Week in Pop: Ethan Daniel Davidson, Roc Marciano, Social Studies

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A lot to cover today but first our weekly airing of grievances. We did what we could to escape the riff raff from the Riff Raff hype, or the Nickelback front dude getting engaged to Avril Lavigne and the world can sleep better now that we have learned that Madonna has forgiven Sir Elton John. But who cares, we got bigger game to cover right now in no particular order.

Toro y Moi's side project Les Sins is Chaz's trip along the international realms of progressive house, with a 7-inch dropping on Dan Snaith of Caribou's imprint, Jiaolong, later this month. The 7-inch features the songs “Fetch” and “Taken”, which you can now stream in their entirety and listen as Chaz Bundick sets out to produce whatever he feels like while moving in many and any direction of choice. His production on the Tyler cut “Hey You” still sounds cool to us.

Morgan Z is the Mr. Wizard dude behind Chrome Canyon with his video for “Memories of a Scientist” where he plays, directs and edits his own video ode to synthesized alchemy and chemistry alike. Mind the beakers and catch Chrome Canyon’s debut LP, Elemental Themes drops October 9 from Stone's Throw Records.

This week our friends Jean Jeanie, Antonio Roman-Alcalá, and Dan DK of Future Twin crashed the MTV Hive with their song of transition, openness, renewal and the season's curtain call, “Summer Song”. Hear the audio incarnation of sonic aspirations-turned-realizations from tomorrow's preconceptions of San Francisco indie pop throttled backward to today on Future Twin's Resist 7-inch and Future Twin Deluxe Edition available now. Catch them the at the following SF gigs September 4 at the Rickshaw Stop with Lightning Bolt, No Babies and September 27 at Cell Space.

Speaking of Lightning Bolt, we have their first track from the forthcoming Oblivion Hunter LP out September 25 from Load Records. We can thank the good forces that this many years on from now we can still depend on the kind of crazed scuzz that kept us packing into those auditorium halls as we moshed our hearts out so long ago as we today, more than ever, seek to become the Oblivion Hunter(s).

Roc Marciano dropped the self-produced single “76” on us making for one of the most hypnotic cuts the week, taking it us back to 1976 and back again. Referencing the places he has been back to that cinematic sheen of Screen Gems from that great decade, his flow moves in and out of the vocal smoke bellows that rise to the ceiling throughout the track.

Roc Marciano also joined Stu Bangas & Vanderslice's video “1st Degree Murder” along with Vinnie Paz & Celph Titled. Stu & Vanderslice's Diggaz With Attitude comes out August 28 from Man Bites Dog Records while the following R.M.L. video collects from a barage of footage from foreign films, a '90s cult horror flick called Begotten and bikini gals with big, literal guns.

Peggy Honeywell brings the black and white folk stylings for the subtle and amber sweet “Peach and Yellow Skies” in Room 205.

LOL Boys' Changes EP is out now from Friends of Friends and we have the video for Shlohmo's title track remix. In the black & white video directed by Video Marsh, you follow Julia Lawton and Sierra Kuckein twirling hair and enjoying rooftop sunsets or sunrises over the looping “things won't change until we do” refrain. Catch Shlohmo headlining the Decibel Festival in Seattle.

Social Studies lend a listen to “Terracur” from their upcoming album Developer. The SF quintet here describes the frenetic frenzy in which the city dwelling subject is perpetually on the move, like many of the scurrying members of the rat race trying to build another life. But like vocal lead Natalia Rogovin reckons throughout, “isn't that just your way?” And speaking on behalf of the bulk of this busy world, she is probably right. The second Social Studies album Developer drops November 13 from Antenna Farm Records.

Not sure how we missed this but from Florence, Alabama is Gene The Southern Child who teamed up with Parallel Thought on production for the stroll ready album A Ride With The Southern Child available now for free download from P.Thought Ltd. The production is the epitome of that afternoon feeling when that last school bell rang, while Southern Child takes you down the lanes of Florence, AL that you knew nothing about until now.

If you missed it the first time, Drag City will be reissuing Royal Trux's 1998 classic Accelerator October 9 in 2012. Before RTX and before RTX became Black Bananas, Hagerty and Herrema were hanging them high as evident in this album promo video.

Killer Mike and Scar present the lyrics as a slow motion still lives from the past in the video for “Untitled” video directed by Benjamin Dickinson. Get Killer Mike’s knockout R.A.P. Music album now from Williams Street Records.

Toronto's Jamie Townsend and Ben Dalton are Southern Shores who return with their highlyanticipated second EP, New World. From the opening exhalations turned toward sea breeze kissed 90s house song on “Breathe”' and here Jamie and Ben craft new topographical terrain all the way through to the closer “Sankasa.” Today we bring you a listen to “New Love” which follows up the bliss of “Natural High” with what sounds like contemporary thoughts and technology improving on the blue film erotica soundtracks from the premium cable network high class smut of the late '80s to '99. Southern Shores' New World EP comes out October 2 on 12″ and digital from Cascine.

Wax Tailor, project of French producer JC Le Saout is preparing the upcoming album Dusty Rainbow From the Dark coming September 18 from Le Plan and revealed the hand tricked video for “Heart Stop” featuring Jennifer Charles. The new album Dusty Rainbow is said to feature returning vocal talents from Charlotte Savary, Sara Genn, Mattic, A.S.M, and Ali Harter, along with weclomed additions from Aloe Blacc, Elzhi, Jennifer Charles, Shana Halligan, and Akua.

The Men are setting out on a big international tour this Fall and before they jet off in September they gave this official listen to their rocker “Candy” off of Open Your Heart out now from Sacred Bones.

We got a video of How to Dress Well's Tom Krell performing in Annedalskyrkan, Gothenburg at the Way Out West festival. Light the candles and get emotional as all the high emotional stops are pulled for this rendition of “Cold Nites”.

Don't miss the Koreless remix of How To Dress Well's “Cold Nights” that retricks Krells vocals with the subtle healing power of understated but omnipresent K-pop bells. HTDW's album Total Loss drops September 18 from Acephale.

Helskinki's Albert Swarm, real name Pietu Arvola, presents his new track “Things Fold Into Themselves” resonating from the future Wake EP and presenting new sounds with every fold crease. The next generation of electronic starts with these beats soon to be echoed in clubs that don't exist yet. The Wake EP comes out September 4 from Ceremony.

And be one of the first to hear the first remix from the upcoming Wake EP with a listen to Harlem producer Gobby taking A. Swarm's “Moths & Moth Catchers” into the outer limits and recesses of outer space beats from the inner underbelly of NYC.

OMBRE, the combined forces of Helado Negro and Juliannna Barwick released their album Believe You Me this week from Ashmatic Kitty and shared the slow ceiling riser “Tormentas” that turns torment and pain into vapor.

Castratii released the ear arresting atmospheres of Eora from Sydney, Australia with a Wuthering Heights type of haunting aura. Eora is out on digital now with the vinyl due September 10 from Time No Place via Kompakt/Forced Exposure. Pre-order the LP now through Boomkat or Kompakt.fm.

Get ready for some real free wheeling fun with Melbourne, Australia's Twerps with their new single “He's in Stock” Their Work It Out 7″ is coming from Chapter Music/Underwater Peoples September 17 on digital, and vinyl October 23. If you fancy grimy tales of wild, eratic and chemically fueled times with a jangle that won't stop, listen on.

From Brooklyn by way of LA comes the trio Regal Degal with their new cut “Not Mired” presenting a bright slice of indie pop built under the banner that says we are not stuck to any one thing in this life. Regal Degal's upcoming LP Veritable Who's Who comes out October 16 on No Age's Dean Spunt's own imprint PPM. Don't get mired, get fired up.

Deep Time is one of our Austin loves and the duo has a highly acclaimed self-titled out now on Hardly Art. This week our friends Jennifer Moore and Adam Jones gave us their Cassandra Hamilton-directed video for “Gold Rush.” Be warned that video might inspire beach side bedsheet-ghost dance parties or coastal human Pac-Man recreations.

Night Moves' brings their new single “Country Queen” from their debut Colored Emotions out October 9 on Domino with your CD/LP pre-order available here. I am almost sure that that Seeg himself would forgive this bunch himself if only he heard these hip indie licks. Otherwise he would take those old records off the shelf and school this hip set on that old time rock n' roll. Catch them on a national tour this fall playing at a town near you.

By now you have probably seen the video for Grimes's “Oblivion” off the ever so awesome Visions, but just in case we wanted to make you caught all the weapon wielding, wacky outfits, Brooke Candy's metallic clad business, albino snakes, stretch limos and what have you.

Houston, TX’s Ashton Travis unleashed this freestyle over a classic track with word of a follow up to his Good Vibes mixtape with Karma I.S.O. coming soon.

In case you want to feel old, The Faint will be re-issuing the electro-clash-y throwback Danse Macabre Deluxe Edition October 30 from Saddle Creek. Party like it's 200 all over again with “Take Me to Hospital” remastered for the sake of your quest for instant nostalgia.

Ethan Daniel Davidson, born in Detroit, the man who once played 900 shows on a 6 year tour and knows the songs to every esoteric track in the American pop hymnal gives the world the dusty road-angelus novus of “The Dogs Howl, The Caravan Moves On”. Ethan will be handing out copies of his album Silvertooth for free at his show on CD and LP or on his website here. Keep an eye out for Ethan travelling to a one horse town, dingy dive or a tough saloon near you.

In case you didn't get enough techno track blasts this week, here is Steve Bug's “Tell Me Why” to give some tough guy theme music to shadowbox along to. Feel your inner Streets of Rage character of choice and look for Bug's Noir October 1 from Poker Flat Recordings.

J Bizness crafted the smokey effects laden track with The Black Opera sharing tales of a love that is never coming down on the cut “Giraffes”. J Bizness's Flight Plan along with the The Black Opera's EnterMission are out now from the Mello Music Group.

Millionyoung releeased their video for “Youthless”, directed by Juan Camilo Gonzalez, presenting the greatest tenet of skateboarding wisdom: once you scrape the ground, you rise back up.

Get ready to get weird and wild with this watcky Norwegian bro trio, Ungdomskulen, who bring us the erattic fun of “Askefast” directed and edited by Kristian Stockhaus.

NYC producer Michna, full name Adrian Michna, delivered the brilliant and illustrious keyboard pop “Through the City on the Edge of Forever” off of Moving Mountains due September 18 from Ghostly International.

If you need more beats chilled on crushed ice, then we recommend Suzanne Kraft's “Horoscope” track from the 12-inch of the same coming September 11 on beautiful vinyl and September 25 digital wise, making this the first release from the new LA label Young Adults Recordings.

Substantial teams up with Homeboy Sandman and rhyme spitter Javier Starks on the energy packed “ReLOADED” which can be found Starks upcoming EP. Next month get ready to hear more MMG faves like Oddisee, folks like XO, Gods’illa, yU, Javier Starks, DJ Roddy Rod, Grap Luva and more that escape memory. Substizzle's Home Is Where The Art Is drops September 4 from the one and only Mello Music Group.

Jim Jarmusch & Jozef Van Wissem released the short-film/video for “The Sun of the Natural World is Pure Fire” directed by Diego Barrera off their first album Concerning the Entrance Into Eternity. The creative duo have also anounced their follow up LP titled The Mystery Of Heaven, coming November 13 from Sacred Bones, with more oscillations occurring between both the acoustic and electric.

From the Diamond District is your boy yU producing Danedra Rowell on the conscious cut “Dreams” available now on 7″ vinyl limited edition to 300 copies only available from the Mello Music Group. If this track doesn't make you drop to a knee and do a Tim Tebow, we don't know what will.

In celebration of 2:54 anouncing their October national tour with The xx they released theGeorgia Hudson directed video for “Sugar” with all the bright lights and neon illumination you could want. You can find 2:54′s self-titled debut album available now from Fat Possum.

Next up is LP covering the The Mars Volta's “The Widow” by ukulele as part of her “The Ukulele Sessions” series in LA with video direction by Claire Vogel. Check out LP's Into The Wild – Live At EastWest Studios now via iTunes.

Listen to the Zammuto remix of Lymbyc Systym's “Falling Together” with dripping bass synths that melt like the plastic on keyboards left out too long in the noon day sun. Catch them both touring together this fall while Lymbyc Systym's upcoming Symbolyst will be out September 18 on Western Vinyl.

Houston, TX’s Ashton Travis dropped this freestyle over an old school instrumental with a plug for his latest mixtape Good Vibes while we wait patiently for the release of Travis's upcoming Karma I.S.O. project.

Stephen Kalinich and Jon Tiven become their doppelgangers Jack #ashtag and Rev. Stevie Nobody as YO MA MA, and we got their video for “When I Leave My Body” animated by the spectacular David Masnato. We could geek out about both artists' creative back catalogues all day but we advise you keep your ears and antennas open for their upcoming double CD Shortcuts To Infinity/Symptomology dropping September 11 from MsMusic Productions.

We are counting the doomsday clock down to November 6 when Paw Tracks releases Prince Rama's much murmured about Top Ten Hits of the End of the World. Now you can help the psych-Krishna sisters Taraka and Nimai Larsona make a musical film entitled Prince Rama and the Scorpion Tornado directed by Astral Projects' Tony Lowe and Lily X. Wahrman. What better way to help start the apocalypse then with excellent sounds, sights, and psilocybin mantras.

Get active, get involved, and help our friends GANGI release the much wanted and long awaited gesture is. The LA duo are offering a series of wild fan exclusives for their support. Matt and Eric got everything from album giveaways, music mastering, and custom rack console treatments, as well as the coveted Amitābha Mantra Synth all from Office of Analogue and Digital.

And one last thing, join Vivian Girls and co and FREE PUSSY RIOT!