You may have noticed, Bibio’s “Lovers’ Carvings” is playing on a Kindle ad these days. It’s a rare find, songs like this one, born of Pure Pop; a nature’s giving, not an act of brilliance, one note longing for the next, resolving finally into a whole existence: a line of melody so complete that it refuses to deviate into any other variation. As such, the song must be short, and care must be taken to not beat it to a death of exhaustion from familiarity. For an artist like Bibio, you can be sure that you’ll find his real work elsewhere, in albums that aren’t so fit for commercials. But for “Lovers’ Carvings”, he’s its discoverer, and he’s taken good care of it.

Buy the album, Ambivalence Avenue.

Download “Lovers’ Carvings” by Bibio

Tony Castles are runaway kings of first-impression love affairs: they ride around on their dark horses with forlorn eyes, prompting women and men alike everywhere to drop on their knees and swoon. That was pretty much the story unfolding in my universe when I first saw them in Austin earlier this year. They sounded like top grade high school prom music for emotionally mature adults, which may offer nothing to stiffened hearts, but not us (you and I)—we are suckers for top grade prom music, obviously. I’m listening to the first single, “Black Girls in Dresses” and dropping all guards against music that’s infectious on the first listen. I mean, boyish lust for black girls in dresses? Sure, I’ll take that.

“Black Girls in Dresses” is off their five-song No Service EP, their first proper release coming out on Famous Class Records on Sept 21.

Download “Black Girls in Dresses”