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.

I Heart Hiroshima - Punks [indie rock]

I Heart Hiroshima is a three-piece indie rock band from Australia. Pretty neat song. And, they don't have a bass guitar apparently. This is "Punks" from their first album Tuff Teef released in 2007.

I Heart Hiroshima - Punks from We're Wolf on Vimeo.

Sad Day For Puppets - Sorrow Sorrow [nu-gaze]

I've previously made a post about Sad Day For Puppets, the Swedish nu-gaze band. Here's another pleasant piece by them. This is "Sorrow Sorrow" from their 2010 album Pale Silver & Shiny Gold, which I actually received in the mail just last week. Contrary to the title, this song is actually pretty uplifting. 

Regarding their album, I was initially a little dismayed that it was only 37 minutes long (10 songs). But after listening to the entire album, it really was a non-issue considering the number of songs that I actually ended up liking. Super.

The Shoes - Wastin' Time [indie electronica]

The Shoes are a French duo. This song is from their first album "Crack My Bones" released earlier this year.

Al Bizzare - Fire Breazze (Original Mix) [trance]

I don't think I'll be making as frequent entries anymore. It was pretty casual when I was doing this on Google Plus and doing it at the pace I've been doing so far is probably a tad bit unsustainable.

Anyway, here's a nice trance tune I found the other day. There's not too much information on Al Bizzare, only that it consists of two Russians dudes. Super.

The New Pornographers - Crash Years [indie]

The New Pornographers is an indie band hailing from Vancouver, B.C. and their latest record just came in the mail today. I wouldn't call myself a die-hard fan but I certainly enjoy the stuff they put out. Good instrumental layering, strong and varied vocals (they have three great vocalists to work with), and thoughtful lyrics.

This is "Crash Years" from their 2010 album Together.

The Union Trade - Everyday Including Holidays [post-rock]

The Union Trade is an American indie post-rock band, which formed in 2006. Reviewers say that this band's sound involves combining post-rock instrumentals with a variety of guitar and vocal effects. Also, reviewers and the band itself often refer to their music as "cinematic post-rock", though I have no idea what that means.

Anyway, this is "Everyday Including Holidays", an instrumental piece by The Union Trade, though much of their other work does feature vocals, from their 2008 album Everyday Including.

A. A. Bondy - I Killed Myself When I Was Young [folk]

A. A. Bondy is a folk artist from Alabama. His solo career started after his previous gig, Verbena, had disbanded. Compared to Verbena's stuff, Bondy's solo work has been described to be more traditional and minimalist. Interestingly, his music has been featured on a number of TV shows such as House, Friday Night Lights, and Bones.

This is "I Killed Myself When I Was Young" from his 2007 album American Hearts.

Ulrich Schnauss - A Letter From Home [ambient techno]

This is "A Letter From Home" by Ulrich Schnauss, a German electronic musician. This song is from his second album A Strangely Isolated Place released in 2003, which showed a notable influence from the likes of Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine (I swear I'm not purposefully trying to bring every post back to shoegaze).

But whatever the influences, I found the entire album a very soothing experience. Listening to a few of the songs really seemed to transport me to another place, a more simple and calming place. It was actually for one of the other songs on this album that I had wanted to make a video of the song set to visuals of driving through somewhere remote.

But you know what's even more remote than the countryside? The vastness of space (with good audio quality to boot).

"A Letter From Home" from Uwe Heinrich Adler on Vimeo.

Asobi Seksu - Trails [shoegaze, dream pop]

Asobi Seksu is an American shoegaze/dream pop band. They were originally known as Sportfuck but changed their name shortly after the release of their first EP in 2001, saying that they found it juvenile. Interestingly, Asobi Seksu is just a play on that name: Asobi means game/play whereas Seksu is clearly just a japonification (or whatever) of sex.

This song, "Trails", which can be found on their latest album Fluorescence (2011), is a great tune that features elements from both the shoegaze and dream pop genres. It starts off with shoegaze-esque guitar instrumentals, reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine, and later transitions to a more ethereal sound. All the while we are treated to Yuki Chikudate's vocals, which are strong enough to maintain its ground in the midst of all the varied instrumentation.

The Depreciation Guild - Blue Lily [shoegaze, chiptune]

The Depreciation Guild was an American shoegaze band active from 2005-2011. One notable aspect of this band's music is its fusion of chiptunes, the 8-bit style sound reminiscent of older video games, and the shoegaze genre. That aspect was much more prominent in their first album In Her Gentle Jaws (2007). In their second album Spirit Youth (2009), however, the instrumentals seemed to have shifted their focus more on traditional rock instruments, though the chiptune feel is still there blended (very smoothly, I might add) in the background.

I was disappointed when I found out that this group had disbanded in early 2011, but was pleasantly surprised, as said in a previous post, when I had found out that the frontman of The Depreciation Guild, Kurt Feldman, was still active in the shoegaze scene as the drummer of The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, which has a similar feel musically and lyrically,  though without the chiptune aspect.

Anyway, long rant aside, this is "Blue Lily" from the second, and last, album Spirit Youth.

Patty Griffin - Long Ride Home [folk]

Ok, it's probably apparent by now that I like folk-y music. I had no idea how prevalent it was in the music that I liked until now. Anyway, this is "Long Ride Home" by Patty Griffin, a simple melody accompanied by a scenic tour of the Texan countryside. They do complement each other pretty well. I'd actually like to try to make a video like this some time (if only it wasn't illegal for me to drive right now).

This song was included in the soundtrack to the film Elizabethtown, which, according to wiki, experienced "neither critical acclaim nor commercial success", despite having Orlando Bloom.