The spirit of youth.

23 Jun 2010 — NFOP

Others have already shown their enthusiasm, but Aaron and Kris are eager to shoot their songs into the blogosphere hoping the love will spread, and for good reason: As The CQ, the two teenagers from Bedford, New Hampshire cherish music that was written well before their birth, yet they do it so perfectly it's almost alarming. The few songs the duo has made available so far are shoegaze par excellence, with fine melodies drenched in reverb and underlying synth patterns, dream pop sparklers that don't need to hide from their obvious predecessors by My Bloody Valentine and the likes, or, in Emmanuel Ducret's words, songs full of musical maturity.


The CQ - Without You

The CQ - Things

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Others have already shown their enthusiasm, but Aaron and Kris are eager to shoot their songs into the blogosphere hoping the love will spread, and for good reason: As The CQ, the two teenagers from Bedford, New Hampshire cherish music that was written well before their birth, yet they do it so perfectly it's almost alarming. The few songs the duo has made available so far are shoegaze par excellence, with fine melodies drenched in reverb and underlying synth patterns, dream pop sparklers that don't need to hide from their obvious predecessors by My Bloody Valentine and the likes, or, in Emmanuel Ducret's words, songs full of musical maturity.


The CQ - Without You

The CQ - Things

Golden State.

23 Jun 2010 — NFOP

Sunbeam Rd. is another San Francisco outfit that endorses Northern California's tradition of garage guitar pop with a certain psychedelic feel to it, but unlike their much beloved pals Young PrismsWeekend or also Sleepy Sun, the four-piece stays on the brighter side, mostly keeping the whole thing a little less weird while putting more emphasis on harmonies in the songs' structure. Waves may serve as an excellent example, a sun-drenched yet at times sneakily twisted pop anthem. The tune is the opener of Sunbeam Rd.'s beautiful debut EP Turtles, Magnets, Animals, available on cassette and free download via their bandcamp page.



Sunbeam Rd. - Waves

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Sunbeam Rd. is another San Francisco outfit that endorses Northern California's tradition of garage guitar pop with a certain psychedelic feel to it, but unlike their much beloved pals Young PrismsWeekend or also Sleepy Sun, the four-piece stays on the brighter side, mostly keeping the whole thing a little less weird while putting more emphasis on harmonies in the songs' structure. Waves may serve as an excellent example, a sun-drenched yet at times sneakily twisted pop anthem. The tune is the opener of Sunbeam Rd.'s beautiful debut EP Turtles, Magnets, Animals, available on cassette and free download via their bandcamp page.



Sunbeam Rd. - Waves

Caged rat.

23 Jun 2010 — NFOP

Check out the new video for Forest Sword's brilliant Rattling Cage. The song will be released on July 26 as a strictly limited 7 inch by London's splendid No Pain In Pop.



Forest Swords - Rattling Cage

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Check out the new video for Forest Sword's brilliant Rattling Cage. The song will be released on July 26 as a strictly limited 7 inch by London's splendid No Pain In Pop.



Forest Swords - Rattling Cage

Come loose your dogs upon me.

23 Jun 2010 — NFOP

There's not much to find out about Brett Taylor except for the fact that he has recently moved from Colorado to Minneapolis, Minnesota, but I don't think this information is all that important anyway. Much more fruitful will be to tell you that Brett records as Littoral Drift and makes slow and haunting lo-fi pop, fuzzy and blurred guitar sounds mostly accompanied by his distant and distorted voice, moaning about the burdens of existence, songs with cheerful names such as Dead or I Hate Parties. But as we're talking about art, his sorrows will become our delight.

Colorado's fabulous Patient Sounds has put out Littoral Drift's debut cassette Rise and Descent the Mountain as a limited edition of 100 items, but as it's one of the most generous imprints around, you can also download the whole beauty for free right here. Below, listen to album closer Us Dogs, three minutes of experimental folk perfection that won't leave you untouched.


Littoral Drift - Us Dogs

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There's not much to find out about Brett Taylor except for the fact that he has recently moved from Colorado to Minneapolis, Minnesota, but I don't think this information is all that important anyway. Much more fruitful will be to tell you that Brett records as Littoral Drift and makes slow and haunting lo-fi pop, fuzzy and blurred guitar sounds mostly accompanied by his distant and distorted voice, moaning about the burdens of existence, songs with cheerful names such as Dead or I Hate Parties. But as we're talking about art, his sorrows will become our delight.

Colorado's fabulous Patient Sounds has put out Littoral Drift's debut cassette Rise and Descent the Mountain as a limited edition of 100 items, but as it's one of the most generous imprints around, you can also download the whole beauty for free right here. Below, listen to album closer Us Dogs, three minutes of experimental folk perfection that won't leave you untouched.


Littoral Drift - Us Dogs

Hard to wait.

22 Jun 2010 — NFOP

And here it is, finally: The first track from Choir of Empty Rooms, the ambient project of Memoryhouse's mastermind Evan Abeele, which is gonna be sold together with a photo book by singer Denise Nouvion on their upcoming European tour.

Evan Abeele - Elena (In the Water)

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And here it is, finally: The first track from Choir of Empty Rooms, the ambient project of Memoryhouse's mastermind Evan Abeele, which is gonna be sold together with a photo book by singer Denise Nouvion on their upcoming European tour.

Evan Abeele - Elena (In the Water)

More from the ghost.

22 Jun 2010 — NFOP

You may call me a little obsessed, but this guy seriously absorbs me. Another pure delight made available by our favourite LA pal Ghost Animal.

Also, Michael has announced a proper EP release on Amdiscs, containing five to six songs and named Frater Ave Atque Vale just like the short piece he's put on his bandcamp the other day. And just to remind you, later this summer the amazing Summer Time in Hell will release his first full-length.

Ghost Animal - Fever Not Dead

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You may call me a little obsessed, but this guy seriously absorbs me. Another pure delight made available by our favourite LA pal Ghost Animal.

Also, Michael has announced a proper EP release on Amdiscs, containing five to six songs and named Frater Ave Atque Vale just like the short piece he's put on his bandcamp the other day. And just to remind you, later this summer the amazing Summer Time in Hell will release his first full-length.

Ghost Animal - Fever Not Dead

There she goes, my beautiful world.

22 Jun 2010 — NFOP

Somewhere in Florida or in California or, most likely, in some lost spheres between Florida and California, Rachel and Jeremy aka Kiss Kiss Fantastic create ethereal dream pop made for lone nights at home or sunny days out, for feelings of love or of sorrow. According to their myspace, the two have never met in person, and though I don't know if that information is up-to-date, for all I care they don't have to as long as songs like Beautiful Mess emerge from this distant collaboration, shoegazey pop perfection so blissful it made me be aglow with happiness all morning.

Kiss Kiss Fantastic - Beautiful Mess

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Somewhere in Florida or in California or, most likely, in some lost spheres between Florida and California, Rachel and Jeremy aka Kiss Kiss Fantastic create ethereal dream pop made for lone nights at home or sunny days out, for feelings of love or of sorrow. According to their myspace, the two have never met in person, and though I don't know if that information is up-to-date, for all I care they don't have to as long as songs like Beautiful Mess emerge from this distant collaboration, shoegazey pop perfection so blissful it made me be aglow with happiness all morning.

Kiss Kiss Fantastic - Beautiful Mess

Introducing: Railcars

20 Jun 2010 — NFOP

Staying in Los Angeles. Under the moniker Railcars, Aria Jalali makes psychedelic noise for noisy psychedelics, raw and harsh sounds that almost shred your subconscious before the underlying melodic structure creeps out of the fuzz just in time to unravel songs with more subtle beauty than one might have expected. Still, the whole deal remains a tough listen throughout Railcars' first two EP's Cities vs. Submarines (2008, produced by Jamie from Xiu Xiu) and Cathedral With No Eyes (2009, both on Gold Robot), but the experimental sounds Jalali delivers are worth sticking with as they will uncover more layers of splendour each time you come back to listen to them.

Aria Jalali is currently working on his debut LP and of a cover of Kate Bush's Hounds of Love, and has just released a remix album of Cathedral With No Eyes, featuring reworks by amazing artists such as Xiu Xiu, No Age, Jeans Wilder, Truman Peyote, White Rainbow, and Lucky Dragons. It is available as a free download over here.

Along with one of those captivating remixes and the title track of Railcars' sophomore EP, Jalali has made available the as yet unreleased tune Stray Dogs of Wroclaw, an enthralling nine minute trip into other spheres that's slightly reminiscent of Not Not Fun's label roster. With already such a multifaceted output, the forthcoming full-length is for sure something to be excited about.


Railcars - Cathedral With No Eyes

Railcars - Stray Dogs of Wroclaw

Railcars - Castles (Jeans Wilder's Day Off Remix)

Read more →

Staying in Los Angeles. Under the moniker Railcars, Aria Jalali makes psychedelic noise for noisy psychedelics, raw and harsh sounds that almost shred your subconscious before the underlying melodic structure creeps out of the fuzz just in time to unravel songs with more subtle beauty than one might have expected. Still, the whole deal remains a tough listen throughout Railcars' first two EP's Cities vs. Submarines (2008, produced by Jamie from Xiu Xiu) and Cathedral With No Eyes (2009, both on Gold Robot), but the experimental sounds Jalali delivers are worth sticking with as they will uncover more layers of splendour each time you come back to listen to them.

Aria Jalali is currently working on his debut LP and of a cover of Kate Bush's Hounds of Love, and has just released a remix album of Cathedral With No Eyes, featuring reworks by amazing artists such as Xiu Xiu, No Age, Jeans Wilder, Truman Peyote, White Rainbow, and Lucky Dragons. It is available as a free download over here.

Along with one of those captivating remixes and the title track of Railcars' sophomore EP, Jalali has made available the as yet unreleased tune Stray Dogs of Wroclaw, an enthralling nine minute trip into other spheres that's slightly reminiscent of Not Not Fun's label roster. With already such a multifaceted output, the forthcoming full-length is for sure something to be excited about.


Railcars - Cathedral With No Eyes

Railcars - Stray Dogs of Wroclaw

Railcars - Castles (Jeans Wilder's Day Off Remix)