Young Moon is San Francisco’s Trevor Montgomery, and his new LP, Navigated Like The Swan is out later this month on Western Vinyl. The press release notes that Swan is “an exceptional record that is a grower.” I can’t argue with that; it certainly is. Read More »Young Moon: Feature
An avid fan of eccentric jazz of avant garde nature, I was immediately drawn to Nat Baldwin‘s new LP, People Changes. As an upright bassist, Baldwin can be found pouring his soul into Dirty Projectors, a band that prides itself in obscure pop sensibilities. His solo stuff, however, is where he truly shines. Read More »Nat Baldwin: Weights (Video)
Callers met in New Orleans before ultimately relocating to Brooklyn. This isn’t necessarily important in their creation of music, merely a statement of historical fact. Well, that’s not entirely true. When I think of New Orleans, I think of a place somehow lost post Katrina and struggling to renew their culture. But it’s different; things are different. So culture has changed. Of course, this is all in my head as I have not been to New Orleans. But in a way, I hear that side of New Orleans (at least the version that resides in my head) in Callers. The band’s sound is difficult to describe, highly unique, and a bit odd. It’s like that music in Twin Peaks — a bit other-worldly and a smidgen awkward. Likewise, their video for the song follows suit. And that’s what makes it damn good. Read More »Callers: How To Hold Your Arms [Video]
J. Tillman has always created a very minimalist style of folk, and this sound once again dominates his new track “Three Sisters”, from his upcoming Singing Ax release. With minimalism, there’s a fine balance between the risk of being bland and sans any melody, and creating something astonishingly brilliant. Tillman knows this line well, and flirts with it frequently. No surprise: his skilled footwork keeps him on the side of brilliance. Read More »J. Tillman: Three Sisters [mp3]
Music is often experiential, but none is more so than that which embodies the hypnotic. Drone, shoegaze, post rock – they all often tell stories through notes rather than words, and with Tomorrow Becomes You Slow Six does just that. The band combines classical music with rock in a way unlike contemporaries such as Godspeed You! Black Emperor. The emphasis is comparably on strings, but the sounds are much more cosmic – more along the lines of Explosions In The Sky’s post rock sensibilities, but with classical leanings and less of the soft-loud-soft progressions. Read More »Slow Six: Tomorrow Becomes You [Album Review]
Experimental electronic folk never sounded so dreamy. “Cotton Curls” by Sleep Whale has soft, pleasant melodies supported by a heavy… Read More »Sleep Whale: Cotton Curls [mp3]
