Live Review: Charlie Parr @ DC9 — 12/11/21

Posted on 12/20/2021 by Casey Vock in Live Review and tagged ambient, blues, Charlie Parr, DC9, guitar, Minnesota.

Charlie Parr performs at DC9 on Dec. 11, 2021. (Photo by Casey Vock)

Redefining a career through a nationwide lockdown and its confusing wake hasn’t necessarily been a breeze for most musicians. But if any had experienced what one particular virtuoso guitarist from Minnesota went through in the years leading up to the pandemic, it would have likely given them strength to persevere the tougher-than-usual environs of 2020 and 2021.

An acclaimed Piedmont blues and folk blues master who grew up in a small city called Austin and never moved out of the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Charlie Parr took the stage at DC9 recently as a remarkable story of perseverance and unwavering commitment to one’s craft.

Song of the Day: “Opus 56” by Dustin O’Halloran

Posted on 05/05/2021 by Parklifer in Preview and tagged ambient, California, Dustin O’Halloran, Los Angeles, piano, Song of the Day.

Dustin O’Halloran (Photo by Anna Maggý Grímsdóttir)

Oscar-nominated, Emmy-winning US composer and pianist Dustin O’Halloran unveiled his new single, “Opus 56,” recently.

The track is the second single from his forthcoming Deutsche Grammophon debut, Silfur, which arrives on June 11.

Song of the Day: “The Great Attractor” by Nick Rhodes and Wendy Bevan

Posted on 03/24/2021 by Parklifer in Preview and tagged ambient, Duran Duran, England, instrumental, London, Nick Rhodes, Song of the Day, violin, Wendy Bevan.

Nick Rhodes and Wendy Bevan (Photo by Radka Leitmeritz)

Duran Duran synthesist Nick Rhodes and violinest Wendy Bevan team for Astronomia I: The Fall of Saturn, the first of four albums to be released on equinox or solstice days throughout 2021.

Nick’s own Tape Modern published the ambient instrumental on Friday, March 19, and the duo then shared a visualizer video for “The Great Attractor.”

Livestream Preview: Okay Kaya @ Noon Chorus, 2/14/21

Posted on 02/11/2021 by Parklifer in Preview and tagged ambient, art pop, livestream, New York City, Noon Chorus, Okay Kaya.

Okay Kaya (Photo courtesy Noon Chorus)

Kaya Wilkins, better known as Okay Kaya, is livestreaming a Valentine’s Day show via Noon Chorus on Sunday, Feb. 14. Catch the darkly soulful singer-songwriter for an engaging and thoughtful, if occasionally melancholy, indie show this weekend.

Song of the Day: “Winter Kills” by Covenant

Posted on 12/24/2020 by Parklifer in Preview and tagged ambient, Covenant, industrial, Song of the Day, Sweden, trip hop.

Covenant (Photo by Frank Machalowski)

Swedish electronic innovators Covenant today share a cover of “Winter Kills” by UK new wave duo Yazoo to mark the arrival of our coldest season.

Song of the Day: “Swill” by Jónsi

Posted on 06/25/2020 by Parklifer in Preview and tagged ambient, Iceland, Jónsi, Sigur Rós, Song of the Day.

Jónsi (Photo by Barnaby Roper)

Jónsi Birgisson, multidisciplinary artist and frontman of Sigur Rós, proudly announces Shiver, his first solo album in a decade, out Oct. 2, on Krunk. The new album features acclaimed vocalists Liz Fraser of the Cocteau Twins and Robyn, as well as production by PC Music founder A. G. Cook.

A new song from the record, “Swill,” is released today alongside a video by Barnaby Roper and animated by Pandagunda.

Song of the Day: “Exhale” by Jónsi

Posted on 04/23/2020 by Parklifer in Preview and tagged ambient, Iceland, Jónsi, Sigur Rós, Song of the Day.

Jónsi (Photo by Barnaby Roper)

For the first time in 10 years, Jónsi makes a highly anticipated return with a brand new song “Exhale”, along with a new video directed by himself and Giovanni Ribisi. “Exhale” is his first solo work in over a decade and was co-produced by Jónsi and A. G. Cook.

Live Review: Near Northeast @ Comet Pizza Ping Pong — 1/9/20

Posted on 01/15/2020 by Mark Caicedo in Live Review, Local Spotlight and tagged ambient, Comet Ping Pong, DC, folk, Near Northeast.

Near Northeast performs at Comet Ping Pong on Jan. 9, 2020. (Photo by Mark Caicedo)

Watching and hearing Near Northeast’s evolution has been a wonderful musical journey. Since 2016, when I first became acquainted with this DC-based quartet, I’ve become a devoted fan of their extraordinarily crafted music.

Snapshots: Jónsi and Alex @ Lincoln Theatre — 10/28/19

Posted on 10/31/2019 by Jason Nicholson "Le Mouton Flâneur" in Live Review and tagged Alex Somers, ambient, Iceland, Jónsi, Jonsí and Alex, Lincoln Theatre, Sigur Rós.

Jónsi and Alex perform at the Lincoln Theatre on Oct. 28, 2019. (Photo by Jason Nicholson)

Ten years ago, Jónsi of Sigur Rós partnered with musician Alex Somers to record an ambient album, Riceboy Sleeps. This year, Jónsi and Alex celebrated a decade of Riceboy Sleeps by taking it on the road with an orchestra in a tour that stopped at the Lincoln Theatre in DC recently. Jason Nicholson shot the show.

Snapshots: Cigarettes After Sex @ 9:30 Club — 10/25/19

Posted on 10/30/2019 by paivi in Live Review and tagged 9:30 Club, ambient, Cigarettes After Sex, dreampop, El Paso, shoegaze, Texas.

Cigarettes After Sex performs at 9:30 Club on Oct. 25, 2019. (Photo by Paivi Salonen)

Ambient quartet Cigarettes After Sex recently performed at 9:30 Club on the very day the band released Cry, their second studio album. Paivi Salonen was there to take photos of all of the slow jams.