The Quinsy – The Violet Day (2012)

  

Afmusic

8.8

/Darkwave, Coldwave, Gothic rock, Post-punk, Alternative rock/  

Comment: The Quinsy, the Russian-based combo`s 11-track miscellany used to afloat in dark-hued (sorry, violet-hued) seas and meandering gothic/coldwave oceans, however, instrumentally based on sizzling, ornamental guitar patterns, pronounced drum gears, compelling vocal lines and some programmed rhythms, electronic treatments and shadowy synths, however, therefore reminding of the band`s early electronic roots. A happy gothic hour indeed.

Lovegrenade - Lovegrenade (2011)

Jamendo

Af-music
Bandcamp
Lastfm

8.5

/Garage rock, Alternative rock, Fuzz rock, Psychedelic rock, Rockabilly, Psych-rock/

Comment: three musicians from Tel Aviv reconvened in the rehearsal room to complete the debut album just in a 24 hour live session. However, the process seems to be succeeded in the very planned way. Dynamical garage rock base is embellished with some rockabilly touch, never to be functioning boring somehow. At times it reminds of Sonic Youth.

The Nightchild - Some Stories And Thoughts (2011)

Jamendo
Afmusic
Lastfm

7.8

/Gothic rock, Electro-rock, Synth rock, Post-punk, Alternative rock/

Comment: a pathetic dark pop/rock combo from Ukraine, consisting of Alexey Nightchild A (vocals, guitars, keyboard, programming) and Olga "Holy Cat" (bass guitar). Rigid bass/drums-driven progressions are the base for such kinds of explorations veering from gothic post-punk to brooding electro-rock to more Nightwish-esque pompous symphonic metal approach. Business as usual, yet, seems a little bit weary.

Unfactory - She Bleeds (2008)

Jamendo
Af-music
Lastfm

7.2

/Post-punk, Gothic, Alternative pop/rock, Electro-rock, Pomp rock, Crossover/

Comment: this is a 5-track release by a collective from Florianòpolis, Brazil, which is inclined to reveal dark-hued, post-punk-hooked and electro-drenched pop rock. Buzzing and bubbling synths, and weird "bugs" are hearable in the soundscape at times. The coverprint measures up to. While it is a pompous one (or exactly because of it), the issue seems not to be the deepest fish in the ocean. A sort of AOR for radio shows.

The Search – The Silverslut 2000-2002 (2011)

Af-Musik
Jamendo

8.6

/Britpop, Post-punk, New Wave, Alternative pop/rock, Synth rock, Electro-rock/

Comment: This is a 35-track issue of solid rock music from Uppsala, Sweden. In fact, the album consists of 6 EP`s released in 1999-2002, during the first period of the project. Especially the first half of miscellany is vry delicious, showcasing its appeal toward the influences of 80`s dance rock, synth pop/rock, new wave, and post-punk. The second half is up to bring some Britpop and folk-ish influences into the mix. The Search`s obvious influences veer from The Cure and Comsat Angels and Smashing Pumpkins to Suede and Belle & Sebastian and Kent. Altogether, discover and afford a handful of great songs for yourself.

Emerald Park - Slow 2004-2005 (2011)

23 Seconds
Af-music
Jamendo

8.6

/Alt-folk, Indie pop, Britpop, Indie folk, Baroque pop, Folk indie/

Comment: As the album title suggests, indeed the issue is about 4 songs being released 6-7 years ago. The group comes from Malmo, Sweden and showcases some examples of folk-inflected Britpop, Swedish (indie) pop carnival, and baroque pop, in detail, demonstrating its affinity toward mellow chords and pleasant melodies. By the recent point, however, it can be considered classic (indie) pop. Nostalgic and decent.

Plastic People - Good As You (2010)

Myspace
Af-music
Jamendo
Bandcamp
Lastfm

7.7

/New rave, Post-punk, Art-punk, Dance punk, Alternative pop, Gothic, Electro-rock/

Comment: Today the frenchman Sèbastien Ficagna aka Plastic People just released the sophomore album Pink Narcissus. His first release Good As You takes on electro-rock, dance punk, post-punk, dark pop, art-punk sounds (some symphonic progressions, some whimsical synth burblings, treated effect-loaded appearances, cabaret-alike undercurrents), however, paying mostly tribute either to the British post-punk/gothic rock groups like The Cure, and Bauhaus through those bouncing dynamical bass guitars and rigidly stomping drum sections or the nowadays new rave sounds through its snooty approach though sounding even a little interesting than contemporary comrades like The Klaxons, and !!!, for instance.

[Artists] Silver Rocket

Silver Rocket
Af-Music
Myspace
Lasfm

Dark Souls Day X-Lives (Af-Music/Jamendo)

I have listened to the Thessalonikian (Greek) band Dark Souls Day`s debut album X-Lives for a while having really been enjoying it. On the first place, because of being stilistically categorized as gothic/dark rock its topics and characteristics are inevitably common to the abovementioned genres consisting of dark-sided lyrics, low-key guitar chords and extended riffs, exhilarating combinations of post-punk-esque rigid bass and full-packed drum cadences, and dark-shrouded synth figures. Besides it, Nikos`s lead vocal (reminiscent of Peter Steele) is thoroughly resignated but not only driving on monotonous gears and wheels though, offering enough key changes and dark-spirited variations. Secondly, when the roles will be inverted for the sake of Pepi`s singing times then the accents will be getting up otherwise, finding out closeness to hardcore-alike indie/alternative rock (The Breeders, The Pixies, Dinosaur Jr etc). No doubt, you can hear a watershed having drawn alongside the borders of post-punk and alternative rock, the 70`s ending/80`s beginning and the 80`s second half/90`s beginning. Yet, it has no disturbing effects. Outspoken in advance, the album is fulfilled with great numbers, though, the special favorite of mine is epic Electrify, one of the best songs of 2010 on an album being one of the finest examples in the gothic/post-punk area during last years.

Listen to it here

9.3

[Artists] Dark Souls Day

Afmusic
Jamendo
Bandcamp
Archive.org
Myspace
Lastfm

[Artistid] Plastique Noir

Plastique Noir
Ekleipsi
Pisces Records
AF-Musik
Myspace
Lastfm

[Artistid] Emerald Park

Emerald Park
23 Seconds
Af-Music
Jamendo
Bandcamp
Myspace
Lastfm

Danish Daycare A Story Of Hurt (23 Seconds/AF- Musik/Bandcamp)

Rääkides Daniel Jönsson`i debüütalbumist tuleks alustada sellest, kuivõrd erinevad võivad olla mõtted esimese ja järgmiste kuulamiskordade vahel. Alul olin kindel, et alustan ülevaadet halbadest külgedest, et seejärel ka mõned positiivsused ära märkida. Praeguseks on jälle vaekauss teisele poole kaldunud...
34-aastane malmölane on (indie)muusikaringkondades olnud tuntud ansamblite Eyedrop`i (1997-2005) ja Emerald Park`i klahvkamängija, bassisti ja kitarristina. Esimese pundi harmoonilisest aasapopist ning teise rühmituse veidi järsemast, trummeldavast ja hõikuvast lähenemisest on Jönsson`i soolokal kuulda mõjusid mitmeid, kuigi ta püüab ennekõike leida oma teed. See ka õnnestub 11-loolisel üllitisel. Avalugu A Purpose To My Sins demonstreerib poptroonilist sirgjoonelisust, helklevat edetabelipoppi. Jönsson tõestab, et tema tugevaks küljeks on catchy`d refräänid, isegi kui sellest väljapoole jääv on mõnikord tuhm või kahtlase väärtusega. Lööb pompöösseks orkestreeritud reljeef, staadionitele liuglev ambitsioon (Second Day In June). Rootslase pompatakk võib kuulajast elegantselt üle kasvada, lämmatamata teda (Never Change Never Fade või albumi keskne, neworderlik Red Dead Flowers). Üldiselt domineerib kolmeplaaniline varieeruvus - on strummivaid kitarre, on sissejuhatusi piaanol, samuti on seda kokkumiksitult; ka on digitaalkõlalist elektroonilist eksperimenteerimist või vähemasti arglikku vihjet sellele (õnneks kuulub see erandite valda). Ka jääb miinuspoolele lovelorn-tüütus Boo. Lõpupoole äratatakse taas ellu indie-saurused; robertsmithilikku kaeblikku laulumaneeri on suisa mitmes kohas kuulda (pluss postpungilikud bassikäigud üleüldisemalt) ning pulpilikust tumedast velvetlikkusest kantud sissejuhatus lõpuloos The Man in White. Korralik popalbum.

Kuula albumit siit

8.4