Now Available Exclusively/Semi-Exclusively from CTD:
FEATURED:
Tycho
“Dive”
Ghostly International: gi145
PITCHFORK review of "Hours":
“While his world-of-tomorrow arrangements justify the boast, there's still something familiarly melancholic in those synths that could evoke someone's past, as the shimmer and echoes invite listeners to attach their own memories to the song's self-contained universe.”
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/12279-hours/
HUFFINGTON POST:
“San Francisco's Tycho makes rich sonic soundscapes that always calm me down when I'm stuck in bumper to bumper on the 405 at 5pm on a Friday and all I want to do is get home to my kung pao chicken leftovers from the night before. Quite a feat.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/30/los-angeles-live-music-za_n_941965.html#s344367&title=Tuesday_August_30
UNDER THE RADAR:
“The track puts out a nice analog warmth that recalls Boards of Canada's soundscapes.”
http://www.undertheradarmag.com/media/hours_mp3/
XLR8R premier of “Hours”:
“The song is just plain pretty, yet smartly avoids twee territory with its thick bassline and organic drum sounds. More like this one please.”
http://www.xlr8r.com/mp3/2011/08/hours
ALT SOUNDS:
“Dive pays tribute to Tycho’s prismatic past, but spends most of its time pointing to the project’s not-so-distant future. That can mean any number of things, really, from the halcyon hooks and hopeful horizons of ‘A Walk’ to the expansive, wildly expressive tone poetry of the title track, an eight-minute epic that unfolds like a compressed concept album.”
http://hangout.altsounds.com/news/136050-tycho-announces-fall-tour-dragon-dive-11-a.html
PREFIX MAGAZINE:
“Hansen says he tries to make music that's an artifact from a ‘retro-future, like what people in the '70s thought 2020 was going to look like.’ That cinematic and highly visual style comes through on Tycho's first full-length record for the Ghostly International label, Dive, which will be released in November.”
http://www.prefixmag.com/features/tycho/tycho-on-music-and-design-nostalgia-and-building-c/56797/
THE STRANGER:
“his beats will put you straight into one of those indescribable music moods—alert-yet-spacey, awake-but-dreamy, reaching a higher plane of existence.”
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/the-strangers-2011-bumbershoot-guide/Content?oid=9744076
EXCLAIM:
“With Tycho's upcoming new album Dive set to drop on November 15 via Ghostly International, we have high hopes for Scott Hansen's electronic project this year. Along with the new release, he's now got us all excited about a tour as well.”
http://exclaim.ca/News/tycho_to_take_dive_on_north_american_tour
SSG MUSIC DECIBEL 2011 FEST PREVIEW:
“Tycho mesmerizes listeners with warm, nostalgic synths, engaging beats, and occasional guitar riffs. Appropriately, Tycho performed for Decibel’s Optical series last year as well. This time, he’ll be previewing songs from his upcoming LP, Dive, along with beautiful visual projections.”
http://www.ssgmusic.com/decibel-2011-preview-tycho-simon-scott-and-mountains/
PERFECT MIDNIGHT WORLD premier of "Costal Brake":
“'Coastal Brake' is a great jam to kick off the weekend. The track has been floating around blogs for a while, but it’s featured on the new Tycho album coming out in November on Ghostly International. It’s a gorgeous, glimmering dream of a track that feels like the sun going down as you blast north on the PCH.”
http://perfectmidnightworld.tumblr.com/post/10861022635/coastal-brake-by-tycho-dive-2011-coastal
NITE VERSIONS premier of "Hours":
“Tycho returns with another great single, and even better – a new album. 'Hours' is the second track (out of 10) listed on his upcoming Dive LP, expected on November 15.”
http://niteversions.com/audio/tycho-hours/
SACRAMENTO NEWS & REVIEW:
“...his new single, “Hours,” a nearly six-minute, surfer-wax bumper that doesn’t belie Tycho’s trademark synths-and-keys atmospherics and penchant for more modestly uptempo and tripper-friendly jams.”
http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/bum-rush/content?oid=3172683
INDIE SHUFFLE premier of "Hours":
“Ahh, Tycho. You’ve done it again. You’ve created a dreamy soundscape of soothing, ambient beats that lull the listener into a surreal alternate reality, where everything sounds softer and more subdued.”
http://www.indieshuffle.com/tycho-hours/
ELEMENTAL THEORY:
“Dive establishes its position as the most diverse musical statement of Hansen’s multi-medium career; the point where his skills as a performer finally catch up with his vaporized vision of a world that doesn’t belong to any particular time or place.”
https://elementaltheory.wordpress.com/2011/08/03/tycho-hours/
BOWLEGS:
“If ever a 400ft high Casio RZ-1 were to rise out of the waters off the coast of San Francisco, like an electronic kraken intent on spewing synthetic beats from its innards to sooth the people of the city at sunset, then Scott Hansen would be the man to soundtrack that moment. Otherwise known as Tycho, Hansen produces dreamy, electro beat, chillers.”
http://www.bowlegsmusic.com/2011/08/tycho-track/
KEXP BLOG:
“Ghostly International’s Tycho turned out to be one of my favorites of the festival. His music was warm, upbeat, more structured than the previous artists on the bill and involved visual themes of surfing, knee-boarding and winter landscapes. For me, it was a set full of nostalgia for sun-drenched beaches, reminiscent of Delorean or a warmer Boards of Canada, warm flashed of yellow and read synchronized with the downbeat. It set the stage perfectly for a night of harder electronic music that followed.”
http://blog.kexp.org/blog/2011/10/07/decibel-festival-2011-optical-showcases-nordstrom-recital-hall/
PORTLAND MERCURY:
“...the beautiful single ‘Hours’ invokes a vague and endless shoreline on a timeless beach somewhere in a contented recollection of the most meaningful September of your life. Each and every track on Dive carries a similar emotional weight.”
http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/tycho/Event?oid=4601316
THE STRAIGHT:
“We’re praying for another hot day before August is done. Partly so we can crank this hazy slice of heat-shimmer electro in an appropriate climate, but mostly because we fucking refuse to believe that summer is over so soon.”
http://www.straight.com/article-420076/vancouver/instant-playlist-august-11-2011
UPCOMING SOON:
Mannequin Men
“Mannequin Men”
Addenda: nda006
SPIN preview of "Hobby Girl":
“The gloriously ramshackle Lose Your Illusion, Too by Chicago's Mannequin Men was one of 2009's highlights, so pardon our excitement over the follow-up (self-titled so as to avoid the problem of having to top that gag). The first track from the band's fourth record, out Nov. 8, is the midtempo cruiser ‘Hobby Girl’....”
http://www.spin.com/articles/editors-pick-new-track-mannequin-men
A.V. CLUB preview of "Hobby Girl":
“'Hobby Girl' marks a more mature age for the Mannequin Men. Replacing the band’s formerly rowdy sound with pop briskness, the track begs a lover to get her life together instead of wasting space on the couch”
http://www.avclub.com/chicago/articles/mannequin-men-and-jc-brooks-and-the-uptown-sound-d,62950/
CHICAGOIST preview of "Hobby Girl":
“Last fall, rough-around-the-edges Chicago garage rockers Mannequin Men debuted two new tracks from an then-upcoming Hozac Records single. One of those songs, 'Hobby Girl,' has re-emerged as the first single from their upcoming self-titled third record, which sees release in November on Addenda Records..”
ttp://chicagoist.com/2011/10/06/download_mannequin_men.php
LOUDLOOP:
“Whether Mannequin Men meant to or not, this so called ‘mature record’ of theirs is probably their best, and that’s a hurdle that many bands who start young simply fall flat on their face trying to jump.”
http://loudlooppress.com/reviews/mannequin-men-mannequin-men/
I ROCK CLEVELAND BLOG:
“This track is so smooth, the hooks are so clean, it’s as if they’ve been a power pop band all along.”
http://blog.irockcleveland.com/2011/10/10/a-fistful-of-jams-feat-mannequin-men-wussy-sex-church-and-eddy-current-suppression-ring/
THE OWL:
“With tracks like 'Hobby Girl,' Chicago-based Mannequin Men are proving that bands can be influenced by Van Morrison and not suck”
http://www.theowlmag.com/tag/mannequin-men/
Pigeons
“They Sweetheartstammers”
Soft Abuse: sab053
ALTERED ZONES Artist Profile:
“They Sweetheartstammers, out next week on Soft Abuse, is packed with hypnotic psychedelia, Francophilia, cobweb-laden sonic spaces, and shadowy retrofuturism, balancing moods of wonder and foreboding with an artisan's acumen.”
http://alteredzones.com/posts/2035/artist-profile-pigeons/
BROOKLYN VEGAN video for "Tournoi”:
“Speaking of Pigeons, who play the Chouette/De Stijl/FatCat/Soft Abuse day party at Bruar Falls, their LP They Sweetheartstammers will be released November 8 via Soft Abuse..”
http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2011/10/amen_dunes_play.html
ALTERED ZONES:
“Their forthcoming They Sweetheartstammers LP exudes the same sense of mystery, sedation, and austere melodicism as last year's Liasons, but with an added sonic density and an expanded lineup (roping in members of No Neck Blues Band and Black Twig Pickers).”
http://alteredzones.com/posts/1811/pigeons-dead-echo/
ALTERED ZONES video for "Tournoi”:
“The result is a fuller-sounding Pigeons that still maintains their brooding beauty, but with pronounced hints of Hope Sandoval and brighter guitars that meander densely.”
http://alteredzones.com/posts/1933/pigeons-tournoi/
Kieran Hebden/Steve Reid/Mats Gustafsson
“Live At The South Bank”
Smalltown Superjazzz: stsj211
EXCLAIM:
“After playing with the likes of Miles Davis, Fela Kuti and Ornette Coleman, jazz drummer Steve Reid linked up with Kieran Hebden (aka Four Tet) for a number of projects before passing away last year. Now a new live disc believed to be the final authorized recording of Reid is primed to demonstrate the bond between the pair.”
http://exclaim.ca/News/kieran_hebden_steve_reids_final_concert_issued_as_life_at_south_bank
XLR8R:
“Recorded in 2009 and evocative of the four LPs the pair recorded before Reid's death last year, the set approaches a kind of electronic free jazz, with Reid's complex live percussion providing the bedrock for Hebden's electronic experimentations and Gustaffson's powerful sax work.”
http://www.xlr8r.com/news/2011/09/smalltown-superjazz-release-live
STEREOPHILE:
“Live at the South Bank is a double CD documenting a performance held on June 20th, 2009, in the foyer of Queen Elizabeth Hall at London’s Southbank Centre, part of the Meltdown Festival curated by Ornette Coleman. Kieren Hebden on laptops and electronics; Steve Reid on drums and percussion; Mats Gustaffson on saxophone. I’ll have to have this record, too. Why should I deny myself such beautiful pleasures?.”
http://www.stereophile.com/content/looking-forward-kieran-hebden-steve-reid-and-mats-gustaffson’s-ilive-south-banki
TINY MIX TAPES:
“It would be fair, then, to consider this fifth and final recording between the two to be a tribute to Reid, and what ended up being a providential confluence of two innovative musical figures.”
http://www.tinymixtapes.com/news/kieran-hebden-and-steve-reids-final-concert-gets-november-release-give-thanks
FACT:
“What’s happening here is a special relationship, like Miles and Coltrane, or Dizzy and Bird,” said the jazz drummer and percussionist of his work with Hebden (aka Four Tet)….”
http://www.factmag.com/2011/09/09/kieran-hebden-and-steve-reids-final-concert-receives-release/
PITCHFORK New Release Announcement with video:
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/news/43942-new-release-kieran-hebden-steve-reid-mats-gustafsson-live-at-the-south-bank/
Hauschildt, Steve
“Tragedy & Geometry”
Kranky: krank160
XLR8R premier of “Batteries May Drain”:
“‘Batteries May Drain’ boasts much of the same drifting analog synth melodies and indelible warmth that we loved on Emeralds' Does It Look Like I'm Here? record, but without the guitar noodling and with some driving, krauty rhythms carrying it all into spacey oblivion.”
http://www.xlr8r.com/mp3/2011/10/batteries-may-drain
RAVEN SINGS THE BLUES:
“The two beacons of the album's namesake hover over every note of Tragedy and Geometry and becomes a precision delivery of the former as refracted through the technological prism of the latter. Here, Hauschildt has taken his step out from the fold of Emeralds and truly created something that stands alone; a pulsing, bittersweet sweep through the kosmiche wires of the heart.”
http://ravensingstheblues.blogspot.com/2011/10/steve-hauschildt.html
Silver Tongues
“Black Kite”
Karate Body: kbr016
DUSTED:
“Cronin’s voice is, by the way, one of the main draws here. Cool and unruffled, without much vibrato, it carries easily, the kind that seems to dominate without much strain. You never hear a real break in it, even at the highest registers. And yet there’s an untouchability to it, perhaps coming from the way Cronin surrounds his sound with echo. Even the earthiest songs, blues-vamping ‘Wet Dog’ for instance, have a remote quality, their warmth seeming to come from a long way away.”
http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/6731
Jacaszek
“Glimmer”
Ghostly International: gi147
RCRD LBL premier of “Dare-Gale”:
“Jacaszek is back and coldly serious as ever on ‘Dare Gale.’ The Polish composer treats airy, abandoned noise with classical hands to make dark ambient music that could easily soundtrack the next time you get trapped in a cave.”
http://rcrdlbl.com/2011/10/17/download_jacaszek_dare_gale
RESIDENT ADVISOR:
“Like much of his past work, including last year's RA Podcast, the LP blends classical music with modern ambient production.”
http://www.residentadvisor.net/news.aspx?id=14989
THE NEEDLE DROP:
“'Dare-gale,' armed with loads of classical timbres, drones ominously in waves of sound that progressively get louder. The concept seems like a simple and uninteresting no-brainer, but the layers and detail here make this track absolutely gorgeous!”
http://theneedledrop.com/2011/10/jacaszek-dare-gale/
CULTURE ADDICT:
“Jacaszek’s latest album, Glimmer, is marked by a noticeable battle between melancholy and beauty, like it’s hovering in some gaseous grey area between both.”
http://cultureaddicts.com/tag/ghostly-international/
the Jesus Lizard
“Club”
Chunklet: chklp008
CHUNKLET:
“Chunklet will release the soundtrack to The Jesus Lizard: Club, a DVD document of their first U.S. show in over 10 years, which took place in 2009 show at the Exit/In in Nashville.”
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/news/43871-scratch-acid-announces-reunion-tour-the-jesus-lizard-announces-live-lp/
CHUNKLET:
“'It may have been the only reunion show I've ever seen where I forgot almost immediately that the band hadn't played together in more than a decade' - Sasha Frere-Jones, The New Yorker.”
http://www.chunklet.com/index.cfm?section=blogs&ID=704&mode=comments#comments
Part Chimp/Torche
“Split Tour EP”
Chunklet: chklp009
CHUNKLET:
“Part Chimp turn in two scorchers, ‘Dr. Horse’ and ‘The Watcher’ while Torche send a love letter to the boys from Dayton and cover three Guided By Voices songs (‘Exit Flagger’, ‘Unleashed! The Large Hearted Boy’ and ‘Postal Blowfish’).”
http://www.chunklet.com/
STILL FRESH & OUT NOW!
Sex Church
“Growing”
Load Records: load135
AQUARIUS:
“...while there is a certain amount of noise and cacophony going on here, these guys traffic in something wholly different, a gloomy post punky sort of downer pop (much like Daily Life, who also had a record on Load), all clanging minor key chords, pounding dirgey rhythms and buzzing swirling synths, the opening track sounds like a slightly noisier take on some lost Joy Division live jam, or some classic goth group revved up and supercharged.”
http://www.aquariusrecords.org/
Mungolian Jetset
“Schlungs”
Smalltown Supersound: sts209
FOXY DIGITALIS:
“This Norwegian techno duo of Pal Nyhus and Knut Saevuk serve up a giddy mix of club-friendly disco combined with delightfully cheesy EM effects and intricately layered counterpoint.”
http://www.foxydigitalis.com/foxyd/?p=18759
Phantom Family Halo
“Monoliths & These Flowers Never Die”
Karate Body: kbr005
PASTE MAGAZINE #5 of TOP 10 BANDS AT CMJ 2011:
“This next-gen psychedelic rock band effortlessly combines acid-inspired progressions with gummy hooks that will bounce around in your head for hours. Their music is like eating candy-flavored mushrooms.”
http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2011/10/10-great-bands-from-cmj-2011.html?p=2
Christina Vantzou
“No. 1”
Kranky: krank159
THE SKINNY:
“...her solo debut is filled with the kind of lush symphonies and gentle rushes of ambience that make the average Stars of the Lid performance seem like an exercise in exuberance. It’s beautifully controlled and quite, quite mesmerizing.”
http://www.theskinny.co.uk/music/reviews/albums/300231-christina_vantzou_no_1
AMBIENTBLOG:
“No.1 will definitely be enjoyed by all those that love the sound of the Stars of the Lid and, more recently, A Winged Victory for the Sullen. Like the latter, the compositions are somewhat more 'down to earth' than those of the Stars of the Lid. They are carefully balanced, introspective but never too sweet. Sometimes somewhat melancholic, maybe - which perfectly fits this autumn time of year.”
http://www.vancooten.com/blog/?e=421ß
ALTERED ZONES premier of “Homemade Mountains” video:
“Vantzou has a knack for delicate contrasts. Here, her juxtaposition of absence in darkness and existence with color enhances the track's natural, whimsical ambiance.”
http://www.alteredzones.com/posts/2034/christina-vantzou-homemade-mountains/
THE PLAYGROUND:
“The album, made with synthesizer, vocals and samples - reinforced with strings, brass, clarinet and flute, thanks to the collaboration of Minna Choi from the Magik*Magik Orchestra - holds ten songs between weightless ambient and neo-classical, melancholic instrumentals. Fans of Max Richter, Stars Of The Lid and A Winged Victory For The Sullen won't be disappointed.”
http://www.playgroundmag.net/noticias/25485-christina-vantzou
The Olivia Tremor Control
“Music From The Unrealized Film Script: Dusk At Cubist Castle”
“Black Foliage: Animation Music Volume One”
Chunklet: chklp006, chklp007
PITCHFORK:
“On November 15, Chunklet Industries will release expanded vinyl reissues of two out-of-print double LPs from Elephant 6 psych-poppers the Olivia Tremor Control: 1996's Music From the Unrealized Film Script: Dusk at Cubist Castle and 1999's Black Foliage: Animation Music Volume One. Both reissues will include tons of bonus material on download cards containing hours of rare and unreleased music.”
http://pitchfork.com/news/43428-olivia-tremor-control-announce-reissues-tour/
AQUARIUS (Dusk At Cubist Castle):
“If one had to pick THEE most iconic and essential indie rock records of the nineties, you'd no doubt have Pavement's Slanted And Enchanted, some Stereolab, some Yo La Tengo, both the Neutral Milk Hotel records, and without a doubt, this, the debut from Olivia Tremor Control, a practically perfect slab of experimental psychedelic pop, that sounds as good today as it did nearly 15 years ago when it was first released.”
http://www.aquariusrecords.org/
AQUARIUS (Black Foliage):
“...while the band focused more on the 'pop' on their classic debut Dusk, relegating the trippy weirdness mostly to intros and brief interludes, we had previously mentioned (in our original review way back when) that on Black Foliage, the ‘ambient’ weirdness came closer to overindulgence, but again, with fresh ears, and a little time since our last listen, that overindulgence doesn't really sound all that overindulgent anymore, in fact, it positions Black Foliage, as rife with Beach Boys vocal harmonies, Sgt. Pepper's baroque excess, and mid-'70s Eno-esque surreal pop as it's predecessor, as way better than we remember it, that weirdness almost making it a more interesting, and certainly more tripped out, record, a seriously crafty concoction of psychedelia - the Olivias able to create near perfect pop songs and then dose 'em with lysergic clusters of experimental tinkering.”
http://www.aquariusrecords.org/
Hecker, Tim
“Dropped Pianos”
Kranky: krank161
PITCHFORK 7.8:
“They're compelling mostly because they sound intimate. Where Ravedeath, 1972 had a widescreen flavor, these sketches feel personal and individual. You can imagine Hecker sitting alone at a piano spinning simple yarns, rather than at a huge organ generating worlds of sound.”
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/15906-dropped-pianos/
ONE THIRTY BPM:
“At the heart of those works are the piano and delay experimentation of the sketches present on Dropped Pianos. Though we’re given that glance it doesn’t diminish either work. When you see demo collections you’re often given a glance at the progression of a song from idea to fully formed song. The difference here is that even Hecker’s sketches came out fully formed and ready to be consumed on their own merit.”
http://onethirtybpm.com/reviews/album-review-tim-hecker-dropped-pianos/
PITCHFORK FORKCAST of “Sketch 5”:
“Ambient noise deconstructionist Tim Hecker already released an album this year, Ravedeath, 1972; on October 10, Kranky will release Dropped Pianos, an album of sketches recorded by Hecker last year while preparing to record Ravedeath, 1972.”
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/12482-sketch-5/
ALTERED ZONES preview of “Sketch 5”
“Kranky just announced a follow-up to the release by the name of Dropped Pianos, though its contents-- a series of preparatory sketches for Ravedeath, 1972 -- suggest a wry reversal of narrative causality. ‘Sketch 5’ showcases some delicate alchemical reactions between piano and delay pedal that, in addition to providing a glimpse into his working process, are pretty bewitching in themselves.”
http://alteredzones.com/posts/1975/tim-hecker-sketch-5/
Charalambides
“Exile”
Kranky: krank158
PITCHFORK:
“The album's patient songs stop time in its tracks, freezing moments of thought and emotion so they can be viewed from all angles.”
http://pitchfork.com/features/the-out-door/8670-history-in-the-remaking/2/
SPECTRUM CULTURE:
“This is a record for the somber and focused. Yet more than anything, Exile is defined by a skeletal atmosphere that threads through every track despite the varied density of the instruments and voices droning along, stark in the way more friendly folk music often avoids.”
http://spectrumculture.com/2011/10/charalambides-exile.html
SELF-TITLED:
“...a series of spellbound songs that shimmer and shake for as long as 14 minutes at a time. Getting caught in a K-hole just got its free-folk counterpart.”
http://www.self-titledmag.com/home/2011/09/29/coming-soon-charalambides-exile/
DUSTED:
“...the struggles they recount are individual ones, and the tongues they speak in now are their own. This is a heavy record, and yet, a reassuring one.”
http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/6723
DUSTED:
“Tom and Christina have returned to concentrating on their duo work in more recent years, fusing introspective, open-ended, and often spacious song structures with blasts of feedback and explosive sound often startling to fans familiar only with the band’s deceptively low-key reputation.”
http://www.fluid-radio.co.uk/2011/09/charalambides-exile/
Bonnie “Prince” Billy
“Wolfroy Goes To Town”
Drag City: dc502
PITCHFORK INTERVIEW:
“His new one, Wolfroy Goes to Town, came out last week. It's friendly, slow, and spare. Like all of his work over the past five or six years, it feels like a half-turn away from what came before it-- a new stage with a familiar scene, or vice versa.”
http://pitchfork.com/features/interviews/8684-will-oldham/
FACT:
“Already this year, the singer-songwriter has dropped a series of singles and an audiobook, and on October 4th, he’ll return with a new full-length record. Titled Wolfroy Goes to Town, the 10-track effort features a supporting cast of Ben Boye, Van Campbell, Shahzad Ismaily, Emmett Kelly, Danny Kiely, and Angel Olsen.”
http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/09/bonnie-prince-billy-announces-new-album-wolfroy-goes-to-town/
PITCHFORK:
Bonnie Prince Billy announces new album:
http://pitchfork.com/news/43892-bonnie-prince-billy-announces-new-album/
Lynch, Julian
“Music For How The Mata Hari Lost Her Head and Found Her Body”
Soft Abuse: sab049
ALTERED ZONES:
“Mata Hari's extraordinary escapades as a Dutch woman posing as a Javanese princess sets the scene for some pretty arresting hallucinations of the colonial "orient," and provides an interesting parallel with Lynch's knack for weaving a miscellany of pan-world cues into a psychedelic sound all his own.”
http://alteredzones.com/posts/1916/julian-lynch/
Cronin, Mikal
“Mikal Cronin”
Trouble in Mind: tim031
PITCHFORK 8.1!!:
“On his eponymous debut, Mikal Cronin proves he can hold his own. It's an album of wistful, psychedelic pop that pits lush and layered arrangements against needle-pinning power chords.”
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/15844-mikal-cronin/
CT:
“...sonically, it’s a powerpop fan’s dream, a stew of falsetto harmony vocals, heavy acoustic strumming, fuzzy powerchords, psychedelic guitar leads, surf stomping, doo-wop reverie and garagey bashing. Cronin is a punk at heart, but with the mind of a classic pop sophisticate, and he has the smarts to stitch together his broad ambitions seamlessly.”
http://www.ct.com/entertainment/music/cd-of-the-week/wtxx-cd-of-the-week-mikal-cronin--20110928,0,4760533.story
L MAGAZINE:
“...we’d like to again draw your attention to one of his longtime collaborators in the San Francisco scene, whose self-titled solo debut, Mikal Cronin, provides answers to such questions as, ‘Would it sound ok if this flute solo were to sit atop the crunchiest of guitars? How about if someone started whistling out of nowhere? Can another hook be squeezed in here somehow?’ The answers, in the hands of Cronin, would seem to be yes.”
http://www.ct.com/entertainment/music/cd-of-the-week/wtxx-cd-of-the-week-mikal-cronin--20110928,0,4760533.story
NME:
“...his new solo album is all kinds of aceness and he's always been in the shadows until now. Out on Trouble In Mind, the album starts with 30 seconds of harmonies nicked straight out of Brian Wilson's back pocket, before turning into a mid-90s Evan Dando demo and then going haywire when a load of REALLY FUCKING LOUD drums kick in.”
http://www.nme.com/blog/index.php?blog=15&title=radar_tip_of_the_day_75_mikal_cronin&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1
BROOKLYN VEGAN:
“Mikal's self-titled LP on Trouble in Mind (produced by Ty) is far and away the best thing he's ever done, is one of my albums of the year, and I like it more than Segall's Goodbye Bread to be honest. The album has great song after great song, killer hooks and harmonies -- SoCal garagey surf-pop at it's finest.”
http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2011/09/anika_ddmmyyyy.html
OWL MAG:
“like many of California’s rock revivalists, Cronin’s debut is incredibly loose and feels fresh and innovative on repeated listens.”
www.theowlmag.com/album-reviews/mikal-cronin-by-mikal-cronin
BLACK & WHITE:
“Mikal Cronin is more believable as a garage outcast. The surf-rocking punker opens his self-titled debut with lots of bashing and blurry greatness. Even the acoustic moments maintain a Beatlesque pop fury.”
http://www.bwcitypaper.com/Articles-i-2011-09-15-243508.113121-The-Set-List.html
ALLMUSIC GUIDE:
“Mikal Cronin knows all sorts of examples of what can be described as classic pop/rock is obvious from the first notes of ‘Is It Alright’ -- harmonies out of the Beach Boys, a building burst of melody that the Raspberries could have loved, and an echo-swathed verse that's both Phil Spector and the Jesus and Mary Chain. But by the time the keyboard drone pop of ‘Slow Down’ arrives, it's clear that Cronin's debut release, however tied together by his singing, seeks to not simply be yet another power pop showcase above all else, whether served up clean or with layers of scuzz.”
http://www.allmusic.com/album/mikal-cronin-r2250625/review
UNCUT:
“(Ty) Segall moves fast, though, and the very latest recordings that he’s been involved with - both involving a new name to me, Mikal Cronin - are pretty fantastic…Cronin’s S/T is no less exciting, but draws from a much wider range: the very first seconds are filled with a capella harmonies indebted to The Beach Boys’ ‘Our Prayer’.”
http://www.uncut.co.uk/blog/index.php?blog=6&title=mikal_cronin_mikal_cronin&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1
CLLCT:
“A rare pearl of gritty yet melodious garage fun tucked away amidst the usual bevy of electronic offerings. This is spot on execution of great songwriting and the venerable melody hook with lots of grease on the collar to boot by one Mikal Cronin.”
http://cllct.com/feed/burromusic/quicklynowgetalongbymikalcronin
EVERYBODY TASTE:
“as heavy and guitar-dominated as the mix is on tracks like "Get Along" and "Apathy," it's Cronin's vocal melodies and delivery that really shine and sink their hooks into the listener as they cut their way through walls of fuzz. Two listens deep and I promise you'll be singing along.”
http://www.everybodytaste.com/2011/08/mikal-cronin-get-along-apathy.html
DEATH AND TAXES:
“Judging from ‘Get Along’ and ‘Apathy,’ the upcoming LP sounds pretty promising. The two tracks build on the lo-fi fuzz of Mikal’s many West Coast affiliations but noticeably follow a more pop route with cleaner vocals, plenty of harmonies and nods to ’60s psych. It all creates a heavily infectious blend of garage rock.”
http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/123711/listen-mikal-cronins-apathy-and-get-along-produced-by-ty-segall/
CONSEQUENCE OF SOUND Top 10 MP3s of the week - “Apathy”:
“This song is all kinds of amazing, from the machine-gun snare fills to the catchy-as-shit chorus where Cronin implores that he “don’t want apathy”, and you’ve no choice but to believe him. It’s a perfect mix of pop and fuzz to draw ears of all kind. Put it on, and put it on loud, why don’t ya?.”
http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/07/top-10-mp3s-of-the-week-729/
SF WEEKLY:
“‘Apathy’ sounds like a forgotten MTV Buzz Bin hit from about 1994, with its soft acoustic intro and relentlessly catchy chorus. The song then rises into a noisy climax complete with what sound like off-kilter saxophones. It's pretty rad.”
http://blogs.sfweekly.com/shookdown/2011/07/hear_apathy_by_mikal_cronin_ty.php
KATIE DARBY RECOMMENDS:
“As soon as the first few lines of ‘Apathy’ flew out of my stereo, I was sold on Cronin– not just as a musician, but as a composer. The way this song fits together reminds me of the way I felt when I was listening to early Beck records; this isn’t a completely new venture, but it feels new and fresh. I love the way the instruments in the song jump in and out; I love the controlled chaos. If ‘Apathy’ is any indication, this guy is fantastic.”
http://www.katiedarbyrecommends.com/2011/07/27/keep-listening-for-mikal-cronin/
CITIZEN DICK.com:
“Just like his work with Segall, Cronin's LP promises a collection of gritty and attitude-laden garage rock. I've professed my undying adoration for Segall's Goodbye Bread too many times to count on this here blog. I'm already considering this album a perfect counterpart for the second half.”
http://citizendick.org/2011/07/25/mikal-cronin-apathy-mp3/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CitizenDick+%28Citizen+Dick%29&utm_content=Twitter
ALTERED ZONES:
“Opening itself up wider with each play, this is a good record in the truest sense of the word.”
http://alteredzones.com/posts/1682/mikal-cronin-apathy/
RAVEN SINGS THE BLUES.com:
“Cleaner than we've heard him in a long time, the record packs a huge whollop in its three-minute garage-pop punches. Scraping its way through fuzz, jangle, slow burn motions and even a few psychedelic breakdowns, the record is nothing if not infectious; opening itself up wider with each play.”
http://ravensingstheblues.blogspot.com/2011/07/mikal-cronin.html
AUSTIN TOWN HALL.com:
“If you toss in a little more melody on Segall’s formula for psych-rock, perhaps remove a bit of hazy tones, and this is pretty much what you’re going to get. I know, right! Sounds pretty awesome, so jump on the wagon now…”
http://networkedblogs.com/kIX8n
IMPOSE MAGAZINE.com:
“Much like Segall's excellent Goodbye Bread, Cronin is maturing beyond the grimy scuzz with little hint of growing pains.”
http://www.imposemagazine.com/bytes/mikal-cronin-bros-down-with-ty-segall-again
THE BAY BRIDGED.com:
http://www.thebaybridged.com/2011/07/27/mikal-cronin-get-alongapathy/
CONSEQUENCE OF SOUND: TOP 10 MP3s OF THE WEEK:
http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/07/top-10-mp3s-of-the-week-729/
CONSEQUENCE OF SOUND LIVE REVIEW:
“Cronin’s band of six people were an excellent show opener, busting in with ‘Is It Alright’, flute solo and all (apparently Cronin’s first time playing live with a flautist). It’s a record that deserves the proper live treatment, and it was well done, to say the least.”
http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/10/live-review-ty-segall-mikal-cronin-at-chicago%E2%80%99s-empty-bottle-101/
TIME OUT CHICAGO:
“Mikal Cronin started the evening off with selections from his recent solo debut, a record that Segall turned in production for. After playing a selection of psych-pop odes delivered with a lighter touch than most of his contemporaries, Cronin ended his set with a cover of the Flamin' Groovies' ‘Shake Some Action’ with vocal assistance from Trouble In Mind's Bill Roe.”
http://timeoutchicago.com/music-nightlife/music/14967535/ty-segall-human-eye-mikal-cronin-at-empty-bottle-live-review-photo-ga
WHITE BOARD PROJECT:
“The eponymous album from Mikal Cronin is a lo-fi mixed bag with moments that reflect on grunge, surf-pop, and psychedelia. It’s a youthful, daring debut that will delight those who like their music to be full of unexpected twists.”
http://thewhiteboardproject.tumblr.com/post/10928564334/the-albums-round-up
BOW LEGS:
“It is hard, in fact, to fault a album so likeable, so full of energy and so effortlessly able to drop moments of melancholy into the shadows that are cast by the record’s love for the Californian sun (and a passing love for jamming in the garage).”
http://www.bowlegsmusic.com/2011/10/mikal-cronin-mikal-cronin/
CHICAGO READER:
“It's a crime that Ty Segall isn't ten times more popular than he already is, and the fact that Mikal Cronin isn't even as popular as Ty Segall suggests even more strongly that something's out of whack with the universe. Cronin has earned what small popularity he has by making a collaborative album with Segall and fronting Charlie & the Moonhearts, so his recent self-titled solo debut for local label Trouble in Mind - his best work to date - ought to raise his profile at least a bit. The influences that seem to have gone into the album (Smile-era Beach Boys, maybe a little of Thee Oh Sees, the Beatles' DayGlo period filtered through Apples in Stereo) aren't terribly surprising, but the quality of Cronin's execution—particularly on ‘Get Along,’ which ought to be a smash - very much is.”
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/ty-segall-human-eye-mikal-cronin/Event?oid=4148555
JEFFREY MORGAN:
“Jing-janglin’ pop-infused guitar ditties lacquered with a charming patina of primitivism that’ll have you hunkered down and hankering for a hanky, they’re that heartfelt.”
http://www.jeffreymorgan.info/2011.10.09_arch.html#1318174782679
AQUARIUS RECORDS RECORD OF THE WEEK:
“This week's list is chock full of contenders for pop record of the year, but if any of the other ones are gonna come out on top, this is gonna be the one to beat.”
http://www.aquariusrecords.org/
Crock
“Grok”
Jackpot Records: jpr019
AQUARIUS RECORDS RECORD OF THE WEEK:
“...it's a pretty irresistible combo, one that definitely straddles the line between indie rock and full on noise rock, in fact we'd probably qualify this as noise rock if it weren't so warm and melodic and dreamily fuzzy. But it IS noisy, and loud, and kaleidoscopic, and weird as fuck, but somehow still crazy catchy. The perfect mad scientist fuzz pop concoction, and quickly becoming one of our new favorite records.”
http://www.aquariusrecords.org/
YOUTUBE video for “Eat Your Hat Out”:
“‘Eat Your Hat Out’ by Crock featuring Sam Coomes of Quasi and Spencer Seim of Hella.”
http://www.jackpotrecords.com/products/view/4633/7
BROOKLYN ROCKS:
“The band's sound is built off the fuzzed-out / freaked-out urban electonica of bands like Suicide to which the band add elements of space rock, Zappa / Pavement style free-form deconstruction, dark stoner riffs and pounding industrial squiggles and rhythms.”
http://brooklynrocks.blogspot.com/2011/09/crock-grok-cd-review-jackpot-records.html
PORTLAND MERCURY:
“This collaboration really does appear to be equal parts Hella and Quasi...”
http://endhits.portlandmercury.com/endhits/archives/2011/08/03/crock-no-more-dumb-fun
A Winged Victory For The Sullen
“S/T”
Kranky: krank157
PITCHFORK 7.3!!
“What's interesting about the sound they've hit on isn't so much what the two musicians bring to each other's styles, as it is what each sacrifices from his own.” http://www.pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/15809-a-winged-victory-for-the-sullen/
DUSTED:
“In the end, Wiltzie and O’Halloran’s collaboration stands as an impressive album on its own merits and one of the strongest efforts in the world of Stars of the Lid offshoots. No small achievement.”
http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/6675
MAGNET:
“Don’t sleep on this record; it’s probably the best collection of ambient music you’ll hear all year.”
http://www.magnetmagazine.com/2011/08/16/mp3-at-3pm-a-winged-victory-for-the-sullen/
TEXTURA:
“The material breathes with a natural grace, and the occasional ambient trace of the recording context that sneaks in only makes the recording feel more alive. Listeners familiar with the work of the participants won't be surprised by the music's stately and oft-reverent character, with the album's seven exquisite settings filled with longing. Like the music of Stars of the Lid, A Winged Victory For The Sullen's is music of quiet grandeur that's all the more powerful for being delivered with such understatement.”
http://www.textura.org/reviews/wingedvictory.htm
Sun Araw
“Ancient Romans”
Drag City/Sun Araw: sa012
ALTERED ZONES: Artist Profile:
“Guns blazing, the Los Angeles artist returns with his most sonically acrobatic and, depending on your taste, accessible material yet. It's the type of work that has the potential to broadcast Sun Araw's Technicolor pastiche of cosmic riddim, sacramental chants, scorched dub, and aquatic ambience far outside the niche catacombs where these sorts of abstract meditations like to dwell.”
http://alteredzones.com/posts/1868/artist-profile-sun-araw/
SCOUT MAGAZINE:
“Musically, he rubs shoulders with the great free jazzers, outside funkers and psychedelic avatars of years past. Aesthetically, he has constructed his own po-mo philosophy that borrows as much from West Coast hippy and new age detritus as critical theory approved by the academy. Rarely do we find a musician so self aware and so willing to explore the conceptual framework of his own music.”
http://scoutmagazine.ca/2011/08/09/interview-cultural-excavations-at-a-yard-sale-with-cameron-stallones-of-sun-araw/
DUMMY:
“Ancient Romans takes over your mind, scorching and reeling like some ancient desert swept under a kaleidoscope, all noodly, lost-in-the-moment guitars, thick synths towering like old ruins, and all manner of brain-warping noise tricks strung out together.”
http://www.dummymag.com/new-music/2011/08/16/sun-araw-ancient-romans-album-stream/
BOSTON PHOENIX:
“The hypnotic fifth LP by Sun Araw — the five-year-old solo project of Angelino Cameron Stallones — is a double-vinyl spiral through deep zones of neo-primitive psych-drone noise.”
http://thephoenix.com/boston/music/125396-sun-araw-ancient-romans/
ALTERED ZONES: Zoned In:
“While Ancient Romans preserves the grainy and galactic analog dub sound of Sun Araw's own brief history, the concept and expanded instrumentation demonstrates exciting new directions, maturity, and ambition.”
http://alteredzones.com/posts/1789/zoned-sun-araw-ancient-romans/
SPIN 8/10:
“Sun Araw main man Cameron Stallones has become adept at getting neck-deep in swampy dub, even as he drizzles syrupy Afro-beats atop his psych-tinged noise.”
http://www.spin.com/reviews/sun-araw-ancient-romans-drag-citysun-ark
Razika
“Program 91”
Smalltown Supersound: sts210
VILLAGE VOICE CMJ 2011 REVIEW:
“Friday night at Cameo Gallery, the Norwegian band Razika played its inaugural American show. Its members have yet to turn 21, though the music the quartet specializes in is straight out of 1981's seven-inch singles bins. Their feather-light guitars, simple harmonies, and ska-tinged beats recall heroes of early twee like Orange Juice and Dolly Mixture; the single ‘Vondt i hjertet’ is bittersweet and bubbly, its Norwegian title translating to ‘pain in heart.’ They were absolutely charming during their brief set, splitting their lyrics between their home tongue and English and discussing how excited they were to be in the States.”
http://www.villagevoice.com/2011-10-19/music/the-cmj-music-marathon-big-hype/
CHICAGO READER:
“Program 91 has provided an unexpected summer pop blast - at least for the two weeks I've had it. My interest could fizzle soon - sudden infatuation is sort of how this kind of stuff lives and dies - but for now I'm hooked.”
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2011/08/26/fresh-faced-pop-from-razika
PITCHFORK 7.3!!:
“Program 91's basic makeup is spiky, sharp, post-punk-inflected pop, executed with laser-precise accuracy....”
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/15730-program-91/
NEW YORK TIMES:
“Razika plays naively sweet and imperfectly rhythmic ska-pop. Program 91, the band’s first album on Smalltown Supersound, is light as air, with lyrics about young love and frustration, and guitar tones so transparent they sound almost African.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/14/arts/music/new-work-by-razika-dev-hynes-owlfood-canon-blue.html?_r=3
ELLE MAGAZINE:
“Razika - four teenaged girls from Bergen, Norway - could make even the most staunch of ska’s critics take note. Their take on the genre is a shimmering update, one that crosses with pop.”
http://fashion.elle.com/culture/2011/08/12/razika-norways-teen-dreams/
FLAUNT:
“Razika, however, a group of four teenaged women, actually write their own songs, play their own instruments, and make danceable pop/ska that makes you want to pogo like a Norwegian troll. It's got energy enough to make you forget Norway is dark half the year, and spunk enough to bring you to the brink of giddiness.”
http://flaunt.com/flaunt/interview-razika
NYLON:
“We’ve only known about the Norwegian band Razika for a couple months now, but our love for their girly melodies and soft vocals is definitely growing by the day…it’s basically what we’d want the soundtrack of our life to sound like.”
http://nylonmag.com/nylonblogs/?s=razika&x=0&y=0
NME 8/10!!:
“Scandinavian dream-pop at it's best…it’s pretty perfect.”
http://www.nme.com/reviews/razika/12264
STOOL PIGEON 4/4!!:
“This is music imbued with wonderment and freedom, far removed from the cynicism and concerns about marketing you can hear creeping between the bars of so many fledgling bands.”
http://www.thestoolpigeon.co.uk/reviews/razika-program-91.html
DROWNED IN SOUND:
“This promising debut is a thing of such utter and ruddy brilliance it feels at once irresponsible to get carried away with praise and uppity to proffer anything so improbable as a perceived shortcoming.”
http://drownedinsound.com/releases/16433/reviews/4143342
BITCH MAGAZINE:
“Razika is cheery. Razika is crisp. Razika is catchy. Razika is Norwegian girl power pop made with two scoops of 2 Tone, rainbow sprinkles of '60s garage, and a cherry of jingle-jangle guitars on top. Yum!”
http://bitchmagazine.org/post/b-sides-razika
FADER:
“Norway’s Razika made a sweet, sweet album Program 91 (91 as in 1991 as in the year they were born!) that’s so sugary it almost gave us a toothache. That’s a compliment. They’re 20 years old, high school’s over, things are good. So many people are trying so many complicated things with music, it can be nice to hear something that’s just about the joy of being young and wanting to go on strolls in the park with boys you like. The Ramones understood that, and so does Razika.”
http://www.thefader.com/2011/08/01/interview-razika/
FADER REVIEW OF “Eg Vetsje”:
“...we need great pop rock like this. It’s infinitely listenable.”
http://www.thefader.com/2011/06/23/razika-eg-vetsje-riktig-mp3/
GUARDIAN UK:
“This is faithful stuff, pretty straight and unreconstructed, with nice choruses, sweet vocals and a bubblegum bounce.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/jul/08/new-band-razika
ARTROCKER - ALBUM OF THE SUMMER 2011 5 STARS!!:
“...they’re totally brilliant; using the regular set up of bass, drums, guitars and all that polava, that they somehowe manage to create snappy, breezy and lime-fresh sound. Why don’t millions of bands sound this magical?”
http://www.smalltownsupersound.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/ArtRockerAlbumOfTheSummerAlbumReviewAugSept1.jpg
Night Beats
“S/T”
Trouble In Mind: tim028
JEFFREY MORGAN:
“Monophonic beach blanket garage music that sounds like it was recorded by Kill Spector in his death row jail cell - and with song titles like ‘Dial 666’ it probably was.”
http://www.jeffreymorgan.info/2011.10.09_arch.html#1318174782679
ATX SOUNDS:
“If I wasn’t quite so quick on the uptake to their sharp percussive, screeching, meandering rock and roll, a chance to see them live certainly set my head right… I have to say I think I really enjoy this band and set them a bit apart. There is something just a little more ramshackle in their play that even throws itself into the mix with bands who I consider a bit more of the garage band mold.”
http://atxsounds.blogspot.com/2011/08/friday-psych-night-beats-812-mohawk.html
STEREO SUBVERSION:
“In two short, too short, minutes, The Night Beats will make you think that you’ve done too much acid and ended up a few decades back… The band manages to capture not only a sound but a moment in time. So go ahead, dial 666 but it might be safer to listen to the song instead.”
http://stereosubversion.com/night-beats-dial-666
TIN CAN:
“Upon first listen, you are transported in time. What part of time? You find yourself not in just a certain era, but throughout the centuries. From the times of Egypt, to the old west, to the far out 60s. The music drives you fast. The tempo has you flying at the speed of light, but there it can quickly change…slowing down to give you a chance to catch your breath before you find yourself in another part of time again. The energy is high. The haunting guitar is sprinkled throughout. Sending shrills not just down your spine, but throughout your whole body. Makes you want to just jump up and reach to the skies. The rhythm section is there to drive nails hard into your bgeing. Pushes you, and pushes you, sending you into the darkness…into the night.”
http://issuu.com/emilyutne/docs/night_beats
P.G. Six
“Starry Mind”
Drag City: dc480
DUSTED:
“P.G. Six’s skill lies in reanimating age-old sentiments, polishing them a bit and underlining them with spiraling, transcendental arrangements. Even with the element of rock chaos added, it’s a craft he’s working, a well-defined exercise in making beauty out of traditional elements. Amping up doesn’t change that, but it does make it a bit more exciting.”
http://dustedmagazine.com/reviews/6601
TINY MIX TAPES:
“Despite the nearly omnipresent feeling of ennui, there's a haunting beauty to this stuff that manifests itself in Gubler's subtler touches, as well as in his peculiarly detached demeanor.”
http://www.tinymixtapes.com/music-review/pg-six-starry-mind
BOWLEGS:
“Starry Mind is a complete immersion into a country-tinged, psychedelic album, and an ode to his song-writing talent. Bringing forth melodic, country-infused, twang-laced songs the album mixes an almost psychedelic rendition of life with the existentialism of country and folk music.”
http://www.bowlegsmusic.com/2011/08/p-g-six-starry-mind/
DOOM AND GLOOM FROM THE TOMB:
“Starry Mind, to my ears, takes its template from Richard & Linda Thompson’s classic run of LPs in the mid-70s — I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight, Hokey Pokey, and Pour Down Like Silver. Those records are pegged as ‘UK folk rock,’ but they’re actually more wide-ranging than that, incorporating bits of country, pop, psychedelia, and other disparate genres. And so it goes with P.G. Six — the overall sound here is cohesive, but not monochromatic.”
http://doomandgloomfromthetomb.tumblr.com/post/9124833518/p-g-six-starry-mind-been-awhile-since-we-heard
ALTERED ZONES:
“'Crooked Way' is a master class in pitch-perfect American rock idioms, beginning with an extended instrumental of dueling guitar lines and chugging percussion that kicks into high gear with the appearance of a gorgeous vocal from Gubler and Schwartz, spinning a plaintive narrative of loss. The rest of Starry Mind follows suit, recalling the pleasant mid-tempo jams of classic Dead and the eclecticism of early work by The Incredible String Band.”
http://alteredzones.com/posts/1792/pg-six-crooked-way/
STILL AVAILABLE
McGill, Cameron & What Army
“Is A Beast”
Post-Important: post04
IBN #14 on the 25 BEST INDIE ROCK ALBUMS OF THE LAST DECADE :
“Full of killer vocals and song-writing, it is the way that the band smokes on gems like smoldering ‘My Demons Are Organized’ and thick, tumbling ‘Houdini’ that push the album onto this list.”
http://music.ign.com/articles/119/1191874p1.html
The Limiñanas
“Trouble In Mind”
Trouble In Mind: tim032
GOZAMOS:
“Though most, if not all, their songs have a base structure of repetitive drums that have become the hallmark of their sound, they also contain no fewer than six or seven instrument arrangements. Therein their artistry.”
http://gozamos.com/2011/09/review-the-liminanas’-dreamy-haze-through-chicago/?utm_source=wordtwit&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=wordtwit
SOUNDBITE NYC:
“...settle into The Limiñanas’ motorik groove, it all hypnotic effortless cool from there.”
http://soundbitesnyc.com/2011/08/un-deux-trois-cat-the-liminanas-gaz-gaz-the-gytters-death-by-audio-8-17-2011/
Locrian
“Dort Ist Der Weg”
Flingco Sound System: fss014
TINY MIX TAPES:
“Locrian conjure the brooding underbelly lurking beneath the original's ethereal vocals.”
http://www.tinymixtapes.com/chocolate-grinder/listen-locrian-dort-ist-der-weg-popol-vuh-cover
LURKER’S PATH:
“Instead of producing some rehashed, dormant clone copy of this almost inimitable track, Locrian serve up a ritually hypnotic and powerful piece of music that will floor you.”
http://www.lurkerspath.com/2011/07/20/locrian-dort-ist-der-wegfrozen-in-ash/
THE INARGUABLE:
“Who else can effortlessly move about the black metal, noise, doom, post-rock, drone, and psychedelic spheres while still retaining that coherent ‘We are still the same band’ sort of sound?.”
http://www.theinarguable.com/2011/07/locrian-dort-ist-der-weg-bw-frozen-in.html
CVLT NATION:
“How many times did I listen to this record on repeat? I would say around 7. It’s all good, now I know what magick sounds like....”
http://www.cvltnation.com/dort-ist-der-weg-bw-frozen-in-ash-7-inch-locrian-review/
OMG VINYL:
“Locrian have a new 7″ single out for Flingco Sound System, and they have somehow pulled off the nearly impossible task of covering a Popol Vuh track. No small feat, and this is not simply an uninspired rehash – the Locrian boys infuse it with their own inimitable sound to create something wholly unique and completely hypnotic.”
http://www.omgvinyl.com/2011/07/28/locrian-dort-ist-der-weg-bw-frozen-in-ash-7/
HTRK
“Eat Yr Heart”/”Work (work, work)”
Ghostly International: gi142/gi144
PITCHFORK FORKCAST of “Eat Yr Heart”:
“Eat Yr Heart" is a cavernous first taste from Work (work, work), the forthcoming full-length from London electro-bruisers HTRK, due September 6”
http://pitchfork.com/forkcast/15968-eat-yr-heart/
BRAINWASHED:
“On Work (work, work), HTRK craft a stark soundscape: achingly slow 808 beats, eerie synth arpeggios, vaporous guitar noise, and Jonnine Standish’s androgynous, detached vocals, dripping with reverb. And yet it’s the careful way the pair combine those elements - organizing and juxtaposing them with a minimalist’s attention to detail - that makes their music so emotionally devastating.”
http://brainwashed.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8836:htrk-announce-new-album-work-work-work-due-september-6-2011&catid=72:buzz-bin&Itemid=95
PREFIX MAG.com:
“The duo recorded the album in the aftermath of the suicide of third founding member and bassist Sean Stewart in March 2010. The result is understandably dark, though peppered with undeniably beautiful moments.”
http://www.prefixmag.com/media/htrk/eat-yr-heart/53617/
TINY MIX TAPES:
“Work, (Work, Work) will hopefully introduce music fans in these fine U States of A to this totally awesome band...”
http://www.tinymixtapes.com/news/ghostly-international-signs-htrk-gloomiest-magical-est-band-around
RESIDENT ADVISOR:
“HTRK (pronounced "hate rock") have a haunting, contemplative sound that's earned them praise from blogs like 20jazzfunkgreats along with mainstream publications like NME.”
http://www.residentadvisor.net/news.aspx?id=14356
IMPOSE MAGAZINE:
“From what we can glimpse from the lead off track "Eat Yr Heart," there is a cathartic murmur that permeates the entire track, accompanied by keys that squeak like door mice amid the solemn dark vocals provided by Jonnine Standish.”
http://www.imposemagazine.com/bytes/week-in-pop-zola-jesus-j-dilla-fanzine
MTV IGGY:
“The preview track ‘Eat Yr Heart’ is a haunting, slow, droney number with 80s new wave lurking in the shadows of their signature distorted basslines. It’s sludgy, heavy, purposely sloppy, and vaguely scary. Perfect for a goth summer.”
http://www.mtviggy.com/blog-posts/htrk-previews-spooky-new-lp-with-eat-yr-heart/
RCTD LBL:
“On Eat Yr Heart, the now London-based duo builds a glacial crescendo over a steady, syrupy hip-hop beat, submerged bass and horrifying, flute-tinged synth figures that buzz around singer Jonnine Standish's voice like flies on a carcass. Oddly, this doesn't turn out too abrasive. The slow tempo and smokey romance of the vocals keep things too chill to devolve into complete terror.”
http://rcrdlbl.com/2011/06/29/download_htrk_eat_yr_heart
INDIE 30:
“...an icy and sparse, yet deceptively emotional, intense effort, we're in for a ride full of contradictions and confounded expectations.”
http://indie30.com/component/content/article/36-news-archive/484-htrk-set-to-release-new-album.html
BRAINWASHED:
“The gritty electronic sound design and simple beauty of these 10 new songs belie the sheer psychic weight to be found on this record”
http://brainwashed.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8836:htrk-announce-new-album-work-work-work-due-september-6-2011&catid=72:buzz-bin&Itemid=95
Charalambides
“Our Bed Is Green”
Kranky: krank080
PITCHFORK:
“The first Charalambides release was a 90-minute cassette with echoes of psych rock, traditional folk, and improvised sound art. Though they would never sound this sprawling and schizophrenic again, every track contains nuggets of the musical approach they continue to use.”
http://pitchfork.com/features/the-out-door/8670-history-in-the-remaking/3/
Charalambides
“Joy Shapes”
Kranky: krank068
PITCHFORK:
“In 2000, Charalambides added Heather Leigh Murray, who had been playing in a duo with Christina called Scorces. The next few years produced numerous releases (many of them on CD-R), culminating in the group's first original album for Kranky, Joy Shapes, featuring five expansive songs stretched out over 75 minutes.”
http://pitchfork.com/features/the-out-door/8670-history-in-the-remaking/3/
Charalambides
“A Vintage Burden”
Kranky: krank095
PITCHFORK:
“Around 2004, Charalambides emigrated from Texas. Murray left the group to live in Glasgow, while Tom moved to Oakland and Christina moved to Western Massachusetts. She had only been there a few weeks when she flew to California to record A Vintage Burden, a patient, pensive album that might be their most gorgeous.”
http://pitchfork.com/features/the-out-door/8670-history-in-the-remaking/3/
Bragg, Meredith
“Nest”
Kora: tkr023
PASTE - video premiere of “Birds of North America”:
http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/av/2011/06/video-premiere-meredith-bragg---birds-of-north-ame-1.html
WASHINGTON CITY PAPER:
“Nest is ultimately a thinking-person’s record—but not at the risk of alienating anybody who might stumble across one of these songs while looking for something sensitive and folksy. It works precisely because of the tension between its overt listenability and Bragg’s sneakily unsettling storytelling.”
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/41219/meredith-braggs-nest-reviewed-an-alexandria-singers-mysterious-eminently-pleasurable/
MY OLD KENTUCKY BLOG:
“At his best ('Next Time', 'Birds of North America') Bragg’s introspection approaches the sublime. At his most adventurous ('Point', 'Line and Plane') he could pass for any number of introspective northern European electronica spielers.”
http://www.myoldkentuckyblog.com/?p=22700
Brute Heart
“Lonely Hunter”
Soft Abuse: sab048
MINNEAPOLIS CITY PAGES:
“You can say they sound mystic, Middle Eastern, psychedelic, kaleidoscopic, bathed in incense, sage, and hookah smoke. But there is also something so complete in their rhythms, all warm glow and velvet, mesmerizing and dreamy in the repetition.The vocals—chants, howls, and celestial melodies—communicate lament. Myslajek, viola player Jackie Beckey, and drummer Crystal Brinkman create something epic when they sing together, as if wailing for their lovers lost at sea. Their three voices snake around each other, intertwine and untangle, their silences perfectly placed.”
http://www.citypages.com/2011-05-11/music/brute-heart-s-lonely-hunter/
THE REVILER:
“Lonely Hunter is anchored by the band’s signature bestial nature – the howled vocals over jagged strings, primordial doom-laden beats, and climactic bursts of joy when the trio reaches an apex. Brute Heart’s is one of the most compelling sounds in our vibrant music scene today, and its a thrill to see that with Lonely Hunter the band seems to finally be getting its due.”
http://www.reviler.org/2011/05/10/brute-heart-lonely-hunter-review/
Thing with Jim O’Rourke
“Shinkjuku Growl”
Smalltown Superjazzz: stsj201
UNCUT 4/5:
“A great homage to ’60s pioneers and, over 40 years on, still very much the New Thing.”
http://www.uncut.co.uk/
Thing with Otomo Yoshihide
“Shinkjuku Crawl”
Smalltown Superjazzz: stsj169
MILK FACTORY:
“The Thing are an unpredictable formation at best, and these two records are as different to each other as they are to the rest of the trio’s cannon. At their most intimate and delicate, The Thing deliver a particularly fine album with Shinjuku Crawl, but they let their incendiary nature resurface with panache on Shinjuku Growl.”
http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/2011/07/the-thing-with-otomo-yoshihide-shinjuku-crawl-the-thing-with-jim-orourke-shinjuku-growl-smalltown-superjazz/
Ty Segall
“Goodbye Bread”
Drag City: dc479
POP MATTERS:
“Forget what you know about Segall. Let the stereotypes that follow him be laid to rest. With Goodbye Bread, Segall’s first full-length on Drag City, he has mastered the hard right turn.”
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/145695-ty-segallgoodbye-bread/
HUFFINGTON POST:
“Taking a more concerted effort to focus on songwriting this time around, the tracks on Goodbye Bread feel older and wiser (see, ‘I Am With You’, ‘Fine’), more deliberate and careful; with a concentration on chord progressions, timing and lyrics. This is a more focused Ty Segall. One who is growing his musical prowess, but maintaining the guttural psych-pop sensibility that made him a standout in the first place.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/emily-cohen/ty-segall-and-the-ultimat_b_900453.htm
PITCHFORK OVERLOOKED RECORDS 2011:
“While fellow garage-rock up-and-comers like Smith Westerns clean up their sound and go glam, Segall keeps things messy, playing every instrument on Goodbye Bread and retaining a certain trash-can fidelity while still showing a stylistic dexterity that nobody really expected from him. It's proof that Segall is a restless talent with a whole lot more to offer.”
http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/8008-overlooked-records-2011/2/
FUSE TV - Live performance of “You Make The Sun Fry”:
http://www.fuel.tv/music/#/ty-segall-you-make-the-sun-fry
NY MAG:
“...the Über-prolific Segall has never been one to stand still: On last month’s Goodbye Bread, he threw his sound completely out the window in favor of something slower and softer — and just as indelibly catchy as the rest of his lengthy back catalogue.”
http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2011/08/ty_segall_on_goodbye_bread_num.html
PITCHFORK 8.1!:
“In Goodbye Bread, his first full-length for Drag City, Segall has embraced singer-songwriter craft wholeheartedly. While garage rock O.G.s like the Troggs and the Stooges continue to be an influence, Segall has turned in a relatively calm effort here, choosing to downshift into slower tempos and cleaner sounds, evoking instead the work of John Lennon, Neil Young, and Marc Bolan. Heavyweights. But what makes Goodbye Bread such a success is that we get an even keener sense of what a Ty Segall song sounds like and what that means.”
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/15557-goodbye-bread/
FADER:
“The way Segall glides through the spaces from all-out raucous rock-mode to mellow and mild-mannered and everything in between and simply owns all of it. This ability mixed with a readily apparent improvement in songwriting means that though Goodbye Bread is no doubt impressive on repeat listens. Whatever comes next could be scary good.”
http://www.thefader.com/2011/06/20/the-tripwire-ty-segalls-gliding-through-all-things-rock/
DUSTED:
“Segall is still young, and appears to be moving at an accelerated rate. Each record is better than the one before it. This isn’t something you get to watch every day. This is someone entering his prime, on the cusp of finding a voice. If you aren’t already, the time to pay attention is now.”
http://dustedmagazine.com/reviews/6493
WASHINGTON POST:
“Segall has both diversified and focused his sound, making for his best album to date….”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/click-track/post/quick-spins-ty-segall-iceage-justin-moore/2011/06/21/AGxtOTeH_blog.html
ADEQUACY.NET:
“Goodbye Bread is a fitting development on an impeccable path. The depth accomplished through five albums is obviously grand and it’s definitely as if Segall is purely improving with every passing year.”
http://www.adequacy.net/2011/06/ty-segall-–-goodbye-bread/
Nadler, Marissa
“S/T”
Box of Cedar: boc001
PITCHFORK FORKCAST OF “Alabaster Queen” video:
http://pitchfork.com/news/43492-marissa-nadler-shares-video-tour-dates/
PITCHFORK OVERLOOKED RECORDS 2011
“If you measured artists' popularity by the devotion of their cults, Marissa Nadler wouldn't exactly be overlooked. After four finely wrought neo-folk albums, the Massachusetts-based songwriter got by with a little help from her fans in making this self-titled, self-released album. That successful Kickstarter funding campaign bears deeply rewarding fruit on Marissa Nadler, an uncommonly detailed album that's full of otherworldly romantic melancholy, whether in country-glinting "The Sun Always Reminds Me of You" or synth-touched "Baby, I Will Leave You in the Morning". Nadler's patient, often-elliptical songwriting shines through clearly enough to welcome a whole new crowd of rabid supporters.”
http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/8008-overlooked-records-2011/2/
ALARM PRESS:
“Now, on her fifth proper LP in just seven years, Nadler has truly found a voice within the realm of dreamlike folk. Building on a style that she has crafted on past efforts, she continues to improve her fairytale folk pop, diving into deeper waters of heartbreak and reflection on this self-titled album.”
http://alarmpress.com/36898/blog/columns/pop-addict-marissa-nadlers-marissa-nadler/
NPR FIRST LISTEN STREAMING “S/T”:
“Marissa Nadler has drawn a big response...Her dreamy, fragile folk songs are revered among an assortment of tastemakers, but they haven't yet broken through to a larger audience. Her new self-titled album should help change all that.'”
http://www.npr.org/2011/06/05/136829503/first-listen-marissa-nadler-marissa-nadler
SPIN BEST NEW ARTIST FOR JUNE 2011:
SPIN Music Editor Charles Aaron says: “There are several mixtape keepers on this album, where her willingness to be openly vulnerable, and to expose her voice to the point that it even sounds shaky or strained, pays off in wonderfully poignant drama, especially when the slide guitar sighs just so.”
http://www.spin.com/gallery/spins-5-best-new-artists-june?page=4#main
PITCHFORK FORKCAST OF “The Sun Always Reminds Me Of You”:
“‘The Sun Always Reminds Me Of You’ is a pedal steel-wrapped heartbreaker….”
http://pitchfork.com/forkcast/15795-the-sun-always-reminds-me-of-you/
PITCHFORK VIDEO OF “Baby, I Will Leave You In The Morning”:
http://pitchfork.com/news/42488-watch-new-marissa-nadler-video/
PITCHFORK FORKCAST OF “Baby, I Will Leave You In The Morning”:
“This is the sound of an artist coming into her own.”
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/12146-baby-i-will-leave-you-in-the-morning/
PITCHFORK NEW RELEASE INFO:
“...Nadler says, 'It's the most honest, natural record I've ever written... I'm no longer hiding. The mystery still exists in the music as an aesthetic tool, but the songs cut harder because of the vocal mix, with more varied colors than my other records.'”
http://pitchfork.com/news/42014-marissa-nadler-announces-new-album/
NO DEPRESSION:
“There is a lot of talent, strength and intelligence in this woman….”
http://www.nodepression.com/profiles/blogs/the-demystification-of-marissa
CONSEQUENCE OF SOUND:
"The dream-folk songstress possesses long, flowing hair, classic beauty, a lush, emotive voice, and crafts songs with equal parts pain and sweetness."
http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/03/check-out-marissa-nadler-baby-i-will-leave-you-in-the-morning/
Diskjokke
“Sagara”
Smalltown Supersound: sts204
FOXY DIGITALIS:
“Consciously or not, DiskJokke (aka Joachim Drydhal) has skillfully invoked the spirits of many of the old EM masters on this disk… In fact, Sagara is really quite beautiful – and that should be sufficient.”
http://www.foxydigitalis.com/foxyd/?p=12651
PITCHFORK:
“Dyrdahl never received enough credit for the excellent sound design of his work, and while Sagara seems nothing more than an interesting detour, his careful ear and sense of structure are here in spades.”
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/15584-sagara/
RCRD LBL:
“Sagara, out this week on Smalltown Supersound, is more like cocoon-‘til-Christmas, but it’s great just the sames.”
http://rcrdlbl.com/2011/06/16/download_diskjokke_panutup
NEW YORK TIMES:
“(Diskjokke) seeks out a deeper, slower, more meditative current on Sagara...It’s a concise album, just 35 minutes, but it’s ethereality makes the time drift slowly: the percussive plink of a piano (or something like it), about 24 minutes in, registers as a decisive event.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/12/arts/music/new-cds-by-bbc-woods-diskjokke-and-youssou-ndour.html?_r=2
PITCHFORK FORKCAST OF “Pantup”:
http://pitchfork.com/forkcast/15679-panutup/
EXCLAIM!:
“...if the lead track "Panutup" is like the rest of the album, it will be one unique listening experience.”
http://exclaim.ca/News/diskjokke_returns_with_sagara_lp
SOME KIND OF AWESOME:
“I don't know what the heck is going on in Norway but I do not care. The electronic music that comes out of that country is RIDICULOUS!.”
http://www.somekindofawesome.com/journal/2011/4/22/download-diskjokke-panutup.html
CHART ATTACK:
“There's no space for judgment while you're listening; its songs need to be absorbed en masse. Whether or not you're willing give it a second spin may hinge on how good your headphones are. The right cans pick up a lot of subtleties in this disc.”
http://www.chartattack.com/reviews/2011/jun/15/diskjokke-—-sagara
TIME OUT NEW YORK:
“Sagara’s not a total break from his past work, as Dyrdahl’s repertoire has always had a sedate, hypnotic, and richly melodic edge to it. But it does perhaps show a promising evolution in the path that this evolving artist is taking—at the very least, he’s picked up a few more tricks for his next cosmic-disco odyssey.”
http://newyork.timeout.com/music-nightlife/nightlife/1570543/diskjokke
V/A
“Wallahi Le Zein: Wezin, Jackwar & Guitar Boogie From The Islamic Republic of Mauritania”
Locust/Latitude: latitude07
NPR:
“A new compilation of Mauritanian guitar music released by Latitude Records, an imprint of Chicago indie label Locust Music, captures some of these raw live performances, rarely heard outside the Maghreb.”
http://www.wbez.org/episode-segments/2011-07-27/global-notes-comp-captures-rawness-rarely-heard-mauritanian-guitar-virtu
CHICAGO READER:
“Terse, bluesy runs, vicious stabs, and tightly coiled solos cut through even the worst fidelity with a biting, brittle attack. If only all field recordings were this exciting.”
http://www.chicagoreader.com/gyrobase/three-beats-aram-shelton-latitude-records-cococoma-marble-vanity/Content?oid=4065366&storyPage=2
PITCHFORK 8.0!!:
“Wallahi Le Zein is somewhat similar to a Sublime Frequencies radio or field recording release, except that this has a much deeper interest in the musicological, historical, and cultural underpinnings of what's going on here. Lavoie isn't just putting this stuff out there for you - the liner notes are an educational document reflecting years of research and real, focused passion for the subject matter, rather than a basic interest in otherness. This is in some ways this compilation's greatest gift - this is the first curated collection of unfiltered Mauritanian guitar music ever, and I'm glad it's been introduced with such thoroughness and care.”
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/15470-wallahi-le-zein-wezin-jakwar-and-guitar-boogie-from-the-islamic-republic-of-mauritania/
Com Truise
“Galactic Melt”
Ghostly International: gi138
PITCHFORK 7.3!!:
“…with its staccato, bonus level synth stabs, keening psychedelia and 1980s-drenched drum sounds, Melt is still very identifiably Truise.”
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/15604-galactic-melt/
SPIN 7/10:
“Boards of Canada meets Vangelis...”
http://www.spin.com/reviews/com-truise-galactic-melt-ghostly-international
BBC BEST ALBUMS OF JUNE 2011:
“(Com Truise) demonstrates a sight more depth than a lot of stuff that's been tagged as chillwave.”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcmusic/2011/07/the_best_albums_of_june_2011.html
URB 4/5:
“Galactic Melt manages to be both dark and upbeat at the same time. It’s filled with well-composed and highly aesthetic tracks. Com Truise makes synthetic and emotional music, nostalgic and spaced out like a German or Russian Sci-fi score, and the songs melt into each other without sounding repetitive and recycled. 10 tracks of pure seamless joy.”
http://www.urb.com/2011/07/05/com-truise-galactic-melt/
FLAVORPILL 10 UNDERRATED 2011 ALBUMS YOU NEED TO HEAR:
“this sci-fi analog synth workout is an absolute belter of a debut album from New Jersey producer Seth Haley (aka Com Truise).”
http://flavorwire.com/190957/10-underrated-2011-albums-you-need-to-hear/8#post_body
XLR8R Preview of “Polyhurt”:
http://www.xlr8r.com/mp3/2011/04/polyhurt
PITCHFORK Forkcast of “Polyhurt”:
“...Seth Haley, aka Com Truise, is gearing up to release the "Fairlight" single via new label Ghostly International on May 3. "Polyhurt" is one laser-cut slice from it.”
http://pitchfork.com/forkcast/15677-polyhurt/
URB - TOP 10 DETROIT ACTS YOU HAVEN’T HEARD:
“...now is a great time to be catching Seth Haley’s Com Truise project. His mix of downtempo breaks with some of the spaciest synths to be found produces auditory sci-fi.”
http://www.urb.com/2011/05/16/top-10-movement-detroit-acts-you-havent-likely-heard/
LOS ANGELES TIMES:
“It conjures a Macintosh nostalgia for futures dreamed up decades ago. Synthesizers bright as lasers and drums loose as dust....Ideal summer music.”
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2011/04/com-truise-flash-beta-eyes-set-to-release-debut-on-ghostly-international.html
PITCHFORK Forkcast of “Cathode Girls”:
http://pitchfork.com/forkcast/15727-cathode-girls/
D-W/L-SS
“Split (w/JBe)”
Sixgunlover: sgl018
SPIN - #4 BEST LIVE SET / Lollapalooza 2011:
“Disappears' set peaked when the group charged into a 10-minute-long song with guests White/Light. ‘Lights flared for the first time, carving swirling patterns into the hazy whorls from the smoke machine," wrote SPIN's Marc Hogan. ‘They stretched out whirring drum patterns and winding, distorted guitar leads, each of which carried echoes of German art-rockers like Can and English psych-rockers like Spacemen 3.’”
http://www.spin.com/gallery/10-best-sets-lollapalooza-2011?page=7
Disappears
“Guider”
Kranky: krank151
ROCK EDITION:
“Disappears have quickly carved out a niche for themselves, filling a void that nobody knew needed filling: conceptual drone rock with a punk attitude. With their recent release, Guider, the band have cemented their reputation for delivering repetitive but catchy tunes, not to mention their invigorating live shows. Drone-y without being boring, Disappears take the listener on a blissed out voyage to nowhere — which is exactly where they want to go.”
http://www.rockedition.com/interviews/interview-with-brian-case-of-disappears/
KTUV:
“Though they've only been in existence for a few short years, Chicago-based band Disappears has become one of the fastest rising outfits to emerge from the Midwestern metropolis of late.”
http://www.ktvu.com/entertainment/28931376/detail.html
SPIN - #4 BEST LIVE SET / Lollapalooza 2011:
“Disappears' set peaked when the group charged into a 10-minute-long song. ‘Lights flared for the first time, carving swirling patterns into the hazy whorls from the smoke machine," wrote SPIN's Marc Hogan. ‘They stretched out whirring drum patterns and winding, distorted guitar leads, each of which carried echoes of German art-rockers like Can and English psych-rockers like Spacemen 3.’”
http://www.spin.com/gallery/10-best-sets-lollapalooza-2011?page=7
VILLAGE VOICE:
“This Chicago quartet is all presence: a shuddering combustion-engine surging forth with rocket-launch intensity, throbbing, lashing guitars and autistic, swarming drums celebrating Krautrock's in-and-out-of-focus drift and motorik pulse while concurrently saluting Spacemen 3's fried-cerebellum dirges.”
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/2011/07/disappears_brian_case_interview.php
Hecker, Tim
“Ravedeath 1972”
Kranky: krank154
THE 405 #5 BEST OF 2011 SO FAR:
“...it's perhaps Hecker's most affecting record to date, and offers some profoundly beautiful moments of precision and subtlety.”
http://thefourohfive.com/news/article/the-405-albums-of-the-year-so-far
TINY MIX TAPES BEST OF 2011 SO FAR:
“Hecker's freshest exploration of the life of rave death comes thoroughly recommended.”
http://www.tinymixtapes.com/features/favorite-25-albums-2011-so-far
NO REST FOR THE WICKED: ON TOUR NOW
(UPDATED OCTOBER 25, 2011):
Arborea
10/26 - Santa Cruz, CA @ The Crepe Place
10/27 - Big Sur, CA @ Fernwood Resort
10/28 Los Angeles, CA @ Hotel Cafe
Atlas Sound
10/25 - Toronto, Ontario @ Somewhere Theatre
10/26 - Grand Rapids, MI @ The DAAC
10/27 - Chicago, IL @ The Darkroom
10/28 - Chicago, IL @ Andrew Rafacz Gallery
10/29 - Columbus, OH @ Wholly Craft
10/30 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Garfield Artworks
Ed Askew
10/28 - Asheville, NC @ Moog Fest
A Winged Victory For The Sullen
10/29 - Philadelphia, PA @ St. Mary’s Hamilton Village
10/30 - NYC @ West Park Presbyterian Church
10/31 - Montreal, Quebec @ Casa del Popolo
11/01 - Toronto, Ontario @ Drake Hotel
11/02 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Warhol Museum
11/03 - Cincinnati, OH @ Southgate House
11/05 - St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway
11/06 - Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
11/07 - Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center
11/10 - Seattle, WA @ The Triple Door
11/12 - Portland, OR @ Holocene
11/14 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
11/15 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Satellite
Azita
10/29 - Chicago, IL @ Hideout
11/12 - Bari, Italy @ Time Zones
11/13 - London, UK @ Cafe Oto
Baby Dee
10/25 - Cardiff, UK @ The Globe
11/03 - Coventry, UK @ Taylor John’s House
11/04 - London, UK @ Cafe Oto
11/05 - London, UK @ Cafe Oto
11/06 - Paris, France @ Petit Bain
11/07 - Turin, Italy @ Music 90 at Museo Regionale Di Scienze Naturali
11/08 - Bologna, Italy @ Teatrino Degli Illusi
Meg Baird
10/29 - Chicago, IL @ Hideout
11/19 - New Hope, PA @ New Hope Winery
12/01 - Coventry, UK @ Taylor John’s House
12/05 - London, UK @ Cafe Oto
Chris Bathgate
10/26 - Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree
10/28 - Lansing, MI @ The Loft
11/04 - Ypsilanti, MI @ Woodruff’s
11/05 - Grand Rapids, MI @ Founders Brewing Company
11/06 - Kalamazoo, MI @ The Strutt
11/09 - Chicago, IL @ Uncommon Ground
11/10 - Milwaukee, WI @ Club Garibaldi
11/12 - Minneapolis, MN @ Cause Spirits & Soundbar
11/14 - Missoula, MT @ Micah Sewells Studio
11/15 - Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern
11/25 - Oklahoma City, OK @ The Blue Door
12/02 - Oklahoma City, OK @ The Blue Door
Benoit & Sergio
12/02 - San Francisco, CA @ Som Bar
12/03 - Los Angeles, CA @ Making Shapes 8
12/09 - Chicago, IL @ Smart Bar
12/10 - NYC @ Le Bain
12/16 - Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall
12/17 - Toronto, Ontario @ Footwork
Andrew Bird
11/15 - Anchorage, AK @ Atwood Concert Hall
12/03 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
12/21 - Chicago, IL @ Museum of Contemporary Art
12/22 - Chicago, IL @ Museum of Contemporary Art
01/12 - Honolulu, HI @ Hawaii Theatre
Bonnie “Prince” Billy
10/26 - Valencia, Spain @ Mirror
10/27 - Barcelona, Spain @ Casino Alianca
10/28 - Bordeaux, France @ I Boat
10/29 - Vendomes, France @ Chapelle Saint-Jacques
10/30 - Nantes, France @ Le Lieu Unique
11/01 - Rouen, France @ Le 106
11/02 - Lille, France @ Aeronef
11/03 - Paris, France @ Le Trianon
California Guitar Trio
10/27 - Salt Lake City, UT @ State Room
10/29 - Denver, CO @ Swallow Hill
10/30 - Fort Collins, CO @ Avogadro’s
11/02 - Minocqua, WI @ Campanile Center For The Arts
11/04 - Fremont, MI @ Dogwood Center For The Performing Arts
11/05 - Ferndale, MI @ First United Methodist Church
11/06 - Cleveland, OH @ Night Town
11/11 - Schenectady, NY @ Van Dyck Lounge
11/12 - Geneseo, NY @ Wadsworth Auditorium
11/14 - NYC @ Iridium Jazz Club
11/16 - Bethlehem, PA @ Artsquest Center & Steel Stacks
11/17 - Wilmington, DE @ World Cafe Live at The Queen
11/18 - Natick, MA @ Center For The Arts
11/19 - Sherbrooke, Quebec @ Theatre Centennial
11/20 - Kingston, Ontario @ Grand Theatre
Bill Callahan
11/07 - Dusseldorf, Germany @ Zakk
11/08 - Heidelberg, Germany @ Enjoy Jazz Festival at Karlstorbahnhof
11/09 - Lausanne, Switzerland @ Le Romandie
11/10 - Schorndorf, Germany @ Manufaktur
11/12 - Chorzow, Poland @ Rozrywki Theatre
11/13 - Dresden, Germany @ Kleine Reithalle
11/14 - Bremen, Germany @ Schlachthof
11/16 - Copenhagen, Denmark @ Vega
11/17 - Gothenburg, Sweden @ Stora Tavern
11/18 - Oslo, Norway @ Kulturkirken Jakob
11/20 - Stockholm, Sweden @ Kagelbanan
11/21 - Malmo, Sweden @ Palladium
11/22 - Aarhaus, Denmark @ Vox Hall
11/24 - Brussels, Belgium @ Autumn Falls Festival at Cirque Royale
11/25 - Utrecht, Netherlands @ Le Guess Who Festival at Tivoli
11/26 - Paris, France @ La Gaite Lyrique
Ken Camden
10/29 - Philadelphia, PA @ St. Mary’s Hamilton Village
11/02 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Warhol Museum
11/03 - Cincinnati, OH @ Southgate House
11/05 - St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway
11/07 - Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center
11/12 - Portland, OR @ Holocene
11/14 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
11/15 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Satellite
Cave
11/06 - Madison, WI @ Mickey’s
11/08 - Minneapolis, MN @ Medusa
11/09 - Northfield, MN @ The Cave (Carleton College)
11/11 - Columbia, MO @ Mojo’s
11/17 - Seattle, WA @ The Comet
11/19 - Portland, OR @ East End
11/23 - San Francisco, CA @ Verdi Club
11/28 - Los Angeles, CA @ Pehrspace
12/03 - Tucson, AZ @ Solar Culture
12/05 - Dallas, TX @ Bryan Street Tavern
12/08 - New Orleans, LA @ Siberia
Com Truise
11/04 - Rome, Italy @ Lanficio 159
11/05 - Foligno, Italy @ Auditorium
11/08 - Brighton, UK @ Green Store Door
11/09 - Dublin, Ireland @ The Grand Central
11/10 - Manchester, UK @ Now Wave at The Ritz
11/11 - London, UK @ Shackwell Arms
11/12 - Stockholm, Sweden @ Debaser
11/15 - Turin, Italy @ Astoria
11/16 - Paris, France @ Club Folamou
11/17 - Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Paradiso
11/18 - Berlin, Germany @ Magnet
11/19 - Copenhagen, Denmark @ Dunkel
11/20 - Oslo, Norway @ John Dee
11/23 - Gent, Belgium @ Charlatan
11/24 - Utrecht, Netherlands @ Le Guess Who Festival
11/25 - Madrid, Spain @ Primavera Club
11/26 - Barcelona, Spain @ Primavera Club
11/27 - Porto, Spain @ Maus Habitos
11/29 - London, UK @ White Heat/Madam Jojos
12/01 - Sunderland, UK @ The Little Room
12/02 - Manchester, UK @ Ware House Project
12/03 - Edinburgh, UK @ Sneaky Pete’s
Dabrye
11/03 - Seattle, WA @ Electric Tea Garden (DJ Set)
11/04 - Portland, OR @ Holocene (DJ Set)
11/05 - Sebastopol, CA @ Hopmunk Tavern (DJ Set)
11/09 - Los Angeles, CA @ Low End Theory (DJ Set)
11/10 - San Francisco, CA @ Som Bar (DJ Set)
Matthew Dear
10/28 - Asheville, NC @ Moog Fest
10/29 - Greensboro, NC @ Guilford College (DJ Set)
11/11 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival
The Ex
110/27 - Leiden, Netherlands @ LVC
10/28 - Tilburg, Netherlands @ 013-Kleine Zaal
10/29 - Brussels, Belgium @ De Vaartkapoen
12/09 - Minehead, UK @ All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival
Faun Fables
11/03 - Felton, CA @ Don Quixote’s
11/04 - Oakland, CA @ The New Parish (2 shows)
11/05 - San Francisco, CA @ Folk Music & Beyond (Live on KALW at 7pm)
01/11 - Oakland, CA @ The Crucible
01/12 - Oakland, CA @ The Crucible
01/13 - Oakland, CA @ The Crucible
01/14 - Oakland, CA @ The Crucible
01/18 - Oakland, CA @ The Crucible
01/20 - Oakland, CA @ The Crucible
01/21 - Oakland, CA @ The Crucible
Josephine Foster
10/25 - Brooklyn, NY @ Union Pool
Laura Gibson
11/05 - Portland, OR @ The Woods
01/28 - Norfolk, VA @ Attucks Theatre
Girl Talk
10/29 - New Orleans, LA @ Voodoo Experience Music Festival
12/31 - Dallas, TX @ Lights All Night
Gold Panda
10/25 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
10/26 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
10/27 - Ann Arbor, MI @ Blind Pig
10/28 Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle
10/29 - New York, NY @ Good Units
10/30 - Asheville, NC @ Moog Festival
Rachel Grimes
10/22-27 Nantes, France @ Residence w/Astrid
10/27- Nantes, France @ Pannonica/SOY Festival
10/28 - Paris, France @ Les Instans Chavires
10/29 - Brussels, Belgium @ Cellule 133a
David Grubbs
11/04 - Chicago, IL @ Corbett vs. Dempsey
Neil Hamburger
11/01 - Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club
11/02 - Iowa City, IA @ The Mill
11/03 - St. Louis, MO @ Cicero’s
11/04 - Columbia, MO @ Mojo’s
11/05 - Lawrence, KS @ Jackpot Saloon
11/06 - Omaha, NE @ The Sydney
11/07 - Sioux Falls, SD @ Boonies Bar
11/08 - Fargo, ND @ The Aquarium
11/09 - St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
11/10 - Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
11/11 - DeKalb, IL @ Otto’s
02/10 - Miami, FL @ Bruise Cruise Festival
Heathered Pearls
10/28 - Brooklyn, NY @ Glasslands
11/15 - Brooklyn, NY @ Glasslands
Tim Hecker
10/29-30 Asheville, NC @ Moog Festival
The High Llamas
12/01 - Norwich, UK @ Norwich Arts Centre
12/02 - Milton Keynes, UK @ Stables
12/03 - York, UK @ Fibbers
12/04 - Edinburgh, UK @ Sneaky Pete’s
12/08 - Leicester, UK @ The Musician
Lars Horntveth
11/05 - Bergen, Norway @ Hulen
HTRK
10/26 - Glasgow, UK @ The Captain’s Rest
10/27 - Aberdeen, UK @ The Tunnel
10/29 - Kortrijk, Belgium @ Sonic City Festival
10/31 - Paris, France @ Point Ephemere
11/03 - Prague, Czech Republic @ Meetfactory
11/04 - Milan, Italy @ Downtown
11/05 - Jesi, Italy @ Csa TNT
11/06 - Brescia, Italy @ Letits
11/07 - Faenza, Italy @ Clandestino
11/10 - Berlin, Germany @ Chez Jacki
11/18 - Melbourne, Australia @ Melbourne Music Week Festival
11/19 - Melbourne, Australia @ Raobgab (Buffalo Club)
11/24 - Sydney, Australia @ Goodgod Small Club
11/25 - Melbourne, Australia @ St. Michael’s Uniting Church
11/26 - Brisbane, Australia @ The Bridge Club
Susan Howe & David Grubbs
11/01 - Cambridge, MA @ Harvard University
Jacaszek
11/24 - Berlin, Germany @ C3 Festival
11/26 - Essen, Germany @ C3 Festival
12/01 - Gdansk, Poland @ C3 Festival
Sophia Knapp (of Cliffie Swan)
11/10 - Brooklyn, NY @ Union Pool
Sharron Kraus
12/05 - London, UK @ Cafe Oto
Pokey LaFarge
10/25 - Portland, ME @ One Longfellow Square
10/26 - Cambridge, MA @ Club Passism
10/27 - Northampton, MA @ Iron Horse
10/28 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Cafe
10/29 - Stoughton, WI @ Stoughton Opera House
Lia Ices
12/02 - Seattle, WA @ Crocodile
12/03 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
12/04 - Arcata, CA @ Jambalaya
12/05 - San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
12/06 - Los Angeles, CA @ Troubador
12/07 - San Diego, CA @ Casbah
Low
11/24 - Brussels, Belgium @ Cirque Royal
11/25 - Utrecht, Netherlands @ Tivoli
11/26 - Frankfurt, Germany @ Sinkkasten
11/28 - Milan, Italy @ Magazzini Generali
11/29 - St. Gallen, Switzerland @ Palace St. Gallen
12/01 - Lyon, France @ L’Epicerie Moderne
12/02 - Paris, France @ La Gaite Lyrique
12/03 - Minehead, UK @ All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival
Julian Lynch
10/31 - Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
11/01 - Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre
Mannequin Men
11/09 - Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
11/11 - Detroit, MI @ Lager House
11/12 - Toronto, Ontario @ Silver Dollar
11/13 - Montreal, Quebec @ Il Motore
11/14 - Boston, MA @ The Church
11/15- Easthampton, MA @ Flywheel Arts Collective
11/17 - Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie
11/18 - Brooklyn, NY @ Shea Stadium
11/19 - New York, NY @ Cake Shop
11/20 - Baltimore, MD @ Golden West
11/21 - Washington, DC @ Black Cat
11/24 - Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
11/25 - Memphis, TN @ Hi-Tone Cafe
11/26 - Nashville, TN @ Springwater Supper Club
12/10 - Rock Island, IL @ Daytrotter
Michna
10/25 - NYC @ Jimmy At The James Hotel (DJ Set)
11/10 - Brooklyn, NY @ Don Pedro
11/12 - NYC @ Lit Lounge (DJ Set)
12/01 - NYC @ Double 7 (DJ Set)
12/06 - Brooklyn, NY @ The Cove (DJ Set)
Motorpsycho
11/02 - Trondheim, Norway @ Nidarosdomen
Mux Mool
11/10 - NYC @ Le Poisson Rouge
11/10 - NYC @ Le Poisson Rouge
11/11 - Detroit, MI @ The Works
11/13 - Austin, TX @ Barcelona
My Education
11/19 - Houston, TX @ Rudyard’s Pub
Marissa Nadler
11/26 - Zwolle, Netherlands @ De Statenzaal
11/27 - Utrecht, Netherlands @ Le Guess Who
11/27 - Bontanique, Brussells @ Autumn Falls Festival
11/28 - Duisburg, Denmark @ Grammatikoff
11/29 - Dachau, Denmark @ Dachauer Kultur-Schranne
Scout Niblett
11/30 - Olympia, WA @ Capital Theatre
12/01 - Seattle, WA @ Comet Tavern
12/02 - Eugene, OR @ Sam Bonds
12/03 - Seaside, CA @ The Alternative Cafe
12/04 - Santa Monica, CA @ Sanctuary
12/05 - San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
12/07 - Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Theatre
12/08 - San Francisco, CA @ Hemlock Tavern
12/10 - Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
Nisennenmondai
10/25 - Birmingham, AL @ Workplay Theatre
10/26 - Tampa, FL @ Crowbar
10/27 - Miami, FL @ Grand Central
10/28 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Heaven Stage)
10/30 - Washington D.C. @ 9:30 Club
10/31 - Philadelphia, PA @ Theater of The Living Arts
11/01 - NYC @ Webster Hall
Part Chimp / Torche
11/05 - Durham, NC @ Motorco
11/06 - Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter
11/07 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
11/08 - Pawtucket, RI @ The Met
11/09 - New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
11/10 - Washington, DC @ DC9 Nightclub
11/11 - Charlotte, NC @ Tremont Music Hall
11/12 - Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
Phantogram
11/02 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
11/04 - Hollywood, CA @ The Music Box
11/08 - Dallas, TX @ The Loft
11/13 - Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
11/17 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
11/19 - Boston, MA @ Royale
Phantom Family Halo
11/27 - Brooklyn, NY @ Death By Audio
Razika
10/28 - Bergen, Norway @ Det Akademiske Kvarter
Alasdair Roberts
10/29 - Vendomes, France @ Chapelle Saint-Jaques
11/01 - Rouen, France @ Le 106
11/02 - Lille, France @ Aeronef
11/03 - Paris, France @ Le Trianon
12/15 - Sheffield, UK @ The Greystones
Laetitia Sadier
10/29 - Oslo, Norway @ Revolver
11/09 - Porto, Portugal @ Casa de Musica 2011
11/14 - Buenos Aries, Argentina @ Niceto Club
11/15 - Sao Paulo, Brazil @ SESC Belenzinho
1/19 - Porto, Portugal @ Casa da Musica (Clubbing Optimus Festival)
Ty Segall
11/01 - San Francisco, CA @ The Mezzanine
Shigeto
10/25 - Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall
10/26 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Arch
10/28 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
10/29 - Allston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
10/30 - Ithaca, NY @ Castaways
11/01 - Montreal, Quebec @ Il Motore
11/03 - Ann Arbor, MI @ Blind Pig
11/04 - Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
11/05 - Madison, WI @ University of Wisconsin
Sic Alps
11/05 - Claremont, CA @ Pomona College
11/06 - Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Theatre
Tycho
10/25 - Tampa, FL @ Crowbar
11/18 - Fort Collins, CO @ Aggie Theatre
11/19 - Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall
12/08 - Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex
12/10 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
Ume
10/26 - Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar
10/27 - St. Louis, MO @ Euclid Records (In-Store Performance)
10/27 - St. Louis, MO @ Firebird
10/28 - Grinnell, IA @ Grinnell College
Ken Vandermark/Pall Nilssen-Love/Lasse Marhaug
11/22 - London, UK @ Vortex Jazz Club
11/23 - London, UK @ Vortex Jazz Club
White Magic
12/04 - San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
Wussy
10/29 - Cincinnati, OH @ Northside Tavern
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