Soundclouds of the Underground: Captured Tracks Edition

ABOVE: SOFT METALS. PHOTO COURTESY OF MINH TRAN

These days, music truly lives online, with an infinite number of websites dedicated to hosting tunes for the laptop-wielding masses. However, the web’s bottomless pit of blogs isn’t the only place to troll for mp3 treasures—some of the newest and most exciting (Internet-friendly) artists can be sought out via Soundcloud, the online stage that allows musicians to promote and distribute their music to fans and friends across the globe. In this weekly column, expert Internet sleuth Alex Chapman goes into the depths of the music-sharing site, in hopes of shedding light on emerging acts, as well as sharing some digital diamonds in the rough.

Summer’s rapidly coming to a close, but there’s still some time to get your fest on. This coming weekend, the record label Captured Tracks will host the CT5 Festival at Brooklyn Bar The Well, celebrating its fifth birthday and impressive roster of artists, most of whom are on the two-day event’s lineup. In honor of the approaching affair, we’ve picked out three tracks that we think will be highlights, so be sure to check out the acts mentioned below if you plan to attend.

 

Mac DeMarco: “My Kind Of Woman”

Who: A British Columbia-bred musician whose sound bounces somewhere between lounge, surf-rock, and lo-fi pop, DeMarco‘s warm, charismatic voice is packed with star quality as much as it conveys a sweet stripped-down sincerity that most young artists stationed in the cool corner tend to shy away from.

The Song: The simplicity with which DeMarco operates on “My Kind Of Woman” is a testament to his strong songwriting— “As long as you’re next to me, just the two of us,” DeMarco slyly sings, allowing us to peer through his boyish lens while he so diligently captures the ignorant bliss of young love.

Current Project:
DeMarco is about to embark on a world tour (check his Facebook page for more), of which his CT5 performance is a part—he plays on Day One along with DIIV.

Alex Calder:  “Light Leaves Your Eyes”

Who: Calder’s sound could certainly be considered siblings to DeMarco’s, which makes sense, given that the two are friends and former collaborators (they worked together as the pop project Makeout Videotape). But Calder has his own voice all the same, raw and alluringly melancholic.

The Song: Airy, catchy and a bit heartbreaking, “Light Leaves Your Eyes” finds Calder singing melodies alongside a guitar, with the entire track full of reverb, giving it a distant, romantic ambiance.

Current Project: Calder also plays on Day One—for more info, head to his Facebook.

Soft Metals: “In The Air”

Who: Patricia Hall and Ian Hicks are Soft Metals, a funk-filled band that fully takes advantage of ominous disco synths and sultry vocals (provided by Hall). The emphasis is on the sounds: emotional, sexual, and prime for a tripped-out club experience. 

The Song:
“In The Air” almost gives off the vibe of improv—Hall chimes in with long, breathy phrases that lightly echo over the fast-paced drum machines, as hypnotic synths rise and fall. Although the song seems random at times in its structure, the formula works, entrancing its listener with a groove-heavy concoction.

Current Project: Keep up with Soft Medals on Facebook, and be sure to check them out on Day Two of CT5.

Soundclouds of the Underground runs every Thursday. For more, click here.