Aurgasm

post-rock // cinematic ambient

The cinematic aural experience that post-rock can create is really quite unique to the genre. Arms and Sleepers have previously toured with Aurgasm favorite, The American Dollar, but they were spotted back when I went to an event called Split/Signal. There, bands performed live, providing score to silent short films. Unquestionably, Arms and Sleepers’ performance was the most stunning. The songs below come from their older work; vocals fans may enjoy their newest release, Matador.

Equally divine in both fore and background listening.
Arms And Sleepers – The Motorist
Arms And Sleepers – Runner Misplaced
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americana // soul

When handed Gavin Glass‘s Holy Shakers album and told it’s more rock than what he’s playing with Lisa Hannigan‘s ensemble, never did I expect to be astonished and excited by genuine Southern rock sounds. Born and bred in Ireland, Gavin left school at eighteen to pursue various paths of music; eventually being impassioned by a documentary about Canada’s The Band. From there, his sound took on a timeless nostalgia of folk, country, blues and rock, with sparse moments of gospel and jazz. He sings like the heart of a soul that rarely gets to speak; a longing for years of wonder to embrace the hopes and dreams of childhood through ragged stages of growing up, discovering, and becoming whoever you are.

Earnest Southern rock from Dublin.
Gavin Glass – The Juxebox Rag
Gavin Glass – Ragdoll (with Cathy Davey)
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post-rock // cinematic ambient

Please click play. Then click full screen. Big headphones are recommended, as well. “Anything You Synthesize” comes with a heavyweight cerebral punch, but it’s delivered a on silken aural ether. The American Dollar, a Queens, NY duo, construct experimental ambient sonic explorations with a healthy rock influence. This video, created by the Onesize design studio, turns a cinematic song into an enveloping sensory experience. (thx, zimsical)

Mighty sonic expertise meet visual cameracraft.
The American Dollar – Anything You Synthesize
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post-rock // instrumental

While post-rock fans have been enjoying El Ten Eleven‘s textured, atmospheric instrumentals since their 2004 self-titled debut album, it wasn’t until I saw Helvetica, which heavily features tracks from 2007’s Every Direction is North, that I discovered this creative duo. The music meanders and crescendos, calms and invigorates, adding layer after layer to an emotional journey. You can’t help but want to go along for the ride.

Double neck bass guitar, electric drums, and effects pedaling delight.
El Ten Eleven – My Only Swerving (stream only)
El Ten Eleven – Living on Credit Blues
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california glam-pop // breezy electro-rock

The keytar is our first tip-off. The way its plaintive, dull-yet-sunny sound meshes with Juliette Commagere’s vocals, the electronic overlays, the rich bounce of bass, is a recipe for some very catchy pop. It’s a new-new-wave sound, shiny and nostalgic; it siphons something of Blondie and Berlin, of Latin pop and Irish ditties, and swirls the whole thing into a dance party. Hailing from Silverlake CA, Hello Stranger, formerly Vagenius, are effortlessly attuned to and enamored of LA’s decadent, chintzy, eclectic culture of Hip. Their lyrics admit as much with nonchalant honesty – that is, when they are not being all tongue-in-cheek.

Feels like you’ve been humming these melodies forever
Hello Stranger – Her In These Lights
Hello Stranger- Es Tu Vida

Post contributed by Natalia
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folk pop // vocal rock

Cerys, an intrepid Welsh musician has a lot in her favor: a quirky name, a past bout with fame as lead in the 90’s Welsh pop group Catatonia, and a cute renown-to-rehab-to-folk backstory. And the music? To be honest, I wasn’t really touched by her album, with the striking exception of the song below. Though it feels like it just jumped out of Pro-Tools, Cerys used a good amount of odd instrumentation and clever polyrhythms to complement your more traditional guitar and drums.

Listen, hold tight till 0:59, and release.
Cerys Matthews – Streets Of New York
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alt-folk // country space rock

The time of 60’s folk-revival shamanism may be long past, but its embodying awe of life in untapped American places carries on in the wise, mellow songs of The Court & Spark. The titular homage to Joni Mitchell speaks for itself, bringing to mind mature melodic landscapes lush with histories both cloaked and unraveled. Among the eclectic collection populating Absolutely Kosher Records, this band is by far the most creative; their mix-and-match combo of gently accented vocals, bells, tape noises, horns, slide guitar, and everything inbetween sure sounds great on balmy summer evenings.

Vocals like buttermilk biscuits.
The Court and Spark – Suffolk Down Upon the Night
The Court and Spark – Your Mother Was the Lightning

Post contributed by Natalia
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acoustic art rock // post-rock

Samples of the videotape from the leader of the famed Heaven’s Gate cult is not something you’d expect to hear in a rock song. But this song (with the extraordinarily long song title) strikes you as something entirely new but yet simultaneously recognizable. The lead melody, introduced by the deliberate guitar work and continued by vocalist Steven Wilson, feels timeless in its familiarity. This track knows time and treats it masterfully–strolling patiently but then hop-scotching around your ears with a dynamic arrangement. Now, I rarely repeat songs immediately, but here it’s a neccesity. [Thx to Jason]
Taking as long as it needs to transfix your ears.

Porcupine Tree – Last Chance To Evacuate Planet Earth Before It Is Recycled
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swedish glam-rock

During last year’s South By Southwest festival, hipsters heading down 6th Street on their way to the Bloc Party show were stopped when passing by a closet of a club called The Drink. Inside the giant sidewalk window, leadman Ola Salo was jumping from amp to ceiling light to drum set, while his band was pumping out firey glam rock action. Now, typically music with electric guitars and drums doesn’t strike my fancy, but The Ark definitely forces the volume knob up. ‘Rock City Wankers’ perfectly showcases their ability to instantly spawn a party with their vibrant attitude.
Dynamic rock that makes it impossible to stand still.

The Ark – Rock City Wankers
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british indie rock

This Sheffield four-man rock group has a large devoted following in Britain and their sound is slowly encroaching on the American music elite. Nearly all the tastemakers in this Guardian piece and KCRW’s illuminatae Nic Harcourt are feeling their sound. The Arctic Monkey’s music is likened to the Libertines and The Jam, and the boys themselves enjoy Roots Manuva and Pharaoh Monch. But don’t be mistaken, their music is straight-up rock and many expect them to be the Next Big Thing. You decide.
Shithot indie rock, witty lyrics and a dash of modesty.

Arctic Monkeys – A Certain Romance
Arctic Monkeys – Fake Tales Of San Francisco
Arctic Monkeys – I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor (14mb video)
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