Category: Ambient

CHELSEA TERRACE - CHRISTMAS SKY (MIDNIGHT EDITION)

12/24/2015

I honestly don't know a thing about music (oh...you knew that already), but I do know what I like. And this sweet little instrumental from the Japanese brother and sister Indie Dream Pop/Toy Pop duo Chelsea Terrace is something I like. It's a more or less Ambient piece, partially inspired by the film The Polar Express and featuring strains of "Jingle Bells" and "Silent Night". And, if Google translate is to be trusted, it's part of an album the group is working on for next year--"The Electrical 7 Suite". And it's free via Soundcloud.

Now, as if that wasn't cool and Christmasy enough (or, for that matter, Japanese enough), Chelsea Terrace released a Christmas song last year, as well. "Goodbye Christmas" is a vocal tune that appeared on the group's "Telescope Future" CD (which is sold out, so don't bother looking for it). Some people are enchanted by the way French ladies sing (I get it; very sexy), but I love the sound of Christmas music sung by Japanese women. Don't know why, don't understand a word; it just strikes me as so delicate and beautiful. "Goodbye Christmas (Shooting Star Mix)" --with vocals and guitar by Mayumi, I believe--is also a free download from Chelsea Terrace on Soundcloud.

0 Comments

FEATHERFIN - WINTERSONGS

12/9/2015

0 Comments

Why is it we get so much great music from Scandinavia?

I do not know the answer to that question, but I get that, for a certain kind of sound, that's where you'll go to find the best of it. Specifically Indie Pop and Dream Pop.

Featherfin is from Norway. In addition to being a musician (whose experience ranges from Synth Pop to Industrial), and an artist (of the physical kind--paintings and the like), he's also been a blogger. He gave up blogging for a while because he would get so many emails from bands and musicians hoping to get a hearing, that he could never hope to answer them all, let alone review all their music. And that made him feel guilty and a little bit helpless. I hear you, dude. Featherfin returned to blogging when it dawned on him that being able to do even a little bit to promote a few artists was a greater contribution to the music than doing nothing.

Musically, Featherfin (real name Knut Lindbjør) is currently in an experimental phase where the music is as much art as is the...well, art. There are elements of Electronica, Psych Pop, Indie Folk, Ambient, Post Punk and Dream Pop in the songs Featherfin writes. One of his best, "If You Were Coming In The Fall", is actually an Emily Dickinson poem put to music. He's not strictly electronic; there are organic elements and instruments used as well, which is part of what makes Featherfin's music alive and unique.

"Wintersongs" features three tracks, two of which are instrumentals. And those are pleasant enough, but the vocal track--"When The Snow Was Whiter"--is the one that takes my breath away. And you should get the idea straight off. As we grow older, we look back on the days and years past with an idealized view, which was never the reality. I guess it's a bit of a survival mechanism. On the other hand, it's neither true nor healthy nor productive to strive to get back to an era in time that never existed in the way we like to remember it. Living through it as an adult, I never though anyone would be nostalgic for the eighties. But, today, people are. So when Featherfin sings that the snow used to be whiter, what he's actually saying is that we used to be so much more innocent when we were young. When we were young, all we could see was the whiteness of the snow. Now, no matter how hard we look, all we see is the soot. It's the same snow, basically; it's a matter of how our minds and hearts process the information.

The entire "Wintersongs" EP is available as a name-your-price download at Bandcamp. But, if you feel like tossing a coin in the pot, you could be entered into a drawing for a signed and numbered Giclee print of his original artwork for "Butterfly Girl". Just throwing that out there (details at Bandcamp).

I can at least prove that not ALL of the great music comes from Scandinavia. Eardrums Music (Featherfin's label) also counts the L.A. band Winter on their roster. It's not a Christmas song, but go listen to Winter's most recent single "All The Things You Do". You'll thank me later.

0 Comments

VARIOUS - A NOTROCK HOLIDAY COMPILATION, VOLUME 7

12/7/2015

1 Comment

1. Hides A Well - Decorations
2. Sally - Christmas Isn't Over
3. Young Legs - First Day
4. Borrasca - Snowed In
5. Please Exist - Bleed Christmas Dry
6. We Have Ghosts - I Wish it was Christmas Today
7. Zack Frank - Winter Weekend
8. Nicole Grogan - Christmas Present
9. Deja Gravy - Yule
10. Joe Egan - I'll Be Home For Christmas
11. straight creep. - All I Want For Christmas Is A New Cellphone
12. John Fisher & Molly Farrell - Black Christmas
13. Murph - Memory Lights
14. We Use To Love - 12-31-????
15. The McCarthyists - Merry Christmas, or Hanukkah, or Whatever You Like to Call It
16. Tabitha Booth (feat. Jesse Hardy) - Winter Blues
17. Joe Egan - Play Your Flute For Grandma
18. Ezra Lowry - True North
19. Awjita - Linus & Lucy
20. Eric K - It's Time To Go

NotRock is a New Jersey DIY label and this their SEVENTH holiday compilation. They just put out the call--to anyone, really, and artists submit their Christmas songs. Hey, its DIY; that's how its done. So you get a little bit of almost everything, here--from Indie Folk to Punk. Twenty songs is a bit much for me to digest this time of year (I don't even want to think about the other six volumes), and there's actually plenty, here, that doesn't work for my head. There are a bunch I really kinda like. And there are TWO tracks from this collection I am in love with.

One of my two faves is the one represented in video (it does kind of bug me that Bandcamp comp players will just keep going, not stopping after the one song you want to feature; there must be a way to fix that, but I haven't figured it out yet). Awjita proves nothing less than the genius of Vince Guaraldi, as his "Linus & Lucy" sounds absolutely brilliant in this Psych Jazz cover. In general terms, it reminds me of the great jamming bands of the late 60s (Greatful Dead were the kings of it, but everyone was doing the free form thing at the time). Awjita, here, does remind me of a specific band, but I can't put my finger on it. Anyway Free Form Psych Jazz is about as different as you're going to find anywhere. And I like different.

My other fave is Nicole Grogan's "Christmas Present", a Lo-Fi Indie tune with a cool melody, some great guitar work, wonderful lyrics, and miles and miles of attitude. And, from that, you might think I was describing some raucous Metal or something. But, no, the song's genius is in its laid back self assurance. It reminds me a lot of the early days of Indie on the Internets, when some very talented people were making beautiful sounds that, at the same time, were simple, low tech and Lo-Fi.

Some others (the ones I "really kinda like") are Sally's Indie Pop "Christmas Isn't Over", Borrasca's "Snowed In" (also Indie Pop), "All I Want For Christmas Is A New Cellphone" (Pop Punk from straight creep), the atmospheric Alt Rock/Pop Punk New Year's tune from We Used To Love ("12-31-????"), Tabitha Booth's "Winter Blues" (still working out how to categorize that one--sort of a Bluesy Dream Pop...or maybe Shoegaze...or maybe all of the above), the Indie Folk of Zach Frank's "Winter Weekend", and Joe Egan's Alt Jazz/Ambient Electronica "Play Your Flute For Grandma". So that's not bad. I liked half of it. You might find yourself drawn to some of the others. But the two that (IMO) make venturing to Bandcamp for the free download are the tracks from Awjita and Nicole Grogan.

There were hard copy CDs of "A NotRock Holiday Compilation, Volume 7", but they were for the artists and the release show. If any are left over, I'd assume they'll turn up at NotRock's online shop where it looks like they still have copies of the first three at stupid low prices ($3 for a 22 song CD? C'mon, that's like stealing). The download versions are all loaded at Bandcamp and "name-your-price".

1 Comment

ポム - NON-DENOMINATIONAL HOLIDAY SPECIAL

12/4/2015

0 Comments

If those letters/characters are Japanese, the translation is Pomme. And, frankly, that's no clearer to me. Pomme can be a lot of things. And the band isn't Japanese (they're American). Given the dog that seems to be their mascot, I'm going to guess those characters are a cute abbreviation for "pomeranian". Frankly, the latest round of freebies is making me feel very old and unhip. I hope you're all pleased with yourselves. Moving on....

Pomme (or Pom, Pomu)--whatever (you know, even Prince gave up that schtick)--combines a lot of different styles and sounds and the end result, I'm sorry to say, is magnificent. I love this stuff. And I hate myself for loving it. Who will I tell people to look for? Take some New Age, mix in some old school Soul, a dash of Disco for flavor, some Synth Pop for color, and season generously with Japanese Anime and you've got Pomme, or Pom, or Pomu. Whatever.

If there's a complaint, it's that these beautiful little soundscapes are all bonsai sized. It's music for people with short attention spans, I guess.

Damn, they make me feel so old.

Take a gorgeous riff like "Christmas Miracle". You want that song to go on for hours. But, no, it's just over 1 minute long. "Snowblind", which is basically a take-off on one riff of "Sleigh Ride", at least lasts 3 minutes (it's the longest track on the EP). And there's "Last Chance", which is almost certainly a take-off on 10cc's "I'm Not In Love". Somehow, it all sounds great, though. Damn them.

"Non-Denominational Holiday Special" is free (via Bandcamp). Not sure what to call the group ("I am not a glyph; I am a free man!"), but they do have a Facebook page.

0 Comments

THROUGH - HOW CAN I CELEBRATE WITHOUT YOU

12/4/2015

0 Comments

I know Ambient music isn't for everyone. And, me, I like it fine, but generally in small doses. But for people who really like this sort of thing, this is probably the sort of thing they really like.

I have no idea who Through are (is?), nor any way of reasonably finding out--not enough precise terms for the google and no links on the page. What we know is that Through is from Kentucky. What I like is the use of a line or phrase from a classic song used as its title. Some of the 18 tracks hew close to the original melodies while a few others go off on a bit of a tangent. All of that, I like. Still need my small doses and the tracks I dug most on a casual trip through were "A Thrill Of Hope, A Weary World", "To The Earth It Gave Great Light", and "I Have No Gift To Bring". And "Breathes A Life Of Gathering Gloom" has a nice 80s Synth-Pop feel to it.

All the tracks are short with only one, "Pierce Him Through", lasting as long as 5 minutes. That was my least favorite of the set, fwiw. Normally, I like nice long Vangelis type tracks of Ambient scattered amongst some Folk and Light Jazz when I'm in that kind of a mood, but the short tracks seem to work here.

As I say, Ambient isn't for everyone. And it may be the case that true aficionados of the genre wouldn't regard "How Can I Celebrate Without You" very highly. As someone who is marginally familiar with the genre and marginally fond of it, I liked it. And, in the end, that's what counts. Name your price at Bandcamp.

0 Comments

BETA RADIO - THE SONGS THE SEASON BRINGS, VOL. 4

11/27/2015

0 Comments

So here it is, the final installment of Beta Radio's seasonal quadrilogy. Thankfully, as in years past, this installment of "The Songs The Seasons Bring" is being offered up free (via Noisetrade). Even if you ordered up the CD and/or LP release of the full record (as I did), it's still nice to open this little present early and listen to it as a self-contained gifty. Knowing the series is ending, I can't help but listen with some sadness and that probably colors my thinking. Whether for that reason or another, this installment has the sound of finality to it. "I Heard The Bells" is typical of Beta Radio at their best--the arrangement, the harmonies, the acoustic harmony of the instruments. Still, it sounds like an ending, and a sad one at that. This year's original, "Orange Rind", is more upbeat and forward looking. And Volume 4 closes, appropriately, with "Silent Night".

Beta Radio's slices of Christmas pie don't last forever. I'd grab this one quick, if I were you. Fare thee well, Beta Radio. We at Stubbys are going to miss our annual get-togethers. I feel like we've grown-up together. And, now, here we are. Maybe its a new beginning for you guys; it's an ending for me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I have some dust or something in my eyes. Crying? No. There's no crying in Christmas music (Tom Hanks told me so).

0 Comments

PURPLE GHERKINS - THAT FEELING YOU GET WHEN YOU PICTURE SOME FROGS IN THE WINTER SUNLIGHT ON THE 7th DAY OF CHRISTMAS WHEN THE AIR IS ABOUT -2 DEGREES CELCIUS BUT NO COLDER

11/5/2015

1 Comment

I don't know how many times I've said it but I'll say it again. I have no idea why some of this stuff tickles my fancy. It just does.

2 guys from the UK (Dan Lyons & Reuben Harman-Mitchell) sitting around, just making weird stuff up (I'm guessing). It's Experimental, Avant Garde, and (they assure us) "not serious". And just in case you thought they were serious, they call themselves The Purple Gherkins.

You may be wondering why I'm saying all that given that the only thing absurd about the track above is the title. And, yes, it was the title that first attracted me. Well, "That Feeling You Get..." was one track on an entire Purple Gherkins album--the second of three they've released--ostensibly a Christmas album creatively titled "The Xmas Album" (released this past July, of course, because, hey, it's what you do). The album, itself, is largely absurd. One track is pretty much just airhorn accompanying Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody". And, other than sleigh bells on the front end of an opening track that is, otherwise, unlistenable noise, there's nothing especially Christmasy about the set. Indeed, the pair seem quite proud of an early review of "The Xmas Album", which begins "impressively less cohesive than the first album".

But, periodically, the duo slows down and just play some really pretty music--the sort of New Age/Ambient music that was much more common in the early days of Indie music on the Internets. So you can feel free to check out (and download) "The Xmas Album" in its entirety, but I'm just going to point you to this one, which, oddly enough, does sound like that feeling you get when you picture some frogs in the winter sunlight on the 7th day of Christmas when the air is about -2 degrees celcius but no colder. Or maybe its just me.......and them.

The name-your-price download of the album and the song are available via Bandcamp. "Slep (Sleighp)" isn't bad, either. That one's got a bit of a "New Chautauqua" vibe to it.

1 Comment

CHELSEA TERRACE - CHRISTMAS SKY (MIDNIGHT EDITION)

FEATHERFIN - WINTERSONGS

VARIOUS - A NOTROCK HOLIDAY COMPILATION, VOLUME 7

ポム - NON-DENOMINATIONAL HOLIDAY SPECIAL

THROUGH - HOW CAN I CELEBRATE WITHOUT YOU

BETA RADIO - THE SONGS THE SEASON BRINGS, VOL. 4

PURPLE GHERKINS - THAT FEELING YOU GET WHEN YOU PICTURE SOME FROGS IN THE WINTER SUNLIGHT ON THE 7th DAY OF CHRISTMAS WHEN THE AIR IS ABOUT -2 DEGREES CELCIUS BUT NO COLDER

The FREE List

Archives

Categories