[SKOA Premiere] As Elephants Are - "War Cry" (Official Video)

We're happy to give you the first look at the brand new video from As Elephants Are, a band based down in the south of England, Buckinghamshire to be a little more precise. These guys are full of promise. This track titled "War Cry" has an epic score full of monstrous crescendos and catchy hooks. I can't quite put my finger on what artists it reminds me of but what I do know is these guys are looking like bright prospects in the coming months/years. Dance worthy drums with reverb filled guitars transport you away distant memories you'd once forgotten. The chorus' lyrics paired with the huge build are sure to raise a few hairs on the back of your neck. Check out the colourful kaleidoscopic visual accompaniment up at the top.

The track will be released on the 6th of August via the Once Upon A Time Records Singles Club. The independent label will release singles of bands they deem worthy. We'll be looking out for their future release indefinitely.

[SKOA Premiere] D-WHY - "We Don't Know"

We introduced you to D-WHY not too long ago via his track "We Don't Know" and today we'd like to offer you the exclusive first chance to download that very same track courtesy of the man himself. The track follows up to the flow friendly "Macchiato Music", and it is set to feature on his forthcoming mixtape, Don't Flatter Yourself, which credits production to the likes of Hit-Boy, Dot Da Genius, Boi-1da and T-Minus. Regarding his music making process, D-WHY states that "sometimes, a song will take me a few days or even weeks to write. Other times, I’ll come out of the studio a few hours after hearing the skeleton of an instrumental and have an entire song finished. "We Don’t Know" was one of those other times". 

Produced by The Co-Stars, this feels like a natural progression for the young talent with the heavy drum beat pairing up oh so nicely with the chop and change vocal work. It's a growth, and growth is good. The song just makes you think of those long summer nights spent with friends watching the night sky roll by. It's highly infectious and a sure fire way to put a spring in your step. I'm a firm believer in music setting the tone for the day you're about to have and if you were to listen to this first thing, your day is certainly going to be a pretty darn good one. To keep up to date with D-WHY, including the release of his forthcoming mixtape, Don't Flatter Yourself, head on over to his official website. Firstly though, grab the download below.

[SKOA Premiere and Interview] Mesita Talks Nature, His New Album, and Premieres a Brand New Track Titled "Endless Build Into Nothing"

Mesita, the bedroom project of Denver, Colorado resident James Cooley, is set to self-release his brand new LP The Coyote, a fantastic twelve-track effort, tomorrow. Each song on the soon to be released album are vibrant, sprawling soundscapes, with Cooley's vocals driving forward beautiful instrumentals. The instrumentals themselves are what makes Mesita's music stand out, as layer upon layer of diverse percussion and guitars blend seamlessly with subtle synth work. The album is the culmination of years of development and learning, and the result is something amazing.

James recently took the time to answer some burning questions of mine, as well as allowing us the opportunity to premiere a brand new track off of The Coyote. We here at SKoA are pleased to premiere the song "Endless Build Into Nothing," an engrossing acoustic guitar-driven number perfectly represents the sound Mesita has honed in on over the past few years. Give the song a listen below, and after the jump you can read my full interview with the Denver-based musician. The Coyote is available now via Mesita's Bandcamp, and will see a physical release tomorrow.

Adrian: Now, first of all, for those who aren’t familiar with Mesita, tell us how it came to be. What are the origins of the Mesita project, and what urged you to create Mesita, and where did the name itself come from? Mesita is a community in Costilla County in the far south of Colorado, is it not?

James: Mesita has always been me alone recording in a basement or room or apartment. The music is all multi-tracked into Audacity, usually just sitting next to the computer with a mic or two and a guitar. I’ve been playing around with recording for a while, and Mesita became sort of the push to start really concentrating on it. The name Mesita comes from the first album Cherry Blossoms back in 2008, which was mostly recorded for fun, not much pressure... tried to loosen up and not concentrate that much on sound quality or lyrics (and man, that shows), and have fun with it. It was written about a camping trip my friends and I took to the Great Sand Dunes, located in the San Luis Valley, where Mesita, Colorado is. The name Mesita just fit with the project at the time and that was the most important thing. One word, three syllables, it just stuck around ever since.

A: Tell me about your personal history and how it has affected your music. What musicians are you influenced by (of note, I can’t help but compare you to the earlier work of Bon Iver), and how has the area you grew up in affected the ways that you interpret and create music?

J: Radiohead for sure. and the Black Keys. They were my favorite bands back in high school. I was blown away by the Black Keys after seeing them on Conan, and went to Media Play the next day to buy Thickfreakness. I absolutely love The Sea & Cake. and Destroyer. Rubies is my favorite album, ever I think... Ever since I heard it back in 2006, I’ve played it so many damn times. Surprised that disc hasn’t melted permanently into my car’s CD player... All of those during senior year of high school, and Jay Dee. I’d never heard anything like Donuts. It was such an exciting time with the internet, too. I had all this new music right at my fingertips, all this new access to become inspired by all sorts of incredible artists. Deerhoof is another one, such an incredible group. Most fun I’ve ever had at a live show for sure. And especially inspired by their attitude with music. Wilco’s A Ghost Is Born for sure...The Walkmen’s You & Me hit hard the summer of 2008. Had the opportunity to stay in NY for the first time in my life, and that album was the soundtrack. Wandering around, in the subways, through the parks, across bridges with every song sounding so right it was painful. One of those albums that will be sticking with me the rest of my life.

A: Cherry Blossoms and No Worries were your first EPs, which were released in 2008 and 2009, respectively. It is clear when listening to them both that you were playing around with different styles and techniques in order to find a sound that worked for you. Tell me about this process, and how has it been honed over the past 3 or 4 years with the release of Living/Breathing EP and Here’s To Nowhere?

J: I’ve been recording in a similar way since the first release back in 2008, just with a focus on multi-tracking in Audacity. The learning comes with each release, looking back on what worked and what to improve on. I was in college back in ‘08 and ‘09 for audio engineering, and so I picked up some valuable knowledge during that time. It just helped clear up some things I was definitely botching with production. The Living/Breathing EP was tracked in an apartment in Seattle, and not a great sounding room. Here’s To Nowhere was going for a minimalist, clean, quick in-and-out listen, light and a constant level throughout the whole album without anything to derail the listen from song to song. Same-y on purpose. Kind of a vacation album. Sort of one to put on and calmly drift through. This time around, the album was made with sort of the opposite philosophy, more adventurous, taking more time with certain ideas, and longer tracks that break into different directions, and a lot more exploration. Come on in and stay a while...

A: It becomes clear when listening to your music that nature holds a great deal of importance to you. Describe this relationship you have with nature, and how does it play into your music, whether it is lyrically, instrumentally or emotionally?

J: Nature has always been a part of my life. I grew up in Colorado, right up against the foothills. All sorts of outdoor activities all around. Hiking trails you can walk to, rivers you can bike to, ski resorts an hour drive away... I go camping with friends, or hiking. You’re just surrounded by it out there, it’s hard not to be inspired from it. It’s always been a part of my life so it’s always been an influence on this music.

A: Your latest LP The Coyote is finally out digitally, with a physical release soon to follow. What can you tell me about this album, the origins of the album, the recording process, and the meaning behind the vibrant 12-track effort?

J: Pretty much this whole thing has been recorded down in Austin. Had an opportunity to live in a house with two of my best friends from back home, so I took it. "The Front Range" was recorded back in Colorado late last summer, the rest in Austin. It was all recorded in Audacity with an inexpensive pre-amp and budget mics. I have this small walk-in closet where I ended up stashing my drum kit and tracking in. It initially began a lot more stripped down, but after getting so frustrated with how thin everything was sounding, I just kept layering and layering out of frustration. The album was going to be messy no matter what, so might as well go for that direction and capture as much of it as possible...

A: This album also marked a turning point in your career, in that your hard work and efforts are paying off and a great deal of attention has been given to the Mesita project. What can you attribute this to? And what are your thoughts and feelings about this release and the attention it is receiving?

J: Especially since I don’t play out much, there wouldn’t be anyone listening to this music if it weren’t for the consideration and support of the people and sites sharing it and spreading the word. I’ve been sending out music to people as Mesita since 2008, and have written every message, for better or worse, without a PR person or management. I’m pretty crap at it too, so I have a tremendous appreciation for those that read the terrible e-mails I write and still take a listen, and then take the time and effort to post the music. Because of them, I’ve had a good opportunity to keep releasing it. I try my best to make sure they know how much the support means. But the people at the sites just post it without asking for anything in return. They just enjoy sharing the music that they enjoy, and I’m so grateful for them.

A: The Coyote also marks a point in your career in the sense that, from my observation, you have taken everything you’ve learned and fiddled with over the years and finally honed in on a style that is wholly yours, wholly unique. What are your thoughts regarding the album and the sound that you have produced?

J: It’s all sort of been just taking a shot at it and learning from it, again and again. Nothing I’ve done came out sounding quite how I wanted it, but it’s gotten easier to keep going with it and learn from those mistakes, almost be thankful for them. I’m recording on pretty much the same equipment I’ve been since 2009, but all the lessons and new techniques to pick up along the way are helping me clean up and advance it. This album was just about trying to put some personality back into the stuff I was making, take some chances and see where it ended up. There was a point where I just stopped trying so hard and started having fun messing around with what was there.

A: Now that the album is released, digitally as of this moment, what are your future intentions? Will you get right back to working on more material, and is there a possibility of touring, whether it is short term or long term?

J: There are a bunch of other songs waiting in the wings right now. A few I wrote for this album that didn’t fit. Some songs from this album have been around since I started out. I’m writing new songs now, too. Trying to give myself an honest break, but also eager to continue on with what I’ve been doing. There are four different versions of the song "Search For Meaning." A short acoustic version that it started out as, a long sort of funky soul version. Also had one that sounded a lot more quiet and sparse, sounded like an entirely different song. It might even end up on a future release. I’m hoping to have at least another EP of new stuff by the end of the year. I like having one album a year. That span of time feels right. I’ll also try to get out of my comfort zone and play live, maybe this summer. If it starts working on that front, finally get together at least a small tour or something. But that all depends on where it goes from here.

A: Today, we are also premiering a brand new track from The Coyote, titled "Endless Build Into Nothing." Describe this song to me? What is the meaning behind it?

J: I tried to make this song soft and subtle, really build on it and drop parts out, make it flow as a long track. It meanders and sort of winds back similar to how it began, but changed. After the four tracks before it, I wanted this song to breathe a bit more and change the pace up as the album finished, but still feel a little unsettled until the closing track could wrap it all up. It touches on trying so hard for something or someone, that struggle starts to blur everything together, and it feels like the same thing over and over again. It loses its value, you want to give up, losing faith in everything, it all starts to become meaningless. This track is about the struggle to avoid falling in, or to snap yourself out of it and keep on after loss, for yourself and the good people around you. Slap yourself out of it, go help some other people and stop feeling so damn sorry for yourself. 

A: Being a bedroom artist, what advice can you give to other musicians, specifically those who are creating music from their bedrooms?

J: The advice I have to give others is the same I try to give myself daily and often struggle to follow. Make the music you want to be making. You’ll end up happier and better off in the future. Find honesty in tradition and excitement in experimentation, but stay grounded. Don’t get bummed if ignored by the popular tastemakers of the moment, and be thankful for the ones taking the time to listen to you. And don’t be tempted to change up your style to suit the overcooked trends being sold at the moment, either. Take ownership in your work, keep listeners on their feet, don’t let yourself become trapped by categorization. Have fun, stay honest with it. Avoid gimmicks. Trust yourself. Be weary of those who try to take control of your music away from you. Be cautious. Avoid those who promise success, and keep in mind why you’re making music in the first place.

The business around music has and will continue to be shady territory. Be patient with your growth. Keep it yours and keep it to a natural progression. Think long term with it, and keep working at it. If you’re uninspired, press record, see what comes out at the moment. It might turn into a solid idea, and if not, use it as practice. Just get your ideas down. Make something fun, or emotional, or abrasive, or therapeutic. Make people think, make people dance. Make it interesting and make it your own. Enjoy it or hate it, but feel something from it. Try out a new instrument, or dip into a different style. Learn something from anything you listen to. Maybe it’s what a performer is singing, how the vocals sound, the instrumentation, the production, the way the snare hits, the sound of the room, the melodies, rhythms, etc... Get something down and build from it. And be thankful for every single individual that listens to what you create, no matter if you ask them to or not, and for every opportunity that you have to continue creating it. And if you have love for music, you’re doing it right.

[SKOA Premiere] The Joy Formidable - "Austere (Alan Wilkis Remix)"

SKOA favorite Alan Wilkis was commissioned to crank out this killer remix for "Austere" by The Joy Formidable alongside the release of EA Sports' new SSX game. Wilkis, who was already a big fan of The Joy Formidable, told us of his approach to the remix: "I really wanted to try to bring the song into electronic territory while hopefully preserving the thrashy-rock-awesomeness of the original version." After having a listen to the track, I think that you'll agree with us that he has done just that.

Fortunately for our pal, the remix got picked up to be in one of the trailers for the game:

Can we get an atta boy for Mr. Alan Wilkis!?!? Good for him!

Our soon-to-be "video game famou"s friend was also kind enough to give us first dibbs on sharing the track with the masses, so have a listen and grab the remix below:

[SKOA Premiere] Bedroom - "Falling"

In mid-February, we premiered a new EP from an up and coming artist from Nashville, Tennessee. His music is the kind that can catch your attention immediately, conjuring images and memories of childhood simplicity, the sort of audible trigger that makes you remember the days of adolescence, playing in the backyard, and running around with your friends. It's a unique talent to have, and Bedroom, the solo project of 16-year-old Noah Kittinger, doled it out with a refreshingly humble attitude in his Toys EP.

Now, fresh off the release of the EP and with a newfound buzz surrounding his music, as well as having his song "You'll See" on the latest edition of the Some Kind of Mixtape series, Bedroom is back with a brand new track titled "Falling." Unlike his previous work on the Toys EP, which despite being written in a time depression were quite blissful in their execution, the subject matter of "Falling" is fully befitting to the instrumentation surrounding it. The lyrics of the song are described by Kittinger as being "about someone really close to me who is slowly messing up," going further to say, "he/she is "Falling."" It is a touching song that delves into the emotional core of Kittinger, which not only comes through in lyrics but also in the atmospheric instrumentation. The result is a beautifully melancholic and alluring song that evokes distance and loss, all the while carrying a sense of hope. With that said, Some Kind of Awesome is once again proud to premiere Bedroom's work. "Falling" is available to stream and download below.

Head here to purchase Bedroom's Toys EP, and make sure to follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

[SKOA Premiere] Bedroom - 'Toys' EP

In the craziness that is the music blogosphere, there are bound to be moments when you stumble across a musician who, while unknown by many, captures your attention immediately. Their music sucks you in immediately, you form a friendship with them, and as that friendship grows and your respect for their music grows, you want to do nothing but promote and spread the word about this person. Bedroom is one of these musicians.

Bedroom is a solo project formed by Nashville, Tennessee native Noah Kittinger. The 16-year-old's bedroom project (no pun intended) has taken shape with influence from artist's such as Youth Lagoon, Bon Iver, Baths, Radiohead and Beach House, and the influences are apparent in his music. With a subtle acoustic guitar-driven sound, Bedroom delves into the world of chillwave in a rather unique way, taking a lo-fi approach and incorporating indie influences. Each song he produces is serene, calming and vocally distant, a joy to listen to, and we here at SKOA are happy to premiere Bedroom's brand new EP titled Toys, which you can stream and download in full below. When speaking of the album, here's what Kittinger had to say:

I wrote these songs in a time of depression last year. I've always made music but just recently (last month) started recording these songs that I wrote.When I write, I don't do it all in one setting. I usually have a melody, and maybe a lyric or two, and I just piece what I have in my mind together, like a puzzle. I recorded this EP how I heard it in my head, which was far away and distant. The whole lo-fi/dreampop/reverb thing just happened naturally and I stayed with it. I like what my music is becoming, but there is still room for improvement and hopefully that will all show on my next release. Thanks for listening."

You can follow Bedroom on both Facebook and Twitter.

[SKOA Premiere] Mesita - "Everything Is Burning"

Mesita, the solo project of Denver, Colorado musician James Cooley, is gearing up for the release of his brand new LP The Coyote, a culmination of his musical endeavors. Each song Mesita releases is a fantastic blend of subtle synthesizers, calming guitar riffs and ethereal vocals, such as his recently released "You or the City," or, in the case of songs such as "The Coyotes," the musician shows that he can bring a ton of energy to his music.

Whether it is through subtlety or outright energy, Mesita has a knack for grabbing your attention and engrossing you in a world of instrumentation. In either case, the release of The Coyote couldn't come sooner, and SKOA is proud to premiere a brand new track from the forthcoming album titled "Everything Is Burning." In the Mesita canon, the six-minute song is lyrically one of darkest and deepest tracks yet to come from the artist, with a tale of loss and searching encapsulated in a shell of spine-tingling vocals, percussion and beautifully layered guitar riffs. The final three-and-a-half minutes of the song are particularly striking as the song alluringly descends from a powerful percussion and vocal driven climax. When speaking of the song itself, this is what Mesita had to say:

This song is about getting through, keeping up working on even when things seem dark, difficult, meaningless, or overwhelming. It's about trusting yourself to stand up and soldier on when it seems you're outnumbered, when it feels like you're flawed somehow, when you lose something you fought so hard for, when the old standards in place just won't budge, or when it all starts to get dark and hope fades. Sort of an attempt in a long line of them to find calm in chaos and meaning in nothingness. It's the centerpiece to the album and a song that I've been working on since moving to a new place back last October. Also, I was also playing some free online poker when preparing the final mix and somehow won a hand with four of a kind, it was awesome."

The Coyote is set for release in the first half of 2012, with the specific date to be decided. Below, you can listen to "Everything Is Burning," and after the jump you can read the lyrics for the beautiful track.

"Everything Is Burning" Lyrics:

seeing everything is burning 
dance all in the flames and fall in 
coughing up the blood that spills in 
losing hold a lasting spirit

once a prince and now is fading 
hopeless for the time spent caving 
fearing for a darker feeling 
chasing all the demons leering

when everything is 
everything is burning 
everything is 
an endgame waiting

loving something not returning 
searching for a left turn somewhere 
see a light into the distance 
keeping strong in its persistence

building for a better future 
chasing for a deeper meaning 
gaining all in newfound courage 
striking down the demons leering

when everything is 
everything is burning 
everything is 
an endgame waiting

[SKOA Christmas Premiere] Vesta - "The Voyeur"

Over the last year, Pittsburgh rock outfit 1,2,3 has has garnered the attention of the blogosphere as one of the most interesting and diverse surprises of the year. The band offered listeners a rock record that wasn't trying to create an identity for itself, it just wanted to give you ten awesome tracks that you'll want to listen to over and over. It was this carefree attitude that stood out the most on their debut album New Heaven, with each song evoking the passion and enjoyment that each band member had while recording it. It was simply an enjoyable album, one that you never wanted to put down; it was one of the bigger surprises of the year.

One of the best traits of 1,2,3 was the charisma and the positive attitudes of the band members, and this translates into incredibly fun music. Chad Monticue, 1,2,3's bassist and backup vocalist, has brought this exact attitude to his other band, Vesta, the project that was born out of the break up of Monticue's indie pop band The Juliana Theory. Over the past few months, Monticue and his bandmates Joshua Fielder, Josh Kosker and Justin Niedzwecki have been recording with the help of their friend and engineer Jonathon Gunnell. So far, the band are recording and perfecting a digital and vinyl set for release before summer of next year, with the song "The Voyeur" to be included on that album. According to Monticue, the track is a rough mix, but from the moment I pressed play, I was hooked. The song is our first taste of what the Pittsburgh outfit will offer up next year, and SKOA is proud to premiere "The Voyeur" on Christmas as a holiday gift for the SKOA readers and the 1,2,3 fans. The fantastic 'rough mix' of "The Voyeur" is available to stream and download for free below, and expect more coverage of Vesta and 1,2,3 in the New Year.

[SKOA Premiere] Vesta - "The Voyeur" by Some Kind of Awesome