Sigur Ros announce new tour, direction, lose Kjartan Sveinsson

Sigur Ros have announced a 2013 world tour alongside this "preview" video clip that shows the band is heading into a more "aggressive" (their words) direction. I am psyched! Watch for a DVD collection of the band's fan-made selection of "Valtari" videos to be released in 2013, as well.

And on a not-so-promising note, multi-instrumentalist Kjartan Sveinsson has left the band (on good terms) to focus on his own work and family. The band continue on as a 3-piece with additional live support.

Here's that new video preview...

Hammock - "Chasing After Shadows...Living With The Ghosts" CD

This Nashville ambient duo's 4th album is easily their most realized, and most structured, release to date. With Tim Powles (of Australian psychedelic rock act The Church) at the mixing helm, Andrew Thompson and Marc Byrd summon great swells of lovely organic ambient sound, with droning, shoegaze-soaked guitars and deftly-mixed strings. They weave spacious melodies into their instrumental songs, and the results wouldn't sound out of place on an Eno or Sigur Ros recording. The album's single, "Breathturn", utilizes reverb-soaked distant vocals ala Slowdive, and is certainly a sweet treat for the ears. Other cuts, like "In The Nothing Of A Night", wrap dark edges into the blissed-out atmospheres. But it's never a heavy-handed or ponderous approach. Hammock's music, like their name, stretches out in a most relaxing fashion. It's a breath of fresh air in a sea of pretension and attitude. "Chasing After Shadows..." is a journey worth repeating, functioning either as effective background listening, or as an enveloping headphone experience. Monumental, multi-layered sounds for anytime of day or night. (Hammock Music)

Hammockspace

Hammock - Breathturn from David Altobelli on Vimeo.

Sigur Ros supporting Music Matters with short film

With Sigur Ros vocalist Jon Thor Birgisson's new solo album as Jonsi, entitled "Go", on the imminent horizon, Sigur Ros themselves have created a short film to show their support for "Music Matters". It's a lovely video to accompany a beautiful song, and with an important message. Give it a couple of minutes of your time here.

Music Matters - Sigur Ros (22-3-10) from Music Matters on Vimeo.