Black Marble is Ty Kube and Chris Stewart, who produce somewhat minimalist synth music. With a synth drum beat, a synth melody, and deep, dark vocals, “Pretender” is a song that is one part Joy Division, one part Craft Spells, and one part its own thing.
The song can be found on the band’s new EP via Hardly Art. It’s called Weight Against The Door and it’s out digitally now and on vinyl Valentine’s Day.
Download: “Pretender” by Black Marble.
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Gem Club has now released their debut LP, Breakers. On it is the song “Twins” and the band has given it video treatment. Featuring Eva Perrotta and Michael Pope, this music video is just as haunting as the minimalist music Gem Club creates.

I am a huge Carissa’s Wierd fan. If you are too, you know exactly what I’m talking about — the die-hard fan gets a little extra out of the music, hears a little bit more, and has a deeper, seemingly one-on-one experience with it. New music, for a band that parted ways several years past, is enough to bring tears to your eyes. “Tucson” b/w “Meredith & Iris” is such material and Hardly Art has made the latter from the single available for stream.

Hardly Art is carving a unique niche in the bands they choose to release. While each band has its own distinctive style, three primary types exist. A garage-y pop and punk sound, a folk one, and one most commonly likened to the bedroom. Gem Club fits the last, with beautiful, mystical piano pop. They are the latest to sign to Hardly Art.

Get ready to dub Hardly Art label of the year. They’ve already given us plenty to enjoy, and the second half of 2011 promises to be just as stunning. Take their latest signing as an example. The band is Shimmering Stars, originally out of Vancouver B.C.
Filled with a dark, thick reverb and super catchy dream pop, Shimmering Stars’ first single “I’m Gonna Try” hints of the pop music of the early 60s, thrust forward to clash with the lo-fi pop of today. The song …

The name Grant Olsen may not ring a bell, but mention Arthur of Arthur & Yu, and that may turn on a light or two. If you’re like me, you’ve been wondering where that band went – after all, they were the honored first release from Hardly Art. The answer is I don’t know. But the good news is that we now have Gold Leaves, which is Olsen’s (aka Arthur’s) new project.

Seapony is fronted by Jen Weidl on vocals with songs written by guitarist Danny Rowland and rhythm split between bassist Ian Brewer and an Alesis HR-16 vintage synth for the drum beat. Together, they have created Go With Me, featuring highly lovable songs, most under three minutes.

Hunx And His Punx clashes the 50s style girl group doo-wop pop with punk rock in the first song off their recent LP, Too Young To Be In Love. “Lovers Lane” is definitely influenced by classic teenage tragedy songs like Jan And Dean’s “Dead Man’s Curve” and Wayne Cochran’s “Last Kiss” and even The Shangri-Las “Leader Of The Pack”.

In the first few moments of Fergus & Geronimo‘s “Where The Walls Are Made Of Grass”, we’re treated to a jazzy percussion and a cool, laid back upright bass line. This is the basis for the music Fergus & Geronimo create, blending genres in a most unique way. Rounding out the sound are odd vocal harmonies, folk-pop guitar hooks, and traces of an alto saxophone. Combined, they make up one of the most refreshing sounds we’ve heard in quite a while.

Just in time for Halloween comes La Sera‘s video for “Never Come Around.” The song finds Katy Goodman (formerly of Vivian Girls) enacting a massacre Dexter style, but without the vigilante-ism and with an eerie complacency. The video comes from the mind of Brady Hall, who also directed two for Vivian Girls — “When I’m Gone” and “Moped Girls.” This terrifying display of gruesomeness begs the question: why don’t more horror movies have pop soundtracks? If they did, the result would be much creepier and horrific …