The latest from “Wrong” is a nice slowly building piece of bedroom pop that keeps up a solid “rainy melancholy Sunday” vibe. Taken from this 80N7 compilation featuring plenty of other quality bedroom pop.

Tomorrow is Cassette Store Day and as Burger Records is leading the charge in the revival of the format, they’re also releasing a lot of quality tapes to go along with the celebration. One such release is Natural Child’s Live in Birmingham – available tomorrow, Sept 27th. Preview “White People” at the link above.

The latest from Sugar Sk*_*lls is, far and away, his best undertaking yet. The concept of 8-bit sounds might feel foreign to some but this is an undeniably well conceived dark landscape of sound. It’s a perfect pairing of sounds that you associate with childhood matched against something quite creepy and foreboding. 

Ah, I love an album redux. Same songs, new approach. Every bit as good as the original but with new elements to fall in love with. This is a pretty atypical move for an artist but who doesn’t expect atypical from PUJOL?

The video game soundtracks of Sam English always prove to be an engaging listen. His most recent is a preview EP for Vagante, which evokes a fairly medieval RPG vibe. However, I was more compelled by his work on the UniBall Soundtrack – an eSports game I’ll probably never play but am totally entertained by due to the dark synth driven soundscapes he created. It’s short but it’s a nice way to envision yourself driving through TRON.

There’s not enough Caitlin Rose music out in the world so it’s nice when she shares a new gem to help facilitate the wait before another album.

Part of me hoped that this was Hurts to Laugh take on the Beatles classic but the big riffs contained within quickly waved away any preconceived notions. I love their tagline that accompanies it:

No one gives a shit do what you want. Have a good time being a good time.

Words to live by.

It won’t be released until Sept. 27th but you can get your first taste of the latest Quichenight by heading over to their Bandcamp and listening to “Blind with Purpose.” And if THAT’S not enough to tide you over, head over to The Cream to hear “Right to be Confused.”

Who are Moon Maps? I’ve no information on this band beyond the fact that they are tagged “Nashville” on their site. If they are indeed Nashville residents, I am loving what they’re doing. Big atmospheric sound drenched in a languid psychedelic vibe. 

Also be sure to give “Skulls Filled with Flowers” a listen.

Ambient music can be hard to wrap your brain around. It’s intended to create a calm and sit in the background – an environment of sound more than a presentation of melody. Hammock’s Sleepover Series seems to hit the mark in achieving this goal but it never seems to retreat far enough back that you lose track of it. 

Particularly interesting is the story behind the creation (see below) – which adds another layer of appreciation for the soundscape. The full album will be released September 23rd but you can listen to “Original Light” now.

I have suffered from insomnia and ongoing depression for many years and have tried a number of different experiments and treatments to find some relief. I’ve always lived with a deep-seated restlessness and as a result I think I’ve been searching for a sense of inner peace and stillness all my life. Last year my wife and I rented a house in Big Sur, CA. While sitting on top of a mountain, reading some poems and drinking my coffee I experienced something that left an indelible mark on my life. When we got back to Nashville I immediately felt the need to start work on Volume 2 of our Sleepover Series. Shortly after we began recording I started to experience a great amount of pain in my mid and lower neck. It seems my years of slumping over a guitar had finally caught up to me. I ended up having neck surgery in January of 2014. The time leading up to surgery and the recovery afterwards were painful and confusing. I still felt a deep need for rest and a longing to continue work on Volume 2 but the doctor would not allow it. As I began to heal, Andrew and I slowly started working again and the aesthetic of Volume 2 began to emerge. We did our best to just “follow the sound” and stay out of the way, attempting to leave space and texture as opposed to specific and linear melodic phrases. About four months after the surgery I decided to go to Big Sur for a private silent retreat. The first night of the retreat was awful and I felt like there was a hornet’s nest inside my head along with a full-blown circus freak show. But over the course of the retreat my mind slowed down and my body became more relaxed. When I got back we began finishing up our work on Volume 2. The long form piece on disc 2 titled, “The Lonely Now” is a result of this last minute work. Inspired by the silence I experienced in Big Sur, I think it’s the centerpiece of Volume 2 and expresses the true intent of the music. This work would probably not exist if it not for the ongoing search for peace and stillness. So if this collection helps ease the mind or assist in lulling one to sleep then all the searching has not been in vain. -Marc

Another preview track from Donohue’s forthcoming Stairway to Evan. It’s breezy and cool and upbeat in a way that is undeniable Evan P Donohue. Certainly my favorite of the new tracks.