Thursday 5 February 2009

Tosca - No Hassle [2009]


No Hassle is the fifth full-length released by the duo, who are comprised of Richard Dorfmeister (of legendary trip-hoppers Kruder & Dorfmeister) and Austrian musician Rupert Huber. Whereas much of their previous material had Dorfmeister's dubby basslines up front, this album was developed as a more ambient project, combining submerged samples and live instrumentation to create a lush and immersive hour of music."It's our personal reaction to everything," explains Richard. "To all things that are pressuring you from outside, or internally, from every angle. It's sort of the ideal position to achieve, and it's the same idea behind the music: to achieve an hour where you feel hassle free."

Tracklist
01. My First
02. Elitsa
03. Springer
04. Birthday
05. Oysters In May
06. Joe Si Ha
07. Elektra Bregenz
08. Fondue
09. Rosa
10. Raymundo
11. Mrs. Bongo
12. No Hassle

Ducktails - Acres Of Shade [2009]


""Acres Of Shade" is a departure from past Ducktails zones. Mondanile turns away from his lofi bedroom pop vibes, moving towards synthesizer cycles. He does not sacrifice his youthful style and tropical nostalgia; just rethinks the way it is expressed. Drifting drones lift in the air. Features all new material: "White House With Green Shutters / Surfs Up". In an edition of 100 tapes with full color covers and printed labels."

Beirut - March of the Zapotec/Realpeople Holland, 2009

After the widely acclaimed 2007 album The Flying Club Cup, which hit many album of the year lists including the NME, Uncut, Q, The Sun and The Telegraph, the extremely talented young songwriter and musician Zach Condon returns with his third record under the guise of Beirut. The full-length album entitled March Of The Zapotec is comprised of two EPs. The first, and album namesake, is a foray into Mexican folk music with the help of an obscure small-town Mexican funeral band. The second is Holland, a bedroom electro-synth pop wonder, originally an idea for Zach s previous incarnation before Beirut, when he went by the name of Realpeople. - amazon.co.uk


download. buy.

Stuart & Caan - The Mayfly Dance [2009]


Stuart and Caan's The Mayfly Dance came to Knw-Yr-Own from England thanks to friends Little Wings and Devendra Banhart. After opening for the two bands on the Hair Fairies Tour, Banhart invited the gents to come over and play the United States. Needless to say, Stuart and Caan fell smartly into the middle of the new weird America musical movement, taking it all in (until they were deported). With pastoral guitars, heartbreaking melodies, and a rare sense of wide-eyed wonder, The Mayfly Dance spins a timeless Anglo-folk sound.

1. Lalita
2. I Waited So Long
3. Big White Boat
4. Rosemary
5. Isn't It Wonderful
6. Lord Of The Cosmos
7. Look To The Sky
8. God Song
9. Holy Moment
10. Do You Want To
11. Set Sail
12. Land Of Stone

Faust - C'Est Com... Com... Complique [2009]


Bureau B proudly presents: a brand new album of the krautrock institution, revered worldwide as pioneers of avant-garde rock music. Hypnotic, dadaistic, powerful, gentle, melodic, earthy, etheral. This is the sound of Faust.


1. kundalini tremolos
2. accroché à tes lèvres
3. ce chemin est le bon
4. stimmen
5. petits sons appétissants
6. bonjour gioacchino
7. en veux-tu des effets, en voilà
8. lass mich, version originale
9. c'est com...com...compliqué

- Buy

Grouper/City Center Split 7'', 2008



So super stoked to announce officially that there's some new jams on the way. In particular, a split 7" with new, exclusive songs from me and Grouper. I've talked about Grouper, my friend Liz's amazing music on maybe like 60% of my blog postings, so it's shouldn't be a big surprise that this I'm beyond overjoyed we've gotten to play some shows and now work on this record together. Liz's song is exclusive to this release, and recorded around the same time as her last amazing full-length "Dragging A Dead Deer Uphill". It's fucking mindblowing. My song is "This Is How We See In The Dark", which I wrote just for this release after checking out Liz's song and trying to write a counterpoint piece. I've been playing it live in every show since the end of the summer, so if you've seen me play at all, it might sound familiar. This demo recording was the first version of the song, and it's gotten a lot more refined/better since then, but it should give you an idea. Lots of tape manipulation on the vocals, muddy mishap vibe.

download. buy.

Crime In Choir - Gift Givers [2009]


Comprised of founding members of the original At The Drive-In (pianist Kenny Hopper and guitarist Jarrett Wrenn), as well as members of The Fucking Champs (drummer Tim Soete), Jonas Reinhardt (synth player Jesse Reiner + Kenny Hopper), and The Mass (saxophonist Matt Waters), Crime In Choir have an impressive pedigree and an even more impressive sound. Intent on reinvigorating and updating the genre for today’s discriminating, post-everything indie-rock listener, Crime In Choir’s 4th album, “Gift Givers”, expands on the complex interweaving of melody, composition and sound-scape heard on 2006’s “Trumpery Metier”. “Gift Givers” brings a complex suite of six songs that harkens back to the golden age of prog while leaping infinitely forward in textures, composition and grace.

- Buy