I’ve loved Amiina ever since I saw them years ago with Sigur Rós. They manage to combine a brilliant, smoldering intensity with a child-like playfulness, and the results are magical and sublime. I mean, come on, you’ve got to love a band that describes their current work like this:
[T]he songs on puzzle are more rhythmically rugged than amiina’s previous work and feature heavier use of electronics. amiina’s long-standing fondness for zero-g melodies and open-minded instrumentation, however, continues.
If you’re fond of Sigur Rós, The Album Leaf, or just feeling a bit twee and autumnal… I strongly encourage you to check them out. You can hear a couple tracks off Puzzle, after the jump, and you can find out more on their website:
Arcade Fire’s new video for “We Used To Wait” is out, and it’s interactive. In fact, its website bills the project as an “Interactive Film” rather than a “music video.” Whatever it is, it combines some clever HTML5, Google Street Maps, and your childhood to produce something that’s innovative, nostalgic, and fun.
The Chapin Sisters are an L.A. band that you might have caught opening for She & Him (they’re also part of the backing band) this year. They recorded their debut album – Lake Bottom LP – with their sister, Jessica Craven, but the band is now comprised of Abigail and Lily Chapin. As others have said, their sound is reminiscent of both the country and motown – of long-forgotten harmonies in gaslit cabins, and of doe-eyed variety singers. Yet, beyond this is a sophistication of craft, and an intricacy of sound, that is positively captivating. And really, I ought to let their sound speak for itself…
This week, Great Lake Swimmers released “Ballad of a Fisherman’s Wife” for