Hello Friends With Both Arms readers… this is DJ PJ coming at you from the great Mile High city (actually Tofino, BC for one week mas).  I told Nada I would love to join forces with FWBA, so here I am.  I’m just going to jump into this blog right were I left off with my own blog (DJ PJ’s Blog) and we’ll cross the “get to know me as a person” bridge when the time is right…

Sun Airway is the one man + one friend (production) outfit from Philly.  Tonight is the eve of their first NYC show (second show ever!).  Never fear though… the tunes off the the forthcoming album Nocturne of Exploded Crystal Chandelier are DJ PJ tried and true… Check the few tracks below, as well as the breezy and bright projection art by klipcollective.  Did I mention I’m writing this on a beach?

Sun Airway :: Waiting on You

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Sun Airway :: Infinity

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Sun Airway :: Put the Days Away

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

My friend Taylor introduced me to Blake Mills, a prolific artist who started with Simon Dawes/Dawes and performed as a touring guitarist for acts like Jenny Lewis, Cass McCombs, Band of Horses, and Julian Casablancas, and somewhere in the midst of all of that he recorded his debut record Breaks Mirrors on July 6th via Record Collection. Did I mention he somehow scored the coveted role of choosing the songs for Apple commercials, and scores music for films? You know, in between the occasional sleep or breath.

I’m entirely bewildered by people who just seem to be a wellspring of creativity, and channel their love of music into something thats tangible, something that can be offered to others in a real exchange. Something that is always evolving and moving through different mediums. If it’s one’s responsibility to pursue their purpose, then at 23, I’d say Blake Mills is doing a fine job at this life thing. In ‘Hey Lover’ he confesses, “Sometimes I hate myself for trying to be so bold, but nothing else seems to get the story told” in the vein of Dawes with that polished rock & roll sound. The track ‘The Woman Knows’ moves slowly, likewise with ‘Hiroshima’- very stripped down, and simple. His lyrics will leave you unraveled, and bare. It begs an attentive ear, and becomes a quiet, ethereal experience. With a certain sadness that bleeds throughout his liberated melodies. His ‘Live in Shanghai EP’ is available for free download HERE and you can check out his Daytrotter Session HERE.

Blake Mills- History of My Life (Demo)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Blake Mills- Hey Lover

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

I’ll keep this short as I’m out the door to relive my high school years at Scenefest in St. Kitts. It’s something of an unexpected tradition among my friends.I’m covering a few shows, so I’ll have updates for you soon. I’ll be watching folk bands compete against the offensive sounds of hardcore acts sandwiched between them as Andrea ogles underaged boys.

So last night I went to the Mod Club to watch Delta Spirit with supporting act Ezra Furman and the Harpoons. After very serious caution not to go anywhere near the downtown area, I braved the QEW to find that the area I was in wasn’t all that bad. Most of the police car fires and riots were concentrated south of Queen st. Strange how you wouldn’t know what was happening just streets below.

The set was short, with a fill-in musician from Ezra Furman taking the place of a (sort of) member of Delta Spirit who was stuck at the border. I think the G20 stuff left a lot of people apprehensive to leave their house and walk the streets, so the venue wasn’t entirely full- but whoever was (see: jocks at the front) seemed delighted (see: drunk) during their set. Regardless, they always manage to play an impressive set. Seriously- if you don’t have their new album you need to get it right now. It’s unfairly good. Man, they make me miss Long Beach, and my brothers Kenny and Alex. But it was so great to get to hang with my friend Taylor, who will hopefully make an appearance on here sometime soon. Ahem. This G20 thing is no incentive for me to stick it out in the city.

Delta Spirit- Golden State

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

I remember stumbling across Glass Cake sometime last year and just fell in love with her milky soft vocals, fuzzy harmonies, funny beatboxing and light guitar strumming. Thats why I was so excited to find out that she was on Flamgirlant’s Summer Burn Mix- which you guys should all grab HERE.

This Berkeley girl, Michelle Shofet, sings in a sad, but hopeful tone. Her adorable version of Madonna’s Like A Prayer sounds like she’s got a stuffed nose, which makes her even sweeter.

All of her songs are sweet and childlike, about beaches and friendships and blankets. With clapping and ‘ooh ooh oohs’ it makes me wish I could just jam with her. Have I mentioned that I’m clumsily starting a ‘technology band’ with my friend Mark? We’re just going to write songs about how much we love technology. More on that later..

I really hope to hear more from her soon.

Glass Cake- Superior to the Sea

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Glass Cake- Like a Prayer (Coverture)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Glass Cake- Blanket

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Everyone seems to have a wanderlust for their childhood beach family videos, because most all of the videos I’ve seen recently have shaky VHS recordings of little kids running from the waves and photo ops next to the Grand Canyon. No exception with Animal Collective‘s video for Guys Eyes of their EP released earlier this year. I wonder whos family is the culprit for all of these lofi indie videos? Is there a vault of these somewhere? From what I remember, family vacations weren’t even that fun, and I would always get pretty bummed when my parents wouldn’t pull over if my Walkman cassette batteries died so I could no longer listen to the sounds of Dance Mix ’94.. Does anyone else remember that one? “Saturday night, dance, I like the way you move”. Alright, enjoy the video while I get ready to venture into the G20 Land of Communist Hell, better known as Downtown Toronto.

One of my favorite acts, Mountain Man, will be releasing a 10″ for their EP Sun Dog via Underwater Peoples on July 20th. It’s super limited edition, so you can PRE ORDER it HERE. This summer they’ll play a few dates that include a stop at the Horseshoe with Deer Tick. What a lineup!

Tour Dates:

Jul 13: Boston, MA TT the Bear’s Place*

Jul 14: Northhampton, MA Iron Horse Music Hall*
Jul 15: Toronto, ON El Mocambo*
Jul 16: Ann Arbor MI The Blind Pig*
Jul 17: Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall*
Jul 19: Madison, WI High Noon Saloon*
Jul 20: Minniapolis, MN Turf Club*
Aug 9: Toledo, OH Mickey Finn’s^
Aug 10 Toronto, ON Horseshoe Tavern^
Aug 12 York, PA Capitol Theater^
Aug 13 Brooklyn, NY Rooftop Concert (Old American Can Factory)
Aug 14 North Adams, MA Solid Sound Festival
* w/ Bear in Heaven/Twin Sister
^ w/ Deer Tick

Track List:
A1 Honeybee
A2 Dog Song
A3 Animal Tracks
B1 Mouth Wings
B2 Soft Skin

Mountain Man- Soft Skin

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Denver’s Vitamins provided the soundtrack to Jean Painleve’s “Liquid Crystals” circa 1937, recorded and produced by Matthew Daniels in Denver, CO. The video is visually stunning, although after a few views I’m not sure if it’s exploding paint, blood cells, a lava lamp, bugs or old school animation. Maybe all of the above.

Liquid Crystals-Original Score by Vitamins and Shyman from Matthew Daniels on Vimeo.

Kissed Her Little Sister is a bedroom project from Jeff Morisano who records everything in his room in Santa Monica, but the result is something orchestral, something that requires the use of more than two hands and a machine. I’m bewildered that this is all him. He infuses folk, electronic, lofi, 80s, and hip hop, while weaving all of these elements into some imaginative narratives from Johnny Cash covers to songs about Ben Franklin.

Although, some of the tracks have some really weird, creepy samples and sound effects.The first track I ever heard from him was ‘Get Outta My Head Woman’ which is a stripped down acoustic song that flows to a steady beat. Most every song is it’s own entity. All of them sound completely different. This album sounds really fresh. Best part is he threw it up on his bandcamp for free. Score!

Meet the Underground Library from Ambre Kelly on Vimeo.

Kissed Her Little Sister- Born Again

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Kissed Her Little Sister- My Ship Came In

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

what is it about short-haired platinum blondes that makes me want to abandon (even if only momentarily) my adoration for the male species? it’s kind of embarrassing really, and in this case i’m referring to the front lady of london’s Chew Lips. she’s just…so…cutes. and worse, her name is tigs! tigs? really? might as well tuck her into my pocket and scratch her behind the ears until she purrs.

ANYWAY…

i’m not much a fan of dance-pop, but when hypem had this trio on their front page a couple days ago i decided to let curiosity take me over. i may be late on the bandwagon but i made a good call, because they’ve since been featured on three different mix cd’s i’ve made and didn’t leave my sweet sweet discman for the three days following (i don’t have a car stereo, okay?). i envy those of you who will be able to blast these catchy tunes more fashionably.

Chew Lips – Slick

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

It Kills is a project based out of Halifax among musicians Lisa Lipton, William Robinson and Solomon Vromans, who released their self-titled debut via Pigeon Row. Driven by heartbreaking strings, pounding percussion, echoey harmonies and delicate strumming, It Kills evokes a full-bodied orchestral sound that will ruin you. With tracks like ‘Vamps’ the ghostly drums combined with the eerie lingering of keys and voices sound frightening and beautiful. ‘Sailors’ is set to a pulsing, nervous rhythm accompanied by steady vocals that float over instrumentation.

These stirring songs are emotionally-dense, yet free to be determined and interpreted by the listener. This kind of music demands you to listen to the subtle nuances, the soothing strings and the haunted voices, it’s a spiritual kind of experience, whether you were expecting it or not. Whatever you’re feeling while listening to these painfully lovely sounds, you’re feeling something and and without direct narratives and words, they may have revealed more truth than you could’ve thought.

It Kills- Sailor

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

It Kills- Smoker

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.