this is the universe

this is the universe has moved.

2011-02-04T16:48:00.000-08:00

i told you change was coming. http://thisistheuniverse.wordpress.com/the reasons for the change are myriad, not the least of which is the fact that supporting music piracy isn't exactly the best way to break into the scene. fear not, though, my dear followers - there will still be free mp3s aplenty, and reviews with which to accompany them. but i'm afraid you'll have to look elsewhere for the

bright eyes - the people's key (2011)

2011-01-29T11:20:00.000-08:00

no matter what you think during the first two minutes of this album, you're not getting trolled. this is the real deal. bright eyes is back, finally, four years post-cassadaga, and if the first half of this record is any indication, they're better than ever. jejune stars is an instant classic and the rest is almost as memorable. bright eyes - the people's keylink removed by request

telekinesis - 12 desperate straight lines (2011)

2011-01-29T03:33:00.000-08:00

telekinesis is one of my favorite local seattle indie-rock outfits, and when i first heard that their new album was leaked, i was giddy. my excitement proved to be well-deserved. 12 desperate straight lines is a wholly more emotional and engaging experience than debut telekinesis! it reeks of personal strife and perseverance, but in the best possible way. if i was sober, i'd probably be able to

smith westerns - dye it blonde (2011)

2011-01-29T03:14:00.000-08:00

i enjoyed (but didn't rave about) smith westerns' debut release, but with dye it blonde they've taken a trip to the studio to improve their sound. the catchy, garage-quality of their music is still present, but the lack of production is no longer a dealbreaker. they've managed to balance their lo-fi, diy qualities with a produced, aurally pleasing sound, a welcome change from their self-titled.

foster the people - foster the people ep (2011)

2011-01-25T12:06:00.000-08:00

foster the people's "pumped up kicks" was one of my favorite songs of 2010 but given their hesitance to release anything else, i feared they might succumb to one-hit-wonder status. given by foster the people ep, the worry was largely unnecessary. although there's only three tracks, and "pumped up kicks" is one of them, the other two are as good, if not better. "houdini" is a rollicking indie

2011-01-22T15:43:00.000-08:00

download

iron & wine - kiss each other clean (2011)

2011-01-18T14:10:00.000-08:00

iron & wine garners a lot of comparisons to sufjan stevens. his massive 2007 release the shepherd's dog was one of the finest full-band folk revival albums outside of illinois, and it's taken him nearly as long as stevens to pen his follow-up. but if you were expecting kiss each other clean to take after the age of adz, you'd be way off the mark.this is not a reinvention, far from it. it's

show me your movements

2011-01-11T15:09:00.000-08:00

i have a mixtape over for download at miyomi's music, you should like totally check it out. 15 tracks from the best chillwavers around.

laura gibson - if you come to greet me (2006)

2011-01-11T02:58:00.000-08:00

laura gibson's timeless if you come to greet me just recently came to my attention, but it's criminal how under-the-radar she is. it's truly love at first listen. cuts alternate between melancholy acoustic plucking to a straight-up orchestra of trumpets, piano, vibraphone, saw, violin, cello, banjo and found sounds. it's a back-and-forth between depression and nostalgia, and through its meager

jj - kills (2010)

2011-01-10T01:57:00.000-08:00

jj is a very love/hate band. either you immediately fall in love with the balearic, orchestral electropop covered in elin kastlander's distinctive vocals, or you change the song. to further divide their fanbase, they've released kills, a mixtape that features covers/reworkings of popular/rap songs. sound awful? i thought so too, which is probably why i put off listening to it. (the mediocrity of

chelsea wolfe - the grime and the glow (2010)

2011-01-06T13:17:00.000-08:00

chelsea wolfe is an enigmatic folk mastermind who crafts gloomy ballads of dissonant plucking and ethereal vocals. her closest relative lies somewhere in the region of a highly disturbed marissa nadler. her music is dark and unforgiving, and painfully beautiful. her 2010 album the grime and the glow is a descent into madness. whether it's the gorgeous harmony on "halfsleeper" or the pounding

first listen live: iron and wine introduces 'kiss each other clean'

2011-01-05T12:34:00.000-08:00

Like The Shepherd's Dog, Kiss Each Other Clean showcases Iron and Wine's subtly exploratory, even meandering side. But fans of the group needn't wait until the album's Jan. 25 release date to hear the new innovations for themselves: This afternoon, Beam and his bandmates appeared on WNYC's Soundcheck to announce that they'll give a surprise live performance of the new album — in its

hear hums - psyche cycles (2010)

2011-01-04T21:00:00.000-08:00

hey all, hope your new year's eve was a (mostly) safe fun time. i know i had a blast, and i hope you all survived long enough to witness the beginning of the end of all things.seriously that shit is starting to get fucking weird.anyway, in less apocalyptic news, it's the beginning of a brand-new year for the blog! in 2010 we really saw posting take off, courtesy of my lack of a life, and 2011

happy fucking holidays.

2010-12-24T23:28:00.000-08:00

a holiday-inspired (but not themed) mixtape i made for my friends. i thought i'd post it here because i'm going to be out of town until the 30th, so this is effectively the last post of 2010. so, cheers. it was a pretty mindblowing year for music. here's to a great 2011.happy fucking holidaysstarfucker - happy fucking holidays sports - to catch a thief keep shelly in athens - running out of you (

feldberg - don't be a stranger (2010)

2010-12-21T00:25:00.000-08:00

feldberg is an icelandic indie pop group led by multi-instrumentalist einar tönsberg and vocalist rósa birgitta ísfeld. they have a strong twee leaning, thanks to their carefree tones, and rósa's distinctive vocals call to mind a gentler cocorosie. flashes of electronic exuberance help flesh out some of the album's more forgettable tracks. it's a fairly easygoing listen, but it's a must-download

coma cinema - blue suicide (2011)

2010-12-19T20:10:00.000-08:00

at first listen, mat cothran's musical project coma cinema seems a lot like bradford cox's latest atlas sound collections: underproduced, lo-fi bedroom pop, mostly recorded at home, with an acoustic-electronic symbiosis. but what coma cinema lacks in neuroses and intricacy, he gains in hooks. blue suicide is his third and most polished album, and it's catchier and more accessible than anything

the outrunners - running for love and money (2010)

2010-12-19T19:48:00.000-08:00

my intense love for anything and everything valerie continues with the outrunners' latest ep, a four-track doozy by veteran synthpop duo the outrunners. and, like the name, it sounds like a soundtrack to a run, but not a jog - this is no-holds-barred sprinting, towards the horizon, with no end in sight. throbbing basslines, cheesy synths - they've got it all in spades. the outrunners - running

the decemberists - the king is dead (2011)

2010-12-17T18:18:00.000-08:00

edit: ok dudes and ladydudes, this album is actually really fucking good so you should totally get on its dick before everyone else does. you know, so you can be all like "i liked it before it was cool and stuff, bro, srsly, stop being on the p4k bandwagon." people still talk like that, right? haven't listened to this yet but i thought i'd throw it up before i left for the weekend. i wasn't a fan

the 10 best albums of 2010

2010-12-17T04:18:00.000-08:00

10. vampire weekend - contra vampire weekend returned, fresh off the hypewagon of their debut, with a few, much welcome new tricks up their sleeve. the effects of rostam batmanglij's rnb/electropop side-project discovery are more than evident, and when combined with far mature songwriting, they're clearly unstoppable. we came for "horchata," but we stayed for the more nuanced "giving up the

the dø - slippery slope (2011)

2010-12-17T00:11:00.000-08:00

i enjoyed the dø's first album, a mouthful, but probably didn't give it as much attention as it deserved, judging by their follow-up slippery slope. it's fairly unconventional indie pop, but it's still pop, which means that despite the obvious experimentation, it's easy to get into. that olivia merilahti has one of the more pleasing voices helps matters considerably. electric guitars and

gummy†be▲r! - spectral analysis (2010)

2010-12-15T18:37:00.000-08:00

i was never a huge fan of gummy†be▲r!, but that was before i heard his new release, spectral analysis. it's less witch house and more electro-infused instrumental hip-hop, but that's certainly not a bad thing. the beats are well-formed and worthy of gyration and the progression isn't anything avant-garde. the only thing that cues this as something different are the fx-laden synths, which shimmer

fujiya & miyagi - ventriloquizzing (2011)

2010-12-14T21:10:00.000-08:00

eclectic disco-punk brits fujiya & miyagi greet 2011 with their third album, ventriloquizzing. downtempo but groovy, this is dance music for the seductive. vocals never climb above a breathy whisper and most of the instrumentation is fairly low in timbre, but that doesn't stop this album from having a quietly triumphant feel. it's fujiya & miyagi's best work since their 2006 debut transparent

the 25 best tracks of 2010

2010-12-14T03:43:00.000-08:00

25. fang island - "welcome wagon"listen.the energy that exuded from fang island's self-titled debut was infectious, but nowhere more so than the penultimate track. "welcome wagon" is an instrumental pop-rock masterpiece, breathing life into the band's self-descriptor "everybody high-fiving everybody." it's a joyous romp of 90s guitar riffs and strummed power chords, delivered with such passion,

iamamiwhoami - in concert (2010)

2010-12-13T23:05:00.000-08:00

it's been a while since we heard from experimental electro project iamamiwhoami, but finally, they've come forward with what might be their most straightforward release yet. in concert is the soundtrack to the live, hour-long webcast that aired nearly a month ago. for the uninitiated, iamamiwhoami began as a viral video campaign on youtube, featuring images of earth and water and a woman, born of

whoops

2010-12-11T17:08:00.000-08:00

lack of updates, i know, i know, blahblahblah i was in portland on a spur-of-the-moment trip. i'll make it up to you guys this week. probably.

the naked and famous - passive me, aggressive you (2010)

2010-12-02T22:10:00.000-08:00

the naked and famous are a 5-piece from new zealand, but you might as well call them stars-killers, because their boy-girl duets and electropop/rock fusion blow the five ghosts out of the fuccin' water. i heard of this band a while ago, but never got around to listening to them until we played them on rotation on my friend's radio show - and they grabbed my ear so hard it almost came off. "

michael cassette - temporarity (2010)

2010-12-02T21:56:00.000-08:00

michael cassette is a dj who prefers anonymity over publicity, preferring to let his music do the talking for him. and what a speech it makes. produced with a sparkly neon sheen, temporarity glimmers and shines with its retro synths and classic analogue grooves. this is 80s-style synth-disco at its absolutely finest, a cosmic journey through space and time that'll have you dancing until the

iron & wine - walking far from home (2010)

2010-11-29T22:00:00.000-08:00

iron & wine is back with his first proper release since 2007's phenomenal full-band effort the shepherd's dog. this is the opening single, "walking far from home," with two b-sides. the title track opens with beam's signature drawl over a rather shocking electric guitar riff, a first for the band. then the muddy production clears, and beam's voice shines through crystal clear over piano stabs.

also

2010-11-29T21:50:00.000-08:00

i know i do this to you guys all the time but i really do apologize for the insane lack of updating i've been doing. i've been in chicago since friday, hanging out with my best friend (and making a few new ones!). in fact, i probably should've posted on here about the fact that i co-DJ'd a show today at the local university radio station. ... whoops. anyway. next month should be fun. as much as

david lynch - good day today (2010)

2010-11-29T21:30:00.000-08:00

Good Day Today by threeminutesthirtyseconds david lynch just released an electropop track. yes, that david lynch. and, surprise, it's fantastic. simple, 4/4 beats with low-key house synths that bring to memory the postal service and faded paper figures as lynch himself murmurs (through a vocoder) about, very simply, how good he wishes he wants his day to be. "send me an angel, save me" he

marla hansen - waltz (2010)

2010-11-25T03:07:00.000-08:00

more legitimate free music: marla hansen, responsible for the stunning 2007 ep wedding day, has emerged from her seeming isolation to release the absolutely lovely new single "waltz" for free on her bandcamp page. i'm desperately hoping this means she has an album (or at least a new ep) in the works. i can't get enough of this woman's gorgeous voice and arrangements. fans of acoustic folk

atlas sound - bedroom databank 1 + 2 (2010)

2010-11-25T01:21:00.000-08:00

atlas sound (aka bradford cox, of deerhunter) is basically insane, but the kind of insane that you want to kick back and drink with. he's just released his second album of this week (!!!), another helping of lo-fi home recordings that sound as polished and addictive as anything he's ever done. if that wasn't enough, he's released them on his own blog. for free. it's almost upsetting.download them

lykke li - get some (2010)

2010-11-23T22:56:00.001-08:00

in the same vein of legal free music, lykke li's new single (and accompanying b-side) are being released for the paltry sum of an email address at her site. get 'em. they're awesome.

daft punk - tron legacy (2010)

2010-11-22T22:32:00.000-08:00

i'm not entirely sure if this is real or not... it sure sounds like it. consider it an apology for being so lax about the updates this weekend (they banned 4 loko! i had to partake).anyway. there's really not much to this. daft punk. doing the soundtrack to tron 2. you'll either love it or you'll be "meh." personally i wish it was more song-y and less soundtrack-y, but that's just me. either way,

tobacco - la uti (2010)

2010-11-17T01:17:00.000-08:00

follow-up to the awesome maniac meat. at this point you either love tobacco or you don't.tobacco - la uti download

girls - broken dreams club (2010)

2010-11-15T15:08:00.000-08:00

few bands do lo-fi twee-pop as well as san francisco's un-google-able girls. their 2009 release album is a perfect example of this, and their follow-up ep broken dreams club is just as enchanting. garnering comparisons ranging from buddy holly to the beach boys, girls have been almost universally acclaimed and for good reason. they have just the right mixture of old-timey charm and youthful

robyn - body talk (2010)

2010-11-13T20:26:00.000-08:00

oh man. dudes and ladydudes, it's finally here. robyn's body talk series comes to a close with a full-length, 15-track release that collects 5 songs from each of the first two and 5 new ones for good measure, all arranged, mixed, and matched to perfection. what's your favorite song? the tug-at-your-heartstrings "dancing on my own"? the rebellious and punky "fembot"? the conciliatory post-love "

men without hats - rhythm of youth (2010)

2010-11-11T01:12:00.000-08:00

sure, we've all heard "the safety dance," but men without hats is a band that defies the one-hit wonder label. on their debut rhythm of youth they showcase this to perfection. with the distinctive dulcet tones of lead singer ivan doroschuk, the upbeat tempos of everything 80s, and addicting synths, rhythm is a record that shines through on tracks like "the great ones remember" and "i like."

deadmau5 - 4x4=12 (2010)

2010-11-09T20:10:00.000-08:00

say what you will about the whole rusko fiasco but deadmau5 is one of the staples of today's dance scene, and for good reason. even if it's just his ever-popular single "ghosts n' stuff," you've heard his jams, on the radio, at clubs, or elsewhere. he's unstoppable live, engaging the crowd in what was the largest dance party this side of girl talk at sasquatch '09. so it's a considerable surprise

lcd soundsystem - london sessions (2010)

2010-11-09T18:36:00.000-08:00

lcd soundsystem's this is happening is the frontrunner for album of the year, and they're easily one of my favorite bands, ever. james murphy is a genius. and so, following the success of his critically acclaimed albums and tours, what else is a man to do but release a 9-track live in-studio performance? the session itself was recorded in one day at the pool/miloco studios in south london on

patrick wolf - time of my life (single) (2010)

2010-11-05T00:30:00.000-07:00

i was in love with patrick wolf. back in 2007, when i was finally starting to really embrace my obsession with music, he was one of my first discoveries. and his album the magic position cemented itself as one of my favorites of all-time. it was a stunning work, full of the emotional highs and lows that embody the best and worst of relationships.time passed, and 2009 brought the bachelor, a

lake r▲dio - planet earth about to be recycled (2010)

2010-11-03T23:30:00.000-07:00

lake r▲dio is on the fringe of the witch house 'movement', lying somewhere between it and chillwave and straight-up downbeat ambience. the fact that he's not strictly witch house probably makes him more accessible in terms of pure sonic enjoyment - if anything, planet earth about to be recycled is about as 'clean' of a witch house record as you can get.and yet, there's still a haunting quality

grasscut - 1 inch / 1/2 mile (2010)

2010-11-02T16:15:00.000-07:00

sorry for the halloweekend delays, but i was out and about and having fun. and i saw sufjan stevens, which was amazing. onto november's first offering: grasscut are an experimental glitch-tronic group from england, and strike me as a mix of the octopus project's frenetic rocktronic outbursts and the postal service's muted glitched-out mumbles. it's an intriguing combination to say the least, and

pomegranates - one of us (2010)

2010-10-29T00:52:00.000-07:00

i've already expressed my love for pomegranates' debut ep and my subsequent disappointment in their two full-lengths. everything is alive and everybody, come outside! seemed like toned-down versions of stuff pomegranates heard on the radio, with not enough new ideas to justify extended listens. so when they announced their third lp one of us, i responded with a resounding "meh."turns out, they

matt & kim - sidewalks (2010)

2010-10-28T13:30:00.000-07:00

i like matt & kim. i don't love them. grand had a couple amazing songs and the rest were ok. but their newest lp sidewalks might be the one to change my mind and really fall in love. the production's better, the energy's infectious, and the hooks are insane. this is synth-driven dance rock at its absolute finest. even matt's voice (the worst part of the band) seems to have gotten better. or less

vortex rikers - untitled ep (2010)

2010-10-24T21:36:00.000-07:00

vortex rikers are a mystery-laden darkwave group from germany. how they manage to remain so despite having presence on facebook, myspace, last.fm and bandcamp is beyond me, but they do it, and well. the mystery and anonymity adds to the haunting quality of their work, as does their sparse black-and-white imagery. it's darker and weirder than oOoOO and lacks the borderline-annoying pitched-down

firs - man in space (2009)

2010-10-22T01:22:00.000-07:00

sorry for the massive delay between posts. nothing real good's been coming out lately, and i've been busy looking for a job.i bought firs' album man in space for a dollar at easy street records because the album art looked cool. turns out, it's a boy-girl side project featuring joey cook of the much-beloved indie pop group pomegranates, and sophia cunningham of woodland creatures. together

freelance whales - enzymes (2010)

2010-10-15T19:01:00.000-07:00

freelance whales are, if you recall, fucking awesome. and now they have a new single out, available for free download over at green label sound. it's quite awesome, and hopefully we'll be seeing a new full-length sometime soon. the band's been on quite the rise lately, touring the states and playing to a hefty crowd at this year's sasquatch! festival. i'm positive this won't be the last we hear

beat connection - surf noir ep (2010)

2010-10-14T14:00:00.000-07:00

beat connection hails from seattle, and what a proud city we are for having produced these lovely gents. their debut ep surf noir boasts some of the finest chillwave to grace the airwaves this year. they've already been featured on kexp's song of the day, and in seattle's infamous periodical the stranger. not bad for two kids midway through college. they've been playing at the crocodile pretty

cloud control - bliss release (2010)

2010-10-13T22:44:00.000-07:00

cloud control is an australian quartet that's recently made a splash stateside with their debut lp bliss release. they've got a solid blend of electric guitar, vocal harmonies, and almost tribal percussion, giving them a distinctly retro-seventies flair while still maintaining a decidedly modern aesthetic. given the recent resurgence of psychedelia in indie rock, cloud control is a welcome,

anoraak - wherever the sun sets (2010)

2010-10-12T13:28:00.000-07:00

french label valerie never ceases to impress me, and anoraak's newest lp wherever the sun sets is a prime example of why. it's synthpop at its finest, featuring sweeping bass, cheesy synth lines, an 80's new wave guitar riffs. the addition of vocals by anoraak himself is a little hit-or-miss, as his voice and lyrics aren't the strongest in the biz ("crazy eyes" is a little cringe-inducing), but

fences - fences (2010)

2010-10-11T14:33:00.000-07:00

i first came across seattle's fences (aka chris mansfield) when he opened for the pica beats and say hi at the vera project a couple years ago. he was good but not terribly impressive. enter the passage of time, natural maturation and the addition of sara quin (from tegan and sara) on production, and he's surprised me with a fairly excellent debut lp. it never gets much more sophisticated than

quarterbacks - a symbiotic split (2010)

2010-10-06T21:47:00.000-07:00

quarterbacks' a symbiotic split might be the shortest half-record released this year. it's actually a real split record with another artist named john warren but he kind of sucks so only quarterbacks are included in the download. they're anti-folky tweepunx in the vein of kimya dawson and jeffrey lewis, but in the span of the split's 6 minutes and 44 seconds, they managed to endear themselves to

bathcrones - psychorama (2010)

2010-10-05T16:59:00.000-07:00

i've been waiting for bathcrones' debut psychorama ever since his single "glaslyn rains" was featured on beko. the single was a shimmering jewel of dreamy instrumental electropop, and the full-length does not disappoint. in a time where leaves are falling and the weather's chilling, this is the one bright farewell to summer that says "see you again soon" instead of simply "goodbye." seattle's

the octopus project - hexadecagon (2010)

2010-10-04T21:48:00.000-07:00

i've been an avid fan of experimental electro-rockers the octopus project since their 2007 album hello, avalanche, and, most notably, their song "i saw the bright shinies."sadly, the release of the album saw the band on a three year hiatus, with naught but an iffy ep released since. until now. seemingly out of nowhere, they're back with a whole new album of uptempo bleeps and bloops. if that

deerhunter - halcyon digest (2010)

2010-10-01T16:45:00.000-07:00

i'm not exactly sure why it's taken me so long to get into deerhunter. maybe it's the unwavering hype, or the rabid fanboyism, or the polarizing live performances, but for some reason i never made time for them, even after the critically acclaimed microcastle. i downloaded their latest, halcyon digest, just because. and then it was sitting on my desktop for weeks before i finally decided to

oOoOO - oOoOO ep (2010)

2010-09-30T15:59:00.000-07:00

witch house outfit oOoOO already impressed me with their nosummr4u cdr but i can't so no to more, and their self-titled ep delivers handily. between this and salem's king night witch house is proving to be, if still considered a fad, at least a durable - and enjoyable - one.oOoOO - oOoOO ep download

sufjan stevens - the age of adz (2010)

2010-09-26T21:34:00.000-07:00

what's left to say about sufjan stevens? his rise to indie stardom is well-chronicled, to say nothing of the fact that he hasn't released a proper album in five years and yet still manages to be a figurehead of the scene.as some of you may know, he recently announced and released a 60-minute ep entitled all delighted people on the same day. it was glorious. a week later, he announced the age

eluvium - leaves eclipse the light ep (2010)

2010-09-22T01:19:00.000-07:00

if you haven't yet heard eluvium's stunning similes, released earlier this year, you are truly missing out. for those of us that still can't get enough of matthew cooper's jaw-dropping ambience, we're in luck: the leaves eclipse the light ep is out, complete with previously-unreleased track "a life in tides less current." that's not the real story here though - the reason for downloading this

solar bears - she was coloured in (2010)

2010-09-21T22:58:00.000-07:00

i've been expectantly awaiting solar bears' debut she was coloured in since their single "neon colony" first appeared on gorilla vs. bear. well, the wait's over, and goddamn, every second was worth it. it's impossible to avoid becoming entranced by the bears' cinematic electronics. calling them similar in style to boards of canada would be accurate but lazy. solar bears have crafted a style

japandroids - singles #1-3 (2010)

2010-09-20T23:46:00.000-07:00

better, longer posts tomorrow, but in the meantime japandroids just released the third installment of their five-part singles/covers series, "heavenward grand prix." since i haven't upped any of these before i decided to throw them all in as a bundle. but i'm only throwing up the a-sides for dl because they're miles ahead of the covers. if you're unfamiliar with japandroids, they're a

four tet - there is love in you (2010)

2010-09-17T13:55:00.000-07:00

so i know it's only september, but albums are starting to be announced for 2011 and thus i've been started to compile/debate my top albums of the year. one of the obvious contenders is four tet's there is love in you. and then i realized i hadn't posted that one yet. whoops. so there's a chance many of you have heard it already - it was one of the first albums that came out this year. but that

big spider's back - turns (2010)

2010-09-16T22:30:00.000-07:00

longtime readers of the blog may recall big spider's back from my post way back when, but for the rest of you, he's an experimental guru. with only a couple of eps under his belt he's managed to wiggle his way into my rotation repeatedly, and so when i stumbled upon a his latest release, turns, i was nothing if not pleasantly surprised. both new tracks, "turns" and "mind grapes" are more lush,

kasper bjørke - standing on top of utopia (2010)

2010-09-14T21:12:00.000-07:00

i love rock to death but i'm an electronic fiend at heart and occasionally i hear something that blows my tits off. kasper bjørke provoked a more subtle, but no less surprising reaction. his minimal electro-disco quietly wows - there's no need for thudding dubstep or shrieking synths here. it's groovy, danceable, muted yet expressive, and incredibly alluring electronica composed with a

washington - i believe you liar (2010)

2010-09-13T15:34:00.000-07:00

sorry for the massive delay, been job-hunting and binge drinking and watching football and scott pilgrim for the 3rd time. megan washington fronts australia's washington, an indie/folk/rock outfit driven by powerful vocals and piano, supplemented by rockin' guitars. some of you may recognize her if you're silly enough to follow my tumblr, as i did link to her in a post. anyway she is pretty

nigel godrich - scott pilgrim vs. the world (original score) (2010)

2010-09-06T12:46:00.000-07:00

i don't think i've posted enough about how i'm in love with scott pilgrim and everything related to him, so here's more. this time it's the original motion picture score - quite different from the soundtrack - which is still mind-bogglingly awesome. the best songs are the ambient/8bit electronica like "hillcrest park" and "bye and stuff," but there are some welcome additions that don't fit the

various artists - scott pilgrim vs. the world (2010)

2010-09-05T01:42:00.000-07:00

just saw this movie, it was fantastic. the comics are (obviously) better but the movie was probably the most stylized visual experience i've seen in a while. it was really stimulating and rad. i've been getting really frustrated with michael cera's "personality" but i was impressed with him in this movie - he seemed to play more than just michael cera. but let's get to what's relevant here - the

sleeping in light.

2010-09-03T13:51:00.000-07:00

so this is strictly a music blog and it's gonna stay that way, but i've recently been itching for a place to dump all the random things i have in my head and on my hard drive. i doubt any of you will be interested, but i got a tumblr. at the moment it's mostly photography, with some art and a couple random songs that i'm in love with at the moment. but it's going to be a stomping ground for

gobble gobble - lawn knives 7" (2010)

2010-09-03T11:40:00.000-07:00

gobble gobble's schizophrenic electronics may be abrasive at first, but as their single "lawn knives" unfolds, the effects are entrancing. the stuttered vocals and swirling chiptunes dance like fireworks in yr ears as washes of distorted guitars tremble in the sky. it's buoyant and danceable without ever becoming trite or strained. gobble gobble's onto something special. gobble gobble - lawn

azure ray - drawing down the moon (2010)

2010-09-02T10:22:00.000-07:00

sexy downtempo electro-folk with female vocals. i hadn't gotten into azure ray before this album, i might have to now. they have such attractive voices. azure ray - drawing down the moon download

salem - king night (2010)

2010-09-01T10:10:00.001-07:00

witch house! wiiiiitch houuuuuse. salem's debut leaks. and if you know anything about salem, you know this is probably heavy and awesome and all sorts of jizztastic. i haven't decided whether or not to listen to it yet because i preordered the album but i will probably not be able to restrain myself. (via our bros. at wefuckinglovemusic) salem - king nightdownload

derelict - of course it's cashmere (2010)

2010-09-01T10:10:00.000-07:00

friend and labelmate derelict just released his mixtape and it is dope and you should get it. best tracks are "ay yo" and "runaway" but they're all upsettingly good. derelict - of course it's cashmeredownload (via bancamp)

anamanaguchi - scott pilgrim vs. the world: the game (2010)

2010-08-27T15:43:00.000-07:00

i haven't read or seen scott pilgrim yet (i know, i know - bad nerd) but i played the demo of the game earlier this week and i couldn't get the music out of my head. it's awesome retro 8bit chiptunes, made by one of the best of the genre, anamanaguchi. it's way awesome, fun, nerdy music for a way awesome, fun, nerdy game.anamanaguchi - scott pilgrim vs. the world: the game download

starfucker - julius (2010)

2010-08-27T12:20:00.000-07:00

new starfucker single and they signed to polyvinyl. fucking awesome. if you don't know starfucker they make groovy, danceable electropop. they sell out shows left and right and they deserve to be far fucking bigger than they already are. so highly recommended it hurts.starfucker - juliusdownload || buy

jenny and johnny - i'm having fun now (2010)

2010-08-23T23:53:00.000-07:00

jenny lewis appears to have more musical projects than is humanly possible, but somehow they all end up pretty awesome. jenny and johnny began their existence in 2005, and their latest, i'm having fun now, continues their carefree indie pop tradition. imagine best coast with better production and actual songwriting skills, or a less furiously twee slow club. it's hooky, joyful, and fun, without

carissa's wierd - songs about leaving (2002)

2010-08-21T11:48:00.000-07:00

slower and sadder than the american analog set is carissa's wierd, a local seattle act that was active between 1996 and 2003. songs about leaving was their last album, was also their most successful. unfortunately, for carissa's wierd, that's not saying much - during their lifetime, though critical darlings, they were vastly underappreciated. posthumously they've developed a devoted fanbase,

the nextdoor neighbors - magic vs. the machine (2008)

2010-08-19T03:07:00.000-07:00

two girls. two synthesizers. too much awesome. hailing from olympia, washington, the nextdoor neighbors are an eccentric blend of electropop, hip-hop, folk, and i don't even know anymore. all you really need to know is that they're fucking foxy (coincidentally, the lead singer's new rap group is called night fox, and they fucking own). if you couldn't tell i have a really creepy crush on this

the american analog set - know by heart (2001)

2010-08-17T00:04:00.000-07:00

the american analog set pretty much take the cake when it comes to semi-acoustic, chill-yet-emotional indie rock. the only possible usurpers to their throne might be low, but amanset easily has more energy, and is therefore more accessible. their best album by a long shot is 2001's know by heart, a mumbled masterpiece of toe-tapping slowcore. these are songs songs that make you want to curl

various artists - heart (2010)

2010-08-15T23:51:00.000-07:00

a collaborative compilation from some of the best indie/pop/chillwave/electro artists in the scene. the baths and teen daze tracks are awesome. i'd heard of gobble gobble before but their track took me by surprise the most, it is awesome kinda glitchy, dancey, schizophrenic electrogaze. there's not a false note on here, and it's a great representation of the talent that's plaguing music nowadays

röyksopp - senior (2010)

2010-08-15T13:11:00.000-07:00

royksopp returns with the follow-up to 2009's acclaimed junior with a slower, groovier, contemplative album that far usurps it in terms of overall quality. don't be fooled by the shit-tacular album art, this is not a dark album at all. it might be, by röyksopp's standards, but mostly it's just feel-good downtempo electronics. longtime fans might be put off at first, but trust me, this album's

molly rose - molly rose (2009)

2010-08-15T00:54:00.000-07:00

i was in my local record store, combing the bargain bin, when i came across something curious. a cardboard cd case, unmarked save for the 99-cent price tag and a haunting homemade screen-print of a silhouette huddled on a chair. i opened it to find a store-bought maxwell cd-r with the words "molly rose" written in elegant sharpie. alongside it sat a makeshift booklet of folded photographs of the

serafina steer - change is good, change is good (2010)

2010-08-11T13:00:00.000-07:00

so i guess it's folk week. serafina steer is an english harpist, pianist, and singer-songwriter, and change is good, change is good is her second album. it's a beautiful, minimal masterpiece, showcasing her versatile voice and extraordinary compositions. it's an album best consumed as a whole, letting her enchant you into some sort of trance. really, really good. serafina steer - change is

sufjan stevens - come on! feel the illinoise! (2005)

2010-08-10T11:31:00.000-07:00

sufjan stevens just announced his first national tour in a long while. tickets went on sale this morning, so, naturally, they sold out after about seven minutes and the server crashed three times. luckily i managed to grab two. the wait for this show (october 30th) is going to be unbearable but to ease the pain, what could be better than obsessively listening to his music for a couple months?

robyn - body talk pt. 2 (2010)

2010-08-07T05:53:00.000-07:00

this is part 2 to robyn's 3-part body talk epic. the first part catapulted to the lead for my favorite pop artist, and i think the second installment will only solidify her position. lead single "hang with me" is a pop mix of the acoustic version that came aboard pt. 1, and it's captivated me for weeks. now, finally, the entirety of pt. 2 has leaked, and from what i've gathered so far, it's as

photosynthesis - photosynthesis ep (2008)

2010-08-04T03:58:00.000-07:00

photosynthesis is one guy, and i forget his name. besides two desolate myspace and virb accounts, there's virtually no trace of him on the internet - but i'm positive he exists, because i saw him live waaay back in 2008 (where i bought his ep). he's from anacortes, washington, i think.anyway yeah it is pretty much the best thing ever. clever, literate lyrics are backed by some sort of genius

j dilla - donut shop (2010)

2010-08-03T09:06:00.000-07:00

if you don't know who j dilla is you need to seriously reanalyze yr musical education. in a nutshell, he's a cult-like figurehead in the world of hip-hop, critically acclaimed and beloved by basically everyone involved in the scene. he was the most adored, yet simultaneously most unrecognized and underappreciated producer in hip-hop, and he died in 2006 after being incredibly ill for years.

ra ra riot - the orchard (2010)

2010-08-03T03:39:00.000-07:00

aside from the fact that they feature the hottest cellist on the planet, ra ra riot is notable because they perform a particularly catchy brand of orchestral indie rock. their debut the rhumb line set a new standard in the genre, making them festival favorites, and the orchard is their much-anticipated follow-up. upon first listen, it's a success - the production values are a bit higher, the

'sup

2010-07-30T01:51:00.000-07:00

so, i got starcraft 2. and, this weekend is going to be insane - there's an epic party tomorrow night (well, tonight i guess) and then saturday there's a big elevada show at seattle's cobra lounge, so i'll be pretty incognito all weekend. don't worry, i hope to crack 20 posts/month in august. i know i haven't been the best to you guys lately.in vaguely better news, i got my hands on a 320kbps

teen daze - four more years (2010)

2010-07-28T12:23:00.000-07:00

i've been anxiously awaiting teen daze's ep ever since i heard their fantastic remix of twin sister's "all around and away we go," but nothing could've prepared me for the chillwave/synthpop masterpiece that lie in wait. four more years leaves you breathless with the majesty of it all. album standouts "four more years" and "neon" fit snugly right up there with memoryhouse and brothertiger for

le castle vania - nobody gets out alive! / zero machine (20XX)

2010-07-27T23:10:00.000-07:00

le castle vania may look like a complete twat (and his dj name is iffy at best), but man this guy can throw down some serious beats. "nobody gets out alive!" is the filthiest single i've heard in a good while, combining justice's signature screaming, distorted synths with the retro lasers recently re-popularized by labels like valerie and italians do it better. i could mosh my face off to this

arcade fire - the suburbs (2010)

2010-07-23T14:02:00.000-07:00

haven't gotten through my first listen yet, this album is GOOOOOOD so far. this post will be updated with a full review later.arcade fire - the suburbswell that didn't take long || buy

someone still loves you boris yeltsin - let it sway (2010)

2010-07-21T22:52:00.000-07:00

in a musical atmosphere awash with retro electronics, straight-up indie rock records are rare (and most of the time, not very good). someone still loves you boris yeltsin refuse to let the form die, and they've recorded what might be the best straightforward indie rock record this year. let it sway is filled with more addicting hooks and catchy choruses than you can shake yr skinny fists at.

ceo - white magic (2010)

2010-07-18T11:53:00.000-07:00

ceo is eric berglund, and he specializes in upbeat orchestral electropop most reminiscent of jj. however, because of ceo's obsessive layering and lush, expansive soundscapes, ceo is a lot less accessible on first listen - it takes a few to break through into the emotion of each track, but it's totally worth the effort.ceo - white magicdownload || buy

admiral radley - i heart california (2010)

2010-07-13T00:11:00.000-07:00

admiral radley is a band formed by jason Lytle and aaron burtch of grandaddy, and aaron espinoza and ariana murray from earlimart. i don't give a fuck about the other three losers but any time jason lytle releases new material i drop everything and listen to it over and over, forever. grandaddy was one of the best indie rock bands ever, and lytle's 2009 solo effort yours truly, the commuter was

white ring - <>¥¥¥<> (20??)

2010-07-12T20:01:00.000-07:00

some more goddamn witch house. guy/girl duo, probably right up there with oOoOO and salem as the best witch house has to offer. heavy dark trance synths with fat hip hop beetz and murmured/screamed ladyvox. you'll love it or hate it (and probably know by now which). "roses," "lxC999" and "suffocation" are the best ones.white ring - <>¥¥¥<>download edit: i think lxC999 is corrupt, here it is just

hyena - we see you (2010)

2010-07-11T21:45:00.000-07:00

hyena is a muted dance-rock duo from san diego. they create minimal electro soundscapes throughout their debut lp we see you, but none are as catchy or infectious as opener "anyone's guess." between the adorably 8bit chorus line or the murmured refrain "this could be our last chance to get up," hyena have quietly taken the stage. honestly, and this might be a fucking ludicrous comparison, but

brothertiger - vision tunnels (2010)

2010-07-11T18:06:00.000-07:00

brothertiger is the solo project of toledo's john jagos, who's self-professed to "aim to capture the 'carefree and woozy feelings of summer ease.'" there's no shortage of chillwave in the blogosphere today, but what sets brothertiger apart is the quality of his tracks. especially here, the 5-song vision tunnels ep manages to never hit a false note, and seems to only improve as it goes, closing

m.i.a. - /\/\/\Y/\ (bonus track version) (2010)

2010-07-06T22:51:00.000-07:00

sorry for not updating the past few days. it was fourth of july weekend! which, in the states, means you get drunk and blow things up.as a token of my goodwill, i offer you this - although i might have to win you back after. because, honestly, the two singles from m.i.a.'s latest have been shit. "xxxo" has one of the worst refrains i've ever heard (hint: it's m.i.a. saying the letters x-x-x-o

cinnamon chasers - sunset drive (2010)

2010-07-02T14:55:00.000-07:00

some of you may remember cinnamon chasers' 2009 album a million miles from home, which i posted earlier this year. well, he's back, this time with a 5-song ep that's every bit as good as the best tracks from his full-length. 2010 finds cinnamon chasers a little more laid back and atmospheric, but still grooving and dance-able. cinnamon chasers - sunset drive download || buy

tobacco - mystic thickness (2010)

2010-07-01T21:44:00.001-07:00

mystic thickness is the bonus cd-r that shipped out with select orders of tobacco's latest, the much-hyped maniac meat. it's nine more tracks of tobacco's signature drippy experimental psychedelics, and if yr as much of a tobacco fan as i am, it's just more icing on yr sundae. lap it up. it doesn't get much better than this.tobacco - mystic thickness download