Peaking Lights, Themselves, David Cunningham & Yasuaki Shimisu

Peaking Lights
Imaginary Falcons
(2009, Night People)
RIYL = Oneohtrix Point Never, Wet Hair, Ducktails

There is something tropical and swampy and humid about Peaking Lights. On Imaginary Falcons, everything is muddied and meandering like it was lost in a gorgeous analog fog. And analog it is. This stuff is really amazing, blissed out and probably best heard within the confines of a mosquito net. Out on Night People, the album art work was created by printmaking master mind and generally all around awesome artist, Shawn Reed. With the demise of Reed’s former band, Raccoo-oo-oon, Peaking Lights are the perfect band to inherit the Night People crown. To be clear, this isn’t a Raccoo-oo-oon record. No no, Imaginary Falcons is ultra relaxed. No psych freak outs here, just psych dream outs and what not. Another of my very favourite releases of the year.

Themselves
theFREEhoudini
(2009, Anticon)
RIYL = Subtle, Jel, Clouddead

Whaddup suckas? You didn’t know? Yeah, that’s right, Themselves dropped a free mixtape that is pretty darn great. In classic mixtape form (or so I’m told) Doseone and Jel join forces with plenty of guests from the Anticon roster and elsewhere. Lovely morphing proggy hip hop that makes you think to yourself: “yeah, I could start listening to hip hop again!” Because hip hop is pretty lacking for me right now. Someone do something worthwhile – please!!!! And then there was Themselves. Available free (for a limited time I think, so click away):

Download theFREEhoudini here

David Cunningham & Yasuaki Shimisu
One Hundred
(2009, Staubgold)
RIYL = Arve Henricksen, Philip Glass

Sick improvisations from two sick improvisationalists. Both have been around for decades, notably screwing with the boundaries of experimental jazz and succeeding. I’ve never heard their previous stuff, but I assume it is good because this is really great. Cunningham is bombing some electro-acoustics on the geetar and Shimisu is breaking down a saxophone like an austere army drill instructor. Straight glory. It has a great home on Staubgold, but would be equally well received on Rune Grammofon or the like. Just really solid if you’re into contemporary free jazz or whatever.

-Thistle