Weekend Wind-Down No. 10: Ambience
–Words and list by Michael Hogan
This is another example of extreme wind-downs. I’ll be honest with you, not much happens during this hour of music, but it’s “nothing” in the best sense of the word. I’ve brought together a gorgeous collection of songs that create feelings, set moods, and paint atmospheres using very, very little. None of these songs use any definitive structures in the traditional sense, and few have any percussive structuring at all.
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Weekend Wind-Down No. 9: Mixed Bag #1
–Words and list by Kevin Madert
It’s chill, it’s random, it’s pretty cool. Deal with it.
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Weekend Wind-Down No. 8: Uplifting Post-Rock
–Words and list by Michael Hogan
Expect this to become a recurring theme in these weekly playlists. Scouring my rather mighty collection of post-rock, I came across so many gems I wanted to include that I simply can’t stop here. Each one of these songs features bright melodies and builds that are sure to plaster a stupid, contented smile across your face. These ten tracks are a true testament to the power of music; these days so many people rely on lyrics to provide storylines that can be identified with, but these songs have none of that.
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Weekend Wind-Down No. 7: Ambience & Keys
–Words and list by Kevin Madert
Brian Eno, one of the fathers of ambient music, titled the first album in his “Ambient” series Music For Airports. It was, he explained, crafted to be absorbed and enjoyed by both passive and active listeners – it was even installed at LaGuardia Airport in New York for a brief time after its release in 1978 (yes, 1978). Much of the music in the collection follows these tenets, bookended by two melody-driven compositions performed by pianist George Winston. Listen intently or absentmindedly, enjoy equally.
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Weekend Wind-Down No. 6: Acoustic Jams
–Words and list by Michael Hogan
I might have gone a little overboard with this one. “Wind-down” quickly turned into “super fucking depressing” in several cases – see: Bayside, Alkaline Trio, Jimmy Eat World – but that doesn’t change the fact that these are all really great songs. Many of them could rank among my favorite songs of all time; tracks like “Play Crack The Sky” and “Always Coming Back Home to You” have managed to resonate with me for over a decade now.
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Weekend Wind-Down No. 5: Post-Rocking
–Words and list by Kevin Madert
We’re pushing the chill envelope (chillvelope?) this week with a collection of instrument-centric tracks the genre gods term “post-rock.” Snatching elements of ambient, rock, jam, and even a hint of classical, these ten tracks are just as much about the journey as each individual moment. When the final arpeggiating guitar cadence of “Your Hand In Mine” comes to a close it feels as though you’ve accomplished something.
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