Posted by Hugh on Jun 13 2011 to Country
Hey, I can’t let Ant do all the writing or he will divorce me and in that particular scenario, he would likely get the kids. Wait, I don’t want the kids… damnit.
We’ve both mentioned the wondrous Neko Case on here before, but considering that was about 5 years ago, it is time to bring her up again. I’m not even giving you different songs than the ones we posted, because the ones we posted are so flippin’ awesome that you don’t need other ones. She has released another album in the meantime, but it wasn’t one of my favorites. Why are you still reading this? Listen to this glorious angel sing, you turkeys!
Hold On, Hold On – (YouTube)
If You Knew – (YouTube)
Posted by Ant on Jun 9 2011 to Downtempo
I can’t believe I’ve forgotten to post about these guys. Granted, their one and only album came out before this site even started, but that doesn’t mean their music is outdated. Oh ho ho, far from it.
Anyhoo, I figure it’s time to bam things up a notch by presenting you with The Avalanches, an Australian hip-hop/electronic group. Their sole debut album, Since I Left You is a literal cacophony of old records, classic radio shows, and movie quotes, all jammed up with a dash of deck scratching to tie it all together.
Ok, I’m dipping into pretentiousness, but it’s seriously pretty amazing! Most of the album feels structured and completely melodic with only an occasional dip into more electronic territory, but even that’s ok because it sounds weirdly retro at the same time. The real standouts are Since I Left You, Etoh, and most importantly, Frontier Psychiatrist which has a bizarre, but totally appropriate music video.
Downloadable media is a little hard to come by (this album came out in 2001), but I have some awesome music videos for you! As well as that, I have some bonus videos that show where all the samples come from, which you should definitely check out after you listen to the tunes. Goodness me this is a long post.
Downloads
From Since I Left You
Frontier Psychiatrist – (YouTube)
Since I Left You – (YouTube)
Frontier Psychiatrist – The Samples – (YouTube)
Since I Left You – The Samples – (YouTube)
Posted by Ant on Jun 2 2011 to Indie
Now that Australia is snuggled under doonas and getting toasty by the heater, I find myself looking towards the warmer seasons. Isn’t it always the case? In the scorching heat of summer, you can’t imagine what winter is like, but you know you want it, and vice-versa in winter. Perhaps that’s why I’m drawn to Triptides’ recently released Tropical Dreams EP (which, incidently, was recorded in winter): it’s the kind of music that you’d love to hear when that warm summer breeze comes a’callin’ at a quiet, local beach.
Ok, I will dispense with the poetry, but I will say that Triptides plays some smooth, mellow surf rock that, despite not quite disguising its lo-fi origins (it was recorded ‘in a basement and a bedroom’ on a four track), feels warm and friendly. Yay!
Yet again, no downloadable media, but that’s alright because I again present the entire album to stream! If you like it, you could be a total pal and hand over some money for it too, with the totally awesome price of pay what you want. Just don’t be a royal douche by putting in “-$2000″.
Downloads
From Tropical Dreams
So Long to Sunshine
Diving Board
Posted by Ant on May 19 2011 to Downtempo
There are times where you want to rock out till the sun comes up. There are other times where simple, pretty music is all you want to close out a rough day. You Are Plural are perfect for the latter situation, so fare be warned if you are looking for EXTREME EXCITEMENT with this post.
Not to say that this boy + girl group are dreary. You Are Plural have some of the most soothing and soft tunes I’ve heard in ages. It’s not really the type of music that you could listen to at any instance, but when the moment strikes, it is pure heaven. It’s elegant, pretty, and quietly moving; a blend of classical instrumentation with a smidgen of electro-pop underpinnings, all tied together with male and/or female vocals (and no, that doesn’t mean the singing is androgynous: it just means that sometimes it’s a male singing, sometimes it’s a female and sometimes it’s both).
Yet again, I have no downloadable media, but the entire Hand it Over EP is available to stream as well as buy for the most agreeable price of $5. They also allow you to download it in whatever format you like, so if you’re a crazy audiophile with a thing for lossless audio formats, then they have your back.
Posted by Ant on May 12 2011 to Folk
It is sometimes a good thing that some groups pick and choose with their musical collaborations, because they have the potential to offer up a barrel full of agreeable music selections. If you’re like me, however, you probably don’t do enough research into groups to find the musical gold buried within. Woe is me! Such is the case with this gentleman, who contributed to Zero 7′s, The Garden record.
Unlike that particular record, José’s music is certifiably folk. Veneer, his first album, is pretty sparse on instrumentation: for the most part, it’s a whole bunch of layered classical guitar and some rad harmonies. Surprisingly, the tracks don’t blend into themselves, even with this lack of instrumental variety, which is more than can be said for a lot of music these days. Instead, we’re treated to a veritable symphony of soothing guitar pickin’, all pleasantly driven by his wonderful singing and lyrics, with tunes that drift in, out and away from the moody night and into the beautiful sunrise. And yes, despite the fact that Heartbeats track has been somewhat overused in various things, it most definitely fits in nicely with the rest of the album and is still a great cover.
This is probably my wankiest post to date! Also, as per usual, no downloadable media: I am seriously full of disappointments. :<
Downloads
Crosses – (YouTube)
Slow Moves – (YouTube)
All You Deliver – (YouTube)
Posted by Ant on Apr 17 2011 to Indie
Since I can never dredge up enough material to put together a mix, I’m forced to post about artists, even if they only have one good tune. Not that Kimbra doesn’t have more than one good tune in her; it’s just that she hasn’t released anything else yet!
Having said that, the tunes I have for you today are rather lovely. The first, Settle Down, is eclectic and almost unidentifiable by genre, but I’ll take a stab at it anyway: a bit of old fashioned soul and jazz mixed with a smidge of RnB, followed by some good old fashioned pop slatherings. But perhaps I’m entirely wrong.
Kimbra is an up and coming artist hailing from the land of the long white cloud (New Zealand!) who’s debut album, Vows is due this year. I can hardly wait!
Downloads
Settle Down – (YouTube)
Two Way Street – (YouTube)
Good Intent – (YouTube)
Posted by Ant on Apr 13 2011 to Alternative
I have a good feeling that we’ll be hearing more from these plucky English lads in the future, if not already. Their music has been liberally sprinkled on all manor of things, including films, ads (apparently anyway: we certainly don’t get them here) and awesome video game trailers starring Batman (which is where I happened upon their music). This isn’t a bad thing, everyone: what better reward could there be for producing great music than to make sure a wide variety of people get to sample it?
And boy howdy, what music it is too. It’s a delectable mix of indie rock, mixed in (at times) with just a hint of gypsy punk and also what Wikipedia calls Neo Funk. Which is seriously awesome! As I’m sure that I’m doing a disservice to them with this lousy post, I highly recommend that you dive into the following YouTube links and then proceed to buy their album. It’s the only right course of action.
Downloads
From The House That Dirt Built
Oh No! Not You Again! – (YouTube)
How Do You Like Me Now – (YouTube)
Short Change Hero – (YouTube)
Posted by Ant on Apr 10 2011 to Alternative
Like m’colleague, Hugh, I was pretty smitten with Imaad Wasif’s first solo album. I believe his words were “I think I’m in love”, and they’re sentiments that I also reflect. Unfortunately for me, I forgot to keep checking up on Mr. Wasif, so you can all thank the revival of either/or that I’m here to alert you to his newer stuff.
Since one of our mottos is something about being better late than never, I bring you The Voidist from the historical depths of… 2009. This is most certainly a different album to his debut, but it retains the dreamy vocalisation and mesmerising lyrics that defined it. There’s something kind of lo-fi with this release, almost as if it was recorded in the 60s or something: a bit of psychedelic twang and a darker sort of ‘flower power’ feel that moves way past the quiet, reflective mood of the debut.
As per usual, I am lousy with describing music! Also, as per usual, I have no MP3s, but I do have YouTube links and one to his page on the Tee Pee Records site.
Downloads
From The Voidist
Redeemer – (YouTube – Video is a bit NSFW)
Widow Wing – (YouTube)
Imaad Wasif on Tee Pee Records
Posted by Ant on Apr 10 2011 to News
I bet you didn’t even notice we were gone. To which I say: shame on you! I hope you keep better watch on more important things.
Anyhoo, the point is, we are back and kicking! Relatively. Our old host went down the gurgler, but I’ve resuscitated the site and all its posts, thanks to our good friend, kol. We are not reliant on his server anymore though, so there shouldn’t be any extended downtime as I am hosting it myself. Also, we got a fancy domain name too! Having said that, the domain and the even newer hosting aren’t quite ready, so you’ll have to make do with another subdomain.
either/or is back again, and we’ve got a new theme. I have built this from the ground up with the assistance of Dan from Logic & Trick to integrate it with WordPress. I hope you like it! If you have suggestions, please don’t hesitate to pass them along: this is the first time I’ve done a WordPress theme and I’m afraid that I’m a total newbie at it. As well as that, let me know if you find any bugs.
With any luck, we might be just a tad bit more frequent with our posts, but there’s no guarantees! Good music doesn’t just float by every day, y’know. As usual, if you have any music you think we’d like, or like to promote (if we like it, that is), then feel free to post a comment on this post (we will have a proper email system up eventually).
In the meantime, welcome and enjoy! Hugh and I hope to keep you filled to brim with good, wholesome tunes.
Posted by Hugh on Aug 12 2010 to Blues
If you are a fan of The Decemberists, then you will also be a fan of The Builders & The Butchers. They are one of the best contemporary bands that plays traditional-style folk music that I’ve ever heard. If that is too many qualifiers for you, then they are one of the best bands to drop in my inbox this year. You might even say this band was all it took for me to get working on this blog again, and you might not even be a filthy liar when you say it.
Downloads
From Loch Lomond/Builders Split
Vampire Lake – (MP3, 9.5 MB)
From The Builders & The Butchers
Bottom Of The Lake – (MP3, 9.3 MB)
From Salvation Is A Deep Dark Well
Golden And Green – (MP3, 5.5 MB)
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