“Are You There?” by Two Bicycles // I Know You Are There (TBD)

Two Bicycles is a project from Jamison (Teen Daze, Little Chords), that focuses more on the ambient, acoustic, and subtle post rock sounds than his other projects. Currently he is working on new Two Bicycles material and posting his experiments on Bandcamp as the project comes to fruition. The newest taste comes in the form of “Are You There?” which bubble to life using ethereal organs and acoustic guitars to create a feeling of nature as the artist was influenced by a recent camping trip near the ocean, near Tofino, British Columbia. It’s really beautiful stuff (as is all of his Two Bicycles output, definitely check out the back catalog on Bandcamp) that calls to mind The Album Leaf, Explosions in the Sky, and Hammock. 

(download) Material from Two Bicycles @ Soundcloud.

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6two bicycles, jamison, little chords, teen daze, ambient, post rock, ethereal, acoustic, riyl:, the album leaf, explosions in the sky, hammock,

“We Drift Like Worried Fire” by Godspeed You! Black Emperor // ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend (2012)

I found Godspeed You! Black Emperor at a turning point in my life. I was newly independent, had a burgeoning interest in the vast world outside of my little  home, and was in the midst of a music revolution in my own mind - shifting from brit pop and indie rock to more experimental sounds. Everyone goes through a similar stage, I’m sure - mine happened to occur in the late 90’s/early 00’s. When “Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada” was released, I found myself at Flat, Black, and Circular in East Lansing, Michigan. It was just in and one of the guys working there (John - I wonder if he’s still there), who had been facilitating my expanse into new territories of sound, was listening to “Moya” from that record. The last half of that record left my jaw on the floor. I don’t thing that I had ever really heard something so massive and progressive, and challenging and beautiful as that particular orchestration. I bought it and found myself soon living in the sounds of GY!BE, who along with  Sigur Ros soon became my go to bands for seeking further inspiration (be it political, musical, or referential). Two bands from different parts of the world, with different designs on music, but essentially the same effect on my brain - an atomic bomb of interest in everything that they were. I followed links and influences and off shoots and as Sigur Ros became more popular throughout the 00’s (and spawned many imitators), GY!BE drifted away (spawning even more imitators). Occasionally popping up in other bands and experiments. I kept waiting and hoping for something that would take me back to that feeling when I first heard “Moya”, but it never came (sure there were pieces of tracks on “Lift Yr Skinny Fists” that came close but never that introduction). Then, two weeks ago, they announced a new album and I eagerly sought it out, expecting another massively complex orchestration, peppered with drones and explosive  power. I got those things. I also found myself stunned, and wrapped up in the awe of one particular track, “We Drift Like Worried Fire”, which started to feel like the way I did all those years ago. The strange thing being that you can’t have a second first impression, so I was not shocked by the band’s power. I was freshly invigorated by it all, one more time. No longer did I find myself leaning to the bands side projects, or the bands that were inspired by their sound, I was back listening to Godspeed do the thing that they are so brilliant at - challenge and push and inspire while leaving you in awe of the power of music - triumphant, sorrowful, and ominous simultaneously.

(pre-order) “Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!” (via Constellation // Out 10.16.12)

Source: aubade

6godspeed you! black emperor, gy!be, post rock, ambient, drone, riyl:, mogwai, explosions in the sky, do make say think, a silver mt zion,

“Tape Recorder” by Hammock // Departure Songs (2012)

Nashville based, post-rock outfit, Hammock, is prepping a double disc for release on October 2nd, but you can stream, pre-order and sample the album now on Bandcamp. Of course, those familiar with Hammock’s previous work are well aware that they carry a powerful, cinematic sound that’s not unlike Explosions in the Sky. Where Hammock is different, is that they lean closer to ambient atmospheres more than slow build rock epics, but a similar middle ground they do treat. Here on standout new track,”Tape Recorder”, ethereal synths hum above somber guitar notes that seem to stretch out endlessly. It’s gorgeous night time music that is perfect for getting lost. Highest recommendation. 

6ambient, brian eno, do make say think, ethereal wave, explosions in the sky, favorite new music, hammock, nashville, post rock, riyl:, Godspeed You Black Emperor,

“Your Ghost is Not Enough” by Jessica Bailiff // At the Down-Turned Jagged Rim of the Sky (Out 10.1.12 via Kranky)

Lately, I’ve found myself spending the later hours of the night listening to glacial paced post rock and drone. I like to imagine that it helps me focus more than other types of music, but I think mostly it’s just the calming beauty of artists like Liz Harris (Grouper), Julianna Barwick, and Jessica Bailiff that keep me interested and inspired. Luckily, there’s plenty of these artists to go around with Liz Harris’s seemingly endless run of collaborations and Julianna Barwick’s recent Ombre album. Equally exciting is the announcement of the first new album from Jessica Bailiff in six year, and the taster track, “Your Ghost is Not Enough”. The track is an ethereal beauty, with weightless vocal melodies floating over lovely shoegaze noise and a brewing intensity that builds as the choral voices swell to the front. It’s a stunner, and one that I’m sure to be playing on repeat for quite a while. Highest recommendation for fans of Grouper, Julianna Barwick, and Zola Jesus. 

(download) “Your Ghost is Not Enough” by Jessica Bailiff (via Pitchfork)

Source: pitchfork.com

6jessica bailiff, slowcore, post rock, ambient, shoegaze, ethereal wave, liz harris, grouper, julianna barwick, zola jesus,

“Garden 2” by Teen Daze // The Inner Mansions (Out 11.6.12)

Every Wednesday, Teen Daze will be streaming a new track from the forthcoming album, “The Inner Mansions”. This week, that track is “Garden 2” which is a shift from last week’s more synth pop release, “Union”. In fact, “Garden 2” has a lovely ambient, post rock feel that sounds like it would be right at home on a Sigur Ros orAlbum Leaf album. Definitely the kind of track that I could find myself getting lost in for a couple of hours. Highly recommended. 

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6teen daze, the inner mansions, ambient, post rock, beautiful stuff, favorite new music, riyl:, sigur ros, album leaf, the album leaf, jonsi,

DREAMING IN WAVES // EPISODE SIX (a p|m|w radio block)

For the sixth installment of Dreaming in Waves (previous installments here) I thought that I would spread out into some more experimental places, as well as pull back and bring in some more acoustic tracks later in the show. Naturally, in between you can expect plenty of dream pop, shoegaze, post rock, post punk and all things in between. You can expect 120 minutes of sounds to remind you of the halcyon days of college radio where you could discover something spectacular nearly every time you turned on the dial, be it new or old. With a little hope you’ll find something new and old to be excited about while also finding a solid soundtrack for a late night drive, or come down, or whatever you need it for in those hours before sleep. Thanks for listening! Please feel free to share & reblog!

FEATURED MUSIC (click band name for more info)

• “Point Your Pistols to the Sigh” by Liars
• “Almost the Same” by Clearlake
• “Hawk Highway” by Cymbals Eat Guitars
• “Gender Bombs” by The Stills
• “Dream Girls” by The Fresh & Onlys
• “The Light (ft. Nadine Carina)” by Cloud Seeding
• “Default” by Atoms for Peace
• “Union (ft. Frankie Rose)” by Teen Daze
• “The Setting Sun & it’s Satellites” by The Firebird Band
• “Swan Song” by Orca Orca
• “Sleep Now for a While” by Happy Trendy
• “Be Alone” by Seapony
• “We Can Have It” by The Dears
• “Large” by Taken by Trees
• “I Need No Trust” by My Bloody Valentine
• “Marilyn” by Bat for Lashes
• “Pale Spectre” by Blouse (The Wake cover)
• “Bad Insect” by Ultraista
• “Half a House” by SoftSpot
• “Keeping Me From Sleep” by Violas
• “So Smart (White Flashes remix)” by Indoor Voices
• “Frozen in Mid-Gesture” by Sorry About Dresden
• “I Believe in You” by Richard Reed Perry (Talk Talk cover)
• “Roses for the Dead” by Halls
• “Till the End” by The Raveonettes
• “Whirlpool” by Sea Wolf
• “I Want You” by Tom Waits
• “A Sad Hard Change” by Jason Molina
• “Last Night I Dreamt that Somebody Loved Me” by Grant-Lee Phillips (The Smiths cover)
• “Driving Home From the Beach (The Feeling of)” by Teen Daze
• “World I Need You, Won’t Be Without You” by How to Dress Well

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6Mixtape, ambient, atoms for peace, dream pop, dreaming in waves, dreamwave radio, ethereal, ethereal wave, folkwave, lo-fi, post punk, post rock, radiohead, shoegaze, thom yorke, how to dress well, teen faze, frankie rose, grant-lee phillips, the smiths, jason molina, tom waits, sea wolf, the raveonettes, halls, talk talk, richard reed perry, arcade fire, sorry about dresden, white flashes,

“I Believe in You (Talk Talk cover)” by S. Carey // Spirit of Talk Talk (2012)

“I Believe in You” is the centerpiece of Talk Talk’s brilliant1988 album, “Spirit of Eden”. It’s the strange sort of song that feels like an absolute work of art, but also is strangely accessible. It’s an absolutely stunning track about the terrors of drug addiction, but I’ve always felt an endearing sense of hope outside of the brutal lyrics. Mark Hollis (alongside his band, Talk Talk) was/is a brilliant songwriter that was years ahead of the curve, and this month Fierce Panda Records is honoring the band with a tribute album featuring covers by a number of wonderful artists including Zero 7, Richard Reed Perry (Arcade Fire), Turin Brakes, Jason Lytle (Grandaddy), Do Make Say Think, and many more. S. Carey (Bon Iver, solo) also offers this beautiful take on the classic mentioned above. Absolutely highest recommendation. 

(purchase) “The Spirit of Talk Talk” (via Fierce Panda)

6ambient, bon iver, cover, do make say think, favorite songs, folk, folkwave, grandaddy, jason lytle, mark hollis, post rock, s. carey, talk talk, zero 7, arcade fire,

“So Smart” by Indoor Voices // So Smart EP (2012)

For the past few years, as I’ve kept up this blog, I’ve casually tried to keep up with posting a favorites list at the mid and end year deadlines. Usually somewhere along the line I hear something that I just know is going to be way up near the top. Last year it was Hooray for Earth’s “Black Trees”, the year before was How to Dress Well’s “Decisions’, the year before that was Small Black’s “Despicable Dogs” - and so on. This year, so far it’s been a lot of great tracks, but not one that particularly smashed me in the face with a magic sort of love. Then last week, Indoor Voices were kind enough to let me sample their work in progress EP, and I heard something that I was almost embarrassed to tell them how much I loved. Over the past week, I’ve listened to this song roughly a hundred or so times, and I’m pretty confident that I’ve found that song that makes me feel that sort of special. “So Smart” isn’t attempting to anything revolutionary, it’s just doing everything perfect. It blends shoegaze guitars and dream pop melodies and post rock atmospherics into something absolutely gorgeous and haunting and immediate. It’s hard to nail down a specific sound that to relate it to - at first, I thought it sounded like it could be a lovely lost track from Broken Social Scene’s “You Forgot It In People”, then it gave me sort of a Yo La Tengo vibe (circa “And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out”), but both of those don’t count and frankly, they don’t matter. The song is stunning and absolutely incredible. I’m in love with what Indoor Voices have made here, and I hope so very much that we get to hear more from this artist very soon. Highest possible recommendation. 

(stream or purchase) “So Smart EP” by Indoor Voices (via Bandcamp or iTunes)

6indoor voices, dream pop, shoegaze, post rock, favorite new music, riyl:, yo la tengo, galaxie 500, broken social scene, hooray for earth, small black, how to dress well,

“Into the Street” by The Twilight Singers // Twilight (as played by…) (2000)

It’s late and instead of digging into the pile of new, I felt like breaking out an old late night favorite from one of my favorite albums of the new century. “Twilight” by The Twilight Singers is an album loaded with dark characters, twisted tales or love and death, misery and pain, drugs and alcohol, but also, some absolutely breathtaking ballads that carry an air of optimism beneath the darkness. Greg Dulli has always been a tremendous writer all the way back in the beginning of The Afghan Whigs, but here is where he shines brightest. It’s an absolute triumph of an album, but it’s the last two tracks that always hit me the hardest. “Into the Street” is one of those tracks. What starts as a hushed ballad, slowly opens up revealing layers of atmosphere that spark to life as the song burns away (stick around till the end) - delicate strings and melancholic guitars carry the weight, but the dual vocal harmonies tell the story and it’s a gorgeous one to hear. I’ve listened to this song thousands of times over the past twelve years and it never fails to carry an emotional weight. It’s one of my absolute favorites and it will be forever.

6all time favorites, dream pop, fila brazillia, greg dulli, indie rock, late night music, mark lanegan, post rock, soulsavers, the afghan whigs, the gutter twins, the twilight singers, cocaine and bourbon, older faves,

“Dream Odyssey” by MONO // For My Parents (Out 9.4.12 via Temporary Residence LTD)

Japan’s Mono is back with another album of instrumental beauties entitled “For My Parents” and featuring help from Wordless Music Orchestra. “Dream Odyssey” is a taster of what awaits on the album and let’s just say that it’s a sweeping, heartbreaking, beauty that haunts with it’s widescreen cinematic sounds in the same way as the best work of Explosions in the Sky. If you’re unfamiliar with the band, this is a great place to start. They have a wonderful ability to create epic visions and classic orchestrations within the confines of a single song. The forthcoming album is intended as a gift to the songwriters’ parents. In the album’s press release that had this to say about the compositions, ““We hope that this album serves as a gift from child to parent” … “While everything else continues to change, this love remains a constant throughout time.” Highest recommendation for fans of Sigur Ros, Mogwai, and This Will Destroy You. It’s absolutely stunning. 

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6explosions in the sky, favorite new music, instrumental, japan, mogwai, mono, post rock, post-rock, riyl:, sadness, shoegaze, sigur ros, wordless music orchestra,

“Gallop” by Tall Ships // Everything Touching (Out 10.8.12 via Big Scary Monsters)

“Gallop” is the perfect name for this blast of charging, post-punk from Brighton, UK based Tall Ships. As soon as you hit play and you hear that rolling, driving percussion and the big, soaring harmonies, you’ll get why the title fits so well. In addition to a killer rhythm and forward progression, the song itself is loaded with ear candy melodies about not losing hope as you grow older. Definitely give this track a shot, especially for fans of British Sea Power, Editors, and Interpol. 

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6tall ships, post punk, post-punk, indie, post rock, brighton, uk, riyl:, british sea power, interpol, editors,

“A Slow Dance” by Explosions in the Sky // Friday Night Lights (score) (2004)

For some reason, throughout my adult life, I’ve had a string of bad events take place on or around the fourth of July, which renders a celebration sort of limp. As I’ve aged and people have passed, or moved, or just faded out of my life, I always find nights like tonight to especially strange. I don’t feel lonely. That’s not it. I find myself feeling something more akin to connected, despite the lack of physical connections. Tonight as I sat and watched the sky burst into a million colorful embers, surrounded by strangers, I knew that elsewhere in this country the people that I have loved and lost and miss and wish all the best for, are staring up - if only for a moment - at the same sky being painted by blasts of fireworks and noise. And for a minute I felt them, and I felt connected again, and then it was gone. Nothing to be saddened by, and nothing to lament, just vivid memories bursting back through for a short time reminding me that even though they’re gone, the love remains and it always will. 

Happy Fourth of July, everyone. To those of you that really know me, if you’re reading this, thank you for the past, best wishes for the future. Here is a slow dance for the times we shared. 

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6explosions in the sky, fourth of july, post rock, friday night lights, best wishes, moving on, letting go, older faves,

“Hollow” by Port St. Willow // Holiday (2012)

Nick Principe’s Port St. Hollow project continues to be one of my go-to albums as of late. I previously shared the dark, sexy, and atmospheric track “Tourist”, and now I thought I’d post another track, “Hollow”, which has more of an open, early morning dew, sort of feel. It’s slowly opens up from a steady hum of ethereal noise and builds into a steady rolling beat with piercing, haunting vocals that call to mind both The Antlers and Sigur Ros. It’s a fresh and alive sound that  you could just spend days inside of without tiring. Highest recommendation for fans of The Antlers, Youth Lagoon, and Sigur Ros.

(stream & purchase) “Holiday” by Port St. Willow (via Bandcamp) 

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6port st. willow, nick principe, dream pop, ethereal, dreamwave, post rock, indie, RIYL:, the antlers, sigur ros, youth lagoon,