Sharks and Sailors - Builds Brand New

I don’t think I’ve heard a record for quite awhile that is as two sided as the debut Builds Brand New from Houston, TX’s Sharks and Sailors. And I don’t mean that as any slight towards the band or their record, it’s just kind of interesting to hear an album that starts one way and ends entirely in another. Sharks and Sailors however seem to have a pretty good feel for whatever they choose to play though as evidenced through their debut which was self-released by the band at the beginning of this month.

Through the first few songs on Builds Brand New it appears that Sharks and Sailors are band that is firmly entrenched in a Midwestern post-hardcore sort of sound, albeit a bit more of a dreamy variation. I suppose that could have been my first indication that this band had something more up their sleeve. Songs like “Builds Brand New” and my personal favorite “Terminal Lesson” both feature the large riffs and gripping melodies that are to be expected, however it’s the laid back and intriguingly chill vocals from both Melissa Lonchambon and Michael Rollin that push these songs into more captivating territory. Thrown in the mix is “Cliffs”, which is a glimpse of the other side of the Sharks and Sailors coin and the shape the album takes more so towards the last three songs. With their shift to a moodier and darker sound, the band almost appears to be influenced by the burgeoning post-rock crop, at times even sounding a bit shoegazy. However, thanks in part to the bands overall soothing tone throughout the album nothing ever sounds out of place. Builds Brand New is a solid debut that covers a lot of ground in its ten songs and certainly leaves the door open for unexpected developments with future material.

Sharks and Sailors – Terminal Lesson [MP3]

For more information on the band and for those looking to pick up Builds Brand New, just head on over to their MySpace to do so. Enjoy, and everyone have a great weekend!

Laura - Yes Maybe No

What we have here is the new EP from Australia’s power post-rock collective Laura. The EP titled Yes Maybe No has just been released on Elevation Records at the beginning of this month. The EP follows up their second album Radio Swan is Down that was released last year, which may be one of the best post-rock related albums I’ve managed to and willingly hear over the past few years. And you have to remember that I am generally not the largest fan of said genre. However the power and beauty contained within Laura’s music is something that not even I can deny or just casually brush off. They pack a fairly large and often menacing punch that comes off as rather genuine, which is something that I think is often missing from a lot of the music that finds itself underneath the same umbrella.

Yes Maybe No is a bit of step in a different direction however for Laura. Not as dark as their previous album, but still supplying the same shoegazey wall of sound whenever they so choose. The EP is filled by three different ambient styled tracks to sort of segue into more traditional structured songs. The final track “Another One for the Humans” seems to be the largest departure for the band as it’s a rather lengthy dive into the more moody subdued post-rock territories until about the six and half minute mark where it takes a rather interesting turn towards a noisier jamming session that fills out the rest of the track and is definitely best heard with the stereo turned up. All in all though it would appear Yes Maybe No is a rather concise display of what Laura brings to the table and in the process gives us the listeners a bit of a look into what the future might hold for this rather talented group of musicians.

Laura - Cardboard Cut Out Robot Victim Hero Children [MP3]

For those interested in picking up a copy of Yes Maybe No then definitely head on over to Elevation Records. I strongly suggest doing it ASAP as this EP has been limited to just 2000 copies and will be gone for good after that. Enjoy!

Pupille - La Música de Moda

Four albums in 10 years, the Tarragona based Pupille have consistently been putting out melodically twisting and precise instrumental rock during that time. The band is back this year with their fifth album titled La Música de Moda, which as been put out by Bcore Disc out of Barcelona, Spain.

Being a five piece can sometimes be misleading, Pupille aren’t a band that produce a large wall of noise or use that number to power the listener into submission. Instead, and one of the things that makes Pupille so impressive and a pleasure to listen to, is that each one of the members can be picked out of the melding and winding sound. Thanks to the extremely talented work of each member, it makes La Música de Moda a fantastic treat to listen to on a larger home stereo. Getting a chance to hear the three featured guitarists float in and out from one channel to the other just never gets old throughout the seven songs that make up the album. Bouncing off one another effortlessly and complete with smooth transitions that lead to the next guitarist’s arrangement, there is plenty contained within the album that make repeated listens a definite must. And that is not taking into the account the wonderful music that all of this ends up creating.

Pupille – La Comedia Hungara [MP3]

For those interested in picking up La Música de Moda then head on over to Bcore Disc to pick it up. Fans of finely executed instrumental rock shouldn’t pass this one up, a fine piece of work.

Thisquietarmy - Unconquered

Just recently released at the end of this past March was the debut from Thisquietarmy titled Unconquered out on Foreshadow Records. Some may already be familiar with Thisquietarmy and that the man behind the moniker, Eric Quach, is also a guitarist for the fantastic post-rock/shoegaze group Destroyalldreamers. Taking his love for fuzz and ambiance further (which is already hinted at in the space defiant band names), Quach has turned to his solo project for an outlet and the results of it certainly speak for itself.

Unconquered is a record that takes on a few different shapes and sounds as it progresses through the eight tracks that make up the album. The opener “Immobilization” is a fantastic joint effort between Quach and guest collaborator Aidan Baker. To little surprise it resembles Baker’s work on his past textural/ambient albums and it’s obvious that the two teamed together create a fairly captivating creative force. However, one of the things that makes Unconquered such a strong debut is that Quach doesn’t try to mimic these results for the rest of the album and the structure and mood shifts considerably after the first track. It follows up on the next couple tracks with a semi-abrasive wash of rising and falling distortion. “Battlefield Arkestrah” is a notable punishing piece of work, which is featured further below. One of my favorite tracks off the album is easily “The Great Escapist”, which features vocals from female singer Meryem Yildiz. The implementation of vocals is a fantastic addition and although it may be one of the more structured tracks on the album, it still fits right along with the rest of the album.

While Unconquered may not be something completely new to drone/ambient fans, it’s surely something that should and likely will be enjoyed by fans of the genre. Quach’s execution and unique approach to the genre is certainly worth checking out.

Thisquietarmy – Battlefield Arkestrah [MP3]

For those looking to pick up Unconquered, it is currently available through Tonevendor. Fans of this sort of music should definitely give it a chance. Also, for anyone that is looking for some more sampling of Thisquietarmy’s music, then definitely download the internet only single that features the excellent non-album track “Dronewars”. In order to do that, just head on over here. Enjoy!

Singer - Unhistories

With U.S. Maple being on hiatus for the foreseeable future, guitarist Todd Rittman and later era drummer Adam Vida set out and teamed up with former 90 Day Men member Rob Lowe and the brother of Adam, Ben Vida to form Singer. The band has just recently released their full-length debut, Unhistories, this past March on Drag City.

I remember first hearing about Singer and where it would lead. Their debut kind of snuck up on me, but something like Singer is definitely a good surprise. I guess it’s not terribly surprising the band resembles U.S. Maple in quite a few ways, most notably continuing on with the off-kilter guitar arrangements and general “making something from nothing” type of mentality that the previous outfit so successfully pulled off. There are a few key differences interspersed throughout the record though. One being that the name of the band is something to be taken quite literally, which was a complete surprise to me. I had no idea that the foursome would be collectively providing vocals. Furthermore, I didn’t expect them to be harmonized in such a way that they are on the album, albeit it’s Lowe that often takes center stage with the vocal duties. It’s quite a difference and really contrasts well with overall uneasiness that is created by the deconstructed rhythms floating along behind them.

I hate to use the word accessible, but Singer provides a bit more of a gentler approach than what was previously experimented with in U.S. Maple. But let me remind you that I am using the term “accessible” very very loosely. Singer does a pretty good job at diving into the odd guitar/rhythm experimentations of Rittman’s and A. Vida’s previous group and delivering something with a few interesting twists that ultimately work better than I think most would expect.

Singer – Dumb Smoke [MP3]

For those looking to pick up Singer’s debut album Unhistories, then head on over to Drag City to do so. I definitely recommend this purchase for fans of U.S. Maple.

Glissade - Further

It has been raining here off and on all morning, seemed like the perfect time to throw on the new record Further from Greensboro, NC shoegaze trio Glissade. While the cover of the album features a nice shot of an ocean coast, I don’t have that same sort of view here in the Midwest so I am making due by syncing it up to a cloudy/rainy afternoon. Music to watch the streams of water jet down my road and into my yard, creating a lovely mess of trash and decomposing leaves to pick up tomorrow.

While I am not quite sure how long Glissade have been around, Further marks their fifth release and second full-length record. It also happens to be the first time I have ever heard the band and I must say the initial impression is a strong one. Further strives to be a successful and effective atmospheric journey, and for the most part it meets its goal. Just by the appearance of the album, it would almost lead one to believe that the entire album is just slowly blended rise and falls of distortion. At least for me the album name Further automatically triggers some sort of Flying Saucer Attack element. However though, Glissade takes on more of a post-rock approach, giving the songs more of a distinctive appearance from one another. Furthermore, the band also manages to burst out with some fairly hard hitting and intense pieces during some of the songs climaxes which reveal a completely unexpected side to the band…at for me as a first time listener. But going back to the FSA mention though, while it’s probably completely coincidental, Glissade does have a slight psychedelic wrapping to their song craft that does kind of remind me of the bands more pysch influenced material. This is definitely something that fans of instrumental shoegaze/post-rock will want to check out. Think Destroyalldreamers, but without as much of the glimmering sheen to them and bit of a rougher edge.

Glissade – Fields of Snow [MP3]

For those looking to pick up Glissade’s latest full-length, then head on over to Tonevendor to do so. Good stuff.

Thank You - Terrible Two

The amount of interesting and often experimental music coming out of Baltimore, Maryland these days seems to be increasing. More and more I feel like I have been combing through the wealth of music coming out of that scene and a small portion of it has landed on the blog at some point or another. If I weren’t so lazy (and somewhat tired) I would go back and try and tally up the number. That’s just not to be though. Despite that, for today’s post I have an excellent new record from another Baltimore act, the trio of Thank You. Thrill Jockey just released their new album, Terrible Two, on vinyl this past April and are set to release it on CD here shortly in early June. So be on the lookout for it if vinyl is not your game.

Terrible Two is the follow up to last years album on WildfireWildfire titled World City. The band is described as an athletic rhythm/action unit, which almost seems like a good way of describing a band, but yet not really giving any idea of how they sound at the same time. However, after going through the five tracks on Terrible Two, it became clearer to me as to what exactly was meant by it…my mistake. Despite only being a trio, Thank You almost sound like there should be considerably more people standing around playing, hitting, or shouting something. The live shows are apparently something to be seen, which I can believe. The amount of different beats and rhythms they pull the listener through is genuinely impressive, which have all been drawn from a number of different sounds. The songs are drawn out in a fashion that lets them slowly work themselves into a frenzy, which generally leads to them spinning off into a whirlwind of completely different rhythms and beats. Terrible Two may only be around thirty five minutes in length, but it leaves nothing untouched and there is plenty to discover and appreciate here. On top of that it just proves to be a very fun album to listen to as well.

Thank You – Empty Legs [MP3]

As mentioned earlier, Terrible Two is only available out on vinyl as of right now and will be released on CD here come June. For anyone out there looking to pick it up right now however can do so through Thrill Jockey. Enjoy!

Juno...

Juno was a band out of Seattle that formed in 1995 and released a couple albums, This is the Way it Goes and Goes and Goes and A Future Lived in Past Tense, on Desoto Records before calling it a day. I like to think that they were a band that were just around during the wrong time, or hung it up a bit too soon. It might have not mattered, who knows. Despite that though, it seems as if an album like 2001’s A Future Lived in Past Tense was released now it would have a chance to be fairly successful due to the heightened interest in post-rock or just music that is of the epic rise and fall variety.

Members Arlie Carstens, Gabe Carter, and Jason Guyer made up a three guitar core that was joined with drummer Greg Ferguson. Over the years the band had a few different bass players both on record and on tour, one of them being Nate Mendel of SDRE fame. However, when it all came down to it Juno’s sound was very largely based around the interplay and the arrangements of the three guitarists that made up the band. They were certainly masters of creating a sound that weaved in out of different textures and riffs, and as to be expected they sounded massive when they completely let loose. Juno weren’t necessarily a one trick pony though. While they most certainly wrote songs that journeyed through the lows and highs of ambience, their sound was also very heavily based around the straight forward rock approach of post-hardcore music in the 90’s.

This is the Way it Goes and Goes and Goes:
Juno – The Young Influentials [MP3]
Juno – All Your Friends are Comedians [MP3]

A Future Lived in Past Tense:
Juno – When I was in _____ [MP3]
Juno – You are the Beautiful Conductor of This Orchestra [MP3]

Magnified and Reduced by Inches 7’’:
Juno – Magnified and Reduced by Inches [MP3]
Juno – Pablo Y Zelda [MP3]

Both of Juno’s fine albums are still available through Desoto Records. If you’re digging the music then definitely go and pick up a record or two. Well worth it.

Alcest - Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde

It’s kind of odd in a way to see this album being praised upon on a bunch of metal sites due to just how this record sounds and where it fits in the whole musical scope of things. I suppose it shouldn’t be really a huge surprise or anything however considering the background for Alcest and the man behind it all Neige is fairly established in black metal. Still, it’s a bit interesting. While I can’t say I am too familiar with any of the projects previous material, I assume that most of it isn’t as beautiful and dreamy sounding as this. Still that hasn’t kept fans from saying plenty of good things about the latest album Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde and really it shouldn’t because the album is simply one of the most beautiful things that has come out this year. To sort of sum up Alcest on Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde, it’s basically black metal meets shoegaze/post-rock. Probably more shoegaze and post-rock than anything else, however the buzzing dissonance of black metal inspired guitar is still fairly prominent within Alcest’s sound. However, that’s about as black as this album will get, as the focus for Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde is not to be dark, depressing, and forlorn…rather it’s meant to instill a sense of hope and freedom within the listener. In actuality I remember reading that the album is actually about being a child and the innocence that comes with it, which is fine by me because the idea results in a very powerful and beautiful sounding album. The lyrics are all done in French anyway, so I suppose really to someone like me that can’t translate it, it could mean just about anything. Regardless, Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde is a great album that shoegazers and possibly even metal fans can find some interest in. As for me, I honestly hope Alcest remains heading in this direction. More music like what can be found on Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde would definitely be fine by me.

Alcest - Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde [MP3]

For those interested in checking this out, it can be had over at Profound Lore. Definitely comes recommended.

Sterling - Cursed

Recently reformed in ’05, Sterling has returned this year with their third album Cursed out on File 13 Records. This time around, guitarist Eric Chaleff and drummer Tony Lazzara are joined by ex-Milemarker member Al Burian on bass and former 90 Day Men member Andy Lansangan playing piano.

As with every record that Sterling has put out so far, I’ve been drawn in by the bands creative use of low-end and drums into their production. From the opening drum kick on the track “Lurker” it sets an immediate mood and sends a warning message that this isn’t post-rock with any sort of light at the end of the tunnel. As fans of Sterling probably already know, the band has been creating and fine tuning their dark and incredibly interesting form of post-rock for a few years now. On their latest album Cursed, they haven’t shied away from that approach at all, if not actually embracing it even more. Scaling things down to just three long tracks, Cursed has production values that will absolutely send shivers down the listener’s spine while listening to it. The drums sound absolutely thunderous behind the rumbling low-end provided by bassist Burian. The combination of it all leaves the album with a consistently effective haunting vibe to it. With every odd twist and turn, Sterling end up covering a lot ground in their songs, covering everything from progressive, classical, metal, and math. All of that while never once retracing their steps, each one of the songs plays out as a unique journey into creative dark landscapes that the members of Sterling have masterfully crafted.

Sterling – Lurker [MP3]

I won’t lie; this album completely caught me unprepared. I honestly didn’t know about it until about a month ago. Sterling seems to work often under the radar and with a slight mysteriousness to them. Regardless, don’t miss out on this album like I did for so long, it’s one of the better things I’ve heard from ’07 thus far. For those interested, the album can be had over at File 13. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up.

Tulsa Drone - Songs from a Mean Season

While Richmond, Virginia’s Tulsa Drone may often be lumped into the instrumental post-rock crowd, they are forging on with their own brand and vision of what instrumental rock should sound like. One thing that I have come to enjoy about Tulsa Drone and their latest album Songs from a Mean Season is that they don’t necessarily rely on the quiet to loud aesthetics commonly used within the genre. Something you’ll read often about Tulsa Drone is that their music contains an almost cinematic feel to it, and while listening to Songs from a Mean Season I couldn’t agree more. That aspect of the bands sound is partly the reason I’ve been able to really enjoy this album. It has a completely different approach to what I am used to, it’s not relying on the same old tried and true methods nor does it buy into any of the genres tired clichés.

Using a good amount of different instruments, including impressive incorporation of the bass-hammered dulcimer, the band has captured the sound of desolation in such a manner that it’s almost hard to put into words. The groups sound is definitely slightly influenced by that of old-western music and/or lifestyle, which often lends to the bands illustrative soundtrack of possibly being surrounded by nothing but the cold lonely plains or desert. Don’t let that description fool you into believing that this is simply something that will fit naturally in the background as opposed to a disc that warrants multiple listens, because it surely does. It’s surprisingly captivating to listen to it, maybe more so because of the area I live in, however I can’t help but think about driving along the highway at night through Kansas or even here in parts of Missouri. It’s almost too fitting for those times whenever I am out there and I can’t see nothing but dark fields and the eerie feeling of being the only one on a long stretch of highway. Whether that’s the exact visual picture Tulsa Drone were aiming for, I am not quite sure, but I am imagine they are happy to know that their music has the ability to create such mental images to the people that are fortunate enough to sit down and listen to Songs from a Mean Season.

For those that are familiar with Tulsa Drone, it might be a bit surprising to hear that there are indeed vocals sparsely used in a couple places on the album provided by guitarist Erik Grotz. While I would have been perfectly content with the album being strictly instrumental, and for the most part it is, it was actually very rewarding to hear Grotz’s vocals. On top of being a very capable vocalist, his voice and delivery is actually very fitting to what the bands music is trying to accomplish in terms of feel and imagery. His voice has a slight downtrodden monotony to it that blends perfectly with the bands practical soundtrack to the barren locations left on earth.

Tulsa Drone – Monongahela [MP3]
Tulsa Drone – Brace [MP3]

For those interested, Songs from a Mean Season is available through Perpetual Motion Machine. The album gets a strong stamp of approval from me, so I highly recommend picking this up.

Joy Wants Eternity - You Who Pretend to Sleep

Joy Wants Eternity is a 5 piece band based out of Seattle, Washington that by sifting through materials online would lead you to believe that they are another instrumental post-rock band. Honestly that’s what I figured it would be when I initially checked out the group’s page on MySpace, but I was pleasantly surprised to hear what began to play as soon as it loaded. The song, which was “Existences Rust” from their upcoming debut album You Who Pretend to Sleep, sparked the thought in my head that if I were to be in a band like that, then this is what I would want to sound like. So I was thrilled to find the actual album show up in my mailbox this past Friday and it has proved to be every bit as good as my first impression of them led me to believe.

Comparisons to fellow post-rockers like Mogwai, Mono, and etc. are sure to be pinned on these guys. It’s obvious that there are parts of You Who Pretend to Sleep that draw from these bands, but I found myself being taken in by the amount of warm feedback and the almost full scale ambient direction they tend to take the music at times. I would consider this album to be more motivated by past shoegaze acts than anything else. The crashes of slow melting feedback are quick to remind me of either Slowdive or Flying Saucer Attack, especially the more ambient and spaced out tracks like “Death is a Door That Opens” and “What Lies Behind”. To me, this is where they really excel, in creating such warm and lush sounds that will do more than get your blood pumping for a few mere minutes. Joy Wants Eternity has created an exceptionally beautiful and powerful sounding record that will wrap itself around the listener for eight solid tracks. I can’t recommend this one enough for those that enjoy both post-rock and shoegaze; it’s a great mixture of the two that will surely please fans of either.

Joy Wants Eternity – Yet Onward We Marched [MP3]

You Who Pretend to Sleep will be released on May 22nd through the bands own label Beep Repaired. If you dig the tunes above, be sure to pick it up when it comes out. For now, check out the bands MySpace for some more tunes and to keep up to date on the album.

Caspian - The Four Trees

The Boston based band Caspian is set to release their second album The Four Trees on April 10th. I’ll admit I hadn’t heard much from Caspian before this. I had seen many positive reviews about them spread across the good ‘ol Internet, but never really bothered to take a long hard listen to them because they fall into one of the most hit or miss genre’s for me, post-rock. It’s frustrating to wade through all of the imitators and average groups that try their hand at it. But anyway, I’ve listened to their latest upcoming effort, and I must say I am pretty damn impressed by this. Not just sort of impressed, but truly taken by this album. It’s that good.

At first it would be easy to compare these guys to Explosions in the Sky or any number of the main post-rock giants. However, Caspian do manage to set themselves apart from these bands and form their own identity. If they were having trouble before, then I am almost positive that The Four Trees will land them their own gigantic dot on the instrumental post-rock map. It’s an amazingly beautiful album. While this may not be a big deal to others out there, I dig the really low end bass that a lot of the songs seem to have. It definitely gives the album an extra punch that makes the heavier portions of it that much more effective and crunching. There is never a moment where The Four Trees feels like its dragging. It’s pretty nice how the band has set up the album with some shorter interludes here and there, as opposed to dragging out songs that could potentially get boring. It lets their overall sound seem larger and more captivating that way. Oddly enough though, the longest song on the album is one of the most amazing tracks off the album.

Caspian – Moksha [MP3]

For those that are already big fans of post-rock, then there is really no excuse to not own The Four Trees. And even for those that aren’t big fans of the genre, I still highly recommend this as it’s just a really nicely executed album that sounds just absolutely beautiful at times. Again, it’ll be out April 10th but it can be pre-ordered over at Dopamine Records up until I think March 27th. With that you get a free poster and you don’t have to pay any shipping costs if you live in the US. So yeah, that’s a pretty swell deal, so definitely take advantage of that. Enjoy!

Fuehler...

There isn’t much information out there on the German band Fuehler from what I can tell. However, I guess it’s not surprising as their self-titled album that came out on Amanita Records in 1996 was their one and only full-length release. Apparently the band either drifted off into obscurity or disintegrated soon after the album came out. It really is a shame too, because the album is pretty amazing and was actually really ahead of its time.

With metallic post-rock becoming more and more popular these days, I would definitely suggest people look into finding this album. While it’s not exactly the carbon copy of what we hear these days, it definitely displays an early interest in the genre. However, the band doesn’t completely settle on that one niche. Although their music remains to be fairly melodic, there are instances where the melodies are also made up a nice sheet of underlying noise that is reminiscent to the likes of Glenn Branca or Caspar Brotzmann. The lead track “Harry” pretty much sums up the bands style. The seven minute masterpiece rides the fence of possibly being prog, however near the end brings it together for one absolutely epic ending that has one of the most ear pleasing riffs I’ve heard. No lie. However that’s probably my one and only complaint for the album, that the opener kind of steals the show for the rest of the time. While a number of the other songs on the album are fairly stunning as well, none really ever compare or stack up to “Harry”. Still, this album is pretty incredible, both for the band members’ musicianship and for it being a slight pre-cursor for a lot of today’s post-rock influenced music.

Fuehler – Harry [MP3]
Fuehler – Teufel 3 [MP3]
Fuehler – Greifen [MP3]

This may or may not be out of print these days; however for those that are interested it does look like Crucial Blast has it available still. I strongly urge those of you that are quite into the more metal side of post-rock to check this out. Amazing stuff.

Polaris - Polaris...

The Leeds group of Polaris has been together for quite sometime now, around 13 years or so. However this year they released only their second record together. This makes groups that take 3 years in between releases look like workaholics. Regardless, as many of us come to realize after awhile, quality is sometimes better than quantity. Polaris is a band that must firmly believe in that, or I at least give them the benefit of the doubt that they do.

On their self-titled release, which was put out on Gringo Records, the band kick around somewhere in between post-rock and general indie rock. What got me initially listening to this record was the track “Kissing”, which is a captivating piece and one of the more beautifully written songs that I’ve heard all year. There is a certain emotional quality that is caught within that song that is often hard to obtain and for practically all 6 minutes it puts a smile on my face. For the most part the album as a whole is a soft and brooding piece of work that plays off the whole “soft to loud (vice versa)” slant fairly well. While the album plays out like a rollercoaster, being completely upbeat and with a lackadaisical sense of happiness, it does plummet into more moody and darker territory at times, which are probably my least favorite portions of the album. Polaris do a damn fine job of making incredibly catchy lazy sunny day music that it would suit me fine if the whole album was just nothing but that. However, that’s just my little deal I have with it and really can’t hold that as any sort of complaint because this album is great from start to end regardless of the mood.

Polaris – Kissing [MP3]
Polaris – Conquering Small Spaces [MP3]

You can grab this over at Gringo Records or off the bands MySpace, whichever you prefer. Anyway, enjoy as always.

God is an Astronaut?

Sometime last year I was recommended the band God is an Astronaut a three piece outfit from Dublin. I assume the band was originally passed my way due to my affinity with the style of shoegaze. However, when listening to their last full-length album All is Violent, All is Bright I didn't see the connection there aside from maybe some of the dreamy textures. At first a bit disappointed by what appeared to be yet another notch in the ever expanding post-rock genre, I was gradually found myself warming up to it after repeated listens. I eventually came to the realization that the music within All is Violent, All is Bright isn't just another half assed stab at achieving something monumental and epic sounding. Instead, God is an Astronaut is monumental and epic sounding. Although the songs on the album are generally shorter than most post-rock compositions, I actually find it a bit relieving. Not to say I don't like the Godspeeds of post-rock, however the similarities and carbon copy effect can get quite tiresome after awhile. So in that sense, God is an Astronaut is a much welcome addition.

Taking an already familiar sound, God is an Astronaut incorporate a vast amount of synth and various other electronic elements to their music. Thus giving All is Violent, All is Bright a chilled ambiance to it that surely makes the more powerful moments throughout the album stand out even more. Listen to this album at night, as I did, and it will become even more apparent that this album is a great soundtrack of sorts. One that definitely deserves a hefty amount of praise. However, God is an Astronaut are still a bit under the radar, but with each album that they release they are gaining the notoriety they deserve.

God is an Astronaut - A Deafening Distance [MP3]
God is an Astronaut - Remembrance Day [MP3]

If you missed out on All is Violent, All is Bright in 2005, be sure to pick it up now at their website. You can also grab their newest EP A Moment of Stillness and their reissued debut The End is the Beginning through their website as well.

The music of God is an Astronaut is just one of a few bands that have been written into the screenplay for a television show called Lenexa that a couple of friends and I have been working on over the past few months. In actuality I contribute only a very small fraction to the creative process and none of us ever plan to have the show made, but it serves as a fun project for all of us to take part in and grow creatively. I do hope that anyone who is intrigued will check it out over at its MySpace page for screenplay downloads and more information on the show.