…Dante (@kinnunendante)? Well apparently Style Etoile is feeling sexy this month. As a follow up to last week’s sultry number, today we give you Dante. Dante is Dante Kinnunen, the drummer for Swedish band The Concretes and his solo project is proving this guy has a lot more up his sleeve than his already impressive percussive talents. The above track is part of his three-track EP and includes some perfectly-incorporated samples of Adele’s “He Won’t Go.” This is beautifully produced, soulful music and we can’t wait to see what he comes up with next…
love at first look & listen
why aren’t you listening to…
…Rhye (@rhyemusic)? Well if this isn’t a cool drink of sexy water, we don’t know what is. When Style Etoile first heard this track from the mysterious duo Rhye, we were kind of surprised by how immediately we were drawn in by it, especially since it isn’t the type of music to which we are naturally drawn. But we can’t get enough—we have had this track on repeat for well over a month and it sounds fresher with every listen. Rhye is a synth-pop meets R&B duo out of Los Angeles, at that is pretty much the extent of the info on them at the moment. This is smooth, sexy, music with lyrics to match (how’s “I’m a fool for the shake of your thighs” as an opener)—think Robin Thicke meets Sade meets Dido. We want more!
why aren’t you listening to…
…Mind the Gap (@mindthegapsound)? So it may not be 75 degrees anymore, but we are still feeling pretty sunny thanks to Mind The Gap. Style Etoile are suckers for some bongo, and Mind the Gap is giving it to us in spades in their new single “Find My Way.” These guys are offering up some good old fashioned indie pop and we like it. Style Etoile caught MTG at CMJ and had to go back for more at SXSW. Check out 2011’s The Good Fight and keep your ears out for a soon-to-be-released EP.
why aren’t you listening to…
…Polica (@thisispolica)? Well, we might have a winner folks. SXSW inundated us with amazing new music and incredible performances, but we might have to say that our favorite was Polica. We have had our eyes on this Minneapolis offshoot of Style Etoile favorite Gayngs for a while, but after seeing these guys live we are officially hooked. Their performances intensely showcased the group’s unique blend of electronica, folk, and R&B that results in a sound that is just plain groove-y. Polica’s Give You The Ghost has taken up permanent residency on our headphones—check it.
why aren’t you listening to…
…Blouse (@BLOUSE)? How is it SXSW already? Style Etoile feels like it was just yesterday that we were pumping out our “must sees” in Austin for 2011, and yet here we are again in this glorious town, ready to hear some glorious music. One of the bands that we are most excited about is Blouse. The Portland trio makes moody, sexy, throaty dream pop—think The xx meets Wild Nothing—and we can’t wait to catch them live this weekend. Their self-titled debut album dropped at the end of last year, and these guys are on the brink of stardom—get on the bandwagon.
why aren’t you listening to…
…The Concept (@thecncpt)? Sometimes Mondays can be a drag. Lucky for us, we have The Concept to put a smile on our faces. The Swedish quartet is comprised of former Robyn, Tove Styrke, MRTN, and Veronica Maggio band members (holy pedigree). The Concept sounds a lot like Phoenix, but Style Etoile loves Phoenix, so we don’t really see anything wrong with that. This is dance-y, 80’s influenced, hookalicious stuff and we can’t help but get moving with them on our headphones.
why aren’t you listening to…
…Hello Echo (@helloechoband)? Hello Echo reminds us of a punker Band of Horses. The Santa Monica-based trio can come together and make some beautiful harmonies, but they can also rock out and get rowdy on their individual instruments. Hello Echo’s self-released Hello is a great album from start to finish. Don’t let the fact that these guys sound like they are having a lot of fun fool you—we are dealing with three very talented musicians here and we can’t wait to see what they come out with next.
why aren’t you listening to…
…Gem Club (@iamgemclub)? My God, this is breathtaking. Every once in a (great) while, Style Etoile hears a song and tears automatically (and without warning) spring to our eyes. This happened the first time we heard Bon Iver’s The Wolves (Act 1&2) and Cinematic Orchestra’s To Build A Home. It also happened the first time we heard the above track by the hauntingly beautiful Gem Club. The tears aren’t necessarily a result of sadness, but more a result of deep emotional stirring. Point being, this is good stuff. Way better than good, actually. Gem Club’s full length debut, Breakers, is a whispering journey that is pure magic from start to finish. Do yourself a favor and check it out…
why aren’t you listening to…
Summer Camp “Better Off Without You”
…Summer Camp (@summercampband)? Summer Camp’s Welcome to Condale was one of 2011’s funnest albums, and we are happy to let you know that these guys sound even better live than they do on our headphones—we caught them at Mercury Lounge a few weeks ago and had a perma-grin for at least a week following the show. The indie-pop group makes nostalgic yet current pop music that reminds us of a female lovechild of The Drums and The Postelles. Happy days are here again…
why aren’t you listening to…
Nicolas Jaar “With Just One Glance”
…Nicolas Jaar (@clownandsunset)? OK, so we realize that some of you out there may have heard of Nicolas Jaar, but Style Etoile is willing to redundancy on this one. Because Nicolas Jaar is awesome. The multi-talented Chilean-American makes minimal, beautiful, sexy, layered, ever-evolving electronic music—think Burial meets M83. Style Etoile was lucky enough to catch Jaar at Music Hall of Williamsburg last week, and it was such a transcendental experience, we are not going to dishonor his live act by trying to describe it with words.
