The Album Leaf, Vákoum

San Diego musician Jimmy LaValle began his career in SoCal hardcore bands like the Locust and Swing Kids, but changed course with his quiet, ambient, post-rock solo project the Album Leaf. Using a Rhodes piano and synthesizer, LaValle creates moody soundscapes in the same vein as Mogwai and Explosions in the Sky. In 2016, he released his sixth studio album, Between Waves—a collision of instrumental Krautrock and synth-pop that proves that even after almost 20 years, the Album Leaf can still experiment.