– featured image courtesy of lauren crew –
scott hansen’s most recent full-length effort under his tycho moniker, 2014’s awake, is a sonic diary outfitted for westward treks via automobile to watch the sun set behind a bank of mountains. the album’s eight tracks are a perfect union of post-rock grandeur and cascading ambient soundscapes, a mesh of motion and meditation. after nearly two years of touring endlessly in support of awake, hansen returned home and slowed the project down earlier this year, intent on recording a new album.
it’s not clear if “epoch” is the impending album’s title track, but tycho’s latest single is described as indicative of a darker sonic evolution hansen sees his project taking. “epoch” still resonates as anthemic – or, more accurately, multiple anthems stacked atop one another to eventually achieve blissful cacophony – but there are enough brooding undercurrents in the track’s murky bass line and hesitant, melancholic synth figures packed in as well to give it a distinctly ominous tone that hasn’t really existed this prominently in tycho’s music before.
the follow-up to awake is gestating; there’s no word on a title or a release date, but the new album will most likely appear sometime next year, probably on tycho’s longtime home, ghostly international. for now, spend some time with “epoch,” below.
ryan pollie emerged as one of the more intriguing acts of 2014, releasing a wistful collection of breezy, home-recorded tunes under the moniker los angeles police department. pollie evidently piqued the interest of fat possum records, who have tapped the musical l.a.p.d. for a 7″ single – “insecurity” b/w “water and wine” – due out february 24th. the label let go of the fuzzy a-side earlier this morning, and it’s been on repeat here ever since. pollie waxes poetic about his complex feelings for a girl over top of a subterranean guitar riff, replete with a cheeky, meta-esque reference to police departments. take a listen to “insecurity” below.
detroit’s gosh pith are back with their third standalone offering, “window,” a sultry track that slinks with ease thanks to its liquid bass line. the duo’s fresh take on r&b is especially augmented here by heavily delayed vocals and jangly guitar chords perched perfectly atop the mix. we’re waiting eagerly for an ep or a full-length from these guys. check out “window” below.
katie crutchfield announced ivy tripp, her third full-length effort as waxahatchee, this morning. the album is due out april 7th via merge records and its announcement was paired with “air,” an authoritative lead single propelled by changing drum beats, a subtle bed of synthesizers, and crutchfield’s no-bullshit mixture of confessional and metaphor. take a listen below.
2014 was sam ray’s year; in between a ricky eat acid full-length and ep, he found time to covertly release a new julia brown record and to resurrect a reincarnation of teen suicide. but it’s that first moniker that has excited and mystified the most, an artistic entity that can pull off footwork and post-classical soundscapes with equal aplomb. ray shows no signs of slowing down his output as ricky eat acid, and will release “context” b/w “walking around a garden at night” on january 20th via canvasclub. the a-side runs the gamut of ray’s musical pursuits as of late, navigating through white noise to busy synths all the way to a frenetic busdriver vocal sample inflated with helium. take a listen to “context” below.
less than a week after delivering the goods on “hollow body weather,” nashville-via-des moines duo field division is back with “of lives we’ve never known.” the single, taken from their impending debut ep reverie state, is comparatively subdued, with folk and trancelike qualities battling for dominance in its beginning and a slinking, mysterious bass line that gradually envelops the strumming of an acoustic guitar. but field division once again showcase their propensity for crafting admirable chorus structures, this time employing a choral blend of voices and shimmering guitar chords to open up the back half of the song. this is not a band to sleep on. take a listen to “of lives we’ve never known” below, courtesy of field division’s soundcloud page.
i don’t know too much about pillar point. the project is currently shrouded in quite a bit of mystery, but i’m guessing this is a one-man show based on the promotional photos. what i do know is that pillar point recently signed with polyvinyl records and will be releasing a 7″ sometime this year. check out “diamond mine,” the a-side of the single, below via polyvinyl’s soundcloud page. it’s commanding, ethereal, and downright addictive; polyvinyl hit the jackpot again. 
Dimestore Saints 