Portland group Reptaliens released their sophomore LP VALIS on Captured Tracks this past Friday (4/26), and I’ve been lucky enough to dig on it for a bit before its release. It’s one of those records where I wish I knew about it before I locked in the tracks for my playlists Essential Oil Dimension and Rose Garden 2AM. Their lightweight, groovy, and uncanny sound is a perfect match to exist in those universes. Smeared, romantic and sincere.
I still really dig one of their singles “Venetian Blinds”, but you should listen to the whole thing (pasted below) if you get the chance. The weather is nice this weekend – a perfect pairing.
Only fair for me to hop on sharing this absolute classic. To anyone who thinks they can’t get into house music, take a listen to this. Really poignant lyrics that still ring true today, perhaps even more than ever. And the beat still kicks. Tunes like this make me want to start DJing, even though I have nearly no other knowledge of house. Shout out to the kings.
After listening to my favorite playlist Essential Oil Dimension on loop for nearly a year, I decided that a spiritual successor should come soon. And thus, we have ROSE GARDEN, 2AM. While it doesn’t have as much of a fleshed out universe in my head as the EOD, it at least has a concept around it. Plus really enjoyable music, at that, featuring artists like Angel Olsen, Nina Simone, Jessica Pratt, TOPS, Tirzah, Weyes Blood, Haruomi Hosono and more..
As the protagonist prepares for a night out, the scent of roses wafts in from their open window. They look outside and see a shadowy figure standing on the street below, looking up at their window, before walking off into the night. Intrigued but still set on sticking to the plan set about by your group of friends for the rest of the night, they embark on an odyssey of parties.
Despite talking to many interesting people that they at least partially fancy, the protagonist keeps sensing the presence of roses surrounding them, submerging them into a sweet, haunting fragrance. They abandon their group of friends to search for the source of the smell, bringing up feelings of excitement of a potential new love interest, but likewise digging up old memories of their love’s past. The protagonist is led through the nocturnal landscape, through different bars and house parties, meeting different characters along the way, but being narrowly evaded by the alluring figure all the while, slowly succumbing to some sort of love-crazed madness.
I don’t have the rest of the story all parsed out, but I’m sure with those building blocks, plus with the aid of the music, you can write your own end to the story. Or imagine your own story altogether. I want the sequence of the music to envelop you, bringing you into its universe and letting all previous worries and concerns to the wayside.
I just recently discovered the legacy of Alan Lomax, a prolific ethnomusicologist that traveled the world recording traditional folk music and other assorted performances that aren’t usually covered or mass-produced in the industry.
I recently got into this great collection called Root Hog Or Die: 100 Years, 100 Songs – An Alan Lomax Centennial Tribute put out on Mississippi Records, collecting 100 of his best recordings. The foundations of folk and music today as we know it. The raw emotion and culture of it all is pretty breathtaking. One of the more interesting things (although they’re all interesting) is the tradition of Sacred Harp choirs, as we can hear here on “New Prospect (#320)”. I recommend you look up the specifics of Sacred Harp singing, but the short of it is a style of extremely harmonious religious choir arrangement with an emphasis on inclusivity and community. Everybody in the church is a-singin’ regardless if they’re trained or not. The use of shape-singing allows singers to easily get the pitch regardless if they know how to read music or not.
Long story short – what results is a euphoric assault on the senses. Simple, repetitive songs comprised of many, many voices all singing parts that at times come apart, and at some times unite in some of the most gorgeous harmonies you’ll ever hear. I was folding laundry at around 2am last night just losing my mind to some of the songs that Lomax recorded. The untrained voices going along to the melodies as well is also incredibly inspiring, much like seeing non-actors in films really nail their parts. It’s truly just normal people, singing to be a part of something bigger than themselves.
We had a surplus of GREAT music this month so I did something controversial and went over my 10 album limit. Lovely variety of moods and textures on this list. Long-established artists and brand new pups on the scene. It’s a celebration of all things. I hope you enjoy!
Ana Roxanne – ~~~ [Leaving Records]
Laying in a sunflower garden & gazing at the sky, at first through a gentle summer rainstorm, until the clouds part and the sunset casts a lavender glow upon your face.
Andrew Bird – My Finest Work Yet [Loma Vista]
Pulling a particular book off the shelf in a public library reveals a secret passageway to an ancient scholar continuously writing history books about various American small towns. Then you throw them a birthday party for reaching the 500-year mark.
CHAI – PUNK [Burger]
Eating every sugary cereal at the grocery store and the resulting sugar high vibrates you into an alternate dimension of hyper-futuristic new wave Olympic ceremonies.
Chris Cohen – Chris Cohen [Captured Tracks]
Everyone at a party in a new town looks vaguely familiar, only for you to realize they’re all friends of friends you’ve only heard about in dreams.
The Comet Is Coming – Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery [Impulse!] The year is 2276 and the Earth’s elders are holding gauntlets of strength and will to decide the fate of the gilded time warrior.
Elizabeth Colour Wheel – Nocebo [The Flenser]
A chronicle of life after getting the notice that you’ll be pulled into hell in three days time.
Elsa Hewitt – Citrus Paradisi [ERH]
All city lights leave a permanent trail behind them as you skate through the streets, weaving quilts of light on a warm summer evening.
FACS – Lifelike [Trouble In Mind]
A troubling gale blows through a beached freighter, making the rusted joints of the vessel shriek in agony.
Hand Habits – placeholder [Saddle Creek]
Being occupied with swirling thoughts of regret throughout the night, finally finding solace once the sun comes up and you collapse from exhaustion and relief.
Marble Arch – Children Of The Slump [GÉOGRAPHIE]
Watching VHS footage of yourself as a child but you’re a lot cooler than you remember.
Maria Somerville – All My People [self-released]
Getting lost in a giant warehouse full of endless, billowing white curtains while landscapers plant fresh sod down wherever you walk.
Nilüfer Yanya – Miss Universe [ATO]
A personal AI companion becomes your best friend in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
Snapped Ankles – Stunning Luxury [The Leaf Label]
A band of desert weirdos get partially beamed up into a UFO, leaving their conscious states floating between an Earth reality and one in the distant cosmos.
Solange – When I Get Home [Columbia]
Your commute after work becomes so routine that you experience lucid dreams of passing through walls, floating objects and talking graffiti & advertisements before getting home.
Strap in for a bristling psych rock odyssey straight outta Perth, notorious birthplace for the most popular “psych” band on the planet, Tame Impala. The guitars come hot and heavy on this track, so get yourself hyped for more music from the PPC this year.
Been really into this Parisian band Marble Arch, who just released an album Children Of The Slump via GÉOGRAPHIE. They pull sounds from early-era Captured Tracks bands like Craft Spells and Beach Fossils, complete with jangly guitars, a mix of drum machine & live drumming, woozy synths and hazy vocals. There have been a lot of bands like this in the past decade, but for some reason these guys really hook me in. They know how to write a good hook, I guess! If you’re into dream pop circa 2010-2013, you’re gonna love this.
After battling through dehydration-like symptoms and a following phlegm-based sickness, I’ve finally completed my full recap of all 48 bands (51 total performances) I saw at SXSW 2019. It’s a new record for me in terms of “content consumed”, which is pretty stunning considering I missed an entire day. Still feeling regret and FOMO from that day – I was on deck to see Marked Men, Say Sue Me, Penelope Isles and more. What a rip-off. Personal highlights below include CHAI, KOKOKO!, Injury Reserve and more. Check it out, sorta-complete with pictures that really got messed up in the transition over to the site. Hell yeah.
Andrew Bird @ Barracuda Outside – 3/15/19 Finally seeing one of my musical idols at a place like this was pretty surreal. Although he didn’t play any classics, his new material still sounds incredible live and his band was tight along with him. Excited to see him potentially two or three more times this year!
Bea1991 @ Pour Choices – 3/13/19 The sound was a bit wonky, but this was really inventive, experimental pop. Need to listen to more of her recorded material. There are probably pics of me at this show, lookin like a true blue goofus.
The Beths @ Mohawk Outside – 3/15/19
Very happy I got to see The Beths here, although I happened to catch them the day of the tragic NZ public shooting, so the band was visibly and audibly subdued. Love them to bits.
Black Belt Eagle Scout (x2) – @ Cheer Up Charlie’s Inside – 3/14/19
Just caught the tail end of the set, but they packed out the inside of Cheer Up’s!
– @ 3Ten ACL Live – 3/15/19 Played the co-sign showcase, so I saw the whole thing. Super tight and talented band that can shred to hell!
Black Midi @ Cheer Up Charlie’s Outside – 3/13/19 My first full set experience at this year’s SXSW was a doozy. It was a bummer to have seen this set outside, since the immaculate togetherness of the band kind of oozed up into the air without fully socking the audience in the mouth. Insanely talented.
Black Pumas @ Barracuda Outside – 3/14/19
I saw them outside of the venue in an alleyway – still counts if I knew who it was & wanted to get in. Suffice to say not my style of music, but they packed it out and were definitely rockin.
Body Type @ 3Ten ACL Live 3/15/19 My second time seeing them in a week, they are so fun live! All of their label folks were dancing in front, very cute.
Broncho @ Mohawk Outside – 3/15/19
Only caught a few songs (I got there for The Beths) and they were fine.
CHAI (x2) – @ Hotel Vegas Outside 3/13/19(HIGHLIGHT!) Just so fun. These girls know how to party, masquerading as a traditional Japanese girl group, but actually wielding the power of new wave rock gods. Such killer instrumentals and song structures. Such a fun show!
– @ Cheer Up Charlie’s Outside 3/15/19
Got to see more of them here and it was sick. Cheer Up Charlie’s was packed to the gills for them, for good reason. So fun, so killer. Gonna kick myself for being “too tired” to go to their NYC show for a while.
Charly Bliss @ Cheer Up Charlie’s Outside – 3/13/19
Only caught a few songs and they were fine.
The Comet Is Coming @ Empire Garage – 3/14/19 (HIGHLIGHT!) Hoo-wee, very happy I saw them. Shabaka the sax player is a force of nature, so combined with the awesome natural keyboard player & drummer, there’s a lot of powerful currents in the air here. Go see this band live if you can!
Das Body @ Las Perlas 3/14/19
Groovy pop tunes – still getting around to the lead singer’s voice.
Dopey’s Robe @ Hotel Vegas Volstead Stage 3/14/19
Pretty gnarly psych rock. Still haven’t checked out their recorded material but it was sick, the little I saw.
DRAMA @ Palm Door Outside – 3/14/19
Love these guys! Moody synth pop with great vocals.
Easy Life @ Palm Door Outside – 3/14/19
Oh man, I wanna clown these guys. I went to see DRAMA and Easy Life was playing before, but they were going over their slot. The lead singer was like “if someone comes up here and tells me I gotta end my set I’m gonna fuck them up! I’m not playing! I’m gonna fuck them up! There’s no way I’m stopping now!” And then he proceeds to play some 311-derivative schlock for drunken finance bros to swipe left to girls to.
Ella Vos @ Palm Door Inside – 3/14/19
Caught the last two songs of her set. Cool pop tunes, she took someone from the audience’s cowboy hat. Call it a look.
Empath @ Barracuda Inside – 3/13/19 Don’t think I’ve ever seen a group with no bassist but two synths. Couldn’t tell if the sound was really bad or I just couldn’t understand what was going on, but I was feeling it either way.
Fontaines D.C. @ Barracuda Inside – 3/15/19 (HIGHLIGHT!) After being turned away from seeing them nearly three times, I finally got the chance and boy howdy, they’re dang good. I saw them the week previous in NYC (charming lads) but seeing a group of SXSW-goers (radio DJs, programmers, industry folk) react to their incendiary Irish rock was cool to see. Big things on the way for FDC!
Frankie & The Witch Fingers @ Hotel Vegas Outside – 3/13/19 (HIGHLIGHT!) Kind of stumbled upon them, but with the super psychedelic visuals and totally blasting guitar, you know I had to stay until the end of their set. Haven’t cracked into their new record yet, but seems to be very early-King Giz inspired.
HÆLOS @ 3Ten ACL Live – 3/15/19
Very manicured sound, did not sound like a SXSW hashed together set. All very together, sounded great. There were a ton of people to see them, too!
Hubert Lenoir @ Mohawk Outside – 3/15/19
I think this band is an industry plant. I mean, not seriously, but I think it would be funny if they were. The only people I saw in the crowd were older, rich mom and dad lookin people that were high-fiving eachother more than watching the band, which was some raucous garage rock. There were some kids into it, but all I could watch were the industry crony lookin dudes talking to their own asses.
Injury Reserve @ Mohawk Outside – 3/15/19(HIGHLIGHT!) So happy I got to see these guys. They commanded the crowd of mostly youngin’s and again proved that they’re an up and coming group that people should be messing with right now. So many mosh pits. Also, really great guys! Had the chance to meet them after the show and they’re real cool.
Jackie Mendoza @ Seven Grand – 3/14/19
Totally thought this was someone else during the set. Played ukulele with some twinkly electronics and other sonic weirdness.
Jealous of the Birds @ Latitude 30 – 3/14/19
Went to this venue in hopes to seeing another band, but they put the wrong time on their Instagram post. Ended up seeing Jealous of the Birds, which turned out to be pretty solid solo project synth pop.
Jerry Paper @ 3Ten ACL Live – 3/15/19(HIGHLIGHT!) My first time seeing Jerry & The Papers was a damn good one. Had no idea his band was SO GOOD. Not to discount the man himself, who carried himself with poise and grace, and a bit of Kyle Mooney awkwardness thrown in. It all translated perfectly onstage and everyone (who was down w/ the Paper) was having a groovy blast.
Kate Teague @ Las Perlas – 3/14/19
Southern-touched dream pop. Loved it!
KOKOKO! (x2) – @ Cheer Up Charlie’s Outside – 3/14/19(HIGHLIGHT!) I didn’t really know anything about KOKOKO! before deciding on seeing them first thing on Thursday and boy howdy I gotta hand it to my intuition for this one. They’re a band from the DRC that has homemade their own instruments, making a brand of electro-rock that is electrifying to say the least. Each member takes lead vocal duties
– @ Hotel Vegas Outside (smaller stage) – 3/14/19
Didn’t mean to see them this time! Went to Hotel Vegas to see Fontaine’s D.C. but that ish was FULL, but I happened to be there while Chai and KOKOKO! played again. Still fiery, still a blast.
Mary Lattimore @ Waller Boathouse – 3/14/19 (HIGHLIGHT!) Oh wow, seeing Mary Lattimore play next to the river at sunset with clouds of bats flying high overhead was something I won’t ever forget. Very worth the long walk across town.
Molly Burch @ Barracuda Outside – 3/13/19 Very fun, very satisfying rock with a retro edge. Molly’s voice sounds great live!
Morabeza Tobacco @ Seven Grand 3/14/19
Dream pop duo with very pretty, hazy and slightly groovy tunes.
The Nude Party @ Barracuda Outside 3/15/19
Country-touched garage rock n roll baby! Rock n roll!! Hell yeah!!
Otoboke Beaver @ Mohawk Inside 3/15/19(HIGHLIGHT!) Woah. Again, a band I knew nothing about, but got a tip that I had to see them. Even before they went on, the room they were playing was overflowing with people. My friend and I had to perch on the outside, watching the phone of someone filming the concert inside. Eventually I got in by filling in the gaps left by people trickling out, leaving myself totally squished between fellow fest-goers. What I witnessed was perhaps the best thing I saw all week. A hardcore band from Japan that flailed around onstage with reckless abandon (the guitarist stage dove at least four times). Lots of middle fingers, lots of “fuck-you’s” a lot of breakneck pace cuts that left the audience both stunned and invigorated. So happy I was able to edge my way in.
Parrot Dream @ 3Ten ACL Live 3/15/19
Real cool shoegaze / dream pop. Great layers of guitar and synths.
Pedro the Lion @ Mohawk Outside 3/13/19
I don’t have any huge emotional attachment to David Bazan, but I was surrounded by people that were head over heels that they’re actually seeing Pedro The Lion at that moment in time. I do like his voice!
Pinky Pinky @ 3Ten ACL Live 3/15/19 Real late night show, cool garage pop from some L.A. youngins.
Pottery @ Seven Grand – 3/14/19 (HIGHLIGHT!) Woah. These guys rip. As described by a friend, “Devo, but normal kids”. Great camaraderie, worked well together, really new how to craft a banger.
Red Steppes @ The Hideout Theater – 3/14/19
Tender, at times humorous tunes from a solo singer/songwriter. Very intimate.
Rico Nasty @ Cheer Up Charlie’s Outside 3/13/19
Was pretty low energy, and the crowd was suspiciously small. Performing at a time when not a lot of other people are on. What gives? Either way, not a super huge fan, but respect to what she’s doing.
Sam Fender @ Barracuda Inside – 3/15/19
Great, confident voice with meaningful lyrics and a charismatic band. Had some funny anecdotes as well – didn’t just seem like a lifeless performer. Respect him for that.
SASAMI @ Cheer Up Charlie’s Outside – 3/13/19
Only saw a few songs, but she was my first band of SXSW! Happy to hear cuts off her new album.
Soft Kill @ Empire Garage – 3/14/19
Brooding post punk, with huge inspiration coming from the usual haunts. Good guitar tones!
Stef Chura @ Barracuda Inside – 3/13/19 Knife-sharp lo-fi rock tunes. Is that a fallacy? Either way, they sounded real good.
Trudy & The Romance @ Hotel Vegas Inside – 3/13/19 Retro-touched garage bops. I say bop, a word I usually avoid, because they are very 50s-inspired tunes.
Valley Maker @ Barracuda Outside – 3/13/19(HIGHLIGHT!) Hoo-wee, what a super-solid band. Pretty standard rock, but man this band is together and they sound GREAT. See them if you get a chance!
Wand @ Barracuda Inside – 3/13/19 Took forever to sound check, but the few songs I saw were real sick. Loopy psych rock. Perhaps the first time I saw someone bow guitar in real life.
Westerman @ Cheer Up Charlie’s Inside – 3/13/19
Saw him through a window, so it counts. The reason is because the room was full – woops!
Why Bonnie @ Mohawk Outside – 3/13/19
Be on the lookout for this name! I have a feeling once they put out more music they’ll be showing up on a lot of blogs & playlists. Fun, breezy dream pop.
A stream of consciousness music blog, active since 2010. Established in Ann Arbor, MI, currently in NYC.
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Upcoming Releases:
March 6: Hater – Mosquito Natalie Jane Hill – Hopeful Woman Resavoir – Themes For Dreams Scout Gillett – Tough Touch Shabaka – Of The Earth Tomu DJ – Antagonist waterbaby – Memory Be a Blade
March 13: Alexis Taylor – Paris In The Spring Bill Orcutt – Music In Continuous Motion Crack Cloud – Peace and Purpose Cut Worms – Transmitter ELUCID – I Guess U Had To Be There James Blake – Trying Times Johnny Blue Skies & The Dark Clouds – Mutiny After Midnight Kim Gordon – PLAY ME The Notwist – News From Planet Zombie Ora Cogan – Hard Hearted Woman Tinariwen – Hoggar
March 20: Avalon Emerson & The Charm – Written Into Changes Chalk – Crystalpunk Colleen – Libres antes del final Grace Ives – Girlfriend Green-House – Hinterlands Whitney Johnson, Lia Kohl & Macie Stewart – BODY SOUND
March 27: ADULT. – Kissing Luck Goodbye
Buzzy Lee – Shoulder to Shoulder
Fcukers – Ö Holy Fuck – Event Beat Irreversible Entanglements – Future Present Past José González – Against the Dying of the Light King Tuff – MOO Konradsen – Hunt, Gather Lauren Auder – Whole World As Vigil Lone – Hyperphantasia The New Pornographers – The Former Site Of Pan•American – Fly The Ocean In A Silver Plane Robyn – Sexistential Shinchi Atobe – Silent Way Snail Mail – Ricochet Tom Misch – Full Circle
April 3: Arlo Parks – Ambiguous Desire John Andrews & The Yawns – Streetsweeper Makthaverskan – Glass and Bones A Place To Bury Strangers – Rare and Deadly Sunn O))) – sunn O))) Thundercat – Distracted Wendy Eisenberg – Wendy Eisenberg
April 10: Alex Zhang Hungtai – Dras Cactus Lee – Lee’s Dream Flore Laurentienne – Volume III Jessie Ware – Superbloom My New Band Believe – My New Band Believe Squarepusher – Kammerkonzert WU LYF – A Wave That Will Never Break
April 17: Hollie Cook – Shy Girl In Dub!
Tiga – Hotlife Yaya Bey – Fidelity
April 24: Angelo De Augustine – Angel In Plainclothes Friko – Something Worth Waiting For Gia Margaret – Singing Hrishikesh Hirway – In The Last Hour of Light Miss Grit – Under My Umbrella Quiet Light – Blue Angel Sparkling Silver White Denim – 13 White Fence – Orange
May 1: American Football – American Football Ana Roxanne – Poem 1 The Boo Radleys – In Spite of Everything Calibre – Tricklemore Sea Cindy – Another Country Hiss Golden Messenger – I’m People Lip Critic – Theft World Seefeel – Sol.Hz Tori Amos – In Times of Dragons
May 8: Aldous Harding – Train on the Island Broken Social Scene – Remember the Humans Chinese American Bear – Dim Sum & Then Some Cola – Cost of Living Adjustment Fire-Toolz – Lavender Networks JWords – Sound Therapy Loraine James – Detached From The Rest Of You Lykke Li – The Afterparty Olof Dreijer – Loud Bloom Sadie – Better Angels
May 15: Active Child – Active Child Genesis Owusu – REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE Kevin Morby – Little Wide Open Telehealth – Green World Image
May 22: aja monet – the color of rain
Alela Diane – Who’s Keeping Time? Bill Orcutt & Mabe Fratti – Almost Waking Hyd – Hold Onto Me Infinity Marisa Anderson – The Anthology of Unamerican Folk Music Visible Cloaks – Paradessence
May 29: The Bug Club – Every Single Muscle Digitalism – Optimism Elder – Through Zero Greg Mendez – Beauty Land Iceage – For Love of Grace & The Hereafter KÁRYYN – PHYSICS UNIVERSAL LOVE LANGUAGE Kurt Vile – Philadelphia’s Been Good To Me Mad Iris – Mad Iris villagerrr – Carousel
June 5: Bedouine – Neon Summer Skin Converge – Hum of Hurt Death Cab for Cutie – I Built You a Tower DJ Seinfeld – If This Is It Fucked Up – Grass Can Move Stones Pt. 2 Year of the Monkey Lee “Scratch” Perry & Mouse on Mars – Spacial, No Problem. Midrift – Silhouette Slippers – Slippers 08 Sparklmami – in this body Tara Clerkin Trio – Somewhere Good Widowspeak – Roses
June 12: BIG | BRAVE – in grief or in hope CFCF – L.U.V. Horse Lords – Demand to Be Taken To Heaven Alive Jalen Ngonda – Doctrine of Love Kelsey Lu – So Help Me God La Sécurité – Bingo! Paycheque – Paycheque
June 19: Styrofoam Winos – Any River Warning – Rituals of Shame
June 26: Abul Mogard & Rafael Anton Irisarri – We Are Light Pauses In the Silence of the Sun Born At Midnite – Eternal BAM Nation Downtown Boys – Public Luxury
July 3: mary in the junkyard – Role Model Hermit
July 10: Parts & Labor – Set of All Sets Tracey Nelson – Hercules
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