Where Are They Now? - Little Dreamers Revisited #1

About a month ago I brought to your attention some bands that I first discovered through the emails and had spoken about on the Hits From The Box and through other channels. Well, some more of these bands have lined up a big 2012, and these three in particular have stellar releases to give you.

Phone Home is the NYC duo that I compared to local act PVT back in 2010. Its been 18 lonely months without so much as a text, but now we have their Songs For Real Life Games EP to welcome us back into their sultry folds. The four track EP is great instrumental pop - I'm in love with the Vallarelli bros! Get behind this - it's great!




Next up is Inca Gold. The London quartet - featuring members Ezequiel Claverie, Ben Chatwin (AKA the Talvihorros guy), Alex Lewis and Chris Howarth - released their third EP, Inca Gold III, on 20th February 2012. They said it was a trilogy - they didn't disappoint. Self-recorded, mixed and produced, the EP is evidence of their endeavours to present a bold and unique take on dream-like psychedelia. It's been a truly epic evolution, and the exception to the rule that the third part of a triptych is invariably the worst. This EP is jaw-dropping in its sonic production. One of the best tracks of this year thus far is below. I can't wait to hear a full length - conceptual and all...

Inca Gold - Atom


Julien Magot is from France. He may be more familiar to you as Appalache. His last release, Appalache Goes America 2.0 was pretty special, and yet he is still being influenced by his travels. After trekking from the Jordanian dunes to Nashville's melting blacktop, Magot hunkered down in his apartment and hammered out Fue, his first full length under the Appalache moniker. There is a great deal of disorientation and escapism involved with the aural drones at work here that informs us of his headspace over these journeys, and makes them (to us at least) otherworldly. There is some Barn Owl in these meanderings, something which I love. I have to say, Fue is BY FAR the best thing Appalache has put to tape. It gives me Everest-sized goosebumps. Great stuff.

Appalache - R55R
Appalache - Dimension Of Truth

Come back tomorrow where Ill have four more for you!

Hits From The Box #38 - Mag Lev Presents...Eclecticisms Anonymous

I'm not gonna lie to ya - this week's Hits From The Box is pretty random. However, I had built this entire post around one release - Mag Lev's Snakes - and the rest I jumped on as soon as they nicked at a possible hook. As is my way, I then put my six choices into a playlist to roll forth as I write, which usually takes me an hour (seriously). This one floated in a really weird way, yet the more I listened the more I really dug the weird realms every artist inhabits. I cannot really explain just where this playlist took me, or where it will lead you - just that it was a real experience. Hopefully you will too. (and again, sorry to play favourites - but Mag Lev is pretty awesome...)


I'm really happy to be opening with the one-man band otherwise known as Devereaux. A heady mixture of Trans Am and Ratatat, with some futuristic Battles bent used to oil the joints, Devereaux creates predominantly instrumental sojourns through a TRON-like landscape, albeit with a Skynet like entity watching from the skies.

Devereaux - Espejo
Devereaux - NYXT


Continuing down the slightly metallic, cyborg-straddling route, we come across Appalache. Appalache Goes America 2.0 creates weird warped faux folk psych meanderings, like a long lost recording found in a time capsule that has been baked in the ground. Bursting forth from the mind of Parisian Julien Magot, whilst touring southern US o A, its an intriguing 12+ minutes of eclectic electric.

Appalache - Appalache Goes American 2.0


Lefse Records are responsible for putting out young band Children of Pop's latest (apparently only) track. The Houston bedroom wanderers are individualistic in that they openly proclaim themselves as a chillwave project. Before you run away like your face is on fire, though, check out 'Charge' - its a warm slice of somnambulist pop that soars right over preconceptions and makes you believe that there are decent acts that delve into these sonic realms...possibly... (Really like the woozy lyrics too).

Children Of Pop - Charge


I know it sounds like I'm being sponsored today, but I can ASSURE THAT IS NOT HAPPENING (unfortunately - I would totally take the money and run). Mag Lev has actually been a follower of this blog for quite a while - you will see his tag on a few comments here and there. So when he sent me his EP I was obliged to give it a spin (not that I don't at least dabble in all songs sent my way...). I am pleased to say I really, really dig Snakes, his 4 track EP of instrumental noodlings. It isn't psych; it isn't krautrock; it isn't electronica; its all of these, and none. its actually pretty fucking great though, so thanks for the comments Mag (yep, totes on first name basis), but thanks even more for these songs - they are ace of base!

Mag Lev - Bones


I didn't think I would like this EP, but there is something about this that worked for me. Mellzo is a London based beatmaker that plays with Bollywood trip-hop... I'm just saying this, I have no idea what I'm listening to. This seriously would not normally click with me, but there is something about this compositions that really work.

Mellzo - Nght Lng


Finishing up what has been a very eclectic HFTB with what has been called "the worst band ever created". Now I'm pretty sure Ive seen or at least heard many artists that deserve to be at the bottom of a mass grave more than The Korps, I can tell you! But when these guys came out in the late 70s, they were slammed - yet their album Hello World! was praised. So I should be giving this more than a spot here, because I could write heaps on just this topic alone. But I actually don't dig it as much as others say I should. Still, there are some killer punk tracks here - below are two of em...

Korps - Winner By Elimination
Korps - Beat The Beats

HAPPY SUNDAY!!