Listen: Daniel Bachman – “Coronach” [2021]

Posted on March 17, 2021 by Very Warm

Hang onto your guitar straps cause there’s a new Daniel Bachman album Axacan coming May 7 via Three Lobed Records!!

If you’ve been reading the blog for a while, hopefully you’re familiar with Bachman’s work. While his earlier 10s output was more straightforward American Primitive style acoustic guitar playing, albeit with rather lo-fi recording quality, in 2015 his album River really marked a new direction for him, adding in elements of quiet introspection, emotional dynamics and zen-like noise meditations. Bachman then level-upped with his 2018 album The Morning Star, a record that fully embraced a new experimental sound with plenty of field recordings to amp up the overall atmosphere of each piece, but also added a new sonic depth that normal instruments can’t achieve. I loved it.

Axacan definitely builds on what Bachman has built over the last half decade and it might be my favorite thing he’s done yet. It’s a somber meditation on the last year, with the first single “Coronach” being directly about western society’s failings on dealing with COVID and the ache of loss we’ve all felt over the last 365+ days. The rest of the record continues a similar bleak path, dark and dirge-like interspersed with unsettling field recordings of construction, static AM radio interference, and more uncanny noise. It’s American folk music haunted by ghosts of the past, present and future. Pretty spooky. But oh so good.

Again – Axacan comes out May 7 via Three Lobed. Pre-order the record HERE.

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Listen: Carlos Niño & Friends – “Pleasewakeupalittlefaster, Please… (with Jamael Dean)” [2021]

Posted on March 17, 2021 by Very Warm

Over the last two years I’ve come to respect or worship pretty much everything Chicago label International Anthem puts out. The Resavoir record from 2019 especially hits for me, but they’ve got plenty of heat on the catalog. Most of it jazz, or as Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah would say, creative improvised music.

One record I’ve been lucky enough to hear a little early is the upcoming Carlos Niño & Friends record, More Energy Fields, Current, coming May 7 via International Anthem. It’s a perfect record to populate the space of a room, letting the gentle sounds of piano, saxophone, electronics and percussion percolate in your consciousness. I’m definitely picking up the vinyl before it’s gone forever. It carries a lush energy – a spiritual kind of music that works for the 21st century and beyond. This first track out from the album is the opener, setting the scene for tracks that feature artists like Dntel (a fav of the blog), Sam Gendel, Nate Mercereau and more. It’s a special record, let me tell you that. Make sure to listen above and get those pre-orders on.

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Listen: Giant Claw – “Disworld (feat. NTsKi)” [2021]

Posted on March 11, 2021 by Very Warm

Red alert! There’s a new Giant Claw record on the horizon! If you’re unfamiliar, Giant Claw AKA Keith Rankin is in my mind one of the best and brightest minds in experimental music today, and his instantly recognizable art has been seen on many album covers over the past half decade. Just wonderful stuff.

Another thing – you can never tell what a full Giant Claw record will sound like from one song. This first single is a good indication of potentially the overall atmosphere of the record, but I cannot wait to hear what other tricks and treats he has in his bag.

Mirror Guide will be out on May 14 via Orange Milk Records. Pre-order HERE.

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Listen: Hildegard – “Jour 2” [2021]

Posted on March 11, 2021 by Very Warm

Probably my most listened-to song of 2021 so far is “Jour 2” by Hildegard, a new superduo of Helena Deland and ouri. Even the video is great! A mixture of distant future + old fashioned styles.

The song itself though. WOOF. A hypnotic, low-thumping beat with ghostly detached vocals floating around the soundstage. Gives me major Tirzah or Smerz vibes, which is A++ for me.

Let’s hope for more music from the duo this year!

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Recommended Albums: February 2021

Posted on March 11, 2021 by Very Warm

I had a bit of difficulty picking 10 records to feature for February 2021. Not because there was a dearth in good music – more the opposite. Lots of high-profile indie releases finally hitting, as well as majorly-hyped newcomers cutting into the scene with impactful new albums. My current reigning AOTY from Black Country, New Road came out, Cassandra Jenkins, Katy Kirby and Brijean all made fantastic records I listen to on the regular, and the rest listed here are fantastic as well. Don’t miss them.

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Listen: John Andrews & The Yawns – “New California Blue” [2021]

Posted on March 4, 2021 by Very Warm

Out today, “New California Blue” is the first single off the upcoming John Andrews & The Yawns album Cookbook, coming May 14 via Woodsist. 

If you’re unfamiliar with John Andrews directly, you’re likely familiar with projects he’s been involved with in the past, like Hand Habits and Woods. Cookbook is his third album under the ‘& The Yawns’ name, the previous two LPs also via Woodsist. This new song itself is dedicated to none other than Joni Mitchell, as her music was particularly inspiring to Andrews for a hectic stretch of time in his life. That’s something I respect and can get behind. Sonically, it’s got an old-time charm, radiating with warmth; from the nostalgic piano, to the cool keys, to the echoing brush-played drums, finally to Andrews mellow falsetto drifting across the instrumental landscape like the puffiest cloud in a clear, blue sky. It’s even got some flute in there. If you know me in person and have heard me rave about the “Essential Oil Dimension”… this definitely earns its spot in that alternate universe.

On the album’s bio, written by Andrews’ mom, she likens the album to whatever was playing in that classic “dogs playing poker” painting. You know the one. And she’s pretty on point. The album is like a 70s cartoon. It’s homey, it’s kitschy, it’s whimsical, and it’s comforting. It’s a glass Garfield mug. I know we’ve all been spending A LOT of time at home, but maybe this might transport you to a home different than yours – a real old-timey spot where you’ll walk in and your cheeks will flush from the dry heat + wool socks. Come on home. Open the heavy door. Close it with its satisfying latch, and sit in a big old chair with a lace woolen pattern laid atop the back.

Cookbook comes out May 14 via Woodsist – you can pre-order it HERE.

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10 Best Songs: St. Vincent

Posted on March 3, 2021 by Very Warm

I noticed St. Vincent has some new music coming in the coming days, so to stay timely I thought I’d cobble together my favorite St. V tracks to celebrate.

If you’re unfamiliar, St. Vincent is the artist’s name for Annie Clark, a rip-roaring guitar wizard and uncanny sonic chemist. The records she creates and produces all seem to exist in the same bizarro universe, with plenty of sounds and tones that would be aligned with some sort of “modern, post-consumer paradise”, but eschews them in a way to show the cracks forming in the utopia’s foundation. Like previously mentioned, her nimble guitar work is seriously something to marvel at, and you can see it in the first video I posted below. She’s a machine that attempts to be human – a very convincing one at that.

St. Vincent was one of the first “indie” artists I started listening to back in 2009 with the release of her sophomore album Actor, whose cover instantly grabbed me as something to check out. At the time I was only dabbling in the dark underground arts known as “indie rock”, with playlists made up of Andrew Bird, Florence + The Machine, Passion Pit, and other free mp3 downloads offered at the time. St. Vincent still stood out from the pack and her 2011 album Strange Mercy was one of my most-anticipated before its release. It turned out to be my favorite record of that year – go figure. Her follow-up albums, St. Vincent and MASSEDUCTION have been good, but haven’t held my attention the way Actor and Strange Mercy have. It’s been really engaging to watch her sound and career develop over the last 10+ years and I’m incredibly happy she’s seen the success she has. Who knows – maybe this upcoming record will be my new favorite?

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Listen: Erika de Casier – “Drama” [2021]

Posted on March 2, 2021 by Very Warm

Erika de Casier is BACK with her second single for new label home 4AD, which continues her so far perfect streak of tunes to her name. It’s another late night, late 90s/early 00s slick pop swoon, harkening back to Timbaland-produced heaven. It’s immaculately produced and de Casier’s vocals + lyrics are on point as always.

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2013 Retrospective

Posted on March 1, 2021 by Very Warm

After many, many months, I’ve finally wrapped up my Retrospective series for the 2010s. By Retrospective, I mean collecting 100 songs that essential were the soundtrack to the year as it happened to me. Songs that I listen to and immediately a memory or two from that period of time comes flooding back.

In the case of 2013, it was a real year of “growing up”. I got my first smartphone, I moved out of the dorms, I got my first “real” jobs (at my college radio station + archival library), I celebrated one year of my relationship, and my taste continued to balloon. The header photo I make for each one ideally is made from pictures I took from that year. I found that I either didn’t take many pictures in 2013, or I’ve deleted most of them. Instead, it’s made from a shot in the stacks of the archive library, a shot out the window of Bug House, and a cool picture I took on a foggy day on campus. Then I put it into a grid, because 2013 was also the year I discovered the app that I use to make all the art for the blog. Eight years of using this dang app! Crazy!

You can see the full suite of Retrospective posts HERE.

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10 Best Songs: Daft Punk

Posted on February 28, 2021 by Very Warm

Daft Punk may be over, but their music lives on. Hearing the news of their break up wasn’t a shocking, terrible surprise. They hadn’t toured or put out any music since 2013, only working on production for a few things (most of which were very good – go back and listen to that 2017 Charlotte Gainsbourg album again if you haven’t). After every festival lineup since 2013 failed to have them as the headliner, the thought of them never playing another show felt more and more like a reality. Maybe they were planning something in 2020, it got derailed, and rather than put it off they just said “eh, it’s not worth it”.  At least at this point a reunion show series will pull them in massive bank. 

With me and Daft Punk, there was a period of time when they were my “favorite artist” from mid-2011 to probably mid-2013 (the loss of their fav status had nothing to do with the release of Random Access Memories, it had everything to do with listening to Boards of Canada every day for a few months). RAM was even my #1 album of 2013. Eventually I drifted away from that record, with it not even making my Top 200 Albums of the 2010s list. I would still lose myself in Homework, Discovery and Alive 2007, the albums that I essentially hooked into my veins and would blast out of my car while still living in Michigan, worrying my friends riding in the backseat. They left a massive imprint on my taste, essentially getting me into house music and techno before I really knew what they were. Heck, Discovery‘s 20th anniversary was just a few days ago. I thought I’d collect my 10 favorite Daft Punk tunes and write a bit about them. I hope people power past the memes and embrace the fact that the duo made some purely joyous, inventive, exciting and euphoric music during their run. Thanks Daft Punk!

Also – they made an entire anime movie to Discovery. Teenage Warm V. thanks you for your service.

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