BLACKBIRD BLACKBIRD | Calypso

Feels like a slight change of direction for San Francisco’s Mikey Maramag, aka Blackbird Blackbird. Here’s a dark, new entrancing track called “Calypso”, with glittering electronic touches and a shadowy sense of foreboding. Not sure if Blackbird Blackbird has the Greek nymph of mythology in mind, but the song is mesmerizing in a way that would fit her famed story. – David D. Robbins Jr.

Blackbird Blackbird “Calypso”

ERASERS | Blackbird Blackbird

A LOOK AHEAD: Blackbird Blackbird unveiled “Erasers” today. It’s the first single from his sophomore follow-up to “Summer Hearts”. Blackbird Blackbird says the new record will be released sometime in 2011 and will be 10-12 songs and “more reminiscent of the sample-heavy, psychedelic and poppy songs of my days as Bye Bye Blackbird”. Until then, here’s the new single from one of the more prolific musicians around. – David D. Robbins Jr.

Blackbird Blackbird “Erasers”

WARPAINT REMIXED | Blackbird Blackbird

QUICK POST: Mikey S., aka Blackbird Blackbird, tried his hand at remixing the lead single, “Undertow”, off Warpaint’s latest record, “The Fool”. Check it out below. Note: Photography by Takayuki Okada from the band’s MySpace page. – David D. Robbins Jr.

Warpaint “Undertow” (Blackbird Blackbird Remix)

GROUP EFFORT | Collaborations

CAPTURING THE MOMENT: “Collaborations” is a project put together by a number of DIY artists and headed by the music blog Dead As Digital, with help from Stadiums and Shrines and The Road Goes Ever On. The musicians range from Los Angeles’ Rachel Levy (who has also collaborated with Blackbird Blackbird); New York’s Holy Spirits and Massachusetts’ Gem Club to Manchester, England’s Star Slinger and Texas’ Pandit. Artists began pairing off, or asking other musicians they admired if they wouldn’t mind joining forces to work on a track. The music will be released in tape format on October 1, 2010, but is available digitally for free. Those who pre-order one of the 100 limited-edition tapes will receive a download five days early and an exclusive track from Ghost Animal and Rachel Levy. You probably recognize a number of the artists from previous Their Bated Breath posts, including Holy Spirits, whose collaboration with Gem Club, you can hear below. This is the final track-listing: SIDE A: 1. Top Girls and Guerre  “Melt”; 2. Teen Daze and Jaded Hipster Choir “Low Glow”; 3. Weed and Foxes In Fiction “Teenage Dream”; 4. Closed Cassette and Top Girls “For Now”; 5. Ghost Animal and Rachel Levy “We Don’t Care”; 6. Ghost Houses “Ritual” SIDE B: 7. Holy Spirits and Gem Club “Fingertips”; 8. Seeing Suge (Star Slinger, Emay, Blackbird Blackbird) “Breaking”; 9. Pepepiano and Warm Waves “Air”; 10. Gay Boiz (Kumon Plaza and Rachel Levy) “High Level Alchemy”; 11. Star Slinger and Pandit “Self Love”. You can pre-order the cassettes here. – David D. Robbins Jr.

Holy Spirits and Gem Club “Fingertips”