Torres "Three Futures (4AD)"
Bank Robber Music was very excited to be able to announce the signing of Torres to the fold before the release of her otherworldly new LP Three Futures (4AD). Her singular combination of stark instrumentation and frank vocals had already beguiled us from the other side of the contract, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to love her music and not just wish upon wishes from the sidelines that she was part of the BRM family. If you’ve been a fan of her past albums (and judging from all the “hey, do you guys work Torres?” emails we have received in the past, I would say there are many of you) then you know what to expect. Experimental like David Byrne or Laurie Anderson, but with a modern slant, this is pop music for smart people. Check out the first single “Three Futures.”
Howard Ivans "Beautiful Tired Bodies (Spacebomb)"
Ivan Howard (of the Rosebuds) is back as his alter ego Howard Ivans with his full-length debut. Beautiful Tired Bodies (Spacebomb) continues on with the soul ideas he first introduced us to on his “magnificent art-funk treasure” (SPIN) 7” Red Face Boy. Where as last time he sounded like a Gloria Estefan/Quincy Jones reimagining, here he sounds like an arthouse version of “Off The Wall” era Michael Jackson, complete with sinisterly chilly production and warm vocals. This is one damn sexy album, and somehow defies description all the while being almost a straight ahead disco/r&b record. It’s full of tricks, but you’re bound to be in love no matter what. Start your affair with the lead single “Denise.” If you plan on making out with someone later, you’re gonna wanna bring this slow jam with you.
Ka Baird "Saropelic Pycnic (Drag City)"
Sometimes you need a weird record. A record that’s hard to describe, but easy to listen to. A psychedelic record that makes a flute sound like a computer. If this is one of those cases, then boy oh boy do I have the record for you. Saropelic Pycnin (Drag City), the new record from Ka Baird, is a trippy good time. Full of augmented and processed flute sounds, new age-y, world music hints, and… well, even more psychedelic flute sounds. It’s like a electronic symphony consisting entirely of flutes, sounding a little bit like OPN remixes of Eric Dolphy (I would spend a LOT of money on that record). Check out the swirling “Tok Tru.”
Shout Out Louds "Ease My Mind (Merge)"
Ease My Mind (Merge), the newest LP from Shout Out Louds, aims to do just that. No, not make you shout out loud. It’s here to ease your mind. Don’t believe me? Just ask band members Adam Olenius and Bebban Stenborg: “Ease My Mind celebrates music as a means of escape, a need to take a break from feeling petrified with fear…” And what a break from the real world this is! Full of triumphant melodies, uplifting chord changes, and easy vibes of rock days past. Think of it like War On Drugs/early Arcade Fire with plenty of Xanax; oh and did we say catchy as fuck? We did! Check out “Uh Oh.”