Rivulets

The nom de plume of American singer/songwriter Nathan Amundson, Rivulets employs a compelling blend of folk, slowcore, and minimalist indie rock that evokes the brooding love songs of Mark Kozelek's Red House Painters and the acute, windswept soundscapes of Iceland's Sigur Rós. Amundson began recording as Rivulets in 1999, when his self-titled debut was issued by Chairkickers' Union, the Duluth, Minnesota label run by the veteran indie rock outfit Low. Often driven only by voice or quiet guitar, Rivulets is gentle yet genuinely powerful. Most often, the music suggests the isolation and odd beauty found at the center of an iced-over lake in the middle of winter. Rivulets' spare sound was also augmented at times by various musicians, including Low principals Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker, among others. Between 1999 and 2004, Rivulets issued a series of albums and EPs, and contributed to numerous compilations. Two full-length albums appeared through Chairkickers' Union, 2002's self-titled effort, and Debridement a year later. The You've Got Your Own EP arrived in 2004 with the full-length You Are My Home following in 2006 on Important Records. The Stray Songs 2000-2010 collection was a digital download that appeared in 2010, while 2011 saw the arrival of both the Yearlings EP (self-released) and the album We're Fucked (Important Records). The prolific Amundson spent the next few years continuing to bounce around from label to label, issuing 2014's I Remember Everything through Jellyfant Records and 2018's In Our Circle via Talitres Records. ~ Johnny Loftus