Asobi Seksu - Fluorescence (V0)

I haven't listened to this enough yet to make a poignant analysis, but from what I've heard it's much more similar to the earlier, probably more popular Citrus than its quieter, dreamier sister, Hush. It's nice to see that these guys have made this step backwards; with all of the positive reviews given to Beach House's early release last year, Asobi Seksu have still managed not to be caught up in the hype.

Download.

Mint Julep - Adorn (V0)

"So there's this girl singing"
Uh huh
"and dream pop and electro is going on in the background"
uh huh
"and you like it"
do I really
"yeah"
oh okay.
"and I think you want to have sex with me"
if you say so

Shine by Mint Julep.
Download.
Support the Helios side-project here.

SPC ECO - Silver Clouds EP (V0)

What do you think of female fronted shoegaze bands like Pinkshinyultrablast? Well, as we both know, you fucking love them. Yes you do. Totally. So for the Pinkshinyultrablast fan looking for a more Slowdive-esque approach to shoegaze this is for you, and since I'm already making the assumption that everyone goes to sleep every night listening to Happy Songs For Happy Zombies then I'm sure this EP is for every god damn one of you.

If you aren't in love with this song after the 2:40 mark passes then I might hate you, no I think I WILL hate you.

But lucky for you I'm very forgiving, and here's the download.

Twin Sister - Color Your Life (FLAC)

Even though I'm losing,
Doesn't make me a loser yet,
You still know me by name, Green,
I'll still be Lady Daydream.

Buy it here.

White Hinterland - Kairos (V0)

So you like mellow, relaxed pop-based music?
HELL YEAH YOU DO.

Do you like it when it has great vocal melodies provided by a very calm female vocalist?
HIGH FIVE IT BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU DO, G-SLICE!
Well rev up your lazy chair and get your bongs set to interstellar overdrive, because you're about to be taken into a very slow part of outer space.

You're about to be calmed the fuck down, bro.

Download it because you can not escape a black hole.

Blonde Redhead - Penny Sparkle (FLAC)

Penny Sparkle is the newest album by alternative rock band Blonde Redhead, released on September 14th of this year. They're continuing their shift into a much more electronic based sound that they started with their previous album 23, and it's been received well. It also seems to be a bit more downtempo feeling than their previous albums. They're trying out new things and it's certainly paying off. However, with that said, this album disappointed me a bit. It's a good album, but I was just expecting more. There are a couple quite good songs on here, that will get stuck in your head and you'll find yourself humming them later in the day. But then the rest of the songs I didn't enjoy much at all. They felt like unimpressive fillers to get to the next good song. They didn't stick with me like the others and I found myself getting a bit bored and wanting to change the CD I was listening to. Thankfully though I kept listening, and I found it worth it in the end.

So despite the couple dud songs that might discourage you and possibly bore you a bit, I'm recommending this album. There's more good here than bad, but if you're expecting another 23 you'll be a bit let down.

Highlights: Here Sometimes, Love or a Prison, Black Guitar

Download here.

Working For A Nuclear Free City - Jojo Burger Tempest (V0)

WFANFC’s JoJo Burger Tempest is like a more upbeat Dead Cities, Red Seas, & Lost Ghosts (by M83), and well... I wish there was more to say about the album but really that’s what it is. It contains all the “epicness” of that album, a similar instrumental focus as that album (only saying similar because this one actually makes use of vocals a LOT), and the major difference being that it’s happier. It’s not an “everyone drink up and be merry” kind of happy but it’s definitely a lot more optimistic than M83’s soundtrack to the beginning of the end. In fact, the first line of the M83’s album is a pretty good estimation of what this album is (quoted at the bottom, as the download link).

It's not like me to so bluntly pull out tracks, but I need to for this album.

One is the final track, with the same name as the album title. It’s 30 minutes long, and to explain what it is in words is best expressed in the following statement:

It’s an audio only interpretation of the movie Space Jam.

Other than that, Alphaville and Brown Owl are damn well the top tier choices of the album, Alphaville focusing on a more dream-pop setting than the rest of the album (and eerily similar to something out of The Radio Dept.'s Pet Grief), and Brown Owl which plans to bring optimism so bright that it could make you believe a movie like “You Again” might be worth seeing.

Sun is shining. Birds are singing. Flowers are growing. Clouds are looming and I am flying.

Sweet Trip - You Will Never Know Why (FLAC)

The difference between Sweet Trip's Velocity:Design:Comfort and You Will Never Know Why is reflected in the time between the two releases. Velocity:Design:Comfort, released in 2003, seems like a breakbeat mish-mash of weird noises and fuzz, with the occasional vocal interjection or chord change. You Will Never Know Why, released in 2009, is different entirely.

Sweet Trip's third release, and their first in 6 years, puts them strongly in the growing litany of artists combining shoegaze/dream pop and the new 8-bit/electronica trends from 2008 and 2009. Similar to artists like The Depreciation Guild and Maddest Kings Alive, Sweet Trip use dream pop vocals with the textural manipulations of shoegaze, while relying strongly on low-bit synthesizers and drum machines. The simplicity of the synthesizers heavily compliments the guitar lines and interplay between Sweet Trip's vocalists, Roby Burgos and Valerie Cooper, the latter of which could be compared to Régine Chassagne of Arcade Fire, or Bliss Blood of Pain Teens and The Angels of Light.

What's so attractive about You Will Never Know Why is how thoroughly it fleshes out Roby Burgos' imagination; a staggering array of different patches and melodies, arranged for maximum effect, often juxtaposed directly to the quirky cynicism of Sweet Trip's lyrics. "You will drift away / and I would mind / Here's to you," Valerie sings, against an increasingly swaying chorus of guitars and synthesizers. The beauty of each line and note is amplified by the way in which the two compliment each other, and the way in which the interplay between the male and female vocals is manipulated. The complexity of each of these interactions gives You Will Never Know Why an enormous density and replay value; almost a year after picking this album up, I'm still finding new things to like about it.

Get it in FLAC here.

The Envy Corps - Dwell (V2)

So many bands go through my hard drive, it seems. Anyone who's ever been serious about collecting music knows that sometimes we make investments in albums that we might not enjoy like we thought we would, or even worse, ones we wind up regretting. I have had my share of disappointments, as well. But bands like The Envy Corps and albums like Dwell make the up & down experience of discovering music worth it.

When I first got this album, I listened to it for days. Literally, it was the only thing I listened to. Sonically lush, catchy hooks and intelligent fantastic lyrics put this release at the top of my 2008 list. This isn't a review, it's a recommendation. This isn't an easy way to download free music, this is a way of introducing people to a band that deserves attention and support. This is independent music at its finest.

They also recently had a song featured in Entourage as well as a song in the movie Run Fatboy Run, so they are finally getting some well-deserved attention.

You can hear the first song on the album (as well as a few others) on youtube here and you can download the album here.

If you find you like it, you can buy the album here.

Wild Nothing - Gemini (320)

Earlier in 2010, I was becoming less aware of what my personal album of the year would be. Other albums had worn thin since I had heard them, and I needed something fresh on my plate. Being a big fan of the shoegaze and dream pop genres, I was excited to learn about the release of Gemini (albeit a little late). Gemini is an album that quietly speaks of being a teenager with a background of light, distorted guitar, catchy drum beats and friendly synths. This album is extremely consistent, with just enough variation between songs to not be repetitive. I find that there isn't a song on the album that I don't like; but it still lacks a little something. It could be the growing familiarity that comes with each consecutive listen.

Gemini is an album that you will like right away, but not necessarily an album that continues to draw your attention in different ways every time you give it another listen. Not to say that it isn't great, because it most definitely is.

Favorite tracks: Confirmation, The Witching Hour, Chinatown, Gemini

My rating: 8.6/10

Getcha self some here.