Author Archives: Clayton Warwick

Mew’s Johan Wohlert Discusses Touring, the New Album, and What’s Next [TMN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW]

Every Mew fan out there is fully aware of how much this tour means. For years, we’ve been patiently waiting, occasionally checking the band’s facebook page for tour dates, listening to our favorite songs over and over, and wistfully hoping for the five-year hiatus to come to an end. Well, it has, and not only do we have a collection of new favorites, but we also have the opportunity to catch this storied band at numerous venues across the US.

We were fortunate enough to catch one of Mew’s shows down at SXSW, but couldn’t find the time to sit down with them. Luckily for us, and you, we locked down a chat with Johan Wohlert ahead of their stop in the Mile High City this Saturday.

TMN: Hey Johan! Thank you for taking some time to chat with us. It’s been quite some time since you’ve had a full tour in the states! How long has it been?

JW: I think it’s been 5 years.

TMN: How’s it been going so far?

JW: It’s been great, to be honest. The states have always been really good to the band. It seems like there’s a lot of excitement around the fact that we’re back here.

TMN: We’re really excited to have you in Colorado on October 3rd.

JW: Absolutely!

TMN: We had the pleasure of catching you at SXSW for your make-up show after the rainout. We’ve been waiting a long time to see you play live and it definitely did not disappoint. One thing we caught is how well you capture your studio sound in your live performance. How much of an emphasis is that for you guys?

JW: The general rule is to try and be well prepared. A live set should never be exactly the same as a record, but we try and at least make it sound really great. I think, in the case of this new record, we spent a long time before we even started recording. We made sure the songs were sounding up to snuff with just the five of us playing them in a room. We knew that they would work in a live setting.

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The Watermelons – Silver [TMN PREMIERE]

The Watermelons
Silver

We’re sure there has been quite a few late night, raucous get-togethers that inevitably wind up in an impromptu group karaoke session, with “Best of You” being belted out as one of the favorites. We say this speaking from experience.

Since we covered that all-to-infectious tune back in June, we’ve continually seen people listen once and chime in the second time around. It’s that catchy. Today, we see a different side of The Watermelons, though, which showcases a slightly more introspective and mature side of their music. While this progression usually takes place with bands as they move along in their careers, it usually doesn’t happen as quickly as we’re seeing here. Keep in mind that the Best of You EP was released just two months ago.

“Silver” still boasts the incredibly infectious pop sensibility that fans have come to love and appreciate, but it’s brought forth as a rock song, rather than their usual energetic pop. The instrumentals are once again more-than-impressive, especially when listeners are brought into a wicked breakdown and guitar solo towards the end. The well-crafted lyrics, as expected, are hard to escape, even after you’ve finished the song. This time around, they seem to carry a more serious message than with previous releases.

‘Silver’ is about not being able to communicate how you’re feeling or thinking to someone, but to carry on anyway, because one day they’ll understand. – The Watermelons

“Silver” can be picked up everywhere on October 16th. We highly recommend setting a reminder.

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Tessera Skies – Such Great Heights (Raindrops) [TMN PREMIERE]

Tessera Skies
Such Great Heights (Raindrops)

As we step one more day closer to the weekend, we’re excited to bring you a top-notch collection of impressive tunes to help carry you through the rest of your week, starting first with this impressive art-pop piece from Newcastle upon Tyne-based Tessera Skies.

Fusing together collective backgrounds in speech, sound, science, and classical and jazz music, this up-and-coming act should hit the radars of music nerds across the blogosphere, calling on fond associations of Sigur Ros, Guillemots and Wild Beasts. “Such Great Heights (Raindrops)” showcases their arftful articulation of musical abilities, as it seamlessly pulls together elements of ambient, pop, and orchestral music.

The slow-building, vast, and dramatic soundscape is an all-to-easy way for listeners to get lost, illustrating an other-worldly experience with understated atmospheric elements, a playful guitar riff, and memorable lyrics from lead singer Mark Broughton. We’re pretty sure you’ll agree after a just one listen through.

This song will be released on October 16th through North Base Records, in conjunction with Amazing Label Services. Even better, they’re playing on October 14th with Little Comets to celebrate 10 years of the 02 Academy, in Newcastle. If you’re in the area, we highly recommend you check them out.

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[House] Kryptogram – The Idea of You

kryptogram
Idea of You

Coming out of a city known for its house music, this Windy City producer is back again with another tune that will continue that notoriety. Not too long ago, we came across the up-and-coming Kryptogram when he took on Chris Stylez “Who Is.” Now, four months later, he’s once again perked our ears up, making us want to ditch our laptop and lace up some dancing shoes.

This time around, he’s offering up a deliciously smooth original, which features more soul and groove than you’ll know what to do with. The synths are soft, warm, and inviting, and happen to be coupled with one of the sexier basslines we’ve heard in a while. When you mix that in with a memorable, well-treated vocal sample, and some playful guitar work, you have one hell of a track to help you get through your day.

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James Vincent McMorrow Discusses “How to Waste a Moment,” Remixers, and Breakfast in America [EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW]

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There shouldn’t be any doubt in any of our reader’s minds with regards to our unwavering affinity for Mr. James Vincent McMorrow, or JVM, as so many of you lovingly call him. Dating all the way back to April of 2011, we’ve been enamored with his unique, intoxicating, and highly addictive vocal tone and style, continually waiting for each and every new release.After seeing JVM a few times in different cities across the states, we were finally able to catch up with him and have a quick chat about his marathon of touring, the upcoming album, and, of course, breakfast food in America.

TMN: Hey James. Thanks for sitting down with us tonight. Is this your first time in the Mile High City?

JVM: Yeah. Is that what you call it? Mile High City?

TMN: Yep. We’re 5,280 feet above sea level. You just performed at Mishawaka, which we’ve somehow never been to. How was your experience up there?

JVM: Yeah. Saw a Bear. Played by a roaring river. It was cool…it’s a strange little V. It’s a narrow strip of land because you have the river here, and the road here (gesturing with his hands), and you have this little bar there. Beautiful bar, actually – really good food and nice people. It felt a little bit like playing in Austin, at Stubbs…if you’ve ever been there. Outdoor. Dirt floor. Rickety stage. It was really atmospheric. Once it got dark, it was real cool.

This is the fun period. We’ve done 150 shows since the last record came out. This is the end of the cycle. It wasn’t ever on my bucket list to play the Mishawaka, but it was really cool. During this tour, I found myself with some downtime and decided to try my luck with a casino trực tuyến that I had heard about from some of the crew. The experience was surprisingly engaging, adding an extra layer of excitement to the road. The show itself was a co-bill with a band called Dawes, which we don’t overlap crowds with a whole lot. My crowd is very different from their crowd. So, that means there’s a lot of people there that are like, “impress me.” Which, I love. It’s cool.

TMN: Over the past few years, you’ve done quite a bit of touring through the states. We’ve had the pleasure of catching you at Coachella and in New York. What have some of your highlights been?

JVM: My highlights are like – in the last two years – playing two nights in the Sydney Opera House. That’s just not something I ever expected to happen. It’s such an iconic place. Selling out two nights there was a real moment for me – a real marker – to a level we had never been before. We had done shows in Australia in January for like 700 people, and we were like “we’ll be back.” Then we came back and sell it (Sydney Opera House) out in super quick time.

Coachella was cool, even though it was a stressful tour to me. That tour was amazing because we sold everything out. Even though crazy stuff was was happening to us logistically, every show was amazing. It was so much fun. It felt like the 70’s or something – shit would go wrong and we couldn’t fix it, so we would just have to roll with it. That whole tour was a whole moment.

There’s a festival in Ireland called Electric Picnic, and we headlined on Saturday night. That was really special for me, because that’s a big festival for an Irish person.

Those are the ones that jump out to me.

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Dear David – Hypnotized (Chase Remix) [TMN PREMIERE]

Dear David
Hypnotized (Chase Remix)

Are you constantly pining over that epic party that carried from Saturday night, well into Sunday morning? Maybe you’re having a tough time sitting in your cubicle with those thoughts? Do you just want to say “screw it,” and head back to the party? Well, while we certainly don’t encourage you to up and quit your job, we do have something that will help keep those weekend party vibes up and running.

Taking a crack at the recently released, uber-funky “Hypnotized,” from Dear David, this newly-formed, Stockholm-based duo have channeled the cool vibes of their hometown club circuit. While the 70’s inspired disco elements are left behind in this interpretation, Chase pays an artful homage to the original through meticulously placed vocal samples.

The end result is a deliciously drum-centric remix, which will leave listeners unable to stop moving their hips, tapping their feet, and nodding their heads to the rhythmic tribal vibes. And that’s all before the bassline drops in, which will only further the uncontrollable need to dance.

This tune can be found in the official remix EP, dropping October 4th via ICON music. We highly suggest you set a calendar notification to remind yourself.

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Two Cartoons – Males [TMN PREMIERE]

Two Cartoons
Males

We’re always happy to bring you fresh, new tracks on Monday morning, knowing full and well it will help ease you into your work week. Today, we have a rippin’ indie rock song coming to your ears from all the way down in Dunedin, New Zealand.

Coming off their debut album, Happiness is Trouble, “Males” showcases not only the raw musical talent Two Cartoon’s possess, but their songwriting ability as well. Calling on associations of Brit Pop acts like The Kooks and The Wombats, an immediate familiarity floods through with a catchy guitar cadence, hazy vocals, and upbeat percussion. While that, and the oh-so-addictive chorus, are more than enough to reel us in, these two take a turn to the heavy, dropping into a devastatingly wicked guitar solo. For those readers out there who grew up pretending to wail out on your air guitar in your bedroom – get ready to dust it off. You’ll need it.

Lyrically, “Males” gives listeners an acutely self-aware glimpse into the band’s struggle in fighting an all-too-familiar stigma. Fearing being seen as the typical, aggressive, oft-misogynistic man that can be found in any number of bars and clubs in any city across the globe, they’re left wanting to “never leave home,” to avoid any association with that stereotype. Here in the states, we call those guys “Bros,” and we can certainly understand the concern for that societal affiliation.

“Males” can be found on Happiness Is Trouble early next year on Far South Records. We strongly suggest you follow these cats on facebook to keep tabs on the official release date.

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