GEMS – Scars

One of my favorite emerging acts of 2013 is back with a new single and new tour dates for the Southeast.  The cinematic dream pop duo GEMS quietly released Scars at midnight last night, a track that both follows an established trajectory and pushes them in new directions.  The first few strums of the reverby guitar are instantly recognizable as a GEMS track, unexpectedly offset by Lindsay’s dissonant introductory refrain.  The track quickly returns to its roots with a classically structured verse and hugely melodic chorus.  Lindsay and Cliff continue to have some of the most distinctive sounding pop songs around and a rock solid artistic identity and direction.  They continually stand out as one of the most exciting emerging acts, and I’m clamoring for their success over here.  Check them out in one of these towns, or head over to Hopscotch Festival in Raleigh this September.

 

Weekly Digest

 

It’s a dreamy, nuanced weekly digest where heart flittering lyrics give way to mystifying embellishments and suddenly dance grooves.  It’s the playlist that takes you from solitude to social sparks in an instant; a snapshot of the most outstanding releases from the past week.

 

GEMS Cover Seal’s ‘Don’t Cry’

 

My reverent and romantic dedication to GEMS is well documented here on Kaiotic Music.  As they continue releasing tracks, they continue fulfilling a niche that didn’t even exist before them.  Hearing their beautiful production and sound, their unmistakable signature style- romance, sweeping bass, sensual beats, lindsay’s floating vocals and cliff’s grounding, calming, and rumbling voice- is like coming home and instead of a warehouse full of roaches and broken glass it’s this:

Enjoy the romantic escape once more and consider it a tithe from the artists’ themselves as they real-time share their creations and set their own terms.

Interview: GEMS

Heading to my interview with GEMS I could feel my notebook burning a hole in my bag. It was full of questions, everything you’d expect, and its predictability was haunting me. When I arrived in Chelsea and walked up to Pastis it was drizzling and grey. Medusa gently swayed from my headphones into my brain, filling my thoughts with the dichotomy of lightness and weightiness. Milan Kundera’s Unbearable Lightness of Being sticks out as a literary companion to the Medusa EP, which for me is an exploration of the weight of experiences which gives romance to daily life, and meaning to the human experience. I crumpled up my interview guide and begged the question – can we just have a conversation?

The 25 Best Tracks of 2013

It’s been an amazing year in music, and while so far I snubbed more popularly rotated albums for The 10 Best Underplayed Albums of 2013, here you’ll see an all inclusive list.  From Lady Gaga to Chvrches to James Black and Rhye- consider this a year in review, or maybe just a collection of songs you need to hear if you haven’t.  So based on a combination of personal opinion (like including a track off Ra Ra Riot’s latest album which was severely critiqued), popularity, and merit, here are the 25 best tracks of 2013.  Subscribe to the Spotify Playlist at the bottom of this post!

Weekly Digest

This uncut version of Medusa from Gems is incredible, literally chills when it moves into the single cut.  Also, a slew of great new artists.  Happy Monday 🙂

EP Release: GEMS

Dreamy, sexy DC Duo GEMS releases their EP Medusa today.  While three of the four tracks had been previously released, the EP features the new song Ephemera, and over all the collection is fantastic- while each song could be a single, it also makes a cohesive and lush EP.  I’ve been watching these guys and they continue to satisfy- the songwriting is deeply dark at times, deeply romantic all the time.  

Weekly Digest

 

With CMJ approaching, two of my favorite new bands, ASTR and GEMS are both gaining attention and playing multiple shows.  Expect them to be some of the most sought after.  In honor of that I’ve included GEMS‘ new single and dream pop perfection, Medusa, and ASTR’s nouveau pop R U With Me.  

Who To See @ CMJ

CMJ GUIDE

CMJ approaches next week in New York City and it serves as the most up to date and valuable showcase for rising artists.  I’m going to help you through the week by suggesting which shows to check out and which artists to watch.

GEMS Revisited

DC duo Gems is once again making waves.  Their new single, Medusa, is a further iteration of what was already fantastic about their previous tracks.  Succulent bass, dreamy vocals from Lindsay Pitts, amazing back up from Cliff Usher… god it’s just so good.  I predicted in my last post that this was a rising band, and now with CMJ approaching (check out GEMS at CMJ), I think it’s time for their break.  Yes, bands today have ‘moments’; you know, seize your second of popularity and hype.  GEMS is experiencing that to an extent, but what matters is that this is a band that can support that.