Lunch Money Life: Immersion Chamber
https://lunchmoneylife.bandcamp.com/album/immersion-chamber
As we are all dealing with our strange new day-to-day in our own ways, I thought some instrumental music, allowing you to find your own meaning in it, would fit the bill. Here are four great new no-lyrics releases that don’t fit neatly into any genre. First up are Lunch Money Life, a collective from London who make self-described “apocalypse music.” Their first full-length is Immersion Chamber, filled with all sorts of conflicting dark-meets-light sounds. It’s rock, jazz, electronica and horror soundtrack all at once. Not music to fall asleep to, that’s for sure, but definitely not to miss, either. Give it a spin and let me know what you think.
TG: Memory Foam
https://toddgoldstein.bandcamp.com/album/memory-foam
Every once in a while, I come across an album, can’t remember how it made its way into my listening queue, and it grabs me and won’t let go, each track building on the last. Damn, those are the surprises I live for, it’s why this column exists, so I can share those discoveries with you all. Memory Foam falls into that category, a masterclass in instrumental studio magic that had me going “what is this?” song after song on first listen. Multi-instrumentalist Todd Goldstein (or TG) creates some wonderful sonic space here, organically layering guitars and keys and rhythm and channeling all sorts of feel-good energy. Happy, blissed-out, pensive, let your mind wander where it will with this one, it’s all good.
Sven Wunder: Wabi Sabi
https://svenwunder.bandcamp.com/album/wabi-sabi
Regular RecommNeds readers may be wundering, er wondering what’s going on here, recalling that Sven Wunder was featured in this space not even two months back. If you’re still digesting his debut Eastern Flowers, don’t let me interrupt you. If you somehow missed that one, please, please go get on it right now. If you had your fill and were wondering, “well, what else does he got?,” you’re in luck, because Wabi Sabi is the follow up, it’s here and it’s the second fanciful chapter in what will hopefully be a long journey. If the debut was infused with a sort of Middle Eastern, Mediterranean flavor, this one is even further flung with Far Eastern motifs. Regardless, it’s a groovy gem of a record that pairs perfectly with whatever mindset you’ve got going on. Like it’s slightly older sibling, an absolute you-gotta-check-this-out. Seriously, dig into it.
Steve Cobby: Nostalgia Intensa
https://stevecobby.bandcamp.com/album/nostalgia-intensa
Remember when “easy listening” was an insult. Strikes me as strange, like what could be better than music that’s easy to listen to? Nostalgia Intensa is so damn easy to love, laid back to the extreme, in the best way possible, this is the instrumental music to soundtrack whatever you’re up to or absolutely nothing at all. This comes from the “way groovy, man” mind of Steve Cobby, who, like Sven Wunder, already has two must-listen albums out in 2020. Here I’m featuring the most recent, but either or both will take you to where you need to go. Put this one on and put a smile on your face.
