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surfing on steam: Surfing On Steam’s Top 20 Albums of 2012: #9 Violens - 'True'
“Der Microarc” is one of the pop jewels released this year. Dug-in somewhere very deep in 80’s pop and post-punk lies this phenomenal band living in 2012 who run circles around 99% of all indie acts. Their songs are polished, layered, crisp, textured, and so carefully pondered. Every detail…
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![youngadultfrictionblog:
Violens - True
Slumberland | May 2012
8.0
In 2012, New Yorkers Violens debuted with a perplexing album of blurry psych-pop with new wave flutters, but where everything smeared and sounded like someone threw a blanket over everything. The record, Amoral, was unique and noisy, but ultimately came across as artificially hazy, loose and strangely unattainable and blocked-off. Two years later, and the follow-up, True, is a remarkable improvement. The tracks are much more hooky and clear like the feeling of wearing sunglasses all day and removing them to a forgotten crisp brightness and clarity. As if Slumberland acted as a finishing school, Violens come out as a stellar reminder of 1990s dream pop groups who like to squeeze in some post-punk leanings like Lilys or Echo and the Bunnymen before them. The band stands at a distance, and have an slight air of uncomfortableness (or at least not the most confident), but still retains that certain darkness that Amoral was gunning for, but True adds a moralizing redemption that works as bedroom pop, coastal bop and shadowed rock all funneling into a terrific new tred for the band.
Violens - “Sariza Spring” [stream]
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Listen on Spotify
Allmusic | Metacritic | Pitchfork
iTunes | Amazon | Insound | Wiki
——— Other Releases ———
(2010) - 6.3 - Amoral](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8t69x6ZMg1qfqwm5o1_500.jpg)
Violens - True
Slumberland | May 2012
8.0
In 2012, New Yorkers Violens debuted with a perplexing album of blurry psych-pop with new wave flutters, but where everything smeared and sounded like someone threw a blanket over everything. The record, Amoral, was unique and noisy, but ultimately came across as artificially hazy, loose and strangely unattainable and blocked-off. Two years later, and the follow-up, True, is a remarkable improvement. The tracks are much more hooky and clear like the feeling of wearing sunglasses all day and removing them to a forgotten crisp brightness and clarity. As if Slumberland acted as a finishing school, Violens come out as a stellar reminder of 1990s dream pop groups who like to squeeze in some post-punk leanings like Lilys or Echo and the Bunnymen before them. The band stands at a distance, and have an slight air of uncomfortableness (or at least not the most confident), but still retains that certain darkness that Amoral was gunning for, but True adds a moralizing redemption that works as bedroom pop, coastal bop and shadowed rock all funneling into a terrific new tred for the band.
Violens - “Sariza Spring” [stream]
.
Allmusic | Metacritic | Pitchfork
iTunes | Amazon | Insound |
Wiki——— Other Releases ———
(2010) - 6.3 - Amoral -
Violens UK dates (and Amsterdam too)
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To coincide with the UK release of with new album ‘True’ on the 10th September, Brooklyn band Violens have announced a full UK tour in August.
Details of the UK shows are as follows, including a couple of Detourjam shows, a Songkick promotion that has also been endorsed by CharliXCX, Holy Other, Tycho and Motion City Soundtrack. There’s also two Amsterdam dates to round off the tour:
14th August - London - Hoxton Bar & Kitchen - Tickets
Support from Cymbals & Dawn Hunger15th August - Manchester - Sound Control - Tickets
Support from Bleech & Dawn Hunger16th August - Brighton - Green Store Door - Tickets
17th August - Chester - The Compass - Tickets
18th August - Bristol - Start The Bus - Tickets
21st August - Amsterdam - Paradiso - Shins Aftershow -Tickets
22nd August - Amsterdam - Paradiso - Tickets
Stream a trio of songs from ‘True’, including Wild Nothing-esque dream pop of ‘Totally True’ and ‘Der Microarc’ plus ‘Unfolding Black Wings’, a nod to ‘Daydream Nation’-era Sonic Youth, here:
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Check out the new video for “When To Let Go” by Violens. Taken from their excellent new album “True.”
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New Violens album out NOW
An amazing album that stakes out a totally unique place in the dream-pop landscape. Combining the sonic guitar-driven sound of bands like Pale Saints and Boo Radleys with stellar song-writing, peerless arranging and lovely 60s-tinged vocal harmonies, Violens have managed to create a truly new sound. Tunes like “Totally True”, and “Der Microarc” are at once visceral and ethereal, typical of an album that delivers some of the most accomplished, powerful and challenging pop you’ll hear this year. If you have any interest in noise-pop/dream-pop/shoegaze/whatever you want to call it, you NEED to check this record out. Mail order copies on milky white vinyl while supplies last, and they are going fast. As usual, mail orders come with free posters, stickers, badges depending on what format you get. Get it here.
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Stream Violens' new album "True"
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Violens “True” LP/CD on pre-order NOW
Amazing album that stakes out a totally unique place in the dream-pop landscape. Combining the sonic guitar-driven sound of bands like Pale Saints and Boo Radleys with stellar song-writing, peerless arranging and lovely 60s-tinged vocal harmonies, Violens have managed to create a truly new sound. Tunes like “Totally True”, and “Der Microarc” are at once visceral and ethereal, typical of an album that delivers some of the most accomplished, powerful and challenging pop you’ll hear this year.
True is in stores May 15 but you can pre-order from us now and get it early, along with extra goodies like a poster & sticker (with LP) or badge & sticker (with CD). Also we have super limited edition milky-clear vinyl copies available while supplies last.
And if you’re on the east coast catch them on tour starting this weekend with Lower Dens.4/28 - Hamden, CT @ Outer Space w/Lower Dens
4/29 - Boston, MA @ Great Scott w/Lower Dens
5/03 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s w/Lower Dens
5/04 - Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel w/Lower Dens
5/05 - Baltimore, MD @ Otto Bar w/ Lower Dens
5/16 - New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge w/New Lines (Record Release show) -
Slumberland Update, April 20 2012
Hello all-
So much going on right now we hardly know where to start! How about an amazing new single from Violens? Or the long-awaited new album (and US tour!) from Allo Darlin’? Or… Evans The Death’s smashing debut album? Read on, friends, for all this and more.
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Violens “Totally True” single out NOW
Absolutely gorgeous pop from this Brooklyn three-piece whose music eludes classification, expertly blending percussive guitar work and silky harmonies in a way reminiscent of 90s sonic pop forebears like Pale Saints, Lush, McCarthy and The Chameleons. The lovely vocals on “Totally True” have an almost 60s feel; their debt to such soft-rock touchstones as The Association and Sagittarius is one of the many unique elements of Violens’ sound. The non-album b-side “Something Falling” is a dreamy ballad marked by an effectively spare production, sweeping synths and the band’s trademark harmonies. Mail order copies on milky clear vinyl while supplies last.
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New Violens single, tour dates
Have a listen to Violens’ excellent new single “Totally True,” out April 17th. They’ve got a few coming up around the release of the single and their new album:
4/14 - Miami, FL @ Maps Backlot -Art Walk Concert Series
4/28 - Hamden, CT @ Outer Space w/Lower Dens
4/29 - Boston, MA @ Great Scott w/Lower Dens
5/03 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s w/Lower Dens
5/04 - Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel w/Lower Dens
5/05 - Baltimore, MD @Otto Bar w/ Lower Dens
5/16 - New York, NY @Le Poisson Rouge (Record Release show)UPDATE: The “Totally True” single is out now. Mail order copies on milky clear vinyl while supplies last.
Slumberland began operations in 1989 as a collective effort consisting of members of DC area bands Velocity Girl, Big Jesus Trash Can/Whorl, Black Tambourine and Powderburns. We were inspired by such musical happenings as C-86, early Creation, Postcard, K, Bus Stop, lower East Side noise, and also the renegade art aesthetics of people like Cage, Burroughs and Duchamp. We were complete musical neophytes but so pumped-up about all the amazing things going on in post-punk independent music that we just had to jump in.
The explosion of punk had left behind a thriving network of 'zines, labels and distributors and we felt that there was room for our noise-loving, pop-obsessed aesthetic. While there were loads of US indie labels releasing a steady stream of 7"s, there wasn't much pop going on. Notable exceptions included Bus Stop, K and Picture Book, and we hoped to join that group and help chisel out some space for melodies amongst the noise.
Early releases from Velocity Girl and Black Tambourine struck a note, and we found like-minded popsters getting in touch from all over the world. As we expanded the label roster and our own horizons, the goal was always to bring you great songs and interesting sounds from a range of styles. And so it continues over twenty years later and 150+ releases later. We still get excited about listening to and sharing new music, and hope to be delivering sublime slabs of pop beauty for many years to come.
