Moscow-born, Alaska-grown Olga Bell has spent the past three years methodically transforming herself from conservatory-trained classical pianist into anything-goes electro-pop omnivore. The six songs on BELL’s self-released 2008 EP garnered accolades and atta-girls from, among others, Pitchfork (“at once ethereal and firmly emotional”), SPIN, Gorilla vs. Bear, NYLON, MetroPop, Paste and Stereogum (“windswept and ambitious…intensely personalized and spare”); the limited-run pressing is nearly out of print.
With this hand-numbered 7″/digital single, twosyllable and BELL invite you to don your cushiest sneakers and romp all the way back to hypercolor, friendship bracelets and epic birthdays. Created and recorded entirely by the band (now a trio, with percussionist/fellow beat-spelunkers Jason Nazary and Gunnar Olsen), the maximalist delirium of “MAGIC TAPE” is celebratory music for hard times—-skittish, bumpy half-time verses (smacking slightly of Timbaland’s early work with Aaliyah) shimmy, simmer and eventually set off a confetti mushroom-cloud floor-slammer of a chorus, with 808 bass and heroic keytar designed to eradicate personal anxiety and (by proxy) economic strife.
BELL
Mar 2 La Sala Rossa – Montreal, QC *
Mar 3 El Mocambo – Toronto, ON *
Mar 4 The Pike Room at Crofoot Ballroom – Pontiac, MI *
Mar 5 Empty Bottle – Chicago, IL *
Mar 6 Illinois Wesleyan U.-Young – Bloomington, IL *
Mar 7 7th Street Entry – Minneapolis, MN *
Mar 10 Chop Suey – Seattle, WA *
Mar 11 Doug Fir Lounge – Portland, OR *
Mar 13 The Independent – San Francisco, CA *
Mar 14 Troubador – Los Angeles, CA *
Mar 15 The Casbah – San Diego, CA *
Mar 16 Detroit Bar – Costa Mesa, CA *
Mar 18 Club De Ville (Brooklyn Vegan SXSW Showcase) Austin, TX
Mar 19 Scholz Garden (twosyllable / I Guess I’m Floating SXSW party) – Austin, TX
Mar 23 Bloomington, IN – Cinemat #
Apr 25 Washington, DC – Rock ‘n Roll Hotel %
Apr 26 Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church %
Apr 27 New York, NY – Mercury Lounge %
Apr 28 Brooklyn, NY – Monkeytown %
Apr 30 Boston, MA – TT The Bears
* = w/ Asobi Seksu
# = w/ Lemonade
% = w/ Bowerbirds
BELL
Magic Tape
(twosyllable)
Street date: Mar. 24, 2009
A: Magic Tape
B: Housefire 2.0
BELL LINKS:
MySpace – www.myspace.com/whoisbell
Label Page – twosyllablerecords.com