Let’s keep this simple: Stars of the Lid put out one of last year’s best records. Period. And Their Refinement of the Decline is an epic sprawl of ambient and lush textures, an album of numbing drones and glacial compositions, and a series of lengthy movements that both soothe and arrest the listener. In short: I wrote half of a book while listening to this album; I sat on my couch for days, contemplating life while listening to this album; I considered the meaning of music while staring at my computer speakers and listening to this album. Each synthesizer swell and every distant tinkling melody like a phantom organ ringing from a hidden chapel within a cathedral render this record into a choice collection of hues that are meant not only to represent our lives but to provide the paint with which we can change them. Oh my, I’ve gone off the deep end. Let me try this once more: this band kicks ass like the Giants kicked the Pats back to Beantown. Stars of the Lid are from Belgium but they’re playing for free (!) tomorrow night (Wednesday, April 23rd) at Grinnell College. The show starts at 9PM. So, your choices for Wednesday are to go get right with God (see the Half-handed Cloud post below) or to go get right with the universe. Some would say those are one in the same so go East or go West, but for Pete’s sake just go. And… I forgot to mention: Stars of the Lid’s performance will be accompanied by 16mm film projections.

For more info go to the Grinnell Concerts homepage: here!

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Download: Stars of the Lid - Another Ballad For Heavy Lids

Stars-space: Stars of the Lid