Benoit & Sergio don’t make dance tracks—they tell stories. In the Washington, DC duo’s music, a sense of place and narrative infuse their rhythms and melodies, transcending the confines of “tech-house” or “electronic pop” and entering a genre-free realm of cinematic imagery and visceral pleasures. Benoit & Sergio draw from influences mostly uncommon to the house-and-techno zeitgeist—bands like Talking Heads, Pavement, Roxy Music, Paul Simon—while keeping an ear towards electronic-music contemporaries like Isolee, Thomas Melchior, and Ricardo Villalobos. The resulting tracks pulse with hooks and atmosphere, proudly flying their creators’ freak flag while giving listeners a little something extra to dance about. [via]

I am loving these guys, there is just something about the music that makes me want to dance around in my chair at work :P Music is so upbeat and happy, and I love the touch of soul! Check them out on last.fm or facebook.

For mercurial L.A. music-maker Will Wiesenfeld, Baths has been a long time coming. The 21-year-old has spent the better part of his days living amidst “pleasant” and “unremarkable” in the suburbs of the San Fernando Valley, so perhaps it’s due to a general lack of local inspiration that Wiesenfeld’s own work has never fit into a prefab box of its own. Over the last six years, under the handle of [Post-Foetus], Wiesenfeld has gainfully explored the intersections and outer reaches of both electronic and acoustic music. With Baths, his eclecticism finds its greatest focus yet, in a hail of lush melodies, ghostly choirs, playful instrumentation and stuttering beats.

Wiesenfeld’s trip began at age 4, when he willed his parents into enrolling him in piano lessons. (The family upright, purchased that same year, sits in his bedroom today.) By 13, he’d begun recording his own music using Digital Performer and a MIDI keyboard – a brief, ill-advised foray into Eurobeat that was set right when Wiesenfeld heard Björk for the first time. Mind blown, he quickly boned up on viola, contrabass, and guitar and took the name [Post-Foetus], stringing together countless live configurations to execute his increasingly inimitable compositions. [Post-Foetus]’ fourth album – a Dntel-ish, song-based mélange dubbed The Fabric – was released on Mü-Nest in January.

Though Baths represents the next evolution in Wiesenfeld’s oeuvre – which also includes the excellent ambient project Geotic – it came together under nigh-opposite circumstances. Last September, [Post-Foetus] was invited by L.A. electronicist Daedelus to share a bill with a handful of local Beat Music luminaries. Witnessing a burgeoning movement firsthand sparked something in Wiesenfeld that the ’burbs never could. In a fit of inspiration, Baths was born, though not into a preexisting scene. As is to be expected, this music goes its own way: fueled by spontaneity, tempered by Wiesenfeld’s background in classic songwriting. Those two influences collide in glorious ways on Cerulean, Baths’ stunning debut. [via]

Get UP! – Popnoname Interview at TVU. from TVU. on Vimeo.

Popnoname: Website | Last.fm | Myspace | Soundcloud | Discogs

go contains nine songs amassed from the large pool of songs written by jónsi during his many years with sigur rós. the album is sung in english and icelandic, and was co-produced by jónsi, his partner alex somers and peter katis (the national, interpol).

when he began working on go, jónsi initially thought he would be making a low-key, acoustic album until, as he says, “somewhere along the line, it just sort of exploded.” that explosion resulted in sheer aural fireworks. not a straight ahead pop record, nor rock, folk, ambient or electronic, it encompasses all of these to create an expansive musical palette that’s been brought to life by jónsi alongside a number of free-spirited collaborators.

chief among these is nico muhly, the philip glass protégé who is renowned for his work with björk, antony & the johnsons, bonnie “prince” billy and grizzly bear. muhly has arranged all the songs on go, bringing strings, brass and woodwind to dance playfully alongside his offbeat piano playing. add into the mix the percussive genius of samuli kosminen, whose original drumming powers many of the songs along, and you have a sonic landscape that bears little relation to anything else around today, yet explodes from the speakers with sheer happiness and wonder, wide-eyed and eager to be heard. [via]

Jónsi: Website | Twitter | Last.fm | Soundcloud | Myspace | Vimeo | Flickr

Interview with The Uglysuit from The Helium Project on Vimeo.

Made up of six friends from Oklahoma Cit, The Uglysuit brings a different mentality to what they do – remarkably fresh-faced and honest, the band believes in letting loose, fostering a heartfelt atmosphere of hope and love, and works hard to shape what comes naturally. Playing together since their early teen years has given them an almost familial connection which shines through on their beautiful, fully-realized debut album.

The comfort and ease The Uglysuit shares in performing together is evident in the direction each song takes. Some start as one thing and end as something completely different, but in a way that fits together perfectly. Nothing is sacrificed and everything makes sense. “Brownblue’s Passing” begins delicately before orchestral elements take a march-like turn, leading to a finale that becomes increasingly hypnotic and epic. “…And We Became Sunshine” opens with a bouncy intro that eventually transforms into a soaring chorus of guitar washes, keyboard flourishes, and lush, layered vocals. “Chicago” brings together a more traditional song structure, a melody painted with piano and delicate guitar lines, and a refrain that can stay embedded in your brain for days.

The Uglysuit’s music is an extended love song to the notion that everything is possible, yet nothing is guaranteed. It’s born of excitement and energy and built on potential and promise. It’s based on the premise that change exists in everything, and where a wide-eyed view of the world doesn’t equal naiveté. It reminds us that we are alive, and that maybe it’s not too late. [via]

on. Episode Four The Uglysuit – 1902, Deep Ocean from Steven Hopkins on Vimeo.

This is a longer live video.. but this shows the boys doing what they love. And goodness they manage to groove to it all :)

“…And We Became Sunshine” by the Uglysuit @ the Living Room from Music Taster's Choice on Vimeo.

The Uglysuit: website | myspace | last.fm | iTunes | merch | amazon

interview with The Non from The Helium Project on Vimeo.

The Non – Tadaima from The Helium Project on Vimeo.

The Non – Cloud Collision from The Helium Project on Vimeo.

The Non: website | myspace