Carlos Pesina is a complex and colorful experimental remix artist and musician from Guadalahara, Mexico. He produces and remixes music under various monikers - Los Amparito, Pepepe and Pesina Siller - on multiple indie labels, which makes it difficult to write about his work.

Nevertheless, his electronic, micro-sampling remixes brim with cheerful, eccentric, esoteric, sublime, even dreamy sounds. In and around Guadalahara, Pesina is best known as Pepepe. The latter is the chosen moniker for his latest album, and second release for indie record label The Poni Republic, Roba Orgón De Plantas Y Animales (available as a free download; see link below).

Recently, Pesina produced a remix of "Little Secrets" for a Passion Pit remix contest to promote the band's new album Manners. In addition, he created a remix of "Bros" - a standout track from the classic 2008 indie solo release Person Pitch by Animal Collective's Noah Lennox (aka, Panda Bear), plus a remix of the Animal Collective track "Brothersport" from this year's most brilliant psyche pop release, Merriweather Post Pavilion.

"Little Secrets" (Passion Pit Remix) - Carlos Pesina, unreleased (2009)

"Stacey You Are A Monster" (Unsexy Nerd Ponies Remix) - Pepepe from Remixes (2008)

"Mirar A Los Ojos Es De Mal Gusto" - Pepepe from Roba Orgón De Plantas Y Animales (2009)

"Jacinto Cenobio" - Pepepe featuring Cyane from Roba Orgón De Plantas Y Animales (2009)

"Bros" (Panda Bear Remix) - Los Amparito

"Brothersport" (Hermano Sport Mix) - Los Amparito

Free Download: Roba Orgón De Plantas Y Animales

Pepepe on MySpace

Watch some of Pesina's self-produced videos on Vimeo.

Among his musical influences, Pesina lists Stereolab, Bjork, The Kinks, Mouse on Mars and many others.

Labels: 2009 Indie Songs, Animal Collective, Passion Pit, Remixes

The music blog Gorilla vs. Bear has revealed two new album covers from forthcoming releases by Animal Collective - Summertime Clothes, due out July 7; and White Demin - Fits, due out June 22. If anyone has found the track listing for Summertime Clothes, please share.

A track from the upcoming White Demin album has already made the rounds and it's an interesting, but welcomed, change-up from the alternative garage rockers. "Mirrored and Reversed" is spacey rock; esoteric, driving psychedelic jam.

"Mirrored and Reversed" - White Demin from Fits (out June 22)

Last week, Animal Collective premiered a new song, "Bleed", on NPR's coverage of the band's performance at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC.

"Bleed" - Animal Collective from upcoming release Summertime Clothes.

In case you missed Animal Collective last week on Letterman performing Summertime Clothes, one of the best songs on the magnificent, soon-to-be classic Merriweather Post Pavilion. No one knows what the deal is with the illuminated maggots dancing and writhing in the background, but hey, it is Animal Collective.





Here's the setlist from the 9:30 Club-NPR performance that you can stream here.

01 "Chocolate Girl"
02 "Summertime Clothes"
03 "Guys Eyes"
04 "What Would I Want Sky"
05 "Comfy In Nautica"
06 "My Girls"
07 "Slippi"
08 "Daily Routine"
09 "Bleed"
10 "Lablakely Dress/Fireworks"
11 "Banshee Beat"
12 "Who Could Win a Rabbit"
13 "Brother Sport"

Labels: 2009 Indie Rock Albums, Animal Collective, White Denim

Spirit Spine self portrait
New musicians popping up in recent weeks are beginning to make 2009 look like a promising year for indie rock, electronica and pop.

Yet another relatively unknown talent has caught our attention, and we think his sound will appeal to many people who have reacted so positively to Blind Man's Colours' post a couple of weeks ago.

Joseph Denney, aka, Spirit Spine, is a freshmen at Indiana University in Bloomington, who began a "music project" last fall that friends encouraged. His friends were right to encourage him. The result is a collection of sprawling, dreamy, psychedelic and pop-oriented songs that we keep playing again and again.

"My new album," Denney wrote in an email to IRC, "is self-titled and has been compared to "Panda Bear + MGMT + New Order" and 'The Beach Boys fronted by Lou Reed high on Nyquil and Redbull' I was greatly influenced by Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" Technique as well as Surf Rock and 80's Pop."

That's an excellent comparison. You can hear more of his other influences - like Joy Division and Beck, in Denney's music as well, not to mention the obvious Animal Collective influences.

Denney says he created all of the music using the the computer software program Garageband on the Mac and some 8-tracking. This is an amazing example of how one talented young musician in the technological age can write, record, manufacture, distribute and market his own music for the rest of us to enjoy.

Highlights from Spirit Spine's debut include "Trickledown", "Crashers (Highs and Lows)", "Heart Races", "Raptures" and "Faustian Vice".

Spirit Spine is a force to be reckoned with in 2009, and hopefully many of you will agree. The album Spirit Spine is available on iTunes through Lovegiffrae Records.

"Trickledown" - Spirit Spine from s/t
"Crashers (Highs and Lows)" - Spirit Spine from s/t

Spirit Spine MySpace page

Check back for a follow-up review on this amazing indiest of indie releases for 2009.

Labels: Animal Collective, Artists to Watch, Indie Artist/Group Profiles, Joseph Denney, New Indie 2009, Spirit Spine

Almost two weeks ago we posted about Florida's electronic unsigned duo artists called Blind Man's Colour.

The posting received a lot of attention! So much so that even Kanye West posted a link on his blog to our review of Blind Man's Colour. Kinda cool, huh? In addition, indie blogs Gorilla Vs. Bear and I Guess I'm Floating wrote about Kayne's link to IRC. Kanye also posted a link to our announcement of the lineup for this year's Coachella fest.

Anyways, the latest word from Blind Man Colour's is that the guys have been getting calls from record labels and a huge number of new friend requests on MySpace since our review posted.

"Jimmy Dove" - Blind Man's Colour from Season Dreaming

We'll be posting more about BMC in a follow-up feature later this month.

Labels: Animal Collective, Blind Man's Colour, Kanye West, Spirit Spine

The wild popularity of Animal Collective's newest release, Merriweather Post Pavilion, has fans and music critics already calling it one of the best albums of the year. Hello? It's only January.

Under usual circumstances, this would be enough to hold off for a while before making such a proclamation. But after listening to Merriweather over and again, it's hard to believe that it will fizzle out or lose its appeal coming later this year. It's just amazing!

Right now the band has an awesome Flash-created music video unlike anything we've ever seen. Yet best of all it's for the amazing, sweeping and sparkly song, "My Girls". Click the photo above to start the video, sit back and soak it up. Chances are you'll watch it more than once, especially if you are an Animal Collective fan. :)

Even if you're not an Animal Collective fan, there's something magical about Merriweather, and if you're new to their work, check out Merriweather first. Animal Collective kicked off an extensive 2009 world tour last evening at New York's Grand Ballroom.

"My Girls" - Animal Collective

Stream Merriweather Post Pavilion uninterrupted in its entirety.

Animal Collective's MySpace page
Animal Collective official website
Animal Collective label website

Labels: Animal Collective, Animal Collective Music Video, Indie Artist/Group Profiles

In response to a playlist challenge to Deerhunter's Bradford Cox's previously published playlist mix, IRC is happy to offer you the following playlist featuring what we think are a great representation of songs of interest to Deerhunter, and non-Deerhunter, music lovers.

"Did You See The Words" - Animal Collective (photo, top) from the 2005 release Feels

"Carrot Rope" - Pavement from the 1999 release Wowee Zowee

"Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" - Radiohead from the 2007/2008 release In Rainbows

"Cello Song" - Nick Drake from the 1969 release Five Leaves Left

"Canadian Girl" - The Walkmen from the 2008 release You & Me


"Is There A Ghost?" - Band of Horses from the 2007 release Ceases to Begin

"Disarm" - Smashing Pumpkins from the 1993 release Siamese Dream

"Scythian Empires" - Andrew Bird from the 2007 release Armchair Apocrypha

"Float On" - Modest Mouse from the 2004 release Good News for People Who Love Bad News

"Knots" - Pete and The Pirates from the 2008 release Little Death

Download the ZIP for this playlist

What do you think of this mix? Use the comments section below.

Labels: Andrew Bird, Animal Collective, Band of Horses, Indie Playlist Mix, Modest Mouse, Nick Drake, Pavement, Radiohead, Rogue Wave, The Walkmen

Interestingly enough, despite a sagging economy, high fuel prices and saturation of big, outdoor music festivals spanning two to five days in duration, the fact is that ticket sales for both the veteran fests like Coachella and Bonnaroo, and the 'newbies', have been overall successful so far for 2008.

Labels: Animal Collective, Chicago, Festivals, Lollapalooza 2008, M. Ward, Mission of Burma, Pitchfork Music Festival, Rothbury Festival, Spoon, The Hold Steady

Labels: 2008 Indie Festivals, Animal Collective, Bonnaroo, Coachella, Festival Tickets, Festivals, Indio (CA), My Morning Jacket, Portishead

San Francisco's eccentric indie group Animal Collective is set to launch their 2007 worldwide tour with shows and gigs in Europe, the U.S., Canada.
The group will perform for their cult-like and adoring fans whom enjoy the band's strange, unique, dark and often malformed musical compositions.

You can click on the venues below for more specific information (when available) and to find tickets. Otherwise, check out TicketMaster.com

Animal Collective's 2007 Tour Show Schedule (updated: June 27th)

Labels: Animal Collective