Crystal Shipsss, “Yay” (Cakes and Tapes, 2011)
Our label Cakes and Tapes has just returned with its 17th installment. Yay is the debut album from Crystal Shipsss, a sideproject of our favorite Danish songwriter Jacob Faurholt, who released one of the best albums of the year earlier on. Yay leaves all that quietness behind, drenches itself in reverb, it even tries to stab you at times in all its low fidelity glory, but it’s still infected by melodies that’ll stick in your head for hours. Mastered by master James Plotkin (Khanate, OLD, Jodis), Crystal Shipsss is quite the antithesis of Faurholt’s solo work but that doesn’t make it less interesting. Discover it below.
Yay is now available on digital and limited edition cassette (50 white C30 tapes) formats. Streaming is free, of course.
Prairie Hymnal presents: BLESSED FEATHERS
From the Mouths of the Middle Class, out now on Cakes and Tapes. Cassettes are flying!
Blessed Feathers, “From the Mouths of the Middle Class”
New album from Wisconsin’s folk duo Blessed Feathers, out since last week on Cakes and Tapes (on cassette), Listening Party (vinyl) and selfreleased (CD-r). Stream it below and buy us a cassette if you like it.
“Like many of the best folk albums of the last decade, From the Mouths is an insular affair with a distinct sense of place. Berube and Beaupre self-recorded and self-produced it in their shared apartment over the course of the last winter, writing their songs separately then fleshing them out together with banjo, accordion, glockenspiel and flute and other instruments they had taught themselves to play.” - Express Milwaukee
“In short, it’s the kind of album that when put on you stop whatever you’re doing and reflect and prepare. It’s the perfect soundtrack for the transition from the excitement of summer to the somberness and beauty of fall. The sway created by the accordion and the tender hold of the gentle plunking banjo will take you on one of the more relaxing listening experiences of recent memory.” - Hot Lunch Collective
Yuni in Taxco, “Slow Charade”
Cakes and Tapes’ alumni Yuni in Taxco had just self-released their second album of the year, and yet again is up for free streaming and download on their Bandcamp page!
[vid] Lizard Kisses, “Pinch”
Lizard Kisses - Pinch from Jessica Amaya on Vimeo.
I’m in the process of starting to write my master’s thesis, so Bolachas will probably be sacrificed during the next year and I’ll be posting less. Unless, of course, music like this continues to surface and I’ll be obliged to post it. “Pinch” is one of the songs contained on the new release from Brooklyn’s Lizard Kisses, “Tiny Island Teeth”, that just came out less than a month ago on Cakes and Tapes (stream it below). Jessica Amaya recorded it, Jordan Lee (from Mutual Benefit) lent a guitar, a pair of hands and some “oooohs” and the lovely duo composed of Cory Siegler and Marc Merza did the rest. One of the most adorable songs of the year for me, now available with added visual greatness.
