In 2006 Roommate -- which was at that point really the solo project of Kent Lambert -- issued the excellent Songs the Animals Taught Us, an album that was simultaneously full and sparse, which supplemented the electronic elements with various organic strings and layered vocals. In early 2007, Lambert, who by this time had assembled a full band, put out a digital-only EP which hinted at the direction things were headed, a direction only fully realized on We Were Enchanted, a wonderfully comple   [ read more ]

CD $10.43

VINYL FORMAT. Dramatically shifting and evolving over the course of the album, the sounds strike a deft balance between organic and electronic, dissonant and harmonious, all the while capturing the elusive, abstract emotions of the lyrics. While there are moments here and there that may spark a memory of 60s and 70s psychedelic rock or 80s synth-pop, a hint of Nilsson-esque bar-room piano, Faust-ian analog synths, or delicate strings a la Talk Talk, this is music with eyes gazing into the future.

LP $14.99

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Dramatically shifting and evolving over the course of the album, the sounds strike a deft balance between organic and electronic, dissonant and harmonious, all the while capturing the elusive, abstract emotions of the lyrics. While there are moments here and there that may spark a memory of 60s and 70s psychedelic rock or 80s synth-pop, a hint of Nilsson-esque bar-room piano, Faust-ian analog synths, or delicate strings a la Talk Talk, this is music with eyes gazing into the future.

MP3 $8.99

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VINYL FORMAT. In addition to the title track, which will also be released on Roommate's forthcoming 2nd album, the EP features covers of songs by Red Red Meat and Broadcast. It closes with an instrumental track initially conceived for Adrian Briscoe's documentary The Love Life of Emidio Anotci, abou tan elderly Roman man's memories of his late wife. This 10" vinyl edition (in a limited run of 500 copies) includes letterpress artwork designed by Dean Rank and printed at Chicago's Dexterity Press.

10" $9.99

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With the addition of a full backing band -- and studio space for that matter -- since the 2001 release of the EP Celebs, experimental filmmaker and musician Kent Lambert of Roommate chose to go the indie-electronica route for the full-length Songs the Animals Taught Us. The album is much more in the vein of the Flaming Lips, though, than the Postal Service, using plenty of piano, acoustic guitar, bass, and even viola and bassoon to add intricacy and subtle, ironic poignancy to the mu   [ read more ]

CD $10.43