El Ten Eleven

The word has been spoken, the new El Ten Eleven album TRANSITIONS has been slated for a November 6th release.  How has this not gotten more attention?  Their album El Ten Eleven in 2004 had some of the most chill vibes that I've heard, delivering such greats as the late-night cruiser "My Only Swerving". Just because there have been a few albums since that doesn't mean we shouldn't get excited, and plus there's potential!  We've been given "Thanks Bill", a new single put out to advertise the fresh album.  It's everything you would want from El Ten Eleven, an instrumental post-rock jammer that consists of multiple transformations and shifts.  This time, they've decided some great electronic elements in there as well.  Have a listen to it below, and then head over to their Bandcamp to snag it.  You can also check out their Kickstarter page in promotion of the new album.

Stars Are Projectors

Sometimes it takes a fine wine several years to mature and reach its maximum taste potential.  In the same light, sometimes it takes songs longer than the average 3 or 4 minutes to reveal a true meaning or point.  On this year's Wavelengths, the San Francisco band Stars Are Projectors recognize the patience in developing and building a song.  A majority of the songs on their new record extend beyond the 5-minute mark, allowing a sprawling landscape of ideas and styles.  Also in a lot of these longer tracks we see changes in tone, which at times seem to separate into two different songs.  This works well for a band that specializes in a predominantly post-rock technique, a genre which rarely sees any song under 4 minutes.  Within the 55-minute span of Wavelengths there is an abundance of treats hidden within the expanse; fantastically written guitar riffs, well-established atmospheres, and spot on production.  I've posted a shorter song in "Know My Name" below, but I've also included the longer "Two Days", which exemplifies their musical adventure.  You can download the album for free over here at Bandcamp.  More streaming and downloading available at SoundCloud.  Go pick it up!

 Know My Name by Stars Are Projectors

 Two Days by Stars Are Projectors

Arbor Lights

The quartet Arbor Lights, hailing from Birmingham, England, started in a way much similar to other bands; they met at a bar.  This coincidental gathering allowed for the formation of their band in June 2010, and the single "On A Sea" in May 2011.  Well, almost two years since the upstart of their partnership and a year removed from their first song Arbor Lights released their debut EP, Arbor Lights, on March 15th of this year. The release is most definitely post-rock; an instrumental compilation of complex guitar wails and intricate bass grooves.  What I'm loving about the EP right now is the band's ability to mix the dark with the breezy; intense layers of sound almost appear submerged under airy guitar riffs.  This allows for an interesting mood.  It's also really cool to listen to their progressing track builds, "Post-Rock/Paper/Scissors" begins with an ambient tone only to erupt into a frantic post-rock jam.  On top of all of this, their production is gorgeous; everything sounds so crisp! Gotta hand it to Hockley Street Studios on that one.  Hit up their Bandcamp if you want to download the EP for free, and for a sneak preview I've posted "Post-Rock/Paper/Scissors" and "El Arborlito" below.  Enjoy!