ListenUp
Superhumanoids, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Permanent Vacation and more in our weekly music recap
The Underachievers: Gold Soul Theory
We’ve been fans of Brooklyn duo The Underachievers since catching them at Boiler Room’s Flying Lotus Takeover in NYC last September, which was shortly after they released “Gold Soul Theory,” a jaw-dropping follow up to the first track off their theoretically-charged mixtape Indigoism. In a thoughtful riff on Plato’s five regimes, the track is charged with unbelievably smooth flows about choosing intellect over money. With its conscientious lyrics and stimulating beat, the track is an inspiring way to start the work week.
Yeah Yeah Yeah’s: Sacrilege
A month after giving the world a peek at their forthcoming album, Mosquito, with the debut of the first track, “Sacrilege,” the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have finally added visual appeal to the already enticing mp3. The chronologically reversed video by French foursome Megaforce begins with British model Lily Cole being burned at the stake, which we later learn is due to her incessant philandering with everyone in town. The combustive execution for the actress’s heresy is a brilliant match to Karen O’s fiery vocals and the backup gospel warble.
Luxury Liners: Dog Days / Afternoons
Operating under the moniker Luxury Liners, Baltimore-based musician Carter Tanton streamed the entirety of his new album They’re Flowers on Spin this week. While tracks like “Caribbean Sunset” (a John Cale cover), “Life’s A Beach” and “Dog Days / Afternoons” could instantly become cliched springtime tunes, instead they showcase Tanton’s time finessing his craft as a producer for other acts with surprising compositional layering and tightly edited sounds.
Permanent Vacation DJ Podcast
Tom Bioly and Benjamin Fröhlich—the enterprising pair behind one of our favorite independent record labels, Permanent Vacation—lent their mixing skills and fine taste to London-based Clash magazine this week for a downloadable DJ podcast. The Perm Vac guys eschewed pulling from their own roster of talent in favor of what they’re listening to now—a testament to their genuine musical interests—for a playlist that includes Bonobo, David Byrne, PM Project, Tensnake (who is on their label), Peaking Lights and more.
Superhumanoids: Geri
Since first writing about them on CH in 2010, LA’s Superhumanoids seem to only get better every time we check in with the trio of multi-facted musicians. With a show on the horizon at NYC’s Mercury Lounge next week, their latest single “Geri” has been on constant office rotation, keeping us fueled with their dreamy roller coaster of sound that goes from baritone to soprano and back again while curiously controlled synths harmonize the ride.
