It’s remarkable that more people aren’t talking about this duo out of Brighton, UK. And I don’t just mean bloggers; Nordic Giants have a sound that appeals to much wider audiences. It’s lush, cinematic and gorgeous. Cate Ferris adds the perfect vocal touch on “Shine”, taking the song on a boundless journey with swells and falls. It moves me every… Continue reading [MP3] Nordic Giants: “Shine (feat. Cate Ferris)”
[MP3] Hands: “Magic Fingers”
NEW. HANDS. Enough said. Well, actually, not really. And I lie, sort of. I mean, it’s newly recorded, mixed, and mastered, but this song has been in their live repertoire for quite some time. Regardless, it’s a wonderful concoction of exotic sounds, pounding beats, and fiery vocals. Get me in a tribal circle with the Hands crew… Continue reading [MP3] Hands: “Magic Fingers”
[MP3s] Casa del Mirto: “The Haste” + “The Right Way”
Casa del Mirto, aka some dude named Marco, has a new album, 1979, coming out digitally January 15 and later in the month on vinyl and cassette/tape (heyo, Stars on C-30!). He blends textured, light synth with his older “House” style material to instill a delightful calm in his new music. I quite like how he describes his new sound: The first 2… Continue reading [MP3s] Casa del Mirto: “The Haste” + “The Right Way”
[Stars on C-30] Rambling thoughts on Herbcraft, Expo 70 and the cassette resurgence
Tape labels are abundant these days, as are new cassette releases, and Stars on C-30 includes reviews of some of these releases, the occasional band or label profile, and a look at the culture surrounding cassettes. Let’s face it, when you name your label Fuck It Tapes, you’ve instantly raised the bar for anything you… Continue reading [Stars on C-30] Rambling thoughts on Herbcraft, Expo 70 and the cassette resurgence
car seat headrest
Too-cool-for-school teenagers are all the rage these days, huh? The latest one-man wrecking machine to come our way is 18 year old Will Barnes, who makes music under the “car seat headrest” moniker. Also literally under car seat headrests. According to Barnes, who is based in Virginia, “car seat headrest tracks are recorded in locked cars, slowly disintegrating… Continue reading car seat headrest
Happy New Year
Happy New Year from Knox Road! I know I speak for all of us (Me, Jamie, Abby, Jesse, and Tom) when I say we’re thankful for your support this year and we plan on bringing great things in 2011. We’re always talking about ways we can improve the blog (not just at the turn of… Continue reading Happy New Year
The Peasant Dramatic
The Peasant Dramatic is one of those folk pop collectives we seem to love around here. Nine members, trombone, cello – the works. They live in Vermont, saying they’re “stuffed like a mute in a bell into the northeastern tip of the American States.” Hey, come on, Vermont’s got a lot going for it! Skiing!… Continue reading The Peasant Dramatic
Rökkurró
Rökkurró is an Icelandic (how’d you guess??) quintet that sounds exactly like what you’d expect from the band name and the album art above. Which is a good thing. Their music is charming, graceful, and exquisite. The compositions buoy themselves to soaring levels, with the prettiest female vocals that side of the Atlantic (…it’s just… Continue reading Rökkurró
[MP3] Ori: “Milka’s Dream”
Ori Alboher is a unique musician from Jerusalem, Israel, who creates abstract soundscapes within a traditional Jewish Hasidic context (which should make the music all but traditional). His deep-seated Hasidism doesn’t exactly shine through in the recorded music as he might have hoped for, though I’m sure it’d be fairly obvious on stage with the… Continue reading [MP3] Ori: “Milka’s Dream”
[MP3 + Video] Hear Hums: “Woo”
[Bear with me for this oddly structured post.] What the hell is going on in this song? Hear Hums – “Woo” [MP3] I don’t know. But I like it. Accompanying video below (first half of the video is Hear Hums’ song “Cerebellum”, second half is “Woo”). Knox Road goes psych-o this Monday. [vimeo]http://vimeo.com/17473778[/vimeo] Hear Hums, out… Continue reading [MP3 + Video] Hear Hums: “Woo”