by: Sam Farzin and [x]
Clues - Clues [Constellation]
Alden Penner (ex-Unicorn) cavorts with some Arcade Fires on this very fun and fairly complex and dense pop cirque. SF
Iron & Wine - Around The Well [Sub Pop]
A collection of singles and "beard"-sides. SF
Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band [Merge]
On this disc Mr Bright Eyes sometimes hands the mic over to his Mystic compadres, parlaying stories and themes over a relaxed sound building on the aural foundations in his last album. SF
Ear Pwr - Super Animal Brothers III [Carpark]
This is super fun music, entirely unpretentious galavanting disco without the ugly sass, party-punk without guitars, maximalist minimalism. SF
Deradoorian - Mind Raft EP [Lovepump United]
Shwoozy (what?) songs from the appropriately-named (what??) Angel Deradoorian. Like sleeping and dreaming of what folk shoegaze sounds like. SF
Bricolage - Bricolage [Slumberland]
That finely-manicured Glasgow pop sound. From Glasgow. This is super-posi. SF
HIP-HOP
The following two artists performed at an ACROBATICS EVERYDAY event in April and absolutely DESTROYED.
Astronautalis - Pomegranate [Eyeball]
At the risk of bridging a wide gap with twigs...this is Tom Waits rapping. No but really. This is incredible! Really bombastic music, really hooky verses, very literate and singularly voiced (aside from obvious gravel). I think this album is apparently about the Civil War. SF
Bleubird - RIP USA (The Birdfleu) [Endemik]
More straight independent hip-hop from a Berliner ex-pat. Mostly concerned with society and politics but still very very catchy with exciting and heavy-as-F production. SF
EXPERMENTAL
Billygoat - Dioscuri Demos [self-released]
These guys are amazing. I saw them play at Pehrspace last week and they blew me away. It's some of the most beautiful post-rock music I've ever heard. It's got a lot of different elements in it. A little funk. A little sort of parisian sounding music. But mostly it's just perfect post-rock. If you ever get a chance to see these guys live DO IT! They have THE BEST stop animation films that accompany their music. [x]
James Blackshaw - The Glass Bead Game [Young God Records]
This album is simply incredible. I was going to say "awesome" but I didn't want it to come across as ironic. This album literally instills a sense of awe. It has some great 12 string guitar work as well as some wonderful piano pieces. This man knows what he's doing. The guitar pieces shows his skill but doesn't sound "technical" or un-approachable. It's all very warm and inviting. The piano pieces are dramatic and emotional. [x]
Elfin Saddle - Ringing for the Begin Again [Constellation]
Whoa! Hold the phone! I didn't think an album like this would be possible. Picture Deerhoof if they decided to go all folky/gypsy/weird but kept that sort of cutesy rock feeling to them. This is probably going to be one of those great albums that's going to get totally over-looked cus it's in experimental. [x]
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