Tag: dreampop

PREVIEW: “Beautiful Distraction” EP by Breakdown Valentine

Breakdown Valentine is set to release their debut EP “Beautiful Distraction” on Thursday, September 26 at the Rickshaw Stop, but BoxSpeaker is giving you an exclusive preview right now!

Breakdown Valentine mixes electro beats with darkwave style synths and an 80s-inspired percussion to give you eerie dancey tracks.

You can buy the EP through their Bandcamp on Thursday and coming to you soon on iTunes!

P.S. They also do a really great cover of Berlin’s “Take My Breath Away” – which isn’t on the EP but totally should be.

“The Lovers’ Suicide” by The Bilinda Butchers

The Bilinda Butchers are a San Francisco-based band that takes a lot of influences from the 90s shoegaze sound, dreampop, and even what sounds like a traditional Japanese sanshin strumming style in some of their songs (first 25 notes of “The Lovers’ Suicide”!)

Even their album art and lyrics show the traditional Japanese art influence. Their album cover has modern (maybe even 60s-inspired) color combinations juxtaposed by the traditional Japanese woodcut art style. And according to their SoundCloud, their lyrics were inspired by Lafcadio Hearn’s story “A Street Singer,” which takes place in Japan and was written in the mid to late 1800s.

The Bilinda Butchers’ style across mediums shows their appropriation of influences not just from one recent era (or even national identity) of sound, sight, and storytelling but across centuries and oceans to create new music. All of this giving even fuller meaning to their work.

[NEW SINGLE:] Say Lou Lou Releases “Julian”

Dreampop sirens Say Lou Lou released their latest single “Julian” today.

Much like their previous single “Maybe You,” “Julian” makes you feel as if you’re swimming in a romantic flood. But this time, it’s filled with dramatic overtures of percussion.

“Apparition” by Frank + Derol

As all 4 of you know, I’ve really been into ghost songs lately.

Here’s another ghost-related song called “Apparition” by Frank + Derol.

Frank + Derol are a semi-electro / dreampop / garage rock sounding Los Angeles duo – Codi Caraco and the as of yet lesser-known Cyrus daughter Brandi Cyrus.

They’re opening with Kitten at tonight’s Sir Sly show at the Casbah in San Diego!