Another gem from Austin TX! The once solo efforts of Martin Crane has bloomed into a 3-piece live act, with Crane’s lyrically creative, acoustical & piano-driven songs flourishing in Brazos‘ first LP Phosphorescent Blues. The LP’s ruby is definitely “The Observer,” Crane’s musical vision of mid-century poet Adrienne Rich’s The Observer. This album evokes a strong feeling of bittersweet nostalgia for me, personally.
It’s been awhile since we’ve mellowed out at Newdust and posted a nice ambient tune. Although technically this song is half ambient, half electro-acoustic, which is probably why I like it so much. Rough Fields is the project name of UK composer James Birchall, which is the perfect culmination of all of his previous work: folk, classical, rock, minimalism, electronica, electro-acoustic and experimental composition. All rolled into one sweet, sweet package.
And what’s great about the single “Manila” is that it’s made up entirely of rescued instruments and found sounds (such as a rebuilt mandolin or the recorded sound of a mic in a large cardboard box as the kick drum for example). Nice.
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High Highs are a new duo freshly arrived in Brooklyn from Australia with a beautiful first single: “Open Season;” soft acoustic guitar & sweet, simple melodies. This is all there is to hear so far from the two, that and a great somber acoustic cover of Wild Nothing’s “Live In Dreams.” Can’t wait to hear more from these guys!
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Singer songwriters are making a comeback: Zach Hurd has just crawled out of the woodwork to save us from the ever-expanding repetitiveness of those all-too-familiar chillwavers out there. It’s always refreshing to hear an album with organic instruments, and Hurd’s Changing Landscapes is an acoustical paradise filled with warm, soft drumbeats, subtle basslines, and Jack Johnson-esque melodies. Here’s a video for my favorite from the album, “Strange,” along with “Distant Sea.”
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I did a post on Sea of Bees just over a year ago on her Bee Eee Pee and she has resurfaced again with some live videos courtesy of Dirty Laundry to support their latest album Songs For The Raven. I am always completely captivated by Julie Ann Bee’s voice and songwriting capabilities, and I would even go as far as saying that she is one of the better singer/songwriters of the last decade. There I said it, it’s out there. Mad props to Dirty Laundry for capturing this live session, and you can check out the video for “Wizbot” here.
It’s pretty hard not to like Secret Cities‘ Pink Graffiti. And it’s also pretty hard to put a genre label on it (acoustic-electro-folk-dream-pop?). It is certainly experimental and psychedelic, taking almost every sound imaginable and blending it into one super genre. The album is said to be about Brian Wilson and young people. Or to be more exact, “It’s about Brian Wilson and his work as a prism through which we view youthful things.” Definitely an interesting platform to jump from, and I think they did a tremendous job. You can’t go wrong with Brian Wilson is what this basically boils down to.
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Pete Hobbs, the other half of the indie-pop duo The Boy Least Likely To, is working on his own in a side project called Diving At Dawn. “A Lot Like Love” is his first song — a soft, genuine, and heartfelt acoustic tune with chiming pianos and finger picked nylon guitars, set to a tape delayed backbeat of floor toms and side sticks. This being his first effort going solo, I’m looking forward to seeing what else he’s got in store for us.
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