Automatic Share Skyscraper Single

I’ve definitely been enjoying the jams from Automatic‘s forthcoming album, Excess, but I’m certainly a bit wary too. I mean, how does a band come out swinging with this mellowed post-punk and slick production; it feels like its a direct response to the 70s punk bravado…spun through this more futuristic lens. This new track crawls under your skin like some microscopic organism, embedding itself in your being as it seductively drops the chorus on repeat. The band are three for three with their singles, so I’ve got nothing but excitement for the forthcoming LP; it drops officially on June 24th via Stones Throw.

Automatic Share Venus Hour Video

I don’t know what it is about Automatic, but the band seems almost too cool for me to listen to on a regular basis. Today they drop another track from their forthcoming Excess LP, and I just can’t help but get sucked into their tunes. At its bare bone, the songs are these bopping exercises in rhythm, with little else moving through aside form the bass and drum work. Yet, there’s something in the way the vocals feel sheepishly hip, like they’re unaware how much cool exists in their craft. They remind me of this weird mixture of Deep Time and Pylon, thrown in with a nod back to 60s pop groups; Excess is going to rule, and it drops on June 24th via Stones Throw.

Automatic Drop New Beginning Video

Rock n’ roll was meant to be fun, and if you ask me, no one seems to be having as much fun as Automatic are in their brand new single. Toying with the listener, it comes in with this sort of dream pop montage, but then immediately drops in this stomping beats and thudding bass. Once that gets going, the vocals get a little more energetic, like they’ve been called to arms, called to have an all out blast with you, the listener. And those heavy stabbing synth notes, before the snare claps, well, they make this a ripper. You’ll find this ditty on Excess, the band’s new record out this June via Stones Throw.

Mild High Club- Skiptracing

mildhighMild High Club delivers another mellow mixer of soft, psyche-soaked rock with their sophomore album, Skiptracing. Mac DeMarcos former tourmates pay homage to the likes of the Beach Boys and Homeshake with their lay-in-the-sun trippy reverberation. Alexander Brettin leads the charge with his laissez faire vocals that carry throughout the album, carrying their hazy sound that pairs perfectly with the dreamy dripping guitars and synth. The Circle Star Records (Stones Throws step-sister label) band delivers a solid collection with their second album, with sauntering soul/jazz songs like Tesselation and Head Out to the some impromptu instrumental jam on Whodunit?, Mild High Club gives listeners more than what they came to expect.

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Secondhand Sureshots – CD/DVD

Rating: ★★★★½

Do you ever have that romantic image of walking into a thrift store or Half-Price Books to rummage through the old vinyl and finding a true hidden gem? Every time I go into a record store I think this is the day I find the one I’ve been looking for. Well, for some, they turn the left over scraps of vinyl records into gems. Such is the story of Secondhand Sureshots; putting new life into old, unwanted vinyl. This is a collaborative mixing project from Dublab and Stones Throw, which gathered together some of the most prominent beat-makers in the US (if not the world) for a fun, spontaneous, collaborative beat making project.

The rules are simple. 1.) Each DJ gets $5.00 to buy 5 records of his choice. 2.) No additional instruments. The players in the game include J.Rocc, Daedalus, Nobody, and Ras G; each with their own unique style and flavor to bring to the table. They also exhibit different approaches to cutting and splicing; their wide ranging taste in music which adds to the intrigue of the final product. The set comes with a CD of the final mixed tracks, but the DVD is worth the cost alone. Over 2 hours of footage on the documentary shows each DJ carefully selecting their 5 records with their method and reasoning behind the selections. One thing is for sure, there is no shortage of Barbara Streisand (you’ll see what I mean). Once each man makes their picks at 4 different L.A. based thrift stores, it’s off to the studio for the magic to happen and a first spin of their random dusty vinyl.  The facial expressions as they listened to their records for the first time, trying to decipher what they can use and what is total crap, are priceless. Also, it is interesting in watching the way which each of the men worked and their systems of chopping and laying down beats.  

What’s truly inspiring is the finished product. From 5 “craptastic” records emerges top quality stuff. You would never have guessed where the original pieces came from. Consequently, the final pressed remixed albums were redistributed in beautiful re-purposed album covers with ninja-like precision. There they will wait to appear as a hidden gem for the next vinyl bottom feeder searching for that treasure.  This is a very entertaining set and I highly recommend checking it out for yourselves. We, in Austin, have a special treat in store for us as tonight at the Alamo Drafthouse Ritz.  The documentary will be played with Ras G to perform live. This is not to be missed if you are a fan of the electronic genre or if you enjoy spontaneous beats.

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