A Worthy Cause

If you liked Gypsy Death and You‘s E.P. No. 1 (and who didn’t?), you’ll want to drop by their fundraising page and make a donation that will help Alex and Emily finance their second release. Donations can be as little as $1 or as much as $1000—the full amount GDaY are trying to raise—and all come with premiums (think PBS telethon), some of which are quite unique. So, if you’d like the band to come play a private show at your house as well as bring the pizza, donate the full amount. Myself, I am drawn to the personalized cover song (although I don’t require the placement of my name in the lyrics—wouldn’t really work for the songs I have in mind, anyway).

Let’s see, do I go with “Bad” by U2, “I Have the Touch” by Peter Gabriel, “Our Lips Are Sealed” by Go-Go’s, “All That Matters Now” by Breathless…

Work Stoppage

Due to massive upheavals in my personal and family life, I currently don’t have the time or inclination to write about music. I don’t know when (or even if) this will change, so I would like, once again, to thank all of the artists who have been so generous with their music and their time. I enjoyed the interviews; I just wish that I knew what I was doing. Still, they turned out pretty good, and that is definitely down to the artists. You guys were great. Thank you.

Is that you, Dave?

Dave Allison of Custom Made Music sent me a song from an upcoming release that I liked a lot. It turns out that Dave has a band of his own; he and Chrischa Ives are the Virginia Beach duo Last Remaining Pinnacle. “Students Of The V.U.” is their contribution to a split 7″ single – with fellow Virginians Pan Galactic Straw Boss – due to be released 26 April. The song is also featured on Volume 4 of Tom Lugo’s six-volume* Rock Back for Japan compilation.

Dave is also the subject of a short interview given to The Blog That Celebrates Itself. Don’t worry; the introductory paragraph is in Spanish, but the interview was conducted in English.

*A seventh volume – to benefit the animals affected by the disaster – is being added.

The Overflow

Even though Tom Lugo has managed to round up contributions from more than eighty artists for his Rock Back for Japan compilation series*, it turns out that there are still a few Shoegaze bands he didn’t get, so I did (some of them, anyway). Special thanks to Brian Foote of kranky for giving me the choice of using one of two great songs from Belong – both of which are going on my iPod.

Link expired 12am PDT, Sunday, 01 May 2011

Vibrato 11.06
01. “Don’t Touch” by [aftersun] from Pain Sounds (©2011 [aftersun])
The solo project of Stephan Cherkashin (Telltale and Audn), [aftersun] is based in Brooklyn, New York and combines the swirling layers of sound from Shoegaze with Trip-Hop beats and Darkwave moods. Pain Sounds, this artist’s debut EP, was released this Spring as a free download on Bandcamp – as was the Goodbye single.
bandcamp

02. “Washer” by Mood Rings from Sweater Weather Forever (©2011 Double Phantom Digital)
Sweater Weather Forever is the debut EP from this Atlanta, Georgia based band which formed in 2009. The EP was released on Pink House Tapes and online at Double Phantom Digital and Bandcamp.

03. “Girl Upstairs” by Moonbeams from Radio San Francisco (©2011 Hop Skip Jump Records)
Based in San Francisco, Moonbeams is a Shoegaze and Psychedelic Pop ensemble headed by Ryan Lescure. He is supported on his recordings by several talented friends, and the live band consists of Ryan Haynes (guitar), Kyle Baudour (bass), and Alvin Fenner (drums). The CD of Radio San Francisco can be purchased from Hop Skip Jump, and digital downloads are available on Bandcamp. The upcoming LP, The Daisy Chain, is slated for release in the summer of 2011.
bandcamp | myspace | facebook | website

04. “No More Canyons” by Quiet Lights from No More Canyons (©2011 Eastern Seaboard / Old Flame Records)
Quiet Lights is Chris Curtis, Robin Fowler, Nikhil Kamineni, Yseult Tyler, and Marcus Smith, and they create aural landscapes of both light and dark, blurry sonic envelopes tinged with “looking through a glass-bottle” hazes. Currently, the band has two singles available from Bandcamp.
bandcamp | myspace | facebook | website

05. “Starfall” by Poor, Useless Me from EP001 (©2011 Poor, Useless Me)
Poor, Useless Me is a side-project Vadim Vasilyev (Sun Devoured Earth) from Aizkraukle, Latvia started in 2011. The music is heavily influenced by Astrobrite, My Bloody Valentine and Skywave. This EP was released on 3 April 2011 and has already been joined by two subsequent releases – all available for download on Bandcamp.

06. “Single Man” by Ghost Animal from Single Man/In Your Room (©2011 Ghost Animal)
Ghost Animal is a Pop duo from California currently living and studying in Portland, Oregon. They have been playing together since April 2010. Single Man/In Your Room and Through Your Eyes are both available as free downloads from Bandcamp.
bandcamp | myspace | tumblr | blogspot

07. “Underneath Tonight” by Lowtide from Underneath Tonight/Memory No. 7 (©2011 Lowtide)
Australia’s Lowtide has its origins in Three Month Sunset, a solo project Gabriel Lewis began in 2005. Once consisting of the ambient, soaring textures of a single guitar, the sound has been widened by the addition of male and female vocals, drums, and dual bass courtesy of Lucy Buckeridge, Anton Jakovljevic (The Morning After Girls), and Giles Simon (The Sun Blindness). In 2010, the band released You Are My Good Light, their debut EP, to a sold out crowd at Melbourne’s Cherry Bar. The new single can be downloaded from Bandcamp.
bandcamp | myspace

08. “Never Came Close” by Belong from Common Era (©2011 Kranky)
The music of Belong is the result of a collaboration between New Orleans, Louisiana natives Turk Dietrich and Michael Jones. The band’s mostly instrumental, 2004 debut, October Language, was composed, recorded, and produced in Dietrich’s bedroom studio as a tribute to the city and as an illustration of the beauty that can still be found in things worn and decayed. This new album utilizes instruments and technology to create a sound very similar to the original Shoegaze of the ’90s – including vocals.
kranky | myspace

09. “Sunspots” by Sunshower Orphans from Avenue Abyss (©2011 Mike G)
Sunshower Orphans is Mike G., Rob A., Travis F., and Brian A. – a bunch of lowlifes from Queens, New York who grew up just blocks away from places where The Ramones once lived. They have been playing basements, parks, and stages in and around New York City in various incarnations since 2007. The city has changed since The Ramones ruled, and the Orphans’ music reflects that, as they often make New York – in all of her manifestations – the focus of their lyrics. “Sunspots” is from their first album, Avenue Abyss, which you can download for free on Bandcamp. Their debut EP, From the Fire Escapes, is available on vinyl from State Capital Records – a local indie label, and digitally from the iTunes Store.
bandcamp | myspace | State Capital

10. “I Am Here” by Red Moon from I Am Here (©2011 Red Moon)
Red Moon is a duo comprised of sisters Eva and Katarina Thulin, who live and make music in Göteborg, Sweden. The music, which they have been writing, producing, and recording together for more than ten years, combines simple and direct melodies with complex soundscapes. Their sound reminds me very much of Azure Ray at its best and, while not strictly Shoegaze, I believe this song is close (and good) enough for me to be forgiven for including it. Red Moon has previously released a two-song single in 2003 and a four-song EP in 2006; both of which can be downloaded from the band’s website.
Record Union | soundcloud | website

All copyrighted materials used with the permission of the copyright holders.

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Pre-Spring Break

Vibrato 11.05 used up all the artists/songs at my immediate disposal, so I am going to take a short break from putting compilations together and do a little (pre)spring cleaning of my flat, my computers, and the backlog of interviews I’ve been meaning to conduct and post here. The timing couldn’t be better. Judging from the list of artists who have contributed songs to Tom Lugo’s six-volume Rock Back for Japan compilation (proceeds to go toward the relief effort in Japan), now is not the time for me to be asking artists for songs, and these other projects really ought not to be put off for much longer.

SW, NW, and More

In honor of SXSW, this compilation features two bands from Austin, Texas. There is also a band from Seattle in there somewhere – keeping the NW in NWshoegazing.

Link expired 12am PDT, Monday, 14 April 2011

01. “Keep It Quiet [Demo]” by Blemishes unreleased (©2011 Blemishes)
Brian, an ex-Secret Service agent from NYC, and Lauren, once an assassin for hire from New Jersey, met on the job (details are sketchy), discovered a mutual love for music, and decided to form a band. Originally part of a foursome, the two guitarists/vocalists recently decided to strike out on their own (no one knows what happened to the other two) and formed Blemishes. Still mostly in the writing process, they have only just recorded the b-side to “Keep it Quiet”; the two songs are to be released as a cassette single on bleach blonde, a friend’s startup label.
bandcamp | tumblr | bleach blonde

02. “Imagine Hearts” by Ringo Deathstarr from Colour Trip (©2011 Club AC30)
Austin, Texas’s Ringo Deathstarr is Elliott Frazier, Daniel Coborn, and Alex Gehring. Colour Trip is the band’s debut full-length. Many of the songs from previously released EPs and singles were collected on Sparkler – released in 2009 on Vinyl Junkie.
myspace | facebook | Club AC30

03. “Crystal’s Not Clear” by Between The Cities Are Stars from Degausser (©2011 KillRedRocket Records)
Between The Cities Are Stars is a duo hailing from Fresno, California, who utilize guitars, bass, drums, and vocals to make your mind melt, even as you move and groove. Heather’s infectious bass lines, complimented by Kyle’s spacey, fuzzed-out guitars, and topped off with minimal vocals – that add to rather than stand out from the music, all blend together to create sweeping sounds that will take your mind on trips of blissful chaos.
bandcamp | myspace | facebook

04. “On Your Own” by Factory Kids from FK 3rd (©2011 Tara Records)
Formed in 2008, Factory Kids is musician/artist Christina Marie (The Modern Hour) and singer/songwriter/producer Tim Chaplin (Luminous). This is their third studio album – following two remix albums. Factory Kids have also released several EPs and a single, as well as appearing on a handful of compilations.
bandcamp | myspace | facebook

05. “Chains” by The Internet unreleased (©2011 The Internet)
The Internet is a Post-Punk/Shoegaze band from Santa Barbara, California. It consists of Syd Bernardo, Marvin Dominguez, Oscar Murillo Jr., and Andrew Verdin. Their self-titled debut EP was released via iTunes and Amazon in May 2010. At present, “Chains” has not been released elsewhere.
bandcamp | facebook | website

06. “Paint a Golden Stick” by Thunder Bunny from …there is a gate (©2010 Thunder Bunny)
Named after toys his father used to fashion from old socks for the dogs to play with, Thunder Bunny was founded by Christopher Padula in New York City in 1995. After several years of encouraging progress, the band rapidly disintegrated – the way many bands unfortunately do, but now, years after the dust has settled, Christopher has resurrected Thunder Bunny as a solo project on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River.
myspace | facebook

07. “Fly With the Light” by 93MillionMilesFromTheSun from Northern Sky (©2011 93MillionMilesFromTheSun)
If you like these guys as much as I do, you’ll be happy to hear that this Doncaster, UK band is preparing to release its second album in June on In At The Eye Records. Like its excellent predecessor, 2009′s self-titled debut, Northern Sky contains more than seventy minutes of Shoegazing goodness. I am also informed that the band have finished their new studio and will be playing UK dates in late April and early May.
bandcamp | myspace | Parallax | soundcloud | website

08. “Explain It To Me” by The Sky Drops from Making Mountains (©2011 Custom Made Music)
Rob Montejo, founding member of the ’90s American Shoegaze band Smashing Orange has joined with Monika Bullette to form The Sky Drops in Wilmington, Delaware. Making Mountains, a five-song EP and the band’s third release – following the highly acclaimed 2006 EP Clouds of People and the 2009 full-length Bourgeous Beat, is due to be released this spring.
myspace | facebook | website | Custom Made

09. “Never Been Alive” by The Telewire from The Telewire (©2011 The Telewire)
Stephen Thurman of Austin, Texas is The Telewire. One day not so long ago, he left a post on a shoegaze.co.uk forum informing members that he had put up his debut album on Bandcamp. I gave it a listen and liked it enough to ask Stephen for a song, which he kindly provided. The Telewire doesn’t have much of an Internet presence as yet, but Stephen is working to change that.
bandcamp

10. “Cosmic Age” by Jetman Jet Team unreleased (©2011 Jetman Jet Team)
After a two year hiatus, former members of The Pop Eccentric Brenan Chambers, Miguel Diaz, Tyler James, and Quin Dickinson have returned, added singer Alisa Dickinson (no relation to Quin) to the fold, and become Jetman Jet Team. Currently spread out around the Northwest, the team will soon congregate in Seattle – where two members now wait to welcome the others. Once the prolific songwriters are united, expect a debut album to follow shortly afterward.
bandcamp | myspace | facebook | soundcloud

All copyrighted materials used with the permission of the copyright holders.

The Cover Art for Vibrato 11.05 is a detail from an untitled photograph by Julie Lynn (of Slowness).

“…I have a headache”

Not really. It’s a little joke that goes with the title of Ceremony‘s first release since last year’s Rocket Fire – the Not Tonight EP. Custom Made Music’s Dave Allison was nice enough to send me an advance copy of the EP in digital format, and I’m happy to say that I like it very much.

Track Listing:
1. “Not Tonight”
2. “Leaves Me Cold”
3. “Dreams Stripped Away”
4. “Take You Down”

Not Tonight EP by Ceremony
©2011 Custom Made Music

My Rating: ✭✭✭✭
iPod Songs: “Leaves Me Cold” and “Dreams Stripped Away”

I am delighted to see that Ceremony continue to be an exception to my “two albums and a handful of EPs” rule of Shoegazing. With the four songs on this EP, they have once again restated their commitment to my favorite musical sub-genre. This kind of dependability – some might call it predictability – could become a problem, however, and ironically, it is the title track that comes the closest to sounding like “just another Ceremony song” – not much of a slur in my opinion. “Dreams Stripped Away” has no such problem. In fact, it started off so differently, I didn’t think I was going to like it, but it quickly became my favorite song on the EP.

I may yet add “Take You Down” to my iPod, but that’s a decision I will revisit when the CD I ordered arrives in early April. Pre-orders will ship on the 29th of March. To order: follow the link to the Custom Made Music website by clicking on the cover art above. Once there, click on the cover art under the “Latest Releases” headline; the rest should be self-explanatory. The official release date for the EP is the 5th of April, which coincides nicely with the band’s departure on its first ever European tour.

European Tour Dates:
8 April: King Kong Club, Berlin, Germany
9 April: Gruner Jager, Hamburg, Germany
11 April: Köln, Germany
12 April: Exhaus, Trier, Germany
13 April: Sonnenkeller, Balingen, Baden-Wurt Germany
14 April: Zwolfzehn, Stuttgart, Germany
15 April: Kranhalle, Munich, Germany
16 April: Deposito Giordani, Pordenone, Italy