POSTS TAGGED : SALES

BarryGruff April 2016 Playlist

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Your regular monthly round up all the blog action, in a nice, neat and handy playlist of tracks featured throughout the month.

April was good, as was the weather but even better tunes and whatnot (although I was pretty busy with matters away from the blog). We had tracks courtesy of Amber Arcade, FFUG, SALES, Holy Fuck and Foreign/National from their respective, new and forthcoming albums. We had introductions to Supermoon and OMALOMA, while there were excellent new singles/EPs from Colleen Green, L.A. Witch, Koloto, Peaness, The Orange Kyte, Estrons and Pavel. Oh, and there were two new episodes of ‘Millions Like Us’, Justin Beats & I’s music podcast for 604now (if you missed them, check ’em here). You can also subscribe to ‘Millions Like Us’ on iTunes & Podcast Republic or find us on Facebook & Twitter.

Well then, that’s that for another month – listen to BarryGruff’s April 2016 playlist below. Enjoy!

SALES Share Single ‘Ivy’, Ahead of Debut LP on April 20th

Over the past 18 months or so Florida duo SALES, have repeatedly proven themselves to be a reliable and plentiful source of catchy, melodic and pleasantly chill dream-pop.

Now, with their long-awaited debut LP almost upon us, Lauren Morgan and Jordan Shih have shared new single ‘Ivy’. It is a pensive, slinky, free-flowing meander with a mildly distorted drumbeat and repeated guitar riff, undulating around Morgan’s gentle, gauzy and alluring vocals. It all softly splashes, swirls together, working perfectly with their pre-existing penchant for mellow guitar, bedroom pop. The pair couldn’t have created a more endearing tracking, it is simply wonderful. Not only that but it showcases everything that makes SALES such a wonderful band and exciting proposition, and why if you’re not already looking forward to the release of their debut album on April 20th, you probably should be.

SALES’ self-titled debut is out on April 20th but till then, you can check out the marvelous ‘Ivy’ below:

SALES’ have a whole host of live dates lined-up across North America, you can check the full list here.

 

BarryGruff February 2016 Playlist

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Your regular monthly round up all the blog action, in a nice, neat and handy playlist of tracks featured throughout the month.

February was good, especially for new record announcements and whatnot. We had tunes from Living Hour, Amber Arcades, Holy Fuck, SALES and MMOTHS from their respective, new and forthcoming albums. We had introductions to MILK, The Orange Kyte Bousada and BeardFight, while there were excellent new singles/EPs from Freedom Fry, Peaness, Totalitarian and Light Falls. Oh, and there were two new episodes of ‘Millions Like Us’, Justin Beats & I’s new music podcast extravaganza for 604now (if you missed them, check ’em here). You can also subscribe to ‘Millions Like Us’ on iTunes & Podcast Republic or find us on Facebook & Twitter.

Well then, that’s that for another month – listen to BarryGruff’s February 2016 playlist below. Enjoy!

 

Millions Like Us Podcast – Episode 11

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We’re thrilled to share yet another Millions Like Us podcast with you all. It’s great to back with the latest in a series of music podcasts hosted by Justin & I, in conjunction with Vancouver news & culture site 604now.

On a bi-weekly basis we aim to please, providing  some lively and entertaining chat and eclectic selection of fabulous music from metro Vancouver and elsewhere. There’s plenty in there, well over an hour in fact, of great tunes and plenty of chat.

You can read more on it over here and of course, listen below (and the tracklist (with links) is after the jump too). You can subscribe to ‘Millions Like Us’ on iTunes & Podcast Republic or find us on Facebook & Twitter. Or you can email us at millionslikeuspodcast[at]gmail[dot]com.

2016 has been good to us so far, so thanks for all the support thus far and once again, thanks for listening! And last but not least, thanks to Caroline for the image.

Episode #11 Tracklist:

Sales – ‘Jamz’

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SALES have been relatively quiet since the release of their wonderful Renee EP back 2014. The Orlando-based duo did however release the single ‘Big Sis’, back in August of last year and partake in a pretty extensive tour across N. America and Europe too.

Last week, SALES announced that they intend to release their long-awaited debut album on April 20th and shared ‘Jamz’ as a first taste of things to come. Catchy, melodic and pleasantly chill dream-pop; it is yet another gorgeously textured, beautifully nuanced and sparse track. Stylistically speaking, ‘Jamz’ is comprised of the same ingredients, as it drifts around Jordan Shih’s playful gentle guitars Lauren Morgan’s delicate vocal. And there is nothing wrong with that in the slightest; why change a good thing? ‘Jamz’ acts as a strong indication of what we can expect from their debut and is as good as anything from their existing catalog.

SALES’ debut album will be out on April 20th, till then, you’ve got the wonderful ‘Jamz’ to keep you company. The duo have also announced a string of US dates, hopefully some north of the border follow soon.

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Millions Like Us: A New Podcast In Conjunction w/ 604now.com

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Delighted to announce Millions Like Us, a new music podcast in conjunction with Vancouver news & culture site 604now.

Hosted by myself & craft beer, pastie and fast-food safari enthusiast, Justin Beats, we’ll be sharing great new music, some musings and general chit-chat, with a Vancouver slant, on a fortnightly basis. This is the first of what we hope is many, many podcasts and we’re looking forward to developing it further over the coming weeks and months. Not much else to say really, aside from thanks to 604now and we hope you enjoy the show (all feedback, good or bad, is most welcome).

You can read more on it here and listen to episode #1 below, and the tracklist (with links) is after the jump.

Episode #1 Playlist:

Faith Healer – ‘Cosmic Troubles’
White Poppy – ‘Confusion’
Sales – ‘Big Sis’
Danny Diggs – ‘Wino’
The Expert – ‘Devine’
Open Window – ‘0013 (Riot Tape)’
Villagers – ‘Courage’
Anderson – ‘Things We Have In Common’
Django Django – ‘Shake and Tremble’
Energy Slime – ‘Star On The Ground’
Hot Chip – ‘Started Right’
James Deen – ‘An Unwritten Love Song To Summer Roberts’
Sh-Shakes – ‘Little To Life’
Zen Mystery Fogg – ‘Pale Horse’
DRINKS – ‘Hermits on Holiday’
If you would like to get in touch? Email at millionslikeuspodcast[at]gmail[dot]com or on Twitter.

BarryGruff Playlist August 2015

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A now regular monthly feature, whereby we round up all the blog action with a nice, neat and handy playlist of tracks featured during the month.

August was pretty damn good! We had new tunes from Anderson, The Foetals, The Annulments and DRINKS ahead of their respective, forthcoming new albums. There were excellent new singles from SALES, Cornershop, Imploded View, Foreign/National and Silverbacks, and EPs from Mr Huw & Dog Legs. Oh, and Johnny Feeney shared his albums of the year so far too.

Also featured on this month’s playlist are great tracks from Martha Ffion, Sh-Shakes, SQRD, BUCK, and Ghost Culture’s, Ghostpoet remix . So, August, pretty good alright.

Listen to BarryGruff’s August 2015 playlist below.

Sales – ‘Big Sis’

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Florida duo Sales (Lauren Morgan and Jordan Shih) have shared a new song with us, entitled ‘Big Sis’, it’s their first new material since last year’s sublime self-titled debut EP.

‘Big Sis’ is a wonderful little indie pop number. Subtly-emotive it is all languid guitars, minimal electronics and Morgan’s sweet vocals, whisked together with a mesmerizing ease and breeze that is embodiment of lazy summer mornings. Thus far, the duo have proven to possess quite a knack for eking out a space where songs can be simultaneously languid, nonchalant and passionate, that co-exist in perfect harmony – ‘Big Sis’ encapsulates everything that is so magnificently endearing about the pair’s delicate, laid-back and rather beautiful, indie-pop.

Sales have a stack of live dates on both sides of the pond over the coming months – including Dublin, in Whelan’s on October 18th – and having caught their show when they played Vancouver earlier this year, they come highly, highly recommended. Full list of live dates here.

You can listen to ‘Big Sis’ below / purchase here.

BarryGruff’s Playlist February 2015

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A new monthly feature to the blog, a nice, neat and handy playlist of tracks featured during the month.

It was a pretty good month to be fair. There was the return of Joanna Gruesome, Novella, Coves and Akala, with new tracks ahead of their respective albums, and new singles from Du Blonde, Foreign/National, Freedom Fry & Rozi Plain. Not to forget the huge news of a new album from Blur and last but not least, the return of Super Furry Animals. Also featuring on the playlist are: Public Service Broadcasting, TRWBADOR, The Courtneys, SALES, The Earth & Benihana.

Listen to BarryGruff’s February 2015 playlist below. The full track listing is after the jump.

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Competition: Win Tickets to SALES at The Biltmore Cabaret, Vancouver :: March 5th

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Florida duo SALES will be in Vancouver this week to play the Biltmore Cabaret, on Thursday (March 5th), with support from Mesa Luna & Noble Oak.

A collaboration between long-time friends, Lauren Morgan (guitar/vocals) and Jordan Shih (guitar/programming), their splendiferous self-titled debut EP is a marvellous musical feast of inviting, warm and rather charming, quirky indie-pop. Done with a mesmerizing ease and breeze, their songs are simultaneously languid, nonchalant and passionate, somehow uncovering a place where all three can co-exist in perfect harmony. Utterly beautiful, their debut was one of last year’s most loveable records.

SALES, being the kind-hearted souls that they are, have offered readers of the blog a chance to go to the show on Thursday night. There’s a pair of tickets up for grabs and to be in with a chance of winning all you have to do is simply email your ‘name’ with ‘SALES’ as the subject title to barrygruff[at]gmail[dot]com, before 14:00 (PST) Wednesday, March 4th.

If you need any further convincing? There are a few choice cuts from SALES’ sublime debut record below, or you can check out the EP here.

Roll on Thursday night!

Artwork by Niklas Åkerblad.