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Just got this song in my inbox and had to share it. Tommy Davidson, aka Dream Cop, is a Virginia Tech college student who began recording hazy hypnotic tunes in his bedroom. Basement Tapes is his first digital single, set to release late this summer on Output Noise Records. Until then, here’s “Marooned.” |
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: Dream Cop |
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Here at Newdust we’re big fans of the ambient & downtempo genres. A while back we did a post on Hypermagic’s self-titled 3-track ep. With his latest, Tangerine Scene, Hypermagic has done it again with another well-crafted & polished 3-track ep of downtempo, shoegazy goodness. Here’s my favorite, “Window Rat Sundae.” |
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: Hypermagic |
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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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Here’s a pretty sweet video of a very ethereal and chill song by Brooklyn shoegazers Quiet Lights. The group has recently released a 3-track demo (that you can listen to and download for free from their bandcamp page), and they are working on a full length album that is set to release sometime this summer. If you’re in the NYC area, check them out at Pianos on May 28th. |
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Midnight Kids is a fantastic shoegaze band (don’t know? check out My Bloddy Valentine’s Loveless and that will get you started) out of DC. Their EP Basement Dreams is appropriately titled. When you listen to the record, images of smoke filled rooms and flashing neon lights come to mind – which is what I think they are going for here. Their music is ethereal enough to be interesting but does not cross the line into the cliche. The haunting vocals, spacey keyboards, and powerful guitars send you through a melodic time warp taking you back to when distortion and fuzz were king and the louder you played the better. Not to mention the ryhtym section of this band is doing all it can to keep this guy’s toe tapping. Plus they have a song in French… so rad. Enjoy! ATTN DC: Midnight Kids is playing at the Long Walks on the Beach metaPHYSICAL single release party on May 8th at PAPER SUN. I have a feeling they are really really loud… |
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: Midnight Kids |
| Here is the video for “Good Feelings” by Light Pollution out of Chicago. Great song with a killer vibe. They will be playing with Lightfoot at the Black Cat on Wednesday April 28th. Whole lotta light… Be there!
More from Light Pollution on newdust soon! |
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Hypermagic blends the ambience & shoegaze genres with lush downtempo melodies to deliver some pretty mesmerizing tunes. His music has been described as ‘a clandestine indulgence in pure melody, nostalgia, simplicity and drunken bliss.’ Well put. If you’ve got a decent pair of headphones, plug them in before listening. Crank it up and close your eyes. Download the album for free on bandcamp. |
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: Hypermagic 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: Jackie Dash.mp3 |
Photos by: Olivia Hermaratanatorn
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I just got into Letting Up Despite Great Faults just last week after I posted their new video for “Our Younger Noise.” I’ve been exclusively listening to their self-titled since then. The album is fantastic as I’ve said before… You gotta give it a listen if you haven’t already. Here’s a little Q & A I had last week with LUDGF’s singer/songwriter Michael Lee along with a couple of my favorite songs off the album:
“In Steps” 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. “The Colors Aren’t You Or Me” 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. |
| Newdust: One of the first things I noticed the first time I heard your self-titled was its distorted & fuzzy-reverbed goodness. I was instantly reminded of My Bloody Valentine…but you take that shoegaze-y sound and lighten it up; it’s much more poppy. Did MBV have any influence on your sound? Who are some other influences? |
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| LUDGF: MBV was a definite influence but, as you noticed, we have a lot of different influences too. I grew up listening to a lot of indiepop bands like Velocity Girl and Papas Fritas, but also listened to noisy guitar driven stuff like Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth. Then there was Brian Eno, The Orb, and Daft Punk using tons of inorganic sounds to create awesomeness. It’s really too many to name. New Order, The Smiths, Lush, Black Tambourine, Slowdive, Boards of Canada, DJ Shadow, Pinback, Labrador Records, Morr Music… We might be a little scatter brain trying to fit all sounds we love into 4 minute pop songs, but we enjoy doing it. | |
| ND: Your songs remind me of those rainy days when you’ve got absolutely no plans but to stay inside and enjoy the rainfall. How do you feel your sound has developed and aged since Letting Up’s 2006 Movement EP? | |
| LUDGF: It’s become more hopeful. Definitely brighter, but not still without your moments of doubt, haze, and melancholy. Technically we use more electric guitars which cuts through a lot differently than an acoustic would. We also added some female vocals to song which I think really adds an important texture we didn’t have before. | |
| ND: How was the recording process for this album? Was this a DIY release? | |
| LUDGF: A lot of it was recorded on the fly. If I came up with an idea, I’d record it and most of the time I used the first take for the final cut of the song. Most of the painstaking part was how much time it took to process things like running guitars and synths through different effects. And yes, this is a self-release. There are a lot of pitfalls and walls you inevitably run into when self-releasing, but it’s definitely a very personal and ultimately rewarding experience. | |
| ND: You guys just finished up @ SXSW. How was it? Was this Letting Up’s first? | |
| LUDGF: Yes, our first time and it was great. We definitely want to go back next year. First off, Austin is a fabulous city and everyone there was very open and friendly. It seemed like no one really had an agenda other than to just have a good time and hopefully hear some good music. It’s also hilarious to me seeing so many band vans on one street. Us bands are a dime a dozen people! | |
| ND: What’s next for you guys? Will you be hitting the road again or is there another album in the works? | |
| LUDGF: We are working on some new songs and will concentrate playing the west coast during our writing stages. We want the next release to be incredibly meticulous, but hopefully that won’t slow us down too much. We’ve been through a lot of crazy adventures since our last release and we have a lot of new sounds we want to explore as well. We’re always trying to move forward with our music and we’re very excited about what’s to come. | |
| ND: Give me two bands that Newdust readers have to check out. | |
| LUDGF: Only 2!? Surfer Blood is an obvious choice, but still alot of people haven’t heard. DO IT ALREADY. An older artist who you’ll probably never hear about is Color Filter from Japan. Their EP was on heavy rotation for me back in 1999. |
