Hidden Shoal News
perth "What's Your Utopia?" in WCBN Top Ten Chart
US college radio love continues to grow for perth‘s What’s Your Utopia?. The album just scooped the number 1 CMJ radio add at KBRP and has just debuted in the WCBN chart at number 8!
More Glowing Reviews for Kramies' "The Wooden Heart"
The Wooden Heart has been receiving a slew of brilliant reviews of late and none better than these reviews from two French publications – A Decouvrir Absolument IndiePopRock. Both reviews are written in the native tongue so we’ll attempt to translate a little here (please excuse our Google assisted translation!),
“… this EP is folk, velvet, intimate, a rich work in minor tones, we see touches of these people and that the creator is actually so and so so and so helped by another and another ( you can see the great artists are there) , the production is perfect, but these things do not explain enough what a wonderful listening experience this is and the fantastic spell it emanates. What I want is to give you the desire to become human during the time of this disc, closing the eyes little by little on the brilliant artwork of Jérôme Sevrette ( I quote a great love for the work of the photographer and his good taste when choosing work) and find out that The Wooden Heart is a true work of art , vital, indispensable . God I love music.” – A Decouvrir Absolument
“Built on a base dark and melancholic pop, these six songs enjoy a delectable atmospheric character that is reminiscent of the old inspirations of the genre. On the fly, we instantly think of Mercury Rev, Sparklehorse or Slowdive. Kramies moves in the same folk-rock liberator and vocal register, with one exception. Because unlike the three references cited above, his compositions are delicately enamelled electronic textures, handling the organic aspect of his work with shadowy and enigmatic feelings ( The Beginning, Upon The Northern Isles ). Psychedelic light points on the pieces where Lytle is involved ( Sea Otter Cottage, Clocks Were All Broken ) also recall that wander in a dreamlike music involves some risk taking.” – IndiePopRock
[The] Caseworker Review Round Up
[The] Caseworker’s brilliant 2013 album Voices Out There has continued to garner glowing press wherever it has been covered. And why wouldn’t it? It’s such a deeply affecting, atmospheric slab of hypnotic pop that it becomes almost impossible to not be lost in its ever evolving charms. Here’s a round-up of recent reviews out of Europe and the US that espoused the same feelings – Luna Kafe (Norway), Music Won’t Save You (Italy), Polyphonia (Poland) and Tome To The Weather Machine (USA). Check the links to read the reviews and then soak in the album and grab some free downloads at the Hidden Shoal Store.
'The Wooden Heart' One of the Singles of the Week at Rocksucker
Kramies stunning title track plucked from his recently released EP The Wooden Heart has just scooped a single of the week pick over at Rocksucker. Check it out here and then download the single for free here.
Kramies Featured at Warmer Climes
The brilliant Warmer Climes project, run by the lovely Vlad Stoian, asks artists to create an imaginary mixtape along with descriptions of their 10 all time favourite tracks. The project includes lists and writings from such artists as Boards of Canada, Gotye, Nathan Fake, My Brightest Diamond and many, many more, including our very own Kramies! The Hidden Shoal gem who recently gave us the sublime EP The Wooden Heart (along with contribution from Jason Lytle and Todd Tobias) has presented his fantastic top ten list which you can check out now at Warmer Climes.
perth's "What's Your Utopia?" in the CJSW Top 30!
Jumpel's "Bloc4" In The Top Ten of 2013 at Nowamuzyka
We are still playing catch up with all the wonderful press that came in over the xmas break. Here is a lovely accolade for a brilliant release from a wonderful Polish zine. Lukasz Komla over at Nowamuzyka placed Jumpel’s Bloc4 at number 7 in his best of 2013 list.
Head here to read the review in Polish (you made need a Polish friend or put up with Google’s attempt at translation). Then head to the Hidden Shoal Store to stream the album in full, grab yourself a copy on CD or in digital formats and download some free singles.
KZSU Love for [The] Caseworker and Kramies
One of our favourite US radio stations KZSU has just posted two lovely DJ reviews for the latest album from [The] Caseworker and the new EP from Kramies,
“The Caseworker is a SF project led by Conor and Eímer Devlin, former members of the slowcore band Half Film. Shaped partially by Conor’s time in a hospital post-car-crash, this fourth album is immaculately crafted to create an overarching feeling of tranquil melancholy at the axis of guitar pop, slowcore, and shoegaze. Catchy and magnificent (and released by Hidden Shoal!).” – KZSU on [The] Caseworker’s Voices Out There
“New EP by this Colorado dream-pop artist (released by the great Hidden Shoal Recordings). This features Jason Lytle of Grandaddy and has the same grand, quirky melancholy as Lytle’s music. There’s a strong sense of anguish and yearning to this. Lovely.” – KZSU on Kramies’ The Wooden Heart
KZSU listeners can expect to hear lots of cuts from both these releases spinning on the radio and should be keeping their eyes on the charts as well!
More Review Love for Kramies "The Wooden Heart"
Kramies’ beguiling new EP The Wooden Heart continues to scoop wonderful press. Emerging Indie Bands recently gave the EP a glowing review and Faded Arrow poured love over Kramies latest single and music video ‘Sea Otter Cottage’.
“Dutch-American singer Kramies recently released a video for the slow-burning “Sea Otter Cottage.” It’s a murky, mesmerizing song, drenched in synth textures and cloudy bass that invoke the image of a sinister storm on the horizon. This is dream pop with definite substance. The video is equally entrancing, as a blurred Kramies fades in and out of colored light.” – Faded Arrow
"What's Your Utopia?" Reviewed at City and Sound & Best of 2013 at Who The Hell
perth’s What’s Your Utopia? magnetism continues to gather strength. The sophomore album was just included in the best of 2013 roundup over at the always excellent Who The Hell blog and has also received a lovely review at another great blog, City and Sound.
“Every part of this record coalesces together strangely, perfectly. And even among the towering, cinematic instrumentals – perth still craft a weird sense of sparseness that makes this sound like a bunch of opiate-swilling krautrock kings running down a sand dune. One of the guys seems to have just discovered a drum and bass sample. In this context anyway, I’m totally alright with that.” – Who The Hell
If you’ve heard it then you know why, if you’ve not then lose yourself in the stream below then head here to get yourself a copy.
Hidden Shoal MixTape
