What, was this track delivered in a time capsule straight from the 60s? The duo Broken Bells (featuring Danger Mouse and James Mercer of The Shins [neither of whom can do any wrong in my opinion]) released this track off of their forthcoming album for free on their website earlier this week. In all honesty, after hearing of this collaboration, I was expecting a little bit of an electro-pop explosion. That’s certainly not what I received, but I’m not disappointed in the least. This song is clean and simple, and the beat contains a hint of funkiness. It’s low-key and positively delightful, and I can’t wait to hear what else they’ve dreamed up. Oh, and Merry Christmas! (if that’s your thing…)

Broken Bells – The High Road

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Merry Christmas from Dipped in Dollars! No Christmas is complete without Santa Claus conquering some Martians. Hope you’ve been enjoying the Holidays as much as we have.

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So I’m new to El Perro Del Mar, and I don’t know how she slipped by me. She’s been cropping up on several peoples Best of 2009 lists for her album “Love is not Pop”, so it seemed about time that I paid attention. This Swedish chanteuse with a spanish name will slowly steal your heart. According to allmusic, “the name El Perro del Mar came to her during an ill-fated vacation in Spain; she was alone, depressed, and out of sorts when a stray dog came up to her while she sat on the beach, and the dog’s efforts to bond with her inspired her to express her feelings through songwriting.” I wouldn’t say that she’s blowing my mind, as nothing she’s doing is exactly groundbreaking, but her music is beautiful in a quiet seductive way that can’t be denied. I was first drawn in by the simplicity of “Let Me In” and stopped in my tracks by the gorgeousness that is “Heavenly Arms”. Heartbreaking and melancholic, minus the contemporary production, these could easily be songs from another time. These are love songs, first and foremost, and should not be mistaken for trying to be anything else. Some of the tracks on the album were a bit too somber for my tastes, but the majority is perfect for quiet winter nights such as these.
El Perro Del Mar – Heavenly Arms
El Perro Del Mar – Let Me In
El Perro Del Mar – Let Me In (Nhessingtons remix)

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I didn’t know too much about Daedelus a few months ago, but his feature in Bleep‘s North/South/East/West alongside other D.I.D. favorites Hudson Mohawke and Flying Lotus sparked my interest. Daedelus is another exceptional dubstep artist from L.A. who’s been able to set himself apart by weaving Bibio-esque samples with deep beats. You can definitely tell he’s had some classical training. He’s also collaborated on one of the best Low End Theory podcasts I’ve heard in a long time. Check out his video for L.A. Nocturn (Smashing Pumpkins samples?). He actually programmed his monome with Max/MSP to create some viscous sounds. Bonus terrifying Little Boots remix.

Daedelus – LA Nocturn

Daedelus ft. MF Doom – Impending Doom

Little Boots – Earthquake (Daedelus Remix)

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