Grovesnor, aka Rob Smoughton, aka Hot Chip’s drummer, will be releasing his debut album, Soft Return, on May 25 via Lo Recordings. Apparently he’s performed plenty solo electro pop in the past throughout the UK, but since I’m scared of other cultures this is the first I’m hearing of his solo efforts. Although, is it fair to even call them “efforts” when it sounds like he barely shed a bead of sweat making the music?

The first single, “Taxi From The Airport” (here’s where I’m gonna get all word crazy on you –>) *effortlessly* blends together its own take on modern electro/synth with piano pop from the golden olden days and gospel oooh ahhh harmonies from somewhere else entirely. It all sounds so smooth – it’s not necessarily the type of backbreaking dance song you’d get up and shake your hips off to, but its got all the elements for a skip down the street, if you know what I mean. Do you? Whatever, listen below.

Grovesnor – “Taxi From The Airport” [MP3]

Grovesnor on MySpace | Photo courtesy of Grovesnor’s MySpace

Lee is an author and co-founder of the popular music blog, Knox Road. You can find more of his work at http://www.knoxroad.com/. This post is syndicated and slightly modified from the original content here.

Lee Levin

Appropriate name much? The electroacoustic trio, Color of Clouds, hail from Brooklyn and were actually referred to me by my blog Knox Road’s friend and favorite, Ivana XL (thank you Ivana!) Fronted by the crisp vocals of Kelli Scarr, along with the backing duo of Dan Chen and Nate Greenberg, Color of Clouds brings us a bit of magic in every way possible.

You ever play Candyland as a kid? Well imagine you’ve been placed into that lovely world of Candyland (the good parts of course, where like, you get to move forward – I think that’s how it works?) and you need to choose some music to accompany your travels. The Postal Service? Maybe. Feist? Maybe. But what about a mix of the two? Ah, impossible you say! I say not. Color of Clouds would be my choice – and after listening to them, I think you’ll see why. Oh so sugary.

But on a more serious note, Color of Clouds’ songs are co-written by Scarr and Chen, and Chen just finished co-writing several tracks for Nicole Atkins’ next record on Columbia Records, and is producing & co-writing a new EP with Ivana XL. So they’ve certainly got talent on their hands. Also, one of my favorite tracks of theirs, “The Look,” was featured on One Tree Hill a couple weeks back. Anyone watch that show? (I’ll reserve judgment simply because they have great music.) Recognize the song? Apparently it was used for a solid three minutes – which is saying something.

Go ahead and grab some free mp3s over at my blog, Knox Road. If you enjoy, go ahead and purchase their debut EP, The Look, which dropped three days ago (May 11,) on iTunes or Amazon.

Color of Clouds on MySpace

Lee is an author and co-founder of the popular music blog, Knox Road. You can find more of his work at http://www.knoxroad.com/

Image courtesy of Color of Clouds’ MySpace