Get Together unites China’s Summer Fades Away and Nashville-based instrumental duo Vaudlow in a stirring two-track collaboration shaped by their shared affinity for expansive post-rock. Developed across nearly a year and thousands of miles, the release moves between delicate piano and guitar passages, sweeping strings, and explosive crescendos, capturing the emotional expansiveness that connects both projects.

“Starlight Pact” stuns in its budding atmospheric appeal, developing artfully from an initially lush spaciousness into trickling guitars and powerful rhythmic stomps. Strings ease in with gradual precision as well, adding a sense of grandiosity and momentum to the pit-pattering percussion and rousing guitar work. Elegant piano and twangy guitars consume past the three-minute mark for an especially memorable segment, serene and contemplative. Fervent percussion re-emerges thereafter, then gearing into a second half that invigorates in its use of heavy guitar distortion and whirring instrumentation.

The similarly impactful “Buried Between” expands wonderfully as well. Pulses of guitar and piano maneuver with serene elegance. Rather than the more rock-minded pursuits of “Starlight Pact,” “Buried Between” embraces the more subdued realm initially, though it culminates in a comparably ardent swell. Heartrending strings and somber piano intertwine as click-clacking rhythms conjure the first sign of vigor, then ushering into a gauzy, textured second half with soaring enthrallment reminiscent of Sigur Rós’ epic builds. Both tracks on Get Together present pure post-rock blissfulness from Summer Fades Away and Vaudlow.

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“Starlight Pact” and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.

We discovered this release via MusoSoup.

The post Vaudlow + Summer Fades Away – ‘Get Together’ EP appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

A gripping post-rock success, WORLD-ENDING FIRE is the self-titled debut album from the collaboration of Canadian guitarist and producer Paul MacLean and Swedish drummer Tony Lind, recorded together in a remote cabin in the forest outside Uppsala, Sweden. Its atmospheric post-rock compositions transform reflections on conflict, environmental destruction, personal loss, and new fatherhood into expansive, emotionally charged instrumental passages.

A resonant, symphonic swell opens the album as “Fear (and no foretelling)” unveils itself, easing a string-laden undercurrent amidst droning textures. A lovely expanse takes hold just before the two-minute mark, infusing hypnotic bass, glistening guitars, and a percussive pit-patter as the backing orchestral quality continues to engross with fully illuminated emotion; the build-up reminds fondly here of Sigur Rós. Next up, “A Smoke Column Rises Near Shining Bank AB (for CrazyChris)” is even more dynamic in its climactic structure, gradually building upon shimmering guitar textures before a second-half arrival of strings, lush guitars, and eventual walls of gripping distortion; this production feels more akin to World’s End Girlfriend.

Another standout track, “Those Who Had Wanted To Go Home (would never get there now)” delights in its experimental-embracing introduction, where snippets of reversed-sounding electronics maneuver into thunderous percussion and simmering post-rock guitar work. These interesting flickers of ambience lend themselves well to the grounded rock appeal, delighting in the mixture of consistent rhythms and alternating intensity within the instrumentation. Finale “Day-blind stars (waiting with their light)” stirs as well, its nocturnal-friendly soundscape driven by subdued guitar trickling and wavering synth tones, ascending into a theatrically intense effervescence across its second half. WORLD-ENDING FIRE is a fantastic album, consistently consuming in its atmospheric and momentum-filled productions from Paul MacLean and Tony Lind.

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“Those Who Had Wanted To Go Home (would never get there now)” and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.

We discovered this release via MusoSoup.

The post WORLD-ENDING FIRE – ‘WORLD-ENDING FIRE’ appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

An impactful instrumental track from peejmudd, “this day is ours” stirs in its overall tonal variety — immersing across both elegant piano/strings interplay and roaring rock-friendly guitars. Also featuring post-rock artist They Danced Like Programmed Angels, “this day is ours” represents the lead single from peejmudd’s upcoming album fight to keep from sinking, out on March 14th. “While writing this track, I wanted it to feel both intimate and epic — like it could be the soundtrack to someone’s most triumphant or painful moment,” says Philip Patton, the Chico, California-based artist behind peejmudd. That objective is certainly achieved with the track’s structurally gripping ascent.

A haunting ambient effect traverses quickly into compelling piano tones, wintry and fairly ominous in their tone as a bass-y undercurrent melds underneath. Gentle string infusions appear thereafter, bolstering the sense of tranquility. The track’s second half invigorates with stampeding percussion and soaring guitar lines, all while the piano remains a pleasantly persisting force alongside. “this day is ours” is a thorough showcase in satiating post-rock production, leaving us in clear anticipation for peejmudd’s upcoming full-length.

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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.

We discovered this release via MusoSoup, as part of the artist’s promotional campaign.

The post peejmudd – “this day is ours” appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

The self-titled debut album from Sink to the Sea is abundant in memorable soundscapes, spanning from the spacey guitar reflections within “Confused” to the symphonic synth-laden beauty of opener “Circles & Semicircles.” The California-based project melds post-rock, ambient, and electronic sounds for a captivating display of sonic exploration, one that embraces improvisation and an overall sense of spontaneity. The band cite “horror movie soundtracks, Frippertronics, free jazz, electronica, and psychedelia,” as among the release’s inspirations, producing a sound that prompts heady introspection.

A range of sounds, from immediately foreboding to tranquilly pensive, engross throughout. “Train” plays with delectably unsettling qualities, sounding at home in the cavernous underground as free-flowing rhythmic elements complement creepy, industrial buzzing and effects. Jazzy percussion and a string-laden embrace form a beautifully eerie conclusion. In the other spectrum, “Confused” compels with its lush array of trickling guitar jangles and caressing bass, playing like a lulling spell rather than “Train,” which feels fit for a horror film chase scene.

The album is ambitious, with over an hour-and-a-half of runtime, yet there’s a consistently gripping quality throughout. 14-minute epic “All the Colors of the Dark” drives from glistening, gorgeous guitar tones into a grandiose prog-rock conclusion, succeeding in its entirety. A strong one-two punch to close the album, “Missing Doll” appeals with its spaciously nocturnal guitar crawls, while “Sensing the World by Echo” concludes this stellar release with 15+ minutes of lingering guitar tones, climactic percussion, and a satiating textural swell. Sink to the Sea provides an enthralling listening experience.

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“Missing Doll” and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.

We discovered this release via MusoSoup, as part of the artist’s promotional campaign.

The post Sink to the Sea – ‘Sink to the Sea’ appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

Expanding from piano-laden contemplation into thunderous rock ardency, “Road” is a powerful single from Fake Mountains, a solo project. Per the artist, the release explores “themes of loneliness and isolation, the myth of the Great American Open Road, and how we come to define the word ‘home’ differently as we continue to move through the world.”

A blaring brass character compels alongside the escalated vocal presence, immersing alongside the dexterous guitar jangles that follow. A spoken-word feeling — “that’s where there used to be a small town with a bustling industry,” — crafts a cinematic, atmospheric engrossment into the “wake up!” vocal catharsis. “Road” plays like an invigorating anthem for coping with a distancing past.

“Road” was mixed/mastered by Grammy-winning engineer Peter Labberton (Parquet Courts, Weyes Blood, Sleater Kinney, St. Vincent).

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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of April 2023’ Spotify playlist.

The post Fake Mountains – “Road” appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

An atmospheric rocker featuring Meredith Moore on horns, “What You Need It For” is a new track from ioish, the New Delhi-based project of musician Vaibhav Bhutani. The track precedes ioish’s upcoming album, In Waves.

The project’s knack for engrossing soundscapes and rich structural development is exemplified throughout “What You Need It For.” Bubbly synth tones and a gently caressing textural effervescence crafts a scenic introduction, thereafter giving way to brisk rhythms and plucky guitars. Thunderous guitar distortion emerges in due time as well, following the embracing horns from Meredith Moore. The track’s escalation from atmospheric serenity into an ardent display of post-rock beauty makes for a captivating listen throughout.

“I am also moving towards a theatrical performance instead of the same old rock and roll show with a couple of guys playing on stage, Bhutani says. “I plan to implement projection mapping and an orchestra, so I will animate the whole album along with the songs once I am done recording them. The album is called In Waves because of how light and sound behave. As do human beings in a way.”

In prior years, ioish has played alongside bands like Tides From Nebula, I Am Waiting For You Last Summer, The Ocean Collective, Intervals and As I Lay Dying during their Indian tours.

“What You Need It For” features an all-star lineup alongside Bhutani and Moore, including bassist Nikhil Rufus Raj, guitarist Saksham Gupta, and drummer Shantanu Sudarshan.

Artwork by Shakoor Bukhuth

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This track and others featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of September 2022’ Spotify playlist.

The post ioish – “What You Need It For” (feat. Meredith Moore) appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

Wild and Bitter Fruits is a newly released EP from Quiet Sonia, a Copenhagen-based project releasing on Danish indie label Pink Cotton Candy. The seven-piece project is fronted by singer, songwriter, and guitarist Nikolaj Bruus, who unveils a deeply atmospheric post-rock sound with stirring structural and textural development.

EP opener “This Tender Violence” invigorates with its gradually expanding qualities. Gentle, shimmering acoustics craft a delicate beginning. Electric guitar resonance enters sporadically, providing textural enjoyment. A solemn vocal murkiness emerges with seamless charm, joined by effervescent, intermingling guitar layers. Glimmering organs add further to the stirring soundscape, which evolves in the second half to a bursting anthemic appeal, propelled by strings and lingering guitar distortion.

Touting a swelling soundscape reminiscent of War on Drugs, “No Weeping Melts the Armor” also stands out. The fluid, twangy guitars begin the track with inviting qualities, later expanding to rhythmically bustling and orchestral-laden second half that reminds fondly of Sigur Rós’ lofty production. These two epic tracks represent a thoroughly successful EP from Quiet Sonia.

Stream the two EP tracks below:

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“This Tender Violence” and others featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of June 2022’ Spotify playlist.

The post Quiet Sonia – ‘Wild and Bitter Fruits’ EP appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

Presenting a gentle yet emotive instrumental rock sound, When the Blazing Sun is Gone is a new album from Leeds-based artist The Glass Pavilion. The tracks have a tendency to unfold serenely and patiently, expanding into memorable textures and progressions, evident structurally on “Charlotte (Aurora)” and “Winter Gardens.” “Signs & Wonders” opens with more vigor; the lush guitars evolve steadily into an impactful rock fervency past the 40-second mark, the guitar textures and symphonic electronic layers converging enjoyably throughout.

The project commenced when the artist was forced to give up guitar after medical issues, forcing electronic work rather than handling instruments. The resulting album is more in the vein of post-rock and shoegaze than electronic music, despite being created using all synths and virtual instruments. The result adds an extra layer of atmospheric charm, highlighted by The Glass Pavilion’s strong songwriting.

Stream the album in full below:

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“Signs & Wonders” and other memorable tracks from this month can also be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of January 2022’ Spotify playlist.

The post The Glass Pavilion – “Signs & Wonders” appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

Chicago-based post-rockers The Color of Cyan craft a chilly, atmospheric sound throughout their new full-length, Agape. Inspired by bands like Sigur Rós and Godspeed You! Black Emperor, the release emphasizes a patient structural approach, evident on the beautiful track “Little Stars.” An orchestral-laden pulsations casts a beautiful glow initially, unfolding delicately into the post-punk guitar shimmers, just prior to the one-minute mark. The gentle bass pulsations and spacious percussion lend enjoyably alongside the gradual string-laden backing. The hypnotic guitar glimpses, steadily evolving rhythms, and string-laden luxury make for a thoroughly entrancing production throughout; the standout production is echoed throughout the remainder of Agape, as well.

Stream Agape in full below:

The album was recorded in Puerto Rico, Chicago, California, and Mexico City — mixed by Greg Norman at Electrical Audio and mastered by Bob Weston, both in Chicago.

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“Little Stars” and other memorable tracks from this month can also be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of December 2021’ Spotify playlist.

The post The Color of Cyan – “Little Stars” appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

The engrossing “Be There Now” is a new track from Hunter Ellis, who creates from his small studio in Northern California. Flickering guitar twangs unfold enjoyably into a stirring sound with rhythmic invigoration and hypnotic vocal cues. Many of Ellis’ songs are instrumental, though “Be There Now” touts a powerful vocal presence, especially upon emotive swelling, like around 03:30. The track’s post-rock influence is sturdy throughout, with a brisk rhythm section converging with slide and electric guitar work. “Be There Now” touts strong production and ever-shifting rock-based textures that reward upon each listen.

The track comes via the Face Tapes EP, released on Earth Libraries earlier this month.

Stream the EP in full below:

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“Be There Now” and other memorable tracks from this month can also be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of January 2021’ Spotify playlist.

The post Hunter Ellis – “Be There Now” appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.