LISTEN: Dibiase

Illinois instrumental outfit Dibiase are a perfect strand of rock 'n' roll DNA. They mix the dynamics of math rock, the precision and proficiency of metal, the thrill of straight up rock 'n' roll, as well as the atmospherics of drone music. They span generations of rock, as well, exhibiting elements from '70s hard rock all the way to post-rock. And while that all sounds rather serious, Dibiase isn't weighted down with a strictly serious attitude. Even without lyrics, there are moments where you can almost hear the big smiles crossing over their faces. You can catch it all on their latest release, Here Comes Forever EP.

WATCH: Remember Remember - "Scottish Widows"

Scotland instrumental ensemble Remember Remember have a new album on the way. Next Tuesday, October 11th, Mogwai's Rock Action Records will release the band's sophomore album, The Quickening, in the U.S. (it's out now in Europe). Check out the video for album track "Scottish Widows" below. The song is beauty defined.

REVIEW: The Drift - Blue Hour

The Drift - Blue Hour
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Love is, arguably, the biggest inspiration for most music, past and present. There’s an inexplicable power in love that can influence, or touch, even the coldest of hearts and minds. Death also happens to be quite the catalyst when it comes to music, hanging overhead like a cloud that refuses to go away. When love and death cross paths, the ensuing inspiration draws out something especially moving. Blue Hour is a perfect example of this intersection.

LISTEN: Talkdemonic - "Revival"

Talkdemonic - "Revival"


The changing of the season and the beauty that it brings.

The viola that ebbs and flows throughout the first half of this song moves with the ease and grace of a fall breeze through the golden brown tones of the tree leaves, guiding one leaf after another gently towards the earth below. When things settle down momentarily around three quarters of the way through, you can feel the invigorating chill of the winter air arriving into town. When the vibrant green of summer fades to the rich shades of yellow and brown, life seems all the more precious and meaningful. "Revival" captures this feeling of change and the splendor that it brings. A sweeping, romantic folk-meets-post rock track that's just as stirring as it is humbling.

VIDEO: Delicate Steve - "Butterfly"

Back in September of last year, we shared the song "Butterfly" from Delicate Steve's Wondervisions LP. And while the album has been out independently for a few months now, today it receives its official (re)release on David Byrne's Luaka Bop label.

NPR premiered the video for "Butterfly" over the weekend, which you can view below. It's a real-time performance piece featuring a wide range of performers. Director Sophie Peer says, "Acrobats, dancers, a juggler, hula-hooper, belly dancer, balloonist, magician, ventriloquist and of course, a chainsaw artist, all come together to celebrate Steve's song." It concludes with a nice staring contest between Steve...and Steve.

Delicate Steve (aka 23 year-old Steve Marion) says the video is an inside look into his native New Jersey.

Though living in northern New Jersey, where I'm from, can seem from the outside to be plain and boring, behind the banal surface lies a circus of tumult and activity. I guess perhaps the same amount of oddness that one might find upon a closer look in any hometown. Or so I've been lead to believe.

Codes In The Clouds: The Sky Is Just the Wind In My Face

What if Explosions In The Sky were to be more cinematic and rock even harder? They'd probably sound something like Codes In The Clouds, an instrumental post-rock quintet out of Kent, England. The band formed in 2007 and has quickly garnered a great deal of attention with their epically gorgeous and engaging songs. With the amount of careful attention they've paid to the ebb and flow in every minute of the music, it's hard to classify their songs as songs. The word "song" seems like such a limiting term and this music is not something that can be contained. Hearing the mix of the instruments -- swells and attack of guitar, the march and the shots of snare drum, the crashes of cymbals -- and the beauty of the space they create, Codes In The Clouds convey a sense that there are no boundaries; they bring the sky right to your face.

The band recorded their debut album Paper Canyon with producer Justin Lockey (Bloc Party, Enter Shakari). The album was released earlier this summer through London-based Erased Tapes in the UK as well as in Ireland, Benelux, Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Paper Canyon is out now in the U.S. and will be available in Germany on October 23rd. You can purchase a physical copy of the album at the Erased Tapes Online Store by clicking here. Listen to "Don't Go Awash In This Digital Landscape" below.

The band is currently touring Europe and is expected to tour the U.S. in early 2010.

MP3: Codes In The Clouds - "Don't Go Awash In This Digital Landscape"
(via Erased Tapes)

Some things always appear in slow motion. Some things are always in flux. It's like staring at the sea and trying to make sense of what is out there. We can't always wrap our minds around something as vast as the sea. It's why we always use it as a metaphor for feeling lost or frustrated. Sometimes all we can do is let the waves crash down upon us. This song feels like just that, but in the most refreshing way. It feels cathartic, a sort of tabula rasa. What is chaos and confusion but a speed bump on the way to serenity and clarity?

For more information on Codes In The Clouds:
Codes In The Clouds MySpace
Erased Tapes' Page