Robust Worlds - Best Wishes | Track Feature

Robust Worlds is some mighty fine music to roll on into fall with. The man rambling and jamming his way through this pretty killer set of tunes is Chris Rose. De Stijl Records, who are releasing his debut album Emotional Planet, claims to have first seen him playing barefoot soI believe it is safe to say he probably isn't too stuck up. You may even want to hang out for a hour or so and unwind. Best Wishes may be one of the immediate of the album tracks from start to finish. I shines in its place on Emotional Planet.

"Best Wishes" isn't leaps and bounds any other tracks but is something of the greatest distillation of what Robust Worlds is does. It maintains a subtle blend of emotions that shine even though there is a significant blurriness to the proceedings. It is hard pressed to make a word out of what he's saying most of the time and that could possibly be the greatest flaw as it seems like the words are in place. Regardless that may be an irrelevant point that world at large is generally obscured mixture of he said she saids anyway. This is definitely one to spin a few times and spend some time with before hoping for another to see how Rose builds as a songwriter.

Robust Worlds track Best Wishes is available on the album Emotional Planet via De Stijl Records. Also be sure to check out his tourdates below

9/28 Denver, CO @ Rhinoceropolis w/ Paw Paw

9/29 Albuquerque, NM @ Moldspores w/ Alan George Ledergerber

10/2 Los Angeles, CA @ Human Resources

10/8 Portland, OR @ Howling House  

10/10 Seattle, WA @ Comet Tavern

10/11 Missoilas, MT @ Top Hat w/ Shahs

Volunteers Park - Tragic Pote | Track Feature

Stepping out on his own, Aviram Cohen (formerly of Silk Flowers and Soiled Mattress & The Springs), finds his own voice just fine. Volunteers Park acts as an extension of his former projects an eventual progression of the sound really developed with Silk Flowers hues of black comedy & an electronic music full of sequenced synths and drum machines whirling. The proceedings are now a bit more loose and dare I say intimate than any group can ever really pull off.

It seems like natural selection or progression has led to Volunteers Park. A statement that may seem funny when considering the almost entirely electronic nature of this music. But funny indeed as Cohen croons in "Tragic Pote" with all sincerity while speaking of some school-age trouble full of cavities and murdered bus drivers (which is way more endearing than how that may sound thanks to Cohen's particular singing voice). This is a short treat and hopefully there is more to come.

Volunteers Park's "Tragic Pote" is available now as via De Stijl.

Samara Lubelski - Wavelength | Track Feature

Samara Lubelski seems to do no wrong. Whether she's behind the board helping engineer and record some classic recordings by any number of fantastic "underground" groups such as Black Dice or Oneida to name just a couple or in the limelight with her own extensive body of work solo and with her previous group Hall of Fame there just always seems to be something there. The right blend of gentle, melodic folk and bits of all of psychedelic noise seep into everything she has a hand in.

"Wavelength", taken from Samara's upcoming album of the same name, stands out in her catalogue as one of the most upbeat fast tempo songs she has yet to release with any of her previous albums or projects. Yes the floral guitar passages remain but it's as if she's had a strong cup of coffee before setting out on this work. It suits her too, the instrumental track soars into the ethers of space and time before returning home bringing with it a small gift from the universe straight to your home speaker system.

Samara Lubelski's Wavelength will be available via De Stijl Records this July 24th.

Wet Hair - Camouflage | Video Feature

It's about that time of year for a new Wet Hair album and low and behold the gods have shown down upon us.  Spill Into Atmosphere sees the group on their 4th album and generally keeping at what they do best. The core duo of Shawn Reed and Ryan Garbes are joined by the addition of Justin Tye on bass. Tye manages to add just the right amount of melodic low end to keep things moving and embellish the simple keyboard hooks and krautrock chug of Garbes drums.

Lineup changes and the like aside drastic stylistic shifts is not what Wet Hair are about. Over the course of their multiple full length albums, cassettes, and splits the group have been subtlety shifting towards an increasingly more refined state of new ware pop goodness. They still use the same basic ingredients but somehow each album manages to retain something unique to each, little markers that identify their overall sound and how the newest can differ from the last.The video for "Camouflage" leaves the song title at arms length exploring the natural world of ocean and plant life in a neon overlay glow. Something that leaves the viewer in the right mode to soak in the tune.

Wet Hair's is available now via De Stijl Records.

David Kilgour - "You Forget" | Track Feature

As an integral member of a influential & acclaimed group it's hard to start a solo career & make a clear break from what people associate you with. Let alone if the larger group is continuing in a parallel trajectory aesthetically & chronologically. It is as if I cannot cannot separate the individual from their place in an established puzzle. In this sense David Kilgour's music can be understood as a continuation of his work with The Clean.

The lead track "You Forget" maintains the jangle guitar, simple yet striking upbeat melodies, & nearly solemn lyrics. Many key elements familiar with The Clean are missing though as Kilgour begins to establish & corner his own contributions to the group.  The sunshine pop melodies which now conjure nostalgic whiffs of a time passed. "Well you tell me some of your secrets / but can't land me something that solid / You tell stories of hurting / but never call me when you're flying" not exactly full of cheerful words. Yet it does not sting upon delivery as a near humiliating moment of self-pity as the emotions are let loose & possibly forgiven.

This is a good thing so you can go out & enjoy the beautiful warm weather, or in Kilgour's case as evidence in the video below which was made upon the original release of Here Come The Cars.




David Kilgour's Here Come The Cars will be available on LP May 22nd via De Stijl Records.

Poetry Out Loud Series | Album Feature

It would appear to me that resurrection has been something of a constant within the historical narrative of both the arts and the spiritual. A mixture of undiscovered gems & reinterpreted messages, or possibly the original intent and acceptance of such concepts only arise at later dates. One thing is for sure though and that is De Stijl's reintroduction of the Poety Out Loud series plays into each of these possibilities while while bringing to back to light some of the experimental art worlds most under recognized recordings.
"Ocean" possibly best represents the set and the intensely hypnotic performance. The strongly rhythmic vocal workout builds itself in a whirling drone of crashing voices. Each bringing with it their own sonic momentum which sways in the give and take that never really fully relieves the tension. Even at it's most forceful there are always moments of intimacy and perhaps personal fears. "You're too old byyyy the ocean."
Strange that even with something like a high profile feature in Rolling Stone Peter & Patricia B McGarry (Harleman), the two principle factors of the "magazine", have not been acknowledged with reissue status sooner. "Turn Me" in particular resonates with the particular moment far too well. Suddenly appearing as a precursor to a group such as Excepter whose futuristic poetry dance-rants reached marathon proportions. The thematic element of psycho-domesticity is another shared element between the two groups as evidence in lyrical & visual content.
Then again perhaps "no written words are going to prepare you for the experience of hearing" these recordings, as the series press release will have us believe. Maybe they are right for doing so, after all resurrection in both artistic and spiritual cases happen for a reason.
Poetry Out Loud is available digitally now via De Stijl Records.

Tashi Wada - "Duet"

Tashi Wada "Duet" by destijlrecs
Tashi Wada and his newest composition "Duet" exist at once as homage and a refinement of Minimalist music composition of the past. As the name implies this is indeed a duet between two violin's in their unison, and almost monumental, descent in pitch. At any moment giving way to slight drones of intonation and interacting harmonics, always returning and continuing with their downward trajectory.

Today contemporary indie and experimental musics have almost consumed the avant garde moves & form of minimalist composition. As electronic artists have come to commonly sight composers such as Terry Riley, La Monte Young, or Steve Reich as often as less academic and institutional musicians such as Kraftwerk, Cluster, or Brian Eno. I don't think very many people can say this isn't a great thing though, as the emergence of a younger and enthusiastic audience has taken on the task of rediscovering and reissuing some fantastic composers and musical works.

To make an exact reference point Tony Conrad's Fantastic Glissando matches similar aesthetic and conceptual moves. This may be an easy comparison due to both pieces utilizing the distinct sound of the violin, but beyond mere instrumentation each hold at their core slowly gliding pitch's and perceptional experiments. But unlike Conrad's abrasive pre-noise take Wada brings a more accessible and dare I say engaging take to such concepts.

Tashi Wada's "Duet" will be available via De Stijl records.

Circuit Des Yeux "3311" from Destijl Records.

Since about 2008 Haley Fohr has been steadily releasing a stream of albums under the moniker Circuit Des Yeux on such notable labels as Night People & De Stijl. Her embrace of downer neo-folk & youth, I believe she's 21 or 22, seems to lead minds to wander to the wider field of young gothic women cropping up as of late, the most notable person being Zola Jesus. But Fohr seems content on exploring a more acoustic edge of the spectrum thus far as demonstrated in the video above for "3311" from her upcoming album Portrait.

Portrait is her 3rd full length LP for De Stijl, something quite impressive for anyone let alone of Fohr's age. The press release informs us that it is "Seemingly inspired by something or someone that has pierced her young, little heart". creating an album that is as much about cathartic release as intimate sonic journey.

The trio Hertta Lussu Ässä have been at it for quite a while now together as a "super-group" of sorts of the Finnish underground. The group is composed of Jonna Karanka (aka Kuupuu), Merja Kokkonen (aka Islaja), & Laura Naukkarinen (aka Lau Nau) who each have followed their own musical pursuits. After traversing throughout the Finnish & EU avant-underground the trio have landed on De Stijl to release their upcoming S/T full length.

Hertta follow in the same vein as each members own projects sound or other contemporaries such as Kria Brekkan. It is a totally unhinged music that is primarily based upon acoustic instrumentation, though that is not to say it is folk music. Rather it should be found within the general consciousness of what's happening within the greater underground of the world.

Wet Hair have announced a new full-length to be released by Chicago's De Stijl records. In Vogue Spirit sees the duo expanding their sound, as well as their line up. Now, with bass player in tow, the trio really hones into a similar territory Suicide took during the 80's.

"Echo Lady", the LP's single, is a propulsive tune that shares resemblance to quite a few kraut rock groups. The song structure has been streamlined towards a more general pop sensibility, while the fidelity the same. While the video seems to be set in some psychedelic desert paradise. The album will be released May 6th and might even good beer drinking music come summer now that I think of it.

Wet Hair will be on tour you can check him at the dates below.

While above you'll find a fantastic video by Michael Yonkers for the track "Cold Dance." There is no part of this video I do not love. It mixes a serious cold wave track that I wouldn't be surprised to be done by more contemporary acts such as S.S.P.S or anything happening over at Weird records. I'd also like to point out that I probably look a lot like this dancing to this track myself. So does that mean I'm biased towards liking this then?

MARCH 2011

MONDAY the 28th- Ypsilanti MI- House Show 317 S. Grove St. w/ Winter Ruby, Full Frontal, Daytime Television

TUESDAY the 29th- Toronto ON- The Tranzac 292 Brunswick Ave. w/ Simon Frank + the Deeep DJ Set.

APRIL 2011

FRIDAY the 1st- Montreal Quebec- Partly Excavated exhibition with Seripop at ARPRIM 372 Sainte- Catherine O. #426 (art opening to musical performance)

SATURDAY the 2nd- North Hampton MA- Feeding Tube Records 90 King St. w/ Sore Eros and Blanche Blanche Blanche

SUNDAY the 3rd- Brooklyn NY- Monster Island Basement 128 River St. (Williamsburg) w/ Silk Flowers, Dog Leather (Sewn Leather + DJ Dog Dick), Drip House, Coconuts

WEDNESDAY the 6th- Cleveland OH- the Happy Dog 5801 Detroit Ave. w/ The Twerps, Puffy Areolas

THURSDAY the 7th- Chicago IL- Crown Tap Room 2821 N. Milwaukee Ave. w/ The Twerps, Tyler Jon Tyler

FRIDAY the 8th- Minneapolis MN- the Medusa w/ The Twerps, Food Pyramid

Hype Williams have been taking over the stereo over here at LSTN since their debut LP Find Out What Happens When People Stop Being Polite, And Start Gettin Reel (released by the consistently satisfying De Stijl). I hope that those unaware of the duo get a sense of the humor and post-modern wanderings that make up the sound taken here. Inga Copeland & Roy Blunt combine lo-fi sensibilities with a mixture of laid back grooves with a dash of nostalgia.

The two also have an equally fascinating video output that matches their recordings. These videos, besides making great creative strides with slow motion, are usually scored by Hype Williams themselves. Though some you'll find to be down right strange for no reason other than a possible critical look into pop culture. Then again by the looks of the video below I might need to take that back.

Stand out track The Throning, from the LP Find Out What Happens, may combine some of the catchiest moments of the band. There's more than a sweet hint of electro New Age smoothness provided here to hold you over until their next release.

hype williams - the throning by dennafrances