Band to Watch: Pure Bathing Culture
I first caught wind of Portland, Oregon’s Pure Bathing Culture through an Octopus Windmill post back in June, and was reminded of the two-piece through yesterday’s post on My Old Kentucky Blog. The duo is comprised of Vetiver guitarist and keyboardist Daniel Hindman and Sarah Versprille, respectively. The group is set to release its debut, self-titled EP on November 19 via London record label Memphis Industries.
I’ve long been a fan of Vetiver‘s work, and my excitement over this new side project doubled upon the discovery that Richard Swift had taken the band under his wing. The multi-instrumentalist, producer and personal hero has maintained a busy schedule in 2012: engineering Jessie Baylin’s Little Spark and Pleasure Center EP, gigging on keys with The Shins, and guiding The Mynabirds’ ship on Generals. Swift served as producer on the four tracks that will make up the Pure Bathing Culture EP.
Under Swift’s tutelage, Pure Bathing Culture has churned out a handful of 80s-infused pop gems. The dreaminess of PBC’s Miami Vice backdrop makes it easy to overlook the seriousness of the lyrical content. The band’s most recent single “Gainesville” deals with the death of a friend in a motorcycle accident in Peru. The strength of the band’s stripped down performance of debut single “Ivory Coast” in the Beardy Session underscores the fact that this material will hold up in any setting. Compare and contrast the video with the studio rendition below.
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Written by Rob Peoni
Video: Killer Mike “Untitled”
I haven’t really written about Atlanta rapper Killer Mike’s amazing album R.A.P. Music that was released back in May for Thought on Tracks, but that’s not because it isn’t one of the best albums of the year. The album’s bombastic production from El-P fits like a puzzle piece with Mike’s booming delivery, giving R.A.P. Music a sound as heavy as its message. Mike has already released a short film for “Big Beast” , which features verses from Bun B and T.I. as well as a crew of zombie strippers that make the video unlike any you’ve seen this year. A few weeks back I selected the live, studio rendition of “Untitled” for my video of the night on Twitter, as it’s one of my favorite songs on the album. Well now “Untitled” has gotten the official video treatment and the visuals are equally dope. The moving pictures concept is well done and contains graphic religious and historical imagery that match Killer Mike’s vocals perfectly. “Untitled” is also the first video I’m aware of that depicts the decapitation of the artist who made it, that’s gotta count for something. Peep the vid below and grab your copy of R.A.P. Music here.
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Written by John Bugbee
Thought on Tracks 
Saturday: Purity Ring at Mayday – Cincinnati
If you’re a regular reader here on Thoughts on Tracks, you know my love for Purity Ring. And if you aren’t a regular reader here on our fun little blog, well then, I’ll just be honest and say you probably should be. In any case, if you’re within a short car ride, megabus trip, riverboat or even walking distance to Cincinnati then you need to get yourself here this Saturday night for when Purity Ring blows the lid off Mayday in the eclectic Northside neighborhood. Having gotten the opportunity to scope them in person earlier this summer, I honestly can’t think of a better way to get some fun on with a Saturday night and can promise some fun electronic vibes to go along with a killer light set. Saturday Night. “Fineshrine”. A few beverages. And maybe even one of Mayday’s famous hot dogs? Yes, please, and thank you.
You can catch up with my review of the debut LP Shrines from early July if you missed it and check out a video below of my personal track of the summer live along with an interview with the duo. Tickets are still available for pre-sale via Ticketfly and will also be available at the door for just $10.
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Written by Greg Dahman