| DSU | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 17, 2014 | |||
| Genre | Indie rock [1] | |||
| Length | 32:32 | |||
| Label | Orchid Tapes | |||
| Producer | Alex Giannascoli | |||
| Alex G chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from DSU | ||||
DSU is the fifth studio album by American musician Alex G, released on June 17, 2014, through Orchid Tapes.
The title of the album is an abbreviation of Dream State University. It is derived from a comment Giannascoli's older sister, Rachel, had made. He explained
I was asking my sister what I should name the album and she gave me a bunch of names. One of them was Dream State, because I gave her all these songs to listen to and she said that they had a dreamy vibe. I thought that was too cheesy, but I was joking around with the name Dream State University as a play on the whole State University thing that we have in America, and then we were both like 'Oh! That's pretty funny, why don't we do that?' And then I kinda bailed out at the last minute. I just thought it was such a lame fucking name, but I couldn't change it at that point. My sister had already written DSU on the album cover and she was about to put Dream State University at the bottom but I was like 'No! I hate that name, don't do it!' So in the end we just stuck with DSU and it worked out. [5]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.7/10 [6] |
| Metacritic | 79/100 [7] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [8] |
| Clash | 7/10 [9] |
| Consequence of Sound | B [10] |
| The Guardian | [11] |
| Mojo | [12] |
| NME | 8/10 [13] |
| Pitchfork | 7.9/10 [14] |
| Q | [15] |
| Rolling Stone | [16] |
| Uncut | 8/10 [17] |
At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, DSU received an average score of 79, based on 13 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [7] Samme Maine of Drowned in Sound wrote, "Alex G speaks a refreshing honesty, with an artistic flair that many before him have failed to master. It's careful yet effortless, passionate yet distant but above-all, wholly unique." [18] NME 's Ben Homewood stated that the album "skillfully combines Neil Young's dusty American songcraft with scratchy lo-fi and wandering electronic influences." [13] Dean Essner of Consequence of Sound said, "At its best, DSU cycles through that duality with aplomb, which will serve as an excellent introduction to his gigantic discography for all new fans." [10] Clash 's Mat Smith stated that the album "is enduring evidence that the purest, most interesting music inevitably comes without hefty production or marketing budgets." [9] Rolling Stone critic Simon Vozick-Levinson said, "The more you listen, the more obvious it is that Alex G is a bright new talent in his own right." [16]
| Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consequence of Sound | Top 50 Albums of 2014 | 45 | |
| CMJ | The 30 Best Albums of 2014 | 9 | |
| Crack Magazine | Albums of the Year 2014 | 36 | |
| MusicOMH | Top 100 Albums Of 2014 | 53 | |
| The Line of Best Fit | The Best Fit Fifty Essential Albums of 2014 | — | |
| Pitchfork | The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s | 165 | |
| Rough Trade | Top 100 Albums of The 2014 | 65 | |
| Time Out London | The 30 Best Albums of 2014 | 22 | |
| Vogue | The 10 Best Albums of 2014 | — | |
| The Washington Post | Top 50 Albums of 2014 | 26 |
All tracks are written by Alexander Giannascoli
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "After Ur Gone" | 2:21 |
| 2. | "Serpent is Lord" | 3:46 |
| 3. | "Harvey" | 1:39 |
| 4. | "Rejoyce" | 1:51 |
| 5. | "Black Hair" | 2:44 |
| 6. | "Skipper" | 1:25 |
| 7. | "Axesteel" | 1:46 |
| 8. | "Sorry" | 2:42 |
| 9. | "Promise" | 3:31 |
| 10. | "Icehead" | 2:50 |
| 11. | "Hollow" | 4:04 |
| 12. | "Tripper" | 0:42 |
| 13. | "Boy" | 3:11 |
| Total length: | 32:32 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 14. | "Soaker" | 1:40 |
| 15. | "Waiting for You" | 3:30 |
| Total length: | 37:42 | |
Credits adapted from the liner notes of DSU. [30]
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Edition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | June 17, 2014 | Orchid Tapes | Standard edition | ||
| France | Kütu Folk | CD | |||
| Europe | November 10, 2014 | Lucky Number |
| Bonus tracks edition | |
| Various | September 16, 2016 | Run for Cover |
|
Beach House is an American rock band formed in Baltimore in 2004 by current members Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally. Their work is characterized by a hypnotic dream pop style.
Trilla is the second studio album by American rapper Rick Ross. It was released on March 11, 2008, by Poe Boy Entertainment, Slip-n-Slide Records and Def Jam Recordings. It features guest appearances from R. Kelly, T-Pain, Trey Songz, Young Jeezy, Trick Daddy, Nelly, Brisco, Triple C's, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and Avery Storm. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 198,000 copies in the first week. The album was a certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). To date, the album has sold over 700,000 copies in the United States.
23 is the seventh studio album by American alternative rock band Blonde Redhead. It released on April 10, 2007 by 4AD.
Eleventh Hour is the fifth solo studio album by American hip hop musician Del the Funky Homosapien. It was announced and partially recorded in 2004, but didn't come out until March 11, 2008, when it was released by Definitive Jux. The album is produced by Del himself with additional production from Opio, KU, and J-Zone. It debuted at number 122 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 5,810 copies in its first week.
Devotion is the second studio album by American dream pop duo Beach House. It was released on February 26, 2008, by Carpark Records in North America, Bella Union in Europe, and Mistletone Records in Australia. Written in the early months of 2007, it was recorded at Lord Baltimore Recording Studio within two months. The album was released to mostly positive reviews from music critics and is their first album to enter the Billboard 200 chart, debuting at number 195, selling roughly 3,000 copies upon its release. As of April 2012 Devotion has sold 49,000 copies in the United States according to Nielsen Soundscan.
Actor is the second album by musician St. Vincent, released by 4AD on May 4, 2009, in the United Kingdom and a day later in the United States. The artist was influenced by scores to films by Disney and Woody Allen. To prevent writer's block, she watched films without the sound and composed music for her favorite scenes. After arranging the music using GarageBand, she then wrote lyrics and added gentle vocal melodies.
Teen Dream is the third studio album by American dream pop duo Beach House. It was released on January 26, 2010 as the band's debut album on the record label Sub Pop. Internationally, the album was released by Bella Union in Europe, Mistletone Records in Australia, and Arts & Crafts in Mexico. The album was produced by the band and Chris Coady.
Sex Therapy: The Session is the fourth studio album by American R&B recording artist Robin Thicke, released December 15, 2009 on Star Trak Entertainment in the United States. Sex Therapy also features guest contributions by Jay-Z, Game, Kid Cudi, Snoop Dogg, Nicki Minaj and Estelle. The album debuted at number 9 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 123,000 copies in its first week. Upon its release, Sex Therapy received generally positive reviews from music critics.
"Duquesne Whistle" is a song written by Bob Dylan and Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter that appears as the opening track on Dylan's 2012 studio album Tempest. It was first released as a digital single on August 27, 2012 through Columbia Records then as a music video two days later. A limited edition "Record Store Day" 7" stereo single was released on November 23, 2012. It was also anthologized on the 2014 reissue of The Essential Bob Dylan. Like much of Dylan's 21st-century output, he produced the song himself using the pseudonym Jack Frost.
The Voidz are an experimental rock band. They consist of Julian Casablancas (vocals), Jeramy "Beardo" Gritter (guitar), Amir Yaghmai (guitar), Jacob "Jake" Bercovici, Alex Carapetis (drums), and Jeff Kite (keyboards).
Alvvays is a Canadian indie pop band formed in 2011, originating from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and subsequently based in Toronto, Ontario. It consists of Molly Rankin, Kerri MacLellan (keyboards), Alec O'Hanley (guitars), Lukas Cheung (bass), and Sheridan Riley (drums). Their self-titled debut studio album, released in 2014, topped the US college charts. Their second studio album, Antisocialites, was released on September 8, 2017. Their third studio album, Blue Rev, was released on October 7, 2022.
Pom Pom is the tenth studio album by American recording artist Ariel Pink, released on November 17, 2014 through 4AD. It was his first release credited solely to himself, and his last on 4AD. Several of its songs were co-written with the ailing Kim Fowley, who died the following January. Critics generally gave the album positive reviews. Only one single was issued from the album: "Put Your Number in My Phone".
Alexander Giannascoli, better known by his stage names Alex G or, formerly, (Sandy) Alex G, is an American musician, producer, and singer-songwriter. He started his career playing in multiple local bands before he decided to pursue his own music career as a soloist. At 18, he began to record his own music and released his first album under the name Sandy in 2010. DIY self-releases on Bandcamp and began building up an audience with his label debut, DSU (2014), released on Orchid Tapes to critical acclaim from various publications. He later signed with Lucky Number, who reissued his earlier releases, Rules and Trick (2012).
"Boys" is a single by English singer Charli XCX, released on 26 July 2017 by Asylum Records and Atlantic Records UK. The song was originally intended to be the second single from her then-upcoming third studio album. However, the song became a stand-alone single when the projected third album was leaked on the internet and cancelled. The song makes use of a sample from the Nintendo video game Super Mario Bros.
Rocket is the seventh studio album by American musician Alex G, released on May 19, 2017, through Domino Recording Company.
House of Sugar is the eighth studio album by American musician Alex G, released on September 13, 2019, through Domino Recording Company.
A Brief Introduction To Unnatural Lightyears is the debut album by English musician Oliver Wilde, released on 23 June 2013 through Howling Owl.
Heaven is the second and final studio album by Canadian alternative rock band Dilly Dally. It was released on September 14, 2018, by Partisan Records in the United States nd United Kingdom, and by Dine Alone Records in Canada.
God Save the Animals is the ninth studio album by American musician Alex G, released on September 23, 2022, by Domino Recording Company. It was produced by Alex G and Jacob Portrait and recorded at various studios in Philadelphia and the northeast United States. It was promoted by four singles including "Blessing" and "Runner". It received acclaim from critics, appearing on various lists of 2022's best albums, and charted on the US Billboard 200 as well as in New Zealand and Scotland.
Trick is the fourth studio album by American musician Alex G. It was originally self-released through Giannascoli's Bandcamp page on November 6, 2012, and later reissued in a professionally mastered version via Lucky Number on April 6, 2015.
We're thrilled to present 'Hollow', the first full single to be lifted from the forthcoming new album DSU from Alex G.
We're thrilled to present the video for 'Harvey', the latest off-kilter single to be lifted from Alex G's DSU.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)