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braveyoung - will the dust praise you

truly great works take their time to be crafted. oregon collective Braveyoung know this to be the case. releasing their first full-length, ‘We Are Lonely Animals’ in 2011, the band spent many years toiling away on the album after the demise of Giant, the band’s original guise, in 2009.  the band is now promoting their new EP called Will The Dust Praise You, released digitally. the record marks another notably step for Braveyoung that began with ‘We Are Lonely Animals’. the band left behind many of the sludgy riffs in favor of serene, subdued ambient soundscapes, focusing on instrumentation and keeping vocals sparse but no less enthralling like acoustic-led track ‘The Weight of Loss is Whole’. ‘Will The Dust Praise You’ is an even more somber listen than its predecessor, which had a few flourishes of their heavier sides. short and sweet appears to be their MO with this one and the approach works wonders for the band, sculpting out a lush and ambient record that you can completely lose yourself in. where ‘We Are Lonely Animals’ had moments of cathartic release, ‘Will The Dust Praise You’ is a far more gentler unfurling.  the band now finds themselves on tour again and bringing their majesty to a live setting, something that is surely not to be missed, should they stop by your town.

whirr - pipe dreams

the shoegazers have a few releases under their belt now, most tellingly their debut album Pipe Dreams that came out in early 2012. it was a short effort that saw the band traverse through all the hallmarks of classic shoegaze and indie rock, which take in the obvious influences of My Bloody Valentine, while not being afraid to up the pace a little and give it a totally modern feel at the same time.

balmorhea - all is wild, all is silent

the instrumental six-piece, Balmorhea, founded by Michael Muller and Rob Low in 2006 and hailing from Austin, have a penchant for crafting serene and engrossing compositions that equally thrill and relax.

not only are Balmorhea a collective of musicians but also a collective of ideas and the end result every time is captivating, especially with one of their standout albums in All Is Wild, All Is Silent, and with a new album released only last year called Stranger, there doesn’t appear to be any end to the ideas.

Settler from All Is Wild, All Is Silent is definitely a great starting point and introduction to the wonder of Balmorhea. it’s a song that truly comes alive and this was no truer than on the band’s one and only live album, Live at Sint-Elisabethkerk, a show that saw the band’s compositions take on a whole new essence. minimalist in sound but brimming with atmosphere and cadence, Balmorhea’s music is definitely something to lose yourself in, and you won’t want to be found either.

and don't miss the ethereal sound set to the surf of Indonesia and Japan in the visual for Days, from the group's most recent album, Stranger.