Recommendations (to me):

• Thy Courage Quail – acoustic lo-fi recordings from a BandCamp troubadour.  Some really good tunes from this guy – two albums (well, an album and an EP) for free download (and no emails, nothing – just a straight download!).  Some live radio takes that really work alongside songs from lonely roads and late nights.  Visit on BandCamp HERE.  Thanks Drunk Country for the tip!  Enjoy a couple of tracks to get you on your way:  “Down Down Down” and “Monk Song”
• A “new” Sam Quinn track called Oceans that is from a recording session a few months back.  I can’t figure out if it is new or not (as it isn’t on the new album), but it sure is nice.   Sent to me from a reader and from a blog called “Live and Breathing” – but the kicker is it is their last post since February – so that is why I am confused if it is new.  The track is streaming on their site, so visit now HERE.

Video Section:

A nice video consisting of live shots from the recent Arborea tour along the West coast of the US has sound tracked a new video by the band.  I have been a fan of Arborea for a while and this song is from a couple of years back, but it is such a great track and now has an accompanying video.  If you like psych-folk that you can get really lost in, this is it – stunning.  Visit them on their Blog for more info.  Check out their Robbie Basho tribute album that Buck (from Arborea) curated as well (info)!

Bonus: “Dance, Sing, Fight” from remastered “House of Sticks”

~~~

A nice surprise from the Songs From The Shed site was finding American guitar folk hero (from the video, I just feel he is a bit of a guitar fiend…) Paul Curreri.  Curreri is on a tour in the UK promoting his new album “California” which is available from Tin Angel Records (here).  Enjoy a bit of “Shed action” below:

~~~

Email Inbox:

• Something that I am VERY excited about is the new EP from Small Sur.  This one is sooo good.  It is called “Bare Black” and will be released on July 12th via Aural State Recordings (here).  I have loved Small Sur (Bob Keal and co.) for a while – his self titled album from 2006 and “We Live In Houses Made of Wood” from 2008 still get regular rotation and come very highly recommended.  How about a new track from this feat of an EP?  Okay:  “Weeds” – Small Sur
• So JBM (Jesse Marchant) is finally releasing his “Not Even In July” album which comes highly recommended for those sad bastards out there like myself.  It is beautiful, sombre and worth your time.  The lead off track is included below and look for a full album release on July 27th.   “Cleo’s Song” – JBM

The “While I Was Typing This” Section:

• Tart at Love Shack, Baby put a nice instrumental track from eagleowl up today from their new EP “Into The Fold” – see it HERE.
• Frontloader put a classic track (for me at least) from PJ Harvey in acoustic form.  ACOUSTIC!  Visit for a great download of  “Down By The Water” HERE.

Blog post of the week by someone other than Slowcoustic (a la Knox Road’s “pick of the week”):

• HearYa put a devastatingly good session of Jill Andrews (see how I brought Sam Quinn and Jill Andrews in the same post…see what I did there?).  Wow, I think I played this session continuously at work as soon as it went up!  Find the videos and full MP3 download HERE.

That is all I have for now…enjoy the weekend!

~Smansmith

So there is always massive amounts of music out there, but we here at Slowcoustic take pride in knowing more than anyone about what is good.  Don’t get us wrong and label us as music snobs, we are just better than anyone else at picking music that isn’t shite!  Okay, the bravado music blogger persona is out (so very 2008 anyway), but I do have some suggestions on new music Tuesday for a variety of tunes (there is variety this time, trust me we have indie, dream-pop, indie-electro-rock, folk noir, etc…).  There is much more out there today, but start here and get out there and hunt down some more – recommendations welcome in the comments!

~~

Matthew Barber
“True Believer” (mp3)
from “True Believer”
(Outside Music)

Buy at Amazon MP3
More On This Album

~~~

Beach House
“Norway” (mp3)
from “Teen Dream”
(Arts & Crafts Mexico)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album

~~~
Balmorhea
“Bowsprit” (mp3)
from “Constellations”
(Western Vinyl)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album

~~~
The Pass
“Cross Walk Stereo” (mp3)
from “Colors”
(nuluBLAST)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album
~~~
Hoquiam
“Zombies of the Sea” (mp3)
from “Hoquiam”
(St. Ives)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
More On This Album

~Smansmith

p.s. I think Joanna Newsom has a new album out….  ;-)

Balmorhea
“Bowsprit” (mp3)
from “Constellations” – (Feb. 23, 2010 release)
(Western Vinyl)

More On This Album

I am looking forward to the new album from Western Vinyl’s resident instrumental alt folk group Balmorhea.  Atmospheric and beautiful at is minimum, epic and jaw-dropping at it’s most.  Should be a pretty sweet album, but that isn’t something that you all would expect from me.  Try the first advance single above.  Enjoy an live video from a few years back below.  Enjoy your Friday!

Balmorhea “Untitled 2″ from Retread Sessions on Vimeo.

~Smansmith

Bands with long overly wordy song titles.  I don’t know who started this, many think Sufjan contributed to the phenomena but I am not sure if he started it or brought it to the fore front of independent music a few years back.  I am not always sure why I like it.  Maybe because almost like reading a novella, you try to look into what it means without having to dedicate all that time to actually reading a full length book but still get enough to “get it”.  Another reason is I like judging people (who doesn’t) and I always look to see if a band or artist is trying to be too smart for their own good.  Mostly I like a “good” long song title as it will in turn make me want to listen to the song, which I guess is something they are going for.

Well, I found one place where these bastardy named songs work.  A band that has long, but not tooo long of a title and ones that strike me as pretty interesting.  I then realized another reason that these songs I was listening to and enjoying had such long names.  They are instrumentals!  The title is in fact the only words the song has…which is a pretty good reason to have a long song title, no?

The band is The Slowest Runner in all the World and the song offered up below as the example is “As the sea swells she bleats and moans like a goat in heat.”.  So the track just by it’s title alone conjures up an image…but it also gives you an idea that the song might have epic crescendos (“sea swells”) and ebb and flow (“bleats and moans”) of a song that has only the music to tell the tale.  This is the key fact for all of this and why it all works, the song has to be strong enough to tell the tale or send you deep into it to discover what it is trying to relay or even give you the opportunity to create your own message,/theme or idea of what the song is about.  Not unlike the band Balmorhea (also a Slowcoustic favourite), sometimes when listening to this kind of instrumental modern orchestral music, it often makes words seem redundant and the music would simply drown out anything lyrically that you had to say.  The sound is described as “stunningly cinematic” and create “…strings and piano with a traditional rock setup and experimental sound manipulation techniques for a uniquely-embellished sound”.  I agree whole heartily.

With all that rambling, the end result is a band that brings 5 epic soundscapes on this EP (or maybe an album as only one of the 5 tracks is less than 6 1/2 minutes in length) and prove that it stands up to any scrutiny of song names.  As trivial as that sounds the overly long song title fades away and it is the music created that stands alone without words and it speaks, or even shouts its presence to you and then it is simply great music and you then kick yourself for listening due to song title in the first place.

The album is “The Flophouse Sessions”.  The band is “The Slowest Runner in all the World”.   The song is “As the sea swells she bleats and moans like a goat in heat.” and please consider heading over to grab it to listen to the whole EP/Album as it needs one full sitting of all 5 tracks to immerse yourself in.

Track Listing

1. As the sea swells she bleats and moans like a goat in heat. (mp3)
2. A blind captain, a whispered portent, an infirm navigator.
3. A Moor slave dreams of a beautiful woman he will never meet.
4. Like hares they mistook confidence for capacity…
5. This is water.

Visit Slowest Runner

~Smansmith

]]> http://slowcoustic.com/2010/01/11/the-slowest-runner-in-all-the-world-leave-me-without-words/feed/ 2 http://slowcoustic.com/2009/08/09/forget-sigur-ros-iceland-has-all-girl-bands-amiina-bring-icelands-beauty-to-the-forefront/ http://slowcoustic.com/2009/08/09/forget-sigur-ros-iceland-has-all-girl-bands-amiina-bring-icelands-beauty-to-the-forefront/#comments Sun, 09 Aug 2009 17:13:08 +0000 slowcoustic http://slowcoustic.com/?p=2536

I just wanted to say I am sitting here mouth agape.  Amiina does that.

I haven’t been on the band wagon (no pun intended) for very long and I didn’t find them myself – I believe it was the lovely Agnes over at It All Started With Carbon Monoxide who introduced me to this Icelandic 4-some.  After finally *really* listening to their debut “Kurr” I am dumbfounded.  The album named for the sound the birds make, or are said to make, in Iceland and I am not so sure that some don’t make that very sound around these parts.  Regardless that sound does not compare to the strings, keyboards and what ever else is needed to make the experience that is Amiina.  So, Forget Sigur Rós…okay just kidding, but seriously consider Amiina if you are a fan of SR – consider them in the same family but the cousin that quietly sits near the window and gazes peacefully at the horizon.  I will post the same track that Agnes used for her post from last December when she included them on her “Year End List of best music not from 2008” we featured on Slowcoustic.  Sorry for taking soo long in taking the suggestion – I hope the rest of you learn from my mistake and in turn take my suggestion – find Amiina, now.

“Rugla” – Amiina – from 2007′s “Kurr” album (highly recommended)

Visit Amiina on their Website or on MySpace to listen to a few tracks.
Consider purchasing a copy of “Kurr” on iTunes and eMusic if you have the time and funds.

~Smansmith

p.s.  If you look closely, you just might recognize a face or two from the spectacular Sigur Rós concert film “Heima”

Balmorhea gets remixed.  But…

Okay, don’t get me wrong, I love Balmorhea and of the artists that I know that are doing the remixing they are impressive (Peter Broderick, Tiny Vipers, Eluvium…).  I am not sure I am completely sold on the full project.  Yes, it has some very nice ambient tracks, some a lot more ambient than others, but it is more like an alternate universe Balmorhea.  The Bizarro Balmorhea.

The thing about Balmorhea is that they are so achingly beautiful in the instrumental music that they make and it is the ebb and flow of the tracks, the harnessed energy coiled ready to be released.  All the while Balmorhea is ultimately atmospheric music – one that creates emotion and one that both soothes and gets the heart pumping at the crux of the track.  Not all Balmorhea tracks are overly dramatic and built to come to crashing crescendos, but that is the stuff that really hits home for me.  Maybe it is the fact that the remixes (mostly, at first listen) seem a bit too ambient and atmospheric – nice to listen to, but maybe I expected more.  It could be a remix project that grows on me, and it is slowly doing this each time I listen – but I really needed this one to come charging out of the gates.

Full track list below:

01. Settler (Eluvium Remix) 17:24
02. Harm & Boon (Rafael Anton Irisarri Remix) 4:48
03. Harm & Boon (Tiny Vipers Remix) 5:45
04. Elegy (Bexar Bexar Remix) 3:01
05. Remembrance (Machinefabriek Remix) 7:24
06. Coahuila (The Fun Years Remix) 4:17
07. Coahuila (Library Tapes Remix) 3:53
08. Night in the Draw (Jacaszek Remix) 4:21
09. Truth (Helios Remix) 3:45
10. November 1, 1832 (Peter Broderick Remix) 3:21
11. November 1, 1832 (Xela Remix)

Lets do some before and after, shall we!

Balmorhea
“Truth (Helios Remix)” (mp3)
from “All is Wild, All is Silent Remixes”
(Western Vinyl)

More On This Album

And previously:

~~
Balmorhea
“Harm & Boon” (mp3)
from “All Is Wild, All Is Silent”
(Western Vinyl)

More On This Album

~~

Balmorhea
“Baleen Morning” (mp3)
from “Rivers Arms”
(Western Vinyl)

More On This Album

~~

So yes, they are all in the same family, but I am sure you can hear it as I do.  So, the Bizarro Balmorhea – maybe that is the point of the remix album…Let me know your thoughts!

Visit Balmorhea on their Website and MySpace and over on their Western Vinyl Page.
Pick up a copy on eMusic (like me) or on iTunes and even at the Western Vinyl shop.

~Smansmith

The album, or soundtrack, for this particular mention is for a performance piece from Ms. Adrienne Hart and is a 7 piece  movement (no pun intended) described as such:

“The piece is set in a psychiatric hospital and centered around one man’s struggle to retain his identity in the most extreme of circumstances.”

Peter Broderick
“The Path to Recovery” (mp3)
from “Music for Falling from Trees”
(Western Vinyl)

More On This Album

Again, ’nuff said.

Enjoy your night, the week awaits you tomorrow!

~Smansmith

This is one of the best things I have seen in a while.  Enjoy.

~Smansmith

p.s.  Check out some previous love for Balmorhea (here and here).

p.p.s.  This is up there with that damn fine Damien Jurado video for “Caskets” I posted here.

What is going on around in my fellow bloggers world that is of concern to me (and hence you)?  Well, I am glad you asked.  Let me drop some links for you for items of note for me (and hence you).

~~~

• Captain Obvious has put up a post on Joe Purdy in light of his new album “Last Clock on the Wall”, which is quickly becoming a favourite of mine.  Great folk country from quite a prolific artist.
• My good friend Tim (aka Strand of Oaks) is hitting some venues on an Eastern US tour – check the dates, check the show!  Dates listed on his MySpace page.
• Thabombshelter did a great job of covering the Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy Show that took place in their neck of the woods – I tended to not do such a great job when I saw him last week.  So check out their photos, videos and rips of the tracks for consumption (but get there soon).  Of note they have the live version of “Champion” from the Chijimi EP that accompanied the “Beware” album – and just might be the better of the two, which is saying something…
• My East Coasters – Herohill – posted on the new Tom Brosseau Album that I am looking forward to.  The misunderstood troubadour might finally get his due.
• Now Blogroller (oh yeah, I did) – Hear Ya - has new John Vanderslice, some Deep Dark Woods from SXSW among much more greatness.  Go visit them…now.

~~~

Well, I leave you today with 3 very different tracks to ponder your Saturday morning (or evening depending on where ya at).

~ One is “Miss Me” from the aforementioned Joe Purdy album that the Capt. posted on, just couldn’t resist as the album is totally on repeat at the moment.  Great laid back folk with a country/Americana tinge.  This is a bit more folky than some of his previous releases (of which there are too many for me to just be hearing him now!), so go and listen, pick up an album from the man himself on his Website.

“Miss Me” – from Joe Purdy’s “Last Clock on the Wall” album (2009)

~ Next we have the lead off promo track “Convict Escapes” from local talent Pale Air Singers.  This Calgary/Victoria duo brings a bit of psych-indie to my ears, and I like it (thank you Flemish Eye Records).  The album (so far) is a mix of two sounds meshing to create something that includes introspective guitars, keyboards, organ and the perfect melding of two lead vocalists.  I say two lead vocalists as the Pale Air Singers is actually the combination of two bands – Calgary’s “The Cape May” and Victoria’s “Run Chico Run” – and is coming recommended.  Who says that all the Canadian talent is from the East??  Visit them on MySpace.

“Convict Escapes” – from Pale Air Singers self titled debut album (2009)

~ Thirdly, we have some instrumental (mostly) dreamy shoegaze pop that is just soothing (well, after the first and before the last 30 seconds at least).  It is in the form of “The Bow Song” from the band Perhapsy.  This is from the debut album from Perhapsy (or Derek Barber & co.) who has emerged from the Ohio/Michigan scene to bring is layered ambient post-rockesque project to a surprising location, Nashville.  Well, maybe the South needs more synth…who would have thought?  Visit them on MySpace and let ‘em know!

“The Bow Song” – from Perhapsy’s self titled album

~Smansmith

Montreal Quebec’s ambient power trio Torngat create majestic instrumental music that is at times as breathtaking as the glorious Quebec mountain range from whom they take their name. Torngat return with “La petite Nicole”, the follow up to the critically acclaimed 2007 effort, “You Could Be”. This time around the band is sporting a grittier, propulsive sounding record that more closely resembles the bands live sound.

New album for my Easterly friends has just hit the online and CD/Vinyl market on March 3rd over on Alien8 Records.  The new album is “La Petit Nicole” and is described as below:

“La petite Nicole” offers forays into dub-heavy elements of post rock as well hints of kraut rock and the occasional miniature freak-outs. Aside from these flirtations in new directions, the same sound that has made them popular in Canada and festival stages remains. One gets the feeling that the band is creating music for yet-to-be-made films; while cinematic references may be considered standard when describing instrumental music, Torngat’s creations are particularly evocative of the medium.

I also know I say this a lot, but damn it people, listen with headphones with this band, it is well worth it to get all the layers out of it.  Torngat make beautiful music that, like mentioned above, might be looking for you to give it vision.  Not saying that the sound lacks focus, I just think that there is soo many ways to hear their music.  Soo many ways to decide that they made it just for you and your headphones.

Torngat
“La Petite Nicole” (mp3)
from “La Petite Nicole”
(Alien8 Recordings)

More On This Album

Visit this trio from “La Belle Province” on MySpace or check them on their Website.

~Bonus~

Torngat
“Celebrating New” (mp3)
from “You Could Be”
(Alien8 Recordings)

More On This Album

~Smansmith

]]> http://slowcoustic.com/2009/03/05/post-rock-instrumental-evening-montreals-torngat-is-invited/feed/ 0 http://slowcoustic.com/2009/02/19/doby-watson-ap-swearengin-guitar-duets/ http://slowcoustic.com/2009/02/19/doby-watson-ap-swearengin-guitar-duets/#comments Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:26:45 +0000 slowcoustic http://slowcoustic.com/?p=1465

Have you ever listened to music and just felt it was soothing and took you away?  Music that gently tugs at you to drift along…music that you wish to immerse yourself in washes of acoustic harmony and finger picking goodness?  Now you will have that chance.  Two young solo artists from Kansas have combined to release a collection of instrumental acoustic journeys on “Guitar Duets” to carry us away.

Whatever you do, don’t think “dueling guitars” in a traditional sense – there is no “lead” or “front man” to the duo who is competing against someone/something.  You also won’t get the impression you are at bad dinner theater a la “Dueling Pianos”, no not at all.  You, in fact are witness to “duet” in all senses of the word; a combination of two entities, both moving in unison to create a blended but whole and complete sound.  While I am not currently familiar with Watson’s solo efforts, I know that Swearengin’s solo works also come highly recommended from yours truly.  I feel Swearengin’s slowcore/gaze leanings can be felt on the recordings and I now feel compelled to dig into Watson’s back catalog all of a sudden…

I am a also big proponent of listening to music with headphones – I find that you can better hear more than just the forefront of the music.  This may sound odd and you may not know of what I speak upon first listen.  I especially find this with the acoustic presentation from Watson & Swearengin, as sometimes it is the delicate string arrangements or that last little finger pick on the fretboard during a fade out that makes all the difference.  I am not saying we are looking at classical and overly intricate guitar work that requires headphones, but it is nice to feel embraced by this album.  So basically, get good headphones and dive in, you will not regret it.

A bit of description from the Orchid Collective site:

…simplicity is not necessarily what holds these quip songs together. They are made by musicians who can craft and craft while playing off each other. It’s impressive the way their melodies can hold one another through various gaits- some, slow and somber, others amble and proper. It’s a mosaic of guitar lines strung together as lavished and pastoral dialogue.

The album hit the proverbial shelves on Tuesday, February 17th and was released by Orchid Collective (home to Twin Cats, another Slowcoustic favourite).  With the release we also have a trend I am starting to appreciate – the “pay what you like” form of payment.  It is considered a “donation” via Paypal that will get you a copy of the album in either CD or digital versions.  It goes without saying that if you so choose to donate, please choose responsibly (you also get bonus tracks for a donation exceeding $5.00, so heads up).

Once you head over to Orchid Collective or the respective MySpace pages linked below, you will also notice the song titles of the album, or lack there of.  I am not sure if there is purpose in “numbering” the songs or if they even need to be listened to in a specific order.  This can make a track a bit easier to remember, but may make it harder to relate to it at the same time.  Some may also find the songs on the short side, with the longest track being just over 3 minutes and is actually the only track to surpass the 3 minute mark – at times I feel like I just need another minute, but you usually want good things to last, don’t you?

Take a swing by Orchid Collective to listen to all tracks and pick up a copy.
Visit Doby Watson and A.P. Swearengin on MySpace.

~Smansmith