Artist to Look Out For: yyu

ARTIST: yyu

ALBUM: n/a

YEAR: 2011

"yyu", pronounced letter by letter, or simply "y-u" is a minimalist and experimental music artist. I came across him yesterday on facebook and instantly fell in love with the track "you care". The slowed, subtly chopped vocals are beautiful and hollow, creating somewhat of a haunting yet mellow tune with the accompaniment of piano and the occasional hollow bodied guitar slap. yyu takes "sounds that people didn't know they make" and creates an ambience that paints images of childhood emotions and ghost stories. According to Ben, aka yyu, his music is meant to recreate a feeling of nostalgia or "goose bumps", and I'd say he's achieved that effect. He intertwines mysterious beauty with chilling uncertainty and fear of the unknown to create this enigmatic ambient music. He records all samples himself and I must admit there is quite a collection of sound in these four songs alone. This is one artist to definitely be on the look out for if you're a fan of artists like Run DMT, Happy Family, or Do While. Simple, haunting, beautiful.

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Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue

ARTIST: Bibio
ALBUM: Ambivalence Avenue
GENRE: Psychedelic-Folk/Hip-Hop/Electronic
YEAR: 2009

"Bibio? What a stupid name!" you might think to yourself. But don't let his fly-fishing based name fool you, his music is far from stupid. Ambivalence Avenue is a great mix of electronic production, including hallucination inducing psychedlic folk guitar chord progressions, soft reverberated chorused vocals and hard electronic beats to top it all off. If you're a fan of Flying Lotus, Aphex Twin, or really any abstract or ambient electronic music, definitely give this album a listen. I feel the variety of music is what makes this album. From the upbeat psyche-folk opening of the first track "Ambivalence Avenue" to the emphasized percussion and trippy melodies of the last track "Dwrcan", your ears will experience an orgasmic journey through worlds imagined by King Bibio, creator of all things trippy and awe-inspiring. One thing I enjoy about this album is that a lot of the tracks have a great "bounce" to them, and will surely make you bob your head. I've got to say, this is quite possibly one of my favorite albums in recent years, and I just cannot stop listening. It's been a while since a CD has taken complete control of my playlist. Stereo headset with awesome bass recommended for best listening experience.

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Track Listing

1. Ambivalence Avenue

2. Jealous of Roses

3. All The Flowers

4. Fire Ant

5. Haikuesque (When She Laughs)

6. Sugarette

7. Lovers' Carvings

8. Abrasion

9. S'Vive

10. The Palm of Your Wave

11. Cry! Baby!

12. Dwrcan

Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue

Brand New - Daisy

ARTIST: Brand New
ALBUM: Daisy
GENRE: Alternative Rock/Experimental
YEAR: 2009

It's been great fun watching Brand New change over the years; from Your Favorite Weapon's fast paced angsty pop-punk sound to Deja Entendu's expressive and illusive acoustic sound. Daisy is a suitable name for their new album, being that it shows that the band really has blossomed into something beautiful. This transformation is audible in the single "At the Bottom", which combines smooth, unwavering guitar riffs and harmonizing bass lines with rough vocals and simple, yet effective drums. Daisy explores many different genres and styles of music. Each track displays it's own certain unique style, and all tracks are perfectly distinguishable. If one were to pick up this album and listen to it without knowing it were a Brand New album, they'd find themselves thinking "Who on Earth is this?" with a smile across their face. Brand New has really done it this time. They've shed their old skin and gone for something completely new and improved. And let me tell you, it works.

Track Listing
01: Vices
02: Bed
03: At The Bottom
04: Gasoline
05: You Stole
06: Be Gone
07: Sink
08: Bought a Bride
09: Daisy
10: In a Jar
11: Noro

Brand New - At The Bottom

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Download N/A due to request

The Swell Season - Strict Joy

ARTIST: The Swell Season
ALBUM: Strict Joy
GENRE: Folk/Rock
YEAR: 2009

The Swell Season consists of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. You may remember these two from the 2007 movie "Once", or perhaps you heard mention of their names at the 2006 Academy Awards for their song "Falling Slowly". The duo is back together with a new album "Strict Joy" which covers a wide variety of emotions and styles.

Glen Hansard's vocals coupled with Marketa Irglova's create somewhat of an angelic duet. Though Glen may have a raspy voice, he somehow always manages to hit high notes and evoke so much emotion. Each song displays the fine song writing skills of both Glen and Marketa. The chords of each song are all beautifully chosen and create a cadence of wonder. Throw that in with various instruments, from violin, to piano, to some strange "drone" like instrument and you have The Swell Season. Each track on this album is better than the last and if there's one album you listen to from this blog this month, make it this one.

Track Listing
01: Low Rising
02: Feeling the Pull
03: In These Arms
04: The Rain
05: Fantasy Man
06: Paper Cup
07: High Horses
08: The Verb
09: I Have Loved You Wrong
10: Love That Conquers
11: Two Tongues
12: Back Broke

Low Rising by The Swell Season

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Suffocate for Fuck Sake - Blazing Fires and Helicopters on the Frontpage . . .

ARTIST: Suffocate for Fuck Sake
ALBUM: Blazing Fires and Helicopters on the Frontpage of the Newspaper! There's a war going on and I'm marching in heavy boots.
GENRE: Sludge/Post-Hardcore/Ambient
YEAR: 2006

Suffocate for Fuck Sake is a sludge/post-hardcore band from Sweden. The band takes from many different genres of music to create this album which tells the story of a young girl and her trip through a mental institution. With a style similar to bands such as Mogwai, Cult of Luna, and Godspeed You Black Emperor, Suffocate for Fuck Sake creates a landscape which transports you from reality to the harsh realization that is war and poverty. Heavily distorted bass lines rip through the streets while the guitars create an alarming ambient sound as if something looms overhead. The effects used on the instruments help to create one unique listening experience, and the raw vocals express anger and misunderstanding. A mood of depression, yet also hope is set in this album. Kick on the tunes, sit back, and let the instruments carry your imagination off to distant lands of destruction and imprisonment.

Track Listing
01: 『Blue lights and sunshine』
02: 『I got worried... I was so freaking scared of that window, you know?』
03: 『We are driving through darkness』
04: 『Twentysix and full of plans』
05: 『A Japanese flag』
06: 『I keep my eyes on the ground, afraid of meeting someone I know』
07: 『Empty』
08: 『They try to cheer me up by saying I did once live a functioning life』

I got worried... I was so freaking scared of that window, you know?

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Thao with the Get Down Stay Down

A band from VA! particularly the Richmond/ Williamsburg area If i read it right?

The Walkmen - You & Me

ARTIST: The Walkmen
ALBUM: You & Me
GENRE: Indie/Rock
YEAR: 2008

The Walkmen began in 2000 and have stayed strong for near a decade. Their debut album "Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me is Gone", released in 2002, was well received by critics. Now, with their 2008 release, "You & Me", we can sense a distinct direction and sound in their musical style. Each song on the album paints a picture of taking a walk down memory lane. With slow waltz like numbers with trippy guitars, minimal drums, and steady bass lines, The Walkmen emphasize their lyrics of loneliness and despair. In combination with guitar and bass, they also mix in keyboard, which makes songs such as "In The New Year".

The Walkmen seem to pay homage to the early rock-n-roll bands of the 50's. They sound similar to a band that would be found in a Tarantino film, which is never a bad thing. "You & Me" makes for good relaxation music; music to reminisce to. If you're into slow indie music, make sure you give this album a listen.

Track Listing
01: 『Donde Esta La Playa』
02: 『Flamingos』
03: 『On The Water』
04: 『In The New Year』
05: 『Seven Years of Holidays』
06: 『Postcards from Tiny Islands』
07: 『Red Moon』
08: 『Canadian Girl』
09: 『Four Provinces』
10: 『Long Time Ahead of Us』
11: 『The Blue Route』
12: 『New Country』
13: 『I Lost You』
14: 『If Only It Were True』

In The New Year

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*Files are M4A format