Part of the Anticon hip-hop collective, Odd Nosdam (a.k.a. David P. Madson) is a DJ and an audio chemist whose credits include work with cLOUDDEAD, remixing Boards of Canada, and five full lengths under his own name. A label as much as it is consortium of like-minds, Anticon is known for taking a collaborative and fresh approach to hip-hop and turntable-ism, two genres that, despite the many realms of possibility, can often be strikingly homogeneous.... more ›

Bermon's full-length is airplane music for the soul: soft, lilting compositions comprised of acoustic guitars, piano, synths, found noise and electronic percussion that walk the line between ambient folk and opening credits majesty. "Farewell Lunch for Laura" opens with an off time back beat and snare play that quietly pulses through the rest of the song's subtle horn and string whispers, creating an atmosphere that lingers for the entire album. If Bill Evans-inspired instrumental tracks that work with layers of both real and produced sounds seems appealing to you, you will no doubt enjoy this record. more ›

Chris Adams (of Hood) puts forth his first solo effort in the form of Bracken’s We Know About The Need, out now on Anticon. Featuring plenty of lo-fi, down-tempo beats, the album is a montage of assorted sounds, ranging from dub-step to drum n’ bass, mixed and produced every which way. We Know About The Need is equal parts coherence (“Heathens”) and cacophony (“Evil Teeth”), while leaving room for some “normal” standards (“Back On The Calder Line”) at the end. Bracken has arrived at a futuristic, electronic bliss, comprised of intricately arranged textures; organs, horns, keys are all used appropriately to augment his laptop output. Adams evokes a wide range of relevant acts - there are traces of Tortoise, the Postal Service, AIR, maybe even later Radiohead (or Thom Yorke) in his work but his ingenuity separates his style from any of those. The result is a one of its kind, ethereal post-something-or-the-other album that clatters, drones, almost rocks n’ rolls. more ›

Please excuse the abbreviated NRT this week: we'll see you next week with a biggie size. Naturally, the indie world is buzzing with talk about Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!'s latest, Some Loud Thunder, and all we can think of is how those poor kids have a lose-lose situation on their hands. They enjoyed a couple years worth of undeniable popularity and interest surrounding an album that, as it was sold by the thousands... more ›