Elke Nominikat

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MUSIC QUOTES: Progressive Synth Pop

In this photo, three piece (four with live drummer) DF3, playing Leftfield for CMJ 2015.

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NEW EP: DTHPDL - The Future

Often times it seems our focus lies too much on London, Brooklyn, Los Angeles with a little Melbourne and Stockholm thrown in for good measure. We all know though, that Australia, the USA, UK or Europe as a whole hold many more exciting places! Case in point with this vibrant

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VIDEO: FEWS - 100 Goosebumps

Even before heading to this year’s SXSW, I knew that FEWS would be one of the most exciting bands to currently come out of the UK*, and having seen them live not only once but twice confirmed this guess. We chose “The Zoo” as Song Pick of the Day

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SONG PICK: Lost Woods - Vodka Ocean

“Vodka Ocean”, is the up-tempo, superbly catchy single for Lost Woods’ upcoming EP. The song deals with the singer’s regret of having gotten really drunk during a music festival, and subsequently having thrown up over his girlfriend’s and his stuff in their tent. While this doesn’t paint

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NEW EP: Darla & The Blonde - Eugenia (EP STREAM)

Last year, when we made “The End of the Party” Song Pick of the Day, we were already surprised by the choice of topic, talking about the “Hong Kong Umbrella revolution”. Now, Darla And The Blonde’s debut EP “Eugenia” is out, with even more remarkable tracks. Songwriter Nina Lovelace

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PHOTOS: Lady Pills Delight at the Boston & Beyond Showcase at the West Tent (SXSW)

Here is another delightful discovery from the Boston & Beyond showcase organized by the Berklee College of Music and Vanyaland. The three-piece Lady Pills does straight-forward rock music and brings an energetic performance to stage with great musicianship: Alison and Ella swap their instruments and vocal duties so effortlessly that

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SONG PICK: Leitbur - I Need You

There is plenty of promise with a touch of longing right from the start of “I Need You”, a beautifully infectious  synthpop gem by LA duo Leitbur .”I Need You” is also the first single to their upcoming album “Antique Travelers” to drop on May 6th. “You’re the best

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PHOTOS: Plastic Waves Charm with Psych Rock at Berklee's SXSW Party

This year’s Boston and Beyond: Berklee’s SXSW Party at the Brush Square Park  West Tent offered one highly interesting band after the other and so we stayed there for not only one but five acts. Plastic Waves from Boston, MA were my personal favorite with their dreamy psych-rock,

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SONG PICK: Chaika - The Quietness

Urgent, menacing undertones, creating a chilling dark vibe. Driving beats, staccato vocals, spitting out word for word, until the relentlessly pushing forward beats slow down half way through, taking a break in their vitality, the piercing guitar melody almost coming to a complete halt, lingering along, prolonging the exhaustion and

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3 Is A Band: SXSW2016 Recap of the Most Memorable Trios

Before heading out to Austin to this year’s South By South West Festival, I decided on 16 trios I was most looking forward to seeing live, and while I couldn’t catch them all, I saw most of them and few who weren’t on my list. Truth be

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PHOTOS: Jimkata Got Rough Trade NYC Blissfully Dancing

On the heel of their second album “In Motion”, released in February, three-piece Jimkata played a sold-out show at Brooklyn’s Rough Trade NYC to a joyous audience. As much as space allowed, people were dancing, some even putting to test their standard-dance moves. A highly infectious, happy vibe was

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LATE NIGHT: Twin Wave - Matador

Brooklyn’s three-piece Twin Wave has just released an up-beat, highly infectious new single boosting big, sweeping 80s-reminiscent harmonies with killer hooks and an overall buoyant vibe. The track’s lyrical theme, which according to singer and lyricist Nick Williams is a nod to “bullfighting as an art form rather

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MUSIC QUOTES: Hip-hop and Electronic Music

Lara Snow at Fat Baby for CMJ 2015

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PHOTOS: Sextile Fully Excite with Dark and Stormy Post-Punk at Barracuda Austin (SXSW)

The first night of the music part of Austin’s South By South West Festival (SXSW) is usually a slow one, intensifying throughout the week and sort of exploding on Friday and Saturday nights. Checking, who’s playing kick-off Tuesday, I found to my great joy that Sextile, a band

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SONG PICK: Samuel Ford - This Is A Waltz

The title of today’s Song Pick holds the promise of something alluring and unique: “This Is A Waltz” is exactly that – a slowly intensifying track composed in 3/4 time yet there’s nothing quaint or dull about it. “This Is A Waltz” by singer/songwriter Samuel Ford is

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SONG PICK: Bad Feelings - Do You Wanna Get High

“Do You Wanna Get High” has rarely been asked with more longing and skill than on this debut track by LA duo Bad Feelings. It’s sparsely, almost carefully instrumented, with slowly hitting drums, strategically placed guitar and synths chords giving the wistful vocals room to shine and to bring

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SONG PICK: Kassassin Street - Hand In My Pocket

The relentless beats and soothing synths in “Hand In My Pocket”, the new single by Kassassin Street, would hint an easy happy dance song if it wasn’t for the overall urgent vibe, almost aggressively pushing forward. When the highly addictive chorus kicks in and the five from Portsmouth repeatedly

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PHOTOS: Pretty City Fascinates Crowds During SXSW 2016

One of the highlights of this year’s SXSW, during a festival filled with fantastic moments and incredibly awesome music (we were so lucky!), was meeting Pretty City, from Melbourne, Australia. I’ve been portraying Pretty City in our #3IsABand feature and declared them to be one of the SXSW2016-must-see

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3 Is A Band: Koppel

While listening to Koppels‘s debut EP “Black & White”, released early this year, I can’t help but getting this warm and fuzzy feeling and a smile wants to appear so desperately on my face. All five tracks on their debut EP sound so much more mature, brilliantly recorded

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LATE NIGHT: HOST - State Of Your Soul

Released today, “State Of Your Soul” by Berlin/London duo HOST, is one hypnotic dance track, with great, steady beats and soothing, alluring vocals. You think it’s just your ‘usual’ alas pretty cool synth-pop song but half way through, something even more cool is happening, something so awesome and

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SONG PICK: Wonderbitch - Miracle Drive

“Miracle Drive”, the latest single by Austin quartet Wonderbitch, draws inspiration from groves and harmonies that were popular in the late 70s and 80s, even the drum beats sound kinda “old school” throughout the verse, contrasting with vocals that go from smooth to raspy. Once the chorus sets in, you

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PHOTOS: Gold Class Totally Live up to Their Name! Photos & Recap of their Beerland (SXSW) & Palisades Shows

Eventually, I would have heard of Gold Class from Melbourne, Australia anyway and listened to their gripping 2015 debut album “It’s You“. Luckily, I stayed in Austin for SXSW 2016 a day longer and ventured out to a music filled afternoon too see Heaters grooving at the floor ‘stage’

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MUSIC QUOTES: Happiness

PINS live at Rough Trade NYC for Northside 2015

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NEW ALBUM: In Isolation - A Certain Fractal Light (glamglare Advance Streaming)

Following the single releases “Parlance”, “Elder Statesman” and “Truth or Dare” comes now  the debut album “A Certain Fractal Light” of Nottingham trio In Isolation. As early fans of the previous singles, we’re especially thrilled to give our readers the opportunity to listen to the album ahead of its

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SONG PICK: Motions - Back To Where I Begun

Most of us have been there at least once in our lives, at a point close to no return and “Back To Where I Begun” is dealing with exactly that situation, contemplating of starting over. It’s easy to fall in love with this song, aside from the well crafted