Sad City - Polymath
The new EP from Glasgow based producer Gary Caruth drops tomorrow, and looks set to build on the amazing promise of 2011’s Gestures. This track suggests a bit of a shift in focus with a far warmer electronic palette than before, even straying towards what you might call house music as the layered synths gradually build upwards in swirling dissonance. Subtle beats and hi-hats clash together as fragmented snippets of dialogue bubble up from underneath and strike it through with a sense of humanity. As with all of his material though, it’s a more visceral experience than that described. The EP You Will Soon Find That Life is Wonderful is available from Phonica Special Editions.
Mark McGuire - In Search of the Miraculous
Taken from the forthcoming album Along The Way.
“Calico Sunset” by Former Selves // Calico Sunset (Out Now via Bandcamp)
When it’s late and you’re in that place between being a fully functioning member of society and drifting asleep into another plane - this is what you want to hear. Former Selves have released their “Calico Sunset” tape on Bandcamp, and it’s an ethereal wonder on par with some of the works of Julianna Barwick, Grouper, and Emeralds. Haunting sighs wash over lovely synth drones that crest and crash just out of sight, stirring a sense of dream like wonder. It’s stunning ambient work and you can get it now for a name-your-price fee at Bandcamp. Highly recommended.
Some great little tracks on this new collection of previously unreleased stuff by Whistle Peak. Available for a bargain $5 on Bandcamp. This track is an early favourite, has a distinct Liars influence to it which really works. Check them out.
Sébastien Tellier & Caroline Polachek - In The Crew Of Tea Time
I’m a big fan of this song and video.
Dmitry Evgrafov - Pereehali
The wonderfully talented young Russian composer Dmitry Evgrafov (whose first EP I released through my now defunct netlabel) has released a great new album on Bandcamp this week. Pereehali was recorded during the summer of 2012 when Dmitry briefly re-located from his Moscow base to spend some time in the countryside, and this proximity to nature is evident in the gentle intimacy of these solo piano recordings. Much like the artwork, the movements of the soft unhurried motifs evoke the cycle of the seasons in their understated beauty, gently unfurling to create a sense of timelessness and a captivating collection of recordings. Highly recommended listen for fans of modern classical and solo piano.
Deerhunter - Monomania
Sigur Ros - Kveikur
Camera Obscura - Desire Lines
The Knife - Shaking the Habitual
Iron & Wine - Ghost on Ghost
The Pastels - Slow Summits
James Blake - Overgrown
Laura Marling - Once I Was An Eagle
The National - Trouble Will Find Me
Seriously, I don’t know what to be most excited about. That list is ridiculous.
The Twilight Sad - Tell Me When We’re Having Fun
I don’t know what I want from The Twilight Sad. Most of the time I think they’re at their best with ear-splitting volume and raw aggression, but then they go and turn out a wonderfully restrained little gem like this and I think it might be amazing for them to go more mellow. This is an outtake from the recording of their last album ‘No One Can Ever Know’ which you can download from their Facebook page.
Valeska Gavotte - The Pergola Reprise
The work of Valeska Gavotte, aka 23 year old Kevin Leahy, is one of my favourite Bandcamp discoveries in a long time. Leahy’s compositions show incredible elegance, particularly considering he plays everything himself in a stunning mixture of violin, guitar, banjo, piano, mandolin and countless other instruments; it’s undeniably impressive. His sound is the kind without immediately obvious points of reference, but there’s definitely strong similarities with Sufjan Stevens instrumentally, while the feathered production recalls Efterklang and his voice could easily be a less burdened Zach Condon. His album The Sword and the Shield / Botanica is a proper release of two earlier online EPs being issued by Nottingham based Folkwit Records. You can stream and pre-order the record for it’s April release here.
Jackson Scott - Sweet Nothing
The debut album from Jackson Scott is a gorgeous collection of sighing psych-pop in the same vein as Deerhunter or Connan Mockasin. This track is an early favourite but there are several gems in there. Amazingly Scott is giving away the album for free through his Tumblr, so if you like this then you really should go get that.
