MP3s: Beach Fossils - "Shallow" + "Lessons"

If you took the lump sum of writing on this site, you'd mainly conclude that I really listen to nothing but James Blake, Grimes and Beach Fossils. This means two things: 1. I need to be writing more and 2. I really like the aforementioned acts.

I've been into Beach Fossils' Sperry brand of nouvelle vague guitar pop since listening to their What a Pleasure EP over a dozen times in one day. Catchy, flighty, breezy, easy--these guys are like boat rock for the Brooklyn-set and I mean that in an entirely positive way.

The band released a slack new 7" two weeks ago and are allegedly at work on their second LP, which I bet will give Real Estate's Days a run for it's money.

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Beach Fossils - Lessons
Beach Fossils - Shallow

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MP3s: Heavenly Beat's Balearic Pop Jams

You may recall me blogging the Beach Fossils side-project, Dive. Despite the midnight tones, the group keeps Beach Fossils' chill vibes alive and the same can be said for Heavenly Beat.

This second side-project is led by Beach Fossils' bassist John Peña, but opts to combine his home-team sounds with Balearic accents, recalling early Kings of Convenience (in a good way). The group's got two singles to their name with a full-length due sometime next year.

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Heavenly Beat - Faithless
Heavenly Beat - Suday

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MP3s: "Sometime" & "Corvalis" by Dive

Sometimes when you're an up-and-coming band with a mere 7" piece of vinyl to your name, it's hard to get attention from bigger indie publications, let alone the blogosphere hype machine. You know what helps? Being the guitarist for an already (modestly) succesful indie rock outfit.

While I'd like to suggest that Dive--the new side-project from Beach Fossils' Z. Cole Smith--is merely getting press for the reasons above, this Sometime 7" deserves every play your iTunes counts.

If you listen to Beach Fossils (which you should be), you'll know what to expect from Dive, though Smith swaps out the Fossils' suburban, drinking-from-the-hose, summer sounds for slightly darker, more nocturnal motifs; think Bernard Sumner on a winding, midnight drive. Thankfully, the guitar jangle and wispy melodies remain, making Sometime just as strong a release as this year's What a Pleasure EP.

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Dive - Sometime
Dive - Corvalis

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Download Now: Beach Fossils' What a Pleasure EP

So, I've got to apologize--I've been sitting on this record for way, way too long. Beach Fossils' latest effort is an EP of eight easygoing, Top-Sider tunes and man, is it good.

While "Cayler" and the title-track are obvious standouts, the EP is varied (and brief) enough to warrant repeat front-to-back listens. Especially in warm weather. Preferably on a boat. With a cooler of cold friends.

MediaFire Link:

Beach Fossils - What a Pleasure EP

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Beach Fossils - Calyer
Beach Fossils - What a Pleasure

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Seapony's Summertime Tunes - "Dreaming" + "Blue Star"

Not sure about the rest of you, but Brooklyn's been enjoying lots 'o sunshine as of late (I have a feeling the west coast knows what I'm talking about). As we're all too-well aware, warm weather means, charcoal, short shorts and summer playlists made up of summer-sounding records. In that case, you may want to keep your eye on the debut album from Seattle's Seapony, due out at the end of May.

The band trades in dream-pop, sounding like an syrupy combination of Tennis and Beach Fossils. So yeah, it'll sound good on the beach or wafting over your overdone burgers and burndt hot dogs.

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Seapony - Dreaming

Seapony - Blue Star

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Springtime or Time to Download Citizen Mix Vol. VI

Springtime's here. I think. Growing up in Michigan, I try not to get too excited when the weather starts getting warmer. And who knows, maybe I'll begrudge the heat once New York turns into a oven of humidity like last year. In honor of my recently-dusted air-conditioner, a decent start to the Detroit Tiger's baseball season and the return of skirt weather, I put together this mixtape...

Click here to download Citizen Mix Vol. VI - April 2011
Tracklist:

1. Deerhunter - Hazel St.
2. Beach Fossils - Calyer
3. Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks
4. Zoo Kid - Ocean Bed
5. Harlem Shakes - Strictly Game
6. Junip - In Every Direction
7. A-Trak - Ray Ban Vision (Luckybeard Remix)
8. Burnt Ones - Gonna Listen to T. Rex (All Night Long)
9. Donnis - Ring My Bell
10. Toro y Moi - Leave Everywhere
11. The Fresh & Onlys - Don't You Be Half-Hearted
12. Fleet Foxes - Montezuma

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Monday Mixtapes Ain't Nothing to Fuck With

Most Mondays, I post a handful of MP3s that I've had on heavy rotation. Some new tunes, some old tunes, all good tunes.

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Daydream - Beach Fossils

Over (dJ eSenTRiK Remix) - Drake

New Rules - Shine 2009

OOOO - Fishing

Where I'm Going - Cut Copy

Gettin' Flicked - The Cool Kids

Sewee Sewee - Mountain Man

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