Inlets’ first full-length album has been over three years in the making, and now fans can finally hear why it took so long. Sebastian Krueger is back with a lush slice of pastoral pop called “Bright Orange Air”, a teaser from the forthcoming Inter Arbiter LP. Equally gorgeous is the accompanying video, directed by Benjamin and Stefan Ramirez Perez. For those who geek out on this sort of thing: it was filmed, rotoscoped, separated into layers, and then run through AfterEffects to create seven different color textures from which they created a rich range of color. Yummy.
Lisa’s original post from 01/31/07:
Sebastian Krueger is the man behind what he calls “the bedroom fidelity project” Inlets. This perhaps makes him both faithful and musical? Ladies? He is also a generous man, and we here at the ‘hive appreciate good music even more when the artists who make said music decide to make their EP’s available for NO dollars to music lovers of the world. Krueger gets “sharing the sharing.” He just gets it. Back when I was a 3hive fan and not a participant, I used to be totally charmed by all this “this is totally a Clay band”, “oh such and such is Shan music for sure” business. Since I’m still pretty new, I’ll just say that Inlets is Lisa music–moody, instrumental, a touch earnest, but musical in a way that avoids sappy sweet sentimentality. And who doesn’t like a man who cut his teeth with My Brightest Diamond? So snatch up the Vestibules EP at luvsound while the gettin’ is still good.
Frederik, yet another musically gifted Swede brings us tunes we love. Na Na Ni varies from quiet, dark and pretty instrumentals to more pop-ish songs with quirky lyrics–he does them both well. And for that very reason, this December, whether on bus, train or subway, Frederik was always in my headphones, never leaving my side. The album varies from quiet, dark and pretty instrumentals to more pop-ish songs with quirky lyrics–he does them both well. Frederik has become my own personal patron saint of public transportation–always making what was happening outside my headphones prettier, more magical, less annoying. I’ll be listening tonight and, again, tomorrow while I’m turning twenty-AHEMPH. I think the record makes a delightful beginning AND end of a year. Happy New Year’s kids.
I’m certainly no longer a teenager, but Starf**ker makes me want to call my mom and tell her “I love this band named… STARF**KER” just because I will have a way to drop the f-bomb in front of her with immunity. Now I’m certainly way too grown to think of cussing a some form of small rebellion, but this album makes me feel young again! Like I can hang out until 5am on a Monday night! Like I might run off with a bass player and become West Coast Lisa! Like I don’t have to go to work in an hour! Like Long Island Iced Teas are still an acceptable drink! None of this is true in any way, but I believe in an album that can make me believe these things for at least a moment. SF is from Portland, the music is dreamy, happy/sad pop and they rock my socks off. Your turn.
Is Olga Bell a Bjork sound-a-like? Not exactly. She probably gets asked this a lot, so to combat the similarities between their grand and ethereal Scandinavian voices–she cleverly decided to answer this question by starting with tribute. covering a Bjork track! She’s firmly not-Bjork. Nor is she Bjork-lite. When I first heard Bell, I was so-so on the whole thing. As when smelling a glass of wine, I was getting over-strong notes of the aforementioned Icelandic star and Radiohead. But my friend Seth kept telling me how much he loved her, so I kept listening. Where I ended up with was this: Bell is a singer whose personality comes through in her voice, a love for the staccato beat and someone I have come to really like listening to. I also love that she is Russian born, Alaska-reared and has somehow ended up in my own beloved Brooklyn. She also calls her laptop and instrument. And while I have been a detractor re: “laptops are music!” for ages, I’m kind of willing to buy that in her case.
And here comes another one from the department of better late than never… I think for a long time I was resistant to listening to O’Death because, well, from my brown girl New Yorker perspective “Appalachia Punk” seemed a little far flung. Well, this week is a time for changes and a week for realizing that we are all ready to stop thinking inside our little boxes. I bought a message t-shirt that says “Obama Mama”, I signed on to O’Death’s frenetic mixing of seemingly discordant genres. Times are a-changing. But really in the end, labels mean nothing. This twanging and yelling and somber tone really just throws me back to the good old Tom Waits days. And we liked them days. Three cheers to the 
Sometimes I fall in love a little when I listen to the perfect music at the perfect time and it seems that the stars have aligned because I am listening to Bon Iver RIGHT NOW and I am definitely feeling musical butterflies. I’m not sure what it is, but I think its because the album “For Emma, Forever Ago” is just so damn pretty. Of course there is a whole lot of pretty music out there, but there is something truly simple and honest to this. The music is often bare, doesn’t fuss when it doesn’t need to and nods a couple of times to some of my musical favorites (Elliott? Bonnie?). Fortunately, a quick search of the interweb has confirmed that Bon Iver appears to be just as simple and honest and real as he sounds. Good thing since, lets keep it real, he is totally my new imaginary boyfriend.
Seattle’s Man Plus is kind of like 3hive–a bunch of dudes, one girl and all about the music. When I run low on musical suggestions, I tend to stream KEXP radio when I wake up in the morning and when I did just that recently, I came across this. I was very happy about this find. I have to give much love to the good people at KEXP for always throwing up something new, something smart and being profound musical locavores. To my ear, Man Plus is definitely music from the Pacific Northwest. I have no idea how one really defines “music from the Pacific Northwest” in 2008–but I’m feeling like it has to be part rock out music, part semi-impenetrable lyric (see: “I want to be the number 12”) and, of course, part unrestrained angst (see: all those gloomy pretty guitars attended to by the tendency to move from pretty singing to expressive yell-singing). It has been the soundtrack to this gloomy but sweet morning, and to many others.
This post has been a long time coming. Because I haven’t loved any music lately, and because, well, I’ve been so very MIA. So first things first, hello again! Some things change (i.e. the seasons, my computer [!!!]), etc but thankfully never, ever my weakness for the british accent and quirkilicious bands. I’m really glad that these poppy, punky girls and boys decided to cite Architecture in Helsinki as an influence on their own accord, so I didn’t have to do it first. Los Campesinos has the same big, bombastic, pleasantly messy collective sound and the same absolutely misleading kind of name–these seven british kids don’t appear to be anywhere from anyplace that speaks any kind of Spanish (although I could be wrong). I feel like seeing them live (which I have not) would be a blast of colors and dancing and rocking out and just a whole lot of fun. I look forward to it.
Well hello Edie Brickell! I won’t even mention the title of her ubiquitous late eighties/early Nineties “New Bohemians” hits, hit lest one in particular gets stuck in your head for the rest of the week and haunt your dreams. (You know which one I am talking about.) Looping music in my mind notwithstanding, I was delighted to find this collaboration between Ms. Brickell and her hubby Paul Simon’s son. She’s always had a beautiful voice, thats for sure, and it seems that Mr. Simon (the younger, Harper) has added some of what appears to be his youthful dreaminess and angst to the mix. Shall we play the definition game? Eighties earnest meets Nineties earth pop meets the offspring of Simon & Garfunkel and then gets busy with the present day and hangs out a little with French lounge pop? Maybe/maybe not, but I heart.