Levamentum menti, Latin for "comfort for the mind", that's what music is for me. This blog will be an ongoing record of interesting music that I come across. Check it out, maybe something will suit your tastes!
Don't forget to up the quality on the embed for better sound quality.
Oh, I meant to post this weeks ago. Been a bit of a drought for the past bit. Haven't really tried looking for much and nothing I've heard has really stuck. Oh well...
This is Petal. She's on the same label as Adventures (that's how I found her). This is "Heaven" from her debut album Shame. The song features laid back steadily growing vocals and an ever-ebbing electric rhythm, a feel good (eventually cathartic) wash. It's nice.
Now that I look into it ... M83 also released a remix/B-side collection for their Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts album in 2003, the same year the original album was released. Not too sure why they decided to release a remix/B-side for this one 7 years after the fact. Coincidentally, they also announced future reissues of older stuff. Well, here's my fav remix on the latest M83 release. (N.B. there was also a Maps remix there but I've opted not to post it despite it's fitting nature ... I just ... didn't find it too interesting.)
"Kim & Jessie (Montag Remix)" by M83 from their 2015 release Saturdays = Youth: Remixes and B-Sides
I got Vicissitude from the clearance section from Sonic. I never really got into this CD but I did get into this track at one point. I most associate this song with that trip to Peterborough (i.e. the only trip to Peterborough because ... who even visits Peterborough, let's be real).
"You Will Find A Way" by Maps from his 2013 album Vicissitude
...here's the newer video featuring a box-man (fast forward 2 minutes for the actual song)
M83 recently released a remix/B-side CD for their 2008 album Saturdays = Youth. Despite the countless times I've listened to both Before The Dawn Heals Us and Hurry Up We're Dreaming, I've never actually listened to the Saturdays = Youth album. So let's celebrate the new album with ... a song from the old album, yeehaw.
"We Own The Sky" by M83 from the 2008 album Saturdays = Youth
This was on a related video of "I'll Teach You" by PROM (for which youtube only has some amateur concert-rip right now, zzz). Stayed for the video (it's very ...conceptual). And, I guess I'm now staying for the lessons on how to hunt. Camilla Sparksss is Barbara Lehnoff from Swiss-Canadian band Peter Kernel (I'm guessing Barb is the Canadian half). Anyway...
"I'll Teach You To Hunt" by Camilla Sparksss from her 2014 album For You The Wild
I think I would've really liked this song back in high school (well, I like it right now too). Fun energetic rock with harmonic (female) vocals and cathartic but not melodramatic lyrics (with a memorable chorus). I think it falls under ... emo? Iunno.
"Your Sweetness" by Adventures from their 2015 album Supersonic
Something light. "Submission" by Siamese Twins. Very washy dream pop. Veh nise. I once showed Coco this song and said she could learn a thing or two. She wasn't very impressed.
By the way, new video size! applied retrospectively to all October posts. The original size was 540x360 because YouTube used to refuse to play higher quality videos unless the embed had a minimum width. Oh, how times have changed.
"Submission" by Siamese Twins from their debut 2014 album Still Corner
"That Song" was a great song, I'd listen to it over and over again all throughout middle school and university. Imagine my surprise when I found out that they released a new album in 2012. I listened the shit out of that album. I remember driving to and from Cobourg with mostly that CD, lots of good songs on that thing. Here're three from that 2012 album, Albatross: "Wolves" "A Million Days" and "Time".
Been watching a lot of Mario Maker on Twitch lately (the oh so vaunted past time of watching others play video games ... which actually stretches back to my childhood, the days of Doom, Duke Nukem, and Corridor 7). What would be more fitting than listening to rock covers of Mario music? Nothing, that is the answer. Here's a tried and true favourite from an xoc (Jason Cox) album I've had for a while.
"Forest Of Illusion" by xoc from his 2005 album SMW
This isn't some deep post about aging ... though I do feel age creeping on me recently ... Well, anyway, I present to you three songs that mention the age of 25. None of them feature that age as the song's topic, merely referencing passingly. Let's put them in order of when I first heard each (which is coincidentally the order in which they were released anyway).
"What's Up?" by 4 Non Blondes from their 1992 album Bigger, Better, Faster, More!
"Chocolate" by Snow Patrol from their 2004 album Final Straw
"first love / late spring" by Mitski from her 2015 album bury me at makeout creek
Tonight I have chosen to not do shit and spend some time with some familiar post-rock in the background. Here're two songs by 惘闻 (Wang Wen) from their 2012 album 0.7. I remember when this band was a more frequent sound on my playlists. I haven't delved into post-rock as deeply as I had a years ago, so this is nice nostalgic toddle.
When I first heard "Headbanging In The Mirror" by Ducktails, the initial guitar rift immediately reminded of Real Estate. Laid back but purposeful, distinctive but careful not to be too in one's face about it. Well, part of me felt a little presumptuous thinking that ... it's not like I really have a very comprehensive understanding of Real Estate's catalogue.
After a while of listening to the song, I finally decided to go look up more info about Ducktails. And.. it's.. apparently.. the recording project of the guitarist for Real Estate ... lol. Well, since I use "related artist" features at websites, I suppose it's not inconceivable that I would be unwittingly listening to interconnected bands.
Anyway, without further ado, here're the "woozy, horizontal" and "hypnagogic" sounds that we've all been waiting for! Matt Mondanile looks incredibly relaxed in this video and makes a very compelling case for walking amidst palm trees and driving the dessert while sporting a spiffy suit while staring far into the yonder.
"Headbanging In The Mirror" by Ducktails from their 2015 album St. Catherine
The Jam, yet another band that my coworkers (well maybe only the former UK one) listened to back in the day but by whom I'd be lucky just to know a few songs. The only reason I know this song is because of a very fitting scene featuring Robert Carlyle in Stargate Universe, from the 14th episode of the first season: "Human". The scene includes a dream sequence, a lost love, and a ship hurdling through space in a distant galaxy. I can't imagine the lyrics had ever been more relevant: "I've been to ancient worlds // Scoured the whole universe // Caught the first train home // To be at her side", especially given Robert Carlyle's Scottish background (well, The Jam's English but ... close enough ... right?).
"English Rose" by The Jam from their 1978 album All Mod Cons
Raiding CD sections at Value Villages and Salvation Army Thrift Stores has become quite an enjoyable past time. What on earth an unwrapped copy of That Place We Ran From by Tired Pony (supergroup featuring members from Snow Patrol and R.E.M., as well as Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward) is doing there I'm not quite sure. But certainly an interesting listen. Here's a nice one.
"That Silver Necklace" by Tired Pony from their 2010 album That Place We Ran From
This song is fantastic for the slow introspective day. After listening to it a few times, it's easy to see the parts that make me like it so much: a relaxed tempo with layered but still relatively simple instrumentals, harmonic female vocals that don't try too hard to stand out, subtle lyrics, and a steel guitar for gooood measure. Fuck yes; you get a 5 out of 5 all day son.
Oh, the album version isn't available on YouTube for some reason ... still, a nice acoustic version, just without a few parts that made it extra nice.
"Spirited Away" by Lily & Madeleine from their eponymous 2013 debut Lily & Madeleine
Of course I waited until after summer to listen to this year's Summer Sampler by Dine Alone Records. Its laid back synth melodies drew me in the second I hit the chorus. The video was also something (it's intended to be a dark ending, right?). That snowmobiling was pretty goddamn Canadian, well non-metropolitan Canadian anyway.
"Dk/Pi" by Aero Flynn from their debut 2015 LP Aero Flynn
What anarchic fun. Well, it's all fun & games until someone gets the shit danced out of them (second video in a row with an excellent solo dance sequence). The Colourist are an indie rock band from Orange County.
"Romancing" by The Colourist from their 2015 EP Will You Wait For Me
I definitely, absolutely, most certainly, unquestionably did NOT get this album because the band shares my name. That would lunacy, pure narcissistic applesauce. And I am beyond such ego-centric behaviours.
I wonder how the John Malkovich cameo came to be. Also, that's some fancy moves there Mr. Sunglasses Rollerskates Man. Keep on dancin' in the free world.
"Blouson Noir" by AaRON from their 2015 album We Cut The Night
I first saw this video a long time ago and the song has stuck with me ever since. I've sat on it for a long time but I've finally added it to my collection (*ahem* iPod). A great combination of glitch and melody. Actually, I think the artist, Cubesato, is also White Crest (previous post), the album cover for the HELLO? album is on the Cubesato website. Maybe that's why I liked Hello? in the first place. Anyway, this is "Le Petit Prince" by Cubesato, released as a single in 2010. A shame it's less than 2 minutes long.
