The Ocean Blue - Cerulean

1991; 12 tracks

Here we have the second album of American indie/dream pop band The Ocean Blue, from Pennsylvania.

Wikipedia states that the band's influences include The Smiths, Cocteau Twins, R.E.M., Echo & the Bunnymen and New Order. Not being familiar with any of those aside from the first two, I only have the authority to say that they do have a degree of Cocteau Twinsiness about them, in atmosphere at least (nothing will ever compare to the vocals of Elizabeth Fraser). Succulent, dreamlike pop. The tracks "Ballerina Out of Control" and "Marigold" are both quite lovely - The Chameleons without the British accent.

Download.

Twin Sister - Color My Life

2010; 6 tracks



Sensuous, dream-like and pretty indie pop from New York. I don't know much about this band, and for some reason I'm not too interested in looking it all up. But, really, I could easily sleep to this. (last.fm?)



Download.



EDIT: the more i listen to this the more i love it.

the carousel - abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

1994; 8 tracks

the carousel was a dreampop band formed by Elizabeth Price, the vocalist and guitarist of the British indie pop group Talulah Gosh, and Gregory Webster, of the band Razorcuts. The duo released two full-length albums, the second of which being abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz. Lying beneath Price's voice, which is at times ethereal and others shadowy, enchanting acoustic guitars strum away like a heavenly chorus. There are no drums or bass parts, but there is an organ accompaniment on the track "Henry Please Don't Chop Off My Head," which is fitting as the melody is reminiscent of an old English folk tune. the carousel create graceful, celestial sounds of pure inventiveness.


Download.

Fairy World II

 2005; 17 tracks

Here is the second in a collection of compilation records by French label Prikosnovénie. The subtitle is an understatement of what you can find on this, "a collection of delicate & spiritual music." Each track is special and a nice introduction to the label. It's a fine compilation of beautiful songs, so check it ouuuut.
Download.

Pinknruby - Garden & The Vast Astonishment

Oh my god. In the music of Pinknruby, I have found true, surrealist beauty. It is one of my favorite new finds, and I am positive you will love it too.

Pinknruby, a duo comprising Slovenian Michaela Repina and Brit Paul Bradbury, began working together in 1998, intending to write dance music with strong melodies. The ensuing garage, drum'n'bass and chill-out tracks generated some interest. Early in 2002, Pinknruby decided to try something entirely different. Carrying folk guitar backgrounds, Repina and Bradbury opted to return to simple acoustic melodies. Their preceding tenure in dance music, however, led to acoustic songs with a dance approach, which led to the use of loops, etc. Their music, warm, acoustic, and performed using guitars and vocals by both members, combines folk with elements from the Mediterranean and eastern Europe. When performing, the musical pair likes to dress colorfully in accordance with the occassion, which adds to the appeal of their shows. Pinknruby's lyrics, in Slovenian, usually present short stories or philosophical comments.

Pinknruby attracted the attention of French underground label, Prikosnovénie in 2002 and released their debut album, The Vast Astonishment with them in 2003. Since then, they have released two more critically acclaimed albums, Garden (2005) and Queen Kale (2008).

 2005; 10 tracks  Garden is Pinknruby's second album, and my favorite. Mihaela Repina's soft, high Slovenian-singing voice combines with the purring of a cat in seamless intimacy. I have grown a deep love for this album, which provides a great collection of musical genres and styles - pure acoustic folk to jazzy, up-beat tracks, often accompanied by a violin. Mihaela Repina's voice is utterly gorgeous, reminiscent of Kate Bush and perhaps even Liz Frasier.

"Mihaela Repina and Paul Bradbury make light, mysterious and mostly acoustic music that draws from Eastern European folk and Brazilian samba, with a dash of jazz. Both sing in Slovenian, she in a dusky voice that recalls Lou Rhodes from Lamb, he in a light tenor that reminds one of Ben Watt. The music dances on the edge of being too precious and twee, one song features a cat purring. But the harmonies are solid, the instrumentation inventive, harps, psaltery and cello are added to mix, and Repina's alto is truly bewitching. On such tracks as 'Nader Margh' and 'White Lady Mirror', her dark voice and the soothing, glimmering instrumentation create an indescribable world of dark and light."

Download + Track 1   2003; 11 tracks  The Vast Astonishment is Pinknruby's debut album (with Prikosnovénie). ((I like it but will provide more thoughts after more listens.)) Download.

Cocteau Twins - Tiny Dynamine & Echoes in a Shallow Bay

1985; 4 tracks
Download.



1985; 4 tracks
Download.

These two infinitely lovely EPs were released two weeks apart in the November of 1985. They were recorded for the purpose of testing the capacities of the new studio, but seeing how strong the material was, Cocteau Twins decided to release two short EPs comprised of the material, and later a CD with them all together.

Cocteau Twins, if you have the misfortune of never hearing them before, is a dreampop/shoegaze/post-punk group from Scotland, formed in 1979. Their discography is quite extensive, but all worth giving at least one listen. These two EPs might often be overlooked, but their bold beauty is something not often found in the world of music today.

Fight Bite - Emerald Eyes

2008; 10 tracks

This is Texas-based duo Fight Bite's debut album and it is placidly beautiful. Her voice is dreampoppy and the muffled synth beats create a very peaceful atmosphere... "Emerald Eyes" is fast becoming my favorite song ever :')

Download

Purchase

Autumn's Grey Solace - Over the Ocean

2004; 12 tracks

I've really been meaning to put this amazing album up for a long time, but I sort of put it off in search of new music. Now, I'm re-listening to it, and I really must post it. Autumn's Grey Solace is a dream-pop/shoegaze band from the United States. Out of their entire discography, I believe that this album, Over the Ocean, is their greatest, most flawless album. It encompasses pretty much everything I believe a dream-pop album should - the ethereal eloquence of a beautiful female voice, along with the natural elements of the ocean and the soft mandolin in the background.

The most amazing thing about this album, however, is the final track. "Over the Ocean." It is without a doubt one of the most stunning pieces of music I have ever heard in my life - come enjoy it with me pls.

Sinking into my bed,
Hoping to be left behind

Medicine - The Buried Life

1993; 12 tracks

This is a really, really nice shoegaze album. It reminds me of Slowdive a bit, but a little noisier. Warning: awfully beautiful female vocals. More info here.

Download.

어른아이 - Dandelion

2009; 11 tracks

어른아이 (Adultchild) is a beautiful indie/folk/dream pop group from Korea. Their latest release, Dandelion, is one of my favorite dream pop albums of all time. Annabel Lee is a gorgeous, seaside track that amazes me - it is taken from Edgar Allen's poem by the same name.

Download.

Cocteau Twins

This band is probably my second favorite band in the entire universe, second only to Coil. Plus, they had awesome hairstyles.





Cocteau Twins is a very versatile, prolific, and extremely unique group from Scotland. They were formed in 1979 and have released numerous full-length albums, EPs, Singles, and other collaborations. Elizabeth Fraser is the lead singer, with Robin Guthrie on guitar and drum machine and Will Heggie as the bassist. Fraser's vocals are extremely provocative and diverse. Upon hearing album after album by CT, I became increasingly amazed at the sheer fluidity and abilities of this talented woman's voice (though the talents of the other members are not to go unnoticed) and the icy connection she creates with the other band members. Due to the fact that this band has released material over such a broad length of time, the music that they have created and the movements surrounding their work has changed greatly. This is why many consider Cocteau Twins to have gone through "periods," where they released music leaning more towards dream-pop, post-punk, shoegaze, pop, ambient, etc. I want to post those albums that I personally loved the most, but they in no way are the group's only "good" work. I respect everything that they have done, but here are some of my favorites :) Enjoy. (More info here).

Head Over Heels

1983; 14 tracks

Someone once told me that this album sounds like it was recorded in a cathedral, with it's echoing grandeur and magnificence not often seen in a debut album. This album tends to strike me as some of CT's more deeply cerebral and mystical work. I haven't listened to it half as much as I'd like, but as Cocteau Twins' second album Head Over Heels serves as an extremely apt introduction to their music.

Download.


Treasure

1984; 10 tracks

Every single song on this album is pure perfection. Treasure, apart from being Cocteau Twins' doubtlessly most popular effort, shows a maturity in a young band that can rarely be seen in artists today. When I first heard Treasure, I was reminded almost instantly of Frédéric Chopin's 27 Études. Each of the pieces is intended to "show off" a different aspect of the piano and its technique, much like how each track on Treasure appears to stretch Fraser's voice into a new dimension and sound. I absolutely love Treasure - it is a very beautiful and luscious piece of music.

Download.


Aikea-Guinea EP

1985; 4 tracks

This is a really amazing, delightful EP that is sort of surprising in how fragile and yet devastatingly beautiful it is. I really enjoy -this- particular CT style, that is the icier side of their already post-punk tendencies, the most.

Download.


Victorialand

1986; 10 tracks

This album is a gentle, sweet and honey-like approach to Cocteau Twins, maybe a good introductory album. I consider this album and their music from the late 80s as their transition into a slightly more "no-wave" sound, sort of like My Bloody Valentine, but Fraser's vocals are as piercing as ever.

Download.


Blue Bell Knoll

1988; 10 tracks

I don't care what aaaanyone says, THIS album, Blue Bell Knoll, is my number one favorite Cocteau Twins album. It's perfect. Enough said =)My favorite tracks are "The Itchy Glowbo Blow" (Favorite CT song) and "Suckling the Mender".

Download.


Heaven or Las Vegas

1990; 10 tracks

This is one of my absolute favorite albums of any genre. It is really a gorgeous, upbeat, crazy, bright and brilliant album.

Download.


Four-Calendar Café

1993; 10 tracks

This album is considered by many to be one of Cocteau Twins' weakest albums. I personally don't agree with this concensus at all. I agree that it's a little more bluh than, say, Heaven or Las Vegas, but there are still a few gems on here. "Pur", Track 10, is one of my favorite Cocteau Twins songs ever! It has the most amazing climax, and the bass guitar just drives me crazy. So yeah, don't always believe what you hear, especially in this case.

Download.


Lullabies To Violaine, Pts. 1 and 2

1982
This link includes:
Lullabies to Violaine, Volume 1: Singles and Extended Plays 1982-1990 and Lullabies to Violaine, Volume 2: Singles and Extended Plays 1993-1996. Released March 20, 2006.

Download.