Beirut - Venice (from the ep Realpeople-Holland)



I have been a fan of Beirut for some time now because of his unique approach to music and songwriting. Before he started making music under this name he had a more electronic solo oriented project called Realpeople and in his latest release as Beirut he has merged these two worlds and released an album that is actually considered to be two EP’s released as one album and one of the two EP’s features a more electronic type fare. One of the songs on the Realpeople-Holland side of the album has been haunting my mind for the last day or so and so I decided to take a moment and share it here. I recommend you take the time to listen to the rest of the album as there are a lot of other great songs on there, some lying outside of the calm universe of You Disappear but are still wonderful songs.

I think the moment the horns started fading into the synthetic sounds I was hooked, it’s such a surprisingly natural sounding combination and I love it.

iTunes Link - Artist Site

Tags: Beirut

Sylvain Chauveau - Un Autre Décembre



As the sun starts to set and the light here fades into darker and darker shades of grey things become more and more subtle around me in this light and the cold of the winter can be felt as it creeps through the windows. With the day dying my mind is getting lost in the idea of the approaching night and what it may bring with it In this moment, a perfect soundtrack for this moment would have to be Sylvain Chauveau’s album Un Autre Décembre. It is a subtle album full of slowly evolving piano pieces that will take your mind somewhere other than where you are. The album is laced with short electronic sounds and noises as songs that are so quiet and understated that even if you are not a fan of this sort of slightly experimental noise among the beautiful sounds of a piano you will probably understand why they are there. They add space and breathing room to the piano pieces and somehow manage to pull the album together as a whole. This is easily my favorite work from Sylvian and its hard to imagine why he isn’t more widely known. Unfortunately this is one of those albums I feature here that is hard to come by at the time as it was released on Fat Cat a few years ago and has since gone out of print and I cannot find somewhere online to buy it other than the occasional used copy. I’m sure that with time a digital version will be released for those interested and for the impatient ones im sure if you look/ask around you could find a copy. (Note: the name of the song I included above is Neuf Cents Lunes from this album)

Artist Site (also here a newer one)

Tags: Sylvain Chauveau

Jason Molina - Let Me Go Let Me Go Let Me Go

I mentioned Jason Molina’s other solo album previously here and I wanted to take some time to add this to the archives as well. After his first solo record overwhelmed me with its beautiful existence I was excited to discover he was releasing a new one with the same sort of approach as the first, a stripped down recording process that leaves the songwriting and singing upright and center. An approach that results in a wonderfully intimate record that you cant help but get lost in. This second solo effort took me longer to appreciate though, it did not grab me and hypnotize me like this one did. I think it was a case of letting my expectations get to high. The record sat on my shelf unheard for quite some time until one quiet day I decided to give it another go and I was hooked, simple as that. The song that did it is the second song on the album called Everything Should Try Again. Something hiding inside it spoke to me that day and the rest of the album sort of sunk into my subconscious as I listened more and more through time. I have included a streaming version of the song I just mentioned if you are curious as well as a couple links as usual so you can explore the music more if you like what you hear.



iTunes Link • Artist Site

Random update to this post, oddly enough I sat down and wrote another review of this release a month or two later not realizing it was already something I featured here. I liked what I wrote so why not include it here as well... here is my second collection of thoughts on the recording:

The first album posted on You Disappear was Jason Molina’s solo album called Pyramid Electric Co. and I am happy to add his other solo recording, Let Me Go. As with his first solo record the music here is sparse, gripping, and simply beautiful. While I have respect for his work with the bands he has been part of I find that this work he does on his own is simply brilliant. It is music slowed down and deconstructed to its most essential of elements. Each note sung and each instrument that introduces itself echoes out into the space where it was recorded. Subtle recording tricks and ambient sounds in the recording add a sense of being there with the music rather than simply hearing it played. It did take longer to get into this second recording form him but one day the second track on the record called Everything Should Try Again came on and took my attention and never let go. It has since seen a lot of play on my record player and elsewhere because of its honest songwriting and emotionally charged presence. An essential recording along with Pyramid and I really hope that he revisits this side of his music again in the future.

Tags: Jason Molina

Mout Eerie - Dawn



I have been following Mount Eerie (aka The Microphones) for a long while now and the moment when I really started to enjoy his music was the first track from his Live in Japan album, Great Ghosts. With time I grew to appreciate the experimental side of his work seen often in his releases as The Microphones. Really, you never know what to expect from him. From what I have read at some point in the winter of 2002/2003 he took a trip to Norway and spent some time alone there in the arctic and durning that time he wrote a number of songs that have shown up in many different incarnations scattered through his live shows and albums he has released. He has only just recently collected all of these songs into one place and recorded them as they were originally written, alone with acoustic guitar and with minimal production. I have waited years for an album like this and its nice to finally have it around to listen to. The album has been released in a few different ways, on vinyl, digitally, and with a book featuring writing and entries in his journal during the time when he wrote the music. Many of his recent releases have fairly unique and collectable aspects to the physical copies like one album, called Singers I believe which had a record cover that folded out into a giant poster and claimed to be the largest record cover in the world.

At any rate, the music is quiet and subtle and he sings of isolation, self discovery, and living life. The songs are sung and played with a casualness that is common within his music that may take getting used to if you have never heard his music before. I have been listening to this a lot lately and highly recommend it.

(note: the sample song above is called Voice in Headphones, a favorite)

Digital version available here • Artist Site

Tags: Mount Eerie, The Microphones

Calmer - Past Is Present EP

This EP is the first official release from NYC based artist Calmer and I have been looking forward to it for some time now. Listening to this short collection of songs is like bathing in sound and light as its lush slowly evolving arrangements take you places lost in time and imagination. Honestly, its hard to describe what you will find here in these songs as they straddle many different ideas, on one side of things you have a jazz record and on another you have an electronic release and when you combine these two worlds you get this wonderful unique blend of the two rarely heard with such attention to detail. So if you are looking for something unique and diverse within the world of jazz and electronic I would certainly take the time to check out these four great songs. Below you can listen to a track from the EP called Open Source which you can download here on xlr8r.com.



Buy straight from the label here or iTunes link here • Artist Page

Tags: Calmer

Antony & The Johnsons - Dust and Water (from the new album The Crying Light)



If hearing this does not make you go and buy this album then I don’t know what else will. If you enjoy it then take a moment to preview the whole album. My other favorite from this release is the song “Another World, beautiful music.

iTunes Link • Artist Page

Tags: Antony & the Johnsons

Sun Kil Moon – Ghosts Of The Great Highway

I discovered this album while working at a college radio station. I remember putting it on and playing the first track and feeling comforted by the warmth in the music. The album is like a warm ray of sun shining down on you on a cool day. Mark Kozlek, the man behind the music has a singing voice that is subtle and sleepy and makes every song feel like a lullaby. This album finds its way up and down in emotion and has a couple moments where sleepy eyed songs turn a bit more head nodding. It is easily my favorite of the albums he has available as a solo artist and if you enjoy it I suggest also checking out the companion EP of the same name only Vol. 2 which contains a few alternate versions of songs some of which I almost prefer over the originals because they are more stripped down and personal in a way. I know I have not done much here to describe the music itself and I think I will simply leave that to speak for itself if you take a moment to have a listen. Trust me, its worth a few minutes of your day to check out If you have not heard it already.

iTunes Link • Artist Page

Tags: Sun Kil Moon

Pride - Phosphorescent

I mentioned another album from phosphorescent here on the site already and I wanted to include my other favorite from him as well because it is equally stunning. I think the most gripping part of the music here is the mood put in place by the shaky vocals of the singer Matthew Houck. The depth in these songs is nothing short of magic and the music begs to be heard while traveling and I cannot exactly figure out why I think that but its what comes to mind when I listen to these songs. Something in the warm drifting feeling of these songs brings forth the idea of a landscape slowly transforming in layers as you ride along in a car or train. That peacefulness that traveling brings. I think that is simply because the music here feels like home in a dusty sentimental kind of way. My favorite song on the album is certainly ‘Wolves’ which is a song where I often catch myself with my eyes closed as I listen, if not just a long blink of sorts like in slow motion. The kind where things around you seem a little brighter and glowing upon opening your eyes and leaves everything within your sight seem just a little more beautiful.

iTunes Link • Artist Page

Tags: Phosphorescent

Hauschka - Ferndorf

Hauschka’s work previous to this album focused primarily on the idea of the prepaired piano, a sort of avant guard approach to reinventing the sounds and capabilities of a piano and while his previous album is wonderful in its own right, his newest effort here has taken his ideas and compositions a step up and beyond by including a string duo and other instrumentation. Hauschka is masterminded by german composer Volker Bertelmann who has studied classical piano for around ten years and this music project is his exploration into the ideas of using the prepared piano. This album specifically was written as a way to put into musical terms his experiences as a child growing up in a small village and his memory of being outside so much when he was young. The title of the album, Ferndorf, is a word that translates to mean ‘distant village’ and upon hearing the album and knowing this I find it easy to understand this parallel of music, nature, and a sense of home that he has created. The music centers itself on the percussive sounds that exist within the prepared piano’s sound but it fully realized with the addition of the warmth that the strings provide. It’s a beautiful album through and through and I highly recommend you give it a listen. Below you will find part one of a video trilogy created for music on the album and it was this video that immediately drew me in as it is a perfect visual representation of the feeling hiding within the music.

iTunes Link • Artist Page

Tags: Hauschka

João Gilberto - The Legendary João Gilberto

Here is something a bit different from the usual indie/ambient fare you have seen around here. A bit of Bossa Nova, nothing new and modern and over produced, a classic release that is stuffed with short songs full of life and a gentle sway and sunny feeling that will leave you with a smile. Its that peaceful feeling that gave me reason enough to want to add it to the site here. While I am no expert and know little about the genera when I heard this album that was passed onto me at some point I couldn’t get enough. There is this perfect balance within this album between a calm peaceful feeling and a happy one that makes you want to dance along to the music. From what I have read about Bossa Nova, the word means ‘new trend’ in Portuguese and João was one of the early artists that drove its popularity. This album is a defining collection of his music and in essence it is a collection of music recorded at the heart of the Bossa Nova movement.

I am happy to add this wonderful album to the archive here on the site but I am sad to say this is no longer in print, not as a CD, LP, or as a digital release. It was released in 1990 and the CD is currently fetching prices of $100+ USD through various sites and ebay which is a high price but honestly, this is a great collection of music and I’m sure the diehard fans of the genera understand its importance as a collection so it goes for these high prices. I would love to say I had a copy of this but I don’t, only in digital form. Im sure if you looked hard enough you could come across it online through ‘backdoors’ but I didn’t just type that. While this is the best I have heard from this artist there are a number of other modern releases available featuring his music that you can find as well. On an interesting side note, I just read the following on his wikipedia page about this release:

“While all of Gilberto's albums since Getz/Gilberto have been released on CD, the first three domestic albums were released in 1988 by EMI on a single CD entitled The Legendary João Gilberto: The Original Bossa Nova Recordings (1958–1961). The disc also included three tracks from the singer's 1959 Orfeu Negro EP: "Manhã de Carnaval," O Nosso Amor, and A Felicidade, the latter two merged into a single medley track to fit within the recording time of a CD. After its release, Gilberto successfully sued to have the title removed from sale as an unauthorized release of his artistic works.”

It’s interesting to hear that they altered the songs for the release and I could see why he would have wanted it to stop production. I have read other places about this release that there were other liberties taken in the remastering of the original songs as well as the new order of the songs which differ from the original LP’s. Note the article goes on to speak of the idea that he is somewhat of a perfectionist as well but honestly, what artist wants his music messed with like that? All the same, the release is a beautiful one and its nice to have these recordings in one place. Maybe one day I will stumble upon the original LP’s in a record shop. I can dream cant I?

Here is one song from the release to give you an idea of what I have been going on about. One of the more upbeat pieces and one of my favorites.



João Gilberto Wiki Page

Tags: João Gilberto

Elliott Smith - Self Titled



Another staple in the realm of quiet music, Elliott Smiths second solo release was a self titled affair and many consider it a favorite. I discovered Elliott though his album XO then moved onto Either/Or followed by this release as well as his first album Roman Candle and the album Mic City Sons, (the last album he released with the band he was part of Heatmiser before taking his solo carrier head on). I think that last sentence made sense. Well, the album is nothing short of brilliant really and belongs in anyones record collection. My personal favorite from this album has always been St. Ides Heaven and I couldn’t tell you why, just one of those songs that has somehow been permanently installed in my mind somehow. Thats not to say the rest of the album is no less embedded there as well.

This album holds the feeling of movement in my mind if that makes sense. Something about them feel perfect for driving on a warm summer night. Hmm, I don’t really feel anything I can say will ever be a proper description of the music you will find here so I will as that you simply check it out for yourself if you have not already discovered his music. I will eventually have a number of his albums listed on these pages and simply wanted to take the chance to add this to the archives here.

iTunes Link • Artist Page

Tags: Elliott Smith

The Sight Below - Glider

This album appeared recently on one of my favorite electronic music labels and after hearing an EP released before this full length I knew I was hooked. The music is a subtle ambient album which according to the labels site, was performed live for the recording. The music reminds me of flying as the ambient tones glide along the subtle movement of the percussion which does a good job of holding you in and adding to the emotion impact of the music. While it is predominantly electronic in its choices of instrument you will also find guitar drenched in reverb echoing through the sound. I have found this album a perfect nightcap for me recently as it provides a backdrop for hopeful dreams and a peaceful night of sleep although it often makes its way into my headphones when I need a bit of an escape from the day as it does a fine job of slowing the world down to a more manageable pace.

iTunes Link • Artist Page

Extra: Here is a youtube video from the artist as he also does video work for his live performances. The audio quality on the video is lacking and this is just sort of an experiment to see how I feel about posting videos (let me know what you think) on the site but here goes nothing:

Tags: The Sight Below

Corrina Repp - The Other Side Is Mud

I posted about Corrina in the previous post and as I was looking through the label site I found that they have one of her albums available for free or simply any amount of money you would like to donate to get the mp3’s because its physical form is out of print. When I mentioned my long periods of listening to her other album, ‘I Take On Your Days,’ I also discovered this album and often these songs followed the other album in its rotation through my ears. The music on this release holds the same sort of fragile feel as the other release and while personally I prefer the music on ‘I Take On Your Days’ because it is a bit more developed and haunting this album is not one you want to miss either and if you are curious about her style of music this is a great place to start. My favorite song on here is the last track titled ‘They Sang Solo’ which I love and is one of my favorite songs of hers.

Download the album here (I suggest you at least donate a couple of dollars for it as every bit counts and Hush Records is a label well worth supporting.)

Tags: Corrina Repp

Corrina Repp - I Take On Your Days

This is one of my personal classic favorites. One of those albums that got me hooked on the art of the whispering quiet side of music. The songs here are minimal, to the point, and beautiful. The ten songs on this album are all like the lullabies for heartbreak and hope. At one point in my life these songs rang through on repeat endlessly as I worked an early shift at a book store and while sometimes they pushed me dangerously close to falling asleep on the floor, most of the time they just kept me going. This is one of those albums that I treasure and am happy to recommend to others that are not familiar with it. I bought the CD years ago and the artwork is wonderful as the painting on was printed on a letterpress and has that wonderful feeling that only that type of press can give. It is still available with this packaging and I recommend you pick up a physical copy of it if you enjoy the music because its wonderful. This is one not to miss and one of those albums that hardly grow beyond a whisper in your ears.

On a related note, the album was released by Hush Records, one of my favorite labels for this sort of music that I have followed for years and I discovered the label through the Take A Nap music site that inspired You Disappear to become a reality.

iTunes Link • Artist Page • Label Page (where you can buy a physical copy)

Tags: Corrina Repp

Yo La Tengo - And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out

I’ve been revisiting Yo La Tengo recently because I always just sort of passed them off as yet another indie rock group. Then I came across this album and really fell for it. The name of the album is what caught my attention at first. The album is sort of a gently rocking ride as you listen and sway along to the beat of the drums. While most of the music sits there on the calm level of existance there are a couple livlier tracks on here for those of you who may not be expecting to hear such rocking songs around the site. Even these exude some level of calmness though and as a whole its a wonderful trip and fans of the other music on You Disappear should take note if you have not heard the album. I look forward to checking out the rest of their material as time permits.

iTunes Link • Artist Site

Tags: Yo La tengo

Vetiver - Been So Long

When I first heard this song I knew immediately it would become a favorite. It’s a song about meeting friends after a long period of time apart. The mood of the song matches the sentiment perfectly and as it navigates its way through your mind it leaves you feeling sentimental and reflecting on the people you have lost touch with or have not heard from in a while. It’s a joy to hear really and puts you in such a good mood as you listen. There are a couple of versions out there of the song and my favorite is the first track on the album ‘To Find me Gone.’ The rest of the album is equally good and I will add it here eventually but thought I would point out this great song first.

iTunes Link • Artist Page

Tags: Vetiver

Rachel’s - Music for Egon Schiele

Rachel’s is a group performing classical inspired music from musicians with more a history in indie rock. At least as far as I know. I don’t know too much about the group other than it centers on three musicians that often spirals outward with other players on their recorded work. This album is over ten years old at this point but in my mind remains as strong and beautiful as when it was released. Originally it was performed life to accompany a theater piece about the painter Egon Schiele but was also recorded and released. The music is simple and hypnotic and performed with piano, Cello, and Violin which all melt together seamlessly into a beautiful landscape of sound. Perfect music to close your eyes and let the sound take your mind visit places hiding inside your imagination. It is a highly visual album in my opinion and leaves you feeling a sort of uplifting calm. Highly recommended... (highly recommended seems to be getting a common phrase around here I think.)

iTunes Link • Artist Page

Tags: Rachels

Nudge - Elaborate Devices For Filtering Crisis

I Love this album, it’s as simple as that really. The music is ambient music only not as thick with a thousand pounds of reverb. It makes its way through a lot of different ideas with a number of different approaches to a similar concept through the album. It has little touches of a number of influences such as jazz and funk it’s a subtle IDM electronic music album at its heart. Its one of those albums that floats through your mind rather than just sitting there in front of you while you listen. Some live elements like electric bass and drums make their way into the mix but often its full of bleeps and electronic synth like sounds that rest right at home with the live instruments in the recording. Occasionally a female voice sings over the songs which is a great addition and while it only makes its appearance a couple of times it’s somehow just enough. It’s a well balanced album that electronic music lovers would enjoy but is not so overly electronic that fans of more acoustic music could get into it as well.

iTunes Link • Artist Page

Tags: Nudge

Nick Drake - Pink Moon

How could I have a site based on the calmer side of music and not include this album? It’s interesting to me how a lot of newer calm singer songwriter music that is released is instantly compared to Nick Drake. Especially since he was so underground and did not get the crazy popularity that his music gathered until it was featured in a car ad. All the comparisons do come with fairly good reason as he was writing this sort of gently whispered music long before the current days where pretty much anyone can learn to play guitar and record their own album of these sorts of simplistic songs. I think the thing that made Nick Drake stand out was because his music is very much worthy of such praise. Pink Moon in particular is a simple understated album full of brilliant songs. Brilliant in their simplicity, focus, and honesty. The music on the album is nothing short of a lullaby throughout the album and is an essential album for any fan of this kind of music. If you are among those who have not heard this album then do yourself a favor and have a listen...

iTunes Link • Artist Page (wikipedia entry)

Tags: Nick Drake

R.L. Burnside - First Recordings

A fan of the blues? Like my opinion of jazz and country and a few other genres I am really specific about what I like in the world of blues. I love old blues recordings, the gritty feel of them add so much to the music and helps you get into the roots of the blues. More modern over produced blues records hardly have any soul to them in my opinion. This record contains early recordings from blues musician R.L. Burnside and its a wonderful collection of sliding guitar, foot stomping blues. While many have a bit higher tempo than other recordings around on this site I still feel it still falls within the bounds of calm music. Listening to it makes me smile and nod my head along but I can’t help but relax while I listen to it. The songs here have soul and feel alive to me. It’s a great blues album with to many great songs to list out here and if you’re a fan of the blues by all means give this a listen its great.

iTunes Link • Artist Page (wikipedia entry)

Tags: RL Burnside

Califone - Heron King Blues

I think I discovered Califone when this album came into rotation at the radio station while I was a DJ there. I was immediately struck with the unique sound of the group and its avant blues that was slow and full of sporadic percussion and sliding guitars plucked and strummed at in a way that flew around as I listened. It was a wonderful departure form other things in this sort of genera. Heron King Blues remains my favorite album from the group as it just feels the most cohesive from start to finish which may be due to its shorter length. I often prefer a solid EP to a full length album because full length can sometimes wear you out. I ended up getting the chance to see them live which was a great performance partially because it was fascinating to see this music played live while retaining the same feeling of the recorded albums. At any rate, this is an album that you should take a moment to listen to or preview because its hard to fully describe without simply listening to it. As I mentioned a bit before, think slow, quiet blues containing a bit of experimentation with percussion, production, and composition. The only thing that may turn some people off is that in a couple of the songs they get a bit on the jamming side of things which in my mind fits well with the aesthetic they have built. Overall I think the point I was trying to make in my rambling is that this album is a unique one that I urge anyone not familiar with the group to give a listen as it’s not every day you find a fresh look on the blues genera.

iTunes Link • Artist Page

Tags: Califone

Tim Hecker - Haunt Me

This is an ambient release that I came across a few years back and it contains some of my favorite ambient music. While some of this album may be a little on the more experimental side and turn off some listeners, those with some tolerance for the exploration of sound in this type of music will be rewarded with an amazing album of ambient music. The best way I can describe my personal feelings for the music lie in a story I will do my best to keep on the short side... I was in Puerto Rico a few years ago with my family and one of the nights we were there we attended a private party of sorts held inside the rainforest. We were taken to the location by bus in the blanket of night and upon leaving the bus we were given umbrellas if we wanted them because it was raining a little but I chose to go without one. I had put my headphones in on the bus and as we were leaving the bus I decided to put on this album as it was new to me at the time and I was in the mood for something quiet. The first song started to play which is easily my favorite on the album. There is a thick warm ambient tone that put me in a dreamlike state in my mind as I started walking down this rainforest path lit by fire torches along with the others from the bus. The music spun around in my head and the occasional percussive electronic sounds and edits made to the ambient tones added a hint of tension to the feelings it gave me in that moment and made this walk through the rainforest lit by torches this way seem surreal and by the time we reached the point where the party was held I felt as though I was in some sort of strange zen like coma that took a while to wear off... That may have come off a little strange, I’m not sure but it was an experience that always pulls itself back into my mind as I listen to it. The rest of the album is just as rewarding and very much deserves a listen... Visit the artists page link for more information on the artist.

iTunes Link • Artist Page

Tags: Tim Hecker

A Setting Sun - Empty Sound

The first song on this album is what got me hooked. It’s subtle, slightly uplifting melody paired with a steady beat that makes me smile for some reason. Like the title of the music project the music holds both the warmth of the sun and that calm moment when you suddenly realize its gotten cooler outside. It’s a wonderful start to the release and sets you up to know what to expect for the rest of the album as you listen through it. Cool ambience, the occasional low key beat to keep your body warm with the slight movement it provokes and a touch of other fuzzy percussive sounds that fill in the feeling and bring the production together. Its a wonderful release from a Michigan artist that appears to be new to the scene as far as I can tell with two releases on Moodgadget records. Fans of ambient music take note and keep an eye on this great new artist.

iTunes Link • Artist Site

Tags: A Setting Sun

Sufjan Stevens - Seven Swans

This is another one of those albums that surely most readers here have discovered simply because Sufjan seems to have gotten so popular over the last couple of years. All the same, this is a beautiful album that needs to be logged into the archive here for those who may have not discovered the gentle songs of this album. I can’t remember the first time finding this album, I think it may have been my brother that said, “hey, you might like this,” and stuck it on my ipod for me. That or a combination of things, anyway, any fan of any music on this blog should not overlook this release. It’s one of those must haves within the world of quiet music. Softly spoken songs of life and love accompanied mostly by guitar and banjo and all with a subtle swing and joy that just feels good to hear.

iTunes Link • Artist Page

Tags: Sufjan Stevens

Clem Snide - Your Favorite Music

When I first came across this band I can’t remember how I found them but the first song I heard was ‘Your Favorite Music,’ the title track from this album. It’s a beautiful song sung as though the singer is talking to you about your favorite music and how it just makes you sad. I immediately declared it my theme song of sorts and was won over then and there by the clever song writing from this group. The words from the song are as follows:

You favorite music, well it just makes you sad
But you like it, because you feel special that way
You feel special, that your like no one else
But then you’re lonely, and you need someone to help
I can’t teach you, to learn to love yourself
But heres a sad song, that I wrote for no one else.

The rest of the album is full of equally clever songwriting and has an overall slow pace that is broken a couple of the times with more upbeat songs. Mostly though it’s a great album to relax to that wont leave you so much on the sleepy side of things. The music is a sort of indie rock sound with a touch of an alt-country feel to it that I really love. I would say at least treat yourself to the title track and my other favorite ‘Bread.’ Recently I have been listening to a number of their albums which I have all enjoyed as much or more than this one but I thought I would post about this first since its what brought me to like the band as much as I do.

As far as I have read they are no longer together making music which is unfortunate but understandable after also reading that they also had a number of ups and downs and a revolving cast of musicians. The singer has released an album on his own that I have not checked out yet but I would like to.

iTunes Link • Artist Page

Tags: Clem Snide

Hello readers, both new and from my other project, fiftyfootshadows.net. John here and I am excited to present to you a whole new site that I have been dreaming of starting up for some time now. You Disappear is a new project I have started that will focus on music. The quiet side of music to be exact. Years ago while looking around for new music I stumbled across a site that introduced me to a lot of amazing music called Take A Nap. The interesting part about it was that the music featured there was all focused around music which was quiet, relaxing, mellow... you know, good for a nap. The site was regularly updated with mew music and suggestions until suddenly there was simply no more updates. According to the sites record that was way back in 1999 but because it is hosted on the once popular ad supported (free) site hosting service tripod.com it is still online and fully operational.

Take A Nap is one I always remembered as being one where I discovered a lot of great music and ever since I noticed it fade from updating existence I have daydreamed about taking it over and continuing to update it but after failed attempts at getting in touch with the people who started it I decided to simply start my own site with the same premise. A site featuring my favorite kind of music, music that makes the world seem to slow down around you. Music that is often best heard late at night when your ears have rested a bit and the world around you has fallen silent so it can creep into your ears like a waking dream or when the stress of the every day is simply too much and you need something to help dull the brightness of life to help focus your mind along the way. There are a thousand or so ways I have thought to describe it but I’m sure you get the idea.

To get things started I will be featuring some quiet classics for me in my life most older but some new ones as well. Many of these some of you may have already heard and been familiar with for some time but the idea is not always going to be simply to feature the latest and greatest up and coming artists but simply to start building an archive of amazing, calm music for others that share the same passion for it as I do. A place that I hope people may stumble on and discover some great new music or a place for other admirers of this kind of music to hopefully find something new as well. Its going to be a slow climb to have as much content as I wold like to see on it before it really hits its stride but I hope to get it off to a good start and update as often as possible. I also would like to eventually include a rating for each featured album in a similar way Take A Nap did that will relate to you its level calmness but I have not figured out how to best word this or represent it so it will have to wait.



As you can see, the main page of this site will be focused around this blog. It’s where I will feature new content added to the site but with each new addition I will also add it to the archive page where you can search for music alphabetically by artist. The archive will contain links to pages with all the posts made so far about the artist on the site and will not represent the artists total discography.

I have decided to concentrate on featuring albums here on the site rather than only featuring artists. While sometimes I may feature a few albums at once from a newly discovered artist I have chosen to do it by album because not every artist I will feature here makes nothing but calm albums. I will also be featuring individual songs that stand out on their own and hopefully in the future a podcast or possibly some exclusive content will make its way into the mix. There is a suggestion link to your left, please feel free to use it to suggest any artists or albums or songs that you feel should be featured on the site and I will have a listen and consider it for a future post.

Something to keep in mind is the overall aesthetic I look for in this type of music. It will usually be from smaller, independent artists and recordings will range from lo-fi, self produced albums to smoother more produced/polished sounding recordings and above all the music I feature here will be that which I feel up to certain standards. I like to be able to feel whatever it is the musician felt when the music was recorded. I never feel as attached to music that is over produced or so polished that the recording distances you from the music. Hopefully that makes sense. As far as specific genres go I don’t look to gravitate toward any particular one but featured music will range from acoustic singer songwriter type recordings to electronic releases that I feel fit into the calm mindset of the site.

I simply wanted to point out that I will hold creative control over the music featured here on the site and typically the music I will write about here is music that I love personally and you will not just be hearing every random song that comes along that happens to feature a guy singing quietly with his guitar in hand. I hope to build a site full of the best of what is out there to hear and hopefully continue to discover a lot of great music myself as well along the way.

The about page is simply an alternate version of what you just read, just so you know.

Well, all that introduction talk aside I hope you enjoy your stay here and check back often for new music additions! Feel free to write or send in any suggestions you may have and I hope you stop by again soon!

All the best,

-John

Elliott Smith - Either/Or

Of all the albums I have owned and listened to over the years the late Elliott Smith’s ‘Either/Or’ has remained at the top of my list. It fell into my ears during a time when I was just starting to explore the depths of what music had to offer me in my life. Music that had a comfortable resting place under the radar, hiding behind the pop music storm cloud that seemed so dominant in the music world. Either/Or was a stepping stone that taught me to appreciate the simpler side of music. It helped me see that you did not have to have a well produced, clean sounding record to be something incredible. The quiet, subtle presence of the music and its modest production value filled my mind with a feeling that I didn’t realize music was capable of giving me. All in all, this album and a handful of others that I discovered in that time period gave birth to my love for the calmer side of music. It’s one of those albums that I have love as much now as the first day I heard it and it’s magic has not eroded with time.

It’s an album that is no secret small release by any means and I felt posting it here is simply the only proper way to start this site off. If you have not heard this album then you owe it to yourself to at least listen to it once. While it may not have the profound effect it had on my own music life surely it will at least leave you with calm mind if you let it.

iTunes link • Artist Website

Tags: Elliott Smith

Susumu Yokota & Rothko - Water's Edge

This seems to be an often overlooked EP that I came across a couple years ago. Perhaps it was overshadowed by their full length album, I’m not sure. These are two amazing artists in their own right and they have come together on this EP to create something really wonderful. Waters Edge is a wonderful ambient record that gives much more than your typical ambient affair tends to give. Blending haunting guitar melodies, fitting sampled recordings (field recordings), a number of percussive elements that blend right into the distant electronic ambience that is a bed for all of these other elements to rest on. As short as the overall experience may be at around 20 minutes, it certainly does a great job of calming your mind. The perfect album for a restless night or for any moments where you need something to help put your mind at ease.

iTunes Link (Note: the link will point you to a compilation from the label that released the EP, Lo Records, that contains the first song from the EP. As far as I know the EP was only released on Vinyl which I recommend highly if you can find a copy of it.)• Susumu Yakota Artist Page • Rothko Artist Page

Tags: Susumu Yokota & Rothko, Susumu Yakota, Rothko

Mick turner - Moth

Mick Turner is a guitarist best known for his work with the group Dirty Three and his numerous other collaborations with the likes of Bonnie Prince Billy and Cat Power. He is also a painter and has done the cover art for many of his projects. My favorite work of his comes in the form of his solo project released under his own name, more specifically, the album called simply ‘Moth’. The music here is a collection of short guitar songs all strung together to work as a whole. Some are a bit more rambling and short than others but all of them hold a place of their own among the record as a whole. Other instruments sneak in there from time to time but for the most part it is the echoing calm of the guitar that holds your attention. The songs radiate a peaceful existence and beg your mind to relax. One of my favorite discoveries of the year, you owe it to yourself to pick this one up. It will leave your mind refreshed and ready to live.

iTunes Link • Artist Page

Tags: Mick Turner

Koen Holtkamp - Field Rituals

I’m sure ambient music will be no stranger to youdissapear as a lot of the music in the genera fits right in with the music I feature on the site. While some ambient albums are boring and simply drone on and on there are many albums in the genera that hold a lot of feeling within the slow hum of the music. Often it blends into your life and seamlessly lays with whatever it is you’re doing. It summons a unique kind of calm because it often does not contain words to distract your mind leaving it to wander freely as the music washes over you.

This album is a newer release as of the time I’m writing this and was released by the wonderful label Type Records which has a huge amount of music that I would like to feature here on the site as time permits. The album is ambient at its heart and drifts around like an ocean blending a surprising amount of different sources for its overall sound and aesthetic. It takes the classic sound of electronic ambient music and blends it seamlessly with echoing acoustic instruments and, my favorite element of the songs on this album, field recordings that put you in a totally different environment as you listen which I think is wonderful. I used to record and release soundscape recordings on my older site via a podcast and I love it when an artist is able to seamlessly blend field recordings in with music. It gives it a feeling that feels like you are watching a movie without dialogue and the soundtrack sort of drifts in over the sounds of the imaginary space in your mind. Its beautiful really. The finest example of this is can be found on the track ‘Walker’ which happens to also be my favorite from the album.

iTunes Link • Artist Page

Tags: Koen Holtkamp

Black Pear Tree - The Mountain Goats & Kaki King (from the Black Pear Tree EP)

I remember reading quite a while ago that The Mountain Goats and Kaki King were going to collaborate and at the time I remember wondering what that would possibly sound like. Turns out the result is a wonderful collaboration that evidentially was only ever released as a small run for a tour which is just beyond reason. Because of this I had to find this by other means online but I am glad I did as it lead my ears to a wonderful EP. The push and pull from these two is perfect and their styles somehow match a lot better than I had expected. Here in the title track of the EP the delicate little voice from Kaki King is accompanied by piano and she sings as though channeling the vocal timing of John from the mountain goats. It’s a great match and if you can get your hands on this great music I suggest you do because its great and I hope to hear more from the two together in the future.

Mountain Goats Artist Page • Kaki King Artist Page

Tags: The Mountain Goats & Kaki King, The Mountain Goats

Goldmund - Corduroy Road

The music of Kenniff keithkenniff will frequent the pages of this site I’m sure as he has released a number of amazing albums through the years that all fall well within the sonic boundaries of youdissapear.net. Goldmund is his solo piano project which he has released three albums of which this was his first using this name. The music is lighthearted and heartbreaking all at once, the music he has captured here with the piano is a perfect example of why I love the instrument so much. It just has so much life in each note and you can so easily feel from the music it creates for whatever reason. This album and the others in this project which I will post about in the future have a very simple approach and while you will hear the occasional other instrument or sound in the recordings its heart is in the piano strings and you will glide along with each note as it reaches your ears. The perfect music for a dimly lit room and whispered secrets...

iTunes Link • Artist Page

Tags: Goldmund

The Microphones - Wolly Mammoths Mighty Absence (from a japanese import of ‘Recorded Live in Japan’ )

This version of this song went a little further than most songs manage to get inside of my head. I have played it over and over a million or so times and for good reason. Its just a great song, simple as that. The recording of it on this random live japanese import version of his Live album all recorded in Japan sat unassumingly at the end of the album as one of the ‘bonus’ tracks for that version of it. I picked it up at a live show a few years back and I mention this because you cant get the song anywhere else. Their has been other versions of this song recorded including one stripped down version on his album ‘Dawn’ but the timing of how he sings the song is just not quite right in my mind on that version. This specific recording somehow lands in that mystical world of perfection and I’m not sure it will ever be captured in that way again. Or maybe its just me. Also, here is the version of the song for you to enjoy and the iTunes link to the newer recording of the song on ‘Dawn’. (The player here is hopefully temporary until I can get it tweaked to fit my desires)



iTunes Link (pleas note that the itunes version does not contain the song I’m talking about here but it is the rest of the album which is great too in many ways. Check out the song Great ghosts, so very good.) • Artist Site

Tags: The Microphones, Mount Eerie

Daisuke Miyatani - Diaro

I wrote about this album a while ago on my other site fiftyfootshadows. In fact, after reading what I wrote about it then I’m not sure I can word it much better than that so I will simply lift part of what I write then:

“It is one of the most subtle things I have heard in a long time and the more I listen to it the more it fades into me in some way that I cant explain. Full of lo-fi sampling and loose, quiet plucked guitars. At times songs will trail off and disappear suddenly which I didn’t really like at first but the more I listen the more I like these sudden endings on a few of the songs, it helps bring you back to the present after getting lost in the song.”

Thats how I still feel about the album, its magic. The music sort of blends into your surroundings and adds this light touch of peacefulness to your mind as you are listening to it. The best “folktronica” album I’ve heard, well my personal favorite at least. If anything you should at least treat yourself to the song ‘Hum’. It is a more ambient track but its just beautiful. I would suggest going outside somewhere the first time you hear it, go on a walk or just go sit on a bench somewhere and put it on, let it soak into you and when it ends see where it leaves your mind...

iTunes Link • Artist Site

Tags: Daisuke Miyatani

Peter Broderick - Home

An album I came across recently that I have really enjoyed. While its not music that will put you to sleep it is a gentle collection of songs that leaves you feeling good despite its sometimes melancholy lyrics. Reminiscent of other recent acoustic indie rock/folk artists such as Jose Gonzolez and Gravenhurst the music is light and swirling and may best fit an afternoon in the sun. One of my favorites on here, ‘And it’s All Right’ starts simply and slowly builds layer by layer into a thick declaration of hope that breaks off suddenly leaving you feeling like you were floating. Much of the album carries wonderful moments like this with memorable, catchy melodies and layered vocals that will leave you wanting to leave this one on repeat. This album also contains one of my favorite songs of 2008 a vague story of falling called ‘Below It’.

iTunes Link • Artist Site

Tags: Peter Broderick

Phosphorescent - A Hundred Times or More

A friend turned me onto this years ago and I listened to it endlessly for a while. The group is lead by Matthew Houck’s soft, breaking vocals which set the mood for the whole album and not unlike the old scratched, slightly strange yet peaceful album cover the music is slightly broken, slow and nostalgic. After seeing him live a couple of times and hearing this album so many times I always look forward to new releases from him. The music is fragile but thick and grips you in a unique way and while his singing style may not suit everyone I find it to be honest and steady despite it’s cracking and thin moments. What I was trying to say was that his weak moments singing are actually his strong ones. As for the music itself, it rocks back and forth like a small boat in the sea and calls out for attention at a handful of moments in the record when the music all start to build and build till they break into a haunting crescendo that leaves the hair on the back of my neck on end at times. I suppose I will stop trying to describe it and simply urge you to listen for yourself. My favorite songs on the album have always been the opening track, Salt & Blues and the song Remain and may be a good starting point should you decide to listen.

iTunes Link • Artist Link • Daytrotter live session

Tags: Phosphorescent

RadioHead - Everything In Its Right Place (from Kid A)

A higher profile group than many I may mention on this site but you just can’t deny they are a great band. Anyone reading this that is not already familiar with this song but enjoys the kind of music I feature here should most certainly check out Kid A but this is easily my favorite song from that album. It’s constantly coming to mind in my life somehow as it has such a specific and simple statement.

iTunes Link • Artist Site

Tags: Radiohead

Julie Doiron - Heart & Crime

This is music for a cold, dark night at home with a fire in a fireplace and a blanket to keep you warm. I’m not sure how I came across her work, I think it may have been another discovery while working at the radio station but I am happy that I did. I love the songs on this record that seem to glow with warmth and a calm that is all to familiar and comforting for my ears and Im not sure why. I think thats about all there is to say here but don’t let the short post throw you, this is a beautiful album and comes highly recommended.

iTunes Link • Artist Page

Tags: Julie Doiron

Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

This is an album for winter. I can’t fully explain why that is but its true. Perhaps its because it was written and recorded in the winter months or because the music itself just feels like it should be played on a cold night. The music on this album is simply incredible to say the least. It introduces a fresh take on this sort of simple singer songwriter album and I feel it could easily be listed among my top albums ever recorded. It has the ability to make you feel uplifted somehow as though the music has wings. Littered with a warm ambience and a tendency to push and explore the idea of the traditional approach of a singer and his guitar. The standout track that got me hooked on this brilliant album was one of the more straightforward, heartfelt songs on the album, ‘Skinny Love’. The lyrics on the album feel familiar yet somehow cryptic enough to leave you wondering if you understand what it is he is singing about. All in all do yourself a favor and don’t overlook this one. It’s worth ever minute of your life it will take form you as you listen.

iTunes Link • Artist Site

Tags: Bon Iver

Jason Anderson - New England

Jason Anderson is known for his live performances and the way he manages to get the whole room singing along excited and happy to be alive. His music falls somewhere between outright rock tracks to calm acoustic numbers but all of which are stories of nights, love, and living life to its fullest and its wonderful. This album, in my mind, is his definitive work. The album that set him up for all the great work he has done since and one of his most focused sounding recording. The songs are full of life and observations from within it and while 90 percent of the album is somewhat low key with acoustic guitars and piano there are moments where it builds up to something a bit more rock than many things you will find on the site but I can’t help but feature his music because it has this ability to make you feel good about life both in the good things and the subtleties of the bad ones as well. Simply a brilliant album in my opinion, one that has been played a hundred times over and still has plenty of life left to give.

iTunes Link • Artist Page

Tags: Jason Anderson

Aphex Twin - Avril 14th (from Drukqs)

I love following the evolution of electronic music. When I started listening to it the challenge seemed to be who could come up with the most original, strangest, fastest, or unique sounds out there. Many artists broke new ground for music as a whole in this period but as electronic music grew in popularity and became increasingly easy to produce thanks to the introduction of computers you could start to notice a shift in priorities among many of these musicians. I started to see more and more acoustic elements being brought into the music and many musicians started to realize that just about anyone could make a weird sound into a beat but how many electronic musicians were making music that took it a step beyond that. In this period Aphex Twin, a musician known for his marketing and typically trend setting music released a double album called Drukqs that was home to a number of songs created with a prepared piano which broke up the albums otherwise typical fast, loud, experimental IDM tracks.

The songs, in my mind, were brilliant little short works that have always stood out in my mind. Among these songs my favorite was always Avril 14th. A short piano piece that I have heard more times than I can count. I think this song holds the record for most consecutive listens in my personal book as I remember hearing it on repeat for somewhere close to six hours on a road trip once. It’s one of those songs that grafted onto my conscious somehow and whenever it stopped playing I felt as if I may fall to pieces. I love songs like that.

iTunes Link • Artist Site (it’s the old promo site for the record, closest thing to an artist site)

Tags: Aphex Twin

Arvo Part - Alina

As far as instruments go, the piano is simply a favorite of mine. There is something about the voice inside a big grand piano that feels so alive. It’s an instrument that often needs no other to accompany it because of its strength and ability to hold so much emotion within each note but still contains enough space within its sound that vocals or other instruments can co exist with it beautifully when done well. This album holds true for both of these reasonings. It is easily one of the most sparse records I have ever heard and is almost like a soundtrack to silence in my mind. With the first notes stuck you are somehow sucked into its simplicity and its hard not to imagine the world around you slow down as you listen. A beautiful record for any given moment in your life where you need some sort of audible delicate touch.

Also, for further explanation of the music here I will refer you to this text from the amazon page which is a straightforward explanation of the music’s more technical side: “This is a remarkable release, both for its beauty and its novelty at programming. Für Alina is a two-minute solo piano piece composed by Pärt in l976 that ushered in his "tintinnabuli" style, that is, the bell-like, simple, no-notes-wasted method for which he has become beloved and famous. On this CD, pianist Alexander Malter plays it twice, as the second and fourth tracks; each iteration takes almost 11 minutes (Pärt assumed it would be embellished, and he chose this pair for the CD). There are minute variations in tempo, emphasis, and rubato from one to the other, but, all that being said, it amounts to 22 minutes of the most beautiful, contemplative music ever performed. Almost equally gentle is Spiegel im Spiegel, played as tracks 1, 3 and 5 and scored for piano and, respectively, violin, cello, and then violin again. The instruments mirror one another (Spiegel is German for mirror), with notes added to the scale with each repetition, and so on. Almost impossible to describe in its loveliness, each of the three sets is beautiful; the cello in track 3 gives it extra mellowness. This is music staggering in its simple complexity and a treat for the ear and heart. --Robert Levine”

iTunes Link • Artist Site (in this case its a wikipedia link)

Tags: Arvo Part

Iron & Wine - The Sea & The Rhythm

I was lucky enough to host a local radio show at a college nearby for a couple of years and I still hold to the experience as one of those life changing things that only come along ever so often. It lead me to discover countless new musicians and gave me a chance to break into a number of other things that I now take for granted in life. Among the music I happened across in my time in the ‘new music’ show where I played music primarily from new albums in rotation at the station I discovered a short EP from Iron and Wine and played the track from this, The Sea and The Rhythm. I was quickly taken by the music as it drifted along barely raising to the point of a whisper in the studio. At the time this EP was his second release and I immediately went to pick it up and the local record shop. My roommate at the time tried to convince me it was christian music because of the name of the group which maybe I’m remembering wrong somehow but I thought it was funny at the time. The album went on to become one of my very favorites to this day. As the title suggests, its the perfect music for a day spent near an ocean, especially a rainy one as I later discovered.

iTunes Link • Artist Site

Tags: Iron & Wine

The Mountain Goats - Get Lonely

This album certainly has a story like feel about it. I love the way that it straddles a depressing feeling and an uplifting one. A strange mix of feelings that come across in a straightforward way because of the very direct approach to its songwriting if that makes sense. I first heard these songs when I saw him perform live at one of the quietest shows I have ever witnessed. Live he sang the words with a whisper to the audience, not even a whisper, quieter than that. It was as if the words being sung were simply floating off of his breath in a fascinating way. Sure, you could barely hear it but it certainly was memorable. Back to the album, the songs here are about loss, awakening, and the discovery that can be found at the end of a relationship. In my opinion it’s his best album and while many fans of The Mountain Goats may disagree I feel it’s his strongest moment as a songwriter. Its focused, to the point and above all, absolutely beautiful. Easily one of my favorite albums. Start with the song, Woke Up New, its perfect.

Another take on the album is here in the pitchfork review, the opening lines were:

“I introduced myself to John Darnielle after his performance at this summer's Pitchfork Music Festival, and this conversation happened:

Darnielle: Have you heard the new album?
Me: Yeah, I just got it.
Darnielle: What do you think?
Me: I've only heard it a couple of times; I'm still processing.
Darnielle: Do you have a girlfriend?
Me: Yeah, she's right over...
Darnielle: I hope she leaves you. Then you'll understand it.

He was joking. I think.” -from the pitchfork review

iTunes Link • Artist Site

Tags: The Mountain Goats

Jason Molina - Pyramid Electric Co.

As I mentioned on my previous post, I discovered a number of great new music during my time as a DJ a local college station, WUAG to be exact. This is another discovery from that time, I picked up the yellow cardboard sleeve that the CD was in and read the short description on the back written by a fellow DJ as a review for others playing the music. I remember something along the lines of the recording was so clear and natural that you could hear the sound of the piano’s foot pedals as he played if you listen closely enough. This turned out to be quite true, the recording is very minimal and stripped down to its basics and I have a feeling these songs were recorded without overdubbing of any kind. While this does not hold quite the same the lo-fi aesthetic that other recordings I have mentioned up to now have it holds something unique in my mind in the way it was recorded. The recording itself feels transparent in a way which lets you feel that much closer to the music recorded. Jason’s voice rings out inside the room along with the guitar or piano, depending on the song, and you could close your eyes and get lost in the recording.

I love quiet albums such as this that allow you to feel somehow connected to the music in your own personal way like the music recorded exists only for you. It’s an idea sung about in a song that I’m sure I will write about here eventually by Clem Snide called Your Favorite Music, only in a lightly sarcastic way. Im getting off track here...

This album has been put on more times than I can remember and I love it for its ability to hold your attention so well while remaining so minimal in its approach. The lyrics are wonderfully written and performed and overall I cannot recommend this enough, as with most of the music I talk about here I suppose. I prefer hearing this on vinyl for some reason, something about the feeling of closing your eyes at home and hearing it crackle through makes it all the more warm and correct me if im wrong but I think this was released physically as a vinyl release that included a CD as well as a digital release. Sorry, this one ended up being a bit on the rambling side, close your eyes and enjoy.

iTunes Link • Artist link (also his full band project here)

Tags: Jason Molina