Wildlife Control :: Analog or Digital (Video)

Unsigned Brooklyn / San Francisco indie rock duo Wild Control just put the finishing touches on their video for "Analog or Digital" and sent it our way. Real cool vid that was shot in a single continuous take from sunrise to sunset at Ocean Beach in San Francisco using a combination of stop motion and time lapse. The results are pretty cool. Shows you don't need the biggest budgets just good ideas. Track's pretty sweet too, check it out...

The Denzels

The Denzels 'Slow Death' EP has been thrown into a lot of my playlists ever since meeting one of the band members out at a bar in Brooklyn a few weeks ago. The Denzels surf laced, melancholic indie rock is just catchy. Their songs are well written and recorded which makes it simply just really easy to listen to. It's a dash of The Drums, The Strokes pop sensibility, with just a touch of The Walkmen's shoe gazed guitars. They're a melting pot of New York cities most successful acts. The snare and guitars off the track "Montrose Next Door" are sonic romance. Can't wait to hear more from these guys. Download the full (and free) EP off their bandcamp!


MP3: Montrose Next Door - The Denzels

Vacationer

Preparing for the summer is always an exciting endeavor. Road trips, beach days, summer love are just a few things we all seem to look forward to in the days leading up. Even more important is the essential summer mix that ties everything together. Philadelphia's Vacationer has popped in right on time to be the first submission to everyone's play list. The dream-pop tune "Trip" with it's jazzy undertone will easily find it's way into one's sunny afternoon drives. Check out the video below and let's only hope they have more to contribute in the upcoming months!


MP3: Trip - Vacationer

Zoo Kid

South East Londoner Zoo Kid might be young enough for a curfew but that won't get in the way of his music being played globally at the wee hours of heartbreak. For this unsigned 16 year old BOY already has a lot of deserving hype, with comparisons to this years nearly flawless James Blake album and lyricism to greats like Morrissey. In track "Out Getting Ribs" his cerebral punch of emotions can makes one feel as if everything is going to be okay, but at same time everything is lost. Didn't know many kids at 16 who were taking song titles from the late Jean Michel Basquiat pieces for songs that can make your heart drop. Don't you wish you were doing that at 16 (heck even now) instead of being filled with self loathe?


MP3: Out Getting Ribs- Zoo Kid

Axe and the Oak

Miami, like any other major city, breeds special talent and thankfully for us, my good friend Myles Kaplan is part of that growing influence. Axe and the Oak's heavy bass line and calculating drums are perfectly complimented by the haunting vocals. One thorough listen is enough to send me into the similar trances that favorites like Echo & The Bunnymen and Bauhaus have been doing since I was 15 years old. I've always felt that classic acts like the aforementioned would only be humbled by knowing that true fans can evoke similar feelings with their own music. Luckily for you and I, this unsigned gem will be playing live at the Monterrey Club in Ft. Lauderdale on September 25th. Enjoy the ear candy and make sure to check them out!


MP3: Rise and Fall - Axe and the Oak

Young Empires

Toronto indie-rock/pop trio Young Empires are getting ready to take on the UK with a series of shows in London, Bristol, Brighton and Glasgow. Not too shabby for an as yet unsigned band.

They sent over a couple demos "White Doves" and "Against the Wall", plus this sweet remix they did for Sunday Girl's cover of the classic Laura Branigan track "Self Control". I've had that Laura Branigan cover/remix for a couple weeks now and every time I play it out someone always comes up to ask who that is. Must mean it's good huh.

In addition to the mp3's below is a video of them performing "White Doves" live in a studio. Enjoy!


MP3: White Doves (Demo) - Young Empires


MP3: Against The Wall (Demo) - Young Empires


MP3: Self Control (Young Empires Remix) Laura Branigan Cover - Sunday Girl

AdamandEvil

AdamandEvil are LA duo Scott Fairbrother and Julian Shah-Tayler formerly from London band Whitey. Seems they liked the West Coast so much back in '07' they decided to make LA their home and have a go at it on their own.

Man, I must've played that Whitey track 'Wrap it Up' a million times back in the day. People loved that on the dancefloor. They're currently working on their self produced debut album with Danny Saber (David Bowie/Rolling Stones). Umm-amazing!

They have an unreleased self titled EP which was sent to us for review and I am thoroughly enjoying it! Great mid-tempo stuff. From indie rock to slower atmospheric tracks, all with a dark electronic pop flair. Slower is good...

URB Magazine said this about them:: 'LA's newest buzz band... well-tread yet still welcome breezy electro-pop.'

Wanna hear some? Of course you do!

Here's a couple of my favorites 'Weeds' and 'Outnumbered', plus a dance remix of Weeds by Daisy O-Dell that's also on the EP.

MP3: Weeds - AdamandEvil (YSI)

MP3: Outnumbered - AdamandEvil (YSI)

MP3: Weeds (Daisy O-Dell Remix) - AdamandEvil (YSI)

Hopeless

Hopeless is a Miami based solo electronic artist and MC.

First read about Hopeless on a blog and since he was from my hometown of Miami it caught my eye immediately. Then by total coincidence I got an email from him a few days later.

He puts out amazing electronic/dancey music ala DFA who funny enough he sings about on a track of how they won't sign him. Hilarious!

His music and lyrics mainly reminds me of the rawness, style & vibe of early LCD Soundsystem.

Real quality stuff coming from this unsigned artist which I'm sure won't be for too much longer.

Check out these stellar tracks that he's given us the green light to post off two EP's he's already put out 'Hand Claps & Cowbells' and 'The End.' It was hard to choose which ones to post cause they're all so good!

We'll be keeping an eye on him...

MP3: DFA Won't Sign Me - Hopeless (YSI)
MP3: Suga, Suga - Hopeless (YSI)
MP3: Haircut 101 - Hopeless (YSI)
MP3: We Don't Dance - Hopeless (YSI)

UltraChorus + Phoenix + Alan Wilkis

Got these great tracks from UltraChorus (Minneapolis, Minnesota) sent to my inbox (offtheradarmiami@gmail.com) the other day.

They were described as kinda like Postal Service, but with harder beats. I can hear some of those similarities.

Of the two original tracks they sent me, I really loved 'Words Kept Talking'. A catchy electro-pop track with a happy feel, good dancey vibe & great minimal vocoder effects.

Here's the mp3 for that, plus a remix they did for Phoenix's '1901'. Although not as good as the original, it's still a solid effort.

MP3: Words Kept Talking - UltraChorus (YSI)
MP3: 1901 (UltraChorus Remix) - Phoenix (YSI)

Speaking of Phoenix heard they were on Saturday Night Live the other night which I always miss cause I'm at work spinning Saturdays. Here they are performing '1901' and introduced by Host Seth Rogen who seems to be everywhere at the moment. Pretty sweet performance! They sound exactly like their recordings. Can't wait for their full length.

While on the subject of Phoenix here is another great remix sent to me for '1901' by independent Brooklyn multi-instrumentalist Alan Wilkis. Great beats and a really great remix!! Check out his myspace link above to hear more from him. His style is a mixture of indie rock, classic rock & electronics. Think you guys will dig it.

MP3: 1901 (Alan Wilkis Remix) - Phoenix (YSI)

** If you are an artist/band and have music you think would fit in well with what we post here at Off the Radar (or even have recommends) send me mp3's/videos/info for consideration to offtheradarmiami@gmail.com. I get alot of my content/ideas for posts from what's sent to us. Thanks!

PANIC BOMBER

The other day my friend showed me the demo of Miami based artist Richard Haig's project Panic Bomber and I was mightily impressed! Great to hear good dance music coming from our lovely city.

Funny thing is, it seems Richard's a disgruntled Miami musician who's turned to dance music to try and compete with DJ's! Ha... I hope I never pissed him off. Check out the great Mission Statement/Treastise were he talks about it on his Myspace/Facebook.

He manages to mix electro, house, techno as well as touches of pop and concocted a great formula. Familiar, but with a touch of new-ness that makes it fresh to the ears.

Fans of bands like Daft Punk, Aphex Twin, electro, vocoders and dance music in general will enjoy this. A bit experimental, but never losing it's pop sensibilities.

Download the entire 6 song demo 'Calling in Threats' for FREE from his website::www.panicbomber.com.

Here are a couple of my favorites so far... Track #3 'Until Our Legs Break' is a must have for electro fans.

MP3: Sweating Tiny Buckets - Panic Bomber (YSI)
MP3: Smooth Sailor - Panic Bomber (YSI)

P.S. If you're in the South Florida area, Panic Bomber will be 'Performing' Friday, January the 9th @ The Vagabond. Appropriately from the DJ Booth! Interesting to see if he can reproduce the sounds live and what the show will be like.

Marcus Rombo

The problem with house music is that sometimes it can get a bit repetitive and boring. If you need a model of how it should be done check out this 8 plus minute track that keeps things interesting from new Swedish artist Marcus Rombo. Go to his myspace for another killer track from this as yet un-signed artist. Sure that won't last very long if he keeps making music this good.

Have a great week-end!!

MP3: Bringing - Marcus Rombo


* Track removed by request from Marcus, but he promises to keep us in the loop and send us new stuff very soon!

Mono Never Sounded So Good...

Mono in VCF hail from Tacoma, Washington and are probably one of the best unsigned bands you are likely to hear this year. Their sound is Classic 60's Pop and reminiscent of bands like early Goldfrapp, Nancy Sinatra or maybe even a band with a similar name Mono.

I found out about them on the Obscure Sound Blog and was blown away.

It's like music from another era. Majestic, grand and beautiful!

Even Jarvis Cocker is a fan! He picked them to open for him when he was in Seattle.

I'm sure it won't be long before these guys are signed and huge! Just check out these three amazing tracks and you will be convinced. A perfect late night soundtrack!

Enjoy...

MP3: Escape City Scrapers (YSI)

MP3: Spider Rotation (YSI)

MP3: The Only One (YSI)

Synths and Bass and Cattle

Warning syth-disco ahead! And that is not a bad thing. Hailing from across the pond, in gay Pari-- Denton, Texas? Wait a second, I thought all electro goodness only came from France? At least that is what Mr. Banger and Kitsune want you to think.

With Italo stylings and a long list of influences (Sexual Harrassment, Kavinsky, Junior Boys, Chromeo, Cabaret Voltaire...) seems like the perfect Off the Radar group to us.

The group is still young (they played their first show last month), but that means they can only get better. Right?

MP3: Parking Lot Nights

(There is another demo track floating around out there, Losing Tracks.)