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In a continuing attempt to cover more music that would all-too-oft slip through the very large cracks, we slumbering scribes are making an effort to publish short(er) reviews at a greater frequency, thereby shining our very small spotlight on more cool music. Without further ado:  Written by: The Administrator I've spent significant time over the past few weeks spelunking through the doomy and deathy depths of the promo pit, and thus find myself craving a sonic experience that will wash away the filth. Enter "junebug," the latest track from Istanbul's own nazire. Serving as the second single from the forthcoming glitchfolk, "junebug" is a spaced-out and comfortably gaze-y affair, relaxing hazily somewhere in the confines of an artificial cloudbank. nazire is operating here in the ill-defined realm of indie bedroom trip-hop meets lo-fi shoegaze, and the resulting sound is glitchy and dusty and floaty and fresh. "junebug" initially sets the stage with some delightfully digital trip-hop. The percussion feels friable, and there's an overall texture here that I really enjoy. It's like the sonic equivalent of a particle effect that causes a perceptible framerate drop as you walk past. The eventual vocals are untethered and borderline ethereal, contributing significantly to the track's overall blissful feel. At the midpoint, however, the track lifts off into shoegaze atmospherics. I love the sudden increase in volume--it truly feels...voluminous? In any case, the build is incredibly pleasant; the space is swelling and full. As the end of the track bleeds into increasingly warm and blissful heights, the predominate feeling is one of intense satisfaction. Not a bad place to leave off! Given how much I enjoy both this track and the prior single "toybox," I'm quite excited to give the full album a listen upon its eventual release. Until then: "junebug" on repeat! Nazire - "junebug" was released Nov. 4th, 2025 via Ortaçağ
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 Written by: The Administrator
Why am I writing about Breach, the latest album by Twenty One Pilots, a band I have never discussed on this or any other platform? The answer is simple: I like this album. I like it to a fairly unexpected degree, in fact. I usually save Twenty One Pilots for an afternoon listen on release day, but as of 8:30am on Sept. 12th, I was already knee-deep into the second listen. As such, Breach certifiably has the intrigue factor locked and loaded. It has been in frequent rotation since release, and at least several songs qualify as high-caliber earworms. I've enjoyed Twenty One Pilots for their conceptual cohesion and vision, and any ill will harbored has pretty much been wrapped up in the presence of white-boy-rapping. Which, in prior releases, felt very, erm, of-the-time. Here, I'm pleased to say, the white-boy-rapping is much better integrated than previous efforts, and at its most overt it feels self-referential enough that I'm able (or perhaps willing?) to see the bigger picture. Either that or I am more desensitized, which doesn't entirely likely. In any case, Breach definitely presents some interesting juxtaposition of styles from across the Twenty One Pilots sonic spectrum--in the past I've found these seams jarring, but for whatever reason everything flows better here. From power balladry to maximalist pop rock to artsy indie, nothing is particularly new, but the combinations of aesthetic are often interesting. 
Written by: The Adminstrator
It's been a while since we've published a mini-review 'round these parts. But today, as I exist in the dull yet painful aftermath of some fairly intrusive dental surgery, I'm ready to listen to the same song on repeat until I miraculously spawn a writeup that encompasses all my thoughts and feelings. That, dear reader, is how this process works. Anyways! On to Ainor's delightful "City Lights," today's track in question. If you're unfamiliar, Ainor is a bit of a musical anomaly and enigma, with projects seemingly spanning the musical spectrum. With "City Lights," a single released on June 2nd, we're treated to an overtly alt-rockin' aesthetic, the likes of which I am personally very fond. Upon hearing a rough mix of "City Lights," my initial reaction was, and I quote: "Really enjoyable! Very nostalgic vibe without feeling antiquated." Completed mix in hand, and some time and multiple listens later, I can confirm that this assessment has held up quite well. In some respects, the track recalls the early 2000's alternative radio rock of my childhood in the best of ways. It's the kind of song I would hunt down and subsequently transfer to my 512Mb Transcend T.Sonic 310 MP3 Player (in red, obviously). The vocals across the first half are emotive and just a tad cloudy, soaring yet tinged with a nice angsty patina. The chorus is catchy, a really singalong. The midsection, however, feels like a more grown-up take on the genre's implicit sense of youth, with some nice drum presence and a whispered and dramatic build into some comparatively raspy and aggressive vocals that sit beneath the choruses' triumphant return. It makes for a pretty damn energetic and climatic moment. For a four minute track, this thing breezes by, with the runtime broken into engaging segments in a fairly seamless fashion. Highly listenable stuff. While I'm a fan of the Ainor ethos in general, should we get more stuff of this ilk, I'll be first in line to check it out! Ainor - City Lights was released June 2nd. Find it here!
Ainor can be found:
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Written by: The Administrator
Welcome to Sleeping Village Micro-Reviews: Volume I! The following is a collection of very short reviews written in reaction to individual tracks submitted by a delightfully eclectic assortment of artists. The only thing the musicians featured herein all have in common? They responded to our following twitter prompt: "If you reply to this tweet within the next uhhhh 60 minutes with a link to one of your songs, I'll check it out and write a lil' micro review." And so here we are. Thank you to everyone who submitted tunes, I had a lot of fun doing this and will certainly be sending out a similar prompt again in the future. To everyone reading, I hope you find something lurking below that appeals to your tastes. Please note: we had a few submissions come in after the deadline--they will not appear here, but I will collect them all in a forthcoming Volume of Sleeping Village Micro-Reviews. If you are responsible for one of those submissions, fear not and stay tuned! Enough of my blathering. Without further ado: 
Written by: The Administrator
I must admit: I feel like a bit of a tease when it comes to premiering this particular track. Listening to a single song in isolation from By Torchlight's forthcoming A Night To Remember is a little like ripping a random chapter out of a mystery novel and attempting to piece together the narrative without a true beginning or end. However, a lil' intrigue goes a long way, and in the case of "A Dangerous Game," today's track in question, I hope yer investigative acumen is primed and ready to fire. A Night To Remember is, in the artist's words, a thrilling tale of betrayal and murder. The narrative follows the trials (and trails) of private detective Stephen North, who catches the scent of one murderous Mr. White. Hijinks ensue. "A Dangerous Game" is the fourth track, and, as ye shall soon hear, details the a mourder most foul. Listen below! As always, we'll be lurking on the other side. 
And now for something completely different!
Welcome, dear readers, to a long-overdue edition of a regrettably infrequent segment we like to call "Is it metal? Who cares?" It's the part of the show where we openly admit that everyone likes different types of music, and thereby acknowledge that pigeonholing one's listening habits is nothing more than an exercise in stagnation. Indeed, while we do often focus the limelight on loud and/or angry music, this particular population of slumbering scribes knows a thing or two about enjoying a well-crafted and otherwise highly listenable tune. Case in point: the latest single from Oakland-based solo artist James Utterback, who has been finely crafting a debut indie/psych/prog/surf rock album for the better part of 15 years under the Fire Whale moniker. "Serenity Within Chaos" has been on heavy repeat 'round these parts for the better part of a month, and we're honored to share it with you here today. Give it a listen below, and, as always, we'll catch ye on the other side! |
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