MP3: Mixtapes & Cellmates - I left
I've gotten a few amazing new releases in the mailorder these last few days (with more on the way), so I wanted to spend a couple days highlighting them. First we have the self-titled debut full-length from Mixtapes & Cellmates, one of Sweden's most promising new indiepop acts. No listless twee, no pathetic nostalgia; none of the issues that plague the scene are apparent. Like fellow Nomethod act (and recent One Little Indian signees) Aerial, the guitars are brilliantly interwoven and engaging. The music is nowhere near as aggressive, but the feeling I get is the same. The production is adventurous too - many of the tracks are backed by glitchy techno beats and little clicks + cuts. The smeary glissandos of digital distortion on today's track "I left" go so far as to replace any natural guitar sounds, a tact that works far better than I would imagine. Though the timbre of the sounds is unnatural, it's done in a way that still allows the emotional content of the music to resonate. Extremely well done.
Mixtapes & Cellmates - I left