40. Games – That We Can Play EP
39. Delorean – Subiza
38. Brothertiger – Vision Tunnels EP
37. The Thermals – Personal Life
The Thermals – I Don’t Believe You
36. Diamond Rings – Special Affections
50. LCD Soundsystem – Dance Yrself Clean
48. Arcade Fire – We Used To Wait
43. Josh Ritter – Folk Bloodbath
42. Diamond Rings – Show Me Your Stuff
Today marks the official first day of autumn 2010. As far as music goes, there is usually one “song of the summer” – a track that we will forever associate with the previous season of this particular year. This song usually embodies the typical moods related to summer – laziness, partying, a carefree, optimistic attitude, et al.
While I’m not going to try and pick this song, I have my nominations – songs that will bring me back to this summer, my first few months in a new city, and, as with most summers, a good time in near-intolerable heat.
Vision Tunnels EP by Brothertiger (2010, self-released)
Since its inception last summer, the term “chillwave†has predictably divided artists and music lovers the way most newly coined subgenres do. Like the emo and shoegaze forerunners of the past, the crowd is split between those who denounce the word and those who embrace it. John Jagos, whose stage name is Brothertiger, likely falls in the latter category; last month he told the nightdrive blog, †I’d definitely be interested in another chillwaver to remix one of my songs!â€Â And his move from Ohio to Brooklyn appropriately serves to support the argument: Jagos knows his sound, his influences, and his audience.
That’s not to say, however, that Brothertiger’s debut EP is just another chillwave album.  The elements are all there, sure – hazy vocals, synth pop tendencies, and steady dance beats encompass Vision Tunnels.  But a key distinction remains after these five beach-ready tracks – Jagos effortlessly progresses the ever-changing sound in his own way, utilizing 80’s new wave and early 90’s pop in a low-key style largely untouched by his peers.  Washed Out and Active Child come to mind, but so do breezy, laid-back Pet Shop Boys and slow Annie Lennox tunes.
