Introducing: NewVillager

NewVillager has been making a rumble amongst bloggers with what they have termed their ‘art collective.’ To make things easier on us we’ll call them a band, and it comprises of pair, Ben Bromley and Ross Simonini, with art direction from Ben Dickinson (LCD Soundsystem, the Rapture, Q-tip), along with dozens of others that are called upon when needed for installations or performances pieces the two do around Brooklyn as part of their live shows. The music is pop-y, playful, heartfelt, but with a little New York creep to bring it out of silly and into good tunes.

The pair split their time between San Francisco and Brooklyn, and the two locations show up in their music. There is a sunshine quality that gets you jumping around and smiling, but with lyrics, ‘Time to understand your place with trees and buildings, where the time to dream is almost over’ can’t be anything but a reference to that big city in the east.  They’ve stated that they weave mythology through their art and music and with videos like the one accompanying the single, it appears they do live up to the claim, even if we can’t catch most of it. The video is sort of a collection of short introductions to different characters, as if NewVillager had a fancy dress party where they asked all their friends to make up a mythical alter-ego and then put them all to film.

Their debut, self-titled album will be coming out later in June on IAMSOUND records, and with plans for a book release, art shows, and installations across the States, it seems that NewVillager has no plans for slowing down. This is some feel good music that has enough weirdness to it to help it come off as arty rather than a guilty pleasure.