AU is Luke Wyland with Dana Valatka, two very healthy-appearing guys from Portland, Oregon. Together, the team physically invests itself in Wyland's epic, heady arrangements to construct all-encompassing, golden originals, oft frenzied and furious, intense yet delightfully naive, all dripping with complete lushness. There's so much going on in AU's songs - which clock in between 5 and 10.5 minutes - that the most enjoyable approach to listening is total surrender to and immersion in the spectacular worlds they create. It's a feeling experience, a right brain extravaganza perhaps best described as Fellini through your ears. 

Album recordings of RR vs D and Ida Walked Away can be found on Versions. Summerheat comes from Verbs. The Letter P and We the Flavor (both working titles) are special, brandy new, never-before-released treats! Enjoy!

AU - Ida Walked Away - Luxury Wafers Sessions from Luxury Wafers on Vimeo.

Listen to the Exclusive Live Tracks (option/click to download):

We The Flavor (new song - working title)

RR vs D

Summerheat

The Letter P (new song - working title)

See bunches of photos of AU in the studio for Luxury Wafers HERE.

Led by Ritchie Young, Loch Lomond from the Pacific Northwest (Portland), has grown from a solo brianchild enjoying contributions from a vast array of friends to a full-time family of six committed bandmembers. Small in stature and grand in humility, Young quietly yet boldy concocts fascinating traipses through forest, wide open spaces, dark alleys and worlds of critters, subtly making a deep hook with his prodigious musical pieces.

Loch Lomond's arrangements are spot-on, oft symphonic in feeling. Young comes across simultaneously dainty yet robust. Listening gives the feeling of being small in a vast yet highly organized world of endless freedom and exploration. The group moves smoothly in synchrony, each honoring the other, each contributing a necessary and enhancing part, while potent lyrical imagery swirls and hypnotizes amidst Young's powerful refrains, all leaving a firm imprint of intent on every little masterpiece of a song.

In the delicate seranade, Night Bats, Young gently wields his vocal instrument with variety and deft effect as the background vocals meet, lift and complement the song perfectly, all the while steady bass roots the entire ephemeral composition.

Loch Lomond really is a joy to experience. Their songs elicit pleasure and engagement that ripen and expand with every listen.  Each song possesses distinctive character while maintaining the fundamental goodness that is Loch Lomond's endearing trademark. From their Night Bats album (Hush, 2009), Spine is fierce, Night Bats ethereal, Ghost Of An Earthworm oddly yet warmly espousing unity, Wax and Wire distant and glum. Blue Lead Fences, a single released in Jan of '09, brings a throbbing romp in an open sunny field. And Holiday, also from Night Bats, is the phenomenal, soft-punch, unshakable cover in the bunch.

Loch Lomond - Ghost Of An Earthworm - Luxury Wafers Sessions from Luxury Wafers on Vimeo.

Loch Lomond - Holiday - Luxury Wafers Sessions from Luxury Wafers on Vimeo.

Listen to the Exclusive Live Tracks (option/click to download):

Blue Lead Fences [mp3]

Night Bats [mp3]

Spine [mp3]

Wax and Wire [mp3]

Check out a bunch of photos of Loch Lomond's visit with us HERE.

Seattle duo, The Dutchess and The Duke, continue to knock us out.Their album Sunset / Sunrise (10/5/09, Hardly Art) has gripped my heart as a favorite (not just of 2009). Guitar strumming, sad, oft Johnny Cash-like, timeless songs emerge from the dark internal geography of Jesse Lortz and take on a life of comfortable malaise with partner and longtime friend, Kimberly Morrison. In person, the pair endears enormously. The Dutchess and The Duke are total snugglebunny winos with guitars, stories and oh-so-nice voices.

Check out their tour dates (starts today in Philly) HERE and go see them live.

The Dutchess and The Duke - Living This Life - Luxury Wafers Sessions from Luxury Wafers on Vimeo.

The Dutchess and The Duke - Strangers - Luxury Wafers Sessions from Luxury Wafers on Vimeo.

Listen to the Exclusive Live Tracks (option/click to download):

Hands [mp3]

I Don't Feel Anything [mp3]

Ship Made Of Stone [mp3]

Let It Die [mp3]

Read The Dutchess and The Duke's Sunset / Sunrise album review with more tracks HERE. More photos from The Dutchess and The Duke's live Luxury Wafers session HERE.

Formerly a Moldy Peach, Adam Green is now out with his 6th solo album, Minor Love (Fat Possum, 2/16/10). We dig his NYC/Lou Reed-y character and we're stoked to have him in the studio for a session today!

Check out his tour schedule HERE. Green plays a few weeks of US dates in January and then heads overseas for nonstop gigs through March.

This awesome excerpt below, which briefly describes his recent recording, had to be taken verbatim.

The album showcases a tender side of the often arrogant and emotionally unavailable bully/singer, Green. In a total state of isolation, Green attempted to play nearly all the instruments on the record, due to incurable social phobias which plagued him. Sometimes a slick session musician, like Rodrigo, was tolerated in the studio. However no women were permitted into the studio at all because of Green’s attempts to pursue a bisexual lifestyle.

The inspiration for this album lies in Green’s fatalism. Despite a fairly normal upbringing, and a generally optimistic world view, he often contends that nothing lasts… that there is nothing to look forward to…and that “we are all living in a butcher shop,” which Leonard Cohen told him while at a Bar-B-Que at Lou Reed’s house.

photo by Esther White

There's catch-up to be done, since my holiday break started early and ended late. Ahh.

Here are a few tracks to get started for your new and improved, back to regular life enjoyment:

Horchata [mp3] - Vampire Weekend

Look forward to our full album review of Vampire Weekend's Contra (1/12/10, XL Recordings). They're playing the Fonda in LA on the 12th. I hope you got tickets!

To Clean [mp3] - Woods

Beach Comber [mp3] - Real Estate

Woods and Real Estate, both on Woodsist, will tour together in March.

Deceptive simplicity plus powerful determinedness mark Tom Brosseau's hypnotic tunes. Listening can feel like being plugged directly into Brosseau's psyche, a dry, cool lunar-like landscape dotted with transient images, each shot through with intense colors. We suggest you take your time with these compelling live recordings. Nibble and digest. Then nibble some more. There's a haunting component to Brosseau's music and delivery. He makes a strong impact with lasting, lingering effects.

Origins: Mary Anne was originally released on Late Night at Largo (2004, Lous Records) and appeared again on Empty Houses Are Lonely (2006, Fat Cat). Been True, Drumroll and Wishbone Medallion can all be found on Brosseau's latest release, Posthumous Success (6/09, Fat Cat). You Can't Sit And Wait is inspired by the wisdom of Tom's dad.

Tom is joined by the vivacious Angela Correa in this session on electric guitar and vocals. Nice complement.

Tom Brosseau with Angela Correa - Been True - Luxury Wafers Sessions from Luxury Wafers on Vimeo.

Tom Brosseau with Angela Correa - Mary Anne - Luxury Wafers Sessions from Luxury Wafers on Vimeo.

Listen to the Exclusive Live Tracks (option/click to download):

(Haven't I) Been True [mp3]

Wishbone Medallion [mp3]

(Give Me A) Drumroll [mp3]

Mary Anne [mp3]

You Can't Sit And Wait [mp3]

Check out a bunch of photos of Tom Brosseau and Angela Correia recording live in the studio HERE. More Tom Brosseau HERE and HERE.

Check out the faves (as mp3 or video below) and enjoy rooting around the artists' sessions. When you're ready, jump down to the zip.

The Moondoggies – What Took So Long [mp3]

Eulogies – The Fight (I've Come to Like) [mp3]

These United States – West Won [mp3]

The Donkeys – Black Cat [mp3]

Everest – Rebels in the Roses [mp3]

The Antlers – Two

Cotton Jones – Blood Red Sentimental Blues [mp3]

Brendan Benson – Don’t Want To Talk

Rumspringa – Birds of Paradise [mp3]

Dawes – When My Time Comes [mp3]

Ben Kweller – Things I Like To Do [mp3]

As Tall As Lions – Circles

Download Zip: ++ Luxury Wafers, Mike's Best of the Year (#3)++

J Tillman - Diamondback - Luxury Wafers Sessions from Luxury Wafers on Vimeo.

Recorded at Kingsize Soundlabs in LA. Go to the entire session HERE.

Vacilando Territory Blues

J Tillman - Above All Men - Luxury Wafers Sessions from Luxury Wafers on Vimeo.

Check out the entire session HERE.

J Tillman - Borne Away On A Black Barge - Luxury Wafers Sessions from Luxury Wafers on Vimeo.

J Tillman - Wild Honey Never Stolen - Luxury Wafers Sessions from Luxury Wafers on Vimeo.

From #12 to her numero uno, the songs are listed below as mp3s or videos with links to the original sessions for total immersion, just in case you get the bug to explore.

Jump down to a zippppp.

12. Sea of Bees - Willis [mp3]

11. Mika Miko - I Got A Lot (NewNewNew) / Turkey Sandwich [mp3]

10. Mumiy Troll - Utekay

9. The Duhks - Fast Paced World

8. As Tall As Lions - We's Been Waiting [mp3]

7. Heartless Bastards - The Mountain

6. Gaby Moreno - Little Sorrow

5. The Paper Raincoat - Brooklyn Blurs

4. Illinois - Where's My Woman [mp3]

3. You Me and Iowa - Goldfish

2. Eugene and the 1914 - River

1. Links- Doubt [mp3]

Download Zip: ++ Luxury Wafers, Amanda's Best of the Year (#2 )++

Year in the Kingdom

J Tillman - Marked In The Valley - Luxury Wafers Sessions from Luxury Wafers on Vimeo.

Go to the entire session HERE.

We asked our Luxury Wafers crew to share their favorites songs from our 2009 sessions.

This first selection is a playlist from Justin Philips, who shot and edited video for us over the summer and stayed on to continue with video and to help with the studio move.

Some of the songs on the list are in video form, others are an audio file. We're posting Justin's #1, Close Every Valve to Your Bleeding Heart, for the first time as an mp3. Be sure to grab it! Oh, and we linked to each of the artists' sessions so you can go enjoy the whole enchilada. Jump down to a nifty zip file.

"Ok, so here is my list... but it was far too difficult to choose favorites, so I have placed mine in playlist order."