CS Premiere | Symbols of the West — Spirit Canoe (Tender Buttons Remix)

We don’t like to be too biased toward local acts, but when we hear something truly marvelous we have no choice but to represent our roots! The latest batch of San Francisco magic comes from dream-pop duo Symbols of the West, whose terrific debut LP A Thousand Lights dropped back in February for indie label Rock Shock It! Records. While the vibe of their standout single Spirit Canoe lands somewhere between The Postal Service and Peaking Lights, it was actually the remix by newcomer Tender Buttons that caught our attention, who has reinterpreted the track into a pseudo-tribal and totally hypnotic journey that was seemingly designed for night walks through empty cities. Heavy distortion and patient bass guide the duo’s interweaving vocals, as an air of disorientation shifts midway through the track’s eight minutes to deliver a very organic and uplifting celebration. Tender Buttons also does a killer job of repurposing the original’s snappy percussion hits and guitar plucks, which come through to guide the chugging beat out of otherwise shadowy terrain. Be sure to check out the remainder of the remix package, as well as the video for Spirit Canoe, a tribute to the group’s native Montana and a triumph in it’s own right!

Buy the track on iTunes.

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