c.m. slenko - royal blue days

it's been a long time since i've heard from fellow traveler c.m. slenko, proprietor of sioux trails records and full-on understander of what i'm trying to do here. needless to say i was pumped to get his new collection of songs, 'royal blue days', a mix culled from all his recording experiments made over the past year, during which he was mostly occupied with other stuff.

there is a wide variety of sounds and styles here, it's best to listen to this lengthy album a few times to absorb it all, from it's atmospheric no-wave to it's mountain folk. c.m. slenko's albums are autobiographical. 'let this record serve as the chronicle of a year'. a top recommendation.



name your price for it here.

anda volley - my flawless computerized mind

anda volley is a boston musician who combines songwriting and the creation of electronic soundscapes in the creation of her music for a result that is part ambient drone, part experimental electronica, and part industrial dirge.

the nearly 9 minute featured track 'butterfly melt', from her latest album 'my flawless computerized mind', leads heavily with the experimental and ambient aspects of her sound. this album is recommended for fans of the industrial noise luminaries of the late 70's.



get the album here. check out a video for 'butterfly melt' below.

field medic - light is gone

'light is gone', the new cassette from lofi singer/songwriter field medic (kevin patrick), lives up to the resignation implied by it's title. it's a lonely and shambolic guitar and drum machine type thing that achieves a level of depth and charm that lets you know it came out of times at least somewhat difficult.

some of the more drum machine heavy songs take on an almost soul-like feel, with kevin pushing his voice to hit some wobbly slacker high notes. i especially like 'NEON FLOWERZ' for that vibe.



get it here.

anna wallis - pop abuse

'pop abuse' is a 7" by singer/songwriter anna wallis available on portland, oregon label one horse records.

the title track reminds me a little bit of 'marie provost' by nick lowe, in that it takes a heart-wrenching topic delivered in really frank lyrics but wraps it in the package of a catchy, upbeat, well written pop song. the b-side, 'on the boat', accomplishes a similar trick. i recommend this one highly.

get it on vinyl from one horse records.

shelly rollison - mountains

shelly rollison is a singer/songwriter from denver, colorado. on her debut EP 'mountains', she shows off some folk and blues singing moves amid minimal production, just an acoustic or electric guitar with the occasional accent vocal harmony or mournful guitar solo.

shelly nailed a great tone for her electric guitar on this recording, highlighting her stark playing style.



get it here.

leah rg - narrow belt of bay

'narrow belt of bay' is the debut recording by philadelphia singer/songwriter leah rg. it's a mystical sounding collection of instrospective folk songs characterized by leah's glassy voice.

the full folk rock production has earthly spirituality to it.
 

get it here.

herve perez and andre darius - the bridge EP

'the bridge EP' by herve perez and andre darius is an experimental jazz album that seems to be an extended meditation on the theme of bridges.

the first variation on that theme i see is the bridge between musicians improvising together, then the bridge between spaces in time inherent in the recording process (i think but i'm not totally sure that some overdubs were involved in this recording), the bridge between the artists and the listener that the album and it's modern means of distribution create...you could go on and on.



get it here for free.

zero disorder - a warm fuzzy feeling

zero disorder is a one man band/solo recording project from boston. dark, lonely, lofi, home-made punk. the newest thing, 'a warm fuzzy feeling', is great.

the sense of melody in the riffs and vocals is strong and it grows across the three songs, from the hardcore anger of the title track through the weird guitar line of 'basement', coming fully formed in the final track, 'drown', a pop punk jammer longer than the other two songs combined. this one is very much worth your time.



get it here. i recommend checking out the back catalog too.

merigold - songs and reality

merigold is an alt-country band from denmark. their new album 'songs and reality' is collection of western tinged weepers, with sighing pedal steel and that high lonesome sound rendered in a danish accent.

all sorts of serious country moves are on display on this album, banjo pickin' harmonies and loping bass lines, but a northern darkness prevails.



get it here on CD, LP or digital.

jenny gillespie - cure for dreaming

jenny gillespie is a singer/songwriter based in california. her new album 'cure for dreaming' will be available in january. her songs are hard to describe or categorize, she seems to have a style all her own, though i guess it would float around the island of alt-country or contemporary folk.

the production is cool, it has a loose, well rounded, jazzy feel with a lot of subtle accents. the lyrics are right there too, saying a lot without saying too much, keeping that mystery around.



get it here; LP, CD, MP3.

wood bois - sex playlist

buffalo band wood bois is a synth-pop comedy duo that seems to be inspired by the 80's/90's consumer-crap-culture-pastiche and anti-comedy of the likes of tim & eric (of which i am a huge fan).

the bois are not one trick ponies though, while a tune like 'razor scooterz' contains that anti-comedy vibe, some of the other tracks seem to be more loving, straight forward parodies of those high-school-movie-soundtrack-ready dramatic synth-pop tunes we know so well.
 

get it here.

unqualified nurse - put it on the line

i have covered a lot of releases by avant/punk/noise band unqualified nurse, because their approach lends itself to being prolific. their songs are short blasts of drumless, isolated, abrasive rage, made to be consumed quickly, and depending on your taste, over and over or likely never again.

i didn't realize until just now that there were two people in this band

their newest thing, 'put it on the line', is, i think, their longest yet, and in some ways the tightest and most accessible, though it does not stray from their style. it just has a few more recognizable riffs than usual. give it a listen.



get it here.

the wandering lake - from james' garden

the wandering lake is an arkansan singer/songwriter/folk project. it's a one man affair, but the new album 'from james' garden' features some low key production, giving it hazy psychedelic vibes that range from pretty to unsettling. the over-all mood is dark and mysterious.

the guitar playing is cool, featuring some interesting, woozy bends and runs that set it apart from average troubadour strumming.



name your price for it here.

the shadow folk - the shadow folk/sunny beaches split LP

the shadow folk are a psych band from halifax, nova scotia. on their side of 'the shadow folk/sunny beaches split LP' they deal in shiny psych pop full of big harmonies, tight rhythms and organ hooks. they seem to be masters of that paisley punch.

unfortunately their band name is giving me flashbacks to that terrifying documentary the nightmare. luckily these shadow folk are more blissed-out than terrifying. float away on the technicolor clouds of their melodies.



get it here, LP, cassette or digital. enjoy the sunny beaches side too!

hotbreath tea & the invisible branches - closer to avondale

'closer to avondale' is the newest single from chicago area jangle-rockers hotbreath tea & the invisible branches. it's crisp and sunny like a winter morning, with just a slight hangover.

as usual hotbreath tea's melodic power pop moves are on full display.

get it for free here.

c. scott and the beltones - floored and bored: a collection of songs

'floored and bored: a collection of songs' feels like a very appropriate title for these extremely lofi rants and raves from pennsylvanians c. scott and the beltones.

embedded in enough slacker crust that they would feel at home on a really early guided by voices record, these tracks none-the-less allow some melodies and their points of view to leak through. unlike GBV, many of these songs are over the 4 minute mark. 'floored and bored' is a lengthy but worthwhile listen.



name your price for it here.

aerialists - deep toque (video)

aerialists are a canadian band that self identify as 'prog-trad', combining progressive pop and post-rock moves with the reels and melodies of traditional fiddle music. they also include a harp in the band.

the music is, as you might expect from that description, soaring and graceful, drawing deeply on the modern and the ancient to create rich swells of sound. check out the video for their single 'deep toque' below.



check out more right here.

robby fisher - dogtown

'dogtown' by robby fisher is a collection of lofi, reverb and fuzz covered 4-track tascam cassette rock'n'roll from the frozen wastes of grand rapids, michigan.

it's a slammin' set that includes a few covers, including the ubiquitous 'tainted love' by soft cell and the taylor swift hit 'trouble'. good thing taylor is probably too busy to check bandcamp and enforce her copyrights! not sure how busy the guys from soft cell are...watch out robby! i really dig the mellow closing track 'friendly plant salesman'...wonder what that one is about?

get it here on a home-made cassette or digital.

dustbin flowers - my little world (video)

dustbin flowers are a rock'n'roll band from london, ontario. their new song is called 'my little world' and they have crafted a music video to accompany it's debut.

big choruses and harmonized riffs abound.



check out more here.

closer to home - s/t

closer to home is a new jersey singer/songwriter duo that trades on the time-tested method of intimate man-woman harmonies and simply produced personal folk songs.

their self titled debut album is a nice collection of their tunes recorded in their home studio. there are a few upbeat folk/rockers with drums and bass mixed in with the quieter moments.



get it here.

pc worship - basement hysteria

'basement hysteria', the new EP from uncomprimising brooklyn band/collective/recording project pc worship is an album of subterranean melodies rising from a substrate of inspired and unhinged improvisation and musique concrete trips. if you thought the rough edges were going to continue to smooth out on pc worship after their relatively accessible noise/grunge monster 'social rust', you are wrong, but they have made another stride in perfecting their balance between nihilistic dark free jazz and doomed rock'n'roll beauty.

the opening track, 'done', starts with desolate piano, tense feedback, skronking horns and urban noise. stumbling drums introduce the pounding, creeped-out rock song that was apparently inherent in the momentum of the introductory jam. but that squealing feedback never goes away. the track you can preview for now, 'my lens', begins with an extended pounding rock dirge that gives way to a fucked up, de-tuned country blues stomp from another, weirder dimension. an electric guitar hangs out feeding back in the background though because that's all coming back. like everything by pc worship, i recommend this highly.

it's out tomorrow on northern spy records. pre-order it here.

the modern folk - live alone live alone

another thing from me, who cares, right? next in the series of live recordings i have been throwing out, 'live alone live alone' is a live solo thing recorded on an old dictaphone cassette machine.

reeeeaaaal lofi drum machine/no wave/punk versions of the same songs i've been recording and 'cover art' that i ripped off from john fahey.



get it here.

volcano radar duo - electro parables

volcano radar duo is an international (america and uruguay) collaboration that could maybe best be described as ambient free jazz. the lengthy improvisations that make up their new album 'electro parables' lack percussion and depend instead on a glacial movements from effects-laden guitars to create subtle textures over which a variety of horns and other string and electronic instruments can have dialogues.

real space jazz. check out the gabriel garcia marquez inspired song '200 years of solitude' as a preview.



get it here free from pan y rosas discos.

marcus eads - spirit river banjo

minnesotan string picker marcus eads has moved from guitar to banjo for his meditative new album 'spirit river banjo'. it's a great set of rippling, winding, landscape inspired solo old-time banjo pieces that drift by like a leaf on a lazy river.

the reels and drones are generally short and sweet, creating and effect where the primal melodies blend into one another.



'spirit river banjo' is available on self released cassette or digital here.

fuzz ghost - s/t EP

on his self titled debut EP, nashville artist fuzz ghost follows in the footsteps of the likes of wavves and creates hazed-up surf/psych/garage jams all alone in his room.

the EP is packed full of sun-in-your-eyes melodies and riffs. the closing track 'sunshine' has some heavy psychedelic blues shredding.

the EP is available now in cassette form from ongakubaka records. get it here.

coin locker kid - empathica

empathica by coin locker kid is an introspective journey of fractured minimal electronica and isolated, solitary hip-hop. the spaces this music occupies are distant and claustrophobic at once.

the lyrics are strange, image-heavy and complex, as are the themes that run in and out of the album. this one stands out and you will uncover more on repeat listens. it has a hallucinatory and disassociative feel.



get it here.

yuzima - tracy chapman (no)

new york noise/folk/pop/rocker yuzima had a negative encounter with one of his heroes, tracy chapman, and wrote a song about it. he asked her if they could take a selfie together and she said no.

not a selfie

the song is actually a tracy chapman-esque folk-pop song rendered in distorted guitars and distant drum machines. it's a diss track and a homage at the same time. it's weird and good, like all of yuzima's songs.



listen to more yuzima here.

james clark hangover - maria (video)

james clark hangover is the band of toronto singer songwriter david clark. his new single is called 'maria', a wry power-pop jam with a moody black and white video to match.



find out more about james clark hangover here.

chuck perrin - the yearn

chuck perrin is a singer/songwriter and the proprietor of a performance space in san diego. his latest album is called 'the yearn'. this set of topical modern rock tunes starts with lyrical gauntlet being thrown down...'it's an asshole world'.

hard to argue with that in many ways. the production on 'the yearn' reminds me of the late career styles of great 60's singer/songwriters in a comforting way...smooth guitars, funky bass, heavy drums, gospel singers. good stuff. here's a youtube playlist of the album for a preview.



you can get a copy from chuck's website.

pulco - found sound

there isn't a lot more i can say about welsh DIY music maker pulco, as i have posted and will continue to post a ton of his music.

pulco's self portrait hints at his love of the 'cut-up' technique of gysin and burroughs

he just let go a new thing, 'found sound', taken from some recording sessions he did around 2009. more of his signature lofi experimental rock and pop. this one leans towards the more experimental end of the pulco spectrum.



get it here. you can also now subscribe to pulco on bandcamp for access to the vast back catalog.

art of flying - sing me, pretty bird

art of flying is a hard to classify musical/songwriting duo from taos, new mexico. their new song 'sing me, pretty bird', is the first in a series of experiments they hope to initially release digitally and perhaps later cut from for a full length release.

for my money 'sing me, pretty bird' should make the cut. it has a dark and beautiful lilting melody expressed in harmony and a chorus that swells with sweet sorrow. the production is minimal, drums, bass and two restrained guitars. i really like this song.



get it here. i've also gotta share this song 'the earth spoke', a collaboration between art of flying and a native american hip-hop group, also from taos, called po.10.cee. it's good.



you can get that one here. check out more po.10.cee on their soundcloud.

the lifted theory - tree of life

the lifted theory is a hip-hop band from miami, florida. 'hip-hop band' might have mislead you, their music is unexpected; combining some new indie rock sounds with a dense rap flow.

the sounds are eclectic, there are trip-hop vibes, psychedelic moments, prog-rock guitar solos, and electronica influences. there even ethereal moments of space-folk minimalism with haunting singing. their album 'tree of life' is a deep one, graceful music and heavy bars throughout. some especially good modern-style MC stuff on the mid album tracks 'lost' and 'war'. recommended.



get it here.

sara syms - way back home

sara syms is singer/songwriter based out of nashville, tennessee. her new album 'way back home' features an assured set of songs, with a very solid band of session players making them swing.

her voice, with a hint of southern molasses, inhabits these personal narratives and brings them to life. the songs seem to come from sara's experience but they maintain a comforting, universal quality.



get it on CD or digitally here.

fancy man - welcome to pumpkintown

i just posted something from fancy man last week, but he also has a halloween themed album.

i'm a day late and more than a dollar short, but here is my one and only seasonal post, 'welcome to pumpkintown', a halloweeny concept album by fancy man.



get it here.

eye of elephant - hannibal's animals

eye of elephant is a new york artist making laid back, psych-tinged rap that includes a heavy trip-hop influence. i love stuff like this and i feel like there are not enough of these vibes going around.

the new album is called 'hannibal's animals' and i like it a lot. the production is chill and dreamy, the singing/rapping has real dead-pan style. 'surveillance song' is a topical highlight. recommended.



get it here.

goddesses - i see you

i seem to get a lot of contributions from the town of derby, in the UK...it must have a thriving DIY music scene. the latest transmission from there is a song called 'i see you' by 4 piece shoegaze outfit goddesses.

the lengthy track begins with a spooky noisy movement that gives way to a slightly more conventional song structure pinned down rhythmically by bongos and characterized by the swirliest dust-devils of guitar you've ever heard. a brace of cymbals usher in the third section of this piece, a dirge-like zone-out with stretched raga guitars and spectral vocals. this song is worth listening to a few times, it's like three songs in one.



get it for free here.

jon worthy - unconventional

jon worthy is a singer/songwriter based out of nashville, tennessee. 'unconventional' is what i believe to be his debut EP. it's a collection of hazy, introspective rock songs.

the wistful vibes, reverby tones and songs ranging from rockers to reflectors make it a nice autumn album for all moods. i like the title track a lot.



for now, this only seems to available streaming on jon's soundcloud. check it out there.