[Synth-Pop] Carousel – Not Enough

Carousel
Not Enough

Lately, we’ve been on the fortunate receiving end of a highly regarded number of singles from synth-pop duo Carousel, with last week’s “Wolf’s Awake” and today we had another surprise waiting for us on our desks from Jackson Phillips and Kevin Friedman’s artist project. “Not Enough” is Carousel’s latest effort and again will be a vital piece of a forthcoming EP, Palms, which is set to be self-released during the first week of August. Carousel’s astute commitment to their craft will no doubt bring some major labels come calling in the tail end of 2013, but it has been an absolute inspiration witnessing the development of two talented artists producing and releasing their critically acclaimed music on their own terms. “Not Enough” is another fun stab into pop territory earmarked by a heavy MIDI hook, and four by four rhythm spurring on the clever instrumentation. Check out Carousel’s “Not Enough” above, and be ready for a new complete body of work from our boys out in L.A.

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[TMN Premiere] Carousel – Wolf’s Awake

Carousel
Wolf's Awake

Over the course of the past few years, the L.A. by way of Brooklyn indie-pop duo known as Carousel have slid into  a coveted spot within the hearts, and more importantly the ears of perhaps the entire TMN staff. With every passing release, we’ve become used to a certain level of production standard and instrumentation from the former Berklee School of Music students, and it is more apparent than ever that these savvy traditional musicians are becoming quite adept at translating their skill into an intoxicating brand of electronic pop. “Wolf’s Awake” is our first taste from the group’s forthcoming EP, Palms due out in August, and falls right in with a long line of notable tunes from the duo. Their “happy-dance” sound is taken slightly upwards with a fleeting four by four drum pattern prominently carrying Jackson Philips’ airy synths and vocals straight to the dance hall. Not, the typical Top-40 dancehall, but more likely in your local indie-dance club of course, but you get the picture and I digress. Parts of “Wolf’s Awake” echoed the emotive raw dance-punk from early 2000’s DFA recordings paired with Carousel’s apt sense for creating unhurried pop melodies; culminating in a cut fit to be aurally consumed in any number of settings. After almost two years since their last album, the 26 Allston EP, we are chomping at the bit to hear the rest of Palms as it becomes available, and you can bet you Ninjas will be right there with us devouring every track. Listen to “Wolf’s Awake” above.

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[TMN Premiere] Carousel – Dancing On My Own (Robyn Cover)

Carousel
Dancing On My Own (Robyn Cover)

Mondays are likely not the most exciting of days for many of our Ninja contingent out there in the blogosphere, but today’s exclusive premiere should hopefully pull a childish smile and a hip-wiggle out of your afternoon. Over the last few years, L.A. stationed “Happy-Dance” duo and TMN favorites Carousel have become a live act that hasn’t been missed once by some form of your Music Ninja squad in Denver, and one that even warranted an elated event review for their last jaunt out here with Mansions on the Moon. On that note, if you have found yourself fortunate enough to capture one of their intimate sets, then no doubt one of our favorite staples in their live diet – the duo’s synth-pop take on Robyn’s smash single “Dancing On My Own” – was happily consumed by an entranced audience. At least that is the effect it had on us. Jackson Philips’ smooth vocals and deft touch on an intimidating synthesizer sets this emotive pacesetter off, while Kevin Friedman’s sprightly guitar licks add another layer of depth only Carousel could add to a fun, but quite honestly vapid pop single. The Robyn cover has been begging to be recorded and released, so it was akin to an early birthday present when this gem was waiting for us this morning. Carousel’s version of “Dancing on My Own” could be played for an hour straight on our in house monitors and I don’t think many of us would have an inkling of a problem with that…. so you should maybe do the same. Check it out above and as always, let us know how this one strikes your fancy.

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Carousel – Another Day (The Golden Pony Remix)

TheGoldenPony
Carousel-Another Day (The Golden Pony Remix)

As the weather begins to take a much sunnier turn (much like our disposition), our souls begin to crave for that Summery, daytime-disco sound fit more for a rooftop party than a sweaty nightclub. It appears East Coast electro-disco revivalists The Golden Pony caught our spirit all the way across the country in Brooklyn, and gave us this playful remix of TMN favorites Carousel and their latest happy-dance single “Another Day”. TGP effectively strips away the playful lead guitar riff from the original while minimally toning down Jackson Philips’ angelic vocal reverberations in favor of letting a lush synthesizer take the lead. Last week The Golden Pony’s remix of Daft Punk and Panda Bear’s Random Access Memories entry “Doing It Right” racked up over 100,000 plays on Soundcloud as well as an appearance on The Hype Machine’s coveted Top-Ten for the week. If The Golden Pony continues to maintain their disco-dance integrity paired with excellent choices in remixing, it’s pretty safe to say we will be seeing more from the duo in the near future. Grab a free download of TGP’s take on “Another Day” above.

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[Event Review] Mansions on the Moon + Carousel – 4/26/13 in Denver, CO

Last Friday night saw a few of your trusty Music Ninjas catch up with two of our favorite So-Cal groups; Carousel (whom we had the pleasure of interviewing a few months ago; read it here) opening for Mansions on the Moon. Our evening with the laid-back dance-pop gurus was booked at perhaps the most intimate and acoustically appealing live venue in Denver, the Larimer Lounge, and marked the last date as opening tour support for MotM. This was most likely the last time to catch the boys live before they once again lock themselves inside their gorgeous studio for the next few months to record material for another upcoming EP; and let’s just say we were absolutely ecstatic to be a part of such a wonderfully paired show.

Armed with an army of trusty synthesizers, MIDI controllers, Kevin Friedman’s incendiary electric guitar and Jackson Phillips’ angelic but masculine vocals, Carousel took to the stage opening with one of their many viral hits “Know It’s Right”, and a collective crowd feeling began to set in, telling us that we were auspicious witnesses to two extraordinary musicians doing what they love and do best. It was actually a little difficult not to be consumed with a perma-smile from their happy dance sounds as they flitted between their slew of Hype Machine dominating singles including “Let’s Go Home”, “Where Have You Gone”, “Stay Awake” and a few gems from one of 2011’s most noteworthy debuts, the 26 Allston EP, aptly named for their address while attending the coveted Berklee School of Music. While this was our second time catching them live in Denver, we would like to think of this last gig as their real introduction to our music scene as there were almost triple the amount of listeners in attendance this time around, and most of them weren’t  as shy to twerk their proverbial stuff a little more freely either. Throughout such an entrancing, emotionally charged set, it also became easy to forget, when my eyes would drift away from the stage, that only two people were creating these sounds, rather than an entire backing band. But that endowment is part of the reason they remain one of our favorite bands here at TMN. Closing out the set was a toast to the crowd as the boys, who at this point were drenched in performance perspiration, downed a few shots of tequila and then perfectly crafted a brooding cover of Robyn’s anthem “Dancing On My Own” which featured full audience participation in belting out the chorus. There is just something strangely satisfying about seeing a good-looking male pair croon the lyric “I’m not the girl you’re taking home” and we’re pretty sure they have figured that out at this point as well. Carousel once again captured our hearts and imaginations in just over an hour, whilst setting the stage for the down-tempo, ambient pop-rock of fellow Californians Mansions on the Moon.

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[Electro Pop] Carousel – Another Day

carousel_official
Another Day

It’s not quite April yet and the flowers are still waiting to bloom and burst with color, but we all know that Summer’s just around the corner. We can smell it in the air, feel it on our skin, and with breezy, love-tinged electro-pop tracks like Carousel‘s “Another Day”, we’re already daydreaming about and yearning for those long, sunny, hot July days. So hit play, tune in and let’s start the countdown to that fun, sizzling season.

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[TMN PREMIERE] Carousel – Stay Awake (DotEXE Remix)

Not too long ago we had the pleasure of talking with Carousel at their show in Denver. Amongst other things, we of course discussed our favorite song of theirs, “Stay Awake.” The electro-pop single off of their upcoming EP has quickly become a favorite here at TMN headquarters.

Chicago based producer DotEXE recently reached out to Carousel to put his own take on “Stay Awake.” Jackson’s dreamy vocals and the soft electronic undertones make a perfect backdrop for a dubstep remix, and that’s exactly what DotEXE has created. Elements of the original song shine though the build providing a melodic experience. But, DotEXE puts his signature style all over this remix with an absolutely devastating drop, and masterful vocal sampling.

’Carousel – Stay Awake (DotEXE Remix)’
’Carousel – Stay Awake’
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