I’m always pretty excited when I see something new from Sweet Lights (aka. Shai Halperin)… Sweet Lights’ new single “Endless Town” plays on his upbringing in Philadelphia, and visually the song explores his ancestry (amongst other things) by including the faces of Shai’s great great grandfather, 1st cousin 4 times removed, great grandma, and both of his parents.  Props to Albert Birney for directing this animated collage of wonder!  The see-through vinyl of “Endless Town” / “Handle With Care” is due on 3.5.12 via Highline Records.  Till then, feel that bittersweet glow through one of my favorite Sweet Lights covers… Sharon Van Etten‘s “One Day”.

Sweet Lights   /^\   One Day (Sharon Van Etten Cover)

This post is self-promotion for the wonderful new home we’ve created (TOGETHER) called PORTALS… As of today 2.6.12 – PORTALS has officially launched, so head on over and check out the digs.  While your at it, peep the second installment of PORTALS Monthly Mixtape Series featuring all new material from some of our favorite artist (including It Is Rain In My Face, GUIDES, StaG, Kevin Costner Suicide Pact, and Pressed And whom will be performing this Friday 2.10.12 at the inaugural PORTALS Traveling Showcase in Denver, CO at Rhinoceropolis)… Woooooop!

It Is Rain In My Face   /^\   No Say

GUIDES   /^\   Play It, Sam

Pressed And   /^\   Meese

Check out MondreM.A.N.’s (Main Attrakionz) solo contribution to the cloud world.  His latest album MAN (grab it here) features plenty of hazy jams for those lazy days hanging in the sunshine state of your mind.  In regards to MAN remixes, our friends over at Crash Symbols just released some seeeerious dopef*ck by the likes of Blissed Out, Yalls, Shady Blaze ++ (buy tape here).  Greenovaaaaa!

MondreM.A.N.   /^\   Belly of the Beast (Blissed Out Remix)

MondreM.A.N.   /^\   Fancy (Yalls Remix)

I have to give Travis (aka. Pictureplane) some long overdue respect on last years Thee Physical… That fucking album is spectacular front to back!  In my mind, it’s a game changer – melting boundaries and building upon an ever evolving electronic genre.  So with that said, we’ve been gifted 19 (count ‘em) remixes from artists who also deserve a ton of props for their continual efforts to make fresh sounds.  Check my favorites from DIMENSIONAL RIP 7 below, grab it here, and lastly… if you dare, stare at that album artwork for 7 minutes straight.

Pictureplane   /^\  Body Mod (Krusht Remix)

Pictureplane   /^\   Post Physical (Little Star Dweller Remix)

Pictureplane   /^\   Real Is A Feeling (Grimes Remix)

Pictureplane   /^\   Touching Transform (Craxxxmurf MB C200 Remix)

Speaker Snacks Recs is going out in style with their 12th and final release, the After Life EP by N.C.’s Top Girls (Evan Adams).  After Life is a five track composition of lush angelic vocal loops and soft-spot beats/synths… These cuts are for candle-lighting or mind-spacing, maybe both… your choice.  RIP Speaker Snacks Recs!!!  I think we can all rest-assured that the after life has much in store… Cheers Jake.

Top Girls  /^\  After Life

Top Girls  /^\  Next Year

Brice Woodall is an atmospheric lo-fi pop artist from Chicago.  Some Odd Years (listen here) is his first ep to be released this year (1/17) from a series of tapes he recorded on a 1994 Yamaha 4-track.  I don’t know a ton about Russian or Japanese cinema… but I do know those films make for some pretty damn inspiring tunes!  Some Odd Years and it’s psychedelic melodies will pull you in at first listen… Eagle Scouts honor.

Brice Woodall   /^\   Even the Mice and Snakes

Brice Woodall   /^\   POV

It’s with the utmost excitement that I announce PORTALS has officially given birth (per-maturely)!  I can’t believe I get to share the stage with 15 of my favorite blogs!  PORTALS will officially launch a full-scale website on January 24th… Till then, come see what we’re about and dig on some fresh 2K12 sights and sounds.

P.S. I want to give a special shout-out to Jimmy Morris (Head Underwater) for doing such a steller job with designing the PORTALS site(s).  Thanks Jimmy, we owe you brother!

This week I was introduced to Gnarlon Brando’s Midnight Noir (grab it here) by Sacramento hip-hop producer Lee Bannon.  At first I was just curious to listen, as the description of the album read: “an instrumental soundtrack to an imaginary movie”… Then I started to notice the track titles mirrored a sequential and conclusive night out on the town (if you’re a bad-ass)… Due to the sheer diversity of sounds, by about track 8 I realized I was listening to something pretty serious… And by track 10, I was in love.  I went on to listen to the album at least six time in a row that night, and have had many more goes at it since… I received a lot of amazing music in my in-box this week (gotta love January), but Midnight Noir takes the cake.  Lee Bannon: your beats are infectious homes!

Lee Bannon   /^\   Shoot Out

Lee Bannon   /^\   The Count Down

A rather fitting new lush noise jam from GOLDRUSH veteran Happy New Year, alongside fellow kaleidoscopic Brisbane mates Nite Fields.  Grab the tunes below digitally or cop the real seven via Lost Race Records… P.S. Happy New Year (for real) to all of you!!! It’s with much anticipation that we here at the Teepee say: 2012 baby… let’s see what you got!  So here we go.

Nite Fields   /^\   Come Down

Happy New Year   /^\   High Sea