Hidden Shoal News
Slow Dancing Society Interview on KZSU
Be sure to tune in to the awesome KZSU (Stanford, CA) on the 5th of March to hear an interview with Drew Sullivan, aka Slow Dancing Society. The interview will air Monday Mar 5th 10:00AM PST and you can stream live via http://kzsulive.stanford.edu or if you in the area tune in to 90.1FM on your radio. Unmissable!
Markus Mehr's "In" Reviewed at AbsolutePunk
Markus Mehr’s latest opus In has been written up over at AbsolutePunk,
“Mehr has a steady hand as he defrosts the ice around the core of the track as it melts into warmer shades, other voices waking from their hibernation and calling out to each other. The progression never feels as tightly constructed as it really is, though; the way the layers of the track burrow in and out of each other feels so organic that even when it shifts into a more malevolent gear and machinery takes over, the development isn’t at all jarring but eye-opening.” – AbsolutePunk
Check out the rest of the review here and stream and buy the album on CD and Digital here.
Markus Mehr Reviewed in Ambientblog, Luna Kafe
Fans of Markus Mehr’s new work will enjoy the glowing reviews over at Ambientblog and Luna Kafe. If you’ve not yet pre-ordered your limited edition CD copy of In then you’re still in luck with a small amount of copies still available for pre-order. Alternatively you can download the album now and soak in its expansive splendour.
New Hypnotic Pop Magic from The Caseworker – Free Download
Hidden Shoal Recordings is excited to announce the release of the new freely downloadable single ‘Sea Years’ by garage-dreampop trio The Caseworker, taken from their acclaimed 2011 album Letters From The Coast.
‘Sea Years’ is the follow-up to first single ‘National Runner’, showcasing another side to the band’s trademark guitar surge. The song’s insistent motorik beat, levitating guitar jangle and Eimer Devlin’s gorgeous airy vocals create a very special blend of dreamy, hypnotic pop minimalism. Light as a feather yet crammed full of gutsy guitar sounds, ‘Sea Years’ is another earworm from The Caseworker. The track is lifted from the band’s third album Letters From The Coast, which sees The Caseworker continue to deliver their own unique sonic magic. The album has the feel of a shoegazing Velvet Underground reared by the Flying Nun label, creating an enigmatic intimacy and atmosphere, which the band wrap around immaculately crafted pop songs like smoke. Perfectly intoxicating.
“a mellow, blissed out sequence of West Coast guitar pop, one that references Green On Red and Teenage Fanclub as much as it does the more abrasive Sonic Youth and monochromatic Velvet Underground whom The Caseworker acknowledge as influences… as much resonance and melodic energy as any of the bands and musicians whose work The Caseworker draw their influence from, and it succeeds fully as a complete album…. Anyone whose album collection is incomplete without Ocean Rain, Grand Prix and Park Life will find an equally prominent space in it for this twelve track masterpiece.” – Delusions Of Adequacy
“The Caseworker extract darkness from inside whispery, ambient pop… completely enraptured and awesomely dazed” – Rolling Stone
Download ‘Sea Years’ for free from the Hidden Shoal Store and if you haven’t yet been educated in the ways of The Caseworker’s brilliant Letters From The Coast you can stream the whole thing here.
Scott Solter "One River" Review Round Up
A busy end to 2011 and a sweet but small break over the xmas period means that we have a number of end of year reviews and the like we need to pass on. The first of these catch ups is for Scott Solter’s sublime re-issue of One River which generated much deserved love last year. Amongst the previously reported reviews the album also scooped glowing write-ups in Blog Critics, Textura and Cyclic Defrost.
Stream the album in full and buy it on CD or digital at the Hidden Shoal Store.
City of Satellites "Remixed" No. 4 on the WRAS Charts
City of Satellites wonderful remix album of late last year is still doing great things in the US college radio charts. Last weeks WRAS CMJ charts saw the album grab the number 4 spot amongst some fine company. The albumk features remixes by such wonderful artists as Manual (Jonas Munk), Syntaks, Tim Koch, Jatun, M-13, Tin Manzano and Slow Dancing Society.
If you’ve not had the pleasure of wrapping your ears around Remixed yet then head to the Hidden Shoal Store and preview the album in full.
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City of Satellites – ‘Skeletons (Manual Remix)’
Mess + Noise Gives Some Umpire Lovin'
Umpire’s wonderful new single ‘Supply Chins’, off their frighteningly awesome 2011 debut album Now We’re Active, had a sweet little write up over at the fantastic Australian zine Mess + Noise. Check out the post here and download the track for free here.
Markus Mehr's "In" Reviewed at A Closer Listen
Markus Mehr’s mesmerising new album In has just scooped a lovely review at the excellent new site A Closer Listen. Check the review out here and the album out here.
Salli Lunn's "A Frame Of Reference" Charting at KJHK
Salli Lunn’s awesome A Frame of Reference has made a sweet dent in the latest KJHK (Kansas) top 30, sitting pretty at number 8! A Frame of Reference by Danish spectral noise-rock quartet Salli Lunn comprises remixes of songs from their stunning debut album Heresy and Rite, plus previously unreleased tracks.
Stream it and grab it here.
Kramies Review in PopMatters
More love for Kramies wonderful new EP The European, this time via a lovely review in PopMatters. Check out the glowing words here.
The European is available now as a limited edition CD postcard as well as all digital formats.