Jessica Bailiff

Jessica Bailiff is an American singer-songwriter from Toledo, Ohio. She has been defined the queen of drone-folk. Bailiff was discovered by Low's Alan Sparhawk, who recommended her earlier demos to Kranky Records, the label on which Bailiff later recorded. Bailiff collaborated and released records with acts such as Odd Nosdam of anticon. and cLOUDDEAD fame, Low's Alan Sparhawk, Dave Pearce of Flying Saucer Attack, Casino Versus Japan, Rivulets and Annelies Monseré amongst others.

http://jessicabailiff.tumblr.com

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1. Flying Saucer Attack - Light In the Evening

Hearing FSA the first time ("My Dreaming HIll") propelled me into an obsession with recording at home. "Light In the Evening" inspired me to try to make songs that conveyed certain feelings using a contrast of harsh sounds and soft vocal melodies.

2. Low - On the Edge Of

I was amazed at how this three-piece band, whom I'd followed since their first album, could develop like this - from slow, minimal songs to lush ones full of sonic impact and beauty. Truly raw, brave, and emotional words in this one, and a great example of why Al's my favorite lyricist.

3. Codeine - Cave-In

The first few years I was writing with guitar, I stumbled upon Codeine songs all the time (which led to me covering one). It was frustrating and precious. I still adore them.

4. Nick Drake - Hazey Jane II

I was never a great guitarist or singer (Nick Drake, to me, was both), so I don't know how this song influenced me. But I do know that I listened to it a lot, especially in times of anxiety - it always calmed and re-centered me somehow.

5. Radiohead - Like Spinning Plates

The production on the album version of this is great - curious and playful recording techniques and sounds. It's also one of the most successful songs I've heard, as far as the music emulating what's being sung about.

6. Nico - Janitor of Lunacy

The simplicity of instrumentation is always compelling in this era of Nico's work. I love the idea of singing your guts out to a harmonium and nothing else.

7. My Bloody Valentine - I Need No Trust

There was a time when I absolutely devoured each song by my favorite bands. I would sit in front of my stereo and pan a song to the left channel, and then to the right, in order to hear more detail in an instrument or lyric, and pick it apart to see how it was done. I'd also re-EQ a song to bring out the part I was trying to figure out. I remember doing that with this song, and thinking I could hear that different vocal takes had been used make the one track that Kevin Shields sings. It was a sort of epiphany.

Splitter

Splitter is the stage name of a nineteen-year-old musician born in Germany / Bremen. His musical pieces have a slight electronic touch to them and they convey a sense of freedom and zero gravity, nowadays probably only found in film music. The mostly intrumental tracks hover somewhere between bands such as "Boards of Canada" and "Arms & Sleepers". They tell a tale that emotionally captivates. 

www.facebook.com/Splttr

splitter.bandcamp.com/

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1. Nine Inch Nails – La Mer

The first album which opened the world of music for me was „The Fragile“ by Nine Inch Nails. I was pretty young for such destroyed music (12 or 13 years old) but immediately felt in love with „The Day The World Went Away“. Years later „La Mer“ turned out to be the most important song from this record for me (because I like the sea so much ;)).

2. Boards of Canada – Heard From Telegraph Lines

Through the remix site by Nine Inch Nails I discovered Boards Of Canada. All remixers at remix.nin.com who uploaded some really good stuff there, liked BoC on MySpace (MySpace was this site which Neanderthals used to explore new music. Only a few will remember) and I was so curious what artist made those remixers producing such nice work. At the same time I discovered my love to nature and quickly Boards Of Canada became the soundtrack for all my bike trips out in the country. I also discovered real freedome and longing at that time but a positive form of longing which got me that butterflies-in-my-tummy-feeling. And everytime, when I saw something so beautiful, that made me feel that there is something greater out there I listened to „Heard From Telegraph Lines“. When I hear this song now it's like opening a jam jar of good memories.

3. Aphex Twin – Donkey Rhubarb

Of course when you discover BoC, Aphex Twin will follow soon. One day I spontaneously decided to ride a little more farther than usual which tourned out to a 60 kilometers bike trip without a camera or anything to drink with me. I rode to all the places I lived before and to the place where I grew up and near the end of this trip I lied down a dyke nearby a lake and watched the sunset. In this moment I felt perfectly happy while randomly „Rhubarb“ was played on my mp3-player.

4. Trentemøller – Into The Trees (Serreniti Part 3)

Trentemøller is responsible for my turn to make more danceable music. When I made „Lost at Sea“ those 4/4 beatdrums where the only way for me to describe that feeling of floating purposelessly through everyday life. By Trentemøller I was guided to take my music to a perfectionist technoligy.

5. Burial – Homeless

Three years after discovering Trentemøller, Burial brought me to think the excact opposite of this perfectionism. His derelict music seems to be the only music that goes along with those psychological deeps a human beeing sometimes have.

6. Radiohead – All I Need

Before I got to know Radiohead I hated my voice and the way I sing. I have pretty much the same vocal range of Thom Yorke and sang a lot falsetto but didn't like it back then. But as I found Radiohead I got aware of the beauty of such a voice and now I love singing. Nevertheless I'm very spare with vocals in my music. That's just because I only sing, when there is something to say that other's don't already said. But that's rarely and mostly I spread messages through my FB-Site. Especially if it's politic.

7. Loess – Nomon

Loess is very special because in my view it's the conclusion of IDM. I love this glitchy sound but it has to be selected. IDM is very much random and so many IDM artist make crappy music. But Loess is what IDM should sound like in my eyes. I like to discover sounds I never heard bevore which is not easy by the situation of music today. Loess found the perfect balance. Their sound is innovative but mostly still passionate and organic. I often orient towards their mix.

Lotte Kestner / Trespassers William

Anna-Lynne Williams has been the lead singer and guitarist of the cult-band Trespassers William. In 2008 she started her own songwriting project under the name of Lotte Kestner, focusing on minimal-folk and dreaming atmospheres. She also runs a lovely label called Saint Loup Records.

lottekestner.bandcamp.com

www.saintlouprecords.com

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1. The Cure - Open (from Wish, 1992)

I spent my childhood singing, but didn't start seriously writing music until after I heard 'wish'. This was the song that opened the album, and came out of the gates with these earnest lyrics about drinking too much at a party and making a fool of yourself. I was struck by how real it felt, and in that moment was convinced that you could make powerful music and be honest at the same time.

2. Radiohead - Fake plastic trees (from The Bends, 1995)

This was the first video I ever saw of the band that would ultimately have the biggest impact on my taste in music and the way i sing. thom yorke  weaving through aisles in a shopping cart, singing about inauthenticity, and trying to fight that somehow by loving.. I am so inspired by the beauty this band has made on album after album, and this was the first spark of that. 

3. Portishead - Mysterons (from Dummy, 1994)

At age 15 I found this song while slipping on the headphones at a Tower Records listening station near my high school. I ended up spending all of my lunches there instead of with my friends, intoxicated by the pairing of such pretty melodies with such dark music. Sexy music for smart people. 

4. Cocteau Twins - Carolyn's fingers (from Blue Bell Knoll, 1988)

I heard this one in a friend's car and it was the first time I couldn't classify what I was listening to. It sounded inhuman and floral, the melody so catchy without even being able to sing along with it. Such a big influence on me as a vocalist. This era of the band is as timeless as classical music. 

5. Elliott Smith - Between the bars (from Either/Or, 1997)

From one of my brother's priceless mix tapes and maybe the best song from this beautiful songwriter whose pain was so relatable and lovable. "People you've been before that you don't want around anymore.." songs like this make us all aspire to be better songwriters. Almost wore out this tape.

6. Devendra Banhart - A sight to behold (from Rejoicing in the hands, 2004)

More listening station magic, this time in my mid 20's in claremont, California. Devendra was my introduction to the new iteration of folk music. I love how creepy his voice sounds on this song, the hiss of the lo-fi recording and how he just sounds like he loves singing. Definitely influenced my first lotte kestner album. 

7. Sun kil moon - Carry me, Ohio (from Ghosts of the great highway, 2003)

Red house painters were my favorite of the gauzy indie rock bands of the 90s, and then this new project came along just at the right time, a decade later, all grown up and more angular. This is one of those perfect songs, that sounds like nostalgia, so long and pretty, like driving to your favorite place.

Lullabier

Andrea Vascellari is an Italian songwriter who plays slowcore and ethereal-folk under the moniker of Lullabier. He shared the stage with the likes of Low, Rivulets, Boduf Songs and Jessica Bailiff, and in 2014 he released his third album, a concept based on chakras and called Osservazione Rilassamento e Assenza di Giudizio.

www.lullabier.com
lullabier.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/lullabiermusic

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1. Low - Lullaby (from I Could Live In Hope, 1994)

My moniker Lullabier comes from this song, which is for sure the most influential to me. 10 solemn, hypnotic and spiritual minutes based on a minimal guitar riff.

2. Red House Painters - Katy Song (from Red House Painters I, 1993)

Mark Kozelek is a real poet, and he's the best composer of acoustic lullabies since the times of Nick Drake and Tim Buckley.

3. Rivulets - Cutter (from Debridement, 2003)

I always admired the way that Nathan Amundson mixed the principles of slowcore and the tradition of American folk.

4. Velvet Underground - Pale Blue Eyes (from The Velvet Underground, 1969)

VU influenced the 90% of the musicians of the whole world. I'm not different.

5. Mazzy Star - Into Dust (from Tonight That I Might See, 1993)

A haunting mantra of 5 minutes with just 5 notes. Less is definitely more.

6. Radiohead - Climbing Up The Walls (from OK Computer, 1997)

Since the teen-aging I've been a super fan of Radiohead, and Ok Computer is probably my favourite album of all times. When I started playing guitar, the first song I wanted to learn was this one.

7. Gravenhurst - Nicole (from Fires In Distant Buildings, 2005)

The withdrawn folk ballads of Nick Talbot are a superb fusion between Simon & Garfunkel's tunes and the vibes of British dark movement.