posted December 21, 2016 #
I'm continuing to
fully reviewing the 2016 releases of
yk records. If you missed out, now's the time to catch up.
YK-035 is the debut release from
Nightblonde,
Numbers, a spacey affair that pulls influences from amazingly disparate sources such as Morissey or the idea of retrofuturism. On paper, it sounds like a strange pairing but they pull it off wonderfully. It's easy to draw the comparison to the likes of The Cure, particularly the songs that are heavily bass driven.
They've crammed in a ton of harmonies and layered vocals to the nine-song affair, available on
clear vinyl inside of a custom die-cut package. If the world were a fair place, Jill Townsend would get a huge nod for her amazing work on the artwork and sleeve.
The album is
streaming everywhere and the band has posted a rad
Youtube playlist of custom looping artwork to listen to the album. It's like
1984 but with 80's infused pop music.
posted December 21, 2016 #
I am
reviewing the 2016 releases of
yk records, my label. If you missed out, now's the time to catch up.
Following on the heels of
POLY, the sophomore release from
Tower Defense, a double-bass power trio turned quartet that makes an absolute
blast of post-punk rock songs. The EP was released on
green vinyl with the A and B sides being the same songs; play whichever side you'd like! It's also
streaming everywhere, of course.
If you missed the video for "
History", watch it ASAP. It's an excellent tribute to the city of Nashville through a song about fighting for the greatness of your city as it is consumed by new development (seriously).
My only complaint about this release is that it's too damn short. You can listen to the entire thing in just under ten minutes.
posted December 21, 2016 #
By all accounts, 2016 was a big year for
YK Records. I can confidently say I have a "record label" now (as pretentious as that may sound) instead of saying I have a "side hobby." I put out ten (!) records from some absolutely wonderful artists spanning a wide gamut of genres. Let's take a moment to review.
First up was
POLY's full-length album
Let's Have An Adventure. Released on confetti explosion vinyl and
streaming everywhere, it's a wonderfully innocent, borderline twee, pop record.
Every time I listen to it I am consistently impressed that the band set restrictions for themselves - no guitars, no electronics - and actually accomplished it. It's an amazing variety of instrumentation and adorable storytelling.
posted December 20, 2016 #
I made a non-scientific chart on design feedback: https://t.co/qhyJaXH0P1
posted December 20, 2016 #
Those Darlin's frontwoman fighting cancer with a fearless attitude. Contribute.
posted December 20, 2016 #
the wonderful wobbulator machine for young and old alike https://t.co/gg6ffFbnto
posted December 19, 2016 #
How music videos should be. https://t.co/ysqToXUDIz /cc @yewknee
posted December 19, 2016 #
Makeup and Vanity Set recently did an
AMA on /outrun and answered a ton of questions about how he makes music, what inspires his dark soundscapes and drops a few tidbits about new projects to expect in the relatively near future (spoiler alert,
Jasmin Kaset will be involved).
It's a great read and also acts as a bit of promotion for this
MAVS Bundle that he's currently offering via Groupees. For just $5 you can get nine of his albums
and three unreleased collections
and the money goes towards the
Trevor project. Win Win Win.
posted December 19, 2016 #
Been having a wonderfully deep dive into the massive body of work from
Big Active, the British creative consultancy responsible for a slew of memorable albums too lengthy to mention (for starters,
Beck,
Michael Jackson and
Giorgio Moroder - just to pique your interest). They are also have a large offering of
motion work that includes
The Parachute Ending, the Birdy Nam Nam video that brought me to them in the first place.
Highly recommend taking a good chunk of time today to investigate.
posted December 18, 2016 #
@wiresandfires plays her faves from 2016
posted December 17, 2016 #
price tag is steep but it IS four LP's and looks incredibly awesome
posted December 16, 2016 #
On point https://t.co/2JXeObJ5F6
posted December 16, 2016 #
Christmas is right around the bend. It's that time when everyone's office is a little bit emptier, people move a little bit slower and we all spend a great deal of time reflecting on the year. I'll do plenty of that in the coming weeks but, for now, let us enjoy a mindless dump of entertaining videos.
NOTE: I've rewritten how Friday Videos are played back. It might be a little more sluggish but it will actually work in Safari now.
Let me know if you're experiencing issues (even after a cache refresh) and I'll work on it.
posted December 16, 2016 #
Today's the official release day for
Chariots of Fire, the ten-year anniversary re-issue from
Apollo Up! and my own
yk records. I mentioned it
previously but I really do think this album was released before it's time. The visibility into Nashville's rock music scene has never been more acute than it is right now thanks to the likes of Third Man Records, all things Jack White, The Black Keys, Infinity Cat Records and tons more. But Apollo Up! (and
Theory 8 Records) never received the benefit of that visibility, despite the record being every bit as good as what's coming out of the city now.
If you're not familiar with the album, dive right in. It's
streaming everywhere and sounds absolutely wonderful thanks to the remastering job from
John Baldwin. If you like what you hear, consider picking up the
gold vinyl, it's a real beauty.
posted December 16, 2016 #
Like
previous years, MUBI round-up of
Best Movie Posters of the year is a fascinating wellspring of concepts, treatments, typography and inspiration. I don't always agree with the selections in the Top 10 but I can't argue with the overall pool of Runner-Ups.
posted December 15, 2016 #
the wifi password here is buyadrink.
posted December 15, 2016 #
There are plenty of great art installation pieces and photography collections from fine artist
Mar Cuervo but I'm enamored with the
Destroyer set of images. There's something oddly pleasing about seeing these squishy objects perfectly mangled.
via
David.
posted December 15, 2016 #
I really can't describe the allure of
Islands, a new "game" in which you quietly explore foggy spaces and unlock transitions into the next realms. It
looks wonderful, it
sounds great and the interaction
is captivating but no one piece of it would be enough to draw you in. It's the perfect storm of quiet immersion.
via
Warp Door.
