Montclaire
Montclaire "Future Fear" is the first full length release by Sabrina Velazquez. It is a truly lovely collection of songs that convey a sense of grit in storytelling for matters of the heart and facing the worlds uncertainty with brave eyes open. It's all beautifully arranged and performed and worthy of praise. Check it out.
Recorded, Produced and Mixed by John Askew. Mastered for all formats by Amy Dragon.
XYLITOL
XYLITOL's "I’m Pretty Sure I Would Know If Reality Were Fundamentally Different Than I Perceived It To Be" EP has been a long time coming and it came and went with a flash. It was a limited edition release with all proceeds from this record going to benefit Black Fem Defense, a Baltimore-based organization that makes self-defense tools and training accessible to Black queer youth. In addition to being a fantastic cause, the album is a total ripper.
Recorded by Captain Tripps Ballsington at High Command in Olympia, WA. It was released on Thrilling Living and mastered for all formats by Amy Dragon at Telegraph Mastering.
Kimié Miner
Kimié Miner, a Grammy Nominated Producer, Singer-Songwriter, Recording Artist, Music Publisher and owner of HAKU COLLECTIVE label is out with a brand new album: Children of the Sea (Nā Kama Kai). This release is a blast of gorgeous Hawaiian sunshine and good vibes. "It was released by HAKU Collective "not for profit to support non-profit Nā Kama Kai committed to empowering keiki to embrace a deeper sense of aloha and personal understanding of their kūleana (responsibility) for Hawai’i’s natural environment. It shares important messages of conservation, ocean safety and interconnectivity told through the voices of Hawai’i’s children."
It was mastered for all formats by Amy Dragon at Telegraph Mastering.
Plankton Wat
Portland musician Dewey Mahood,the genius behind Plankton Wat, is out with this gorgeous album 'Future Times'. Mahood teamed up with Dustin Dybvig and engineer/producer Victor Nash to create a regional experiential time capsule. This album was recorded in the spring of 2020, when the pandemic began and the feelings of uncertainty were amplified by racial injustice and coastal wildfires. "Future Times taps into psychedelia’s counter-cultural heritage as music for protest, liberation and imagining new ways of being in this world." Get this album while you can still pre order it.
'Future Times' was mastered for all formats by Amy Dragon.
John Jeffery
John Jeffery, drummer from Moon Duo, has released a solo project 'Passage'. Get bathed in the warm, minimalist and ambient glow of this instrumental album. Grab a copy now; available on Jean Sandwich Records.
’Passage' was recorded at The Hive, with engineer Colin Stewart. It was mastered by Gavin Gardiner and mastered for vinyl by Amy Dragon at Telegraph Mastering.
Holy Sons
Holy Sons is out with this gorgeous double LP, "Raw and Disfigured". This album certainly delivers. Emil Amos, of Om, Grails, and Lilacs and Champagne showcases his brilliance in this searing and comprehensive release. Emil "draws thematically from the archetypal tale of Quasimodo and classic ghost story imagery to illustrate the “hero’s journey” in the time of a coming apocalypse." The vinyl sold out almost immediately, so definitely check back in for a repress.
Out on Thrill Jockey. Mastered for vinyl by Amy Dragon at Telegraph.
Florian T M Zeisig
Florian T M Zeisig is out with a vinyl debut 'Coatcheck'. This album is a dub-techno gem of perfection. Succinctly poised rises and decays of ambient dreamlike textures guide listeners through this memorable album. The original pressing sold out immediately, but a repress is on the way and online. All proceeds to Women In Exile (Berlin, GER) - www.women-in-exile.net
'Coatcheck' is released on Enmossed. It was mastered for vinyl by Amy Dragon at Telegraph Mastering.
Teyuna Mamos and Zaha
Indigenous Peoples from the of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta joined together for a special recording of ancient ceremonial 'Music for the Mother'. From Underwater Panther Coalition: "The mountains of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta of Colombia are the sacred ancestral lands of Indigenous Peoples: the Kogi, Arhuaco, Wiwa, and Kankuamo. Together, they number over 30,000 people. The inhabitants share the belief that they are the guardians of the heart of the world. Their spiritual leaders are called Mamos. The Mamo is charged with maintaining the natural order of the world through songs, meditations and ritual offerings. Through deep meditation, ritual offerings, songs, and prayers, the Mamos follow the law of caring for the Sierra Nevada to maintain the equilibrium of life for the sacred mountains and the entire world. They are concerned that non-Indigenous people are plundering and dismembering the Earth. This a first of it's kind album of ancestral music from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in Colombia. “
Mastered for all formats by Amy Dragon at Telegraph Mastering.
MoPOP Founders: Alice in Chains
Seattle's Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) honored Alice in Chains with their annual 2020 Founders Award. The streaming benefit aired December 1 to support this historic museum, featured some top notch acts performing tribute covers of Alice in Chains tunes with the buzz from some of these special performances lasting for days after the program aired. Due to the pandemic, many of the recordings were tracked remotely; Geoff Ott of London Bridge Studio in Seattle tracked and mixed the artists who recorded on site at the museum. Performances by: Alice In Chains, Liv Warfield, Lily Cornell with Chris Degarmo, Kim Thayil with Krist Novoselic, Soundgarden, & Shaina Shepherd.
It's available for streaming on Amazon Music. Selected tracks above were mastered by Amy Dragon.
Metzger & Bauer
Metzger & Bauer is back direct from Switzerland with a new release after a five year hiatus. Crocodile de Jungle is a gauzy haunting album. From Burning Sound Records : “Slowness is a necessary answer to the infinite insanity of this world. Metzger und Bauer are taking their time to compose their album and to build their songs… subtle, melancholic layers of sensitive sonic feelings with weird poetic vocals in french or english surfing over… sensual beautiful sadness sparking in the dark…”
Crocodile de Jungle is out now. It was mixed by Sirup Gagaville/Yagwud Mobil Studio, and mastered for all formats by Amy Dragon at Telegraph
Sidi Touré
Sidi Touré has released a new album Afrik Toun Mé, which translates to English as Africa Must Unite. This album radiates pure warmth and hope. Learn more about journey and message here- "Steeped in the Northern Mali music tradition, his work, which has tended towards a blues and rock-influenced take on the traditional multi-faceted Songhaï music, has not only earned him an enthusiastic following in his home country but also wide acclaim elsewhere, including North America and Europe." You will not regret adding this release to your collection.
Afrik Toun Mé is available on Thrill Jockey . It was mastered for all formats by Amy Dragon at Telegraph.
Sam Prekop
Comma by Sam Prekop is out now. Many of you know Sam from Sea and Cake, and as a fan of that band I can say with absolution that all of Sam's solo projects are worth spending time with. The layers of synth composition and performance are truly masterful and utterly gorgeous. Do grab a copy of this record, and take a listen while perusing it's praise on Pitchfork.
Comma is available onThrill Jockey. It was mastered for digital by Taylor Deupree and mastered for vinyl and cut by Amy Dragon at Telegraph.
Cosmic Reef Temple/ Shrinkwrap Killers
What do you get when Santa Cruz's Cosmic Reef Temple psych/surf/metal duo teams up with Greg Wilkinson's Lo Fi New Wave / Punk Shrinkwrap Killers... a fucking killer split is what you get. I mean, come on guys, it doesn't get much more fun than this. Both bands are side projects of truly established musicians. I doubt these last long, so get one while they are still available.
This killer split is out now on Wave Guardian Records. Mastered for vinyl by Amy Dragon at Telegraph.
Ribbon Stage
NYC's Ribbon Stage are out with this fantastic EP "My Favorite Shrine". Recorded to 4 track cassette tape in Brooklyn NY by David Sweetie, mixed by Dave Harvey (Capt. Tripps Ballsington); it is a Lo-Fi ripper so buckle up for 8 minutes of Indy pop joy.
"My Favorite Shrine" is available now on K Records. It was mastered for all formats from tape to vinyl by Amy Dragon at Telegraph.
Neuma
The self titled premier release by Portland's, Neuma, comes in waves of indy pop bliss. This crew knows well what they are doing and are no strangers to fantastic musical art; all hailing from prior successful music endeavors. Neuma explores themes of intuition, truth and settling into oneself. All of which comes folded into gorgeous and detailed sonic production. It is a beautiful ride.
Neuma is available now. It was recorded and mixed by Johann Wagner at Pinewave Studio. It was mastered by Amy Dragon.
Come Holy Spirit
Come Holy Spirit is out with a brand new release "Undiscovered Land". It is the fourth full length album by this Pittsburg band. It's full of grit and original sound that absolutely rips. If you are not familiar with this band, this is definitely the time to jump aboard this avant-garde post-punk train.
"Undiscovered Land" is available now through Water Wing Records. It was recorded by Don Godwin at Tonal Park Studio in 2019, Mastered by Will Dyar, Mastered for Vinyl by Amy Dragon. Cover art/liner notes by Gina Favano (band vocalist/bassist).
Frankie Simone
Frankie Simone graces us all with "Sensitive Creature". Frankie absolutely radiates power and lays bear her heart on this one. They are meticulously involved in all aspects of their art- and you can feel and hear their growth in production, performance and engineering. You cannot help but root for and relate to Frankie as they sift through the messy beauty of life but still make space and time uplift everyone around them in the process. I adore this album and this human.
"Sensitive Creature" is out now on Infinite Companion Records. So many beautiful people collaborated on this release and it shows. It was mastered for all formats by Amy Dragon.
Sally Anne Morgan
Thread is the debut solo release by multi-instrumentalist, Sally Anne Morgan. Hailing from Black Twig Pickers and the duo House and Land, Sally has conjured forth a gorgeous folk release that not only showcases her instrumental performances, but her voice. This release is a simple whimsical beauty that begs a play on a warm summer evening. Her raw talent truly shines on this release. Do take it for a spin...
Thread is available now at Thrill Jockey. It was mastered for CD, Streaming, and Vinyl by Amy Dragon.
Cut Copy
"Freeze Melt", the highly anticipated 6th release by Cut Copy is available now. They've kept us waiting since 2017 and oh how they've delivered. It's an understatement to say that this album is fantastic. "Freeze Melt" comes to us at such a perfect time; a much needed homecoming of heart to ready us for the storms ahead. I think we all could use a pause today to appreciate a timeless message "Love Is All We Share".
Grab any and all formats of this one. Mixed by Christoffer Berg, mastered by Heba Kadry, and mastered for vinyl/cut by Amy Dragon at Telegraph.
Isabeau Waia’u Walker
Isabeau Waia’u Walker has fully self released her first album, Better Metric, and what a stunner it is. The songwriting for each track sends powerful messages that acts as a sturdy foundation for the gorgeous layers of instrumentation and story telling that Isabeau crafts. There is so much relatable content and talent in this album that it is impossible to listen just once. I surely feel so honored to be a part of this one; it is an album that came to me at a time I didn't even know how much I'd be needing it.
Take a listen for yourself, and grab a copy while they are still available. Produced by Ryan Oxford, mastering by Jon Neufeld and mastered for vinyl and cut by Amy Dragon at Telegraph Mastering.