We went without a giveaway last week because we’re busy guys, but we didn’t want to let you go without for too long.  This week we’re giving away Joseph Scott’s excellent You Keep Me Hidden EP:

My process, when I write about music, is to listen the first time and simply write down reactions. Short, simple one or two word phrases to describe how the music sounds to me, or the feeling it gives me. It’s from those initial reactions that I base a great portion of what becomes my review. Granted, my reviewing method seems to have a verbose, often too personal quality to it. By that I mean that no one cares about what I bring to the music – my memories. They just want to know about how it sounds.

Which brings me to Joseph Scott and his atmospheric, space rock. Mr. Scott forwarded us his You Keep Me Hidden EP (which he spells without capitalization), and since downloading it, I’ve listened to it almost daily.

The four songs are expansive numbers, ebbing and flowing into something ethereal. From the nearly wordless title track, which opens the EP, to the seamless transition between “What We Do Right Is Wrong” and “Celeste,” to the closing 80’s synth-pop of “In Youth,” there isn’t a misstep. These are twenty minutes to be repeated – and doing so is rewarding. There’s always something else to be unearthed in this introspective EP.

The EP is available through Amie Street, and is, at the moment, still free to download. We HIGHLY recommend downloading a copy, as it’s certain to not stay that way for much longer. You can also download “In Youth” below if you need more convincing.

In addition, Mr. Scott was kind enough to send us a remix of “You Keep Me Hidden,” which is a Tympanogram exclusive. We’re streaming it below, and we’ll also send it out to whoever is interested, so long as you tell us your Amie Street username in the comments. Be sure to check out his MySpace page for additional tracks, downloads, and concert dates. Right now, London is a bit too much of a trip for us here in the States, so if you’re over that way, please take the time to support a truly talented artist.

Joseph Scott – In Youth (mp3) from You Keep Me Hidden EP

Joseph Scott – You Keep Me Hidden (Ocean Mix) [Tympanogram Exclusive]

Today’s chapter of my 1000 Minutes project has an inordinate amount of parentheses.  After a relatively rainy month of June here in Western New York, this week is set to heat up into the mid-80′s.  Both of the songs in today’s post reflect that warmer weather outlook.

39. Beth Orton – Central Reservation (The Then Again Version) (mp3) from Central Reservation (4:02) [Time Remaining: 781:30]

To me, Beth Orton and Conor Oberst may as well be the same artist.  Before you think I’m crazy, the comparison isn’t because they sound alike, but because every single time I buy one of their albums, I end up disappointed.  None of the other songs sound like the one I’d heard first, and I don’t listen enough to move beyond that initial letdown.

I suppose it’s fitting, with that background, that the Beth Orton song that makes my list is not even the original version, but one aided by the track’s producer – David Roback of Mazzy Star.

Roback’s production speeds the original up, and adds a futuristic vibe to the song, which compliments Orton’s smoky vocals better than the stripped down original.  In doing so, the song’s lyrical outlook becomes much more hopeful, and, personally, much more pleasing to listen to.  Having been released ten years ago, it’s a song that accompanies good memories, and I appreciate it all the more for that.

40. Camp Lo – Luchini (a.k.a. This Is It) (mp3) from Uptown Saturday Night (3:59) [Time Remaining: 777:31]

I often find that the appeal of rap is lost on me; I don’t purchase hip-hop albums regularly because I lose interest beyond the initial singles.  This year, for example, I’ve only purchased the (excellent) new Mos Def album that was released two weeks ago.

This is not the fault of the genre, but of pure preference.  With Camp Lo’s “Luchini,” conversely, there has never been a decrease in interest.  When I first heard it, I was with my friends, driving around in their cars, sneaking pulls on 40’s before being dropped off at home.  Outside, it was sticky hot.  From the initial horns through to the end, I didn’t understand much of anything the two members were rapping about – and still don’t – but that didn’t matter.  It’s a song with a laidback vibe – itself a throwback to a different time – but one that still seems as fresh as the first summer I heard it.