"Tight Fog" a Mix of Mexican Summer Jams

Music mixes are more impersonal now that audio can be streamed anywhere and anytime, but Mexican Summer and Software records have put together a great summer-jam mix. Pretend it’s a mixed tape, and let the good times roll!

The “Tight Fog” sampler released earlier this week, gives a preview of the labels ambient, indie, indie pop to shoegaze line-up. The playlist includes earlier tunes from Real Estate and Tamaryn, and more recent releases from Autre Ne Veut and Lace Curtain. Mexican Summer, a Brooklyn-based label co-founded by New York City tastemaker Andres Santo Domingo, is best known for its indie music with limited-edition vinyl. Software’s music is described as electronic and noise. Mexican Summer and Software records are also sister labels to Kemado Records. 

The summer jams don’t end here. Arther Ashin, known to his fans as Autre Ne Veut, will be playing gigs in Europe at the beginning of August. You can catch him at the Stuck Festival in Salzberg, OFF Festival in Berlin, Way Out West Fest in Gothenburg, and Flow Festival in Helsinki.

Ashin was recently featured in Complex magazine giving a nod to his songs like “Suit And Tie,” “Blurred Lines,” or ‘Get Lucky.” Complex magazine ranked Autre Ne Veut’s Anxiety album as No. 4 on the list of Best Albums of 2013 (So Far).

Oneohtrix Point Never is also on the compilation. The artist behind OPN, Daniel Lopatin, recently had his music featured on the soundtrack of Sofia Coppola’s film The Bling Ring.

Listen to the “Tight Fog” Compilation here.

Mexican Summer Presents Awesome Lineup at Union Pool

Several Mexican Summer bands will be playing at
Brookyln hipster bar, Union Pool.
Image: Shutterstock

You can tease and disparage hipsters all you like – the thick rimmed glasses, the impossibly tight denim, the ironic facial hair and tendencies towards conformity within a supposedly nonconforming subculture – but you’ve got to admit, hipster hangouts are where it’s at.

Bars frequented by hipsters are alluring to that terribly hip demographic, as well as to practically anyone who wants to go out and have a good time. If you can get past the sea of beards and flannel, “hipster bars” have a lot to offer, and Brooklyn, New York (arguably the neighborhood where hipsterdom all began) has some seriously great nightlife destinations.

Take Union Pool on Union Avenue in Brooklyn. Sure, this Brooklyn staple attracts tons of hipsters, but with good reason, as it boasts a full bar, and a huge outdoor space complete with tons of seating and a fire pit. At Union Pool you’ll also find a taco truck that resides just beyond the bar’s patio, providing tasty Mexican food every night, sure to satisfy your hunger while you guzzle down cheap beers.

Oh, and did I mention that this bar is also one of Brooklyn’s best music venues? Union Pool features local and international bands, and supports the artist community right in Brooklyn, showcasing awesome live music every night. Summertime is one of the best times to catch a great show, with bands often setting up right in the outside area, and playing late into the hot New York night.

This month, the venue is hosting a seriously awesome lineup from Andres Santo Domingo's local label, Mexican Summer, featuring bands Quilt, Part Time, Happy Jawbone Family Band, and Travis Bretzer. The lineup promises harmonic, experimental jams from Quilt, dark and funky sounds from Part Time, indie-informed poppy tunes from Happy Jawbone, and lots of guitar pop from solo artist Travis Bretzer. This is a show that will unquestionably get you up and moving to the music of a slew of talented local bands.

Mexican Summer Presents  promises a lively, locally beloved lineup, so make sure not to miss out on a night of rubbing elbows with all those who are hip at Union Pool on July 13^th! 

Bling Ring Soundtrack Releases June 11

Sofia Coppola’s newest film, The Bling Ring, isn’t set to release until June 14^th, but the soundtrack comes out on the 11^th. And considering it’s packed with notable artists like Kanye, Frank Ocean, Lil Wayne, deadmau5, Phoenix, and more, it should be worth a listen.

Daniel Lopatin, who is also known as the “synth experimentalist” Oneohtrix Point Never, scored the film. He also worked alongside Brian Reitzell, who has worked with Sofia Coppola before and served as the film’s executive soundtrack producer and music supervisor. The end result of Lopatin’s and Reitzell’s collaboration is a diverse soundtrack full-up with rap, krautrock, and alternative music. Lopatin, AKA Oneohtrix Point Never, also has a featured song on the album, called “Ouroboros.”

Lopatin also helped found the new music label, “Software,” which is the third member of the Kemado family. Andres Santo Domingo and Tom Clapp founded Kemado in 2002, and just six years following that, sister label “Mexican Summer” was born. While Kemado focuses mainly on different styles of rock music, Mexican Summer is geared toward independent artists and releases digital and vinyl albums. Software will be for electronic music like digi-psych, Contemplative Dance Music, and “popular noise,” as Lopatin calls it.

The Bling Ring soundtrack isn’t the first time that Lopatin and Reitzell have worked together. Together, they produced music for the TV show, “Boss,” which starred Kelsey Grammar. Reitzell’s other projects include Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, Lost in Translation, and The Virgin Suicides.

The film is both written and directed by Sofia Coppola. It is based on the true story of a group of teenagers in Los Angeles who robbed the homes of celebrities, such as Paris Hilton, Orlando Bloom, and Lindsay Lohan. The teens stole millions’ worth of clothing, bags, jewelry, heirlooms, and more.

Mexican Summer Hits Up Brooklyn Flea Market

Independent New York music label Mexican Summer is enjoying the warm weather by setting up camp at the Brooklyn Flea Market. The label, whose parent company is Andres Santo Domingo and Tom Clapp’s Kemado Records, is part of a market featuring hundreds of local vendors selling their wares.

According to the New York Times, the Brooklyn Flea Market is “One of the great urban experiences in New York.” The year-round market (outdoors April-Thanksgiving, indoors Thanksgiving-March) features food vendors during the summer, an outdoor concert series, and much more.

Brooklyn Flea Market was founded in 2008 by Jonathan Butler (founder of Brownstoner.com) and Eric Denby. The two have operated it ever since. Not only does the market provide a venue for local independent businesses to sell their wares and therefore stimulates the local economy, but it is also known for having only the best. Mexican Summer Instagrammed a photo of their setup at Brooklyn Flea Market last week, the caption reading, “We're set up at the @bkflea record fair - open for biz at 11. Come see us!!”

Photo from Mexican Summer Instagram.

The independent music label was in the company of a multitude of other local vendor types, including arts/crafts, antiques/collectibles, vintage clothing, art, photography, food, jewelry, furniture/salvage, and many more. 

Brooklyn Flea Market has grown to include several locations in the five years since its inception. To are located in New York City, while one is in Philadelphia. Catch the next most convenient one to support local vendors like Mexican Summer:

Fort Greene Flea: 176 Lafayette Ave, Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Williamsburg Flea: East River State Park, Sundays 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Philly: The Piazza 1050 N. Hancock St., Philadelphia, Sunday 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. (Starting June 2)

Best Coast Talks Dad Rock at Co-Op 87

Best Coast has had a good three years. The band was formed by Bethany Cosentino and Bob Bruno just three years ago, and now the surf-pop/garage rock band is opening for acts like Green Day. The duo is currently on tour with Green Day for their rescheduled tour, and after that ends they’ll set off on their own for some smaller venue performances.

Signed on with Mexican Summer Records, it seemed appropriate when Best Coast were interviewed for Pitchfork.tv at Co-op 87, which was opened in 2009 by Andres Santo Domingo & Co.’s Kemado/Mexican Summer labels. It is one of Brooklyn’s top destinations for LP junkies, collectors, and music lovers.

In their interview with Pitchfork, Best Coast talked about what they call “dad rock” (AKA music your dad would rock out to). They went through some of their top dad rock bands, some of which they said had influenced their latest album. Leading lady Bethany Cosentino and her partner Bob Bruno flashed LPs from artists like The Doobie Brothers, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mack, Saturday Night Fever, America, The Beach Boys, and Bread.

Best Coast will be playing shows from New York to Los Angeles over the coming months, finishing up in early June. The tour will promote their 2012 The Only Place. As part of Record Store Day 2013, the band is also going to be releasing a new 7” on April 20^th that will feature two brand new recordings: “Fear of My Identity” and “Who Have I Become?”