XNY have that rare kind of chemistry that must make other bands wonder what they're doing wrong. It isn’t every day that you hear something so large and well thought out, channeled through such piecemeal instrumentation. On their new record ‘Through the Wall,’ the band’s production has increased in scope, but the songs maintain a deeply felt relationship between these old friends. Make no mistake. With just two members, XNY have managed to build a world larger than most ensembles plenty times their size. They'll be headlining a show next Friday (9.14) at Bowery Electric. Read Mike Levine's interview with the Brooklyn duo here.
Ambient and slightly androgynous, the duo Belle Mare released their dreamy debut EP “The Boat of the Fragile Mind” earlier this spring. The EP resonates with somber tones and almost whale-like howls, unraveling soft acoustic guitar, simple piano melodies, and occasional subtle drones. The title track features the quivering vocals of Amelia Bushell, one half of the Belle Mare duo with guitarist Thomas Servidone, painting a dreamscape portrait of longing. Charade (streaming below) gently develops an unexpected blue melody that can lull you into the deepest of sleeps - I've heard of people dreaming of sleeping, in NYC. The duo met at an open mic night in Brooklyn and recorded the album in Servidone’s apartment, but notwithstanding the DIY approach, the record is full of character and the sound mature. With their mix of rich surrealism and an almost gothic aura, these song sounds as if played through an antique phonograph inside a parlor room... located in the deepest of our subconscious. While “The Boat” could easily draw comparisons to other dream-poppers Beach House, Belle Mare’s subtleties and extreme sparsness create a stronger emotional drive and more nostalgic appeal. - Devon Antonetti
