MP3s: Three Stand-out Tracks from Galapagos

It's surprising how struck I can be by music over-wrought with familiarity. On the surface, 18-year-old Galapagos isn't doing anything wholly new. Alvin-esque pitch-shifting? Heard it. R&B sampling? Been there. Chopped vocals and beats? Oh, please. Still, there's something I find infectious about his songs and structures, particularly "Feel Things Inside."

Surely, its wrong to think of ProTools or Logic as anything other than stringed instruments. If songwriters can produce a dearth of material using the same guitar chords, why can't laptop auteurs do the same with software tricks? Maybe that's just my cognitive dissonance coming out, but one's ability to make an IDM-pop song out of a Jennifer Hudson track should always earn mention.

While the young Phoenician is for now treading in the wake of acts like Gold Panda, there's some solid kernels of promise in his output so far.

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Galapagos - Feel Things Inside
Galapagos - You Gave 2 Me
Galapagos - Fast

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Save Wonder Bear's Latest EP For Your Next Night In

I don't know much about New York's Wonder Bear, other than the fact that their songs are more abstract soundscapes than, you know, actual 4/4 pop jams.

While they remind me a lot of early High Places, the band also manages to combine Mountain Man harmonies with early Animal Collective sampling pastiche. Although their latest EP isn't something you'll play at your next rooftop BBQ, the tracks on Avalanche should serve you well during your next lonely night in.

You can download the full Avalance EP on Wonder Bear's Bandcamp page or grab two standout tracks below.

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Wonder Bear - V079
Wonder Bear - Juarez

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MP3: Regal Safai - "Only"

In which Bristol continues to pump out excellent post-dubstep/electronic music...

Regal Safari hail from the UK where myriad artist are now taking to their Bandcamp pages to put up electronic rapture for your listening pleasure. And while some of it's quality production--seriously, what is in the water (read: laptops) over there?--my ears are starting to feel the glut of homemade, Ableton-driven music, reminding me of the lo-fi boom of '09.

Whatever the case, Regal Safari seem to be one of the good guys and I've had "Only" on heavy rotation for a few days now. With succinct sampling and a slack aura, the cut manages to stand out among such redundant peers.

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Regal Safari - Only

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