Wednesday Wind-down

I had the priveledge of seeing both of these musicians perform at Groundswell Gallery on Sunday - both are exceptional ambient musicians based in Colorado:

Above is his free album from a couple years ago - but you can find more recent work of his here bandcamp and here:

Beatiful soaring soundscapes with vocal overlays - brings to mind Julianna Barwick and Grouper a little.

Wednesday Wind-down

Nice shoegazed-out guitar instrumentals with a bit of a Twin Peaks vibe



Ambient soundscapes from Boulder's Radere - performing at Groundswell Gallery this Sunday with several other notable sound/video artists.

Wednesday Wind-down

Great, somewhat eerie soundtrack-style instrumental tracks - the description given says, "An exercise in epic introspection."



 I'll follow that up with the very pleasant neo-classical official soundtrack to the norwegian documentary "Nordfor Solen".

Remember - you can stream most bandamp releases in their entirety -so give these a listen and enjoy your Wednesday wind-down.

Wednesday Wind-down

From the artist; "Sun Showers is equal parts relaxation & reflection - the sounds of a warm day spent on the porch, washed in a light rain. For this release, Matthew collected a handful of field recordings - a large wind chime found at the local gardening store, some bird songs from his front yard, and a brief rain shower that eased in one afternoon - and then processed each one to create new, unique texture. Acoustic guitar, keys, and a subtle jazz drum sample were also used to compose the Sun Shower soundscape"



For something a little less open - and a bit more composed, check out Emmalee Crane's "Formantine" album. Whereas the Barlow album above is quiet and private, "Formantine" is big and open. Crane uses a mix of horns and electronic textures to layer up a very rich, complex sound. 

Wednesay Wind-down

Mellow sampled music.



A nice lo-fi 50s throwback -something you might expect to hear in a David Lynch film.

Wednesday Wind-down

I've lost a lot of interest in "post-rock" over the years (the crescendo formula was getting as predicable as a "drop" in dubstep) - but this is a really nice exception. I listened to this album all the way through a couple of times yesterday and I recommend it for those of you who enjoy post-rock and even modern classical compositions. It is a lot more dynamic and complex than most build-up/break-down post-rock.



I would also like to suggest streaming and/or purchasing Hiatus Kaiyote's "Tawk Tomahawk" - an unusual neo-soul/jazzy album that is hard to describe. Watch this video and I think you'll be sold:

Wednesday Wind-down

This video perfectly accompanies this beautiful hazy composition by Finland's Olli Aarni. The full album is only available on mail-order cassette but you can enjoy this track over and over again via soundcloud:

for something more upbeat - this awesome yodelling mix is infectious (and a free download here):

Wednesday Wind-down

A beautiful short song, "Ubi Caritas" - by Taize, which translates to "Where charity and love are, God is there."



Malika Ayane, "Il Tempo Non Inganna" - while watching a lot of European MTV in our hotel in Rome we saw this video numerous times - and it is so pleasant and refreshing. Even if I can't understand the language- the melody is so catchy!



and lastly, this awesome cover of Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain" by the Liars  -easily the best cover on the whole tribute album

Wednesday Wind-down

Trapmospheric from nateabels on 8tracks Radio.

An atmospheric mix of "trap"/remix, and sampled r&b tunes with a touch of chillwave - music Enya might listen to if she was into Lil Wayne. Lots of tunes by Purity Ring. Enjoy!

Wednesday Wind-down

Mellow shoe-gaze influenced rock - for fans of Atlas Sound and some of the quieter sides of Lower Dens and Real Estate.



Finnish musician Olli Aarni's new album of "decayed pop tunes" (Avant Archive). Strange and familiar at the same time. While less song-based and more instrumental - his last album on this label was exceptional. Recommended.

Wednesday Wind-down

A very patient, calm, hazy composition made up of tape loops by M.Mucci. As the reviewer at scrapyard forecast writes, "The work washes bleary melodies and lush textures over the listener, while ebbing, flowing, and changing almost without notice over an hour." 



The Volume Settings Folder takes the listener on a journey with Ivan Hoe and Other Tales. 



and for something a bit more conventional - here's a new Bobby Womack song - old soul with a modern spin.

Wednesday Wind-Down

Winding down seems especially relevant post-election. These picks are all over the board - starting with Tollund Men who do very grainy noise rock - from Denver.



Yume uses a great sample from Cassie's "Me&U" for this chilled out single (free download)




and lastly - Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" re-composed by Max Richter

Wednesday Wind-down

This week's quiet selections are;



Very patient, spacious ambient by Lumbers and the soon to be released new album by Fort Collins based M. Sage - you can stream it in its entirety here:

Wednesday Wind-Down

This week's musical recommendations are:

The Perry Weissman 3, "3"


I attended their new cd release show on Friday and had a blast. This track is from their new album - made up of mostly horns, guitars, and a great bounce.

And Faws: "Blue Notes" EP (free download)


A blend of jazzy-samples like "My Funny Valentine" and electronic beats.

Wednesday Wind-down:

This will be a new feature on "minutiae" - the "Wednesday Wind-down" featuring quiet music recommendations. These are typically musical selections that I listen to while reading, grading papers, or - as the title suggest - just winding down. This week I recommend:



"Essential Oil" by "Journey of the Mind" - a beautifully looped composition from the school of Basinski

and the other recommendation for the week is:



One of my favorite ambient albums this year - by Biosphere called, "L'incoronazione di Poppea" (The Coronation of Poppea) - named after an Italian baroque opera first performed in Venice during the 1642–43 carnival season. This album blends classical music with spare, echoed effects and distortions and is a beautiful listen all the way through.