horrible Houses is definitely my new Swede delight.

He's currently released a two-track cassette under Zeon Light Kasset which includes this awesome track called Dead Surfer’s Valentine

and Terror Cassette

BAND CRUSH: Outcasts of the Universe

You guys should check out this local band called Outcasts of the Universe! They play downtempo tunes with layers of synths and electro manipulations which creates this dreamy, minimal sound. Perfect for this stormy weather. No idea why they wear masks in their live performances but if it worked for Daft Punk, it'd definitely work  for them too. I've got samples of their music below and also their new music video which stars Baron Geisler. :)

photo via Outcasts of the Universe Facebook page

BAND CRUSH: Eyedress

photo by Ecks Abitona

Idris Vicuña aka Eyedress' debut solo EP is Half Japanese half genius = 100% awesomeness!

DOWNLOAD HERE

BAND CRUSH: Jupiter

I haven't heard any good dance music lately until I discovered Jupiter. Their brand of dance music is everything I wanted.It has catchy dub beats, boogie funk, nu disco and sci-fi pop that breeze through Amélie's robo-girl vocals.

The video below is super LOVE! It's called Sake which is part of their debut album Juicy Lucy. It kinda reminds me of Daft Punk's earlier sound but with a female vocals.

I think this song just gave birth to a new genre which is French JPop hahaha

Like I said, they just released their full-length album this month called Juicy Lucy. And I must say, it's one of my fave releases so far. You can stream a minimix of the tracks from that album below. You're welcome :)

BAND CRUSH: Haim

Im not quite sure what to call the genre of music Haim is playing. I'll just call it pop for now. And the girls of Haim are soo pretty! They look like models out of an Urban Outfitters ad. 

Here's the title track of their EP, Forever. Forever sounds like the kind of song Michael Jackson would sing if he was an indie artist. You can download the Forever EP here for free!

BAND CRUSH: Child/ren of the Pilgrimage

While everyone's busy making glitches and synths from their electronics, Child/ren of the Pilgrimage is playing 14-stringed bandurria over layers of jangly guitars and hazy vocals. Lakas maka-90's shoegaze! The carrier track Apostolic Dominique Fire gives us what to expect from their upcoming full-length debut album Archaic. 

Here's one of their earlier songs Your Soul's a Jet. Lovin the Brit-pop sound!

Hope to catch these guys live soon. Child/ren of the Pilgrimage is yet another OPM indie gem we need to see more of. Check out the band's Facebook page for updates! Thanks Vandals on the Wall

BAND CRUSH: Good Night Robot

MY LATEST FAVORITE BAND!!! Good Night Robot is a San Francisco-based band that plays amazing indie-pop/dreamy tunes perfect for my staycation!!! I have here their self-titled EP from last year and it's gohorjuhzzz! They will be releasing a full-length album this May so stay tuned for that here! Oh gad Good Night Robot, be my summer fling? :)

BAND CRUSH: Team Me!

Recently obsessing with this band from Norway called Team Me and boy, their debut album To the Treetops! is the happiest I've heard this year. Their brand of music has that gleeful charm of twee but with more compact sound and orchestration.

I love that their music is very accessible and people who dont appreciate indie stuff might give this band a second chance. I specifically love the song Show Me. Why? i dunno. I just love it. It's catchy, dancey, poppy and all that beautiful adjectives.

also this closing track Riding My Bicycle (from Ragnvalsbekken to Sørkedalen)! LOVVVEE!!

And this cover of Patrick Wolf's The Magic Position.

BAND CRUSH: The Belljars (Sweden)

It's been a while since I had a band crush post and this next act definitely needs a special attention. If you missed the sound of The Sundays, The Cardigans, Cranberries, Frente and Moonpools and Caterpillar then The Belljars might just fulfill your longing. Their brand of indiepop gives me that sweet nostalgia when I first heard The Sundays...aaahhh. good vibes all the way. Check out their 4-track EP below and swoon.