Writing about things that do and don't exist
Alcian Blue, named for a polyvalent basic dye (whatever that is), was a shoegaze group from Takoma Park, MD, active in the early-to-mid 2000's. "Carousel" is a nearly 8-minute behemoth of a track that can be found on the band's 2007 EP Years Too Late, released after the band had already dissolved. Listening to "Carousel" … Continue reading Stare At Your Shoes-Alcian Blue-Carousel
Wave Trails are a Pittsburgh-based DIY trio; their newly released demo Flesh Plant contains two wooly and slightly psychedelic tracks that capture the sun-bleached feel of a late August day. Much like the work of cult favorite Pittsburgh oddballs Black Moth Super Rainbow, Wave Trails' music feels like it's been laid out in direct sunlight … Continue reading Daily Yinz-Wave Trails-The Whistle Song
Trampoline Team is a New Orleans, LA trio that specializes in gritty bursts of punk fury, straight out of the garage. New Orleans is home to the St. Charles Streetcar line, the oldest continuously operating streetcar line in the world. And it sounds like Trampoline Team wants to kill you on it. The bluntly titled … Continue reading Daily Discovery-Trampoline Team-Kill You On The Streetcar
Melting Regular's new EP Void Crop is out on Pittsburgh label Rorer 714 Recordings, which specializes in experimental electronic music. Void Crop's opening track is "Dust Feel," a jumble of gritty drones, back-masked sound swatches, and disembodied, pitch-shifted vocal samples. The track feels too structured to be considered pure noise, although its "beat" is merely … Continue reading Daily Yinz-Melting Regular-Dust Feel
In my mind, I always confuse Austin, TX's Experimental Aircraft with 80's proto-shoegazers Flying Saucer Attack. Only because of the space theme, though, because their music is quite different. Unlike some groups of this genre, Experimental Aircraft places the vocals of frontwoman Rachel Staggs front and center as opposed to burying them in the mix. … Continue reading Stare At Your Shoes-Experimental Aircraft-Blue Cream Sky
Frame and Mantle are a Pittsburgh quintet whose music fuses the raw, heart-on-the-sleeve sensibility of emo with the cinematic peaks and valleys of post-rock. "Empty," the first single released from Frame and Mantle's upcoming album Lost Under Nighttime Sky, opens with churning guitar and stately drums before building to a skyscraping crescendo of arpeggiated chords … Continue reading Daily Yinz-Frame and Mantle-Empty
Avi Diamond describes herself as a "Pittsburgh-based singer/songwriter" whose style "sounds like a mix between Fiona Apple, Thelonious Monk, and Radiohead." The titular track from Avi Diamond's new album Barefoot sounds like the result of PJ Harvey shacking up in Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago cabin, grabbing an acoustic guitar and a slide, and … Continue reading Daily Yinz-Avi Diamond-Barefoot
Guelph, Ontario's Fossil Hunting Collective (the solo project of a fellow named Jones) makes glimmering, expansive ambient music that sounds like it's emanating from a massive speaker located somewhere in the middle of the Arctic tundra. Legend has it (and science has confirmed) that the Aurora Borealis can be accompanied by eerie noises. Even though … Continue reading Daily Discovery-Fossil Hunting Collective-The inner circuitry of a sparrow
Photo provided by artist Princess Nostalgia is a Pittsburgh/Vermont-based producer and singer who was previously covered by Bored In Pittsburgh after her excellent set at the 2019 Deutschtown Music Festival. Her music blends low-key R&B grooves and funky guitar with heady, existentialist lyrics. She was kind enough to speak with Bored In Pittsburgh about herself, … Continue reading Her Own Voice On Her Own Terms – A Q+A With Philosophically-Minded Producer Princess Nostalgia
Clams Casino, the stage name of New Jersey beatmaker Mike Volpe, is one of the pioneers of the "cloud rap" movement, which features tracks with hazy beats and grainy synthesizers overtop traditional hip-hop rhythms. It's not difficult to draw a line between Volpe's haunting compositions and some of the more ambient or beat-driven shoegaze out … Continue reading Stare At Your Shoes-Clams Casino-Motivation
Bored In Pittsburgh 