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Party time people. That’s right, we are kicking off our SXSW coverage this week and really going into full on preview mode. As we tend to do every year, we will coming at you with a whole slew of interviews in the hopes you will appreciate the varied look on the festival. Today we have a new one answered by New Zealand founded, yet no longer based, Yumi Zouma. As always, hit the jump for full interview.
If you’re willing to brave the cold; it’s going to be warm inside Barracuda tomorrow night…and not just because it’s indoors. You’re going to get a chance to catch Yumi Zouma touring in support of their most recent album, Willowbank; it’s filled to the brim with hook-laden pop music of the electronic pop sort. Plus, the night will also be filled by two of our favorite local acts, Kay Odyssey and Blushing. We heard that Blushing will probably have their brand new Weak EP on hand before it’s street date, so head there and pick you a copy for yourself.
Lists are arbitrary and burdensome, but why not join the fun everyone else is having? We gathered our lists, separate lists for all of us, then combined them into one that had 50 albums. What you get here are the four writers/contributors of ATH, giving you their meaningless opinions on what we thought was the jam in 2017. It’s alphabetical, and we put the initials next to it so you could track down your enemy!
Yumi Zouma just dropped this new song today, highlighting the band’s soft pop approach. The heartbeat of the song, almost has you dancing, but more so, it carries you away spiritually. There’s something calming about the way the synth work just hangs in the background, never really pushing too far in the front of the mix. In a world where the headlines are all about the vapid elite pop stars, it’s great to hear pop done the right way. Look for the band’s new album, Willowbank, on October 6th via Cascine.
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Yumi Zouma have returned with a new groovy single that is so dreamy you’ll be dying to stay rooted in its bliss. “December” is the perfect pop tune with yes, even handclaps! The track has twangy guitar parts that buzz along underneath the bright piano riffs that bounce above it all. Not to mention there are the effortless and subtle vocals that soar during the chorus and hold you firmly attached throughout. This track has got me so excited for the band’s sophomore record,Willowbank, which will be out October 6th on Cascine. Keep a close eye on Yumi Zouma–I know I will be.
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I’m in the middle of getting ready to throw a bunch of tunes on what I hope is the greatest playlist of my life (my own wedding soundtrack), and this new track from Yumi Zouma might just find a home there. There’s a pop-tastic innocence, and something in the vocal that recalls early Stars, though here it seems more bent for a club-banger. Listen closely for the subtle male vocal lurking far off in the latter half of the song…a special touch. Regardless, maybe it’s just the musical element, but something here’s so joyous I can’t stop playing it. Look for the group’s new effort, Yoncalla, on May 27th via Cascine.
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Yumi Zouma are getting quite a bit of buzz in advance of their debut, Yancalla, and I think I’m ready to jump on the bandwagon. This has the sort of playful vibe that I really enjoy, especially in the vocals/lyrics; there’s an innocent simplicity that really allows you to focus on the groove laying in wait. As for that beat, that groove, it’s supremely understated, giving off an ultimate relaxed vibe. I just wanna grab a beer, sit on the porch at night and let this song play on repeat. Look for the LP via Cascine on May 27th.
It’s time to puton your dancing shoes and start doing some mild stretching so you don’t pull your back out when you bust out a shimmy for this new track from Yumi Zouma. This four piece have announced today that they’re releasing their debut album, Yoncalla, fairly soon in May, and with that news they’ve given us “Keep It Close To Me,” which is a simmering synth pop gem that calls for dancing. There’s something quite compelling about the minimalism of this song; the vocals are impossibly smooth and cool, while those beats pulse and build, giving out the simultaneous soothing and unsettling feeling. Take a listen and hear for yourself.
Yoncalla will be out May 27th via Cascine Records, and you should pre-order it here.
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This appears to be the summer of The Mohawk for me. At least once a week, more like twice a week right now and that probably won’t stop on average for the duration of the triple-digit season.
Most recently, I was around for a mini-festival presented by our blog friend Gorilla vs. Bear up in Dallas. The Granada played host up IH35. The peeps at The Mohawk agreed, why not play host to all involved and give the bands another date while in Texas before heading their separate ways? Austin’s lineup was Jamie XX, Lower Dens, Bop English, Tei Shi, Yumi Zouma, Prince Innocence and DJ Sober. Not a bad little way to occupy a Saturday night, a night that had a SxSW showcase feeling without the day-drunk post-buzz.
Click through for a few comments and plenty of pics.
My friend Mike Taylor turned on to this track during his show on Amazing Radio. He is the ex-Woxy guy that should be running radio in Austin. The guy can pick the jams. This one is slightly less jammy, but a wonderful song nonetheless.
This Australian/New Zealand based artist has a release on Cascine that you can stream on the Cascine SoundCloud page. You should listen to the whole thing, but here is one of the highlights, a song called “Riquelme”.
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