Üwan - 4 (2015)

Year Zero

• Experimental rock 
• Avant-rock 
• Psychedelic rock 
• Hard rock 
• Noise rock 
• Post-rock 
• Stoner rock 
• Improvised music 
• Doom rock

Comment: Üwan`s tracks are named in the following way: For, Fort, Fore, Four. All these compositions are lengthy ones, extending from 10 minutes to 16 minutes ultimately clocking in at a 52-minute. At the metadata of the album the case is tagged as free rock. I can admit it though it might say nothing of an issue. In general, it could be said the issue starts off and finish off in a similar way. In the meantime, the artist changes its path through quite minimal dodges though the listener can clearly perceive of how all the soundscape conjured up with a guitar, a bass guitar, and the drums used to cumulate slowly in an expressive way. If you like blood, sweat, and mud all these elements do appear prominently over there. By the way, one can hear no words and singing throughout the course. Stylistically the issue has elegantly usurped an interface between improvised music, doom-laden rock, hard rock, stoner rock, noise rock, and psychedelia. It includes a shitloads of guitar riffs but is not embedded in clichès but providing them with refreshing tones. In a nutshell, it could be an ideal issue for the tough rock man who is interested in more playfulness and colours in the classic rock-oriented scene. Get the gem. Get it by now. The issue is a part of the discography of the avant-garde music imprint Year Zero Records.

Mutawwa`in + Noise Jihad – Split (2015)

Azawad

• Noise 
• Avant-garde 
• Experimentalism 
• Leftfield 
• Non-music 
• Spiritual music 
• Post-industrial 
• Ethnic music
• World music

Comment: I am honoured to review a first issue (AZWD-156) from the discography of Azawad for Recent Music Heroes. This net-label started off in spring of 2013 to would have released more than 150 issues thereafter. However, it is surprising in 2016 there are no issues therefrom. In a word, do much, die fast. I really hope I am wrong in this case. One of the most prolific artists from the imprint is Noise Jihad and the project is also represented there in liaison with Mutawwa`in. Both artists provide just one composition – Noise Jihad`s one is a very fierce and incisive noise attack chiming like an industrial opus for dead men and unhappy ends. Mutawwa`in`s one is a quite different case because it is an organic bond between uplifting islamic singing, mid-range rhythms and the buried noise wall. In a nutshell, the experience is really captivating and staggering. Indeed, one can trace down the label’s and the artists` close relation with the Islam culture and some very reluctant aspects from the underground music thereby being obviously culturally influenced by such leftfield artist as Bryn Jones aka Muslimgauze who lived too short but reached much to convey some problems to us related to Middle East and Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

Batsu – GRΣΣT (2015)

Yuzame

• Electronic pop 
• J-pop 
• Poptronica 
• Digital funk 
• Hi-NRG
• Hip-hop 
• Rap
• Electro pop 
• Remix

Comment: this is a 6-notch of contemporary (electronic) music with distinct Japanese pop influences. It is not surprising because J-pop had absorbed influences from Western music during many decades. Batsu conveys galvanized Hi-NRG/electro pop, subtle digital funk and downbeat-inflected electronic pop and not so drawn-out electronica to us with childish and young female-induced high-pitched vocals. The latter element is very on its own by the Japanese side. Eventually the whole chimes exotic and familiar at the same time. That’s very accepted. By listening to it this evokes ambivalent sensations in me while thinking of such artists as Merzbow, Hanatarashi, KK Null, The Gerogerigegege who are being known as representatives of the Japanese harsh noise scene. Indeed, Japanese music is being known by its contrasts, at times exquisite, at times sublime, at times harsh, at times stoned, at times seductive. In a nutshell, Batsu`s patchwork-alike issue is exquisite, sublime, and seductive getting inspiration both from dance floor-based entertainment and higher aesthetical, artsy aspirations. The issue is a part of the discography of Yuzame label.

Blumen – Press 1 For Music (2015)

Bandcamp

• Yacht rock 
• Art pop 
• Post-pop 
• Progressive pop 
• Sophisti-pop 
• Fusion 
• Mood music 
• Vaudeville pop 
• Crossover

Comment: this 5-track issue comes out from an one-man-band (Richard Blumenthal) from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA and is a moody one with an artsy and ludic approach. It is admirable to see how Richard Blumenthal transcends the genres or just commingling them one another while being up to anywhere. A Brief Disagreement is a vaudevillian tapping on a piano with buried vocal slices behind it. Windup continues in a similar vein in the first half of the composition though being soon supported by shuffly drums and bold bass chords beneath. Indeed, the buildup justifies the song’s name. In general, it could be said that the transitions from one song to another used to happen seamlessly and involving the same elements in some parts of songs. Falling Down (feat. StarSystems, Michael Riehlman, Benjamin Bailey) gets caught up in a more progressive pop way with high masculine singing and high-spirited progressive rock-related keyboard solos. Hej Hej (feat. Alec Dube) makes difference as well due to be immersed in yacht pop and progressive pop experiments. One could hear vibraphones combined into bare and quite rough piano chords. It reminds even of Tortoise/John McEntire`s involvement in vibraphone playing. Cyclicycal (feat. Theo Young) is the most cinematic track getting its wings from yacht rock-infused easiness. In a word, the result, which clocks in at a 19 minute is exuberant both for one’s soul and cerebral dimensions. By the way, (Die) Blumen does mean "the flowers" in German thereof it is your turn to figure out the album`s similaritites with certain kinds of flowers.   

Smut – Conveniently Broken (2015)

Bandcamp

• Alternative rock 
• Indie rock 
• Shitgaze 
• Noise rock 
• Cover 
• Lo-fi 
• Psych-rock 
• Garage rock

Comment: Smut is a combo/trio from Miami, Florida, The United States Of America, whose sound is fraught with pointed guitar noises, diffuse drumming and husky female-led vocals yet preserving a welcome laid-back attitude during this 14-minute session. Stylistically it comes out of the tradition of the so-called shitgaze genre, which powerfully appeared approximately 10 years ago. However, it is a logical point in the tradition of noise and garage rock. One song from a bunch of 5 compositions is By Tomorrow being a cover of the cult compatriots Black Tambourine. I like the trio’s attitude of being no hurry to reach one end point followed by another. Just relax and keep up going in that pace. Ultimately the issue sounds like a long, integrated track altogether. The issue is a follow-up to Matter That Soils or Blackens (2014).         

Red Cosmos - Dreaming In Unison (2015)

Bandcamp

• Indie pop 
• Dream pop 
• Indietronica 
• Singer-songwriter 
• Alternative pop 
• Electronic pop 
• Poptronica
• Chillwave 
• Glo-fi 
• Drone pop 
• Post-punk 
• Art pop

Comment: I used to adore and hate the list of the best albums at the end of year. I hate it because many excellent releases issued in a certain year I had had no time to listen to them and add to the list. One of such albums is Red Cosmos` sophomore issue Dreaming In Unison. Indeed, three long years had passed since the Englishman Kim Tortoise released his debut There And Back on Clinical Archives in 2012. The issue starts off with high-spirited Kindred, which is an excellent indie/chillwave pop with ennobling harmonics, blissful noisy sonic shards and post-punk gears chiming like…Red Cosmos meets The Cure. The album will be finished off by Shout Into The Sky, which is similarly highly epic and beautiful. Both of them are real pop gems to be measured up to pop charts. That`s the fact. I am really fascinated by them being not tired after listening to them many times in a row. In the meantime, Kim Tortoise’s account could be considered more sophisticated thereby reminding of his compatriots Nick Currie aka Momus and Alan Driscoll aka The Womb`s doings. More profoundly, he likes to play with the listener`s attitude and aesthetical perceptions in elegant way. Funk Night sounds like being a tribute to Spacemen 3, and Spiritualized mingling together poppy and experimental sides of alternative pop music. Frequently his aesthetic is saturated with humour and sadness, a times being buffoonish, thereof catching hold of the listener even with greater strength. At We Should Have Kissed Kim Tortoise shows again his immense love towards post-punk rhythmic lines. Carnal Vindicator is an amusing blend of music hall, comedy and electro-rockabilly. In fact, what the fuck is that? Taken together, get this album of 12 different chapters full of uncanny artsy phenomena while being up to.                         

RPTAOman – Dolní oblast Vítkovice (2015)

CS Industrial 1982-2010

• Industrial noise 
• Avant-garde 
• Non-music 
• Rhythmic noise 
• Experimentalism 
• Leftfield

Comment: this issue can partly be considered a found sound issue and partly an industrial/noise one because the base of this 16-notch release is made of recordings from an industrial workplace. Indeed, the creator of this overwhelming release firstly recorded the sounds of machines and the machinery to later mix them to a mind-blowing waterfall of noises. The next question may be of how to convert these abrasive sounds to one’s emotions? Is there any proper interface to endorse it? I can say there is no problems with those anonymous compositions that are done for you in an easy manner. Theoretically and practically the artist follows the binary between noises and silence though in fact the noises are being remarkably more tangible on it. It is even to the extent that the listener can perceive as if there is no longer space for those intense frequencies to be housed. Furthermore, it is life and the work environment for many of us. On the other side, it is a piece of art, though tough art. The issue is a bit of the discography of CS Industrial 1982-2010, of which purpose is to reaffirm industrial tinged music from the aforementioned span of time either from the former Czechoslovakia or separate parts of them at later time.                  

banvox & Nor – Flux (2015)

Maltine

• Post-dubstep 
• Breaks 
• Anime 
• Electronic dance music 
• Electro 
• Alternative

Comment: this is another issue by Maltine Records from Japan and there are up tracks Resonance, and Flux, by such popular artists as banvox, and Nor (with regard to Soundcloud). Their sound is influenced by electronic dance music, post-dubstep, and electro. Those rhythmic parts are at times intertwined with moody, high-pitched electronic hovers, at times those rhythmic parts do demonstrate proclivity to change seriously and go across a hell-ish path. More profoundly, massive synthesizer squelches and intense electronic vibes are mixed up with bold rhythmic chords in the way to make sense and attract one’s attention. With regard to their Japanese background one could perceive child-ish, Anime pop-related elements with these pieces. Conclusively it could be said the pieces involve enough vivid contrasts to remember them and dash to dig up new issues under Maltine Records. Catchy-patchy.              

LLLL – Cruel (2015)

Maltine

• J-pop 
• Electronic pop 
• Alternative dance 
• Hip-hop 
• Breakcore 
• Alternative pop 
• Chillwave 
• Breakbeat 
• Electro pop

Comment: firstly, behind this seemingly very arbitrary, nonchalant artist name is hidden a span of 22 minutes of good and very good music, which in turn is classified as “cruel”. The only thing, which is truly cruel on it this is the frequency, which is set to change chords and rhythms incessantly and in a fast manner. The adjacent effect of it is to merge different styles with each other. At times quite disparate styles are juxtaposed against each other – dream pop, chillwave, indietronica meet breakbeat-ish and electro pop vibes. The artist exploits J-pop templates moderately not using them in an exaggerated, banal way. That`s the wisdom of an artist. I would call it “Hi-NRG” music but because the style is brought down by some European artists I am not going to do it. By listening to this handful of compositions there one should not wonder about the popularity of netlabel scene in Japan (as in one article at Pitchfork was written about it – thank you, the staff of Pitchfork but we need more reviews and articles about the topic worldwide because it involves a huge part of indie music nowadays). At times it is English, at times in Japanese. The album features the likes of Yeule, and fraqsea. At excellent Spider Web there are up such urban juggernauts as 50Cent, and 2 Pac being added to the mix to create a new feeling in the context of the issue. Given that it is an example of contemporary, catchy (electronic) pop music I do definitely say “yes”, “very ok”, “great”, “thumbs up”, “it makes my filthy soul to fly”. The audible side is as sexy as the cover print of the outing. The issue is a part of the discography of Maltine Records.                          

Stabilo – Sleep Deeply (2015)

MiMi

• Ambient 
• Soundscape 
• Drone 
• Minimalism 
• Ambient drone 
• Epic 
• Sound art 
• Organic electronica

Comment: Yesterday in the evening I started to listen to this 4-track issue. I guess the title justifies and celebrates itself though it was too early then to fall asleep. Today I started to listen to it early in the morning and it sounded like a revelation. At Clematis one could hear organic and undulating electronic sounds to be mixed up together being especially suitable for an idyllic morning time. Despite it one could hear a pleasant tension between those multiple layers and effects. Maybe it is not even tension; maybe it is a burden of real layers and imaginative pictures, which follow to each other unceasingly. For instance, at Fossil all those sounds embark on from nowhere and then it slowly build up to culminate in the silence-drenched orchestration of microscopic drones and ambient hovers. One can imagine a (ghost) ship nearing to the bay and then suddenly disappear without any traces. Mysticism meets mundane. There is also one sonic element, which comes across all four compositions - frequently the layers seemed to be played at different speeds, you can enjoy enchanting phase shifts coming in and running out of the focus. In general, music is poignantly majestic and touchingly ennobling. The swathes of ambient music are saturated with droning glitches, electro-acoustic crackles, digitalized hums all those elements are perfectly, I mean seamlessly spliced and forged into the dignifying whole. What else would you like to get from within it? I guess you will feel fairly relaxed after you have listened to it. It might act upon like a simulacrum to hide a world being much up in flames in reality. It is a simply perfect experience, which could also be tagged as holophonic poetry, and subtle soundfields. Behind the project is the Japanese Yasutica Horibe. The issue is a part of the discography of MiMi Records.     

Warmer Climbs – Warmer Climbs (2015)

Giant Manilow

• Shoegazetronica 
• Dream pop 
• Alternative dance 
• Epic 
• Psychedelic rock 
• Alternative rock 
• Space pop 
• Indie rock

Comment: I am back again to dig up the gems within the swathes of Birmingham, UK-based imprint Giant Manilow. This time there is a very special event spotted on. James Davis, and Thomas Whitfield aka Warmer Climbs` 4-track self-released issue could be a daydreaming experience while listening to it and staying outside at 25 degrees per Celsius. You can feel yourself a little bit exhausted by the sun shining at zenith while you are psyched by the sublimely exuberant guitar build-up and hovering vocals accompanied by epically programmed dance beats beneath it. At least it is one possibility to approach it. It is fun to experience of how the structure of songs used to distend and flicker thereby neglecting its borders in a delicate way. Stylistically, it is an exquisite drift between space pop, dream pop, electronic music and shoegaze. It is simultaneously powerful and blissful in its beauty and sensuality therefore following the genuine nature of shoegaze music. The world would be a little bit better place when such sort of music with a special, thrusting surge could be throning in the radio stations instead of bloody design pop.

Terrible Terrible – Fail Better (2015)

Jamendo

• Art rock 
• Americana 
• Experimental pop 
• Indie rock 
• Slowcore 
• Soul 
• Electronic

Comment: by listening to this 4-track issue by the American combo Terrible Terrible I am tempted by the hypothesis – if Terrible Terrible`s issue Fail Better or the follow-up Get The New Computer were produced by Tame Impala and in turn Tame Impala`s Currents were issued by Terrible Terrible then which album of them were more popular ultimately? In fact, my intention to ask in that way is all about outright subjectivity with regard to the popularity within the music business. I guess Terrible Terrible would have been an amazing pop act if they had a solid promotional team behind them. However, let’s enjoy this fabulous, effortlessly moving soul/Americana/art pop/dream pop/slowcore outing where sophisticated rhythms and poignant electronic threads are mingled seamlessly into a harmonious whole. It is not muzak, there is no possibility to consider it in that way altogether. Any second on it seems to be thoroughly reasoned yet the flow is wondrous without any pockmarks. It is a perfect congruence between thousands of sonic bits, which in turn is a platform to new mental configurations to be cropped up. Additionally, let’s listen to Currents, and Get The New Computer either.              

Ilya I Alisa – I Entered The Dark Forest (2011/2015)

Trash Can Dance

Self-released

• Post-punk 
• Alternative rock 
• Drone 
• Electronic music 
• Art rock 
• New Weird 
• Avant-rock
• Progressive rock 
• Dream folk 
• Spoken word 
• Avant-garde 
• Experimentalism 
• Ambient

Comment: Firstly, it is an unusual case; it does mean one has little chance to find out such sort of music daily because there is little such kind of music around. If I’m saying it is either a case of art rock or progressive rock then I have described it partly only. Secondly, it is an idiosyncratic case getting its boost and apparent inspiration from the Russian culture, from its glorious part, which is antagonistic to its inferior, the so-called blatnoi (thug) culture, which cropped up in prison camps in the Soviet Union during the dictatorship of Joseph Stalin. More profoundly, the issue is highly dreamy as if a reverie stuck between reality and a hypnagogic state. At times it is imbued with naivety yet fortunately it will not turn to be pathetic because the nature of the issue is candid and properly emotive. If to trying to date it this would probably have happened in pre-historic times when reality and dreams and fears come into one, when imagination and real things had had a common part. And one had to come along with it. Of course, the forest was the uppermost ambience and catalyst for such sensations to Slavic and Finno-Ugrian tribes. In a word, it was a realistic place, it was a hyper-realistic, and it was a surrealistic place at the same time. Furthermore, it seems to be filled with a religious content though being laid down implicitly, not in a raucous manner. For me, Ilya I Alisa embodies a modern touch by sketching it quite similarly to Animal Collective in the USA who had principally done it on their two first albums. Of course, by saying it I admitted a little coefficient to the proposition. Last but not least – by listening to this 12-track issue on the tape, which is a part of the catalogue of Tallinn, Estonian imprint Trash Can Dance, it was something of a ritualistic act to change the sides of it. In a nutshell, it is a staggering outing by Ilya Bogatyryov, which was firstly issued digitally in the beginning of the 10s.                           

Wild Man Riddim – Wild Man Riddim (2015)

MarsMelons

• Reggae 
• Afrofuturism 
• Ska 
• Afrobeat 
• Alternative dance 
• Afrofunk 
• Mood music 
• World fusion 
• Covers 
• Psychedelic 
• Funk

Comment: Wild Man Riddim`s self-titled issue is the first entry of mine at Oslo, Norway-based site MarsMelons and by listening to Wild Man Riddim`s nine compositions I am convinced to come back to the imprint’s catalogue for more times in the near future. Of course, today is Sunday (indeed, I began to love this day stepwise) and the weather in the morning is idyllic and the air is refreshing being imbued with spring tastes and rainy breezes. Brage Rognlien-headed combo, involving a couple of black musicians to deliver vocals in some tracks, improvises with Jamaican reggae rhythms and ska thrusts, however, frequently searching for more funky and psychedelic sound (I adore those dusty reed organ and brass chords moving in and out of the mix!) thereby coming close to Afrobeat/funk/futurism, which roots come from Nigeria, and Ghana. Additionally, the group elaborates music of such jazz and improvised music juggernauts as Herbie Hancock (Cantaloupe Island), and Dizzy Gillespie (A Night in Tunisia). Mostly it chimes as an accompanying music instance while one is doing something else rather than concentratedly listening to music though there are up moments to provide more depth, work out more complex structures and show up more vivid ambition to make difference (for instance, Big Difference). I guess the ensemble`s live may even be more amusing than just having a listen with the headphones.                  

Flady – Leave (2015)

Bunkai-Kei

• Deep house 
• Alternative dance 
• Tech-house 
• Club dance

Comment: I guess anyone who adores music in general and especially music of different sorts does have his/her own personal imagination of certain styles. For instance, how could you imagine house music for yourself? Is it something of music to be imagined to those people in the middle of a dance floor or could it have cerebral dimension either? Flady`s 5-track outing emits both tendencies very clearly. Furthermore, the thing I truly like is the artist’s eagerness to push it forward effortlessly, for now and then the beats are elegantly unkempt with regard to the frequencies of the album (at Fake Crawl) therefore adding a refreshing, even transgressive dimension to the whole. Mostly it is deep house music, I can think of Chrinonex Fleckeri as being a perfect accompaniment to fall asleep eventually while you are reading a book. On the other hand, the artist exploits frequently uncanny vocal samples and other kind of outtakes to disorient the listener. Most remarkably it has been drawn out at Counter Old Sky, and because of that it is a decent foray of the course. Another exception is Feel or Pig or Pigs, which contains a mind-blowing brass hook though in the beginning of the composition the observant listener could perceive krautrock and post-punk influences either (all is logical, isn’t?). In a nutshell, it is a charming dance and listening session in the night zone. Especially I recommend a listening today while you are boycotting the inferior Eurovision “song” contest. The issue is a part of the discography of the Japanese imprint Bunkai-Kei.                  

Pen Parker – I`m Level Four Ep (2015)

[PICPACK] 

• Glitch-hop 
• Folktronica 
• Dub house 
• Avant-hop 
• Breaks 
• IDM 
• Experimental hip-hop 
• Chillstep

Comment: an artist called Pen Parker provides a lovely set of 4 compositions being based on cut-up breaks and saturated debris. However, the first sentence of mine was apparently moderate with regard to the word “lovely” – in fact, it is a great issue fixing in the memory for long time. For instance, On Raspberry Beetle chimes in a daydreaming way due to vague, blissful synthesised layers and supported by IDM-alike rhythms. She Killed Herself is based on the two-piano valence – the first of them consists of a bold piano motive and another of crushed chords, however, eventually sounding together highly dynamically. Deer Blood embarks on with deep dub house vibes, which will change its course partly by absorbing slight folktronic elements to the mix. Morning in Which we Live embraces an angular rhythmic pattern and lazy singing, which in turn is slimly pitched up. The coverprint of it explains everything – it is minimal yet including enough information to be an informative one. In the aggregate, it is compelling by its fashion and content. The issue is a part of the discography of [PICPACK].                  

Berthelot – Halieutique de la griotte (2015)

Archive.org

Bandcamp

• Field recording 
• Electro-acoustic 
• Glitchtronica 
• Experimental electronica 
• Abstract 
• Acousmatic music 
• Avant-garde 
• Sound art 
• Experimentalism 
• Dark ambient

Comment: Berthelot`s 12-track issue is a quite peculiar one because each composition on it has been a part of compilations worldwide. Now when it is gathered together it demonstrates different appearances across one pathway. For sure, musically it is an intriguing listening because the form-based composition of glitched-out music, bleak field recording, acousmatic music is variegated with more moody though ill-omened ones running in the form of dark ambient. However, the emotions are predominantly subdued to free place for sheer sonic experiments and effects. In a word, the mission is successfully completed. The issue is a part of the imprint Murmure Intemporel.                                    

Mais Valia – Mais Valia (2015)

Sinewave

• Stoner rock 
• Hard rock 
• Post-rock 
• Math rock 
• Post-metal

Comment: the Brazilian trio of Ricardo Cezario, Alexandre Palàcio, and Vitor Martins used to play quite straightforward yet impressive rock music which purpose is to conjure up powerful chords from their basses, drums and guitars, cross them deliberately and then lay off something special from the mix. There is also another possibility to understand the Brazilian trio’s music. Their 7-track (clocking in at a 37 minute) album might be limited with a certain amount of chord combinations for to get shuffled with each other endlessly until the issue will be over. In that sense their aesthetic could loosely be considered a part of minimalism though played with the usual combination of the instruments in rock music. However, the listener could discover new shades and penumbras to be added with each new track. I like the idea that spawned in my head while listening to their longest track called Metropolis that the trio started off from a muddy, bedimmed soil to rave up their inner engines and then raise to heaven with a monumental trajectory. Last not least – how many cows are depicted on the cover print? The issue is a part of the discography of the Brazilian imprint Sinewave whose grateful purpose over the years has been to release new abrasive rock, noise and metal music from their country. NB! Today will come in Walpurgis Night so it is highly suitable to listen to this issue either. Hail to all witches

Project Hypoxia – Disfigured Tales (2015)

Bump Foot

• Downtempo 
• Trip-hop 
• Art pop
• Electronic music 
• Breaks 
• Alternative

Comment: Project Hypoxia comes out from Kaliningrad, Russia and Disfigured Tales is the fourth issue under the Japanese imprint Bump Foot. Unfortunately I have not listened to the first three albums yet but it should be done at least on the base of goodness of the current outing. More profoundly, this 8-notch issue is imbued with bold, crisp tectonic rhythms and velvety-dark synthesisers full of different semitones and tickling sonorous shades, there are up many samples from different eras and places worldwide (hints at bhangra and ancient Slavic music). In principle, it is trip-hop and downtempo music by stylistic definitions that does mean it is lurking in mood and labyrinthine in its compositions though its dream-drenched progressions are the best part of the issue. There are some intriguing dodges additionally – for instance, Mirror Mask that chimes like a more thoughtful Cocteau Twins. In a word, the result is fabulous throughout the course with some very special monumental glimpses.

Mountain Cloth – Instant Peasant/A Cantaloupe Garden (2015)

Giant Manilow

• Pub rock
• Alternative rock
• Indie rock 
• Noise rock
• DIY

Comment: Giant Manilow is a little imprint based in Birmingham, the UK that is a platform mostly for clamorous alternative pop/indie pop/DIY collectives. Of course, other indie music related genres can be found under the umbrella. Mountain Cloth is one of those groups being represented with a couple of pieces in the matter of the recent issue. It is very delightful to hear the band drifting between exquisite harmonious odds and ends and providing noisy rising in sound. At times a remarkable amount of pub rock roughness emits from within the whole. In a nutshell, the result is simple but salient. If I had a chance to lead the radio show I would play it in the afternoon.