Both long and short time readers of The Burning Ear know I love me some Pompeya. These Russians make the best beach music this side of the arctic circle. And they are bringing their warm vibes here to chilly (kinda) Los Angeles for 5 FREE shows in March. I’m proud to present the 1st of those shows next week at Highland Parks awesome new venue The Hi-Hat.
They will kick off their March LA residency next week for the following dates/venues:
Mon, March 7 @ Hi Hat (FREE!)
Mon, March 14 @ Resident
Fri, March 18 @ Origami Vinyl (acoustic set)
Wed, March 23 @ Sofar Sounds
Mon, March 28 @ Satellite
Russian pop/funk outfit Pompeya released their latest album Real last year and have been touring since with critical support from NPR, Stereogum, SPIN, Paste, Interview Mag, etc. Read more
https://www.theburningear.com/media/2016/03/POMPEYA_MARCH16RES_MAIN.jpg1224792Brandonhttps://www.theburningear.com/media/2015/03/TBE-Header-Logo-2015-stack1.pngBrandon2016-03-01 17:34:512016-03-01 17:35:10[LIVE] TBE Presents POMPEYA @ The Hi-Hat March 7th
Longtime TBE readers will remember the TBE Digest and its periodic roundup of jams that are ear-worthy but don’t necessarily need a whole post. I’d really like to focus posts on introducing new bands to you all but there are a lot of great jams by bands I’ve talked about enough already. I’ll compile them here! Blah, blah, blah, get to the music!
What did I miss!?
Pompeya – “Night”
Mmm, yeah. Such damn good summery grooves
Twin Shadow – “To The Top”
What a huge anthem!
The Swiss – “Antiquities”
All kinds of digital dreaminess! Ride it!
Memoir – “Minimum Wage (The Heist)”
Great new one from Memoir!
Madi Diaz – “Stay Together”
Oohh yeah! Finally released and sounding fantastic!
Brandonhttps://www.theburningear.com/media/2015/03/TBE-Header-Logo-2015-stack1.pngBrandon2014-05-13 16:51:212014-05-13 16:51:21New Jam Digest 5.13.2014
Get to know my favorite Russian tropical indie band Pompeya before they play The Spare Room tonight with Beginners! Its their last show in LA so we are going to celebrate their tour, SXSW, and most importantly the awesome piece of art they made for me…
TBE: Where are you right now? Paint us a visual picture!
(They painted a literal picture! Awesome!)
Pompeya:Â LA is busy. There is a lot of commotion, it’s very bright. But it is also inspiring, and we enjoy working here. Unless we are stuck in traffic. Well actually, traffic is fine because there is KCRW.
How would you describe your music to my grandma?
Melodramatic popular music.
How was your recent experience at SXSW?
There definitely was a lot to learn from this experience. The shows are very quick, no time for sound check, and the venues were not that nice all the time. A lot of stress, but also a lot of opportunity. For the first time – we feel good!
What is the best AND worst compliment your music has received?
The best is when people from unexpected demographics love our music. Something like “My daugheter is only 4 years old, and her favorite bands are Depeche Mode and Pompeya” or “My parents like Pompeya, and usually hate everything I listen to.” The worst compliment? Probably when people try to put inappropriate tags like “chill wave” with our music. These are very specific and we feel our music is of much broader influences and tastes than just one sub-genre that was popular for two years.
What is your proudest moment as a band so far?
It is still being here as the band — making a band, being in a band. Every step we reach, every new height, every new adventure, reminds us why we do this.
What is your next big dream or milestone as a band?
There are no dreams, only plans!
What is your dream collaboration?
We would like to collaborate with Bryan Ferry of Roxy Music.
What other bands are you guys listening too in the tour bus/van/boat right now?
We’re listening to the radio! On the road from Phoenix to LA we found a really nice station on Sirius XM – 1st Wave. They play cool 80’s like Duran Duran, Roxy Music, etc. This is our favorite type of music.
What is your favorite food/snack when touring?
Thai and steaks here in U.S. We are really miss the Russian food! We miss borsch!
What can we expect from your upcoming EP?
You can expect 4 new songs! Well, actually 3 (“Satellite” you’ve heard already). Generally, the sound is fresh, but still the Pompeya the fans know. It’s a nice introduction of what to expect from the LP, too.
Brandonhttps://www.theburningear.com/media/2015/03/TBE-Header-Logo-2015-stack1.pngBrandon2014-04-10 12:57:262014-04-10 15:04:32[INTERVIEW] Pomepya talk about SXSW, Compliments, Satellite radio, and make an awesome picture for TBE!
Anybody that was reading The Burning Ear back in 2011 knows how muchI love Moscow’s Pompeya so it’s no surprise that I’m beyond excited to host them this Thursday at The Spare Room. These guys are finally starting to get the love they deserve and their live set is full of all the big bass grooves and tropical touches that we all love.
We also have Los Angeles newcomers Beginners playing! This EP is so solid and catchy I would make sure you come see them now before they blow up big time.I’ll definitely be singing along up front!
And finally, Los Angeles producer Adam Johan will be spinning between sets and after. Adam caught my ear big time with his Banks remix and between sneaking it into every one of my DJ sets I’ve been getting into his originals as well. Some serious talent here so really looking forward to his sets.
https://www.theburningear.com/media/2014/04/LMS-APR-3rd-EDIT.jpeg9241000Brandonhttps://www.theburningear.com/media/2015/03/TBE-Header-Logo-2015-stack1.pngBrandon2014-04-08 12:34:292015-08-04 22:22:49[PARTY] Pompeya + Beginners + Adam Johan @ The Spare Room 3/10
I still remember sitting in my apartment in Warsaw, Poland, and getting an email from Russian band Pompeya about their music. That Cheenese EP quickly turned into one of my favorites of 2011, only to be eventually overshadowed by their full LP Tropical. There is something magical and effortless about their style and groove. Indie rock without too much rock. Beach music without the sunburn.
To my great pleasure, they are finally getting the love they deserve here in the states. Tropical got a proper US release last year. A full remix album followed in January. And now their new EP Night is coming soon and “Satellite” is the first taste. It’s soothing, danceable, and I can’t get enough of that flute.
Catch Pompeya at SXSW in Austin next week and then touring the rest of the states through April.
3/13 // No Shame Showcase @ The Blind Pig (5:00pm set)
3/13 // Bond Music Group Showcase @ Karma (9:25pm set)
3/15 // Kodex Showcase @ Speakeasy Kabaret (10:00pm set)
3/20 // Los Angeles, CA @ Los Globos
3/26 // Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
4/2 // Seattle, WA @ Barboza
4/5 // Pomona, CA @ Acerogami
4/6 // San Francisco, CA @ Brick & Mortar
4/7 // Los Angeles, CA @ Bardot
4/13 // Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
4/15 // Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree
4/16 // Atlanta, GA @ 529 Club
4/17 // Indianapolis, IN @ Do317 Lounge
4/18 // Nashville, TN @ The End
4/19 // St. Louis, MO @ Firebird
4/22 // Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
4/23 // Toronto, Canada @ The Drake Hotel
4/24 // Montreal, Canada @ Cabaret Underworld
4/25 // New York, NY @ DROM
Pompeya is still one of the most criminally underrated bands around and just cause they are from Russia doesn’t make that any more OK. The Internet, people! Illuminated Faces know what’s up and did a chilled out little remix number on Tropical highlight “90.” Perfect for calming my nerves after a little Pompeya rant.
Brandon’s TBE Digest is a place where I gather up all the recent jams that are worth a listen (or 10) but don’t necessarily need their own post. Here you will find new tracks by known bands, remixes, covers, and even mashups if they are interesting. My favorites of the lot are in bold.
It’s a big one folks. Proceed with caution (and good speakers). Also note the new Digest logo that will be here to stay. Enough of that little weird cartoon guy we had for so long, amiright!? Cheers to new beginnings! And new jams!
For more jams by any of these artists use the ‘tags’ links at the bottom of the post!
NEW RELEVENT JAMS
♫ Toro y Moi – All Alone / Toro y Moi continue their Digest domination with this great jam off their new EP Freaking Out.
If an album is dropped in the woods and nobody is around to hear it then can it make a best of list? Yes. Of course. Especially if that album is released by one of my favorite Russian indie-tropical bands (refresh your Pompeya memory here). Why Pompeya’s debut album was self-released under minimal fanfare is a heartbreaking mystery as I think these guys have more talent going on than most of the chillwave poster-bands getting attention these days. Bendy funk beats slid between handclaps and far out guitars create a sonic world that wraps around my ears, transporting me to another dimension.
I’ve been spinning this album for a looong while now but was having the hardest time honing in on a song to highlight because every time I pressed play on the awesome opening track “Slaver” I basically dipped out of this reality until my iTunes finally went silent and I was rudely woken back up. The 9 tracks and 45 minutes of music passing like one perfect mixtape, seamless in it’s flow and rhythm. But enough of me whining about picking favorites! I’ve gone with the title track here because title tracks are usually cool, this one being no exception. Starting off with a little 80s radio jam soft guitar noodling we are quickly swept into full synth and magic mode. The only reason this track didn’t make it in my Tropical Assault mix is because it is already its own tropical assault mix.
Pompeya were kind enough to hook TBE up with an unreleased hidden track that they planned on releasing but couldn’t fit into the sequencing for Tropical. And fair enough, “Lazy” would have been too mellow and taken away from the medium pace aural safari that they settled on. On its own, however, its a nice little slice of midnight in garden of Pompeya funk.
Other Tropical highlighs obviously include the album versions of “Untitled” and “Cheneese” as well as new jams “Slaver” amd “90” and “Baby (Dady)” and and and…. the list goes on. Grab the album for free at their Soundcloud and then tell everyone you care about to do the same.
