Watter "History Of The Future (Temporary Residence)"
Watter, the instrumental post-rock trio featuring members of Saint and Grails, are back! When their debut album This World was released, no one was sure if this would be a one off or a full-fledged project. Well after turning the US with Om, they returned to the studio to record their follow-up, the unexpectedly gorgeous History Of The Future (Temporary Residence). Imagine if Pink Floyd’s last album, The Division Bell, had been good (and instrumental), and add like a 10% modern electronic music twist to it, and you are getting close to the sound of this soaring, majestic, triumphant album. Check out the first single from the album, the epic sounds of “Shadow Chase.”
And So I Watch You From Afar "The Endless Shimmering (Sargent House)"
Belfast post-rockers And So I Watch You From Afar are back! 2 years out from their last collection of instrumental rock mayhem, they have gifted the world with The Endless Shimmering (Sargent House). Recorded over 9 days while they were snowed in at Machines with Magnets in Rhode Island, the band emerged with a completed album just as the snow had begun to melt. Now that album, with a sound that is a combination of The Fucking Champs, Grails, and Yes, is here to melt your face, and your ears, and your stereo. Don’t worry, not in a real way–although don’t turn it up TOO loud, after all I did see Jimi Hendrix’s “Machine Gun” once turn a speakers tweeters into a black viscous goo when turned up too loud, and this is just as punishing as that… Anyway, let the heavy metal triumph of “A Slow Unfolding Of Wings” get you to where you need to go. Enjoy!
Bill MacKay & Ryley Walker "SpiderBeetleBee (Drag City)"
If you asked anyone who is interested in American primitive guitar who the leaders in that field are these days, their list wouldn’t get too far before both Bill MacKay and Riley Walker were named. Which is why it’s so exciting that both of these men have teamed up for SpiderBeetleBee (Drag City), their second record as a duo. Both of these performers are known for their excellent solo acoustic guitar recordings, and having them both working together here is a treat! So treat yourself to the autumnal sounds of “Lonesome Traveler.”
Circuit des Yeux "Reaching For Indigo (Drag City)"
I am willing to tell anyone who will listen how much of a fan of Circuit Des Yeux I am. Her beguiling mix of theatrics, art-pop, sophisticated arrangements, and here disarming baritone vocals… I just can’t get enough. Seriously, I’m willing to go on and on about how I think shes today’s Annie Lennox. Ok, so I might not be so much fun at parties. But I’m built for writing blurbs! Reaching For Indigo is her latest album, and her first on Drag City. This time around, her sound is even more fleshed out, yet somehow also more sparse than the last time around. How’d she do that? She’s a goddamn magician, that’s how. Don’t make me bore you with my love of her sound, just check out the psych-folk Van Dyke Park meets Nico shuffle of “Black Fly.”