Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Fancy Guppy Spills Some "Miller"

A few weeks ago electro-dance mystery men Fancy Guppy gave us a taste of their upcoming EP With Soul and Vile when they dished out “Brunch,” a soul-thudding, thrill-sputtering, and deceptively short aural adventure. Following close behind that release was this weekend’s leak of a brand-new and apparently unfinished track. Suggestively titled “Miller,” the song is closely related to its predecessor yet manipulates those familiar elements into an almost hypnotic vamp. The effect of this minimalism is a song that is highly haunting and doubly danceable. While “Miller” certainly does seem a bit bare at the moment, it arrives amidst rumors that Fancy Guppy is working on a collaboration with up-and-coming hip hop sensation Bonte. This means that the song could be only a precursor to a more aggressively charged rap anthem to come. Grab the download below and speculate on the wild future sounds of tomorrow:

Click here to download "Miller"

Watch out for Fancy Guppy's With Soul and Vile, now set for release this summer from Public Records.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Sunscribe: Out Of Hiatus?

2010 saw the rise of many awe-inspiring bands, and foremost among them were notorious post-surf rockers Sunscribe. The brainchild of guitarist Will Cragoe, backed by brother and drummer Ben, and "bassist" Jeff Sizemore, these brutal bricoleurs were capable of summoning impressive blasts of sonic joy. Sunscribe was perhaps notable for winning 3rd place in the Monrovia High School 2010 Battle of the Bands, an almost-victory that left rabid fans vowing revenge. Despite all the hoopla and a succesful (if brief) summer tour, the band took an abrupt hiatus so that Sizemore could attend the coming college school year. The break left Sunscribe with no record of its progress other than a video from its final show at Chain Reaction in the lovely Orange County. Last night, however, the band announced via its Facebook page that they are "officially back in business," meaning that fans may at last have the recording spectacular they've been waiting for. We unfortunately could only speak briefly with Jeff Sizemore about the band's future plans. He only revealed cryptically that people should be "ready for the ultimate experience." They should probably get a new bassist. Either way, look out for new material and shows this summer from this galactic group.

Check out Sunscribe's facebook for upcoming shows and news and their myspace for demos and other bits of glory.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Dapper Lad Interview, Album Details

Monrovia Renaissance recently sat down for an interview with Dapper Lad, DJ for sunny rap weirdos Jr. Planet League. The occasion for this cosmic chat is JPL's announcement that they have entered the studio to begin recording their self-titled debut album. This record has been highly anticipated ever since this duo - consisting of Dapper Lad and the quippy MC No Name - hit the Monrovia music scene in early 2010. Dapper Lad has the tantalizing details:

Monrovia Renaissance: I understand you just returned from a month-long tour in the OC. How does it feel to be back in Monrovia?
Dapper Lad: It's absolutely bittersweet, I must say. I miss the people. Real genuine people.
MR: Now, tell us about the new album. Is it true that No Name had to become an American Apparel model to support your music?
DL: Yeah, I made him do it. It's not at all what you would think, either, not at all glamourous. It's something I'm not very proud of, but I believe that the ends justify the means one hundred percent of the time. Plus the LP is going to be absolutely stunning.
MR: Everyone is curious about how this album will sound since JPL is known to take on a wide array of musical styles.
DL: Oh, I wouldn't say that. If you could somehow listen to a recording of every single show we've ever done, you would know that we haven't changed that much. In fact, I believe we've gotten more the same, which is all any group wants.
MR: Well, that about wraps up our interview, is there anything at all you could tell us about the new album?
DL: Simply everything I've already said. Wonderful people, the OC, not at all what you would expect, except that it's exactly the same.
MR: If you had to sum up the feeling of the new album in one word, what would it be?
DL: I'm afraid I can't, actually. That would really go against my artistic instincts.

Jr. Planet League will be out in the future on Public Records.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Delicious New Fancy Guppy


This week saw the release of a white-hot track off of Fancy Guppy's new EP With Soul and Vile. The song is called "Brunch" and showcases the mysterious group in fine form. For those unfortunate enough not to have seen this electro-orchestra's wild performances, this track serves as a perfect introduction. With its stuttering space-bass opening giving way to a thudding world percussion stomp, and its pulsating electronic climax all backed by B-movie accents, "Brunch" is a thrilling adventure all under three minutes. Be sure to look out for With Soul and Vile this fall via Fancy Guppy's label Public Records. In the meantime, treat yourself to some pain-free living:

Click here to download "Brunch"