The AM

I'm setting a goal for myself to share one 2026 release on here (nearly) every day for as long as I can manage it. We'll see how I do, but there's such a backlog of albums worth talking about that it really shouldn't be much of a challenge. Pinning this post for whatever accountability that forces.

And since I missed yesterday: AOTD#69: Odd Nosdam – On Patrol (Alien Transistor) Exactly what I’d hoped for from a new Nosdam release: deep beats, ear-twigging samples, reverb and echo aplenty. Pans through strange frequencies revelling in the gaps between stations. The beat, as always, goes on.

AOTD#68: Hug – Hug Gentle and melodic guitar paired with a host of other, mostly acoustic textures — though synths and field recordings make appearances, too. The name and artwork capture the vibe well: inviting and playful and appealing in its simplicity.

AOTD#67: Zachary Gray - Trippin' (A Person Disguised as People) Two years from the first tease of the title track and a year+ since the remix EP, Trippin' has built up some anticipation. Worth the wait, fortunately. Beat-minded IDM that maintains an introspective mood without sacrificing momentum.

AOTD#66: Francis and Gareth – Eyes Bright and Low (INNI) The fruits of a four-year, cross-continental collaboration, an ambient electro-acoustic work that feels at least somewhat indebted to Mark Hollis (esp. the vocal tracks) & to Japanese ambient. Beautifully calming, tranquil, patient sounds.

Introducing Radio Free Aquarium Drunkard: Longform Listening. Worldwide. 24/7. aquariumdrunkard.com/2026/10/18/i... A new old way to listen. An always on AD radio app. Free ~~~~

New episode: Another three hours of offbeat easy listening, including Les Baxter going Lovecraftian, Chopin without the piano, various shades of dream pop and shoegaze, and other sounds to help find your footing on a Monday morning. Streaming links: theam.ca/post/8309493...

AOTD#62: Sam Wilson - Sowing Spring Another sterling batch of pastoral jazz from Wilson, inspired by the melting of New Brunswick's Magaguadavic River. It's as warm and delicate as that implies, with fiddle, alto sax & bass clarinet complementing Wilson's finger-style guitar. Works in autumn, too.

AOTD#61: Bibio & Dorian Concept – Answers (@warprecords.bsky.social) No surprise that two artists whose works are steeped in nostalgia, melodicism, and analogue imperfection are so suited to collaboration. Like the fuzzy, fractal cover, it's an invitation to continuously look closer & listen deeper.

AOTD#60: Colliding Canyons - Do It Again I'm sure it was no coincidence this was released on April 20. Not stoner rock per se, but let's just say it's comfortable hanging in the stratosphere. The front half is more melodic and so more my speed, but a solid psych/kraut instrumental album all around.

AOTD#59: Balam – Flora (Multi Culti) Low-key electronics that are spiritually adjacent to Plantasia and sonically connected to 90s/2000s chill out. Melodically abstract (“rhizomatic” feels like an appropriate description) but still somehow comforting.

AOTD#58: Andy Bell & Masal – Common Primitives (Sonic Cathedral) Impeccable from the first note to the last. Masal’s radiant harp perfectly complements the effects-heavy guitar and dreamy synths. True mastery of sonic textures. Pure cosmic bliss when the drums kick into full gear on the closer.

Students made their first minicomics in my intro making course - mostly standard format but this student, a first time maker(!), did something so off the charts I’m still reeling from it! & he made like 12 of them for his classmates! A paper engineering feat of flipbookery as well as killer drawing!

It just hit me that my year-end list will likely include two albums called Yutori from Toronto-based artists, which seems at least a little odd. Beautiful albums, though. Buildings and Food: buildingsandfood.bandcamp.com/album/yutori Ayal Senior: ayalsenior.bandcamp.com/album/yutori

AOTD#54: The Operator Sound Inc. – Esoteric Audio for Space Age Witchcraft (Library of the Occult) The groop plays swingin’ hold music and bouncy Moog compositions. The occult connections are tenuous at best, but that doesn’t detract from the retro-futurist library music grooviness.

AOTD#53: @worriedaboutsatan.bsky.social – Outland (@ctatsu.bsky.social) More subdued than No Knock No Doorbell, shifting the focus from post-rock to ambient (though not completely). Dark industrial/triphop textures throughout. Great track titles. Concise despite being bookended by 10+ min. tunes.

AOTD#52: Helen – Linda’s Head As good as everyone is saying. Grouper is obviously something special, but Harris in more visceral territory is always a treat. A very 90s record — shoegaze, slowcore, or just call it alt like I would have back then without needing microgenres. Fuzzy. Loud. Great.

Think anyone would call me on moving my birthday to October? Always felt like more of an autumn personality than a summer one anyway.

AOTD#51: Emily A. Sprague – Cyano A hushed ambient synth album exploring themes of connection & communication. Rarely rises above a whisper, but is captivating when it does, as on the relatively stately “Noon Liquid Ore”. NAFTA’s to be demanding, insisting you lean in and listen close.

AOTD#50: Vanishing Twin – Archives As much as I loved VT’s first two albums, the next two didn’t really grab me in the same way. Glad to say Archives feels like a return to form. Better balance of the Stereolab/Broadcast school of psych-pop and more experimental impulses. Catchy and unpredictable.

AOTD#46: Dungen – Vidgrig Vår More of an adult contemporary/easy listening vibe than I expected, but the library psych influence on “Snurra På Hjulet” and the 10-minute “En Dag I September” help balance it out. Melodic and poppy in a 70s singer-songwriter sort of way that’s slowly winning me over.

AOTD#44: Corntuth - The Nightingale Floor (@auralcanyon.bsky.social) Pastoral electronics, serene field recordings, and at least a hint of Pure Moods in the atmosphere (complimentary). Lovely and comforting use of tape hiss & other ear-twigging textures throughout.

AOTD#43: Jason Dunham (Blue Lake) / Johan Carøe - Routine Gorgeous collaboration between the two multi-instrumentalists, in a dreamy space that encompasses contemporary classical, jazz and more. Gently rhythmic, pleasantly melodic, often ethereal, a misty landscape revealing new details over time.