[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

[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

[Artists] Four Visions

CLLCT
Four Visions/Bandcamp
Myspace
Lastfm

[Artists] Alison Eales

Alison Eales
EardrumsPop
Lastfm

[Artists] Expendable Friend

Bandcamp
Upyourlegsforever
Myspace
Lastfm

Jay Bennett Kicking at the Perfumed Air (Rock Proper)

Jay Walter Bennett (1963-2009) was first of all known as a keyboard player in the line-up of Wilco during the years 1994-2001. He was dropped out from the band after the artistic-relied disagreements with the frontman Jeff Tweedy, and Jim O`Rourke who was being invited for producing and mixing Wilco`s fourth (and legendary) album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot finally issued in 2002. Thereafter Bennett released 6 solo albums reflecting upon his personal failures (department from the band, divorce) and disturbed touch because of having been sustained on painkillers (lacking the money for hip replacement surgery).

Vis à vis with his previous album Whatever Happened I Apologize (2007/2008), the 11-track brand new heavy Kicking at the Perfumed Air (mastered and recorded(?) 2007-2009) is more fulfilled with suggestive splendour, making it up through crafty variegated tunes, first off, offering energic and dynamic proceedings, on the other side, downdrifting into a melancholic alliance of sparse fingerpicked guitar and husky voice manner, or on the third side being brought forth via mid-tempo songs, based, as usual, upon alt-country/alt-folk tunes spiced up with lush organ blowups. Moreover, having managed to get in for a touch upon Bennett`s approach at the silence-noise and traditional/modern scale it does not make much difference in comparison with Wilco`s last issues in principle, having its experimental oasises in the middle of the American roots music-drenched desert. As Kicking at the Perfumed Air is filled with excellent tracks from the outset to this closure, it can proudly be admitted about the presence of the beautiful swan song by this great singer-songwriter.

Listen to it here

9.6

[Artistid] The Novel Ideas

The Novel Ideas
Dedicated Records
Myspace
Lastfm

[Artistid] Big Spirit

Big Spirit/CLLCT
Myspace
Lastfm

[Artistid] The Destroyed Room

The Destroyed Room
Myspace
Lastfm

My Bubba & Mi How it`s done in Italy (Beep! Beep! Back Up The Track)

Kord elanud Taani, Rootsi ning Islandi neidis ühes Kopenhaageni üürikorteris. Tüdrukud kukkunud koos musitseerima ning siin nad nüüd on - My, Bubba & Mi (tüdrukute nimed- nimelühendid).

Albumi tiitel on tulnud sellest, et kord kuulnud üks itaallasest baariomanik kolmikut kusagil lokaalis musitseerimas, armunud muusikasse ning kutsunud nad Itaaliasse plaati salvestama.

Oma debüütalbumit - lisaks Hollandi leiblile Beep! Beep! Back Up To The Truck on see ka reliisitud Jamendo`s ning Bandcamp`is - on nad nimetanud "kussutuslauludeks maalt". Mitte üksnes seetõttu, et muusika on salvestatud kusagil Lõuna-Itaalia maalilise looduse keskel, vaid ka seetõttu, et žanriliselt tiireldakse country- ning selle moodsate alternatiivide vahel ja ümber. 10 lugu on peaasjalikult vaikusest ning hillitsetud helipildist lugu pidavad, olemata seejuures kuumusest rammestatud. Kitarrid, ukuleled ja suupillid. Rokkivamatesse lugudesse on ka orelid kaasatud (Really Really, Satisfied Mind). Põhielemendiks on siiski tüdrukute õhuline ja unistuslik laulumaneer. Võimalik, et võrdlus kuulsamate sugulushingedega ütleb isegi rohkem - Joanna Newsom, Cherice Cosentino, Jaeme Newton, Shelby Sifers.

Kuula albumit siit

8.8

Stereo Moon Like The Morning Does (Kill Mommy)

“Stereokuu” on kanadalane Emm Smith, iseõppinud muusik, kes albumil “Like The Morning Sun Does” olevad träkid salvestas juba üle-eelmise kümnendi lõpus, v.a avang I Would Dream For You. Album on uuesti üllitatud pärast 5 aastast pausi, seekord blues`i, rockabilly`t ning alt-folk`i väljastava Sitsiilia plaadifirma Kill Mommy märgi all. 24 loo salvestamiseks kasutas Smith laenatud 4- ja 8-realisi rekordereid. Akustiline kitarr ning vokaal; kuivõrd mees oskab huvitavalt kõlada, on see ennekõike saavutatud tänu tema sugestiivsele ja välterohkele laulumaneerile. Teisalt - kuigi kitarr on esikohal, ei kõla taust luitunud tapeedina - esiteks lindisahinasse mattumine lisab hindamatut, sinna sisse on vahetevahel lisatud ka suva sämpleid ning fikseeritud erinevaid elektroonilisi-eksperimentaalseid rakursse. Robustne, samas soe helikude. Põhja-ameeriklased valdavad seda kunsti hästi, eks ole. Smith kasutab loomulike ruumide kajasid, paaris loo (Everybody Love Someone, Read Between The Lines) tarvis sammub ta vannituppa ja surub kitarrikeeled vastu valamu äärt, ja puhast kulda valgub üle ääre. Muuseas, vannituba pidas ta parimaks ning kahetses, et rohkem lugusid seal ei salvestanud (meenub, et Raul Saaremets oma saates 90ndate lõpus mängis ühte Eesti trubaduuri nimega Ants, kes samuti salvestas vannitoas ning kelle muusika kõlas vapustavalt hästi!).

Emm Smith`i blogi tiitlit nähes saab aimu tema märksõnadest: armastus, olla armastatud ning eemale trippida. Lüüriline pool kinnitab kõike seda. Igatsusest, põgenemisest, armastusest ning armuhaigusest kantud laulud vahelduvad “rohutekstidega”, mis kohati sõna-sõnaliselt ülenevad oodiks sellele. Veelgi enam - ontariolane rakendas muusikategemist kanepisuitsetamisest saadava kogemuse võimendamiseks, püüdes muusikasse lükkida niipalju ideid kui võimalik. Lüürika on kaheldamatult nauditav - ilus, sissepoole ning kõrvalt vaatav, kohati müstiline ning mõtlemapanev (Grow Up illustreerib subtiilselt mälestuste ning oleviku rasket kokkupõrget).

Siinse keskkonna eesmärk ei ole kindlasti mõnuainete kasutamist propageerida. Eesmärk on muusikat, iseäranis head, tutvustada. “Like The Morning Sun Does” on kaheldamatult DIY/kodus salvestamise meistriteos. Suurepäraseid näiteid on kamaluga - mõni neist võtab hinge alt õõnsaks; teisalt, konkreetselt midagi välja tuua ei ole ka mõtet - igaüks peab need ise andeka Kanada hipi muusikast leidma. Kuid see on küll fakt, et Emm Smith kõlab paeluvamalt kui (varane) Devendra Banhart. Tõsiselt.

Kuula albumit siit

9.3

[Artistid] Adrian Aardvark

Adrian Aardvark
Adrian Aardvark
Myspace

[Artistid] Stuart Newman

Stuart Newman
Myspace
Lastfm