Futuristic Friday

Leave a comment Posted on 07/02/201507/02/2015 Futuristic Friday

FUTURISTIC FRIDAY

In light of “Throwback Thursday or #tbt” which involves posting something that has nostalgic value, we at RunTheMill wanted to turn this popular convention on its head. This weekly posting will share a song that is either ahead of its time or attempts to push us out of our comfort sound zone.

Artist: Jack Grace

Song: “Hills”

In “Hills,” the Auzzie musician Jack Grace, isn’t looking to calm your nerves. He is trying to leverage our sensibilities and take advantage of our penchant for normal pop musical structures. The song begins with a seemingly innocent voice alongside bass, but the song is immediately distorted into a glitchy despondent place. Time builds this tension until it is released when we enter the piano section. That familiar verse is paired with silky jazz chords that make the wait worth it. Have a Happy Fourth of July!

Leave a comment Posted on 05/08/201505/06/2015 Futuristic Friday

FUTURISTIC FRIDAY

Artist: Jose Gonzalez

Song: “Let it Carry You (Holy Ghost! Remix)”

Brooklyn’s funky crusaders Holy Ghost! has laid down an 80s-soaked remix of Jose Gonzalez’s recently released “Let it Carry You” off the 2015 Vesitiges & Claws album. The duo experiments with Jose’s bare folk melody, and smothers it with synths, turns the bass line electric, and adds classic computer track drum rolls. Enjoy the weekend and let this be your accompaniment to a long run.

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Leave a comment Posted on 04/17/201504/17/2015 Futuristic Friday

FUTURISTIC FRIDAY

Sylvan Esso – Hey Mami (Big Wild Remix)

Take an hour for lunch. Drink two Thai beers with your Pad See Ew. It’s Friday and to celebrate, here is this anthemic remix by Big Wild of the breakthrough artist Sylvan Esso’s “Hey Mami.” Make sure you have both earphones on for this one. Shout out to AJ Gufffff for his field research at SXSW this year.

Leave a comment Posted on 04/10/201504/14/2015 Futuristic Friday

FUTURISTIC FRIDAY

The Landing – “Anxieties”

The new song from the Brooklyn solo act The Landing is light and fluffy with tender vocal backing and bouncy bongos. You almost get the sense that some of the members took a page out of an acapella book. The arrangement is tightly formatted and filled with divergent harmonies (see 3:25). All in all, it’s shoegaze at its finest.

And a great throwback that has similarities throughout:

Leave a comment Posted on 02/27/2015 Futuristic Friday

FUTURISIC FRIDAY

Jon Lawless – “Capital (feat. Daniela Andrade)”

This song has an almost innocent energy that builds from within and emits steadily outward. It can particularly be hear between Jon’s voice, which provides the effortless narrative and Daniela’s upper register harmony. It creates a hollowness. The same quality can be found in the introduction of Dillon Francis’ collaboration with Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosauars, “Without You.” But in contrast, whereas “Without You” seeks an EDM-approved drop to provide a recognizable structure to the listener, “Capital” doesn’t let go of the hollowness. We end up wanting a little more.

Leave a comment Posted on 02/20/201502/20/2015 Futuristic Friday

FUTURISTIC FRIDAY

Redtenbacher’s Funkestra – “Baby Fat”

Just a saxophone-honking, carefree, and funky jam on this Futuristic Friday. Stefan Redtenbacher is the bassist, composer and mastermind behind this band, in which he tries to combine his roots in jazz, soul, and funk. He is an alumni of the Vienna Conservatory and the Berklee College of Music and has worked with the likes of Steve Winwood and Amy Winehouse. If the title “Baby Fat” is any indication, Stefan doesn’t take himself too seriously. We need this this weekend.

Leave a comment Posted on 02/06/201502/06/2015 Futuristic Friday

Island – The Whitest Boy Alive

“Island”- The Whitest Boy Alive

For this week’s Futuristic Friday, we are heading back to 2009, for the song “Island” by the Whitest Boy Alive. If you can get past their eccentric German-Norwegian ways, this group’s minimalistic style is addictive. Try to pay attention to the foundation they slowly lay in front of the listener. The Rhodes keyboard riff. Then the bass line, at the same time as the drums. Add a Rhythmic guitar. Then a solo voice. As the song progresses, the band does a great job making the slightest changes sound big to always keep things unstable and moving. Like a dance hall artist, the group never switches keys! Make sure you check out other greats from this band like “Burning” and “Golden Cage.”

Leave a comment Posted on 01/30/2015 Futuristic Friday

FUTURISTIC FRIDAY

The Avener – “Panama”

I got sucked into this one pretty quickly. The twangy guitar sets the scene of this barren Western showdown, and then the groove hits. The production quality is superb, as you can distinguish between each crisp beat and the horns don’t sound tinny, but rather atmospheric. A little eccentric house music on this Futuristic Friday.

Leave a comment Posted on 12/12/201412/11/2014 Futuristic Friday, Mariachi

FUTURISTIC FRIDAY

Mariachi El Bronx – “Wildfires” & “High Tide”

Going from hardcore punk rock to Mariachi music is difficult to imagine, but the Mariachi El Bronx have done just that. Most known for their punk band The Bronx, vocalist Matt Caughthran and Co. went a whole different direction in April 2007 under an alter ego, Mariachi El Bronx. The band experiments with electronic and pop undertones along with the classic rhythmic shuffling of mariachi music. It’s whimsical and daring and is this week’s Futuristic Friday.

“Wildfires”

“High Tide”