[Artists] Waylon Thornton

Waylon Thornton
White Moon Recordings
Free Music Archive
Myspace
Lastfm

Shattered Darlings and Liquid Kisses Shattered Darlings and Liquid Kisses (Is This Music?)

Shattered Darlings and Liquid Kisses is a combo from Long Island, NY, USA, which is headed by songwriters Matt Richards and Tony Delgado (line-upped by James Johnson, Lillian Richards, and Debbie Hass, and their partly unknown keyboard player). Their debut issue is represented through 20 tracks within 53 minutes full of loaded guitar drives, subtly offered psychedelic synth shreds and solidly elaborated dream-alike vocal arrangements all in all building up dynamic sonic architectonics. If you have been a fan of My Bloody Valentine and the Irish quartet`s ascending guitar layers then their basic approach might be felt into your expectations and visions, though, SDLK does add their suggestive point of view. Moreover, by its loud, psychedelia-soaked and sometimes soothing approach does SDLK`s soundscape hint at the glorious and influential tradition of psych-rockers, dream poppers and power rockers as well. Honestly, it is a very pure rock`n`roll blowup obviously working superb in different situations and at any time out. To complement this experience for I highly recommend listen to SDLK`s EPs as well (In Tangiers; Chick Pop Vocals under Nana`s Records).

Listen to it here

9.6

[Artists] S.o.m.a

Sinewave
Myspace
Lastfm

[Old but important] Werewolves Dance Raincoat Dress (BNS Sessions)

I tried to analyze and find out for myself the main intention hidden behind the name of a US-based 5-piece ensemble, of course, in correlation with their multicoloured musical approach. It might be realized out that the title "Werewolf" is appropriate enough for reflecting upon the difference between the main core and lateral shreds of their musical conception, drifting between the mainstream and peripherical murky areas relied upon the nowadays and past experiences of (alternative) pop music. In a more concrete way, the 12-track album released at the end of 2009 does have a lot of references biased heavily toward the head-on psychedelic swayings of old school monsters (Vanilla Fudge; Manfred Mann, early Pink Floyd, ) and some later hypes (Kula Shaker), groovy drone-infused motorik rock a la Spacemen 3, Brian Jonestown Massacre and early Spiritualized, and Neu! as their precedessor, on the other way, their tie-up to the mainstream currents reminiscent at times of the likes of Franz Ferdinand, and Keane does build up a gleamy backbone based upon joyous guitar gears and distinct even manifesting/shouting vocal lines or hovering below the piano-based soulful soft-rock ideas. Last but not the least - I am really fascinated by the ending track House Of Anarchists which does satisfy my very need for Spiritualized and Bobby Gillespie`s apathetic fuck-off posture. All in all, Werewolves did play out via Dance Raincoat Dress a magnificient whole without any weak examples thereby being one of the most dynamic, completed rock releases you could find out from the the last years. As they have said at their home page that the only way to support revolution is to make your own.

Listen to it here

[Artists] Werewolves

Werewolves
Archive.org
BNS Sessions
Myspace

[Artists] Archana

Archana
Archana/Bandcamp
Myspace

[Artists] Primitive Noyes

Primitive Noyes
Myspace
Lastfm

[Artists] DØGRÅVAS

Chromechoes Production
Myspace
Lastfm

[Artists] Silver Rocket

Silver Rocket
Af-Music
Myspace
Lasfm

[Artists] Slutever

Slutever
Slutever
Myspace
Lastfm

Fur Devastate The Details (Mine All Mine)

The US band Fur is back with its sophomore release, and the 6-track offspring does sound rousing and refreshing. Do you guess the quartet is coming from? Of course, from Detroit, from the motor city. And their music is quite comparable with the acceleration and chase of vehicles, and mesmerizing gazing of the go-by of route bollards and grey-green-esque mixed panoramas. Their majestic rock pose is digged deeply into an eloquent incarnation of shoegaze, grunge, post-punk, gothic and alternative rock shades. Overrolling guitar hooks and overdrives do pinball around epic and abrasive area, creating vital pop conceptions, being compiled of the shoegaze-influenced Smashing Pumpkins from the 90`s, the Interpol`s murky pop rock sheen, Joy Division-esque ennui screen, the Lycia-alike overhead hovering sombre shapes, and of course Break Me, My Love having a kind of pattern as if Kurt Cobain has made his feature for the Devastate The Details. However, my very fondness is moulded into title track, with the natural-born-breakbeat-paid-for rhythm section, penetrating riffs, and atmospheric synths, being wrapped in by a lot of key changes; and Houston played out via the meeting of a bittersweet verse-chorus and shape-changing guitar appearances. The rock music in its honesty.

Listen to it here

9.1

[Artists] FUR

FUR
Mine All Mine
Myspace

Vincent Lillis The Singularity (Rack & Ruin)

The last album of the Rack & Ruin being overviewed on this blog was Teacups` Song about Yarn, an off-kilter blend of magnificient chamber pop/baroque pop and abrasive chiptune beats. Thereafter my spot has drifted away from the doings of the label involuntarily and unfortunately. Now it is time to come back again, and hopefully having no possibilities for further apologizes anymore.

The irishman Vincent Lillis is an extraordinary young musician, having released his third album in two years already. His previous albums Purple Magpie, and Neb Nub offered a off-the-wall blend of artistic guitar music with a kind of alternative dance appeal. You could hear The Fall-esque skidding bass strokes, Ian Brown`s electronic touch, kinds of inbalanced and unfixed somber backdrops, even some world music elements which altogether was being perceived a bit arty-farty in some sense. In any cases, it did need quite much attention to hold up your concentration to be fixed upon this.

The Singularity seems to be his most mature release (read it: purposefully channelized one) to date. The opening Mind Your Mind is a loud cacophonous track with heavy drum breakbeats, gorgeous bass pulsatings, and a funny sunbeam-named looping synth effect, all in all it recalls Primal Scream`s the 90`s second half/00`s beginning (albums Vanishing Point; Xtrmntr). However, the following tracks continue to drive on similar way in principle, besides it recruiting tabla drums, dynamic bass lines, spacey vocal chants, programmed beats, also finding the support from the 70`s post-punk movement as well. The tightness of ambience under and around the conception is an interesting matter to follow, for instance, discovering some underpressure-overpressure fluctuations at times. Consequently the result underlying spiderwebbing mesh work seems to function per excellence. Indeed, an solid alternative dance/madchester/baggy set evoking pleasant memories of good old times. A nostalgic slap, in fact.

Listen to it here

9.3

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

This Lonely Crowd Entangled Chaos (Velvet Blue)

Hooray! Tweedledum, Tweedledee, Humpty Dumpty, Red Queen, and Jabberwock are proudly back. The expectations toward their sophomore release are really high because of their debut album An Endless Moment Eveyday All the Time (2010, Sinewave) being madly energic and artistic through shoegaze- and post-grunge guitars, reminiscent of vocally Billy Corgan`s manner from Smashing Pumpkins. A salient mix of dream pop and power pop.

A new release, new coverprint, new direction, new measures. First of all, Humpty Dumpty don`t search anymore for Corgan-esque abrasiveness in his vocal manner, feeling more soft, murmuring, and dreamy - and often doing it in the cooperation with Red Queen. In fact, the vocal part is diminished, too, and the sound is properly arranged - without the dominance of chaos-driveness, the collapses of mayhems, crazily intense key changes, and driving-in and driving-off effects. Instead of powerful guitars there are rather airy guitars to be represented in consisting of dreamy even lethargic soundscapes, which subtle movement is sometimes "disturbed" by massive brown noise-alike exorced keys of guitars throwing up elemental hooks of the AEMEATT. Yet once time, in comparison with the first album the song structures are more transparent and predictable, thereby being a bit less attractive, though. In conjuction with it the release seems to be too short (4 tracks) also for playing out their transboundary conception in the complete way. But by measured on the absolute scale, it is a solid work, though. And the quintet`s coverprints are still one of the best, too, conveying the spirit of golden age shoegaze music to this day. An eye is resting while watching it.

Listen to it here

8.8

SLUTEVER Sorry I`m Not Sorry (Bandcamp)

By speaking of contemporary girl power in music, you can not bypass The Slits, a British band which sounded as the female counterpart to the Public Image Limited (or was it the other way round, though), blending intensely punk, dub, and dance rhythms. In addition to it not much weeks have passed by since their frontwoman Ari Up (Arianne Foster) was passed away.

The legend is gone, but certain sonic patterns and traditions are left behind. One example of such artistical and rebellious bands is definitely Slutever, a duo from Philadelphia. Nicole Gagliardi, and Rachel Snyder has already won the attention of the press and had a couple of gigs with the Best Coast, and Cults. Behind the music the more surprising fact is that the rest of their life do consist of watching TV (because of reflecting the American Dream at the rate of 90%), and school attendance.

Why their 6 tracks album is used to be a significant one? In the first place, redoubtably rough sonic linearity (noisy guitars, garage sound (in fact, recorded in a bathroom and bedrooms), shrill vocals, whistling feedback, permanent energic overdrive; secondly, the lyrics reflecting the carelessness, selfishness, lack of love, but also searching for it and avoiding of it and the longing for dirty teenage sex. This kind of sound is used to be tagged as shitgaze/shi-fi, and the first part of the word is referred as well. My favorite track is So Prone, with dreamy background and cellophanic guitar sound. This is a kind of release which especially will decorate your first half of a day.

Listen to it here

8.8

[Artists] Citizen Flagpole

Citizen Flagpole/Bandcamp
Myspace
Lastfm

SLUTEVER Sorry I`m Not Sorry (Bandcamp)

Rääkides girl power`ist muusikas, siis ei saa märkimata jätta, et üleeile suri Ari Up (Arianne Foster), legendaarse post-punk-ansambli The Slits vokalistist liider, 48-aastaselt vähki. Alul eranditult naistest ning hiljem peaaegu naistest koosnenud punt segas punk`i, reggae`t ja dub`i ning avangardi, kõlades kui Public Image Limited`i femiinne ekvivalent (või vastupidi).

Legend on lahkunud, kuid märk on maha jäetud. Üheks turmleva (nais)traditsiooni edaskandjaks on kindlasti Slutever, duo Philadelphiast. Rachel Gagliardi ja Nicole Snyder on juba pressi tähelepanu võitnud ning esinenud paar korda koos Best Coast`i ja Cults`iga. Ülejäänud elu koosneb telekavahtimisest ("sealt peegelduvat 90% ulatuses vastu American Dream") ja kooliskäimisest.

Nende 6-looline debüüt on kahtlemata märkimisväärne. Esiteks - akuutne sirgjoonelisus (toored kitarrid, garaažisaund (tegelikult vanni- ja magamistoasaund), kiunuv vokaal, vilisev fiidbäkk, permanentne energiadraiv), teiseks laulutekstid, mis käsitlevad hoolimatust, egoismi; armastuse puudumist, selle vältimist ja otsimist ning ka igatsust räpase tiinekakiimluse järele. Seesugust saundi nimetatakse shitgaze/shi-fi`ks ning esimesele poolele ka sõna-sõnaliselt vihjatakse. Personaalseks lemmikuks on unistusliku fooni ning tsellofaanse kitarrisaundiga So Prone. Eriti päeva esimest poolt kaunistav kuulamine.

Kuula albumit siit

8.8

Loomer Coward Soul (Sinewave)

Brasiiliast Porto Alegre`st pärit nelik ringutab ja sirutab, näidates uuel albumil muskulatuuri. Nende aastatagune debüütalbum "Mind Drops" (Little Room) oli lihtsalt kena üritus, seesugune, mis tagantjärele meenub üksnes märgi mahapanemise tõigana. Kuid nüüd nad kuuluvad plaadifirma Sinewave hõlma alla ning see peegeldab ennekõike märki kvaliteedi tõusust.

Nagu bändi nimigi vihjab, on nende ristiisaks My Bloody Valentine. (Austraalias on teinegi samanimeline shoegaze-rühmitus). Kuigi "Loveless"-i 5-loolisel eriti ei märka, on seda enam "Isn`t Anything"-i mõjud esil. (Kuid igasugu tribuudist on asi siiski kaugel). Küllap tajute ka Slowdive`i, Swervedriver`i, Smashing Pumpkins`i, aga ka 94. aasta Bizarre`i jalajälgi. Vastandid on kokku kuhjatud - kriipivad ja huilgavad kitarrid, kõrvetavad feedback`i servad, massiivsed ja lainetena valguvad trummiliinid, mees- ja naisvokaali õhuline unisoon ning eraldatus. Võrreldes debüütreliisiga on grunge`likku segmenti masterdatud ning tühja, atmosfäärilist hõngu süstivat ruumi (kuuldavate) struktuuride ümber kuhjatud. Küte otsa ei saa, seda valgub juurde ja peale. Superlood on Coward ja Super Fuzz (muljetavaldav shoegaze`i ja grunge`i puhastustuli). Ilmselt juba kolmas album Sinewave`ilt minu selle aasta top 50-s (This Lonely Crowd`i ja Hangin Freud`i üllitiste kõrvale). Leegitseb, raisk!

Kuula albumit siit

9.4