True Violens

A while back Violens came across our desks here at Pop Stereo HQ and while we liked them and gave them a favorable review, they didn't necessarily blow us away. Well, let's just say what a difference a couple of years makes.

Wow.

Violens' forthcoming album, True, finds the Brooklyn three-piece further amplifying their innovative songwriting with a palette of exquisitely crafted sound. The band's music eludes classification, expertly blending percussive guitar work and silky harmonies, seeking the silver lining yet to be discovered between the sounds we know and love. With a wash of 90s sonic pop drawn from artists like Pale Saints, Cocteau Twins and McCarthy, Violens paint soft watercolor notes across their compositions, adding crucial emotional depth via layered vocal harmonies.

They've grown as a band and you can hear it in every song they write now.  They're gauzy, ethereal, and really good.  After listening to the "Der Microarc," we think you'll agree that they guys are now great.  And that's a True statement.  (don't throw shoes...you could knock an eye out)

Download: Der Microarc
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Oh Minnows Isn't Fishy At All

Signed to Young and Lost Club (Noah & The Whale, Exlovers, Golden Silvers), Oh Minnows is the dreamy new project from Chris Steele-Nicholson who is better known as the multi-instrumentalist from cult indie trio Semifinalists. “Semifinalists was a collective effort, and it was great fun,” he says. “You’d get an idea going then someone would step in and take it in a direction you didn’t expect. It was like being in control and having no control at the same time. Oh Minnows is just me having to confront my views on my own.”

Following the break-up of Semifinalists in 2009, Chris began working as Oh Minnows and released 'Might EP' the same year. Since then, a full length album has been his main focus and For Shadows will be out later in the year, the first full length LP to be released solely by Young and Lost Club.

For Shadows is a lush electronic album that's dreamy, hazy, and gorgeous.  In other words, a bit of a departure from the Semifinalists in every sense of the word.  While I most definitely miss his old band, Chris Steele-Nicholson has done a fantastic job putting For Shadows together that's convinced me he'll be alright.

Download: You'll Never Know Us 
Download: Another Volunteer (Entrepreneurs Guilty Pleasures Remix)
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