Video: Jessie Baylin ‘Little Spark’ Trailer
To put it mildly, I have been head over heels for Jessie Baylin since the release of her free Pleasure Center EP in late November. The EP, of mostly covers, has been a weekly listen and my go-to before bed spin. January 17th will serve as the release date for her full length album Little Spark. My guess is that you won’t find Baylin gaining much coverage across the indie blogosphere. Her pop music upbringing and marriage to Kings of Leon drummer Nathan Followill make her too un-hip for the likes of Pitchfork. This is an outright shame, because Little Spark has the potential to contend for one of the top releases of the first half of 2012.
Baylin reached out to some seriously talented folks to add their touch to the album. Richard Swift, of The Shins, served as multi-instrumentalist and played an integral role in Little Spark‘s arrangements. (Pleasure Center EP was recorded in a single day on a four-track in Baylin’s living room, with Swift at the helm.) Legendary composer and three-time Grammy winner Jimmie Haskell played the role of conductor, while Kevin Augunus rounded out the squad as producer. Augunus has worked with a wide range of artists from Sinead O’Connor to Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. Watch the trailer for the album below, and prepare yourself for one of the pleasant surprises of 2012.
For a limited time, Amazon is offering a FREE DOWNLOAD of the track “Hurry Hurry.” Stream below.
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Written by Rob Peoni
Album Stream: Triptides ‘Live at Cubbfest’
Bloomington band Triptides was a topic of early discussion on Thought on Tracks. Their release Psychic Summer impressed the crew for it’s authentic garage rock feel. A lo-fi, surf pop group whose zip code could be mistaken for the Bay, Triptides is a misplaced sand castle creating its own beach.
The Triptides left to promote Psychic Summer in July and one of their stops sounds like they were playing in a home away from homes at Cubbfest in San Diego. Their opening track “Summerday” provides a harder, unfamiliar vibe, but proves to set the stage for their entire performance. Heavily distorted guitars rip through the crowd as Glenn Brigman and Josh Menashe scream “Don’t ever fall apart.” John Warlick tears his cymbals apart and a live recording is masterfully born. They released this performance in November and now we are sharing it with you. Stream the release below and download it for free via Triptides’ bandcamp page. Also, be sure to snag their 7″ Going Under/Outlaw released in December.
Connect with Triptides via Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp
Written by Brett McGrath
Live Video: Grimes “Oblivion”
The confetti has barely finished falling to ring in 2012, but what can I say, I want some new music in my life. Tuesdays usually provide the means for this craving as the new releases hit the shelf at your local record store, only we all know not much happened two days ago and won’t really for a few more weeks. So while we all wait and anticipate for the first releases to drop, one album I’m dying to get my hands on early this year is the first full length LP by Grimes entitled Visions. The electro solo project is the work of Canadian Clair Boucher and is scheduled to drop on 1-31-11 along with a slew of other records. Take a sneak peek with a live performance of “Oblivion” below. Compare the video with the studio recording:
Connect with Grimes via Twitter | Facebook
Written by Greg Dahman
Thought on Tracks 