i make music

Well, since this is my blog, I guess this is the most appropriate place for me to debut my music. I've been working hard clicking buttons on my Laptop creating music that is sort of a mixmash of all the sorts of things I connect with. So it sort of ended up being an instrumental, post-rock, shoe-gaze, post-apocalyptic, 80's synth, epic. I'm doing it under the name 'Subsist the Apocalypse', which is ridiculous in all the right ways.

I embedded a flash player for the song at the top of the right hand menu, so throw on some headphones, (really, it plays much better that way) give a listen, and if you want you can come back over to this post and let me know what you think. If you really like it, and want a copy for yourself, I put a download link underneath the flash player. Just copy and paste the link in the address bar and your good to go. I'll keep posting music as I create it, so stay tuned.

Fleeting Joys

I can't believe I missed this, but probably the best true shoegaze band out there today, Fleeting Joys, released a new album called 'Occult Radiance' on January 22nd. Let me put it to you this way: If you loved My Bloody Valentine then you will love Fleeting Joys. I was really into their last album 'Despondant Transponder', which came out almost 3 years ago, and this album is definitely a more than worthy follow up. Check out this new track entitled 'You are the darkness':

You Are The Darkness - Fleeting Joys

Asobi Seksu

Asobi Seksu has been sort of a group whose music takes me back. There's just something about it that is warm, comfortable and carefree like the summers of my youth. The strange thing is that I was never a My Bloody Valentine fan back in the day, as a matter of fact my musical taste was absolutely horrible. Probably the "coolest" bands I listened to were Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Bush and the like and I just listened to them because everyone else did. I was all too eager to escape the "Christian" music black hole of crappiness I was stuck in (for the record there are a few good "Christian" groups out there, they were just so good that I didn't like them if that makes any sense). So I guess there is something to be said about capturing the feeling of yesterday, during which that actual style of music was never physically present.
ANYWAYS, their new album 'Hush' is not entirely different from the band's second album (which was really the first album they had found their sound) called 'Citrus'. The shimmering fuzzy wall of sound is still present, although perhaps slightly more compressed this time around. The beautiful vocals that float over the layers upon layers of sugary dream pop are even sweeter than I remember. Sometimes it really can be a good thing to stay the same and here we have the perfect example.

Autolux Cont.

As most of you know I have been awaiting the new Autolux album entitled "Transit, Transit" like my younger self looked forward to playing duck hunt on a new Nintendo game system while trying to sleep on Christmas Eve. The latest news, as reported on their myspace page, is that they are working out the business end of the deal and that it will potentially come out soon after the new year. While this is probably meaningless and they'll still release the album whenever they want, I'll take any news as good news at this point. They have also put a new instrumental song up (not associated with "Transit, Transit"), you can listen here.

Wilderness

This Baltimore band has taken me probably longer then any other to process. When I first heard their debut a few years back I immediately connected with their post-rock influenced sort of experimental/art rock sound, but then the vocals came in. James Johnson's sort of howling talk/singing is not pretty, and I hated it at first, but it can be if you let it, quite moving. There is a raw emotional intensity that exudes out of this group that not many can imitate. Their new album entitled "(k)no(w)here" was created as a companion piece to visual artist Charles Long's installation at this year's Whitney Biennial. I don't know who that is or what that means really, but I plan to find out. The album aside from being one long progression, where each song flows into the next, is basically more of the same. But when you already have a sonic styling that is so uniquely yours, consistently stretching the boundaries of music, why change it? They are truly a band you can't really describe, you just have to listen:


***another blogger pointed me to this video of the Charles Long installation, would have been a great show***

Saxon Shore

"The Exquisite Death of Saxon Shore" was the title of the band's last post-rock opus, which definitely caught the attention of many sigur ros, mogwai lovers like myself. A little while back I was told by a friend to check out a new song that they had posted on their myspace page called "This Place". Apparently they are very close to releasing their new album which will be called "It Doesn't Matter" and if "This Place" is any indication its gonna be one to look out for. If for no other reason you should listen to "This Place" because it is first time Saxon Shore has added vocals to the mix, which are beautifully voiced by someone named Caroline (don't know her last name as of now). As far as I know this may be the only song on the album to include a singer, but I for one hope its not the last. Listen here

Frontier(s)

If you remember the band Elliot, then you remember the wonderfully complex 90's rock rhythms of their record "False Cathedrals", which for me is one of those timeless gems that I have listened to constantly, well after the band called it quits. The vocals, which are both harsh and hauntingly beautiful, were provided by Chris Higdon, the creative centerpiece for the group. Ever since they left the scene in the early 00's I've been secretly hoping they would resurface in one form or another, and I am excited to announce that Chris now has a new band called Frontier(s). The group is only in the beginning stages, but has some very nice demo tracks on the net. While the group seems to be more straight forward hard rock then Elliot, there are hints of the same genius, and that is more than enough for me. I couldn't find any music to embed, but here's their myspace.

Autolux

This is just a reminder that Autolux is awesome and that they still have a new album that is supposed to come out whenever they feel like releasing it (COME ON!!) In case anyone doesn't know buy now here is a stream their brand new song "Audience No 2", which they have up for free download on their website. Autolux, I just want to say that I am ready to add you to my top 10 favorite bands of all time, but I can't do that until you release at least two consecutively stellar albums. Usually, my minimum is 3 albums, but if you release Transit, Transit sooner rather than later and its at least as fantastic as Future Perfect was, I'm willing to make an exception.

Deerhunter

Deerhunter is my latest discovery in my love affair with shoegaze influenced rock. Actually I'm not sure if you can call it a discovery if I found out about them on pitchfork, but I'll allow myself to feel the sweet satisfaction of uncovering freshly squeezed semi-new music anyways. Deerhunter is a grower, their ambient rhythms sort sink beneath your consciousness and make you feel safe and warm, then they come in with a decidedly punk aesthetic that will wake you up and have your head bobbing and adrenaline pumping before you realize your cookie's are burning. Basically the more you listen, the more they control your brain and bodily functions. Each song on their new Microcastle/Weird Era Cont. double album opus has a decidedly different feel, while maintaining a cohesiveness that not many bands came claim. The lead singer and Deerhunter brainchild, Bradford Cox, spent much of his life indoors battling Marfan Syndrome, and it was during this time that he cultivated his love for music. He's quoted as saying that the two albums are meant to be experienced as FALL/WINTER pieces. Here's a new video of their song "Microcastle" (be patient it starts out with Bradford's beautifully dreamy vocals and then rocks out):


Deerhunter - Microcastle from Adam Bruneau on Vimeo.