Ghost Dance Elkan (Ghost Dance)

Ghost Dance (not to confuse it with the same-titled gothic rock band from England in the 80`s) is a two-piece ensemble from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Chris Corrao (guitar) and Tyler Taglieri (drums) play up a decent joint of math rock and noise rock with an intense touch of experimental rock. Being influenced by the likes of Tera Melos, Hella, Lightning Bolt, the duo`s 6-track debut release is managed to showcase seriously sheer and rough ornamentics of repeated motives driving mainly on up-and-down drifting abrasive guitar riffs embellished by more light-radiant, progressive rock-like keys, and at times massively hammering rhythm combinations too. Sometimes Ghost Dance`s soundscape is quite laconic by building up the way on arid chord bows and even drone-shaped glimpses. Sometimes all of that seems to be thoroughly composed, the another time quite loosely related, yet. All in all, it reminds of a kind of gestalt rock manifesto playing out in a mode of improvised, jazz-like music applying a vague control upon it. Undoubtedly it is a vital issue, yet, which circumscription needs lots of listen times for the access to be allowed.

Listen to it here

8.8

[Artists] Primitive Noyes

Primitive Noyes
Myspace
Lastfm

I Have A Box Bunnies (Fwonk)

This 6-track set of a debut album consists of a subtle net of indietronica/poptronica, caustic electronic pop, fusion, downtempo and post-rock as well, having its roots apparently set in the synthetic approach of obscure bands in the 70`s, of kosmische musik, more detailly, drifting between rock-esque sensitivity and ambient music, respectively. So it is placed between soothing and dynamic, between static and trippy, having mainly based upon extended guitar chords, unarticulated but epic vocal segments, cluster-laid rhythm sections (sometimes march-angled) and airy or shimmering synth wisps coiling up into the upper dimensions at times. In a kind of weird way, it can be considered either austere or lush at the same time. In a nutshell, if you are used to be a sympathizer of GY!BE, Air, Monokle, or God Is An Astronaut, this album is up here to be directed for you.

Listen t it here

9.2

[Artists] Replicast

Replicast
Myspace
Lastfm

Greyhound Out Of Mainline The Cat That Got The Dream (Bandcamp)

First-off, I felt deeply in love with this 10-track album, fulfilled with hypnotic blues and dirty psych-folk elements, which roots seem to be closely bounded up with the American Primitivism movement via angular, minimal-laid guitar chords and a genuine intimacy feeling, though, the project comes from Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. For sure, the issue is getting look high and low, more detailly, veering from the epic blowup of Rembetiko (The Strange Relationship) to murmuring dream-drowned illusions. The side-effects (or instruments) of those description objects are strongly reverb-drenched sonic membranes being often accompanied with concrete music sounds, spoken word snippets and dusty milieu evoking hiss-crackle appearances hovering overhead and everywhere. In any cases, it should not be misunderstood - it is not a kind of GOOM`s shortcoming but the kind of being occurred to come out as the advantage.

Listen to it here

9.3

[Compilation] Music Beyond No Borders Vol. 1 (Yes No Wave)

It could hardly be argued against a fact the compilations are the best stances reflecting upon the faces of labels, in principle. This is a way how to get informed about the general aesthetical intentions of a record quickly and efficiently. Yes No Wave is an Indonesia-based label, which apparently deserves its name, though, tossing even in a more wide approach regarding punk-funk/dance punk/post-punk/punk/proto-indie rather than the classical US-based movement of 70`s which is not surprising at all.

This compilation saying sincerely "yes" to borders is comprised of 10 tracks (and artists, respectively), starting out by Dubyouth offering bhangra-inflected dub, a crossover form the kind of the most of us having obviously made their first acquiantance after the surfacing of Asian Dub Foundation in the second half of 90`s. In fact, it is a bit more keen to reggaeton shuffles. The following Hengky Strawberry does seamlessly interlocking lo-fi aesthetics with baggy beats into a magnificient whole. Denda Omnivora & The White Liar are up here to shooting out their psychotic torrent via growl`n`electro rock, Coffin Cadillac sparks turmoiling blues hooks to be integrated them into a jacking hi-hat-fuelled punk shape. Zoo reveals perhaps the most dislocated conception firstly taking on splintering into dadaistic vocal approach and ethnic punk propelling further to be billowed together again. My favorite is BondiNedHansel`s F.M.A, a vanguard sort of world music-drenched electro-fusion, more concretely, being stuck in hypnotically repeated "whoomanizer, whoomanizer" and a static guitar abrasion.

In a nutshell, Music Beyond No Borders Vol. 1 is a completed and exciting excursion showcasing the necessity of borders (through which things become to exist in such a way they are predicted to be).

Listen to it here

[Artists] Inverness

Inverness
Jamendo
Myspace
Lastfm

Music For Your Plants S/T (MFYP)

Though I come from Estonia I have been quite critical about the most of phenomenons regarding somehow the Estonian indie music and its musical appearances over the previous and last decade. The reason is simple because my native country does have the community of musical critics/activists and musicians very densely related to each other, however, some of them through the job, the other through dense friendship connections. This is why I am not used to believe in maximum-rated overviews in local newspapers after I had listened to some of the albums being classified as really second-rate ones in principle. Once again, I really hope I am not being misunderstood - it is not a complaint it is just admission about the inevitable shortcoming of the small communities.

The debut album by the Tallinn-based trio Music For Your Plants is one of the best issues growing out from the local scene in recent years. Their 8-track release reflects upon past, present and future, where technical know-how is finely arranged with shitloads of ideas and a decent spiritual touch, where all needful is kindly presented and played up into the balance. First off, their affinity toward retrodelic fusion and progressive rock is showed up via impressive light-hearted guitar noodlings and synthesized psychedelic electronics-based vortexes altogether reminiscent of the doings of Kaseke, Radar, and In Spe, the Estonian jazz rock and progressive rock legends by the 80`s, respectively. (Though I am aware of the facts being compared to the likes of Tortoise, Tame Impala and other experimental rock luminaries already). On the other side, though through a narrow slot, you can be a witness about the dodges toward enchanting chillwave moulds (Dr. Mudawi), or the tropicalia/surf pop-mixed-up excellence of Enchanted Sister. Undoubtedly Music For Your Plants is a record which has acquired the potential to be written into progressive rock annuals sometime. In fact, I mean it very seriously.

Listen to it here

9.5

[Old but important] The Transmitters Count Your Blessings (You Are Not Stealing Music)

I can not even hesitate for some seconds that the British-rooted post-punk movement has probably offered one of the most impressive moments during the overall pop course, spawning a lot of bands with different point of views, from mocking dadaistic pop ideas to artistical endeavor for creating new exhilarating near-pop conceptions. More concretely, from industrial music-driven vanguard conceptions (This Heat) to danceable krautrock-influenced experimental punk occurences (The Magazine; Public Image Limited; Gang Of Four) were only some ways to illustrate this wave of new offsprings. There were also an array consisting of The Fall, The Mekons, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Cure, The Slits, Swell Maps, The Pop Group among others. This is music I like to consider a kind of punk music instead of so-called punk music I am used to really despise for its empty twitch (Public Image Limited pisses off Sex Pistols for sure).

Undoubtedly The Transmitters has been among the best examples of the kind of. They released three albums all in all from which the last one Count Your Blessings (1987/1989) was reissued under the Portugese label You Are Not Stealing Music in 2006. The album of 8 tracks reveals psychedelic spaced-out avant-rock environments, even the elements of world music are up here to be infused into a vibrant universe of funk rock guitars, hysteric singing/manifesting manner and detail-riched drummings, remembering the albums of CAN by the second half of 70`s. Especially outstanding number is Radio Studente, mixing burning psychedelia (of caustic synths and abrasively repeating space fusion-alike guitars) and sufi music into an exhilarating whole. However, after the hiatus of The Transmitters, the members of the band continued to make up their cult position in the line-up of Transglobal Underground, and Loop Guru.

Listen to it here

aboombong amnemonic (Bandcamp)

First off, it is quite hard task to figure out in which way should aboombong`s new album/third album in turn be classified up to. However, it is a creatively destructive blend of diverse styles in the middle of it the prefix "post" is set up. Yet, JC Thorne`s music, even when you are used to be familiar with different sorts of musical genres, but despite of some closeness it sounds like the science fiction in real time. JC Thorne is a resident from Seattle, who has played in a dozens of ensembles during last three decades, though, it is very little known something about him. In the same way, some analogy can be drawn with Swedish krautrock/space rock/experimental rock outstanders Joxfield ProjeX, which is obviously curated by the two 60-years-old men.

The opening Cheshiahud Loop sounds like a smog-buried and neurotically repeating Holy Fuck. From Cracked and bloodied Fingers deepens further to increase the smog consistency while shoegaze and space rock frames do catch fire and begin to melt and seemingly slide away. More concretely, over 10 minutes of pure ecstasy can be discovered from here. Cromsby Grovernor Worthington's Jujujaiponmolam is played out through a very wide range of musical instruments (including shitloads of ethnic music drums and bells), yet, the very result is based upon a ticking loop of a hypnotic guitar gear in space rock/krautrock regime. 18-minutes of elemental enchantment, which could easily be considered the 21st century Hallelujah (CAN`s Tago Mago), or Krautrock (Faust`s IV). The epic alchemy, the way how to come over to my opinion essentially. Jiang Qing, Zhang Chunqiao, Yao Wenyuan, & Wang Hongwen in Dahomey does acquire monstrous dimensions via demolishing drums and scratching guitars while retaining its majestic façade. The anxiety and anger on the track could almost cut with a knife. The album will be stopped off after Noon which is billowy/expanding/spasmic ambient drone metallic refuse, thereafter the whole can be summed up as a monster hovering above everywhere. This is a kind of eclipse of the sun, played up with an experienced know-how and outrageous energy swoop. In fact, one of the most astonishing releases of 2010, for sure. Enjoy and take care of it.

Listen to it here

10.0

[Old but important] Replicast The Wallstreet Compound (Obliq/Cryptophonics)

Replicast, Colorado-based octet`s (one of the persons behind it is Eric Allen, also known as a member of The Apples In Stereo) sophomore album, being released in the end of the previous year, reveals the next steps after the debut album Replicast-X. The follow-up, consisting of 9 tracks is full of mixed music (recorded in live and made without overdubs), i.e krautrock-esque hazy jams (remembering CAN`s early period loosely-leaded session sonority), tingling guitar glides, meditative rhythm sections, extending guitar riffs, eager experimentations with drum kits, and all of it is hardwired to a caustic soup of psychedelic Oberheim synthesizers. In a nutshell, this is a huge improvisation set, except Radio Nippon sounding like a tribute to Sonic Youth, though. The whole is mostly instrumental, hovering between outer space and earth, spinning up a lot of every kind of dust on variable sonic elements. No doubt, it may at times be seem as a bit inbalanced or swaying plateau, however, not because of being somehow imperfect, instead of it rather searching for new sonic possibilities through dense interplay of certain instruments, thereafter changing them and finding out for new combinations with others.

Listen to it here

Joxfield ProjeX Numbers & Letters (Clinical Archives)

Yet one year ago the Swedish pop music seemed to have strongly been associated with the sound of fields, sunshine and colourful flowers. You even know, such beautiful and safe, yet masterful and well-produced conceptions which fulfilled the task of muzak in the certain way. (The muzak as music is such a kind of listening object which is used to be predictable, i.e, keeping to live its own life from the very start without needing much attention and reasoning anymore). However, all my premisses were changed since I heard Joxfield ProjeX, by Yan and Oax leaded ensemble which showed up really deep and ungraspable point of view.

In fact, there has been a lot of albums within a year: Bits And Pieces# 1-13; Picnic; Virtual Dreams & Realities; Shimmering Mah No 1; Phantastique; and recently, Oddities And Rarities 2005-2010. No one of them were failed. Moreover, all the aspects of serious and intellectual-minded rock music were profoundly investigated on the aforementioned issues: from the progressive rock to the open-minded and over-the-edge-pouring space rock, ambient techno and kosmische musik conceptions.

A new one is compiled of 24 tracks (or 3 CD sets), including cooperation snippets of such luminaries as Pat Mastoletto, Geoff Leigh, and Kenji Siratori among other guests. It might be seem in comparison with the duo`s previous works it does sound more free jazz-y, incorporating the elements of pompous electro-rock/baggy-ish breakbeats, in Japanese spoken word, dream-loaded and hazy flute improvisations, ragga-rhythms and tanpura-sitar drones. However, it is obviously the first time when a release by their side seems to be a bit loose (or extrovert as it is already said), sometimes "uncomposed", based mainly on free improvised jams, or on the other side, sinking into the mould of avant-prog bottom. On the last third of the album, however, it smashes its head spot getting intensely to haze its boundaries and breaking on the other side. Though my top notch and recommendation is previously Oddities And Rarities 2005-2010, yet, those 24 tracks are very important part to get completed the whole regarding Joxfield ProjeX`s sound and conception. The whole picture of them became even more indistinct. And it is excellent, of course. By a Joker`s point of view indeed.

Listen to it here

9.2

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

[Concert] A Silver Mt Zion Live at La Sala Rossa on 2005-06-16 (Archive.org)

A Silver Mt. Zion (and its various titles), a band from Montrèal, is probably the best known act which is grown out or related somehow to Godspeed You! Black Emperor (formerly as Godspeed You Black Emperor!) and is the most involved band via its members (Efrim Menuck, Thierry Amar, Sophie Trudeau) as well. In fact, the aforementioned musicians have been influential collaborators not only on the post-rock scene but also related to alt-folk and indie circles in the North America during last 10 years at least. However, after GY!BE was going on hiatus, therefore the prime privilege was delegated over to ASMZ. If to compare differences between two bands, in the first place, it is the using of vocals, and the soundscape of ASMZ is inclined more to psych-oriented numbers, and indie music as well. For an argue, it seems a bit slower, having been involved in classical music-based arrangements (eminent cello and violin undercurrents), and via Menuck`s gratingly lamenting and sometimes euphorical vocal manner as well. All of those elements are to be heard in an excellent way on this live session also, recorded at La Sala Rossa in their hometown in 2005. Inbetween the songs you can be a witness for the interactivity between Menuck and audience and jocularities regarding "dudes", iPod and Coldplay, and birdfeeders as well. My cue toward indie music wasn`t arbitrary because of Menuck`s euphorical and lament manner (sometimes simultaneously) and the exploiting of chamber music devices and elements so you are getting to see more the link between ASMZ and Arcade Fire (moreover, they have more common through of recruiting the same musicians, and using the Constellation-related studio Hotel2Tango too).

Listen to it here

...And The Earth Swarmed With Them The Fading Voice Of The Old Era Speaks To Us, But Where Are The Ears Left To Hear It? (Hawk Moon/Bandcamp)

The long-named bands with even longer album titles are used to be having a reference to... . To what exactly, I mean, actually?

The four-track debut release, not including their demo issue approximately 6 months ago, by the Essex-based band, consisting of Mitchell G. Johns (guitars, bass, keyboard), Ted Parsons (drums), Kat Stanbridge (vocals), Chrysa T (vocals), Jeff Ball (violin). Quartet`s high-chorded guitar pieces, solid channelizing into sublime sonic upturns and crescendos, middle-paced and low-paced tempos, obligatory march rhythms, and in-chamber noir-drifting ambiences; indeed, after broody low-key shuffles around there it is going to have epic turns into instrumental trance-evoking soundscapes. Infinite drifts inbetween silence and noise, (as one of the main concepts of music is used to be), inbetween ascents and slowdowns. In short, the array is not surprising if you are used to get involved in post-rock tradition, though, there are some unexpected moments hitting against your experience and premiss-swamped networks. For instance, using the female vocalis not an usual pattern, moreover, in the ending track The Slow Decay Had Already Begun Kat Stanbridge has embodied into a role of a soprano fury directing the band`s conception across on the other side, being rather placed closer to the likes of symphonic metal acts (for instance, Diablo Swing Orchestra, and Nightwish) than the epicness of instrumental (post-) rock music. By the way, the album is fringed by some peripheric pop luminaries: In addition to Ted Parsons (Jesu, Godflesh, ex-Swans) behind the drums, the album is mixed by Justin Broadrick, and mastered by James Plotkin. In a nutshell, even it might be seemed a bit decayed it is a strong work yet. Take your time out and concern on it.

Listen to it here

8.4

[Compilation] 30 Seconds Of Time (Silber)

Silber Records came up with the idea of this compilation from a few angles. People have short attention spans, people love ringtones. Most songs are too long. So they put together this collection of songs 30 seconds long & made them available as ringtones. Some of the usual suspects for their compilations, some new friends, plus where else are you going to hear 46 tracks in 23 minutes. So you have no need to push the skip button to get round to the next tracks. You can imagine and handle it as a weird kind of mash-up album, moreover, mash-up artists are usually not interested in such ambitious experimental rock and indie music, they prefer more to be into easy and supeficial sound, though. The artist roster is Electric Bird Noise, Zanzibar Snails, muscle mass, Pacific 231, Ben Link Collins, Rollerball, Thorn1, Promute, Irata, Charles de Mar, Small Life Form, Notorious Jet Set, Lullabier, The Undermasks, Drekka, Sibyll Kalff, Vestirse, Bryce Clayton Eiman, slicnaton, Miss Massive Snowflake, Subscape Annex, Remora, Moodring, IANTH, mwvm, The Collinses, The Velveta Heartbreak, Fires Were Shot, Yellow6, Mahlon Hoard, & Peter Aldrich.

Listen to it here

[Artists] Radius System

Radius System
Lost Children
Several Bleeds
Myspace
Lastfm

Stubborn Tiny Lights VS Clustering Darkness Forever OK The Infinite Regress (Futurerecordings)

The Californian label Futurerecordings does seem like the valley of plenty for music adorers, containing a lot of undiscovered frontiers of pop music, from really deep and sensible ambient music up to astonishing rock conceptions. If you are up there already to start think about post-rock as some kind of fucked-up misunderstanding, I recommend to listen to such bands like Sunlight Ascending, or Stubborn Tiny Lights vs Clustering Darkness Forever OK?

The last named band, a septet, comes from Cedar Falls, Iowa, starting their debut album at an invisible point and ending at a point wrapped up by silence (silence as invisible conversation). However, inbetween it takes course over the rocks, plateaus, and valleys, offering massive guitar riffs, and some lonely piano chords, and subtle symphonic progressions are entered into here to get reached up for epic melancholy and beauty crossing the borders of each other and blending into a whole. The septet`s sound is full of any kind of key and chord changes, for instance, the experiments with emotionally abrasive male vocals do offer some reminiscence of the like of A Silver Mt. Zion, and some march rhythm passages and pitched vocal orchestrations lead up to the Montrèal`s main post-rock icon itself yet. Some people have suggested The Infinite Regress for to be the best candidate for the post rock album of 2010. Indeed, it may be going out in that way. Amazing music.

Listen to it here

9.8

[Artistid] Free-Spoken Band

Jamendo
Qulture Production
Myspace
Lastfm

[Artistid] The Quivering Forest

Inglorious Ocean
Myspace
Lastfm