#17 brighter – noah’s ark

my first taste of shoegaze/dreampop and all things in between were from the mixtapes stella (wherever you are) made for me. the first band to appear in one of those (yes, cassette) tapes was brighter, the short-lived darlings of the legendary and equally fleeting sarah records. “noah’s ark”, the second 7″ ep they released on the label in 1990, is a bittersweet affair with the opening twee-tinged strummings preparing the way for keris howard’s wistful vocals, which in turn gets washed over in a sea of swirling colors. now reissued with the other brighter singles on matinée recordings, this song is a perfect lazy afternoon companion to all daydream believers like myself.

mp3: brighter – noah’s ark

#04 air france – no excuses

it’s funny writing about a band i know so little about. all i can tell you is air france is a swedish band on the equally mysterious sincerely yours record label. the music, however, is instantly accessible. no excuses is a statement of pure, blissful pop breathed with a breezy party vibe, stitched together by a subtle touch of sampled collage. if you like what you hear, do pick up a digital copy of their latest ep no way down at klicktrack at a very reasonable price. you won’t regret it.

mp3: air france – no excuses

#01 beach house – heart of chambers

i’ve listened to beach house’s devotion for some time now, but it’s always lingered in the background, too polite to even tap me on the shoulder. yesterday, i finally gave the album the attention it deserved, and was promptly rewarded with this gem of a song. i’ll be waking up to the delicate beauty and brutal honesty of this track for a while.

i’d love to be someone you could finally learn to love again.

mp3: beach house – heart of chambers