Saxon Shore- Luck Will Not Save us From a Jackpot of Nothing

music for thinking and dreaming. being.
think prog rock but more ambient.
do it justice.
Appreciate space (While you still have it)
Stay Good!

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McLusky- McLusky Do Dallas

Well first off, he used his artist name in the album title and implied that he, in some weird time dimension, fucked Dallas; so you must already know that this album is candid. I used to laugh when looking back at this strange man and his music, but I recently re-picked this up and re-listened and its fantastic. Great old time 90's angst in the year 2000. Grungy as grime. Great guitar. Listen for good melodies and one angry voice. 80's punk melodies, muted shouting voices, why did the 80's ever end? Cobain.


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Dexture

All relevant to your life: 5min clip about Dexture (like texture), he likes to fix things, something gets fixed, there's a death in the family and, well that's about it really its pretty short. Great cameo performance/music by Jake Dietz. Many layers,illusions, and modern art.

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Neon Indian- Psychic Chasms

This kid (Alan Palomo) was born in Mexico and grew up very close to me in Denton, Texas. He produced this album out of Austin, and over the past few weeks it has been getting mad hype from various reviewers (maybe a little too much so). Nonetheless it is a great album and I've been really digging it the past two weeks, it sounds a lot like Nite Jewel synths, and the lyrics are (somewhat) comprehensible and pretty dope at times. Check it out and give it a passive listen, hope you enjoy.

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Memory Tapes- Seek Magic, Treeship

Seek Magic has some really great melodies, nice listening tunes. Great for chilling hard and skateboard cruises. Party vibes through some songs, but also great zome parts. Ages well. Songs flow together so well that it's hard to differentiate them, repeated listening makes it better.

Treeship is a great one-songer that's 28 min long, terrific ambiance, much more vast, slow soundscapes.Good for the right occasions. sleep and contemplation being two of them.

Memory Tapes- Seek Magic

Meomory Tapes- Treeship

Beansprouts- Songs to Accompany The New Testament

This album consists of interweaving loops of the famed African Juju music, if you've never heard of it, well I don't blame you, but you NEED to check this out its a great introduction to the vastness of non-American world hits. Easily the happiest sounds to ever come out of Africa. This album combines many of the greatest hits from Juju into manageable samples that will make you happy no matter how un-human you are. If you're feeling down and want a carefree pick me up, or if you just dig world music in all its splenda than check this shit out your ears will be so pleased you did. A smile or two is bound to come free. The producer's pretty dope too, its only his first release but dayum way to slay it.

Beansprouts- Songs to Accompany The New Testament

Nite Jewel- Want You Back EP & Good Evening

Let me start of by saying i want to marry this chick, her music is a spacey synthy spectacled look into the glorious 80's from a drug induced 21st century perspective. Shame on all you cats who label this hipster trash, you're shallow, this chick is fantastic in her own glorious right. Voice magic, truly. good for mind dances and what not, lose yourself in it, you wont regret it. I'm feverishiously working to make beats for her vocal mix of Want You Back. That songs so dope. its all dope, open minds open minds friends. oh and im writing this from a plane? apparently they get wi-fi now and its free. space cadet 2009.

p.s. Ramona Gonzales, you're the shit come to Chicago sometime please.
p.sss. drink wine with friends and dream

Nite Jewel-Good Evening

Nite Jewel-Want You Back

Broadcast- The Noise Made By People

Released in the year 2000, this album is a beautifully engineered dream pop hit. Although it failed to chart in either the U.S. or U.K. it was critically acclaimed for its terrific flow and haze. Broadcast is a British quintet that has released over 7 albums in the past decade; Trish Keenan's voice always projects a dreamy, careless, beautifully flowing tonality, paired with the drifty instrumentation of James Cargill and cats creates soundscapes that border the lines of bliss and misfortune. Broadcast usually throws in some raunchy samples to keep you awake, yet this album opts out of this approach mostly in trade for a less abrasive sound. Think Stereolab, but in my opinion a little more mysterious. Great music to smoke and chill to, highly recomended.

Broadcast- The Noise Made by People (2000)

Bing Bong Twins

Dubstep, its what all the cats on the block are hypin about. As 21st century humans we have come to have to love Bass and its raw greatness. Logically, our lust for Bass has grown too large be satisfied through hip hop theatrics yet, logically again, a solution has been found. The result is the grimiest, dirty, loudest Bass you're ears can ever indulge in, Dubstep. It's a little like what grunge did to rock in the 90's, except transcended onto dank dance beats and great melodies. But lets not forget, Bass is king. Wobble is its noble knight, and will always remind you who is king. If you get thorugh this mix you're going to be covered in grime, enjoy!


The Bing Bong Twins- Business as Usual (1:14:04)

These peps are from Reno, Nevada and throw down some of the sickest bass you may ever hear.

UPDATE: Game Face (37:31)

Such a dope mix, shorter, sweeter, more jeezy. what else could you ever want?

Megafaun- Gather, Form & Fly

This my friends is pure folk bliss. I mean truly, these guys are as folk as fuck, (for lack of a better term) just check this rad photo:



Megafaun consists of brothers Brad and Phil Cook along with fellow Wisconsin native Joe Westerlund. The trio, plus longtime friend Justin Vernon (a.k.a. Bon Iver), made the cross country move together from WI to NC as the band DeYarmond Edison, ultimately splitting in 2006. Since the split and the subsequent creation of Megafaun the band has released two albums and played in over 250 shows (that's pretty gritty). Yet out of this same spirit GF&F was birthed; it was self-recorded in three bedrooms, a kitchen, a yoga studio, a living room, a basement, and in a forbidden university piano studio that they had to break into to find an in-tune piano. Grunge masters for sure, but then again what better way to make folk.

This album will help you rediscover the energy that first elevated this genre to relative modern success. It's American like you wouldn't believe, at some times they stray dangerously close to country, and trust me I really dislike country, yet they manage to straddle the line beautifully with strong lyrics and suitable progressive melodies. All of the drum lines, if not distorted, are upbeat and the instrumentation above it flows together superbly. All of this mixes together in a final product that is reminiscent of Phil Elvrum and the Portland crew in all its glories. Oh and a drunk listening is absolutely recommended.

Gather, Form, & Fly

Dark Night of the Soul

By the time you reach these words you may have suspected that by either the title, or the art, or the colors, that this is some kind of Gothic music blog. Unfortunately, it's not, at least not audibly. Hopefully you cats won't mind that much. Meaning, Meaning, Meaning; Music.

The first album I've picked is a peculiar one in all rights. Dark Night of the Soul is the brain child of Dangermouse (produced the Gorillaz's Demon Days, Beck's Modern Guilt, and countless others) and Sparklehorse (from the band Sparklehorse). After writing and producing most of the album a slew of collaborators were brought together to cameo and refine the album including; James Mercer of The Shins, The Flaming Lips, Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals, Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, Julian Casablancas of The Strokes, Frank Black of the Pixies, Iggy Pop, Nina Persson of The Cardigans, Suzanne Vega, Vic Chesnutt, David Lynch, and Scott Spillane of Neutral Milk Hotel (oops long list).

The project also incorporated David Lynch (Blue Velvet, Inland Empire) to take a series of photographs corresponding to the songs.

All in all this album would be one of the best of 2009, except it will never be released, due to contract "issues" with the EMI label. So here it floats amongst the internet in eternal limbo. The album is incredibly powerful amongst a modern pop genre where so many bands succeed just by drifting along aimlessly. It reminds of a stroll through a mysterious darkness, in which light is seldom seen but always recognized (sought after?) It's beautiful yet haunting, surreal and dark, but sometimes comical and comforting. Its production is incredibly done by the industries best and is at all moments serene. With it's stellar lineup of cameos and limbo status it stands awkwardly between fame and Lethe which, ironically enough, mirrors the albums mood in an all too perfect way. Oh, and watch out for Iggy Pop he's a real curve ball.

1. Revenge (featuring The Flaming Lips)
2. Just War (featuring Gruff Rhys)
3. Jaykub (featuring Jason Lytle)
4. Little Girl (featuring Julian Casablancas)
5. Angel's Harp (featuring Frank Black)
6. Pain (featuring Iggy Pop)
7. Star Eyes (I Can't Catch It) (featuring David Lynch)
8. Everytime I'm With You (featuring Jason Lytle)
9. Insane Lullaby (featuring James Mercer of The Shins)
10. Daddy's Gone (featuring Nina Persson)
11. The Man Who Played God (featuring Suzanne Vega)
12. Grim Augury (featuring Vic Chestnutt)
13. Dark Night Of The Soul (featuring David Lynch)

Dark Night of the Soul