 |
Carbon Based Lifeforms
CBL combines the atmospherice ambient soundscapes of some of the other groups we've been listening to in the last 6 months with some downtempo beats to make a more approachable and easier listen than, say a Biosphere,
 |
 |
Noah Georgeson
Here's the scene: the party is cranking and you put in some Noah. Suddenly the speakers leap with a deep baritoned dude singing over a minor key plucked guitar and maybe some other flutes or childrens toys in the background. A cinematic orchestra score sounding like it's being played out of that speaker you put on your car window at the drive in theater. People go running for the doors and/or beg you to change the music. We love it.
|
 |
Robyn Hitchock & The Venus 3
We think some of the quirkyiness is lost when Hitchock plays with a group. In this case, the Venus 3 probably steer Hitchock futher towards bluesy and more standard rock songs
|
 |
Phosphorescent
Heaps of layered reverb-drenched vocals on slow country-folk beats gives this disc a sparse and lush sound at the same time. It's simply brilliant.
 |
 |
Christopher Bissonnette
The joneing for dark haunting ambient soundscapes isn't out of us just yet - despite all the albums from that genre we picked up at the end of 2008. So, we go back (this one is from 2004) in the catalog and get this one - a disc that's very similar in texture to Biosphere's Shenzhou ...
|
 |
Robert Henke
... and this one, another 2004 pick which is also pretty similar to Shenzhou.
|
 |
Miranda Lee Richards
We've waited 8 years for this, the follow up to her brilliant debut album in 2001. The wait was worth it, as Miranda picks right back up from where she left off with her psychedelic chamber folk rock.
 |
 |
Espers
We are sneaking in an older (2004) release here, but after getting turned on to Vetiver, how could we resist Espers?
|
 |
The Phantom Band
Fantastic straight up pop/rock album. There might be one or two throwaways here, but just about all of the songs are strong if not outstanding. Howling and Throwing Bones just rock.
|
 |
Fiction Family
Like The Phantom Band, here's another very good straighforward pop/rock album. These guys also cover a lot of ground and are able to blend some radioheadesque and some country/bluesy elements on the same disc making it hang together really well.
 |
 |
Scott Tuma
With Winter coming in and the nights getting shorter, we're going through a hunt out bleak ambient music phase. How else would you explain this, Hush Arbors, Fennesz, Biosphere and Christopher Bissonette?
 |
 |
Hush Arbors
This one is a up in the hills, guitar and banjo plucking with creepy vocs in the background. It's quite nice for quiet, late nights. And, apparently we have a collectors item here as we can't find it for sale anywhere.
|
 |
Fennesz
Meditative ambient electronic for cold, lonely nights.
 |
 |
Biosphere
Haunting ambient soundscapes of some sort of very large, futuristic industrial biomachinery repetitively droning away in the dark at low, rumbling frequencies. It's quietly disquieting while meditatively building up fear and distrust. One of the best discs in this genre.
|
 |
Unbunny
Despite (or because of?) the fact that it's pretty raw, we love it. We love Unbunny period.
|
 |
Rademacher
We became fans after catching Rademacher at Hotel Utah (dispite being distracted by Spangley). This EP doesn't disappoint. probably their strongest to date!
|
 |
Vetiver
Elyse down at the Kezar Bar & Restaurant (our local) turned us on to Vetiver. How did we not find our new favorite band earlier? Love that country-folk sound so much we had to run out and see them at Great American Music Hall next time they were in town.
|
 |
Vetiver
While we were familarizing ourselves with Vetiver's latest (2006's "To Find Me Gone"), we decided to raid the catalog and take 2004's self titled disc for a spin.
|
 |
Stars
Pretty good. Not spectacular, but a solid Stars release.
|
 |
Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan
We didn't think Isobel needed any help. She's just fine on her own. But this album pulls her away from the Belle & Sebastianesque chamber pop and into a more bluesy vein. In this case, Lanegan's baritone is very much welcome.
|
 |
Mount Eerie
Boy and girl brooding together in minor key harmonies and maybe a guitar for accompanyment here or there.
|
 |
Blue Giant
Love the country sounds from this new project from Kevin and Anita from Viva Voce.
|
 |
Thievery Corporation
Thievery Corp is off to a good start in their second decade. Fans will be familiar with the underlying grooves but his disc also brings beats from around the world: Regge, Indian, Latin American
|
 |
Mates of State
Probably the most accessable Mates disc yet. There even seems to be some straight up pop tunes here.
|
 |
Okkervil River
You saw Shearwater on our little list so you should not be surprised to see Okkervil River here. While they may share Americana roots, unlike the aforementioned band, Will Sheff's gig is less about the falsetto and more about building up to a passion filled yelling cresendo.
|
 |
Okkervil River
Like tasting a vertical of fine Napa Valley cabs (ideally, in someone elses cellar), we spun this 2003 OR release along with the 2008 The Stand Ins release. Hard to give this one the edge when The Stand Ins has "On Tour With Zykos" on it. Wow, that's a great song.
|
 |
All India Radio
Wow, the second release from this Melbourne band surprised us. They abandoned the ambient soundscape approach they took on their first album, got a female singer and trekked down the path Morcheeba blazed. And, most of the times they nail it.
|
 |
Megafaun
Lumping them in with the Freaky Folk genre is probably not too far off. But, when the stereo is on shuffle the band we mistake them for the most is Akron/Family. We'd advise Megafaun to take that as a complement.
|
 |
Vampire Weekend
For us, nothing spells disappointment more than some overhyped indie rock band (ahem, Arcade Fire). Imagine our surprise finding this one to be a truly enjoyable album. Really!
|
 |
Shearwater
Mostly nicely textured slow, sleepy americana. "The Hunter's Star" is Shearwater at their best - that gentle falsetto dancing around with a lovely string arrangement while a rolling piano and plucky standup bass march on underneath.
|
 |
Islands
Quirky indie pop ... similar to Of Montreal ... from a band of Montreal. Coincidence?
|
 |
Port O'Brien
A total 180 from Goldfrapp's last two club-ready releasesr.
|
 |
Piano Magic
Not too late to start getting into this 2005 release - after all, listening to it will immediately put you back in the good days of This Mortal Coil, Blue Aeroplanes and other moody late 80s/early 90s 4AD bands.
|
 |
Cheb i Sabbah
Nice release of middle eastern dub from DJ Cheb, who used to spin not too far away from tunefilter HQ, down in Lower Haight at Nickies.
|
 |
Cassettes Won't Listen
Two stars for two good songs on the disc: Large Radio and The Finish Line.
 |
 |
Goldfrapp
A total 180 from Goldfrapp's last two club-ready releases, this one evokes more of the lushness of Felt Mountain and a return to the concept of using Allison's voice as instrument. There's even an acoustic guitar here! And guess what, it works out brilliantly. Bears of SF rejoice! The best Goldfrapp disc ever.
|
 |
Dengue Fever
Love the description of their inspiration on allmusic: "homage to Cambodia's pre-Pol Pot cheesy psychedelic-cum-lounge-surf-garage pop sound of the '60s/early '70s". Love the album too!
|
 |
Breathe Owl Breathe
A beautiful album full of beautiful cello, strings, piano, banjo and boy/girl harmony laced Americana. In many ways, this sounds like a cross of Luna and Micah P. Hinson.
|
 |
The Earlies
If one of those popular '60s English pop rock bands recorded an album today - with this genre's technology and influences - would it sound like this? Fantasic disc.
|
 |
Robyn Hitchcock
Solo Hitchcock tunes recorded from 93-99. Probably best reserved for true Hitchcock fans. On a side note, the song "The Green Boy" has to be on any list of quintessential solo hitchocks song.
|
 |
Valgeir Siguršsson
nice icelandic atmospheres which are a bit more upbeat than those from Sigur Ros
|
 |
Yeasayer
pretty nice rock album
|
 |
Sigur Ros
buy this disc for the live tunes, esp. Ageatis Byrjun and Staralflur
|
 |
Stars
Solid pop/rock album, but the best tunes are the ones Amy Millian is singing on
|
 |
Matthew Dear
decent electronica rock album; buy it for "Pom Pom", an unbelievably good song
|
 |
Radiohead
probably a little better than then last couple radiohead discs, certainly not an OK Computer though
|
 |
Great Lake Swimmers
how midwestern Canadians do mellow, lazy Americana
|
 |
The Little Ones
perfect pop
|
 |
Dean & Britta
the next best thing to Luna
|
 |
The Exciting Sounds of Savo
should be no surprise we're spining this
|
 |
The Good, The Bad, & the Queen
We were wondering Blur would ever come out with another album. While technically not Blur, this album by former Blur singer/songwriter Damon Albarn is closer to his former band's sound (or, where we think that sound would have evolved to) than anything else he's put out - e.g., Mali Music or Gorillaz.
|
 |
A Hawk and a Hacksaw
This one is harken us back to old eastern europe where we're sitting on a hay bale drinking beer out of a pewter stein.
|
 |
Micah P. Hinson
A number of Sapporos in the belly and a walk through the canal section of Shinagawa at 2AM with this album on the ipod was our equivelant of the scene in American Beauty when that dude is filming the plastic bag blowing in the wind. "The Day Texas Sank To The Bottom Of The Sea" is possibly the most beautiful song ever written.
|
 |
Micah P. Hinson
Another nice release from Micah. That said, it's just too tough following up the Gospel of Progress.
|
 |
Akamai
a couple of really nice audio landscapes on this one
|
 |
Caribou
electronic rock and roll
|
 |
Shearwater
Jeff Buckley comparisons, a very consistently, lazy slice of Americana
|
 |
Young and Sexy
we think some of the accolades thrown at the New Pornographers should instead be directed to this Candian boy-girl band
|
 |
Peloton
Nice, solid debut EP from some SF locals (w/my Adobe HR rep on bass). Killer lead off song, with solid instrumentals, and hints of stereolab.
|
 |
Carbon Based Lifeforms
ambient soundscapes for sleepers
|
