yvynyl

Blogging through thick and thin

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 12:20:27 -0400

For 7 years I have been writing about music nearly daily as a hobby, as a passion project. I don’t get paid, I don’t do it for glory. I do it because I love music. I do it because I love musicians. I do it because I love being swept away into other worlds. I do it because I love feeling something that can’t be explained by science.

Right now, I need to take a break. Life has thrown me some wicked, wicked fucking curveballs over the past couple months and I’ve been able to handle them all, but now I need to take a break. I need some healing time. I need rest. I can no longer handle the 500+ email solicitations a week. I can no longer write 2-3 posts a day and stay sane.

I love the friends I’ve made and continue to make in this weird nerdy land where people are passionate about strange tunes and oddball art. I love the friends I’ve made on the other side of the planet because we can. I love the artists who send me shit that only a weirdo like me would like (and those other weirdos who follow my blog). I love the folks who write me deeply personal letters about their musical journey. You guys are the best and my life wouldn’t be the same without you.

I don’t know when I will be back. It might take me a month or two. I’ve got some big personal challenges to tackle. But since this project is the one of the most important, satisfying and fulfilling things that I do with my time, I can assure you that I will return. There’s no way in hell that I would stop and leave you all. YVYNYL is me.

Fryars - On Your Own Perfect. Gorilla vs. Bear: As if Fryars‘...

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 15:00:18 -0400

Fryars - On Your Own

Perfect.

Gorilla vs. Bear:

As if Fryars‘ poignant and heart-wrenching new single “On Your Own” didn’t hit hard enough on its own, the soulful track is lent some additional emotional gravity (in slow-motion) via this stunning, beautifully cathartic new video, directed by Olivier Groulx.

Heroes for Sale - Jim Morrison 17-year-old Kiwi rockers Fraser...

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 12:29:18 -0400

Heroes for Sale - Jim Morrison

17-year-old Kiwi rockers Fraser Hunter and Adison Whitley go literally balls out on this new video by New Zealand directing duo Thunderlips. Calling it a ‘romp’ would be a bit of an understatement - nudity abounds, cock socks, babies, pillow fights. C’mon. Get into it. Jeff the Brotherhood would be proud. You reading this, boys?

Find this track and more on their Bndcmp.

Great Marble - In the Air Rolling around, wandering through...

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 15:25:00 -0400

Great Marble - In the Air

Rolling around, wandering through smoke and mirrors, picking up the pieces. This Toronto outfit has a couple new singles that feel precious and perfect without unveiling the mystery. Dive in.

Get this b/w “What You Need” on 7” wax from LOOSERecordings. They’re on Tumblr too.

Shopping Spree - Homeowners Stephen Peters writes: Hi Mark, Last...

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 13:33:57 -0400

Shopping Spree - Homeowners

Stephen Peters writes:

Hi Mark,

Last month I went home to North Carolina for a week to see some friends and to spend a little time away from Brooklyn. I find Brooklyn to be simultaneously wonderful and terrible in its never-ending stream of culture; on any given night I can find some truly wonderful food to eat, or band to see, or gallery to go to, and so on. But, its easy feel over-saturated and unimpressed in this environment, and as a neurotic over-thinker, it can send me off into these horrible existential spirals where, for lack of a better word, I temporarily feel like a huge phony.

Anyway, I realize this is one of the most unsympathetic complaints imaginable, and that many similar things have been said about the internet, but hear me out for a second. Most of my friends in NC have legitimate 9-5 jobs, live in houses with yards, are getting engaged and are generally “settling down” in the traditional sense. They don’t care about things like buzz bands because buzz bands aren’t particularly relevant to their livelihood.

So, during my trip a friend and I were going through my iTunes library because he was curious about current music, and in the typical fashion of every loathsome and cliche Brooklyn twenty-something I was just sort of spurting off bands in this horrible detached monotone, drooling things out like, “Ok so this is Tame Impala. They’re from Australia, really Beatles-esque. They made a really great album last year,” and my friend, generally unfamiliar with the current music climate, would freak out over nearly everything I showed him.

That I can’t remember the last time I reacted so positively to something, and that most of my life decisions over the past couple years were directed in some way towards such a culture struck a particularly negative chord with me. I went into one of the previously mentioned existential spirals, and wrote this song about buying a house and just watching TV all day and never really going outside.

I’ve since recovered and realize how stupid all of those thoughts and feelings are. Of course I don’t freak out over every band I hear (for example), because as someone who spends a lot of time digging up bands, that would be crazy. Sort of like a veteran surgeon who still gets really grossed out by blood. But, that’s how this song was written, so there you go.

Thanks,

Stevhen Peters

Read more Letters to YVYNYL

Austra (at Hype Hotel)

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 18:40:57 -0400

Austra (at Hype Hotel)

CHVRCHES powering up (at Hype Hotel)

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 17:33:19 -0400

CHVRCHES powering up (at Hype Hotel)

Flume (at Hype Hotel)

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 16:52:04 -0400

Flume (at Hype Hotel)

St. Lucia (at Hype Hotel)

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 15:46:22 -0400

St. Lucia (at Hype Hotel)

Autre ne Veut at #megablaag

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 00:16:30 -0400

Autre ne Veut at #megablaag

Diana at #megablaag

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 23:21:45 -0400

Diana at #megablaag

High Highs at #megablaag

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 22:04:42 -0400

High Highs at #megablaag

Charlie XCX at Gorilla vs Bear vs Yours Truly (at Hype Hotel)

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 16:47:20 -0400

Charlie XCX at Gorilla vs Bear vs Yours Truly (at Hype Hotel)

Cloud Nothings blowing ppls minds at Tumblr Party at Mohawk

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 23:15:34 -0400

Cloud Nothings blowing ppls minds at Tumblr Party at Mohawk

SNOWMINE - Silver Sieve In this day in age, it’s not often...

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 15:30:18 -0500

SNOWMINE - Silver Sieve

In this day in age, it’s not often you come across such beautiful hand-painted animation as this piece by Martin Francis Shields. It’s got such the lovely nostalgic, timeless vibe. The band commissioned him to help them release this brand new single in style, which, true to form, is a finely crafted piece of pop fit for savoring.

They didn’t tell me so explicitly, but I’d imagine the timing is ripe for a new record to be coming out this summer.

Previously: the band’s Shaking Through session

Blood Sister - Why Would You Heavy goodness on a couple of new...

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 14:50:02 -0500

Blood Sister - Why Would You

Heavy goodness on a couple of new singles from a new side project by Ezana Edwards of Brooklyn’s Night Manager and Ryan Grubbs of Sacramento’s Ganglians. This single is already under my skin in all the best ways.

Get the San Francisco duo’s single b/w “Bart Simpson” on Bndcmp.

The Colourist - Little Games This SoCal band is interested in...

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 10:27:48 -0500

The Colourist - Little Games

This SoCal band is interested in “Ghost hunting. Tropical drinks. Scratchers.” The only thing I know that’s called a ‘scratcher’ is a lottery ticket. I don’t believe these guys will need any winning scratchers if they keep making pop songs this good.

Catch this and their other single “Wishing Wells” from Sndcld.

Freelove Fenner - Wendy Witchcult Definitely one of my favorite...

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 09:07:46 -0500

Freelove Fenner - Wendy Witchcult

Definitely one of my favorite cassettes of last year - one of those that I pop in and allow to auto-reverse three times before bothering to stop it.

feastofbeast:

Freelove Fenner just released an fiendish video for Wendy Witchcult from their OOP Pineapple Hair EP cassette, made by their pal Conor of Brave Radar.

The Pineapple Hair EP is still available to download, and I’ll continue to press that it was one of the most overlooked gems of 2012. Definitely in my top ten. The only crime with that glorious cassette is how damn short it is! Not even 11min with six tracks, leaving you begging for more. Keep en eye on Fixture Records for their next release, hopefully next time a fulllength.

Previously: “Pineapple Hair”

Cayucas - Cayucos (Dungeonesse Remix) Back in 2011, I blogged...

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:03:39 -0500

Cayucas - Cayucos (Dungeonesse Remix)

Back in 2011, I blogged about a band called Oregon Bike Trail. I was captivated by Zach Yudin’s simple, straight-forward approach to sunshine pop song construction. He’s gone on to change the project’s name and repackaged his tunes for release with the good people of Secretly Canadian. Luckily for us, they also work with Jenn Wasner (she of Wye Oak and Flock of Dimes) and Jon Ehrens (he of White Life, Art Department) who took some time to rework this single in all it’s fun-loving glory with their special brand of hyper-kitchy 80’s beatz.

The new Bigfoot LP will be out on April 30th. He’ll be hitting Europe for a string of shows after the mad crush of SXSW, so keep your eyes out for him Euros!

yourstrulysf: Four Lambeth, London lads —Will, Pete, Sam, and...

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 10:21:47 -0500

yourstrulysf:

Four Lambeth, London lads —Will, Pete, Sam, and Chilli— land in New York City to stand before the Joe Strummer mural, taste real ny pizza, and show the crowd at Shea Stadium what the sweat and spit of a rock and roll band stinks like.