Certified Jam: “Mountain” by Gold Panda

Gold Panda, who I believe is criminally underrated, released this shimmering new track “Mountain” today. Beautiful tonality in this one. Make sure to check out his album Lucky Shiner if you haven’t already.
Cop this Album: “Bloom” by Beach House

Beach House, in my opinion one of the best bands in the world over the last several years, is nothing if not consistent. While they essentially only do one thing- hazy, atmospheric dream-pop, they do that thing remarkably well and with increasingly excellent results.
“Bloom” is just another step in the same direction Beach House has been walking in all these years, but this time with tighter composition and more refined production. The best part is they’ve delivered this album in time for it to be the soundtrack to your summer, so I expect to hear this on heavy rotation in the coming months.
Standout tracks:
Beach House - “Lazuli”
Beach House - “Other People”
Certified Jam: “Romantic Streams (CFCF Remix)” by Sleep ∞ Over

CFCF has been killing it lately. A few weeks ago he released a great chilled-out remix of Elite Gymnastics’ “h e r e , i n h e a v e n”, and today he put out his take of Sleep ∞ Over’s excellent “Romantic Streams.” Take a listen to CFCF below, and also revisit Balam Acab’s version of the same song, which is one of my favorite remixes of all time.
CFCF:
Balam Acab:
NEW ANIMAL COLLECTIVE

New Animal Collective, y’all.
Certified Jams April Mix

A lot of nice tracks to remember from this month. I’m gonna say Peaking Light’s “LO HI” won the month, although “Lazuli” by Beach House came in a close second.
Stream or download below, with a track list after the jump:
Cop this album: “You Know You Like It” by AlunaGeorge

If it’s highly original, generating a lot of underground buzz, and something you can bob your head to, chances are it’s been signed to Tri-Angle Records. This notion has been proven once again by AlunaGeorge, a new London-based R&B duo.
With their fragmented and futuristic beats, AlunaGeorge sounds like an R&B version of Purity Ring. Their short, 3-song EP is great new addition to the already absurd Tri-Angle lineup.
Standout tracks:
AlunaGeorge - “You Know You Like It”
AlunaGeorge - “Just a Touch”
Cop this album: “All Hell” by Daughn Gibson

And now for something completely different.
Daughn Gibson is a former truck driver from Pennsylvania who used to drive around on long hauls listening to the only programming his radio would pickup in the middle of nowhere— country music. Recently, Gibson decided to record an album of his own, drawing heavily on the country he heard while roaming America.
But instead of making the godawful, nails-on-chalkboard country that dominates rural airwaves today, Gibson has come up with his own brand of it that is unlike anything I’ve heard. In fact, using the term “country” to describe his music is probably misguided.
Gibson uses samples and loops of country and old christian gospel music as the basis for his songs, while sometimes sprinkling in a few synth melodies. He then sings over it with a voice that sounds like a mixture of Johnny Cash and John Maus, resulting in songs that sound like the perfect accompaniment to the decaying landscapes of the American backcountry.
Akin to acts like Band of Horses and Edward Sharpe, Gibson only leans into country ever so slightly. But whatever you end up calling it, this album is extremely compelling and will certainly add some diversity to your music library.
Standout tracks:
Daughn Gibson - “Tiffany Lou”
Daughn Gibson - “In the Beginning”
Certified Jam: “I Kontact” by Outer Limitz

Despite what you may think upon first glance, Outer Limitz is not the name of the next boy band invading us from the UK. It’s actually a band signed to the very respectable label Hippos in Tanks, home to acts like Sleep ∞Over, Games, James Ferraro, and Laurel Halo to name a few.
Here’s their new single “I Kontact,” which I guarantee will be stuck in your head after listening (props to Vinyl Spins for infecting me with this one).
Certified Jam: “Lazuli” by Beach House

Here’s another excellent new track from Beach House’s upcoming album Bloom. This is gonna be one of the great albums of 2012.


