A SMUGGLING CREW, FENCERS, ENEMIES, AND UNDERGROUND CONTACTS for my smuggling captain, Hamish Grey, career criminal and former con-artist, he turned to smuggling because it seemed like a more “honest” living. Kind of a handsome grump, he grew up in the sketchier side of Europolis and pretty much took to lying, cheating, and stealing out of school. He made enemies with a dangerous pirate after stealing a ship and worked off his debt about eight years ago. Hamish pretends that he doesn’t burn a lot of bridges, but lbr he does.

R3V0 SOLDIERS AND SPIES for my delightful R3V0 council member and former pirate queen, Anthea Carne. This one is a little more flexible in terms of roles and responsibilities. She’s a pretty hardcore extremist when it comes to R3V0 tactics and after being ousted a la Eleanor Guthrie, she needs to cultivate a small army of loyal followers within R3V0’s core. Bonus points if you give her a younger boy toy ok.

CUSTOMERS AND INFORMANTS for my Mars saloon proprietress and information broker, Alix Barbosa. Questionably a merry murderess of her first husband and all around enterprising creature, formerly a prostitute who sang pretty songs for credits and a feather bed. Has turned her eyes to the stars now.

AN OBI-WAN adult figure for my pod-racing engineer, Paloma Zabinski. Probably R3V0 affiliated and checked up on her once and awhile while she was growing up and ensured that she didn’t die on Mars.

PERSONAL CONFIDANTE AND SECURITY for poor little rich girl, Bell Weatherly. She’s lived a life that was controversially public because of her position and rarely allows her personal anxieties to be made obvious. Someone to see the cracks in the foundation, to act as sage counsel, and to make sure that she or her son don’t hurt themselves would be great. Potentially a recent addition to the staff, with the threat of R3V0 on the rise.  

FATHER TO A PRECOCIOUS FOUR YEAR OLD for Bell Weatherly. Not necessarily a relationship that was ever serious in the romantic sense, I just enjoy extremely uncomfortable conversations. Another person somewhat privy to her messy life. Someone else to find Milo devastatingly cute and maybe recognize some self-destructive tendencies in Bell. Potentially exploitative. Who knows.

PERSONAL ASSISTANT AND PROBABLE CONFIDANTE for my newly minted production company helmsman, Robin Pevensie. He’s a grown person and relatively fiercely independent but probably needs someone to mind him from time to time. Certified Magatama Rotten Prince but typically keeps that on the down-low as much as possible these days now that he’s older. Definitely privy to the messiness of his life and probably knows a lot more about him than she/he lets on. A surprisingly trusting relationship maybe?? WHO KNOWs.

A CREATOR for Dolores Abernathy wannabe Ruby Watts. Probably a little older, definitely gave her a posher name before he wiped her memory and trashed her. Potentially stole something of value from WATI. Not necessarily a great dude. The Dr. Frankenstein to her Monster.

50. Waxahatchee - Out in the Storm I really like that Waxahatchee took her 90s-girl-guitar sound and elevated it this time around.  They haven’t ditched their gritty edge, but the lyrics and hooks sound a lot more polished and refined.

49. Land Of Talk - Life After Youth Remember when Elizabeth Powell retired and then released Life After Youth and it felt like no time had passed?  This album really does see where the band left off.  Glassy vocals atop an orchestration of light-psych-guitars and drum loops.  A refreshing gulp of Canadiana.

48. Benjamin Clementine - I Tell a Fly Benjamin Clementine really goes the extra mile on his sophomore LP.  His collage of R&B, free Jazz, lounge, and field recordings sound like the future of this genre. It’s experimental as it is impassioned.

47. Daphni - Joli Mai I quite enjoy the Daphni project of Dan Snaith because it strips away all the superfluous and grand instrumentation he’s known for (and quite good at), and hearkens back to a bedroom type quality. The result is an intimate look into his influences (I strongly recommend the tour mix tapes he put up on his BandCamp) and is still uniquely to his electronic stance.  It’s a light an airy secret that’ll still let you rock your best mirror dance moves.

46. Daniel Caesar - Freudian I still can’t believe Daniel Caesar is only 22, released one of the best R&B albums of the year (with some of the best musicians of the year), but is also from Durham Region (so maybe excuse the hometown bias with which I write this).  Seriously though, this album is packed with the slickest grooves, and even smoother vocals.  It is jam packed with jam after jam and leaves the listener wanting to digest as much as they can.  

45. Alvvays - Antisocialites Alvvays are back and this time they’re dreamier than ever.  They took everything that was fantastic about their incredible debut and turned it up (softly).  Swooping guitars swoop harder, fuzzy-wuzzy synths are pulled further, and dreamy melodic vocals are more pristine than ever.  Each track packs a dreamy punch.

44. Slow Dancer - In a Mood I had never heard of Slow Dancer before, and this album took me a while to get into, but I’m glad it did.  The minimal beats and plucky guitars mixed with warbling vocals marries to recreates an atmosphere of hug-you-tight bedroom soul.    

43. Nightlands - I Can Feel the Night Around Me There’s something still so magical about Nightlands music.  This time around his muted stringy vocals are paired with surf guitar and sometimes an acoustic twang.  It’s haunting, mesmerizing, and carefully crafted.

42. Hoops - Routines Jangly hypnagogic pop with an 80’s shoegaze aesthetic?  Count me very much in!  Routines is such a solid album that sounds like the past married the future.  It sounds familiar but also exotic.  A pristine blend of fuzzy and cool.

v.a., {1987} nightlands

NIGHTLANDS  “I Can Feel the Night Around Me”  [Album preview]

Chat!

 / @yvynyl + @nightlands songwriter David Hartley /

The other day, I connected with my old friend to catch up on life, new projects, old projects, and how we all dream of living in Big Sur. He just happens to write gorgeous songs that sound like he’s been living there all along, not the gritty city. 

Mark Schoneveld: Hey brother! Are these internet wires working? :)

David Hartley: hey man! yes I think the dial-up modem in my garage is finally up and running.

Mark: hahah right on

David: sorry, this is the only instant messenger I use, or am really aware of anymore. is AOLinstant messenger still a thing? I used the shit out of that in college.

Mark: I think it is, yes. I’m not sure anymore either, tho. I just use Messages on Apple products mostly. But anyways, Gmail works.

David: right on

Mark: I’ve been wondering, since I last saw you (when was that? at a Jesse Hail Moore’s show?), how long have you been working on this new record?

David: I started writing the songs during some time off during the last The War on Drugs touring cycle... I was living with my then-girlfriend (now wife) in Ridgewood/Queens and started demoing while she went into Manhattan for work every day. Then when the Drugs finally took an extended break, I rented a warehouse in Kensington and started working in earnest last winter.

Mark: So do you still need to be up in NYC from time to time? Where’s your full-time home?

David: No, I'm full-time Philly. I realized the other day that I've lived in Fishtown longer than any other place, ever. Which shocked me... my wife still commutes to Manhattan a couple times a week but we're dug in here in Fishtown, at least for the time being. I constantly fantasize about moving to Hudson or Ojai or Asheville, like most people, but home is where your friends are. I've found the density of wonderful people/musicians/creatives in Philadelphia second to none.

Mark: Philly does have a certain “dirty magic.” But your music - like a dream from Ojai - seems oddly in place, doesn’t it?