Happy Lives

Happy Lives - the rather unpredictable indie pop duo who recently relocated from Brooklyn to LA - are back. and this time they're trying an "alt soul" hat on for size. Having done their own spin on Beck-era "caucasian rap" a year ago," on "Sick Love," the two return with their usual appraoch of stripping down songs to their core and then adding in elements from other genres (synth-pop on this track). The result is a rather convincing song about break-ups that, despite its minimalist arrangements and simple back-up vocals, feels filled to the brim with emotion. With their outright refusal to stick to a consistent genre, it's honestly hard to tell with these dudes whether they're taking their craft seriously or simply just trying to have a good time, however, with the consistency of their recent releases it's easy to keep any skepticism at bay — for now. — Henry Solotaroff-Webber - The Deli Magazine

The alt-rock that is crafted by Happy Lives during their Sick Love link together acts like Weezer and Cake, adding a sick bass line and a certain funk that works masterfully with the song’s wry vocals. Punctual, perfectly produced, and polished, Sick Love is something that deserves high rotation on alternative stations. The track may only occupy four minutes, but there is a surprising depth here that few artists would be able to muster in a space of time twice that. Happy Lives make for something beautiful, musically intricate, and catchy. Here’s to hoping they can continue to create this special sort of soul. - NeuFutur

German radio - ByteFM

https://soundcloud.com/happylives/sick-love

Opening with a heavy bass line and a relaxed hip hop beat, “Sick Love” cuts straight to the chase, addressing a tumultuous relationship that struggles to make sense out of the bedroom. We watch a lighthearted fling contort and evolve as feelings develop and power dynamics shift. Singer, Mike Lande’s voice catches glimpses of it all: “Every time I come over I have a blast… I move the mirror you wanna see / no it ain’t like that she ain’t looking at me” to “you keep me on the backside like I’m the eager one…” and finally “it’s too hard sleeping without you.” Lande’s provocative lyrics and harmonies are paired with a deep bass line that echoes the magnetism of D'Angelo. When asked, Lande comments, “The characters aren’t assholes. They try to play it cool and stay in the moment, but develop feelings and act out.”

Lande’s Happy Lives moniker was inspired by the Todd Solonz film, Happiness. This is perhaps the key in understanding his artistic perspective. Similar to the intensity of the Solonz film, Happy Lives is willing to approach any subject matter, regardless of how risqué it may be. Lande describes his sound as pop music written by punks. However, it is his dynamic blending of everything from hip-hop to EDM to Lo-Fi grunge that drops jaws and raises eyebrows. The lively energy of the single, “Wanna Go Dance” caught the attention of bloggers like BlahBlahBlah Science and Earmilk who described the music as “artfully made and addicting.” Happy Lives has played extensively throughout New York City, showcasing at CMJ and touring through NXNE and SXSW.

Happy Lives has made a mark in the indie music scene with Lande’s stunning live vocal performance and the band’s unique sound. “Sick Love” is the first single off his upcoming EP, due out this summer. Follow the radical and experimental adventures of Happy Lives at www.happyliv.es and download “Sick Love” from your favorite digital retailer. - Purple Melon

Tonight Pop Art Painter Jamie Roxx (www.JamieRoxx.us) welcomes Happy Lives .. Neo Pop .. to the show! - Jamie Roxx's Pop Roxx Radio

Check out Happy Lives performing and Ryan's Top 10 worst cities in California on this episode of Late Nite Music Club! - The Amped Blog

LA’s Happy Lives dropped the single “Sick Love” that breaks down the good, the bad, the carnal, & more in an introspective track about feelings, impulses, attractions, and all the invisible bonds of connections that bring two people together, in perpetual questions of “who needs who more?” - Impose

Experimental pop act, Happy Lives, released his latest single, “Sick Love,” a sexually charged track relating ambiguity in infatuation. Stuck in the gray area between love and lust, the song is a seductive jam that is now available everywhere digitally. Opening with a heavy bass line and a relaxed hip hop beat, “Sick Love” cuts straight to the chase, addressing a tumultuous relationship that struggles to make sense out of the bedroom. We watch a lighthearted fling contort and evolve as feelings develop and power dynamics shift. Singer, Mike Lande’s voice catches glimpses of it all: “Every time I come over I have a blast… I move the mirror you wanna see / no it ain’t like that she ain’t looking at me” to “you keep me on the backside like I’m the eager one…” and finally “it’s too hard sleeping without you.” Lande’s provocative lyrics and harmonies are paired with a deep bass line that echoes the magnetism of D’Angelo. When asked, Lande comments, “The characters aren’t assholes. They try to play it cool and stay in the moment, but develop feelings and act out.” Lande’s Happy Lives moniker was inspired by the Todd Solonz film, Happiness. This is perhaps the key in understanding his artistic perspective. Similar to the intensity of the Solonz film, Happy Lives is willing to approach any subject matter, regardless of how risqué it may be. Lande describes his sound as pop music written by punks. However, it is his dynamic blending of everything from hip-hop to EDM to Lo-Fi grunge that drops jaws and raises eyebrows. The lively energy of the single, “Wanna Go Dance” caught the attention of bloggers like BlahBlahBlah Science and Earmilk who described the music as “artfully made and addicting.” Happy Lives has played extensively throughout New York City, showcasing at CMJ and touring through NXNE and SXSW. Happy Lives has made a mark in the indie music scene with Lande’s stunning live vocal performance and the band’s unique sound. “Sick Love” is the first single off his upcoming EP, due out this summer. Follow the radical and experimental adventures of Happy Lives at www.happyliv.es and download “Sick Love” from your favorite digital retailer. - New Music Weekly magazine

Experimental pop act, Happy Lives, released his latest single, “Sick Love,” a sexually charged track relating ambiguity in infatuation. Stuck in the gray area between love and lust, the song is a seductive jam that is now available everywhere digitally.

Opening with a heavy bass line and a relaxed hip hop beat, “Sick Love” cuts straight to the chase, addressing a tumultuous relationship that struggles to make sense out of the bedroom. We watch a lighthearted fling contort and evolve as feelings develop and power dynamics shift. Singer, Mike Lande’s voice catches glimpses of it all: “Every time I come over I have a blast… I move the mirror you wanna see / no it ain’t like that she ain’t looking at me” to “you keep me on the backside like I’m the eager one…” and finally “it’s too hard sleeping without you.” Lande’s provocative lyrics and harmonies are paired with a deep bass line that echoes the magnetism of D’Angelo. When asked, Lande comments, “The characters aren’t assholes. They try to play it cool and stay in the moment, but develop feelings and act out.”

Lande’s Happy Lives moniker was inspired by the Todd Solonz film, Happiness. This is perhaps the key in understanding his artistic perspective. Similar to the intensity of the Solonz film, Happy Lives is willing to approach any subject matter, regardless of how risqué it may be. Lande describes his sound as pop music written by punks. However, it is his dynamic blending of everything from hip-hop to EDM to Lo-Fi grunge that drops jaws and raises eyebrows. The lively energy of the single, “Wanna Go Dance” caught the attention of bloggers like BlahBlahBlah Science and Earmilk who described the music as “artfully made and addicting.” Happy Lives has played extensively throughout New York City, showcasing at CMJ and touring through NXNE and SXSW.

Happy Lives has made a mark in the indie music scene with Lande’s stunning live vocal performance and the band’s unique sound. “Sick Love” is the first single off his upcoming EP, due out this summer. Follow the radical and experimental adventures of Happy Lives at www.happyliv.es and download “Sick Love” from your favorite digital retailer. - Vents Magazine

Happy Lives, a musical duo from New York with an infectious sound and a heap of positive vibes. Made up of members Mike Lande and Julian Beel, the pair have three art-pop tracks on their music repertoire. It their latest release Wanna Go Dance which has drawn our attention. Taking all the emotions, energy and fun of dancing into consideration, Happy Lives have created a video which makes you ‘wanna’ do one thing and one thing only.

Press play and flashes of animation and vibrant graphics spring onto the screen. People move, twist and jump from side to side; painted in bright colours, these dancers really do not care who can see them. Joy seeps through every beat, colour and movement of the video.

Once the video is finished, you are left with nothing but a compulsion to move and be happy. In essence, Happy Lives is just that, through experimental music and surprising visuals, they create a few minutes of happiness for every listener.

Watch the video below: - IDOL Magazine

New York-based Neo Pop/ Art-pop duo Happy Lives revels in creating complex and intricately crafted tracks that are artfully made and addicting. No one song is similar, which allows them to expand and explore beyond one set sound and style, making live sets and releases a surprise with each new track. Their latest release “Wanna Go Dance,” is a vibrant, distorted and noisy pop track that is just as melodic as it is messy. Compressed and distorted synths and percussion thwart beneath Mike Lande's vocals as he encourages the listener to dance. Today the duo releases the music video for this single, which is a playfully voyeuristic view into people dancing like nobody is watching. Each person moves around with the vigor of Thom Yorke in Radiohead’s “Lotus Flower” music video. Touches of psychedelic-pop visuals reminiscent of the early iPod commercials help to bring the video to life and compliments the music perfect. Check out the video below and be sure to check out this impressive duo live sometime. - Earmilk

Happy Lives are the New York City duo of Mike Lande and Julian Beel. New track “Wanna Go Dance” blends a keen pop aesthetic and infectious danceable rhythm structures with a sensibility for the lo-fi and risk-taking in production. The mix of fidelity and pop quality creates for a refreshing and very effective track. Spin the B3 Premiere of “Wanna Go Dance” from Happy Lives below. - Blahblahblahscience