I’ve decided I love this and I think this is great but during the school year I can’t do this full-time sufficiently. Until I can figure out a way to do this properly, CA is going to be on a hiatus. Thank you for understanding.

<3 <3 <3

Pardon us — we’ll be taking a small break. Be back soon.

MOODIVE — PASSIO

‘Passio’ is the first release from 16-year-old Italian producer Moodive, and quite a remarkable one at that. Throughout the album I was consistently awed that someone this young could create music so diverse and complex. Although his vocals take a little time to grow on you, the way that Moodive pieces it with the minimal synths and chilled out bass lines is impeccable. I’m enthusiastic to see how Moodive grows as a producer with age.

You can download ‘Passio’ for free here. Stream it here first:

THE PRESETS — PACIFICA

I’ve been waiting ages after ‘Apocalypso’ for something new from my favorite Aussie synth-pop duo. ‘Pacifica’ is a bit of a change from ‘Apocalypso’ but for sure shows lots of musical growth and generally more quirkiness. I feel like ‘Pacifica’ is the kind of music they wanted to make and this junior album has shown a mastery of their craft. I’m digging the eccentric synth melodies and glitched choruses. This one will stay on repeat for a while.

You can purchase Pacifica here. Be sure to check out the leading single Ghosts and a mini-mix of all of the tracks from the album here beforehand:

WHY? — MUMPS, ETC.

My whole face lit up when this album leaked. ‘Mumps, Etc.’ is the 5th release from Berkley based indie hiphop collective WHY? and could be the illest yet. The band revolves around rapper Yoni Wolf’s eccentric, intelligent rhymes and his almost awkward singsong white boy flow. Extremely quotable, amusing, and uncomfortable.

Mumps, Etc. officially drops October 2nd and you can preorder it here. Here’s a dope track while you wait:

To accompany that, here’s a neat clip on how the album art was made:

GRIZZLY BEAR — SHIELDS

One of my personal most anticipated albums of the year, Shields definitely lives up to the hype. I didn’t think Grizzly Bear could top Veckatimest but was pleasantly surprised to see that it could be done. The vibes gave me a chill 60’s feel and the percussion was nothing short of brilliance. The vocal contrast between Edward Droste and Daniel Rossen was marvelous. This was just an utterly phenomenal album altogether and finishes strongly with one of it’s best tracks, ‘Sun In Your Eyes’. My other standouts would for sure be ‘Sleeping Ute’ and ‘Gun-Shy’.

‘Shields’ releases September 18th and you can preorder it here. While you’re waiting, here’s my personal favorite from the album, ‘Gun-Shy’:

MENOMENA — MOMS

After the release of critically acclaimed “Mines” in 2010, Menomena lost one of the co-founders of the trio Brendt Knopf, who wished to focus on his solo work. Danny Seim and Justin Harris decided to continue making music, thankfully, and ‘Moms’ is the first release from what’s left of Menomena. Sure, the sound is a bit different, but it still feels like a Menomena album. ‘Moms’ is a juxtaposition between Danny, who hardly knew his mom, and Justin, who was raised entirely by her. The albums’ lyrics are a stunning exploration of family structure.

‘Moms’ releases September 18th, click here if you’d like to preorder it. Here’s the first single released from the album:

New video for Macklemore’s new single “Thrift Shop”. Dope beat, super catchy, and some funky flow. The cursing feels forced but I’m still jamming to this. Peep the video and buy it on iTunes here.

STEALING SHEEP — INTO THE DIAMOND SUN

‘Into the Diamond Sun’ is a fantastic freshman effort but definitely leaves room for improvement. I was quite impressed by the artists’ abilities to blend their eclectic backgrounds and music tastes into this layered release. Dreamy harmonies from the trio, lo-fi drone synths, detailed percussion, and psychedelic guitars thrive in this album. My stand out tracks would definitely be the leading single, ‘Shut Eye’, as well as ‘Genevieve’, and ‘Shark Song’. I’m excited to see how the ladies progress!

You can purchase ‘Into the Diamond Sun’ on SoundCloud here. Give it a shot with my personal favorite track from the album:

DEERHOOF — BREAKUP SONG

If a band of children with severe ADHD were to create a pop album, they would create ‘Breakup Song’. This is Deerhoof’s 13th release and they are still impressing me. ‘Breakup Song’ is all over the map yet continues to be upbeat, unexpected, and interesting throughout. The attention is primarily (rightly) given to the lovely kawaii princess and singer-bassist Satomi Matsuzaki, leading the way. I was on my toes the entire 30 minutes, being shocked and awed by the direction within the craziness.

‘Breakup Song’ will release September 4th and you can preorder it here. You can also currently stream it from their YouTube, accompanied by some charming visual art: