Braids - "Peach Wedding" / Purity Ring - "Belispeak"

On October 10th, two of 2011's breakout acts will be releasing a split 7" under the Fat Possum umbrella. On one side, you've got the ghost-voiced future-pop of Purity Ring, who've already dropped one of the best tracks of 2011 in "Ungirthed." While "Belispeak" adds little new to the duo's arsenal of sound, it's nevertheless another consistent and provocative entry in the group's small but promising collection of singles. On the flip side, Braids—the young Canadian act behind hypnotic heartbreaker Native Speaker— drop another bit of their signature ambient, slow-burning, and emotive pop music in "Peach Wedding." "Peach Wedding," already a signature of the band's live set, captures Braids in top form: an otherworldly cocktail of sounds lush, vibrant, and intensely captivating.

Pre-order the 7" at Fat Possum.

Purity Ring - "Belispeak" (from Split 7")
Braids - "Peach Wedding" (from Split 7")

Braids - "Lemonade" (Live at CBC)

With Nativer Speaker, Calgary's Braids have released not only one of this year's best debuts, but also one of the most compelling experimental pop albums in years. The astonishingly young band has also earned a reputation for its mesmerizing live shows. Thanks to CBC Radio One, that live show has finally been put to tape. Listen to four tracks from the band's March homecoming performance at the Grand in Calgary over at CBC. Below, download a live cut of the band's album standout, "Lemonade."

Braids - "Lemonade" (Live at the Grand)

2011 In Briefs: An Ongoing Saga

Braids: Experimental Music with A Magnetic Charm

Critics endlessly laud music that is "new," genre-defying, and experimental. Perhaps it is a noble cause, trying to search for something that is both smart and entirely original, but I find the recommendations are often to the detriment of the critic's very own readers. Should entire afternoons and evenings really be spent trying to force down a bulky hard-to-swallow pill of novelty and hipness when all you hear is layers of rattling noise? If a song doesn't click after two listens, chances are it's never going to and there's absolutely no reason to force it down. I recently gave up trying to listen to James Blake—he's a pill I can't swallow with water, wine or whiskey. That's not to say his music isn't good—it's just not for me. There are simply too many choices in our current digital musical age to invest time in something that comes without benefit or enjoyment.