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Alex Brettin Mac Demarco

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Mild High Club's music is exactly what you'd expect from such a suggestive band name – catchy and effortlessly cool. Chicago native Alex Brettin, the man behind the moniker and the music, specializes in psychedelic pop in all its fuzzy glory, with groovy synths and lo-fi goodness.

  1. Alex Brettin Mac Demarco Latest
  2. Alex Brettin Mac Demarco Photo

He is like a tamer Mac DeMarco – an unavoidable comparison that hits you from the first sound of his cheery vocals, slinky guitar riffs and playful reverberations. Yet there's so much uncharted territory that Brettin reaches to explore, seen in the progression from his hazy 2015 debut Timeline, to the more embellished Skiptracing, a full-bodied work that delivers a cleaner, more controlled sound.

The seemingly freewheeling artist studied music at university – songs such as ‘Tesselation' and ‘Head Out' are not shy in showcasing Brettin's formal music background – and he initially saw himself becoming a teacher. 'I didn't have a clue what I wanted to do. I just knew I had a knack for jazz and could play a little guitar,' he says.

Alex Brettin's project gets compared to Mac Demarco a lot, and that's fair given the fact he toured with the guy, as Benjamin Scheim notes in his review of the album Skiptracing on Pitchfork. Mac DeMarco is a generational talent. While he specializes in writing touching songs and keeping his audience members on their feet (as evident from an unexpected encore cover of Metallica's ' Enter Sandman '), the indie artist's true strength is rooted in unbridled individuality.

Brettin's appreciation for the genre can be traced back to high school, when he saw a band by the name of Blue Funk Infidelity. 'The guitarist was playing all sorts of chords, scales and riffs and it absolutely floored me. I went to my guitar teacher and said ‘I'd like to learn some jazz!''

Brettin credits more of his early music inspiration to his very first record, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which should come as no surprise to anyone who has heard his mellow hit ‘Homage,' echoing the Beatles' sunny charm. He often finds himself looking to the past, crediting the idea as a major theme in his first release. 'For Timeline, it's a nostalgia for the days before smart phones, social media, [the] information overload,' Brettin says.

Tracks like ‘Undeniable' and ‘Rollercoaster Baby' ooze '60s surf and '70s glam rock vibes, with subtle nods to bands like The Beach Boys and T. Rex. Even while romanticizing the past, Brettin is open-minded about what the future might bring. 'I think I look both ways for inspiration.. I never write anything off because of its place in time.'

Alex Brettin Mac Demarco


Courtesy of promoter

While the first album saw him take a solo approach, Skiptracing came to fruition with a concrete cast of bandmates. Both processes work for Brettin: 'Working alone allows me to focus on exactly what I'm trying to extrapolate, whereas collaborating opens the work to new ideas and paths that I might not find on my own.' In fact, one of those paths led him to release a collaborative record with psych-rock heroes King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard called Sketches of Brunswick East in 2017.

'I think I look both ways for inspiration.. I never write anything off because of its place in time'

Mild High Club's shows in Shenzhen, Shanghai and Beijing this month mark his China debut. Though the energy of every show differs from city to city, some peaceful swaying can definitely be anticipated by fans, Brettin says. Download revit for mac.

During his visit to each city, he's eager to discover the architecture and local music scene. After touring, Brettin is looking forward to coming back to his girlfriend and home in Los Angeles, and – of course – 'grinding away at another record.'

[Cover image courtesy of promoter]

Shenzhen:Wed Sep 12, 8.30pm; RMB160 (presale), RMB200 (door); Hou Live, see event listing.
Shanghai: Thu Sep 13, 8.30pm; RMB180; Yuyintang Livehouse, see event listing.
Beijing: Fri Sep 14, 9pm; RMB160 (presale), RMB200 (door); Omni Space, see event listing.Buy tickets here.

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Alex brettin mac demarco latest


Courtesy of promoter

While the first album saw him take a solo approach, Skiptracing came to fruition with a concrete cast of bandmates. Both processes work for Brettin: 'Working alone allows me to focus on exactly what I'm trying to extrapolate, whereas collaborating opens the work to new ideas and paths that I might not find on my own.' In fact, one of those paths led him to release a collaborative record with psych-rock heroes King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard called Sketches of Brunswick East in 2017.

'I think I look both ways for inspiration.. I never write anything off because of its place in time'

Mild High Club's shows in Shenzhen, Shanghai and Beijing this month mark his China debut. Though the energy of every show differs from city to city, some peaceful swaying can definitely be anticipated by fans, Brettin says. Download revit for mac.

During his visit to each city, he's eager to discover the architecture and local music scene. After touring, Brettin is looking forward to coming back to his girlfriend and home in Los Angeles, and – of course – 'grinding away at another record.'

[Cover image courtesy of promoter]

Shenzhen:Wed Sep 12, 8.30pm; RMB160 (presale), RMB200 (door); Hou Live, see event listing.
Shanghai: Thu Sep 13, 8.30pm; RMB180; Yuyintang Livehouse, see event listing.
Beijing: Fri Sep 14, 9pm; RMB160 (presale), RMB200 (door); Omni Space, see event listing.Buy tickets here.

more news

Conflicting Tides: Digital Streaming and Live Music in China

Consumption of digital music in China is growing rapidly. But does this growth come at a loss for the live music industry?

PHOTOS: Yuyintang Live Music Awards 2019

Storied Shanghai live music venue Yuyintang celebrated its 15th anniversary in January with its first-ever live music awards ceremony.

Live Beijing Music Founder Will Griffith is Bidding Beijing Adieu

Will Griffith has been at the forefront of documenting the weird and wonderful underground music scenes in Beijing for the better part of the past decade.

World Music Fans Rejoice! Tickets for 1862 Live Are on Sale Now

Beijing-based promoter Stallion Era is bringing three excellent acts to 1862 Theater in September for one weekend of world music.

The 5 Best Live Music Shows in Shanghai This Week

Jazz, Japanese screamo and SLASH. Can i use snapchat on my mac. App locker mac.

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Alex Brettin Mac Demarco Latest

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Makeout Videotape continued to perform locally and regionally as well as release new songs both digitally and physically throughout the next few years. DeMarco also began assembling a bevy of strangely psychedelic videos during this time, all baffling, and some even pertaining to the band. In an abrupt switch-up, he moved to Montreal in 2011, dropping the band in favor of a solo career. In early 2012 he signed to the Brooklyn indie label Captured Tracks, and shortly thereafter released his debut mini-album, Rock and Roll Night Club, under his own name. While not completely divorced from the jangly, glazed-over pop of Makeout Videotape, the new set of songs had a darker tone, and vague themes of androgyny and late-night loneliness shared space on the set list with goofy Ween-like moments. Mere months after the four-track-recorded Rock and Roll Night Club, the more cohesive and adult follow-up 2 appeared. Critics and music lovers alike took to DeMarco's sound, and he spent much of the following year on tour and in performance before releasing his next album, Salad Days, in the spring of 2014.




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