Artist of the Day: Colin Stetson

Colin Stetson's music is the most mechanical living beast one could ever imagine. This is why the musician's work is such a paradox, because however much labor he places in it, regardless of how structurally solid his art is as a whole, its effect on the listener transcends blueprint. What Stetson achieves with sound isn't something that can be calculated, or even estimated: it leaps into the field of potential with both wings outstretched, capable of picking up any and all willing passengers.

Crossfire: Olafur Arnalds - For Now I Am Winter

Album Rating: B/B+

Greetings! Today, Moses Kim, a newcomer to the work of Olafur Arnalds, and Jacob Royal, a longtime fan of Arnalds, will discuss the neo-classical musician's latest album, For Now I Am Winter.

Moses: I guess I should preface all of my opinions by saying that this is the first album by Olafur Arnalds I've ever heard in full. He's becoming an increasingly ubiquitous name in the cinematic music community, and with a body of work as prolific and as consistent as his, it's not hard to see why. It's surprising, however, that For Now I Am Winter is as accessible an entry point as most new listeners will get. It takes what he's refined over the years--sparse but emotional melodies made more affecting by disciplined, minimalistic composition and instrumentation--and reconstructs it into something both familiar and exciting.

Interview With Casey Crescenzo (The Dear Hunter) (3/23/13)

When starting out in music journalism, I knew exactly what I wanted to do-- show who musicians really are. Music can say so much, but even if an album speaks perfectly for itself, its creator can, as Casey Crescenzo told me, come across as some "cloudheaded" figure. This is silly, of course-- musicians are just as human as we are-- but it can be hard to realize that, especially in this time of readily accessible music.

Artist of the Day: The Dear Hunter

Let's face it: there's no way to properly sum up what the Dear Hunter has accomplished in the last five years. Casey Crescenzo and company has torn up the indie scene from one album to the next, between the theatrical storytelling of the Act albums to the remarkably diverse Color Spectrum EPs. Every album the group has released has pushed the envelope of the indie realm in some regard, and refined the band's sound even further.

Interview - Tera Melos

After plenty of miscommunications about when exactly I should call Tera Melos' bassist Nathan Latona, I discovered time zones can dissolve even the firmest of plans. I maintained resolve, though, texting the musician to find out when he could have a chat. And when he asked me if ten o'clock worked, I sent him back a big thumbs-up.

The interview/conversation was a blast, and I hope you readers get as much out of it as I did. Nathan's clearly a great guy, and that fact makes me respect genre-benders Tera Melos even more.

Artist of the Day: Tera Melos

Tera Melos has progressed immensely in the last eight years. Hark back to 2005, where one can find a wildly confident math-rock-esque group toying with instrumentation like a kid on a playground. Tera Melos' self-titled album was all over the place, in terms of both cohesiveness and scope. After all, the album ended with a 20+ minute experiment into how expressive full-fledged noise can be.

Album Review: Mice Parade - Candela

Album Rating: B

For a globetrotter's soundtrack, Candela sure does have a sense of emotional unity. It's best expressed earlier in the album, between the atmospheric rumblings of "Listen Here Glide Dear" and the serenity of "The Chill House." The emotions are far-reaching, but perfectly fit the mood of Mice Parade's latest album, for the experience is a journey into what culturally diverse indie can make its listeners feel.

Artist of the Day: At the Drive-In

Can post-hardcore devotees truly be post-hardcore devotees if they haven't heard At the Drive-In? I thought so for awhile, and still don't find the idea to be too ridiculous. However, having heard The Relationship of Command for the first time today, I can see why the album's so legendary within the genre's fanbase. Cedric's rough vocals, the infectious hooks at hand and the album's surprisingly simple structures paint such a different picture than The Mars Volta's general persona. It's really interesting to hear what Cedric and Omar were up to before they embarked on their progressive journey, which is why At the Drive-In's more straight-forward nature is refreshing. It's nice to hear the duo drop the pretense, and to play something that isn't head-scratchingly inaccessible. 

Jukebox: "Peace Be With You" - Danny Baranowsky

Multiple playthroughs into The Binding of Isaac (the official most addictive computer game in existence, might I add,) and then it hits me like a ton of bricks. The single most jarring part of the game is when it draws to a lull, once Isaac has defeated all his foes on the floor, and the boss lies on the ground in defeat. In this moment, a subtle ambient song begins to play. And while it can be hard to notice, the track adds so much depth to the moment. I'd be doing the song a disservice by trying to sum it up in mere words, so I implore you to check it out yourself.

Congratulations, Danny Baranowsky. This song was probably an afterthought during your writing sessions, but it's going to stay with me a long time.

Artist of the Day: iNTRiKeT

We musicians all have our aspirations, but there's something special about those of us who actually deliver. Josh Frazer is one such example, taking influence from his favorite dubstep producers and then channeling the energy into something distinctly his. Frazer, a.k.a. iNTRiKeT, has given followers small tastes of music over the last year, but late 2012 finally saw a full-fledged release from the producer.

Album Review: Omnium Gatherum - Beyond

Album Rating: A-

Metal is one of the most redundant music genres today. It's a sad realization, but there are five throwaway metal imitators for every innovative act. This shouldn't be a criticism of the genres themselves: a style with distinct characteristics will inevitably spawn imitations. In no way should this damage how talented metal groups are received, though. In fact, the great ones should be applauded for rising out of the muck and monotony to accomplish wonders.

Artist of the Day: Neat Beats

Does meaningful music have to be orchestrated with a white knuckle grip? Neat Beats answers this question with a resounding no, but don't get the wrong impression. After all, Cosmic Surgery - the instrumental hip-hop producer's only release thus far - is still very methodically planned. The album just flows, though, and that's the biggest reason why I've only been listening to Neat Beats this past week. The percussion is simple but memorable, the eclectic samples work ridiculously well, and the nods to classical music make the experience worthwhile. Check out Cosmic Surgery here if you haven't already, or follow Neat Beats on Facebook.

Artist of the Day: And So I Watch You From Afar

Post-rock doesn't have to be predictable. Granted, I'm not too well-versed in the genre, but many of my experiences with Explosions in the Sky, Mogwai and other "top-tier" post-rock artists have led me feeling a little disenchanted with the genre. This is precisely why my time with And So I Watch You From Afar, as brief as it has been, has changed my perception of the genre as a whole.

Album Review: This Town Needs Guns - 13.0.0.0.0

Album Rating: A-

This Town Needs Guns are releasing their newest outing at the perfect time. The math-rock group's latest release 13.0.0.0.0 is named after the Mayan prophesies, and comes from the civilization's idea of the world truly beginning once 13 b’ak’tuns (periods of time containing 144,000 days each) have been completed. What great timing, too, because this concept is where the infamous Mayan prophesies of 2012 came from. 13.0.0.0.0 comes out right on the heels of the debacle, and intentional or not, the inherent connection gives This Town Needs Guns' latest record a more meaningful context.

Artist of the Day: This Town Needs Guns

This Town Needs Guns makes accessible math-rock. This is somewhat of a contradiction, since math rock is concerned with more complex musical practices, and this makes the British group's style surprising. How do their songs sound so comfortable, when they're constructed with the oddest time signatures in mind? It's a respectable skill this group has, and one you should acquaint yourself with if you haven't already.

A recommended starting point for This Town Needs Guns would be their latest record, Animals. The album contained many notable tracks, but perhaps the most memorable one is "26 Is Dancier Than 4." Check it out, and if you like what you hear, you should proceed to the rest of the album!

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Jacob's 2012 Gems

2012's been a year of thrills and disappointments, surprises and inevitabilities. Instead of honing in on the most rewarding moments of the year, let's take a deeper look inside its many angles.

First off, I have to admit 2012 was my official foray into hip-hop. Although I've explored the genre little by little over the last few years, I've never quite delved into it to the extent that this year entailed. As a result, many of my favorites from 2012 are hip-hop classics. Sure, I've always been a metalhead at heart, but the albums I was interested in from this year were all at least somewhat of a disappointment.

Perhaps one has bigger expectations when they know what exactly they expect. This could be said for many of 2012's letdowns for me: Between the Buried and Me was cohesive but forgettable, Periphery II was riddled with filler and The Contortionist was incredibly forced. And it's because I know what makes a successful progressive metal album that I'm so picky about specificities. Maybe that's why hip-hop was so appealing to me this year. I like to think it's more than that, though, which is why you'll see quite a few albums from the genre in my list.

Artist of the Day: The Alvin Band

I'm infatuated with The Alvin Band, probably because Rick Schaier really knows how to pick his influences well. Take the sugary highs from Animal Collective, and combine them with the vocal harmonies in which Kevin Barnes gleefully basks, and voila - you've got yourself a discography full of catchy statements.

Exclusive Stream: Fero Lux / Courtships

Hardcore is one of the most promising genres of modern music. It seems that with each passing year, there are more and more promising groups in the genre, coming out of the woodwork to show what they have to offer. These groups also have an unspoken brotherhood from time to time, with certain niches sticking together and even collaborating to create something special. One such example is the duo Fero Lux from South Florida, teaming up with Virginia natives Courtships.

Both groups burst onto the hardcore scene in this past year, too. Courtships are still widely praised for their debut album The Feral Sound..., an ambitious attack on hardcore as we know it. And Fero Lux came about shortly after, their debut Some Divine Ashtray, an amalgam of equally thrilling styles. The record worked remarkably well at the end of the day, and featured some brilliant lyrics to boot. So here we are at the end of 2012, on the eve of Fero Lux / Courtships - a split furthering the groups' reach, and offering some of their most powerful tracks yet.

We at MuzikDizcovery have had the privilege of receiving the split before its spring release, and we even have an opportunity to share it with all of you. Check it out, send it to your friends, and enjoy this release as much as I have.

MuzikDizcovery is pleased to introduce the split between hardcore groups Fero Lux and Courtships, exclusively streaming here!



Tracklist:

Fero Lux
1. The Devil (Hooah!)
2. Say It like Pacino

Courtships
3. Dead Pilots
4. DOA
5. Japam

And check out Fero Lux and Courtships on Facebook!

Artist of the Day: Stars of the Lid

Was music made to be deconstructed? I don't have the answer, but Stars of the Lid do. From one 15-minute song to the next, formless melodies after another, relying on only their own pulses, one can't help but question why this sense of vitality is pretty hard to find in contemporary music today.

Artist of the Day: Mice Parade

Indie is a genre that has so many connotations, because it's so versatile. Take Modest Mouse and Bon Iver and compare the style of their music, and just try to come up with common characteristics. I mean, we could always go with timbre - guitars, intimate vocals, and ehh... There's not too much else there. The versatility of indie's become a part of modern musical culture, though, and this much becomes clearer through time. One indie group who is damned great at what they do is Mice Parade, utilizing a variety of instruments to convey their message as accurately as possible. Vibraphones, pull-offs on guitars and other instrumental playfulness shows how experimental the group can be while still adhering to their fans' expectations.