The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

One of my all time favorite bands, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, just released their second LP, Belong, today on Slumberland. Check out the feel-good video for Heart in Your Heartbreak below. Also, catch up and watch their Super 8 video for Young Adult Friction, off their eponymous debut LP from 2009, further down the page.

Coma Cinema

South Carolina musician Mat Cothran, aka Coma Cinema, is one of my favorite bedroom pop acts right now. Dude has been writing and recording since 2005 and just released his third album, Blue Suicide, this month. You can peep the somewhat depressing/disturbing video for the title track below. Also, make sure to peep the video for my favorite track off the new album, Her Sinking Sun. All three albums are currently available for free, here, but that might change if he gets signed.

Coma Cinema - Blue Suicide from Tyler T Williams on Vimeo.

Crafting Spells

Seattle dream pop group, Craft Spells, is currently touring with Cloud Nothings and Beach Fossils. They have a new vid for After The Moment, a track off their upcoming debut LP Idle Labor. The album is due out March 29th on Captured Tracks.

Good Girls

Vivian Girl Katy Goodman's La Sera project is set to release their self-titled debut LP February 15 via Sub Pop offshoot Hardly Art. Before that, La Sera will release a new 7" single on the label, "Devlis Hearts Grow Gold", January 18. 

Below, you can check out the single's title track (which also appears on the La Sera full-length). Like her previous release Never Come Around, covered here, this song sounds like sunshine with a beautiful catchy melody. It'll be paired with the non-LP cut "Dedicated to the One I Love" as the B-side. That's the ultra-strange single art above; check out the tracklist for both the single and LP below.

Devils Hearts Grow Gold

"Devils Hearts Grow Gold" 7":

01 Devils Hearts Grow Gold
02 Dedicated to the One I Love

La Sera:

01 Beating Heart
02 Never Come Around
03 You're Going to Cry
04 Sleeptalking
05 I Promise You
06 Left This World
07 Hold
08 Under The Trees
09 Devils Hearts Grow Gold
10 Dove Into Love
11 Been Here Before
12 Lift Off

Source: Pitchfork

Memories

Dream-Pop duo, Memoryhouse, continue to perfect their craft with the new single, Caregiver, due December 7th on Suicide Squeeze. However, it's actually the B-Side, Heirloom, that concerns this post. The dreamy, ethereal track is just what one expects from Evan Abeele and Denise Nouvion, but this isn't standard fare, it's flawless. Add to that, a Jamie Harley found-footage video and you have the aforementioned perfection. Peep below.

They've yet to release a full-length album but Beko DSL put out a free digital single last year with two of my favorite Memoryhouse tracks. You can download it here. Also, further below is a vid for To The Lighthouse, off the digital single.

Duder

Young cat out of Jacksonville, unouomedude (you-know-you-owe-me-dude), has been killing it lately on the Chillwave tip. Mixes, remixes, singles, early material and his debut EP, Marsh, are all available for free on his website, here. Or you can slide on over to Bandcamp, where you can stream the album or name your price to own the material and support Uno.

Jangly, watery sounds accompanied by cooing background vocals kick off the EP on Dream Home. On my favorite track, Island Summer, breezy, tropical sounds underlie the softly sung vocal melody which seems to convey sentimental longing for days past. Buildings is a more upbeat tune with some doo-wop-like backing vocals. Peep the video below.

  Dream Home by unouomedude  

  Island Summer by unouomedude

Bye Bye Blackbird

San Francisco dream pop producer, Mikey Sanders, is constantly releasing new material under the name Blackbird Blackbird. So far in 2010 Sanders has released several singles, four EP's, and most recently, his debut LP, Summer Heart. Check out the mesmerizing video for the single, Pure below. Like most tracks from Blackbird Blackbird it has an airy, dreamlike quality with chopped up sounds and vocals reverberating throughout. And while some of his work might come off as a little subdued, Happy High, is a short burst of sunshine.

Blackbird Blackbird – Pure (Official Music Video) from Isaac Bauman on Vimeo.

Ride The Pine

Alpine, a six piece band out of Melbourne, Australia, recently signed to Ivy League Records, ahead of the release of their first EP, Zurich, in November 2010. The standout track on the five song debut EP is Too Safe, an upbeat, colorful pop tune which you can download for free on Last.fm. And make sure to check out the obligatory Star Slinger remix of my favorite track off the EP, Icypoles, below or download it free here.

  Alpine - Icypoles (Star Slinger Dreamix) by Star Slinger

High Five

San Francisco's Nicholas Ng has been tearing up the blog scene all year with light and spacey pop singles that he produces under the moniker, Fiveng. He recently put out a single, Easy, on Beachtapes. The title track off the single has not one, but two videos produced by famous found-footage artist Jamie Harley. The Longest version (below), features official 1972 Olympic Games footage of distance runners, while the other version, The Strongest, features weight lifters. But my favorite thing associated with Fiveng so far is the Star Slinger remix of his first single, Jonah, which you can listen to below or download here for free.


Fiveng - "Easy" (The Longest video) from Jamie Harley on Vimeo.

  STAR SLINGER - FIVENG - JONAH (STAR SLINGER REMIX) by Star Slinger

Stellar

UK beatmaker, Star Slinger, is blowing up the bedroom hip hop set in 2010. Producer Darren Williams has released an LP, a remix EP and a ton of singles this year. You can download all of this material for free here or you can purchase it over on Bandcamp, and support the artist. Williams, who uses a lot of short, choppy, soulful samples, claims J Dilla as a big influence on his stylings. And like many tracks on Dilla's last album, Donuts, Star Slinger's beats have an impalpable, vaporous quality. His single, "May I Walk With You?", is a tranquil, rainy day electronic hip-hop track.

Williams was recently featured in Pitchfork: Rising and has announced a collab effort with Candian rapper Emay and San Francisco dream pop producer Blackbird Blackbird, called Seeing Suge (as in Suge Knight). Their first track, "Breaking", samples the dream pop group, Memoryhouse, and you can check it out below.

Seeing Suge "Breaking" (Collabo project with Emay / Blackbird Blackbird) by Star Slinger

Old Souls

This track has been on repeat for a minute now. Armor by L.A. roommates, Dunes, is a short burst of energy and happiness, of which, I just can't seem to get enough (tries to think of a quip involving blow). It comes off of their sold out 7", Old Souls, released on August 31st on Art Fag Recordings (seriously). Don't worry a repress is coming soon. They also put out an eponymous 12" EP in June on Mexican Summer. Handle is a little more dreamy and noisy.

Baltimore Dreamers

My favorite dream pop duo, Beach House, has just released a new iTunes Session EP that is being met with unanimous praise. The EP is a collection of five reworked tracks with the addition of a new one, White Moon. This gem is actually recorded, like the five revamped tracks, with their new three-piece live lineup. Enjoy the delicate, stripped down tones and Victoria's alluringly hypnotic vocals.