[Artists] The Womb

The Womb
23 Seconds
Myspace
Lastfm

Nick Rivera Happy song is a happy song (La bèl)

In Cagliari born but now in London residing Michele Sarti aka Nick Rivera is being and has been participant in the line-up of many groups (Bron Y Aur; Franklin Delano; Sunny Day Sets Fire; Oh Atoms; Takoma). Yet, his recent project is definitely an act of intimate folk, or folk-based art which tends to search for diverse sonority fields, potent harmonic angles, making out impressive experiments with baroque pop, shuffling analogue electronics and cinematic undercurrents of epicness, all in all, finding out an equilibrium between the kind of astonishing inner harmony and outer form of beauty. Of course, Sarti is not alone, being assisted by many other musicians. For instance, at Renee Luise, the opening track, beautiful unisoned vocal lines are compiled by voices of him and Mary Dow. Indeed, an amazing track. Or in the other place the unisoned chords of fingerpicked strings (guitar, ukulele) and cello keys do play out a perfect chamber folk example (Horn Y Orgy). Or is it as if Air`s Moon Safari`s most epic moments were mastered in the vein of chamber pop attitude somehow? The title track enters into the indie folk area, more concretely, reminding of the Welsh whimsical folk wizards Gorky`s Zygotic Mynci`s playful shufflings on the ground of bucolic acoustic pop jams and acid-filled synthezised passages. Happy song is a happy song is one of the most excellent appearances (if not the best) in 2011 so far. Imagine you having a home in the countryside and you are sitting outside for looking at the sun`s going down. A truly great monumental set indeed.

Listen to it here

9.8

Wings Of Icaro Andirubio (Jamendo)

Wings of Icaro is a project from Priego do Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain, more concretely, a project of José Rodríguez who is also known from another project Other Track. All the action began in the late of 90`s while Rodríguez was studying physics in an university, so it was his way to balance himself through expressing concepts, ideas or occurrences which were distorted inside him in the meantime. The spaniard`s first issue called Imbalance (2008, Jamendo) contained the section of tracks from the first half of the 00`s, being stilistically poised between soothing downtempo, chillout, and IDM-esque beats.

The follow-up Andirubio is much shorter, being represented with 5 tracks (within 23 minutes) only, yet, noting the change upon new frontiers and influence realms. However, the soundscape is more richer and sophisticated, which is partly set off by lots of collaboration acts by other musicians for sure. By supplied with vast amount of air, indeed, let`s enter and make acquaintance with subtle folktronic fingerpickings and arpeggios, soulful commitment of female vocal affections, trip-hop grooves and turns (often reminiscent of Portishead). At times the beats will be evolved into a more idiosyncratic approach, for example at Hazardous Waste, which is made out by the interplay between sublimely dark-hued flutes and massive rhythm shuffles turned out as an example of neofolk-ish shivering. Or the last track Wild Guess which at its noir-ish outlook seems to obviously be influenced by the Bond theme and the aforementioned Bristol-based trio again. And not only by them. In a nutshell, a really impressive accompaniment indeed.

Listen to it here

9.5

[Compilation] VV.AA. - Rock Against Mommies vol. I: Attack Of The Space Mommies (Kill Mommy)

Don`t be afraid of the Sicily-based label Kill Mommy Records` slogan which suggests that this is a label for homemade rock`n`roll for amateurs. In fact, this so-called amateur-ish music has its powerful output and subtle sense of feeling which often overweights lots of examples regarding so-called established (indie) music. Here are 25 tracks represented showcasing a retrospective cut about the label`s active period during the last 2 years including such artists like Vanny Zero, Nowhere Boy Simon, The Last Merendina, The Big Wireman, Thee Undead Big Blues Shit, With Bubble In The Jungle, Dead Bugs, Ryan Patrick, Cafè Bakunin, Stereo Moon, The Brazierlights In The Window, Johnny Hoodoo, Vaqueros Paganos, Quint Baker, Jim Guittard, Ana Threat, My Pal Dragon, Plakonik Projekt, Thedirtycoast, Therese De Genova, Jon E. Erkkila, Sbirros, Gone Fishing, Mumble Mumble Mumble, and Billcarson. In a more concrete way, here can be heard such kind of music which veers from crackly blues and rockabilly madness to sophisticated alt-folk/folk indie/weird folk experiments and catchy indietronic jams, from psychedelic garage shootings and schizoid strummings to new wave and austere, roots-influenced string music from straightforward grrl riot punk to rough, even exorcized bass gears of psych-rock. The geographical range is also ultramundane: from Italy to USA, from Canada to Scotland, from Argentina to France, from Brazil to New Zealand, from Austria to Denmark. One cover can also be found from here:Nancy & Frank Sinatra`s Something Stupid by Vaqueros Paganos.

Listen to it here

dustdevil & crow while speaking softly you can hear the insects sing (Bandcamp)

While speaking softly you can hear the insects sing is the sophomore album by dustdevil & crow, however, in the meantime having got a solid addition regarding the line-up subsequently consisting of Michael Duane (guitars, basses), Bendle (voice, inept guitar, junk percussion, jaw harp, organ, low tech digital mischief), Aboombong (drums, percussion, treatments drones), Delphine Sayre (voice), Rob Tarana (violin), and Nick Toombs (guitar, field recording) at the moment. Indeed, all of those artists and their roles are very worth to be emphasized out. Here are represented 11 tracks, making out an idiosyncratic mix of post-rock, avant-garde, chamber rock/folk, dark-hued folk, psychedelia, and more concretely, having obvious influences from the 60`s British psych-folk, drone folk, some decades later appeared concept-based vanguard guitar workouts, and fuzz-filled or other feedback-based experimentations. Regarding the recent case, indeed, it is quite hard to draw difference between the kind of post-folk and post-rock. Yet, it would not have made up any difference at all if the basic ground were rubbish. Moreover, the sextet has even their own "pop song" (Breathing In). In a nutshell, it is a wide-opening yet subtle killer giving no chance for a listener to be realized out with some listening times.

Listen to it here

9.5

[Artists] Four Visions

CLLCT
Four Visions/Bandcamp
Myspace
Lastfm

[Old but important] e.p hall the edge the middle (CLLCT)

e.p hall has been one of the queens on the Bloomington-based CLLCT alongside with iron like nylon (Meghan Lamb) and Shelby Sifers. By avoiding to be a target by possible feminist attacks, however, I don`t feel myself internally hindered for to get name her as one the excellencers on the New Weird America scene as well. Moreover, she has been active since the first half of 00`s (the first demo was recorded in 2003), relatively long before the starting point of CLLCT. Listening to her home recorded 6-track album (2006) again after a while, after being on a year-long interval away from it I shall have to admit her conception works previously very good out. She is a musician who loves driving on acoustic guitars, mingling its mellow chords together with emotive, sometimes dream-alike voice and some synth currents and gurgling electronics. Indeed, at times e.p hall is used to be changed herself into an acutely flaming fur by putting acoustic guitars down or throwing them to the background and letting machine-inflected and electricity-filled sounds overlap and conquer the record`s backbone. For instance, That Letters and Numbers make is an epic maelstrom having lots of turnings up and down, getting quite close to the noise/shoegaze ensembles at times. A classic touch indeed.

Listen to it here

The Dog Pòstumo (Transienda)

The 9-track album of the Spanish band The Dog does start out with an ancient advertisement clip against the marijuana smoking, which soon delves into scuffed guitar riffs and electronic mix-based turmoil. As a whole one it seems in its very beginning to pretend for a kind of soundscape searching for its source between silence-infused images and furious yet controlled guitar ascents. A bit later it is used to get evolved into melancholy-pitched post-rock reflexions accompanied with subtle classical/baroque/chamber music elements, and soon, on the other side irreversibly setting itself up for dream folk-esque status unwinded via fingerpicked guitars, airy vocal arrangements and its whispering modifications, violins, glockenspiel thrums and harmonica-alike ingoings. Sometimes it sounds quite close to A Silver Mt Zion (especially No sè què cenar), at the another time it is used to sound like a sort of wistful Penguin Cafe Orchestra. In a nutshell, I shall have to admit that Pòstumo is full of outstanding examples which can be classified as "post-folk", as it was precisely described by Rajsank from the Yamanotedreams blog, indeed.

Listen to it here

9.2

Model Warships Capsules (Bandcamp)

No doubt, Leeds-based Michael Waters is an idiosyncratic singer-songwriter, who has issued 4 releases during last 2 years under the likes of Tavern Eightieth, BeatIsMurder, and Bandcamp. For an argue, concerning on his abundant experiences and possibly much collected know-how in various experimental ensembles (Perfect Writing; Shi Toys; Syuzhet; The Amber Sleep; Cedar Trees), it should not make a big heck of his (sub)conscious expressions and stylistic palette. Indeed, it is eccentrically diverse on each of his issues, stretching out to form kinds of striking wholes consisting of wide-rangely used plaintive and sometimes dirge-alike vocal manners encompassed by noise and hiss-infused guitar strummings, which is enriched with glockenspiel snippets, electronics and stereo effects. Finding out his nichè in drifting between the ways of silence and noise, calmness and unrest, dream-alikeness and horribleness Waters` music is compared to such defiant pop acts as Xiu Xiu, Frog Eyes, Belong, Sufjan Stevens, and Martin Grech. By my side I would add the metal-slapping adoreness of Einstuerzende Neubauten, and dream folk-esque invertedness of Pipher, and Barbagallo.

The whole array of the abovementioned elements are proudly represented on Capsules too, though, some new elements are up here for Waters` weird conception to be completed. For instance, through electro-cadenced undercurrents and metallic abrasiveness are brought forth some new grinning facies. No doubt, Model Warship is one of the most powerful representatives in the New Weird Europe movement nowadays.

Listen to it here

9.4

[Artists] Modern Warships

Model Warships/Bandcamp
Tavern Eightieth
BeatIsMurder
Myspace
Lastfm

[Old but important] Children Of The Drone Compilation no. 8 (COTD)

In fact, the Exeter-based musical group of 10-20 members should be a legendary one, not only having some cult reputation among dedicated music lovers. COTD is through its line-up closely related to the other collectives and projects as well (for instance, A Tiny Window; Ail Fionn; Dongas The Tribe). Their soundscape is involved in hypnotic jam sessions, impressive pictures of art-y folk music, having the closeness to natural and organic soundscape and depthness inbetween and beyond the layers, playing up a lot of meditative psychedelic circuits, thereby constituting up as powerful uniqueness and intelligent variety finally. The array of Exetrians` instruments is similarly impressive one, including the music-oriented instruments, and artifacts as well. However, if you take some time to getting enjoyed them you shall have to reserve a couple of hours, because the most of sessions are up there into this tendency. And the UK-based collective is not limited to the sound conception only - I strongly recommend to you to visit their site and read their argumented views about many phenomena and manifestations (including music business). Let`s them speak and you'll definitely get some (self-) reflection.

Unlike the most of their experiments these are not usually filled in very surreal, darksided feedbacks and echo effects which by the side are injected with gorgeous mystical attitude. But it is the case of Compilation 8. You can meet some free form improvisations, electro-acoustic ambiences, and psychedelic sonic conceptions. And indeed, over a long period some low-end (and shamelessly undervalued) electronic keyboards and electronics/sampling units have been exploited. If Kemialliset Ystävät`s frontman Jan Anderzèn expressed once devout hope that his music would be in certain way to be related to the outer space having its very goal in this way while it can be said that obviously by Matthew Watkins` curated band sounds into the universe for sure. A seemingly simple journey on the one hand, it expresses a static (or in a minimal way sounding) sonic trance on the other hand, within the borders of the high-level articulatedness the progressions of sonic algorithms are getting even more visible with coming to the end. In fact, it does not create any kind of tensions or frictions while flowing into transcendental meditations. In a more concrete way, through comparisons, here is a link of kinship with Six Organs Of Admittance, and Spiritualized to be found, although, in a much deeper embodiment. An astonishingly deep stuff.

Listen to it here

[Artistid] Kuollut Muisto

Myspace
Svag, Ond og Liderlig

[Artistid] Lather

Lather/Bandcamp
Lather/CLLCT
Myspace

[Artistid] Birds are Indie

Birds are Indie
MiMi Records
Bandcamp
Myspace
Lastfm

[Vana ning oluline] Children Of The Drone Compilation no. 8 (COTD)

Exeter`is baseeruva ning reeglina 10-20 liikmest koosneva rühmituse (kuigi koosseis ei pärine üksnes Uduselt Albionilt) ning sellega tihedalt seotud kollektiivide (nt A Tiny Window, Ail Fionn, The Dongas Tribe) kogumikud peaksid ideaalis legendaarsed olema. Hüpnootilised jämmid, impressiivsed folkkujutluspildid, looduslähedane aura, kihiline ja kihtidevaheline sügavus, psühhedeelsus ning ka kordumatus. Intelligentne mitmekesisus. Ning võimas pillipark - kuhu kuuluvad nii pärisinstrumendid kui artefaktid - loomulikult. Varuge nende nautimiseks aega - kogumike pikkused ulatuvad sageli paari tunnini. Kui mul vahetevahel saab kirjust popmuusikalisest situatsioonist villand, panen mõtete puhastamiseks just COTD-i peale. Ning nimetet kollektiiv ei piirdu üksnes helilise poolega - soojalt soovitan külastada nende kodulehekülge ning nende ratsionaalseid, erudeeritud ja argumenteeritud seisukohti paljude fenomenide ja ilmingute (sh muusikaäri) kohta siin ilmas. Uurige ning saate kindlasti targemaks.

Erinevalt enamikust kompilatsioonidest eksperimenteeritakse käesoleval vokaaliga-sürreaalsete häälutustega, sünkjad feedback-pannood ja kajaefektid lisavad tervikule müstilist nimbust. Siin on märksa enam nurgelist vabas vormis improvisatsiooni, elektroakustilist puru, psühhedeelset ja ruumilist-kosmilist helikudet ja kontseptsiooni. Ning tõepoolest, üle pika aja kasutatakse taas elektroonilisi klahvpille, sämplereid ja elektroonikat. Kui Kemialliset Ystävät`i liider Jan Anderzèn avaldas lootust, et tema muusika võiks mingil moel ilmaruumiga ühilduda, seda representeerida, siis 40-aastase Matthew Watkins`i poolt (rohkem või vähem tinglikult) kureeritava ansambli heliuniversumi kohta võib seda kindlasti väita. Näiliselt lihtne, kuigi tegelikkuses põhjalikult artikuleeritud muusika. Ühelt poolt rõhutatult staatiline (või minimalistlik), teisalt progressiooni algoritmidele allutatud. Ning see ei tekita hetkekski negatiivset pingestatust või hõõrdumist. Transtsendentaalsed meditatsioonid. Siin on sugulust nii Spiritualized`i kui Six Organs Of Admittance`iga, samas märksa sügavamatele retkedele suundudes. Väga diip.

Kuula albumit siit

A.K.A Gelbart Banjo Tapes (Birdsong)

Esiteks, üllitise pealkirjast ei tasu end väga eksitada lasta. Bandžoplõnnimine ei ole valdav, palju enam on siin elektrikitarriga mürgeldamist. Käesoleval hetkel kuuluvad Adi Gelbart`i (A.K.A The Lonesomes) arsenali viiulid (ilmselt juutide rahvuspill), gongid, trummid, tolmused klahvpillid ning heliefektid. Mis siinkirjutajale selle kõige juures enim meeldib, ongi uljas hoogsus, kuid teisalt ka läbimõeldud lähenemine, jäädes kokkuvõttes tasakaalustatud eksperimentalismi piiridesse- ühtides loomupäraselt meeleolulisusega. Paralleele võib tõmmata ameerika primitivistide kiretu kitarrikäsitlusega, kuid Gelbart`i jaoks ei ole emotsionaalne hillitsetus kidrasoikumise kaudu eesmärk omaette, vaid kui vahend, millelt õhku tõusta, millele vastandus - lopsakad motiivid, meloodiad ja harmooniad - rajada. Seesuguselt lähenemiselt meenutab ta oma kaasaegseid nagu Molloy And His Bike, Phil Reavis, Barbagallo ning gillicuddy. Vaikelu käändub ootamatult surfmuusika numbriteks, olles kord muretu, kord altkulmu põrnitsev. Kaheksa lühikese loo seast väärivad erilist rõhutamist I`ve seen Him rising (eepiliselt draiviv refrään), Fried haters (libisev sünkjas surfikäik) ning Interstellar (kõrvust haarav psühhedeelne kokteil exotic pop´ist ja surfgruuvist). Võimalik, et mainitud lugudes on poppotentsiaali pelgalt rohkem. Ei jää muud üle kui taaskord kõrged punktid anda.

Kuula albumit siit

9.1

The Goner Bitemarks EP (DFBM/Bandcamp)

5-liikmeline Stockholm`i punt on viimase paari aasta jooksul reliisinud 3 limiteeritud koguses albumit ("Halartrallar", "Hind Hand", "Haven"). "Bitemarks" on nende esimene EP, koosnedes viiest meisterlikust träkist. Psühhe(deelia), improvisatsioon, gootika/noir, drone ning minimalism sulavad üheks folkalgoritmide kaudu. Tõepoolest, neofolk/dark folk, klassikalise folgi väljund ning psühhedeelia leiavad ühise osa ning seismas kõrvuti teineteisega. Keskaeg, minevik ja tänapäev saavad käesoleval albumil üheks. Viiulipartiid - kvintett ise ongi rõhutanud koostööd Emma Wahlgren`iga -, tasahilju paisuvad-progresseeruvad meditatiivsed orelipassaažid, distinktselt artikuleeritud kitarriakordid ning taiest lõpetava Oakmulgee Creek`i viimast kahte minutit täitvad naturaalhelid looduvad orgaaniliseks universumiks. Sugulushingedest vääriks esile tõstmist Espers ja Anahita (ühisosa: medievaalne aktsent), Six Organs Of Admittance (eepilisus) ning Death In June (tumetooniline viskoossus).

Kuula albumit siit

9.3

[Artistid] Menion

La bèl
Myspace
Lastfm

[Artistid] The Sarcastic Dharma Society

CLLCT/The Sarcastic Dharma Society
Less Than Three Records
Oh! Map Records
Myspace
Lastfm

Chad Foltz From March to September (MODICUM OF SILENCE/Jamendo)

Ohio osariigi väikelinnast pärit 23-aastase Chad Foltz`i unistuseks on elada tavalise inimesena, olla hea abikaasa ja isa ning teha indie filme ja muusikat, omamata rahamuresid ning soovides, et teda mäletataks ka pärast surma. Selle aasta alul ilmunud 6-looline EP "From March to September" pidi olema nurgakiviks debüütalbumile "The Heart Of It All", mida siiamaani ei ole veel üllitatud... .

Chad R. Foltz and A.M RADIO koosseisu kuuluvad lisaks Dan Pontius, Kevin McCraney ja Nic Ross. Kaks viimast on eksperimentaalmuusikud ning plaadifirma MODICUM OF SILENCE eestvedajad. Mis iganes, Nic Ross`i aka gotikplage`i ja Our Subatomic Earth`i käemustreid on siin küllaldaselt. Parim näide on I-75 - massiivse sööstuga plahvatus rebestab vaikusesfääri olematuks. Post-rock`i ja post-metal`i crescendo on muljetavaldav. Teisalt ka Strangers on a Train oma neurootilises hüplevuses pluss metalsed kahinad-mürinad, gruuvid ja heliefektid teistes lugudes reedavad Ross`i. Üleüldse - crossover-traageldused on Ross`ile ainuomaselt välja tahvatud. Lisaks võib sarnasusi tajuda ka Bright Eyes`i, Bob Dylan`i, Super Furry Animals`i ning Talking Heads`iga. Nimetatud elemendid pluss Foltz`i varieeruv vokaal - vaiksetest värelevatest arendustest falseti ja karjumiseni välja - annavad reliisile usutavuse, veenvuse ning (enese)kindluse. Teoreetiliselt küll folk, kuid reaalsuses kompromissitu, eepiline, massiivne, kohati hüsteeriline ja hüsteeriliselt ilus muusika.

Kuula albumit siit

9.1