Pia Fraus - After Summer...

Pia Fraus just recently returned this past May to deliver their fourth and latest album upon us titled After Summer. The album also happens to be a return to Clairecords, which released their second full-length In Solarium five years ago. Since then the bands has released one other record along with a couple EP’s in between.

I must say, Claire has been on a pretty good roll lately with their releases and judging by the songs contained on After Summer it’s going to continue. The album doesn’t stray away too much from the bands previous output, which means listeners should be prepared to hear a solid mixture of shoegazey guitar feedback and upbeat pop rhythms for a sunshine radiating style of dream-pop. This time around however things get a bit more polished and the all around sound has been tightened up some, which probably has something to do with them working with producer Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub, BMX Bandits) this time around. Fans shouldn’t see much a problem, if any, with this though as everything that was to like about Pia Fraus before is definitely still here on After Summer. If anything, Blake’s work with the band has helped strengthen up some of the finer points of the bands sound that may have been sorely lacking on 05’s Nature Heart Software, which was a bit tougher of a record to get into for me personally. It’s definitely good to hear the band come back strong on After Summer.

Pia Fraus – Doctor Optimism [MP3]

For those enjoying the music and that are looking to pick up After Summer, then head on over to Tonevendor to do so!

Soundpool - Dichotomies & Dreamland

Back in 2006 NYC’s Soundpool completely came out of nowhere with their excellent debut On High, which was some sort of masterfully executed danceable shoegaze…at least that’s what I suppose it could be called. Wasting hardly any time the band have returned here in ’08 with their follow up Dichotomies & Dreamland released this past March through Aloft Records here in the US and through Quince in Japan.

While it’s hard to determine whether Dichotomies & Dreamland will change the minds of anyone that disliked the first record, I can say that fans of it will notice a few favorable changes here. The songs have been scaled back a bit from the full bore bouncy pop rhythms that were fluent throughout On High. Instead here we receive a much more ambient and mood driven version of Soundpool, loaded with textures, guitar effects, and a number of songs that are dictated by slow burning crumbles of feedback. Jumping between variations of the two easily works in their favor. The electronic side of the band has also taken on a greater importance, giving them a sound that resembles at times a sped up Bowery Electric or a fuzzier Boards of Canada or Broadcast.

Fans may not fully embrace Dichotomies & Dreamland at first, as it’s not as instantly catchy as their previous effort. However, it’s definitely a further advanced and accomplished album in that it doesn’t lean too heavily on one aspect of the groups sound. With multiple listens it easily proves to be the clear winner between the two in the end.

Soundpool – Do What You Love [MP3]
Soundpool – Lush (What Becomes You) [MP3]

For those looking to pick up Dichotomies & Dreamland then head on over to Tonevendor and pick up this fine addition to the expanding list of fine 2008 releases. Soundpool are one of the bright spots amongst the rapidly growing shoegaze resurgence.

Keith Canisius - Ferris Wheel Makeout

Some might remember back to 2007’s year end list for the blog and one of the records ranked somewhat highly on the list was an album by the Danish shoegaze/dream-pop group Rumskib. It was very nearly my favorite shoegaze related record of the year, only being barely beaten out by Airiel’s excellent full-length. Well one of the main creative forces behind Rumskib, Keith Canisius, has emerged early this year with his debut solo album. The record, which is titled Ferris Wheel Makeout, was just released this past February on the Japanese label Quince and has since been released digitally through Darla Records in March making it their very first digital release.

Unsurprisingly Ferris Wheel Makeout shares a bit in common with Rumskib. However, there is a notable added element of electronic drum programming here that loosens up the songs a bit and allowing Canisius to not have to completely rely on pushing the melodies to the absolute limit like on the Rumskib album. Although I quite enjoyed it, I think that was one of the main criticisms of that record from other listeners, which was understandable. The added electronics do a nice job of giving this album a slightly different feel and probably a satisfying outlet for Canisius. Helping him out somewhat on the album with some of the programming was Jonas Munk (Manual), which for the most part Ferris Wheel Makeout falls comfortably within that Manual and Ulrich Schnauss mold. In the end Canisius’ solo debut comes off as a solid midway between the hazy/ambient qualities of the aforementioned artists and Rumskib’s heavily Cocteau Twins synth influenced dream-pop. It’s definitely worth checking out for anyone that is already fans of any artists/bands mentioned in the post or just this style of music in general.

Keith Canisius – Far From [MP3]

For anyone looking to pick up the CD version of Ferris Wheel Makeout, then head on over to the excellent Tonevendor or Darla to do so. Anyone that would prefer the digital version can get it from the usual suspects of Emusic and Amazon.

Dead Leaf Echo - Pale Fire

Kicking off this week is the new EP, titled Pale Fire, from the NYC trio Dead Leaf Echo. The disc, which was released on March 24th through Year of the Gallon, is a set of six vibrant but yet moody songs that should easily spark the attention of fans of dream-pop/shoegaze. Diving back into the genres earlier days, Pale Fire shares the same sort of glimmering sound that bands like Slowdive and/or Lush (sans Guthrie production) managed to excel in creating during their successful runs through the early 90’s. Adding in a strong influence from 80’s new wave/post-punk bands like Psychedelic Furs and The Cure (the singer at times seems to be channeling Robert Smith), the band has developed what proves to be an exceptional and ultimately fresh sound.

Dead Leaf Echo - Thought Talk [MP3]

Be sure to pick up Pale Fire while you can if you dig the tune posted above. The first pressing of the disc is limited to 200 hand numbered copies that come in two different available versions of artwork. While you’re at it, also be sure to check out the bands previous EP Faint Violet Whiff, which was also released on Year of the Gallon. To purchase either, head on over to their MySpace.

Closedown - Nearfield

Closedown were an early American shoegaze band that released the album pictured to left called Nearfield in 1994 though the ambient/electronic dominated label Silent Records. That could possibly be a small reason as to why this album isn’t better known than it is among shoegaze fans or just music fans in general. There is a fair amount of chill electronic/ambient material throughout the album, but in a few ways Nearfield reminds me of the brilliant album Quique by Seefeel that managed to be successful in being sort of a crossover success among the underground. Nearfield isn’t that type of album, but it shares a few similarities between it that I think is neat. The album takes on the same approach using waves of light distortion off and on throughout it, slowly and meticulously introducing layer upon layer. One of my favorite tracks off the album, “Red Oval” even comes close to matching the same type of powerful pulsing monotonous beat that eventually lulls you into a trance like state after awhile and then seven minutes have just flown by. Pretty solid stuff if you ask me. Nearfield is sort of an album of halves though, partly made up of slowly rising mood driven ambient pieces and then the glisten and sparkle of something similar to that of Slowdive, which they do very well I might add. I definitely recommend this to fans of that dreamier type of sound check this out.

Closedown – Red Oval [MP3]
Closedown – Sunangel Summer [MP3]

Anyone interested in obtaining this fine album can do so by heading over to Amazon. There are still a few albums floating around on their marketplace, and I imagine there are number of other places online that still have copies of this too. Anyway, definitely check it out if you’re a fan of shoegaze and/or dream-pop.

Her Vanished Grace - Twilight

Although being around for nearly 15 years, this is the first time I’ve ever had a chance to hear Her Vanished Grace, the husband/wife tandem of Charles and Nance Nieland. The band has released a number of records together over the years, developing a respectable cult following. Their album Twilight serves as their latest, released just at the end of ’07, and is my introduction to the band. First and foremost I got to respect a band that has spent so many years playing music that they genuinely love, even if it comes at the expense of accessibility and maybe even a larger audience. That obviously takes dedication. Her Vanished Grace, from what I can tell, has been putting out their brand of finely crafted shoegaze/dream-pop tunes for awhile now and look to have no plans of stopping on Twilight.

Featuring the warm and recognizable fuzz of shoegaze’s past, Twilight wraps it in a welcome influence of eighties new wave with a hint of Cocteau Twins-esque looming in the background. One thing I did notice was the front end of Twilight is surprisingly riff heavy drawing the majority of its power from that source as opposed to a cacophonous swirl. As the album progresses though, the band eases into calmer shoegaze/dream-pop territory and is where it really begins to take hold. The albums closer “Alone” is a highlight, showcasing some of the bands stronger qualities and is also where the band is at its most ethereal.

Her Vanished Grace – Twilight [MP3]
Her Vanished Grace – Alone [MP3]

For those interested in picking up Twilight, it can be currently had on CD Baby. Definitely check it out for those that are fans of a bit harder edged shoegaze sound. Enjoy!

Immovable Objects - Hoping it Stays Just This Broken

For Matt Gagin, the only way to truly create the music that he wished was to go the solo route. After spending years playing in bands from his late teens to his mid twenties the idea of being in a band just wasn’t something he wanted to deal with anymore. After departing from his last group, shoegazers Waterline Drift, he was able to start work on his solo project Immovable Objects. A little over a year in the works, Gagin has just released his debut album under the Immovable Objects moniker called Hoping it Stays Just This Broken currently out on Hawnyawk Records.

Gagin’s musical past lies somewhat in hardcore music, however spending time in those types of bands it made him realize that melody and texture was what he wanted to focus on in his music. While touching upon this a bit in his previous band, Gagin takes his vision and pushes it a bit further as Immovable Objects adding electronic elements to it creating an even more delicate and swirling mixture of sound. One noticeable difference here though is that instead of focusing completely on creating a wall of sound, there is more emphasis on the electronics here that often times remind me of some of the better moments in Mum’s catalog. Having this accompanied with Gagin’s soft vocals and the subtlety paced build of shimmering guitar work throughout the songs seems to have worked quite well for him. Not bad at all for a record that Gagin says wasn’t even meant to be created in the first place. Thankfully for fans of shoegaze and/or dream-pop, Gagin followed through and completed Hoping it Stays Just This Broken as I am sure it will be enjoyed by most who give it a listen.

Immovable Objects – Shut Up and Listen [MP3]

For those looking to check this out, head on over to CD Baby to pick up the album and check out the Immovable Objects MySpace for a few more tunes off the album.

Destroyalldreamers - Wish I Was All Flames

2004 seems so long ago when Montreal instrumental shoegazers Destroyalldreamers released their debut album À Cœur Léger Sommeil Sanglant. Upon its release the album received quite a bit of positive words written about it as well as Tonevendor eventually declaring it the best shoegaze album of ’04. All of it was deservedly so as À Cœur Léger Sommeil Sanglant was indeed a very fine album of lush atmospherics and shimmering guitar work. As one could imagine with an album as good as that one, the wait for the next would feel excruciatingly long. Although there were tracks on compilations released in between and a vinyl only EP on Claire’s Echo titled Glare/Halo, it just wasn’t enough to weaken that sort of pain. Once you’ve had a taste of something that good you simply cannot wait very long to have it again. So here we are in October of 2007 and the wait has finally come to an end as Destroyalldreamers have just released their follow up Wish I Was All Flames on Where Are My Records.

To put it quite simply, for those that enjoyed the last album I cannot possibly imagine any them being disappointed with their latest effort. It’s every bit as magnificent as their debut. During the period in between albums it was noted that the band focused some on learning how to produce, which definitely shows. While their debut was every bit as pristine with its ambient textures, on Wish I Was All Flames the crispness of the guitar swirls and overall layering effects are executed in an almost flawless fashion. It’s pretty evident after listening to this record a couple times that this trio has spent countless hours honing in their craft. Where À Cœur Léger Sommeil Sanglant tended to drift just a little bit, Wish I Was All Flames seems to have tightened things up completely not letting the songs wear out their welcome or possibly risk losing the interest of the listener. Those are things that I imagine one learns playing in a completely instrumental band though and for a band that has only put out two albums, there are hardly any flaws to their music that can be found. Destroyalldreamers continue to show why they are easily one of the best groups currently active out of the new crop of shoegaze acts.

Definitely give this band a listen, especially if ethereal shoegaze/dream pop is your thing. It won’t disappoint.

Destroyalldreamers – Wish I Was All Flames [MP3]
Destroyalldreamers – A Summer Without You [MP3]

Wish I Was All Flames can currently be purchased directly from the band on their website.

Pluramon - The Monstrous Surplus

You know an album is good when it makes you want to revisit the artist’s entire catalog. There is that point in the album in which I think, “man, what have I possibly missed here?” In Pluramon’s case it looks like it might be quite a bit. Although I came along the Marcus Schmickler based project Pluramon back in ’03 when the projects last album came out called Dreams Top Rock, I casually listened to it from what I recall and then never really dug it out again. The more I listen to Pluramon’s latest album The Monstrous Surplus the more it’s appearing to be a huge mistake for neglecting any of the past material as I did.

Schmickler dates back into the mid 90’s with Pluramon and even further regarding electronic music as a whole. He has released numerous albums among other things under many different aliases all of which explore the vast landscape of electronic music. Pluramon happens to be really the only one I am semi familiar with however, having listened to it in the past, albeit briefly and lazily probably. That being said, Monstrous Surplus snuck up on me in the best possible way, capturing me with the albums first track “Turn In”, which is one of the finest portions of dream pop to reach my ears this year. Featuring the beautiful sound of swirling guitars and plenty of reverb, the song is made even more delicate with the inclusion of vocalist/collaborator Julee Cruise. Some might recognize her from when she provided vocals for the soundtrack to the David Lynch series Twin Peaks. Those who know her will undoubtedly recognize her voice. This should also make fans of Dreams Top Rock happy too, since she also collaborated with Schmickler for that album as well. Also making vocal appearances are Schmickler himself and backing him up is Julia Hummer for the majority of Monstrous Surplus.

Like I mentioned, The Monstrous Surplus is practically a complete surprise. Those are always nice though. Pluramon has managed to release an album of dream-pop that makes it home above the clouds and occasionally within, to which I’ve been searching for in many other albums this year but had yet to stumble upon. I have to give kudos to Schmickler for upping the ante here.

Pluramon – Turn In [MP3]
Pluramon – Drowning in You [MP3]

For those interested in picking this up, The Monstrous Surplus comes out October 23rd through Karaoke Kalk, which can be pre-ordered now through any major vendor such as Amazon. I definitely recommend it for those that are fans of dream-pop and such.

The Voices - The Sound of Young America

I remember first hearing The Voices sometime in 2005 I want to say. Their debut album was either about ready to come out or it had already come out. I am not quite sure; I just recall enjoying their music. After that though it seemed like I didn’t see much about the album or the band really after its release. Granted, it never occurred to me to ever use that handy thing called Google. In actuality, with them basically flying under the radar the whole time I kind of forgot about them as well. So as one could imagine, I was pretty pleased and surprised to discover a couple months ago that the band was putting out a new album entitled The Sound of Young America through My Kung Fu Recordings, which has since come out this past August.

The Voices are a trio that is from Port Talbot in South Wales that are highly influenced by the shoegaze sounds of the early 90’s. For a trio their sound is expansive and compared to their first self-titled album, their latest The Sound of Young America reaches out further into the depths of space and drifting waves of feedback. With seven songs that clock in under right around forty three minutes, The Voices are more about a churning repetitiveness that slowly snowballs into an explosive mixture of feedback laden noise and shimmering waves of beauty. While the slow build and payoff method of The Voices may grate on some, I don’t have any doubts that fans of the genre will appreciate the latest effort from this fine and severely underappreciated band. And yes, I am just as guilty for forgetting about them in the past. However, I am hoping maybe this time with The Sound of Young America the band will stick as they’ve obviously outdone themselves here. For those out there looking for good new shoegaze, then do check this out.

The Voices - I'll Always Be Within You When There's No One Left Inside [MP3]

For anyone looking to pick The Sound of Young America up, then head on over to Tonevendor. Definitely one of the better shoegaze related albums that I’ve heard this year, it’s a keeper indeed.

Thrushes - Sun Come Undone

Sun Come Undone by the Baltimore quartet Thrushes has been out for a few months now, since March actually. However, it wasn’t until a few weeks that I finally found myself listening to this album. There really isn’t a good reason as to why, at least in my defense. I saw the album getting tons of great press over the span of a couple months and by reading these I should have been all over it. It could have been all the positive reviews made me wonder, can it really be THAT good? Well, after having the opportunity to finally sit down with this album, I can yes…it really is that good. It is quite possibly one of the best shoegaze related albums to come out this year like all those reviews have been saying.

Although anyone out there that is particularly interested in dream pop/shoegaze has probably already heard and fallen in love with this album, it was too good to pass up writing about on the blog. Plus, I feel a bit guilty ignoring it for such a long period of time. But anyway, Sun Come Undone is surprisingly the bands debut album for Birdnote Records. I say surprising because when listening to it you would never tell that this is the bands first stab at a full-length record. The song writing is just absolutely top notch and the band has pressed all the right buttons when it comes to adding textures and volume to their sound. With that Thrushes make brilliant use of atmospherics to which when the simple wash of distortion rolls in, it’s thunderously powerful and moving. While the album is gorgeous sounding, it never teeters into the territory being too delicate and sweet. There is enough bite and anger dwelling underneath all the feedback to steer it clear from succumbing to that. Really everything about this album is just done so well. Their sound comes together so naturally, as if shoegaze had never left in the first place and that it was most prominent form of music on earth. With a debut this strong, it’s fun to think at just how possibly amazing their follow up could be. All I know is that I’ll be waiting with much anticipation to it.

Thrushes – Into the Woods [MP3]
Thrushes – Ghost Train [MP3]

If you like what you hear, then by all means head on over to the bands website and pick this album up. It’s pretty a much have for anyone that consider themselves a fan of shoegaze and/or dream-pop.

Airiel - The Battle of Sealand

Some of you out there might remember when I wrote a bit about the band Airiel on the blog sometime back in November. In that post I mentioned they had a new album on the way and when they did finally get close to releasing it I would be back to write about it. Well, it’s that time and Airiel are now prepped to release their first full-length album titled The Battle of Sealand on August 21st through Highwheel Records. It’s been a long time coming and has probably been one of the most anticipated albums for me in the past year or so. Regardless, it’s finally arriving and I couldn’t be happier with the results.

To recap, Airiel has been around since 1997 in some form or another. It was originally the solo project of member Jeremy Wrenn, however eventually grew into a full band. Since their formation they have released a handful of EP’s, four of which were collected into one box set titled Wink and Kisses. If you can track down the EP’s contained within this series (Frosted, Dizzy, Melted, and Crackled), I would highly recommend it as it’s some of the most beautiful, well done, and original shoegaze out there. They also released a self-titled EP in ’05, which was one of my favorite releases from that year, so check that out as well.

As for the new album, The Battle of Sealand sees the band moving into more rock oriented territory with their swirling and sparkling sound. At times it reminds me of Swervedriver during the Raise era of the band. It’s a side of the band we’ve really only seen tiny glimpses of in the past, however they’ve made it one of the propelling factors for their sound on their debut. I must say it sounds really good too. For those that might be a bit weary of that, have no fear, there is plenty of Airiel’s trademark shimmering beauty contained within as well. Songs like “Peoria”, “Thinktank”, and “Red Friends” all sound like songs that would have fit nicely nestled within some of their previous work, however think that but with a larger and much fuller sound. While I am completely all about Airiel’s updated sound, I am glad they decided to mix it up a bit. It’s a very well balanced album that captures the band experimenting with their sound a bit, but in no way abandoning and/or compromising what makes them so captivating. The Battle of Sealand gets the highest recommendation from me. Do be sure and buy it whenever it comes out in late August.

The Battle of Sealand:
Airiel – Thinktank [MP3]

Also, I decided to upload some of the songs I featured in my last Airiel post again. So be sure to check out the tunes below as well.

Winks and Kisses:
Airiel – Kiss Me Slowly [MP3]

Airiel:
Airiel – 500 Deep [MP3]

Shirley Temple Tidal Wave/Stationary Lights 7’’:
Airiel – Stationary Lights [MP3]

Keep an eye out for The Battle of Sealand. In the meantime continue to check out the bands MySpace and their label Highwheel Records for some more music and news on the album.

Seefeel - Quique [Redux]

I am back from my one night stay in the tourist pit that is Branson, Missouri. The drive down and back went pretty flawlessly, although on the way back I about saw a diesel smash head on with an oncoming truck on a two lane highway. The idiot behind the wheel was trying to make a quick pass around a school bus and couldn’t have picked a worse spot to do it going down a hill and with a curve you couldn’t see around at the end. Needless to say it was a very close call when the other truck came around that corner. I’m just glad I didn’t have to witness what would have been a very very nasty wreck. And with that, on to today’s update which happens to be of the reissue type.

It’s really good to see an album like Quique get the reissue treatment this year from Too Pure. Seefeel's original masterpiece has been remastered and been tacked on with a second disc of rare material. There is some really cool stuff to be heard on that. But anyway, Seefeel was an experimental/ambient group in the early 90’s that some may not be real familiar with due to their fairly short time together and maybe the reissuing of what could be considered a breakthrough album for its time might gain it some well deserved new appreciation. Quique, for many, is an album that helped pave the way for similar bliss sounding IDM artists that are becoming increasingly popular at the present time. However, for Quique it was 1993 and at that time an album like this was pretty mind blowing. Originally Seefeel had originally dabbled within the fuzzy layering and washes of distortion, which sort of led them to the shoegaze tag. However wanting to break out of the restraints of traditional songwriting the group moved toward more of an electronic experimentation in their music, which they hit the mark with completely on Quique. The sounds they achieved on the album were something that felt as if it were out of this world if you just sat and listened to it with your eyes closed. Throughout each song it gains loops and layers which are then sprinkled here and there with a touch of distortion to wash over it. At times it’s complemented beautifully by the vocals from Sarah Peacock which contain a very similar dreamlike vibe that Seefeel’s base sound already operates on. Unlike many electronic/ambient acts operating at that same time, Seefeel made a lot of their dreamy and droning sounds by using their guitars instead of synthesizers and other electronic instrumentation. However, electronics still played a very big roll in their sound, thus making the album what it is obviously.

Seefeel – Industrious [MP3]
Seefeel – Charlotte’s Mouth [MP3]

For those that enjoy ambient/electronic music with a bit of a blissful/shoegazy touch, then I can’t recommend picking this reissue up enough. If you like what you hear, then head on over to Tonevendor and pick this up for pretty cheap. The packaging is almost worth the price alone. Definitely my favorite reissue of the year thus far. Good job Too Pure.

Rumskib - Rumskib

I had wanted to hear the self-titled debut from Rumskib for a few weeks now or at least since I somehow stumbled across their page on MySpace. The songs contained on their page at the time were pretty stunning, not so much because it was obviously inspired from early days of the shoegaze movement, but more so because it was a sound that just isn’t worked into many of today’s “nu-gaze” artists. More often than not we always fall back on the guitar textures and tone off of MBV’s Loveless and while that’s fine it’s not always a recipe for success. Although, that could be easily argued when it comes down to my own personal music tastes, I am sucker for that sound. However, the duo of Keith Canisius and Tine Louise with a little help from Manual’s Jonas Monk have put together a fine sound that draws most of its influence from the earlier days of 4AD’s blissed out pop days, Cocteau Twins, and maybe even a bit of Curve. Don’t begin to think it’s just a culmination of the best parts of those though, because it’s most certainly not. As pointed out on the Darla site, Rumskib have taken that sound and weaved it together with the pop sensibilities of 80’s Euro pop, which makes for quite a unique sound that when heard one will quickly realize why I was so drawn into this. A couple of the finer points on Rumskib’s debut is the vocals from singer Louise and the masterful job Monk has done with the harmonics and programming. This is simply THE dream pop album of the year thus far and I would assume I’ll be hard pressed to find anything that comes close to dethroning it by years end.

Rumskib – Springtime [MP3]
Rumskib – The Crucial Love Game [MP3]

Certainly check this out if you’re a fan of dream pop, bliss, shoegaze, and etc. This album shouldn’t be missed by fans of any of those. It can be had over at Darla, so head on over there if the tunes above are to your liking.

Guitar - Dealin with Signal and Noise

Have been listening to some good new music over the past few days, seems like it always comes in spurts where I’ll end up hearing back to back good upcoming albums. It’s streaky I tell you. Anyway, one album I am looking quite forward to being released is the latest from Michael Lueckner’s project dubbed Guitar. The album is called Dealin with Signal and Noise and appears that it will be out on May 15th through Onitor Records, although I had originally thought it was suppose to be out on the 27th of this month. I’ll just trust what most retailers are listing it as for the time being.

Dealin with Signal and Noise will be Lueckner’s 5th album as Guitar and once again it finds himself collaborating with singer Ayako Akashiba on four of the tracks for the album, whom has consistently appeared on past Guitar albums. Lueckner is also joined by the Seattle band Voyager One for a few tracks as well. On Dealin with Signal and Noise, Lueckner finds himself heading in the direction that was more so found on the projects first album Sunkissed, which remains a personal favorite of mine. While all of the Guitar albums vary in style and purpose I am fonder of the more blissful and shoegazy side, which is what appears here on his latest. However, no matter what direction the project takes, it always has a very familiar feel and sound that exudes a very relaxing calmness to it. Lueckner is always able to create incredibly beautiful music, which is truly impressive. That is certainly a large reason as to why I enjoy practically everything Lueckner puts out as Guitar. On Dealin with Signal and Noise the sound is almost so effortless and soothing that it practically puts me into a trancelike state before eventually chiming in with echoes of buzzing feedback. While a tiny part of me would love to hear another MBV inspired record such as Sunkissed, it is way more satisfying to hear Lueckner use that sound to help his own continue to grow and make yet another accomplished record.

Guitar – Sine Waves [MP3]

Dealin with Signal and Noise is available for pre-order from larger online retailers such as Amazon. Do check it out if you dig the music above. Also keep an eye out in May for a re-release of Guitar’s 2nd and 3rd albums Honeysky and Saltykisses that were originally released in Japan only. The re-release will combine the two albums as one and will be called Salt & Honey. That is also definitely worth checking out if you’re a fan of the music.

Sway...

Finding information about Sway is almost damn near impossible. Even when they were together it still seemed like finding information or news on the band was incredibly difficult. They had a website and all that, however that disappeared eventually. Most likely aside from their home in Southern California they remained quite an elusive band. I was lucky enough to stumble across them somehow or another a few years back, probably right around the time of their EP Millia Pink and Green in 2003. I’d always meant to write a little something about them on here, being such a huge fan of the little bit of material they released when they were together. However, I kept holding off due to rumors popping up from time to time that the band would finally be releasing their first album, but as far as I know it never surfaced. I assume it’s recorded, but it’s just never been released, which is a shame.

Sway were a great band that through their brief time together kind of touched on all areas of shoegaze. Their first EP was self-titled and was limited to only 500 copies. It was quite a bit different than the direction they would take later. The EP was noisier and a bit rough sounding, however it was still very fun to listen to. The band went on to release their second EP in ’03 called Millia Pink and Green. It was noticeably more ethereal sounding and the rock edge of the first EP was entirely gone. Not a bad thing, as Sway was very good at doing both in my opinion. Although the band is defunct they still have a vinyl only EP called Winter Heart that is scheduled to come out on Claire’s Echo still. I really wish they could have stuck it out longer or at least been able to put out their full-length. I have no doubt in my mind that it would be amazing.

Sway:
Sway – I Just Die [MP3]
Sway – Us Girls [MP3]

Millia Pink and Green:
Sway – Fall [MP3]

Us Girls 7”:
Sway – Channel [MP3]

A couple of the members from Sway went on to form the The Northern Two, which for more info on them you can check out their MySpace. They have a full-length album that should either be coming out or just came out, so give them a listen. As far as finding Sway releases, good luck. Their material is pretty hard to track down, however with some thorough searching you may be able to turn up something.

Air Formation - Daylight Storms

It’s actually kind of odd in a way. I found myself getting pretty excited about the new album Daylight Storms by Air Formation after never really listening to them a whole lot. It’s not completely out of the blue I suppose. I have enjoyed the bands music for a few years now; however it really wasn’t until last years EP 57 Octaves Below that I really began to take notice of them. In fact I actually wanted to write something about that EP a few months back, but never got around to it and then I figured out they had this album coming out eventually which put things on hold a bit. But back to what I initially stated. I found my excitement for Daylight Storms to be slightly surprising. Like it sort of snuck up on me in a way or dwelled inside of me until just about a week before the album came out. All of that though can be attributed to a wonderful EP and goes to show that great music does in fact stick with you whether you know it or not.

On to the actual album though, Daylight Storms is exactly what I’d hoped it would be. It’s full of lush shimmering beauty that, while being heavily influenced by earlier shoegaze groups, it shares a lot in common with the epic beauty found within some post-rock groups like Explosions in the Sky or God is an Astronaut but maybe not as powerful. The combination is great though and Air Formation continues to prove that they only get better with each release. Their sound is a perfect blend of hope and sadness that goes right along with those occasional late night reflections we have. It’s simply great stuff that hopefully will get this band some much deserved recognition. All I can say is don’t make the mistake I made and brush them off like I did for quite awhile.

Air Formation – Cold Morning [MP3]
Air Formation – Adrift [MP3]

For those interested you can pick up the album here or check out Club AC30 if you’re in the UK. Enjoy!

Mahogany - Connectivity!

I feel absolutely silly for not having listened to Mahogany’s latest record Connectivity! until now. I finally got the time to sit down with it recently and give it a proper listen after only skimming through various tracks for the past couple months or so. I almost can’t believe some of the records that I gave priority over this. I am truly ashamed. I am sorry Mahogany…I’ll never do it again. I swear!

Now that I am through beating myself up over my mistake I can tell you Connectivity! is the second album from the Brooklyn octet. Think eight members is overkill? Well, if so…then you haven’t listened to this album yet. It’s riddled with catchy pop hooks, shimmering shoegaze like guitars, and a never ending amount of electronic ambience. Basically, there is A LOT Mahogany has to offer the listener and every single bit of it is of extreme importance.

Although the album probably has more to do with the dream-pop/shoegaze crowd, it’s a record that will undoubtedly wake people up and force them to see that there is indeed some originality left in those genres. At times I’ve even doubted that, however thanks to bands like Mahogany they’ve, with the help of Robin Guthrie (Cocteau Twins), managed to craft an album that could be looked at as an essential and/or classic album in future years. I say that with the utmost confidence. It’s just that damn good and unlike anything else falling under those same labels. There is no one element of the groups sound that stands out among the others, as they all meld together to make for a sound that has an eye for the past however is revitalized to take it further than what I think most people had thought was capable.

Mahogany – Supervitesse [MP3]
Mahogany – My Bed is My Castle [MP3]

Honestly the two songs above are just the tip of the iceberg. Please, by all means find out for yourself just how great this album is by picking it up over at Darla Records. It’s honestly an album that should be listened to as a whole as every song has something different to offer up.

On a completely different note, my e-mail is now functioning again.

Hammock - Raising Your Voice...Trying to Stop an Echo

Well it’s finally here. The snow has moved in and has covered all of the ice that was laid down the evening before. However, with it being so cold and basically feeling like winter for the first time this year for me, it fits right along with the album I wanted to briefly touch upon before I head off into the weekend sunset. Within roughly two years Hammock has been able to put out some very fantastic material that somehow connects the dots between post-rock, shoegaze, and ambient music. On their second album Raising Your Voice…Trying to Stop an Echo the duo has pretty much out done themselves once again. Moving forward with their interesting combination of all things dreamlike, Hammock has unleashed over 70 minutes worth of songs that will wrap and melt around you. It’s a large number I know. However for fans that like their music sort of chilled and dreamy then there shouldn't be any problem. For the first time, Hammock has added slight touches of vocals to some of their songs which are done very well and add to what is already a pretty impressive palette of swirling sound. Basically this is the type of album to get completely lost in while you’re stuck inside watching everything get completely buried underneath the snow.

Hammock – Raising Your Voice…Trying to Stop an Echo [MP3]
Hammock – Disappear Like the Morning [MP3]

You can pick this up now from the Tonevendor. You can also pick up their debut Kenotic and their EP Under Endless Skies from CD Baby. I would highly suggest those that enjoy Sigur Ros, Boards of Canada, or Tim Hecker’s latest album to give this a good listen. With that, I am out for the weekend and will return Monday with the monthly mix hopefully.

Nearing Thanksgiving and Airiel...

Thanksgiving is almost here and I personally can’t wait. Generally I never get too excited over Thanksgiving but this year we are having a bit of the family over to our house, which is like the first time that has ever happened. We usually go somewhere else. I must say, I can’t wait to gorge myself on turkey, stuffing, and corn casserole.

I don’t know if anyone has noticed, but to those that might have, I have started the practice of updating late at night or for some…the very early morning. Anyway, I did it all last week and I think it works out better because I can update with out any one around here bothering me and the site is updated before anyone wakes up instead of me doing it sometime in the evening.


Anyway, I have wanted to do a post on Airiel for quite awhile now but I kept holding out until they possibly released their new album. However, I have finally caved as it looks like that won’t come sometime until early 2007. So, you can be sure that you’ll hear about them again whenever that comes out. Until then however, everyone can listen to the handful of EP’s that the band has released since their formation in 1997. The group was originally the solo project of Jeremy Wrenn but has since then turned it into a full functioning band. Airiel probably stands as my favorite band currently trying to survive in the newer crop of shoegazers. Despite being in a genre where it’s easy to make comparisons, it’s honestly a bit hard to pin down any in particular with Airiel. You could possibly chalk this up to them seamlessly intertwining all of their influences. Regardless, their music has such fresh sparkling and textural sounds to it that I believe many other bands try to produce but just can’t make it work without still sounding derivative. What I guess I am trying to say is that Airiel is pretty much the cream of the crop when it comes to groups trying to breathe new life into this genre.

From about mid ‘03 to mid ‘04 Airiel released a series of EP’s (a total of four) that were later combined and released as a box set titled Winks and Kisses. The box set is long since out of print, but you can still purchase the Melted and Crackled EP’s from Tonevendor. I would highly recommend them, even if it is just two out of the four. The band also released another EP in 2005, which is self-titled and is still available. It features two reworked songs along with a couple new ones as well. From there it’s been a wait for the full-length, which I mentioned earlier, will hopefully be appearing in the early part of ’07.

Airiel EP:
Airiel – 500 Deep [MP3]

Winks and Kisses:
Airiel – Kiss Me Slowly [MP3]
Airiel – This is Why I Can’t Sleep [MP3]

Shirley Temple Tidal Wave/Stationary Lights 7”:
Airiel – Stationary Lights [MP3]

You can pick up any of their material that’s still in print from the wonderful Tonevendor and don’t forget to keep an eye out for their first full-length album sometime early next year.

The Daysleepers...

So Halloween is officially done with. I hope everyone had a good one. I spent mine with some friends while watching Halloween at a movie theater. It was a pretty cool deal. We still have a lot of candy left over at the house too, so that pretty much rules.

Anyway, today I wanted to touch on the newest EP from The Daysleepers called The Soft Attack. It’s their second release and follow up to their amazing Hide Your Eyes EP. The band was formed in 2004 and plays a more ethereal type of shoegaze. The bands bio states that they are a cross between The Cure and My Bloody Valentine, although I see much more of a Cure influence within the music more than anything else. It translates very nicely however for this type of music. Generally I have a bit harder of a time getting into shoegaze groups that are of the less noisy and abrasive type, however The Daysleepers do a wonderful job of creating a sound that also has a sort of edge to it rather than being too focused on the blissful side of things. It’s a perfect balance and the result is some very haunting music. Out of all the new shoegaze acts popping up, The Daysleepers are hands down one of the best around.

The Daysleepers – The Soft Attack [MP3]

I urge everyone to pick this up if you can. The group self releases everything through their own label. If you’re into this, it can be had over at their CD Baby page along with their previous EP.

Mew: And the Glass Handed Kites

Although apparently released overseas in the later part of last year, I didn’t even know about Mew or their album And the Glass Handed Kites up until about a week ago. Thankfully though my newfound interest in the band came at the right time, as the album will see a release in the US on July 26th. And just by listening to it a couple times through, I will tell you right now that I am thoroughly impressed by this. Ignore the less than appealing album art; it’s what’s in the inside that counts anyway.

After only about two or three tracks in you can quickly tell that this is an album that is striving to be large, containing assortments of strings and a heavy dosage of synth. Thankfully for both Mew and the listener, the album hits that goal and feels monumental all the way through from opening instrumental “Circuitry of the Wolf” to “Louisa Louisa”. The album is one of those special cases where it should not be judged from song to song, although this being an MP3 blog that's what you'll have to do, rather it should be taken in as one large piece of music. It all runs together flawlessly, transitioning itself from one beautiful melody to another. Helped along by Jonas Bjerre’s soothing dreamlike vocals, And the Glass Handed Kites is an atmospheric joy ride, every bit as ethereal and dreamy as it can be hard hitting and piercing. It’s a combination of so many things that are good, that it’s hard to not find something that you can appreciate about Mew’s latest.

Although not knowing much about Mew, from what I understand this is their fourth album and that they are relatively unknown in the US. However they have been receiving a lot of attention across seas in Europe. After reading up a bit about And the Glass Handed Kites, it’s apparently a significant departure from the bands original sound. I will hopefully be able to go back here soon and take a listen to the rest of their discography, as this album has deemed it worthy to do so. It seems a bit unlikely for this to ever take off here in the US, however with the success of bands like Muse, Sigur Ros, and M83 it’s not to be completely ruled out as the similarities in Mew are there. That and having J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. fame serve as a guest vocalist on a couple songs won't hurt their chances either.

Mew - Why Are You Looking Grave (feat. J. Mascis) [MP3]
Mew - A Dark Desgin [MP3]
Mew - The Seething Rain Weeps For You [MP3]

Currently their album is available through most major online retailers as an import only, however it’s slated to be hitting US shores here very soon. So keep checking Insound and the likes if you do indeed enjoy some of the songs featured.