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It’s been awhile since we’ve had a post in the realm of ambient music, so here’s a dusty one for you. This is the ‘98 debut album of Erik Kowalski (aka Casino Versus Japan). At 22 tracks (over an hour of total play time), the album is broken into four main movements, each one different from the one before it. Sometimes it leans more towards instrumental shoegaze, and at other times it’s full-blown ambiance in the key of Brian Eno. For fans of the genre, you need to listen to this album all the way through to fully appreciate it. And for those who are new to the genre, I can’t think of a more perfect introduction to ambient music. The album was re-released digitally this past January, and you can get your copy at Boomkat or Amazon. |
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. Artist: Casino Versus Japan Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. Song: Blue Vacation (Pt 1).mp3 |
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I just recently gave this album another listen just for old times sake, so I thought I’d share some of the lesser known tracks with you, my brethren and sistren in this great blogosphere of which we reside. The Like’s Are You Thinking What I’m Thinking? has a lot of nostalgia packed into it for me, I saw these lovely gals open for Kings of Leon a few years back before they became the biggest band in the world at the beloved Gypsy Tea Room in Dallas, TX (may it rest in peace). This was their first full-length album, and they’ve since replaced some of the members of the original group (pictured above) and have released some new material since then but I haven’t given any of it a fair listen. Interestingly enough, the founding mothers of The Like were all daughters of seasoned music industry veterans, so they were sort of a shoe in from the beginning. But I think it’s safe to say they were good enough to have made it without their father’s help, but I’ll let you decide. |
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. Artist: The Like Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. Song: Mrs. Actually.mp3 |
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So I am trying to get pumped to kick it off my weekend and I stumbled across the blog Sunset in Rear View. It is a pretty good site and I am grateful to them for reminding me of the joys of Ray LaMontagne. I was into his stuff during my early undergrad years as I was trying to romance freshmen girls in my dorm room, car, etc. This song put me in the kind of Van-Morrison-shot-of-whiskey mood. Enjoy! |
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. Artist: Ray LaMontagne |
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I was introduced to this song by my aunt when I was in high school, when I had a healthy obsession with the 60’s and 70’s British punk/mod/pop scene. The Creation, The Who, The Kinks etc. Every year I spend most of the holiday season ignoring the same old recycled Christmas music. Despite this single being from the tail end of The Kinks career, “Father Christmas” is one of the few Christmas songs I embrace. If/when Wes Anderson made a Christmas movie this would definitely be in the soundtrack. With its bratty lyrics, garage rock riffs, and dancey drums this single is really hard not to love. Merry Christmas Eve! |
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. Artist: The Kinks |
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The Adventures of Pete & Pete is a television show that brings back a lot of fond childhood memories for a good majority of the Newdust community. So I thought I’d pay a little tribute to the band that was responsible for the music behind all three seasons, the great Polaris. This is the only music that this band has ever produced, and after the show was over they had enough songs from the series to release their one and only CD, appropriately titled Music From The Adventures of Pete & Pete. The top left video is the opening credits to the show, the song titled “Hey Sandy“, and the top right video is a clip from the episode “Hard Day’s Pete”, the song titled “Summerbaby“. Oh what good times those were. The only thing missing from this jog down memory lane is some green slime. |
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. Artist: Polaris Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. Song: Saturnine.mp3 |
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The Starseeds made some noise in the late 90s in Europe & America, having been called “the hottest import since Massive Attack.” The Vancouver duo Regina Dannhof and Alex McGowan have created an incredibly deep & transcendental gem with their 1998 release Parallel Life. This album is great if you’re able to listen to it from start to finish; just close your eyes and you’ll find yourself zoned out, lost in the lush & mystical, dream-like soundscapes of Parallel Life. Regina’s voice softly resonates throughout the record behind Alex’s fantastic fuzzy rhythms & bass lines. I can’t get enough of this album. |
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. Artist: The Starseeds Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. Artist: The Starseeds |
