 While we slumbering scribes do have a certain affection for bludgeoning our earholes, we also have a demonstrated affection for the ambient leanings of Texas' own Slow Draw. A side project of Stone Machine Electric's Mark Kitchens, Slow Draw has been consistently putting out music that encourages a moment of respite--much like, it should be noted, our premiere earlier this week. We ran a double review of the excellent Gallo last year, as well as a brief writeup of the 4-track Quiet Joy, which may have claimed the throne as my favorite Slow Draw release...upon until this particular moment, that is.
The fantastic Yellow & Gold is out today, and is very much worth checking out, in this humble scribes opinion. We'll point you in the right direction soon enough, but in the meantime, we're honored to present the music video for "The Project," one of my favorite tracks on the, erm, project. As always, we'll catch you on the other side!
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And now for something completely different! Given a certain proclivity on the part of our promo pit to offer up the most chaotic and tortured exemplars of extreme metal, a little relaxation and recuperation goes a long way 'round these parts. Enter Chalk Portraits, the one-man ambient project of one Greg Kennelty.
Most ambient music carries the burden of assumption that it is primarily background music, designed specifically to fade out of the foreground. Chalk Portraits, in contrast, has served me quite well over the past year or so when it comes to focusing on the task at hand. This expansive and otherwise open-ended ambient approach provides the optimal soundtrack for the organization of hectic thoughts. As such, I'm quite pleased to present, in its entirety, the forthcoming Chalk Portraits EP. Entitled Memory, this latest effort is most certainly worth checking out if you're in need of a little calm--and, frankly, I dunno who isn't. Check it out below, and, as always, we'll see you on the other side!  Moonlow presents “apocalyptic noise poetry," and if that particular combination of descriptors wasn't what you were expecting to encounter today, join the club. This one-person artist in question writes music for fans of Current 93, Laurie Anderson, Crowhurst, A Forest of Stars, and Brian Eno--which, frankly, is an odd enough roster that an actual template isn't exactly apparent. The instrumentation is equal parts harsh and tranquil--a peaceful mediation routinely and unexpectedly beset by paralysis demons. The lyrics are spoken, whispered, and guttural fried with alternately tranquil and chaotic abandon. It's ritualistic, and enchanting, and....kind of scary. In a word: this is delightfully weird stuff.
Moonlow is the veritable poster-child of musical invention. Who Are You? is a strange and grand album, and "Day 3 (You Diminish Me)" is a prime representation of what lurks within. As such, the track before ye--and Who Are You? as a whole--is a wholly indescribable experience. Without further ado, then: listen for yourself!  We slumbering scribes subject ourselves to aural bludgeoning day in and day out, so when the opportunity to feature something a little lighter on the sonic spectrum comes our way, I jump at the opportunity. That's not to say, however, that we aren't dealing with some appropriate emotive weight: today's singer-songwriter in question is undeniably heavy in tone and content. Perhaps moreso than the majority of classically "metal" music that enters our humble halls.
To kick the day off, then, we have the honor of featuring the trailer for Covered Mirrors by kariti, a darkly acoustic exploration of death, mourning, sorrow, and parting. In the articulate words of the artist, this project is an expression of "cathartic peregrination through bereavement." This is folk in a true down-to-earth sense: real emotion uncovered in the exploration of real-world problems. Without further ado, however: the album trailer for Covered Mirrors--the somber video for which was created by Chariot of Black Moth--can be viewed below! 
Frequent passers-by through Ye Olde Sleeping Village will (hopefully) have noted by this stage that I enjoy when bands toe the line of convention. Indeed, I celebrate when a group throws in the towel and lets deliberate genre-melding lead the process. As such, when Yukonian one-man musical maverick Rick Massie approached us highfalutin peasants with the idea of premiering his forthcoming debut album, all it took to seal the deal (besides, of course, sampling a track) was the promise of genre tomfoolery. In his words, Eclispe is "kind of a mix of everything from prog, to symphonic, to black, to death, to doom-ish, to rock." That's a Now, dear readers, we're talkin' my language.
But let's cut to the chase, shall we? Today, it's our absolute pleasure to present Rick Massie's Eclipse in its unadulterated and unabridged entirety, prior to its release this Friday, May 1st. Before we get too far absorbed in the details, hit play on the stream below. I'll meet you on the other side. 
One of the more significant hurdles in adult life--or so I've been told--is the oppressive inevitably of the mundane. The dull monolithism of same old, same old. Day in, day out. I'll be the first to admit that, as a guy in my mid 20's trying to claw, with nail-bitten fingers, a little security in this overwhelming world for me and mine, my primary concern isn't mundanity, but rather reaching the tail end of these turbulent times in the first place.
The point? If you find yourself at a stage in your life where the self-doubt, bewilderment, and constant sadness of early adulthood are less than crystal clear, Florida's own Empty Joy are here to offer up a little vicarious grief and agony. These guys are in the thick of it, and the emotive intentions of their first track--to "convey the complicated nature of sorrow in a traditionally happy time of the year"--are refreshingly genuine. In that unhappy spirit, we're happy to present today said debut track, the appropriately entitled Drowned. |
Welcome!We provide thoughtful reviews of music that is heavy, gloomy...and loud enough to wake us from slumber. Written by a highfalutin peasantry. What are ye
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