I once told Alan Palomo in person he looked like Jake Gyllenhaal, to which he replied jokingly, “Only my mom thinks that.” But judging from the pic above, I’d say the new look for the former Austinite is more resembling of a Keanu Reeves. Nevertheless, Neon Indian has returned, and on September 13, he will drop Era Extrana, his highly anticipated follow-up to the brilliant Psychic Chasms, my pick for Album of the Year way back in 2009. The first leaked track is called “Fallout,” which you can stream here at Pitchfork, and you can download via the widget below. Not sure what I think of the track yet, to be honest – pretty low-key compared to the dance-heavy vibe “Deadbeat Summer” and “Terminally Chill” brought. Perhaps it will grow on me as September rolls around.
It seems like every time an artist from Austin gets fanfare/blog love, they split for Brooklyn. And never look back. Case in point: Alan Palomo, aka Neon Indian, whose new as-yet-untitled album drops this fall. And while I have nothing against Brooklyn, I would like to see Austin’s finest stay and represent their homestead, where they created the peak of their brilliance. Even the next tour, while boasting dates for Dallas and Houston, curiously leaves out ATX….what gives?
Palomo didn’t stay in BK for his recording session, however, as is shown in the new teaser video Heart:Attack, filmed where Neon Indian wrote and recorded the new material….Helsinki.
Every Saturday, I post a 15-20 minute podcast featuring some tracks I’ve been jamming the previous week, as well as some commentary and random musings from yours truly. Enjoy!
Microphone’s not working properly this week, so it’s just tunes this time around. It’s all good stuff, though, so crank it!
Tracklist:
The Grenadines – Reservations
Cloud Nothings – Local Joke (Neon Indian cover)
The Weeknd – Wicked Games
Pusha T – Touch It (feat. Kanye West)
Daniel Markham – The Devil
Today I continue a series of posts dedicated to the best albums of the last decade, posting analysis of one album at a time.
42. Neon Indian – Psychic Chasms
The summer of 2009 was fairly lazy and optimistic for me – Obama had just been elected, and music was particularly awesome. I had a part time job driving around a bingo parlor lot as a “security guard” listening to satellite radio. And that’s where I first heard “Deadbeat Summer,” the theme song to my life at that point. I then saw Neon Indian at Monolith, ACL, and Fun Fun Fun Fest, where the show morphed from a mere electronic experiment to a full-blown chillwave dance powerhouse on stage.
The chillwave movement of 2009 was extraordinary in its remarkable presence and almost similarly immediate dissolving – the subgenre is basically dead at this point, or at least in limbo, as prominent chillwavers are trying new sounds other than the spaced-out, 80’s influenced, electro dance music that captivated us a couple of years ago. Still, Psychic Chasms, my favorite album of that year, is a trippy, upbeat half hour of drug-induced Miami Vice fun.
Alan Palomo’s post-Ghosthustler project turned him into a blog-world superstar almost overnight, as leaked tracks were consistently lauded for their unique mix of sampling (some of which are familial – his father’s compositions, popular in the 1970’s in Mexico), muddy lo-fi production, and infectious melody, even more so than his dream-house effort Vega, which he all but abandoned once Neon Indian took off. Psychic Chasms is a perfect introduction; either you get it or you don’t, either you’re dancing or you’re scratching your head. Of course, with toe-tapping songs like “Terminally Chill” and “Should Have Taken Acid With You,” I don’t see how anyone could resist.
Today I continue my ongoing feature showcasing my personal picks for the best songs of the past decade, posting ten songs at a time.
170. Dwight Yoakam – Give Back the Key to My Heart
No question the 80’s and 90’s were the prime years for Yoakam in terms of success, but after having his turn at the spotlight, he ventured deep into the crossroads realm, taking a more traditional approach to his brand of honkey-tonk. While most dug deeper into the cinematic country-pop Nashville world, Dwight stayed around Hollywood, acting and making indie records. One of the highlights of his work this past decade is this Doug Sahm cover, recorded for the Imus Ranch Record in 2008; it’s just good ol’ DY doing what he does best.
Today I conclude my series of posts showcasing my picks for the best tracks of 2009. And it only took half a year!
10. Grizzly Bear – Two Weeks
It sounds like nothing they’ve ever done before, so cheerful, so upbeat, so….piano pop. But it works just the same. It still feels like Grizzly Bear – the lush production, the layered harmonics. And the lightbulb-head music video is a fun watch as well.