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Bio
Multi-dimensional songwriter/producer Austin Carson, aka YYY, is a St. Paul, genre-blurring, experimental pop artist bent on delivering a previously unheard sonic experience. Creating beautiful transitions between analog bass drones, psychedelic guitar riffs and vocal samples, YYY’s music maintains a lighthearted undertone that challenges the listener.
Austin has performed in the Minneapolis music scene as a solo artist and as part of other projects for the last six years.
As YYY, Austin created the critically-acclaimed album “Tribute to the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds” — as a one-off project. Orchestrated, recorded and produced by Austin, he featured vocal performances by other local and national artists.
YYY has released his debut album of original material, “aquadungeonafterdark”, to critical acclaim (see below).
Photo by Elena Stanton
Photo by Aaron Rice
Photo by Elena Stanton
Photo by Aaron Rice
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Highlights
Released the critically acclaimed “Tribute to the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds” in 2017
Named by Minneapolis’ CityPages as “Poised to Pop in 2020”
Named by Minneapolis’ CityPages as one of the Top 5 “Live Acts” and “New Bands”
YYY featured on PBS program ‘Postcards’: https://video.pioneer.org/video/yyy-omoorl/
Scored the short film: ‘Self-Creation’ by Shelby Dillon
Scored theme music for PBS’ Emmy-winning series ‘Postcards’
Press
Reviews of Debut Album ‘aquadungeonafterdark’
“YYY shows us that by being inside all the time and trying to reinvent the wheel, you are hiding away from those friends who miss you with ‘And The Swords Don’t Bend‘. Sung with a remarkable poise and true honesty, we are told a real story about the world that spins rather fast if we don’t experience it properly. With a uniquely succulent beat that enthralls you rather quickly and has your glowing body grooving in sheer delight – this is the type of music experience that is all about that ever-evolving creative mindset – which is so needed in this copy-cat world.” — Llewelyn Screen, A&R Factory
“The release refuses to stay in one genre and in a number of ways reminded me of Beck in that he does his own thing but keeps it interesting. I think the aspect I appreciated was that it doesn't feel contrived. The genres meld in an organic way to create a singular sound. This is a great album. The production felt contemporary and the songwriting brought plenty of palatable hooks. This is a talented artist and the proof is in the pudding. Take a listen.” — Matt Jensen, Divide and Conquer
“Each track stands alone in its own right. YYY’s stylistic approach of genre diversification has created an album that feels more like an artistic work than simply singles and filler songs. It is clear that an inexplicable amount of time and creative energy has been poured into this project and the final product projects that effort. If you’re into a fusion of psychedelic instrumentation, deep lyrics and diverse collaborations, this album is absolutely worth your time!” — Dancing About Architecture
“Austin (YYY) creates his own personal world of diversity with his music and makes the process of listening to his debut album ‘aquadungeonafterdark’ an event where there is something new to discover around every corner. YYY’s technical sound variation fits together seamlessly, but is still characterized by an individualism in terms of sound design and composition. The experimental, electronic debut album by YYY is captivating and casts a spell on the listener. Conclusion: 8 out of 10” — Philipp Gottfried, She Wolf
“The album ‘aquadungeonafterdark’ adds up to a diverse collection of unusual pop songs. It reveals a lot of hard work from its creator, Austin Carson (YYY). It may not be an album filled with ‘hooks,’ the way many record business executives like them, so this is not Carson’s obvious play for chart domination. It’s more of a project filled with an obsessive’s dedication to creating art via alternative rock. In a sense, it’s also bedroom pop. Not the snooty, British variety, but the kind created with modern technology. Therefore, don’t expect to be humming these songs immediately after hearing them; instead, this is music that may take you a long time to digest it all. It’s complicated, a little weird, but ultimately rewarding. Yes, it’s difficult to describe, but in the long run, that’s usually a good thing.” — Dan Macintosh, SkopeMag
Reviews of ‘Tribute to the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds’
“The crowning achievement of YYY’s release, as it arguably is on Pet Sounds and there’s a real sense of orchestration in how he brings his interpretation together. This is a wildly ambitious effort by any stretch of the imagination and his talents for bringing something of himself to these songs remakes them into something uniquely his own. As tribute albums go, there’s nothing quite like YYY’s A Tribute to the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds.” — David Shouse, Burned Out Borders
“It’s a great album for those seeking an album that’s both fun and wild in a very electronic way. Kudos to everyone, and looking what other bands does he pay his crazy tributes to… may I suggest Nirvana?” — RJ Frometa, VENTS Magazine
“This album was one that caught me off guard. It’s unequivocally the sickest re-imagination of Pet Sounds I have heard. Carson somehow pulls off implementing modern production techniques into classic songs with it seeming to be effortless. I can even say that if you weren’t a fan of Pet Sounds for some reason you should give this a chance. If you were already a fan of Pet Sounds this is certified listening.” —Matt Jensen, Divide and Conquer Music
“This is a very confident and entertaining re-interpretation of Pet Sounds, which is a lot of fun to listen to and sounds like it was even more fun to make.” — Thomas Haynes, Dancing About Architecture