Sweet music to your ears. LP’s, EP’s and everything in between this is the place you will find out about the latest music and maybe even some oldies but goodies.
My Bloody Valentine: Loveless (reissue)
Fri May 18
Pseudo Kids: Stay Glad EP
Thu May 17
B.O.B: Strange Clouds
Wed May 16
Beach House: Bloom
Tue May 15
mewithoutYou: Ten Stories
Mon May 14
Silversun Pickups: Neck of the Woods
Fri May 11
Off!: Off!
Tue May 8
Father John Misty: Fear Fun
Fri May 4
Death Grips: The Money Store
Thu May 3
Jack White: Blunderbuss
Wed May 2
Reptar: Body Faucet
Tue May 1
Spiritualized: Sweet Heart Sweet Light
Thu Apr 26
Miike Snow: Happy to You
Mon Apr 23
Battles: Dross Glop
Fri Apr 20
Rusko: Songs
Wed Apr 18
High on Fire: De Vermis Mysteriis
Fri Apr 13
Bear In Heaven: I Love You, It's Cool
Mon Apr 9
Tanlines: Mixed Emotions
Wed Mar 28
Ear Dropps Come Lately
Mon Mar 26
Odd Future: The OF Tape Vol. 2
Fri Mar 23
Drudkh: Eternal Turn of the Wheel
Wed Mar 21
The Shins: Port of Morrow
Mon Mar 19
The Men: Open Your Heart
Fri Mar 16
The Decemberists: We All Raise Our Voices to the Air
Thu Mar 15
Andrew Bird: Break It Yourself
Fri Mar 9
Damien Jurado: Maraqopa
Wed Mar 7
Mark Lanegan Band: Blues Funeral
Tue Feb 21
Earth: Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light II
Mon Feb 20
Fionn Regan: 100 Acres of Sycamore
Tue Feb 14
Loma Prieta: I.V.
Mon Feb 13
Schoolboy Q: Habits & Contradictions
Fri Feb 10
Leonard Cohen: Old Ideas
Wed Feb 8
Howler:America Give Up
Fri Feb 3
Nada Surf:The Stars are Indifferent to Astronomy
Wed Feb 1
Lana Del Rey:Born to Die
Tue Jan 31
Cloud Nothings:Attack on Memory
Fri Jan 27
First Aid Kit:The Lion's Roar
Thu Jan 26
Chairlift: Something
Mon Jan 23
Anthony Green:Beautiful Things
Fri Jan 20
The Big Pink:Future This
Wed Jan 18
Gates of Mourning:Nightfall Blooms and Golden Horns
Mon Jan 16
Nicole Miglis:EP
Thu Jan 12
Kathleen Edwards:Voyageur
Wed Jan 11
James Blake:Love What Happened Here
Mon Jan 9
Alcest: Les Voyages de l'Ame
Fri Jan 6
The Weeknd: Echoes of Silence
Wed Jan 4
Best Albums of 2011
Mon Jan 2
Best Songs 2011
Fri Dec 23
M83:Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
Mon Oct 24
Feist: Metals
Wed Oct 12
Wilco:The Whole Love
Tue Oct 4
Tom Waits:Bad As Me
Sun Oct 2
Wolves in the Throne Room:Celestial Lineage
Mon Sep 26
A.A. Bondy: Believers
Mon Sep 26
Slow Club:Paradise
Wed Sep 21
Mates of State:Mountaintops
Mon Sep 19
Gotye: Making Mirrors
Fri Sep 16
St. Vincent:Strange Mercy
Thu Sep 15
Mister Heavenly:Out of Love
Wed Sep 7
The War On Drugs:Slave Ambient
Mon Sep 5
Blood Orange:Coastal Grooves
Fri Sep 2
Active Child:You Are All I See
Fri Aug 26
Yip-Yip:Bone Up
Fri Aug 26
Maximino:Not So Cold, Cave
Fri Aug 19
Thee Oh Sees:Castlemania
Mon Aug 15
Timber Timbre:Creep On Creepin' On
Fri Aug 12
Watch The Throne
Wed Aug 10
Little Dragon:Ritual Union
Mon Aug 1
Liturgy:Aesthethica
Sun Jul 24
The Cool Kids:When Fish Ride Bicycles
Fri Jul 22
Gang Gang Dance:Eye Contact
Wed Jul 20
Bon Iver: Bon Iver
Wed Jul 13
John Maus:We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves
Mon Jul 11
TOKiMONSTA:Creature Dreams EP
Fri Jul 8
The Wooden Birds:Two Matchsticks
Wed Jul 6
Jamie XX:Far Nearer/Beat For
Wed Jul 6
The Antlers:Burst Apart
Fri Jul 1
Death Cab for Cutie:Codes and Keys
Fri Jul 1
Dangermouse & Daniele Luppi:Rome
Wed Jun 29
David Bazan: Strange Negotiations [Barsuk]
Wed Jun 29
Thurston Moore:Demolished Thoughts
Mon Jun 27
Foster The People:Torches
Fri Jun 24
Explosions in the Sky:Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
Mon Jun 20
My Morning Jacket:Circuital
Wed Jun 1
Man Man:Life Fantastic
Thu May 26
Okkervil River:I Am Very Far
Thu May 26
Pygmy Lush:Old Friends
Mon May 16
Elzhi:Elmatic
Wed May 11
Beastie Boys:Hot Sauce Committee Part 2
Mon May 2
Fleet Foxes:Helplessness Blues
Mon May 2
Young Widows:In And Out Of Youth And Lightness
Wed Apr 27
Gil Scott-Heron/Jamie XX:We're New Here
Mon Apr 25
J-Rocc:Some Cold Rock Stuf
Fri Apr 22
Little Scream:The Golden Record
Wed Apr 20
Cut Copy:Zonoscope
Mon Apr 18
Panda Bear:Tomboy
Thu Apr 14
Pains of Being Pure At Heart:Belong
Wed Apr 13
Acid House Kings:Music Sounds Better With You
Mon Apr 11
Bibio:Mind Bokeh
Thu Apr 7
8.5/10 dropps
Fresh and playful synth-y pop beats characterize Mates of State’s new albumMountaintops, which was released earlier this month. Indie power couple Jason Hammel and Kori Gardner brought in producer Chris Coady (who has worked with the likes of artists such as Grizzly Bear, Smith Westerns, Gang Gang Dance and Architecture in Helsinki) to mix their newest self produced creation. As always, Hammel and Gardner bring a certain lightheartedness and an undeniable energy that makes Mountaintops a perfect end of summer album.
Mountaintops opens with ‘Palomino,’ an upbeat and driving track that sets the pace for the rest of the album, but the undeniable star of the album is ‘Maracas,’ which was released in a video premiere to promote the album and shares an equally enthusiastic tempo. In ‘Sway,’ even the lyrics reflect Mates of State’s playful attitude, with the couple inviting the listener to “come and see the beautiful view… forming patterns in the sky, you know a paper moon don’t lie.” Mountaintops displays some diversity with slower paced and brooding ‘Desire’ and ‘Unless I’m Led’ and closes up with the melodic ‘Mistakes.’
Mates of State have made it clear that they are the masters of the exuberant indie-pop scene and never fail to share some of that whimsical happiness, especially in their production of Mountaintops. In one of the tracks the couple sings, “Changes gonna come/And gonna set you free.” Here’s to hoping this successful duo doesn’t go changing any time soon.
- Anna Kimura
Mon Sep 19
The Dropp. Music. Art. Life. Culture. The Dropp is an interactive publication devoted to broadening the horizons of open minded individuals and helping artists locally and nationally gain exposure. We are a platform that serves as a cipher for the entangled cultural waves of this generation bringing them to a focal point for you to digest.











