Happy to announce that Alex Mojaverian, aka Trash Man, has joined the YK Records roster. We’ll be releasing some brand new treats in the coming weeks and we’re excited for you to hear them.

My familiarity with Alex goes back to 2017-ish when I saw him playing drums for Sad Baxter (another excellent band you should have in your rotation). In 2020, Alex debuted the Trash Man project with “Please Don’t Murder Me,” a 66-second blast of melancholy pop that was unbelievably irresistible.

Here in 2024, the project has grown and evolved but continues to stay very true to its roots. I’m biased but I’m also sure you’re gonna love it.

For now, go follow @mojobeats on Instagram, make sure you’re signed up to the YK Records mailing list and enjoy the existing back catalog of Trash Man gems.

Korby Lenker sits down with Annie Williams for an episode of The Morse Code Podcast. They discuss Annie’s origin story on coming to Nashville (it’s wild), her debut album Visitor (it’s beautiful) and how she follows inspiration (it’s meaningful).

It’s about an hour long and they dive into so many great topics; including Williams frustration with finding her community. It’s so easy to think that artists just kind of emerge fully formed but the process can take years and years with plenty of stops and starts. The honesty she shares is refreshing.

I’ve been a fan of Eve Maret since I first heard “No More Running” in 2017. Her musical palette draws from a wide variety of influences and never stagnates. When the opportunity to work with her arose, I was flattered and excited to be involved. “Mantra” is incredibly unique – it’s a literal mantra of positivity and a club banger. “Miracle” may not be quite as sweaty but it’s every bit as optimistic and life affirming.

The songs are on Bandcamp and streaming everywhere. I think you’ll enjoy them driving alone in your car giving yourself a boost of confidence or sweating it out with a room full of others. Win Win all around. Go follow @evemaret on socials and then enjoy this more formal release note!

About Eve Maret

Eve Maret is a dynamic electronic artist that is in pursuit of more than just beats or melodies – she seeks to utilize music as a personally transformative tool. Her body of work draws on the energies of sound baths, tarot, and positive self-affirmation – all while getting you out on the dance floor. Every track is an invitation to explore your own inner alchemy.

Lead track “Mantra” began as a long-forgotten synth patch that evolved into a high-energy anthem blending beats, clarinet, and vocoder-free vocals (a new exploration for Maret). It’s a club-ready banger with an empowering twist; free yourself from yourself by embracing the refrain that you are whole. The pessimist may believe that these affirmations are impotent explorations but each repetition of Maret’s lyrics serves a feel-good reminder to let that doubt fall away. The use of rhythm as a way to release emotional baggage and embody positive change is at work here, front and center.

The flip side “Miracle,” continues to channel the same uplifting energy but through a more subdued and loving vibe. The song feels like a personal prayer layered through guitar, Eastern influenced flute and Maret’s masterful beats.

Maret’s journey through the musical cosmos has been one of self-discovery and authenticity. Her musical palette has taken her through the creation of krautrock, longform ambient compositions and pop gems; all leading her to these latest immersive experiences.

I’ve always been fascinated by an artists “influences” mix. These kinds of compilations aren’t necessarily a direct 1:1 for a given piece of work but, rather, a gathering of moments that might have piqued the artists interest.

Meadownoise, aka Matt Glassmeyer, has always had a diverse palette of musical interests. His releases as Meadownoise tend to veer towards the more traditional “rock” structure but he’s always involved himself in a wide variety of performances and undertakings. What songs would influence and inspire him? I asked and he delivered.

Materials is not holistic by any means but it’s a wonderful listen from start to finish that covers a lot of surprising ground. Surprising, in fact, because it doesn’t feel disparate, it’s cohesive in its own way.

It’s available on Apple Music, YouTube Music and Spotify. I suggest you start streaming it right away.

2024 is the fifteenth year of yk Records. Way back in 2009 when I started the endeavor, I had no idea that it would last this long and become involved with so many fantastic releases. I was more than flattered to be a part of the first Uncle Skeleton release, Pancho Chumley, and that was about the extent of it.

I certainly did not think about the name or the branding too much. The domain was always “ykrecords.com” but the branding always said “Yewknee” or “Yewknee Records” – an offshoot of my long running blog of the same name.

Over time, the name “YK Records” started to feel more natural and the “Yewknee” branding felt entirely out of place. I considered rebranding for years but never landed on anything that felt great.

With the announcement that Eve Maret would be releasing new music on yk, I decided to finally do something about my aggravation around the branding. So, now we are officially “yk Records” in name and in look.

One my great hesitations around changing the mark was that I understand the dangers that come with a rebrand. I don’t fool myself into thinking that “yk Records” is as notable as any major brand but change is rarely good on the Internet. More importantly, I have first had experience from when Spongebath Records changed from their beloved bubble logo to a more modern and sleek mark; it was basically the beginning of the end.

I’m confident that’s not the case here as I have so many great surprises lined up for the coming years and months. The releases are gonna be great and now people will know who actually helped release them.

Very happy to announce that electronic artist Eve Maret will be releasing new music on yk Records this September! We’re overjoyed to be working with Maret as we’ve been big fans for some time.

Our original introduction goes all the way back to 2017 when the single for “No More Running” was released. This surprise pop gem invoked feelings of Giorgio Moroder and Kraftwerk mixed with sprawling ambient soundscapes and Maret’s own secret sauce. The influences were clear but the compositions were all her own.

There are lyrics in The Privates song “Karate and Explosions” that go:

We can now say it’s been years
The time has come to reappear

Maybe I’m taking it out of context but I’d say that’s downright prophetic! The band was active from 2003 to 2010, releasing two albums, two EPs and playing live whenever schedules allowed. Aside from a single one-off show they played in 2013, the band has been dormant for well over a decade. You could say it’s been years.

Well, the time has come to reappear! We Are Really Rocking Now, Haven’t We? is the bands best of compilation with two brand new songs bookending the release. I’ve always thought it was a bold move to add new songs to a Best Of compilation but I can’t deny that “Don’t Take It Out On Me” and “Old Times” are everything I want from The Privates. Truly worthy of being on this compilation.

None of these songs have ever been pressed to vinyl previously. To that end, we went all out on the packaging with a single pocket gatefold jacket filled with snippets from the bands history. I am positive you’ll enjoy poring over it. And, of course, it sounds fantastic!

Pick up the LP over on Bandcamp and then go stream the album on your preferred platform. Send us your favorite track; we’d love to know which one really transports you back!

When Fetching Pails (Jill Townsend) set out to create her debut album, Telekinesis for Beginners, she took on every aspect available. Writing every song, playing almost every instrument, recording, mixing, making the artwork, directing and editing the videos, you name it – Townsend did damn near 100% of the work involved. It’s impressive, to say the least but equally exhausting.

When returning to creating new music, she decided to approach the next batch of songs differently. Collaborating with Dillon Smith (Faster is Faster, Kannon) and Andrew Core (Twitch), the trio has collaborated to create a new batch of songs – “Shattery” being the first of the new batch.

Listening back to “Shattery,” there’s a clear through line to the roots of Telekinesis but the sound has evolved and expanded. The track combines Townsend’s ethereal guitars and expressive vocals with a dark and moody soundscape that culminates into an immersive wash of sound. It’s enough to break you into little pieces and then scramble you back together again.

The band will celebrate the release of the new track with a show at The 5 Spot on Saturday, Aug 24th (with Soft Bodies and Crave On).

Whistle In invited General Trust to guest host an episode of the WXNA radio show and the resulting playlist is an eclectic smattering of electronic music. From stone cold classics like Gary Numan or the more dance-y “Let’s All Make a Bomb” from Heaven 17, there’s a lot to love here. It even gets a little soulful when The System hits.

The full playlist of artists and songs is archived on the WXNA site but I’ll throw it below as well.

Instead of creating a streaming service version of this mix with individual tracks, I suggest you just simply hit play on the stream and let it broadcast into your mind for an hour. No skipping.

While you’re doing that, go follow Whistle In on Instagram and be sure to follow General Trust on Bandcamp.

Killing Joke – Requiem
The Human League – The Sound of the Crowd
The Cure – Play for Today
General Trust – Hearses
Grauzone – Eisbär
Depeche Mode – Ice Machine
Gary Numan – Metal
Heaven 17 – Let’s All Make a Bomb
Yazoo – Goodbye 70’s
The System – You Are in My System
a-ha – The Sun Always Shines On T.V.
Cocteau Twins – The Itchy Glowbo Blow
Duran Duran – Tiger Tiger

The Radio Western show Chin Music has been graciously playing Tower Defense over the last year. It’s always flattering to be played on any radio show but especially flattering to be played alongside the kinds of music that Chin Music regularly spins on their show.

With the release of “Repeat,” host Brian Kijewski invited the band on air to discuss their origins, their influences and what’s up with the whole two bass thing! It’s always great to see the true friendship of the band on full display and, as luck would have it, they also recorded the entire Zoom call!

This excerpt is the interview specifically but I would be remiss not to remind you to subscribe on Mixcloud to the show so you can partake in all of the musical selections past and future. While you’re at it, follow along on Instagram as well.

Here’s the Mixcloud embed of the entire episode, which is a superb listen even without the interview!