Listen: Aluna – “Envious (Kiddy Smile Remix)” [2020]

Posted on October 21, 2020 by Very Warm

I’ve been a fan of Aluna (of AlunaGeorge) since the duo dropped their first few singles back in what, 2011? 2012? It’s been a while since I’ve kept tabs on them, but Aluna released her solo debut this year, Renaissance, via Mad Decent. It’s full of hot dance tunes that I would have LOVED to hear blasted from a nice club sound system. Instead, I’ve been loading my exercise playlist full of them, especially “Don’t Hit My Line”.

Recently, Aluna dropped a remix of another album highlight “Envious” by Kiddy Smile and let me tell you – it has accompanied me for every run since it dropped, at least two or three times replayed each time at that. It’s an expertly arranged, uptempo house remix with rubbery bass, sly synthetic strings in the background and a super-effective piano for emphasis. Another element to the song (that I always chalk up to a Jamie xx comparison) is a gliding, high-flying melodic synth in the background, establishing a frame of stability while the rest of the song is moving at a lightning-fast pace. Like I said earlier, I can’t listen to this song just once. It’s a two-three-four replay for me.

If you’re looking for uptempo electronic to add to your run + dance + movement playlist, please check out Renaissance and this remix here. There have been other remixes released from the album as well, and lord knows they’re amazing.

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Listen: Mines Falls – “From Behind Glass” [2020]

Posted on October 16, 2020 by Very Warm

Recently checked out the sophomore self-titled record from brotherly L.A. duo Mines Falls. The whole record has a big emphasis on dynamic, rolling waves of staccato guitars and warm synthesizers amongst a grandiose backdrop of strings and piano. Think Wild Beasts! The track I thought displayed these songwriting tactics best was the penultimate track, “From Behind Glass”, sculpting out a vast, moody soundscape of booming, emotional vocals amongst a lush arrangement of guitar, piano, strings and percussion. The breakdown near the end, as the song kind of opens up and lets the strings and the drums narrate the emotion at the end really sells it for me. Beautiful stuff!

Mines Falls is out now – check it out on their Bandcamp.

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Listen: Kate Davis – “I’ll Do Anything But Breakdance For Ya, Darling” (Daniel Johnston Cover) [2020]

Posted on October 16, 2020 by Very Warm

Attention Daniel Johnson and general music fans: Kate Davis has recently covered Johnston’s unbeatably titled “I’ll Do Anything But Breakdance For Ya, Darling” for Mental Health Awareness Day earlier this month. This cover precedes an entire album’s worth of Johnson covers courtesy of Davis and her band called Strange Boy, coming January 15, 2021, with streaming + proceeds from sales going to Johnston’s “Hi How Are You Project”, a charity focused on mental health education. Seems like a noble cause for a record to be behind!

The song itself is a dynamic, synth-arpeggio laden build-up jam that adds a touch of complexity to Johnston’s original composition, but keeps it true to its roots. It starts off quiet and slow burning, and climaxes with a dissonant, fireworks-backed finale. Parts of it remind me of classic indie rock from the mid/early 00s, the stuff I started listening to when I first started this blog. The first artist that came to mind was Sharon Van Etten, so a little later than the exact time period I’m thinking, but the sentiment is there. So take a little slice of this new recording, but savor the flavor of something not quite dusty-old, but with wisps of warming nostalgia.

Strange Boy is coming Jan. 15, 2021 via Solitaire Recordings.

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Recommended Albums: September 2020

Posted on October 15, 2020 by Very Warm

It feels like actual ages since I was talking about albums of August on this here blog. In reality it was only a little over a month ago. In 2020, that tracks. September lurched by at an uneven pace, and now we’re halfway through October, the best month. September though treated us (me, ok, us) to some lovely surprises. Really only one of the records here I was excited for ahead of the fact. Others were surprise releases (BUMPER, SAULT) or records that I didn’t have expectations towards going and blew me away.

We’re all over the map style-wise this week, from organ music, to pummeling metal + noise, to breezy meditative sophistipop, to… satisfying indie rock. Hell yeah folks. This post is dedicated to the late Danny, who the world lost in August. Shout out to Danny.

Anna Von Hausswolff – All Thoughts Fly [Southern Lord]
Standing on a towering cliff above the ocean and letting the wind whip around you as the waves rip at the rocks below.

BUMPER – Pop Songs 2020 [Self-Released]
Riding a skateboard down a city hill and snagging a bouquet of flowers out of a friend’s hand before hitting a sick jump & blowing a kiss to your mom through your kitchen window.

Deradoorian – Find The Sun [Anti-]
Entering the sacred temple and releasing yourself from your tumultuous earthly desires to accept a life of transcendence.

Khotin – Finds You Well [Ghostly]
Hearing your own adult voice come on the answering machine while watching old childhood road trip movies.

Marie Davidson & L’Œil Nu – Renegade Breakdown [Ninja Tune]
A retiring matriarch of a local theater troupe puts on one last grand production acting not only as a dramatic autobiography, but a scheme to fake her own death.

Nana Adjoa – Big Dreaming Ants [Bloomer]
Traveling across a futuristic prairie-covered continent via hover cycle, from one city capital to another, to deliver an important antidote for an ailing resistance leader, encountering friends and foes along the way.

SAULT – Untitled (Rise) [Forever Living Originals]
Standing a bit taller after passing some young kids talking about how bright the future will be.

Shabason, Krgovich & Harris – Philadelphia [Ideé Fixe]
Keeping a weekly journal of cloud formations and nice texts you send to and receive from friends.

Uniform – Shame [Sacred Bones]
A massive sculpture of yourself falls from the sky and crushes you into the center of the Earth.

Yves Jarvis – Sundry Rock Song Stock [Anti-]
Digging up a glowing orb amongst a thicket of beach pines, hands wet and sandy become chilly in a slight late fall breeze.

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Listen: Insides – “Distractions” [1993]

Posted on September 16, 2020 by Very Warm

I’ve had this record Euphoria by Insides in my library for the longest time… ok, maybe like three years, and I’m just now really getting into it. And by getting into it, I mean it’s one of the few things I’ve consistently listened to over and over again these past few weeks. It’s simply sublime dream pop of the highest order.

My mind instantly gets transported to the same space that another top favorite group of mine do, Mr Twin Sister. It’s a tight rhythm section with ethereal, slow and weightless guitar + vocals. Ultra sensual and lovely. Again, I cannot recommend this album enough. Trying to scope out a copy on Discogs right now and I definitely should not buy any more vinyl this year. We shall see. Watch out for more 90s-related content here soon.

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Listen: Gunn-Truscinski Duo – “Valley Spiral” [2020]

Posted on September 11, 2020 by Very Warm

One of the best contemporary instrumental pairings over the last decade, Gunn-Truscinski Duo, are releasing their newest album Soundkeeper via Three Lobed Recordings on October 9. If you haven’t heard their 2017 record Bay Head I cannot recommend it enough. Loping guitar lines taking inspiration from shredders in the American Primitive style to Tuareg style backed by with tight percussion + minimal synth. It’s great!

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Listen: Sam Amidon – “Maggie” [2020]

Posted on September 11, 2020 by Very Warm

One of my favorite musicians of the last two decades, Sam Amidon is releasing his new self-titled album on October 23rd via Nonesuch. If you’re unfamiliar, Amidon spent most of his album output reworking traditional folk songs, kind of giving them a modern facelift but also keeping them rooted in their origins, sound-wise. His most recent album, The Following Mountain, broke those traditions in favor of a more experimental, freer sound working its way into folk music, featuring masterful players like Sam Gendel, Shazad Ismaily and Milford Graves. I cannot recommend all his album enough, but this 2017 one is special.

Anyways – this new album is coming on October 23 and it sounds more like a continuation of The Following Mountain‘s sound – but we’ll see! Excited to hear the whole thing.

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Listen: Heathered Pearls – “Salvaged Copper (feat. Terrence Dixon)” [2020]

Posted on September 10, 2020 by Very Warm

NY-based, MI-born (gotta feature that second part as a native Michigander) electronic musician Heathered Pearls is preparing to release his new album Cast on November 13 via Ghostly (again, shout out Michigan!). His 2015 album Body Complex was quietly one of my favorite releases from that year, and one that I’ve continued to return to as the years have gone by.

This first single featured Detroit techno legend Terrence Dixon offering spoken word elements to the track. Instrumentally, it follows his previous material with gossamer, glass-like synth textures cascading over a steady beat. It sets up an album that I’m greatly excited for later this year – hell yes. Thanks Heathered Pearls.

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Listen: Ana Roxanne – “Suite pour l’invisible” [2020]

Posted on September 10, 2020 by Very Warm

One of my favorite new artists of 2019, Ana Roxanne, is releasing her second album Because of a Flower via Kranky on November 13, after putting out her debut ~~~ via LA label Leaving. No shade to Leaving of course, I think they’re great and a vital label for right now, but Roxanne’s new label home is a totally awesome evolution for her and recognition of her extraordinary talent for making slow, healing music for the soul. Just my opinion as a Grouper and Stars of the Lid stan.

This first track off the upcoming album, “Suite pour l’invisible”, is longer than anything she put on her last record, allowing for the gentle washes of instrumentation to take up more space and allowing us as the listener to listen to them expand and billow out as the song progresses. Her vocals are as pristine as ever, again acting as more of an instrument or layer to the quilt rather than a powerful focal point. Roxanne makes music for a kind of utopian universe, one that overflows with caring, kindness, compassion and acceptance. For a time when I personally have been suffocated by the endless onslaught of bad news; sitting down, breathing and letting this track inhabit my brain gave me a rare and much-needed moment of rest.

If you couldn’t tell, I’m quite looking forward to this upcoming album. Again, it’s coming out November 13 via Kranky. You can pre-order the record via the Bandcamp stream I put at the top. In the meantime, listen to ~~~ if you haven’t (or listen again if you haven’t since 2019) and also check out releases from Kranky if you’re unfamiliar. Legend status in my book.

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Recommended Albums: August 2020

Posted on September 7, 2020 by Very Warm

August was the month that made it seem like things slowed down the most. I’m not talking about slowed to like, a manageable pace, but to a arthritic snail’s pace. Reality slowed and stretched and took on new forms, like a pop song that’s been slowed down 500%. I started forgetting about music from earlier this year and was only listening to Jessie Ware’s What’s Your Pleasure? with any regularity (the fact I can’t listen to music on commutes now really sucks). I had to catch up on like 30 records I neglected to check out on their respective release weeks over the last few days before writing this. Nevertheless, I managed to find some true gems in a bloated month, some records that really floored me from Tkay Maidza, Merce Lemon, Nubya Garcia, Breaking and more. I hope everyone is doing ok, and remember to register to vote!

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