The Caribbean are set to play at this year’s SXSW with their US label Hometapes. It’s a festival that needs no introduction, so if you’re anywhere nearby, check it out. They have two sets lined up: one at the Mohawk on Thursday 18th March (info here), and the second at the Friend Island on Saturday 20th March (info here).
The Caribbean – Color Television (Scott Solter Remix) The Caribbean – Color Television (Scott Solter Remix)
Hidden Shoal Recordings have announced the release of ‘The Heart That Hears Like A Bat’ by Seattle-based sci-fi pop band Hotels, the second single taken from their acclaimed sophomore album Where Hearts Go Broke.
‘The Heart That Hears Like A Bat’ is a song as wonderful as its title, a gorgeously shadowy piece of film noir Bond pop. Tremolo guitars and vibraphone shimmer over the inimitable Hotels rhythm section like moonlight on a swimming pool, while Blake Madden intones a pulpy tale of “young girls crying” and “young lovers dying”. It’s beautiful, effortlessly cool, and once again proves Hotels as kings of pop melody and mood.
To round out the release come remixes of two more tracks from Where Hearts Go Broke. ‘Leilani’ is remixed by original Hotels keyboard player Rich Spitzer, AKA Nite Club, who pairs the catchy synth line and vocals of the original with a drum ’n’ bass racket. Bizarre, funky and addictive. ‘Near The Desert, Near The City’ is remixed by Perth’s Justin Manzano, AKA tin Man, who has also remixed Hidden Shoal’s Apricot Rail. tin Man foregrounds the aching nuances of the original by stripping it back and laying the bare bones of the song in a shimmering bath of shoegaze drone and dubby throb.
“Hotels fuse elements of new wave, goth, and surf so seamlessly that genre tags will be the last thing on your mind when you hear their bittersweet, atmospheric pop songs” – Time Out New York
“With angular guitars, sober vocals, omnipresent synths, and a taste for the cinematic, Hotels come off like the ultimate ’80s soundtrack band, something akin to a cross between the dreamy haze of M83 and the angsty garage rock of The Strokes… Where Hearts Go Broke is an exciting, emotional record that showcases a band confident in their ability to express themselves.” – PopMatters
Download the single and remixes for free through the Hidden Shoal Store and read a full press release here.
Hot on the heels of Wes Willenbring’s KZSU chart action, yet another Hidden Shoal artist is making waves on the US college radio charts. Boxharp’s irrepressible magic in the form of the Loam Arcane EP has seen them enter the WNYU chart at number 23 nestled in with the likes of Beach House, Excepter, Joanna Newsom and Richard Skelton to name a few. Check out the chart here and the Loam Arcane EP here.
Wes Willenbring’s spellbinding sophomore album Close, But Not Too Close has entered the KZSU Top Ten Chart at number 10 and has scooped the top spot on the station’s Classical/Experimental Chart! Check out the charts here and check out Close, But Not Too Close here.
