Listen: Matt Evans - "Cold Moon"

photo by Gregory Wikstrom

My introduction to percussionist Matt Evans happened essentially by chance after attending a show featuring Ben Seretan and Boio. I hadn't seen either project in quite some time and was thrilled to see what both were up to but Matt Evans' immersive soundscapes were easily my favorite part of a night filled with four incredibly engaging sets. Part of Evans appeal lies in his ability to shift through tools and sounds in a "everything but the kitchen sink" approach without losing anything resembling clarity of tone or ideas. Even watching him make the sounds, the precision and playfulness was entrancing, the effortless blend of organic, man-made sounds created in the moment and electronic sounds previously constructed, created an elevated moment of absolute wonder.

"Cold Moon", the first taste of Matt Evans forthcoming full length record of experimental percussion New Topographics, is a slice of temporal displacing ambience. Awash in a digital sea of sound, Evans creates a lush tapestry of seemingly miniscule little moments that almost immediately slip you into a moment of zen. It's surprisingly busy, Evans swapping out soft brush strokes for chimes and bells, all against a backdrop of a lulling electronic hum and subtle drip. It's oddly meditative despite the fact that Evans is constantly in motion.

Matt Evans' New Topographics is out April 17th on Whatever's Clever. You can pre-order the record on vinyl, cassette, and digital. 

Listen: Lake Mary & The Ranch Family Band - "Sun Dogs"

My introduction to Lake Mary, the Missouri based ambient folk project helmed by experimental guitarist Chaz Prymek happened, as all of my favorite discoveries tend to, by chance. I attended a house show to see proven favorites Ben Seretan and Cassandra Jenkins and was rewarded with the enchanting instrumental rambles of Prymek who was joined by Nevada Greene guitarist and Dismal Niche co-founder M. Crook as well as Ben Seretan on harmonium. The result was an absolutely spellbinding set of patiently plotted tracks that blurred the line between improvisatory ruminations and methodical compositions that kept the entire room in an awed hush. I was so won over by the set that when they mentioned they had another gig in town before heading back to Missouri, I immediately made plans to go and later, dug into the Lake Mary catalog. As a fan of long form compositions, Lake Mary's catalog was an embarrassment of riches full of solo works as well as incredibly fruitful collaborations recorded virtually all over the country which explains in some measure the expansive, windswept nature of some of Prymek's work.

"Sun Dogs", the title track from Lake Mary's forthcoming album out November 15th on, is an unofficial follow up to last year's River Ceremony and finds Prymek "getting the band back together" so to speak as Prymek enlists The Ranch Family Band again on this record with a few helpful additions (like Ben Seretan). While I associate Prymek's compositions as more of a slow burning amble, "Sun Dogs" is more brisk: a windows down drive instead of a exploratory stroll but the view is no less scenic, effortless conjuring images of sun drenched vistas and the wide open plain.

While "Sun Dogs" moves at swifter pace than most of Lake Mary's oevre, Prymek spins compositional gold out of repetitive themes, elevating them with virtuosic slide guitar, and employs dazzling builds that gives each instrument its time to shine and interact with its central themes. "Sun Dogs" is essentially through composed - shifting from one theme to the next without an attempt to double back. The bright frolick of Prymek's initial theme gives way to a looser, more spacious melodically suspended interlude with pulsating synths before shifting to a rollicking theme that expands on itself with graceful solos and a conversational interplay between its multitude of instruments.

Sun Dogs is out November 15th on Whited Sepulchre and Full Spectrum Records. Pre-order is available now. 

Listen: Glassine - "Day 1"

Despite having an assortment of mutual friends, my introduction to Baltimore based artist Glassine actually came through him reaching out to me (at the suggestion of our aforementioned mutual friends) several years back around the release of his record No Stairway released on Patient Sounds. On No Stairway, Danny Greenwald crafted an album composed solely of field recordings from Guitar Center. Through artful manipulation Greenwald created an absolutely stunning album of immersive ambient sound which formed an interesting counterpoint to the oddly coincidental collection of Guitar Center field recordings put forward by Noah Wall that same year.

On "Day 1", Greenwald processes recordings of this year's historic Women's March in Washington DC and the result is something of similar beauty. Much like No Stairway I was intrigued how Greenwald might be able to transform the cacophony of a March into the sort of soothing sound bath that is rapidly becoming his signature and Greenwald has found a way. Although perhaps the most important thing is how he let's much of the chanting be; the harshness of the dissent not processed out of existence. Or rather the harmony of peaceful organized protest being given an appropriate soundtrack. Greenwald's touch is subtle, featuring slightly elevated pinpricks of sounds to set everything into motion. "Day 1" is composed of a winding softness, avoiding expected abrasiveness in favor of a pleasant presentation in line with the nature of the protest. It's telling that the one crystal clear vocal you can hear is a participant describing the distance she's traveled to attend.



Glassine is offering all proceeds from the "Day 1" single as well as those from a CD featuring the raw field recordings he worked with to Planned Parenthood. And today only Bandcamp is donating all of their proceeds from Bandcamp purchases to the ACLU so there's not one but two great causes benefiting if you'd like to make Glassine's sound collage yours.

Pitstop: Wintercoats

I'll admit I have a tendency to take music suggestions with far more than just a grain of salt - an unprovoked suggestion is regarded with the most intense of suspicion. I prefer to discover great music at my own pace so when someone tries to lead me there out of the blue completely unwarranted, it tends to be a bit jarring and I quickly throw said suggestion into the farther reaches of my mind until I am ready to deal with the potential consequences. That's essentially why it's taken me over a year to warm up to Wintercoats. Awhile back Rafael over at Heart & Soul recommended Wintercoats most likely based on my love of all things orchestral pop and my response was all suspicious arched eyebrows instead of open ears. There might've also been some yelling.



Melbourne violinist James Wallace aka Wintercoats' reliance on ethereal electronic incorporating sounds isn't what you'd normally think of when you think of orchestral pop but there's no denying that in addition to the delicate care in which Wallace crafts his lush layers, there's definitely ear catching quality. Wintercoats' tracks aren't all gorgeous, ambient free falls, although they do tend to be the musical equivalent of elaborate ice sculptures. Tracks like "Blood Prints" and "Halogen Moon", combine their intricate construction with the necessary forward push of a good pop song.





Wintercoats songs contain multitudes within them. One part dazzling atmospheric instrumentals, others included beguiling sincere vocals, Wallace creates tunes that are chilly but not inhospitable, dreamy but with reality firmly in the periphery. In a world where a pop-oriented violinist will either be compared to Andrew Bird or Owen Pallett, it's nice to hear an artist who casually and rather inoffensively defies not only that instance of pigeonholing but also surpasses any hard genre classification.

Listen: Nils Frahm - "Says"

German pianist/producer Nils Frahm has made a career out of instrumental music of the genre-defying and intimate sort. Of that there is no question. But "Says", our first peek at Frahm's latest full length Spaces, seeks to take the introspective quality of Frahm's compositions and expand them ever outward - instead of quietly drawing in the listener, in a rare feat (for Frahm especially), it seeks to drag you into Frahm's headspace through a borderline aggressive act of percussive force.

On "Says", Frahm's use of minimalism results in perhaps the longest track in his entire catalog. A sprawling 8 minutes, it relies instead of on the artificial sound of a synth instead of Frahm's more natural piano to set its mood and for tonal coloring. His piano isn't gone, in fact it's still very much present but "Says" pairs the two very different textures into an ambient labyrinth of rising intensity.

The song's elasticity grants a newfound intimacy different than can be glimpses Frahm's shorter musical sketches. Because of the improvisatory nature of Frahm's performances, captured for Spaces, you're given a completely different perspective on Frahm's mental machinations. Listening to the track becomes like following a thought process, relying solely on communication of the nonverbal variety.

It's a stunning treat handled with excellent care from a talented well-rounded artist.



Nils Frahm's Spaces is out November 19th on Erased Tapes America.

Pitstop: Abandoned Lighthouse

My discovery of Abandoned Lighthouse, the solo project of the Antlers' touring bassist Tim Mislock, happened as all good discoveries tend to - at a show I was only dimly aware he was playing. You see, Abandoned Lighthouse was the announced support for Port St. Willow's recent NYC live show return at Knitting Factory and I made a point not to listen to the recently released debut record. Not doing so prepared me for a very different experience.

Despite the fact that Mislock more or less had a record to promote that night, his set that night consisted mostly of instrumental guitar loops he had been experimenting with rather than his songs featured on the album which was all well and good, the loops were entrancing, and played like slightly darker-tinged, obscured versions of the tuneful guitar rock making a comeback with acts like William Tyler and Delicate Steve. It was a rather endearing set that spurred me to buy the admittedly very different debut record that night.

Though still as loop-centric as Mislock's engaging live set, Static Stream adds a more vocal element. In this we get a remarkably less minimalistic musical experience. Sure, tracks like "A Place to Bury Friends" captivate with their slowly-unfurling. Static Stream is a folk-inspired set of ambient-leaning rock experiments.  It seems like a rather far-reaching blanket in theory that rather ends of cherry-picking what works so well in each and applying them in a rather hauntingly beautiful way. Mislock's talent for emotive mood pieces is the glue that keeps it all together - whether they're accompanied by his melancholy-soaked lyrics or just cast on their own into the stormy sea of Abandoned Lighthouse's instrumentals.

Abandoned Lighthouse may be different on record versus live but that's kind of the fun isn't it? The record is an absolute, though somber, gem while the live set allows brightness to permeate what could be an utterly depressing atmosphere. It's a veritable balance of ying and yang that I hope Mislock keeps up. It's always nice when going to a show is its own special experience and its own special reward.

You can listen to/buy Static Stream via the Abandoned Lighthouse Bandcamp.

Pitstop: High Highs

My introduction to High Highs happened almost a year ago as my first taste of Rawkblog's Mercury Music Digital Record Club. Since then the Brooklyn trio by way of Australia have put out their self titled four song EP via Small Plates Records and have been winning the hearts of plenty with their brand of immersive, quiet folk pop.

What sets High Highs apart from the myriad of other folk pop troubadours is perhaps their subtle pairing of acoustic with electronic elements to achieve dreamy soundscapes not unlike dreampop champions Beach House. Each song on the EP is stunningly arresting and artfully engaging to the point of near confusion: when the last song ends it's like being jerked out of a sound sleep of the most pleasant variety.





Despite the trio's pervasive sense of soft, melodic quiet however there is an awe-inspiring lushness. Full and rich, and delicately arranged as to keep it from ever becoming overwhelming. High Highs draw from an impressive sonic palette that manages to engross all the senses and engages more in four songs than some bands manage to do in years of music-making.



And as can be heard in High Highs latest single "Once Around the House", their musical competency is more than just a four song fluke. High Highs are here to stay with their dazzling brand of subtle, captivating folktronic pop and I for one couldn't be more pleased.



You can grab High Highs self-titled EP from Small Plates Records here.

Pitstop: Port St. Willow

With the amount of coverage they seem to be getting lately you might ask me why I'd even entertaining the notion of covering Brooklyn's Port St. Willow myself and the answer is pretty much obvious: They're that good. Live, recorded, any which way really. While I became aware of them sometime last year through their tour with The Antlers, it's taken me quite a lot of time to act on the namedrop (I wasn't actually at any of those shows) and it was worth it if only because Port St. Willow's most recent Spike Hill live show was one of the most glorious things.



Have you ever been to a concert where no one clapped? It wasn't because they weren't good but rather because you physically couldn't. Port St. Willow enshrouded you in a tapestry of layered sounds and a rush of raw emotion so much so that the only available option was to stare in awe. It was about three or four songs into their set at We Listen For You's Northside Fest showcase when the band took a small break from their spellbinding when the first bout of raucous applause happened.

Port St. Willow is the project of Nick Principe and on this particular night he was joined by Hip Hatchet's drummer Jake Nussbaum and the results were simply too beautiful for words. The technical precision of Nussbaum's percussion with Principe's stratospheric vocals and immersive textural landscape weaving inspired a scene of total and complete emotional devastation. Brought me to actual tears song after song. Which is exactly what Principle is going for - music that shakes you down to your very foundations and awaken  an emotional wellspring. A feat Port St. Willow achieves not by attempting to force it out but by gently coaxing them out in his subtle mastery of your heartstrings.

Port St. Willow's latest album Holiday is out now, you can hear it as well as buy it (which you totally should) on Bandcamp as well as from other digital retailers.

Pitstop: Conveyor

Brooklyn quartet Conveyor is probably one of the only instances of meeting a band before having a chance to listen to their music I've had. Two of it's members happened to be outside during We Listen For You's CMJ Day Party and through appealing to my love of all things ARMS pretty much convinced me to check out their music when I got home.

There's isn't a whole lot available from the budding quartet and yet in just four short songs on their Sun Ray EP, I fell a little in love. Beginning with the hazy, melody-driven "Foreword", each song on Sun Ray invokes a different feeling or emotion. "Sun Ray" with it's bright, playful bounce is a delightfully pleasant pastoral ode to the wonders of nature. "Yes, Some Things Are So Heavy" proves the beneficial nature of imbuing your music with emotional cues - the repetitive lyrics brought to life by the swirling vocal harmonies and driving drums.

As is the case with the majority of my favorite music, what Conveyor do is kind of hard to explain in terms of genre. Occasionally noisy but extensively dreamy, Conveyor's music is defined in part by what's going on at that very moment like the electronic blips that form part of the framework of "Milkman". All in all, a distinctly infectious venture. Here's hoping we get to experience more of Conveyor.

Hear Conveyor's Sun Ray EP on Bandcamp: