GrayBeat is the solo project of multi-instrumentalist and producer Robin Sedivy. With his brand new single "Fisherman's Gambit," he ushers us into a new era for GrayBeat. The scattered yet full-bodied "Fisherman's Gambit" sounds like it was recorded by a large Arcade Fire-sized band, with different instruments or chopped vocals phasing in and out of consciousness. Everything was recorded by Sedivy himself. His background as drummer lends itself fully to the immaculate kit playing on the track. The backbone provided by the drums gives support to the kaleidoscope of music contained within the song as a whole. Upon listening, one can immediately tell that each moment was tinkered with until it was exactly right, until the bass and myriad synths worked just perfectly together. Additionally, Sedivy recorded a whopping 26 guitar tracks. While the craftsmanship is apparent instantaneously, the story being told is less clear. Sedivy told us: The song tells the stor...

There's a reason cutting a record, live on the floor, has the vibe it does, because you are putting lighting in a bottle. So when musician and engineer Colin Loynachan approached multi-instrumentalist Warren Thomas Fenzi about trying to capture that magic, the pair went all out with Fenzi's newest project,  Live in the Atrium . "I wanted to approach this project differently to that of past projects," Fenzi told Ear Coffee. "The main goal being to really capture the human aspect of acoustic performance in all of its imperfect glory." Loynachan, Fenzi, the Kremblems (his backing band), and the Delphia Cello Quartet set out to record the album in the four-story-high atrium of the A-Mill Lofts, where they not only put music to tape but also shot a series of videos that feel less like individual performances and more like film vignettes. Fenzi's knack for storytelling combined with the vision of filmmakers Alex Munro, Garrett Wells, and Charlie Ber...

YYY is the alias of Minneapolis' Austin Carson, a multi-faceted songwriter and producer. The project kicked off in a big way in 2017 with a front-to-back cover of the Beach Boys' classic Pet Sounds , featuring guest spots from artists such as Lydia Liza, deM atlaS, and Doomtree's P.O.S. Starting in March of 2019 and ramping up in the past few weeks, YYY has been teasing towards the release of his debut album  aquadungeonafterdark  (out June 19th). His last single is the effervescent "Cool World." Carson's vocals and production recall the goofiest moments of Beck's discography, but injects them with a caffeinated-jolt of electro-pop. The technicolor joy masks a sarcastic disenchantment with the supposedly cool world; "Cool World" is the musical equivalent of smiling through your teeth. Carson matches whimsy with a too-good-to-be-true unease to great effect. The eye-popping video for "Cool World" was created by Minneapolis animator and m...

(Cover art by  Cora Rose Nimtz ) Sister Species is the longstanding chamber pop project of Emily Kastrul, also of Betazoid . That funky synth band was how I was introduced to Kastrul's music at large, which subsequently led to Ear Coffee's coverage of the first two singles off of Sister Species' new album, Light Exchanges . Previously titled Still I Am Still , Kastrul and their six collaborators (including three trumpet players) created a love letter to stillness and the peace that comes with it. Allusions to nature and the elements flow in and out of Kastrul's lyrics, as they dwell on their relationship with things greater than any of us. I sent a handful of questions to Kastrul, who was kind enough to answer. The following interview has been edited and (minimally) condensed. How did the current band that performed on/contributed to Light Exchanges  come together? You worked with nearly all of them on the last two Sister Species records as well (2016's Closer Now ...

(Cover art by PJ Rork ) Oh, how I've missed Lettering . The Chicago trio have blessed us with their first new music since last year's phenomenal Harbinger / Less Violent  EP. The two tracks only add up to just under six minutes of material, but Lettering packs as much punch as humanly possible in each. The A-side, "Corpse & Catholic," is bursting with waves of fuzzed-out guitars and emotive vocals. Defiance of one's past and the guilt of moving on fuels the intense energy. Instead of simmering in shame and complacency, the band fights back. The single's B-side, "Better Hell," kicks off with a drum pattern reminiscent of Foo Fighters' "My Hero." However, it doesn't dwell on it. Almost immediately, the band crashes in with another vigorous yet heavy song. Riff after riff builds the intensity to a shredding scream. Listen to "Corpse and Catholic" and "Better Hell" below, out now via Brace Cove Records .