New Single Out - Artificial Sweat

This crazy drought/heatwave in Indiana has
inspired a new track called "Artificial Sweat".

(It has sexy cover art)

Download it for free!

Thanks again to everyone who has been supporting me 
by checking out Atlantic Downs.

If you haven't listened to it, get on that: 
http://spiritspine.bandcamp.com/album/atlantic-downs

If you already have, let a friend know about the album or just burn them a copy.

Take care,

Joseph

Atlantic Downs is out NOW!

My new album Atlantic Downs is out now!
Go check it out here: http://spiritspinemusic.com/album/atlantic-downs
(It'll be out in most other digital places (iTunes, Amazon, etc.) on June 5th.)

Or stream it right here:

Atlantic Downs by spiritspine

(The song "Delta" is free to download, but get it off the Bandcamp page instead of Soundcloud, unless you want a giant .wav file.)

Thank you to all who have supported me. You are great.

If you want more, this is a mixtape of some of the songs that inspired the album:

Download Atlantic Influence Mixtape: http://www.mediafire.com/?pdr3jknmdhev9k0

Greetings from…ATLANTIC DOWNS

ATLANTIC DOWNS

by

SPIRIT SPINE

Fullsize Album Art

Out of the depths of the digital ocean, the mercurial sound of Spirit Spine has formed into a fourth album titled ATLANTIC DOWNS. Taking influence from electronic standbys (Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada, and New Order) to contemporary producers (Clams Casino, Flying Lotus, and Zomby), ATLANTIC DOWNS engulfs the listener in a shroud of liquid noise. Samples of Italian horror films, ghostly wails/whales, and late night nostalgia swim in the stereo field of ATLANTIC DOWNS. Dripping drones, twisted rhythms and submarine-level bass rumble through a sea of trembling synthesizers in the world of ATLANTIC DOWNS.

Assembled under the weight of the future unknown, ATLANTIC DOWNS captures the strange confusion of racing to exist in a dark and cloudy age where nothing is permanent and everything is drifting away.

Tracklist

1. Fugue State

2. Coast Is A Ghost

3. Murked

4. Hanalei Bay

5. Atlantic Downs

6. Steambath

7. Dawn Patrol

8. Riverflow

9. Sick Wasted Vibe

10. Delta

11. Sayonara

To be available as a Digital Download and with a Limited Edition Postcard

Release Date: June 4th, 2012 on Bandcamp
(June 5th, 2012 on all other digital stores)

More Progress

Vocals have been recorded for all but 3 songs.
(It's finals week right now, so those will slowly get recorded.)


Then I'll need to mix the vocals with the music and make sure everything sounds good.


Then the album will be mastered.


Then I'll put the album out :D


So that's what going on with the new album right now.


Thanks for waiting.

Progress (LP4)

Working on the album...

Roughly ten songs chosen.

Songs being augmented.

Vocals need to be recorded.

Album art is completed.

Album title is selected.

It will be finished before April.

No specific release date yet.

I don't want to give away anything that might ruin your expectations of the album, but I will say that I don't think it sounds like any album I've made before. I considered releasing it under a different name. 

Thank you for being patient.

Spirit Tape Ten (The Last One!)

Spirit Tape Ten by spiritspine

Click the arrow in the player to download.

Tracklisting:

1. The Strangest Secret Intro by Earl Nightingale

2. Do Your Best by John Maus

3. Isis by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

4. Horses by Dirty Beaches

5. Back Seat '38 Dodge by Opus 1

6. Read Stuff That Is Not Baptized At by Jonny Greenwood

7. Haikuesque (When She Laughs) by Bibio

8. Xtal by Aphex Twin

9. All I Need by Clams Casino

10. Ebudae (Lo-Fi Remix) by Enya

11. Dub on Fire by The African Brothers

I think this might be the most cohesive mix I've ever made. Many of the tracks have had effects put on them so that they blend in well with each other. I re-mastered the Dirty Beaches song to give it a fuller, slightly more echo-y sound. I'm really happy with the way the Enya song turned out.

And if you haven't listened to Glossolalia yet, then you are behind the curve my friend: http://spiritspine.bandcamp.com/

Spread/Hide/Distribute GLOSSOLALIA

Hello!

So I have roughly 150 0 (all out! thank you to everyone who took some!) of these little card-sized ads for Glossolalia that I've been hiding in record stores, magazines, places I've traveled to, etc. They each have a different cut-up section of the album cover on them.

However, there are only so many cards I can hide myself (cuz I don't travel too far too often) which is why I'd be really thankful if YOU would like to take and hide a few somewhere.

Just email me your address (my email is in the banner at the top) and how many you want (minimum of 5 please) and I'll send some to you! Postage and all that jazz is on me, you just gotta make sure you put the cards some place where they'll (one day) be found. You can keep one or two if you'd like to also...

Some ideas of places to hide them include:

• Record stores
• Your favorite music magazine
• Book stores
• etc.

Thanks again for all of your support,

Joseph

Press for Glossolalia

Here's some of the press my album "Glossolalia" has received.

It will be updated as needed.

Let me know if there's something that should be added.

My email's up in the header.

In near-chronological order:

• Middle Class White Noise: http://middleclasswhitenoise.com/2011/01/26/spirit-spine-glossolalia/
• Where Is Raimy?: http://raimyrosenduft.com/2011/01/29/what-i-learned-this-week/
• Mp3Hugger: http://www.mp3hugger.com/2011/01/spirit-spine-ocean-of-sand/
• Music Fan's Mic: http://www.musicfansmic.net/post/3049007360/spirit-spine-ocean-of-sand-mp3-2011
• The Side B: http://www.thesideb.com/2011/02/08/mp3-roundup-tim-cohen-spirit-spine-generationals/
• The Record Stack: http://therecordstack.tumblr.com/post/3198517958/spirit-spine-ocean-of-sand-i-received-a
• YVYNYL: http://yvynyl.tumblr.com/post/3198865643/spirit-spine-ocean-of-sand-love-the-vastness-of
• Verb Reverb: http://verbreverb.com/post/3198962824/spirit-spine-ocean-of-sand-photograph-by-lukasz
• Broken Heart Boy: http://brokenheartboy0.wordpress.com/2011/02/11/new-music-spirit-spine-glossolalia/
• The Morning After Pills: http://themorningafterpills.com/2011/02/listen-spirit-spine/
• Bears Eat Beats: http://www.bears-eat-beats.com/2011/02/listen-spirit-spine.html
• [INTERVIEW] Ragged Words: http://raggedwords.com/in-their-words/my-life-in-records/my-life-records-spirit-spine
• Gold Soundz: http://goldsoundzblog.com/?p=2364
• Bloomington Area Music: http://www.bloomingtonareamusic.com/2011/02/spirit-spine-glossolalia
• Not For Resale: http://nfrblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/review-spirit-spine-glossolalia.html
• Yr So Square: http://yrsosquare.blogspot.com/2011/02/spirit-spine.html [INTERVIEW]: http://yrsosquare.blogspot.com/2011/03/interview-spirit-spine.html
• I Guess I'm Floating: http://www.iguessimfloating.net/2011/03/mp3-spirit-spine-ocean-of-sand.html
• The Decibel Tolls: http://thedecibeltolls.com/speaking-in-tongues/
• 1000xpm: http://www.1000xpm.com/post/3746517549/spirit-spine-ocean-of-sand-glossolalia-marks
• Cactus-Mouth: http://cactus-mouth.tumblr.com/day/2011/03/10
• Daily Beatz: http://dailybeatz.com/2011/03/12/spirit-spine-ocean-of-sand/
• The Up-Turn: http://theup-turn.com/2011/03/21/enjoy-it-while-its-fresh-spirit-spine/
• The Needle Drop: http://theneedledrop.com/?p=3354
• [INTERVIEW] The Up-Turn: http://theup-turn.com/2011/03/28/the-up-turn-presents-a-conversation-with-spirit-spine/
• The Universal YellowKeys: http://universalyellowkeys.blogspot.com/2011/03/glossolalia-by-joseph-denney.html
• Unreasonable Faith: http://unreasonablefaith.com/2011/04/28/glossolalia-by-spirit-spine/
• Deer Brains: http://deerbrains.blogspot.com/2011/04/currently-listening-to-spirit-spine.html
• Altsounds: http://hangout.altsounds.com/reviews/129584-spirit-spine-glossolalia-album.html

Hearts and Thanks,

Joseph

Spirit Tape Nine

Spirit Tape Nine by Spirit Spine on Mixcloud

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?gcf3jkroqk7ce1g

1. Firebird by White Noise

2. Down To Middle Earth by The Hobbits

3. Lost Dream by Digits

4. Theme Number Four by Pye Corner Audio Transcription Services

5. Sommersonnenschein by Novisad

6. Song of Bliss by Khalsa String Band

7. Wine and Roses by John Fahey

8. State Trooper by Bruce Springsteen

9. Erik's Song by Slowdive

Tracks 5 through 9 were all songs that I listened to a lot during the making of Glossolalia. The guitar work on "Wine and Roses" influenced the guitars on my song "Thirst". "Lost Dream" was a pretty recent discovery for me, but the chorus of that song is really intense and dark. "State Trooper" is probably my favorite Bruce Springsteen song. I listened to his album Nebraska a lot while recording my album. I like the ambient break provided by tracks 4 and 5. They divide the mixtape up pretty well. I really like the cover art I made for this too.

"Glossolalia" out now!

The new album (Glossolalia) can be

streamed/purchased over at my Bandcamp page.

Link: http://spiritspine.bandcamp.com/

Not only can you get yourself a digital download, but you can also

get a limited edition CD package that comes with a digital download.

Pictures and details about this package are on Bandcamp.

Too lazy to even click the link above to stream the album? Fine.

Here it is via Soundcloud:

For those who don't buy things off Bandcamp,

the album will be available on iTunes, Amazon, eMusic, etc.

on February 1st, 2011 (As stated in this press release)

Thanks to everybody who ever reads this blog. Ya'll are great.

Spirit Tape Eight

Spirit Tape Eight by Spirit Spine on Mixcloud

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?ifft8z0614dku5y

1. Unfolding Fans by Andrew Bird

2. The Battle of Evermore by Led Zeppelin

3. Peppermint Delight by Firebreather

4. Baby Come Back by The Equals

5. Girlfriend by Ty Segall

6. What I Saw by Broadcast & The Focus Group

7. One Million Year Trip by Laetitia Sadier

8. Traveling Through A Sea by Grouper

9. I Only Know (What I Know Now) by James Blake

10. Farmer's Daughter by Fleetwood Mac

This mix took a really long time because I had trouble finding a good transition song and figuring out the right order of the songs. It all came together when Candy Claws and Firebreather put out their Christmas compilation that had Peppermint Delight on it. It's really catchy. I often listen to Baby Come Back and just jump up and down around my room. The Laetitia Sadier song is probably my favorite song of 2010. The Battle of Evermore is my favorite Led Zeppelin song. Enjoy!

Album Update

I've been putting together the physical copies over the last few days and am listening to what will probably be the final version of the album master right now. Here are all the albums in a box! They still need cds and liner notes, but on the outside I think they look nice!

"GLOSSOLALIA" Press Release

Large Hi-Res Album Cover Art: http://tinyurl.com/GlossolaliaAlbumCover

Glossolalia by Spirit Spine

Lovegiraffe Records LG04-1

After a year of writing and recording in his bedroom and his parents' basement, Spirit Spine (the recording name of Indiana-native Joseph Denney) returns with his third album, Glossolalia. Meaning "the religious practice of speaking in tongues," Glossolalia leaves behind the synths and samplers of previous albums in order to craft the soundtrack to an imaginary desert epic.

The album follows the story of a preacher traveling by airplane who crashes into the desert, leaving him the only survivor. As a result, the preacher must wander the desert in search of food, water, and civilization. Along the way he questions the religion that brought him there and the God who may, or may not, exist.

Dedicated to famed skeptic and magician James Randi, Glossolalia wraps the listener in a heat-warped haze of bending guitars, hypnotic drumming and chant-like vocals that draws on influences like Grouper, My Bloody Valentine, Boards of Canada, Bruce Springsteen's "Nebraska", and the Smithsonian Anthology of American Folk Music. Because of the new sonic and thematic territory explored by Glossolalia, one may have to resort to made-up pseudogenres like Desert Dub, Sandgaze, or Heatwave in order to describe Denney's new album.

Glossolalia was expertly mastered by Timothy Stollenwerk of Stereophonic Sound (Grouper, Nite Jewel, The Antlers).

Tracklisting:

1. Gauze

2. Ocean of Sand

3. Mission Bells

4. Ritualistic

5. Thirst

6. Hunger

7. Fennec Fox

8. Ascension

9. Sorro

Recorded Aug. 2010 to November 2010

Released January 21st, 2011 digitally and

as a special edition CD limited to 100 copies on Bandcamp.

Released February 1st, 2011 on iTunes, Amazon, eMusic, etc.

Large Hi-Res Album Cover Art:

http://tinyurl.com/GlossolaliaAlbumCover

Spirit Tape Se7en

Spirit Tape Se7en by Spirit Spine on Mixcloud

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?ip2o38em1dd5sv2

For some reason I picked a lot of female artists. I think female voices sound better than male voices, but sometimes girls can get lazy and fall into that cutesy indie-girl vocal style. I wish I could switch between having a male singing voice and a female singing voice. There's one song on the album that would really benefit from that. I'd do choir-y vocals with it. Anyway, now here's the tracklist:

1. Visionaire #53 by Panda Bear

2. Dancing With Friends by Julianna Barwick

3. I'll Keep It With Mine by Nico

4. Things I Did When I Was Dead by No Age

5. The Warrior by Honey Ltd.

6. Some Things Cosmic by Angel Olsen

7. Microrangers by CVLTS

8. Her Sinking Sun by Coma Cinema

9. The New Sane Scramble by Jana Hunter

10. A Cover Over by Grouper

The Julianna Barwick song is probably one of my favorite songs. I remember listening to that over and over when I drove to my internship 45 minutes away during the summer and singing words I made up to it. I tried recreating a similar song to put on the album, but I just don't have the magic that Julianna does. I saw Jana Hunter's band Lower Dens a few nights ago and they were really awesome. See them if you get the chance. There's another song she does called "Laughing and Crying" that's also great. Anything by Grouper is a winner. I think Angel Olsen is one of my favorite artists I've found this year and I hope she puts out an album sometime soon. She's really talented.

Recording the album is going by pretty good. I've got three more songs to finish that are already in various stages of completion. It's taken a little longer because I scrapped one of the songs and started writing a completely new and different track. I'll post the album art and a tracklist soon. Like within the next week.

Spirit Tape 666! (no, just 6...)

Spirit Tape 666 by Spirit Spine on Mixcloud

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?uaplm0mcoc265gp

1. Surf Surround by The White Shark

2. Transmitting Live From Mars by De La Soul

3. Busy Signal by Dolly Parton

4. Blessa (Daytrotter Mix) by Toro Y Moi

5. All Apologies (MTV Unplugged) by Nirvana

6. Lay Lay Off, Faselam by Avey Tare & Kria Brekkan

7. Echo's Answer by Broadcast

8. Dawn Chorus by Boards of Canada

9. Silent Night by Metallic Falcons

10. Israeli Blue by The Index

11. Tremors by Kruxe

Finally! A new mixtape. I'm not really sure why this one took so long, but it's here so that's nice. I think this is the most cohesive mix I've made so far, but it may just be because I just finished it and like it more than the rest of them.

I really wish Dolly Parton had done more girl group style stuff like she does in Busy Signal. I added a little bit of reverb and echo to the Toro Y Moi song to make it blend a little bit better with the rest of the songs. Lay Lay Off, Faselam is a super sweet song that I'd like to try and cover sometime during a show. It's really cool how it's so sparse but carries the way it does. Broadcast is a group that I've been listening to for the past 3 months or so. I just bought their collaboration with the Focus Group and it sounds like the psychedlic 60's version of J Dilla's Donuts or Madvillainy the way there's a bunch of short songs that pretty much make up one big flowing album.

The third album is coming along slowly but surely. All of the instruments are recorded for all of the songs and the vocals are recorded for some. I'm mostly just mixing the album right now; getting levels right, adding and adjusting echo and reverb. There's one set of samples I want to add to one of the songs, but I need some of my vinyl records which are at my house so I'll have to get those sometime (in October?). I can tell you now that there will be 9 tracks and most of the songs will be kinda long (not like 10 minutes long, but more than 4 minutes). It should be all done by the time the 10th mixtape comes out.

If any labels want to inquire about releasing it, go ahead and send me an email (spiritspine@gmail.com). A limited vinyl release would be sweet (but probably costly).

Spirit Tape Five

Spirit Tape Five by Spirit Spine on Mixcloud

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?nwzmodlxjoo

1. Frip Job by Kurt Vile

2. Greenback Dollar by Kingston Trio
3. Vick's Medicated Cough Drops by Raymond Scott
4. Pimeankarkelo by Paavoharju
5. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles
6. Leaf House by Animal Collective
7. Summer Majestic by His Clancyness
8. Blackberry Song by Kurt Vile
9. Red Ford Radio by U.S. Girls
10. Neon Bible by Arcade Fire
11. Worrywort by Radiohead (This might be my favorite Radiohead song)
12. Horn (Spirit Spine's Tape Remix) by Nick Drake


The Nick Drake track is supposed to sound like a Brian Eno tape experiment. The beginning of it comes from some "wolf sounds" album I have. This is one of my favorite mixes that I've made, another being the first mix.

Spirit Tape Four

Spirit Tape Four by Spirit Spine on Mixcloud

DOWNLOAD: http://www.mediafire.com/?wz0xm2o0umi

TRACKLIST:

1. Wheel of Fortune by Kay Starr

2. Save Me by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich

3. Pretty Pretty Priya by Anand Prayag & Chorus

***Malcom McLaren Is Asked What He Does For A Living***

4. Spring Strains by Osteoferocious

5. America's Most Blunted by Madvillain

6. Hello Operator, These Are Some Youtube Videos I Like (Slight Remix) by The White Stripes

7. Buckeye Jim by Burl Ives

8. Out Of Egypt, Into The Great Laugh Of Mankind, And I Shake The Dirt From My Sandals As I Run (Slight Dub Remix) by Sufjan Stevens

9. Hummingbirds by Kieran White

10. Valley of the Saroos by Joe Meek

11. Bonus Track by Bonus Track (No, this is not me)

-With track 6, I added some dialogue from these videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBOV8WzH-oY

and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTCm8tdHkfI

-With track 8, I added some automatic reverb that adjusts itself

throughout carefully chosen points in the song.