COMIN AT YA, ALL THE WAY FROM SACRAMENTO! ITS RALEIGH MONCRIEF!
Who is this, you may ask? He is the gardener who gardens the seeds from artists Zach Hill, Marnie Stern, Ganglians and the Dirty Projectors! Alongside his successful producing, Raleigh also puts out some of his own magical musical seed.
Raleigh Moncrief’s music is a love child of James Blake and Sufjan Stevens’ Age of Adz side, and I don’t think you can argue with that. Raleigh has released EPs in the past, but this is his first full length. Watered Lawn, out on Anticon Records, is really bringing his name out there. Alongside his career in music, Moncrief also does film work and makes his own crazy psychedelic music videos, creating an entire world for the listener to explore. With songs moving from mellow instrumentals to upbeat electronic drum tracks, sumptuous vocals to classy flamenco guitar riffs all morphing into a sound that is all his own.
Bands these days have a way of sounding alike. I’m not saying Raleigh is one of his own kind, but he certainly has created something unique and magical. Check out tracks “A Day to Die,” “Lament for Morning,” and… Ach, what the heck – check ’em all out! (Anticon Records, www.anticon.com) Nicholas Van Doeselaar