2013

Julia Holter – Loud City Song

Styles: Art Pop, Progressive Songwriter, Ambient Pop, Chamber-Jazz (Influenced)

Moods: Nocturnal, Surreal, Elegant, Ethereal, Observational, Flowing, Alienation, Cryptic, Disaffected, Lonely, Longing, Melancholy, Mysterious, Poetic, Romantic, Winter

Musical Qualities: Lush, Orchestral, Progressive, Vocal Harmonies, Lyrical, Dynamic, Complex, Studio-as-an-Instrument

Instrumentation: Keyboards, Piano, Upright Bass, Violin, Cello, Drums, Saxophone, Trombone, Percussion, Group Vocals

David Grubbs – The Plain Where the Palace Stood

Style: Avant-Rock, Experimental Songwriter

Moods: Cryptic, Knotty, Philosophical, Deconstructed, Angular, Enigmatic, Mysterious, Moody, Contemplative, Suspenseful, Surreal, Reflective

Musical Qualities: Dynamic, Complex, Progressive, Improvisation, Resonant

Eiko Ishibashi – Imitation of Life

Style: Chamber Pop, Prog-Pop, Jazz Pop, Singer-Songwriter

Vibe: Lush, Warm, Sunny, Sci-Fi, Playful, Philosophical, Surreal, Energetic, Imaginative

Musical Qualities: Progressive, Dense, Catchy, Complex, Melodic, Dense, Technical, Rhythmic

Instrumentation: Piano, Vibraphone, Drums, Flute, Rhodes, Electric & Acoustic Bass, Saxophone, Clarinet, Violin, Cello , Synthesizers, Steel Drum, French Horn

David Grubbs – Borough of Broken Umbrellas

Style: Solo Guitar Improvisations, American Primitive Guitar

Vibe: Pastoral, Peaceful, Contemplative, Soothing, Open

Musical Qualities: Sparse, Improvisation, Solo, Atmospheric

Holden – The Inheritors

Style: Progressive Electronic, IDM, Microhouse

Vibe: Ancient, Tribal, Ritualistic, Pagan, Brooding, Mythic, Cold, Visceral, Mechanical, Hypnotic, Driving, Epic, Focused, Mysterious, Mystical, Patient, Powerful, Suspenseful, Earthy

Musical Qualities: Repetitive, Distorted, Heavy, Rhythmic, Percussive, Loops, Dissonant, Dense, Instrumental, Pulse, Noisy, Progressive, Field Recordings, Sampling

Instrumentation: Bodhrán (Irish Frame Drum), Synthesizers, Drum Machine, Saxophone, Organ, Chanting, Melodeon (Pump Organ), Electric Guitar, Electric Bass, Xylophone, Live Electronics

The Kni?e – Shaking the Habitual

Style: Experimental Electronic, Post-Industrial

Vibe/Mood: Ominous, Disorienting, Mechanical, Brooding, Chaotic, Colorful, Anti-Capitalist, Feminist, Complex, Cryptic, Dance, Futuristic, Surreal, Messy

Musical Qualities: Manipulated Vocals, Dissonant, Polyrhythmic, Dense, Percussive, Polyphonic, Noisy, Repetitive

São Paulo Underground – Beija Flors Velho E Sujo

Style: Future Jazz, Abstract Groove, Psychedelic Fusion

Vibe: Adventure, Futuristic, Triumphant, Spacey, Psychedelic, Energetic, Bombastic, Complex

Musical Qualities: Collective Improvisation, Thematic, Progressive, Percussive, Uncommon Time Signatures


Personnel:
Mauricio Takara – Percussion, Cavaquinho, Electronics
Guilherme Granado – Keyboards, Synths, Sampler, Voice
Rob Mazurek – Cornet, Evolver, Ring Modulator, Analog Delay, Harmonium

Akron/Family – Sub Verses

Style: Neo-Psychedelia, Art Rock??Vibe: Restless, Eclectic, Energetic, Anthemic, Introspective, Spiritual??Musical Attributes: Riffs, Melodic, Dense, Percussive

Hiss Golden Messenger – Haw

Style: Country-Soul, Americana, Singer/Songwriter

Vibe: Passionate, Rootsy, Rural, Spiritual, Triumphant, Uplifting, Warm, Contemplative, Introspective

Atoms for Peace – Amok

Style: Glitch-Pop, IDM, Electronic Rock

Vibe: Moody, Groovy, Glitchy, Mechanical, Dance, Futuristic

Musical Attributes: Loops, Percussive, Polyrhythmic, Polished, Live Instrumentation, Digital Post-Production

Plankton Wat – Drifter’s Temple

Released in 2013 on Thrill Jockey Format: LP Style: Psych-Folk Vibe: Pastoral, Warm, Cosmic, Nature, Psychedelic Musical Attributes: Instrumental, Droney Instrumentation: Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Slide Guitar, Keys

Ensemble Pearl – Ensemble Pearl

Style: Drone-Rock, Dark Ambient. Experimental

Vibe: Suspenseful, Eerie, Atmospheric, Slow, Haunting, Dark, Psychedelic, Mysterious,

Musical Attributes:  Dissonant, Repetitive, Sparse, Instrumental, Noisy

Musicians: Stephen O’Malley (Sun O)))), Atsuo (Boris), William Herzog, Michio Kurihara

Yo La Tengo – Fade [Deluxe Edition]

Released in 2013 on Matador Records Format: LP + 7″ The bonus 7″ features covers of Todd Rundgren’s “I Saw the Light” and Times New Viking’s “Move to California”

The Flaming Lips – The Terror

Released in 2013 on Bella Union UK Pressing Format: LPx2, Bonus 7″, Holographic Cover Studio album takes up sides A, B, & C. Side D contains “We Don’t Control the Controlled (mashed-the-fuck-up-remix, Dan Deacon and the Electric Worms’ Insight Violence)” 7″ includes “Sun Blows Up Today” b/w “All You Need Is Love (featuring Alex and …

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Nils Frahm – Spaces

Originally released in 2013 on Erased Tapes 2015 VinylMePlease Pressing Format: LPx2

Oren Ambarchi – Live Knots

This hypnotic, noisy, and improvisatory live album from Australian experimenter, collaborator, and improviser Oren Ambarchi features two separate performances of his epic composition “Knots”. (Click for full review)

Esmerine – Dalmak

Whilst in Istanbul for an artist residency, the adventurous Canadian chamber rock group (featuring past members of Silver Mt. Zion and GY!BE) recorded with an ensemble of Turkish musicians, augmenting their core sound of cello, marimba, drums, and tenor banjo with the saz and several other instruments used in Turkish and Arabic folk music.

Dawn of MIDI – Dysnomia

An acoustic trio of piano, upright bass, and drums utilize creative extended techniques to play evolving minimalist compositions of mutating grooves, polyrhythms, and textures.

Bill Callahan – Dream River

Released in 2013 on Drag City Records Format: LP Overview In an interview around the release of Dream River, Bill Callahan said he wanted it to be “the last record you could listen to at the end of the day, before you go to bed, around midnight.” So for my first listen of the album I …

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Joshua Abrams & Natural Information Society – Magnetoception

Meditative jazz explorations of space, rhythm and textures inspired by Miles Davis’ ambient jazz pieces, Gnawa ceremonial music of North Africa, the spiritual jazz of Pharoah Sanders and Don Cherry, and the mutating minimalism of Steve Reich.

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Iron & Wine – Ghost on Ghost

Charming 70’s AM Pop vibes with elaborate string and horn arrangements and a jazzy rhythm section, including the legendary Brian Blade on drums. Great songwriting from Sam Beam, as usual.