Fort Lean

Photo by Kyle Dean Reinford

A colleague here at the studio recently drew our attention to Brooklyn band Fort Lean. According to the band itself, the name Fort Lean apparently symbolizes a place close to the city but also far away from the city. A place where you can see the skyline but not hear the noise of the cars. A place where the weather is perfect – hot but not sticky.

Fort Lean is a band that is clearly still working their way up. But I have no doubt that they could get up there. Their style is kind of beachy, but a little heavier than the stuff we have previously posted.

The song High Definition is something you could easily hear being played in a movie while the protagonist is driving down the highway with high speed – probably during the climax of the movie. And Beach Holiday, which is a little more heavy, gives a good impression of the direction the band is heading in.

Click here for Fort Lean’s bandcamp and here for their facebook.

Teddy Geiger

Photo and video by Shervin Lainez

After a long silence, Teddy Geiger has posted a new video to YouTube. It is an acoustic version of the song Fall Anyway, and it was recorded right here in BEAT360 Studios. Check it out!

After releasing his debut album Underage Thinking in 2006 (which made him a teen phenomenon in the states), Teddy played the part of Curtis in the comedy The Rocker (opposite Rainn Wilson, Emma Stone). For the past few years, he has been taking a long break to focus on his music and write songs for his upcoming album, which this new video is a teaser for.

Click here for TG’s Facebook page, and here for his YouTube channel.

Ed Sheeran

We’ve previously had Ed Sheeran’s video for You Need Me, I Don’t Need You on the blog. Just a little reminder for you all today: His new full album is now available on iTunes!

The 20-year-old singer/songwriter released his first album at only 16, and got famous when he played aforementioned song with nothing but a guitar and a loop pedal on SB.tv (see video below). This performance has given him (so far) almost 4 million views, a phone call from Jamie Foxx and a deal with Rocket Music.

Click here to get it. Click here to go to his Facebook page.

Anna Sheffield/WeSC collaboration

More Fashion’s Night Out – this still is from the film, scored by Amalie Bruun, that premiered last night at the WeSC store downtown to launch the collaboration between the Swedish brand and designer Anna Sheffield. Sheffield has designed a line of jewelry and headphones for WeSC.

Click here for full movie and store, and here for the previous blog post about the song (and video) “Flesh & Ghost” featured in the video.

Beach Fossils

Last night was Fashion’s Night Out. I think anyone who was in one way or another forced to walk the streets of Manhattan noticed that. BEAT360 went to see Brooklyn bands Beach Fossils play a show for Keds at Bloomingdales 59th street.

Started by front man Dustin Payseur, Beach Fossils as an act has grown from bedroom project to awesome foursome (to use bad clichés), and aside from Dustin, the three other members Cole Smith, Thomas Gardner and John Peña rocked the 60th street stage last night. Fans were so eager that when Dustin stepped down from the stage to sing among them, he was literally thrown to the ground and hugged. He seemed surprised.

In all seriousness, though, a few of the friends I have suggested the band to have had their doubts about some of their recordings. But if you see the band live, their skills shine through in a completely different way (you have the opportunity for this if you are in D.C., where they’re playing tonight, btw), and rumor has it that they are recording new stuff at the moment. Personally, I’m excited about that.

Click here to buy their stuff on iTunes, here for their page on Captured Tracks’ website and here to like them on Facebook.

Also check out the previous blog post about drummer Thomas Gardner’s project Crush, and guitarist Cole Smith’s side project DIVE that I have already seen live several times (and who just got signed by Captured Tracks as well)!

A Cyndi Moment

Hey, how are you all today?

If you want to know about new blog-posts first-hand, like us on Facebook.

Meanwhile, enjoy a Cyndi moment of zen and sisterhood.

Fool’s Gold DAY OFF

People rocking out in front of the stage.

Some people spent Labor Day doing their favorite day off activity – sleeping in and brunching.

BEAT360, however, went to a courtyard party thrown by Fool’s Gold Records, who had done their best to secure a laid back and relaxed – almost European – ambience. The stage was packed with dj’s such as Juicy J, Just Blaze and Araabmuzik, and as this party did not care if you were 21, awesome children were dancing everywhere as well as adults, who were just rocking out to the music.

Fool’s Gold Records is a label with a focus on hip hop and electronic music. Founded in 2007, they have, among other things, been named “tastemaker label” by The New York Times.

WE WANT MORE PARTIES LIKE THIS, FGR. And we want more days off, USA.

Check out FGR’s website here, and their Facebook here

All ages were welcome. Among other things, that meant attendance by the cutest baby in the world.

Amalie was enjoying the bass.

Wavves

Nathan Williams on stage Thursday. Photo: Sidsel Norgaard-Larsen

Thursday, I had the pleasure of going to yet another Summer Stage concert by East River Park in Manhattan. The headline was California band Wavves, and just to make clear how big they are here, Dee Dee Penny of DUM DUM GIRLS was the opening act (which she did very will, I might add).

Nathan Williams, Wavves (front)man, has already made quite a name for himself, but seeing the band live (with an awesome bass player too) inspired me to make sure everybody knows it. Williams’ project got rave reviews when it debuted in 2009, and the noise pop has been playing ever since.

The Thursday East River audience also got to get a first taste of the new single from the album Life Sux, which was well-received (the guy next to me in the crowd that had gathered in front of the stage stated that he had gotten a huge crush on Williams), and is about Williams’ fascination with Dave Grohl. We can’t hold that against him.

Click here to listen to the new single I Wanna Meet Dave Grohl. If you end up loving Wavves (which you probably will) you can hear 20 of their songs on the new MTV show I Want My Pants Back (the one they showed a part of after the abrupt ending of the VMAs the other night).

Click here for iTunes, here for MySpace and here for Facebook.

DUM DUM GIRLS

We previously had Frankie Rose – one of the founding members of DUM DUM GIRLS – on this blog. And even though DDG aren’t really new, it is a really cool band that deserves even more attention than they already get.

DUM DUM GIRLS front-woman is Dee Dee Penny who also writes the songs (inspired by artists like Patti Smith and Siouxsie & the Banshees) – and regarding said songs, there are just too many good ones to mention any in particular. For the first time ever, it has been really hard to even choose a video for the blog post.

This California band is simply sublime, and luckily for the fans, they tour like crazy. This means that throughout October (starting in CA, of course), you can see them live in numerous cities throughout the world such as Seattle, Boston, Berlin and London.

You can listen to the newest track (Bedroom Eyes) from their second full-length album, Only In Dreams, due Sept. 27 on Pitchfork here, or you can go to their website, MySpace or Facebook.

Ok ok here’s another one!

Flesh & Ghost

Amalie Bruun with dog Nuggles. Photo: Signe Amtoft

Check out the new video by Amalie Bruun. You may know her face from the Lonely Island video Jack Sparrow (she was Jenny from Forrest Gump) or the Martin Scorsese directed Chanel commercial Bleu de Chanel, in which she plays a jealous girlfriend. But she’s is not only a pretty face and blue hair – if you like relaxed, ghost-like vocals, this is the song to hear/video to see.

A recommendation from the studio is also her song Dirty Beaches, which is another bedroom recording from this talented artist.

Click here for her bandcamp, and here for Facebook loving.