Rich Aucoin - It [rock]

We won't leave it all in our heads. Merry Christmas (a few days later)! Here's a song by Rich Aucoin, native of Halifax. Pretty fun song and video. This is from his debut album We're All Dying To Live.

Liquid Tension Experiment - Biaxident [progressive rock/metal]

Liquid Tension Experiment is an instrumental progressive rock/metal band with 3/4 of its members coming from Dream Theater. This is "Biaxident" from their 1999 album Liquid Tension Experiment 2.

I was just randomly browsing through my collection when I stumbled across this. I'm pretty sure I've had this album for years but had never gave a good listen before. Anyway, great song.

The Hundred In The Hands - Pigeons [electro-pop]

The Hundred In The Hands is an American electronica duo. This is "Pigeons", a light chilled out number from their eponymous release from earlier this year. On another note, my head is killing me.

The Hundred in the Hands - Pigeons (Music Video) from DANIELS on Vimeo.

FilFla - WST [japanese chill electronic]

FilFla is one of the projects associated with artist Keiichi Sugimoto (others being FourColor and fonica). His other work has been well received. In particular, his Water Mirror album was touted as being one of the best electronica albums by The Wire magazine in 2004. Anyway, this is "WST" from the 2008 album frolicfon.

FILFLA 'WST' MUSIC VIDEO from frolicfon on Vimeo.

A Sunny Day In Glasgow - Close Chorus [shoegaze]

A Sunny Day In Glasgow has been described as a "synth-laden experimental noise-pop" band and this is "Close Chorus", a song that really stood out from their 2009 album Ashes Grammar.

As an aside, one thing that seems to characterize the music that I've been liking recently is good layering of instruments and vocals, which may explain my partiality to stuff from the shoegaze and dream pop genres. This song definitely isn't lacking in that department.

Masayoshi Yamakazi - One more time, One more chance [japanese uhh something]

This is "One more time, One more chance" by Masayoshi Yamakazi. It accompanies a very touching series of scenes at the end of the anime film "5 Centimeters Per Second". Although the film itself was released in 2007, this song dates back a decade from then in 1997.

To give you a feel for the atmosphere (semi-spoiler alert), it's an accelerated depiction of the lives of the three main characters following the ends of their main storylines. By the end, the turmoils that each of the characters faced remain unresolved and we, much like the characters would in their world, are left merely to accept this anticlimax and move on, though of course never completely.

Mike Del Rio - Everyday [pop rock]

Mike Del Rio is an American pop rock artist from New York. This is a cover of Buddy Holly's "Everyday" that was done for Top Gear. It doesn't seem he has released this under his EP (which is all that he has released so far). Well, anyway, great song, do take a listen!

King Krule - The Noose of Jah City [punky dream pop]

King Krule is the stage name for 17-year old Brit Andy Marshall. This song is from his eponymous debut EP released a few months ago. The song itself uniquely combines ambient/dream pop instrumentals with vocals more reminiscent of punk.

Although I wouldn't say that I'm particularly fond of that style of vocals, this song nevertheless seems to strike a right chord. Pretty smooth part when the drums come in the intro.

Futurecop! - Street Hawk (feat. Jane Hanley) [synth pop]

Haven't updated in a while.. meh.. things've been a little hectic lately.

This is "Street Hawk" by Futurecop!, a British synth pop duo. Catchy retro-ish song. This is from their latest EP The Adventures of Starpony (2011). Apparently this was also on their 2010 album It's Forever, Kids but that one was only released in Japan.. and, thankfully, the Internet, regardless of whether it was by their own doing.