New Order – Restless
New order release their first single ‘Restless’ off their upcoming album, Music Complete out September 25th on Mute.
Elbow – Lost Worker Bee
Well, this is certainly a welcome sound. A brand new EP from Elbow. A brand new single from Elbow. Those are enough to perk up my ears, but a shimmering, majestic and UPBEAT single from Elbow? The sounds like a lost Peter Gabriel single from the Us-era or at least a return to Elbow’s early days.
Kisses – A Groove
What better way to enjoy these hot summer nights then rolling down the windows and cranking out some Disco-Synth? Synthco? Disynth? I’m not even sure what to call this genre, but Kisses‘ A Groove could be one of its defining tracks, melding classic disco sounds with modern Electro-chill dance.
A Copy For Collapse – Grey Sunday
A Copy for Collaspe’s second single “Grey Sunday” is a sickly sweet, sinister treat for those who like darker synthpop. Fans of Teeel and Torul should welcome another shimmering nightmare into their listening consciousness, as this track packs just enough glitter in its fangs to make you wonder if you should stay asleep or snap out of the dream before you reach the song’s conclusion.
Alternative Timelines – The Classics
We are bringing back a popular feature to Strangeways called Alternative Timelines. Each post identifies iconic images and formats them perfectly to fit on your Facebook Timeline Header. There will be a different theme each week and for the first installment, I decided to go with a simple Alternative Classics theme that focuses on three of the most iconic covers of all time.
Spotify introduces Discover Weekly
Spotify has introduced a new featured called “Discover Weekly” that is aimed at providing you with a weekly mixtape of music based on your music preferences. You will find the appropriately named playlist “Discover Weekly” at the top of your playlist hierarchy. My initial impression of this feature is very positive. The first 3-4 songs were bands that I have never heard of, but ones that fit in perfectly with the type of music that I listen to
Gwilym Gold – Breathless
Right when this track started, i thought it was a new A-ha song…and that isn’t far fetched as A-ha DOES have a new song, and frankly this sounds like a dream collaboration between Morten Harket and Thom Yorke. The downtempo beats and falsetto vocals are gorgeous and infectious.
Chvrches announce new album – Every Open Eye
Chvrches has announced the initial details of the sophomore album called Every Open Eye. It is scheduled to be released on September 25th. The first single is called Leave A Trace and you can get your first listen right here.
Spotify release 1.0.9
Spotify release 1.0.9 continues in it’s attempt to make the product more usable. They are succeeding in adding in little niceties here and there, but at the same time have not offered anything truly innovative in a while. This release adds some aesthetic and usability features, but hasn’t put a huge dent in the list of features that the user base has been clamoring for.
Star Horse – Slower Now
This last song from Star Horse is a new site favorite, with roots deep in the Shoegaze/Dreampop category. It’s a wonderfully blissed out mellow track, with vocals that feature ethereal female vocals for the verses, layered male/female harmornies for the chorus and perfectly fuzzed out, catchy guitar riffs.
Haelos – The Sun Rising
The London trio HÆLOS went and perfectly melded 90’s loungey-Triphop with late 80’s Synthpop by covering The Beloved’s The Sun Rising. Vocalist Lotti Benardout puts a whole new spin on the track, while the eerie sirens and breakbeats breathe new life.
Halou – Lean Into The Gravity (with lyrics)
Halou-lujah…some new music from San Francisco Synthpop duo Halou! Ryan and Rebecca Coseboom have been making music for almost 20 years now, orginally under the name Halou but also as Inivisble Ballet, R/R Coseboom and Stripmall Architecture. They have ranged from Dreampop to Synthpop to Trip Hop. The latest single, Lean Into The Gravity starts off sweetly enough, but a faintly sinister Triphop beat enters, giving the track a bit of a dark, ominous feel.