Good Natured Threat - Short Stories EP (2011)

Melodica

8.9

/Indie, Crossover, Post-pop, Trip-hop, Downtempo, Folktronica, Hip-hop, Dub/

Comment: Behind Good Natured Theart is a duo Mark and Lara Hjorthoy from Vancouver, Canada who have created an inspiring pastiche from downtempo, indie, folktronica, hip-hop, trip-hop, minimal and optimal dub and other styles on their 3-track debut issue. In fact, lots of diverse guitar chords and riffs are mixed up with lots of beats which, by its side, are built on permanent variations. Obviously this release is also a case when it is used to talk about post-crossover genre. So if you are interested in such kind of music listen to such artists as Menion and Arrogalla as well. And the second track Until We Have Faces resembles strongly some tunes from Bizarre`s masterpiece Cafe De Flor (1996). In a word, this is a solid accomplishment.

Korhymes ft. Astèr - Stabilize

A Holiday Friends Christmas Treasury Volume Two - Part One (2010)

Holiday Records

9.2

/Conceptual, Indie pop, Alternative pop, Twee pop, Poptronica/

Comment: It might be this moment is not the most proper time for the Christmas events and reflections, though, indie-based Christmas songs on its own are not usual phenomenons in any cases and any time. Holiday Records is a tough indie label who has offered lots of charming tunes during many years. On this compilation can be met the songs by the label`s essential guards like Victory VIII, Arctic Flow, Travelogue, Jes Maybe, and She`ll Be Eating Her Nails When I`m Famous. Especially outstanding is a track by Arctic Flow`s Memories To Hold which could be considered as one of the most beautiful songs ever created. Let`s add it to the bookmark of songs of the closure of year.

Die Stille - Mirror (2011)

45RPM-Records

Archive.org

Lastfm

8.2

/World music, Fusion, Chillout, Psychedelic electronica, Psy-trance, Electronic pop, Ethnotronica, Ethnic music, Psy-ambient/

Comment: This 4-track case is about a cavalcade of brooding and burbling psy-trance music which comes to pass to meet ethnic music (islamic culture-relied vocal samples; tabla programmings), psychedelic overthrows in rhythms and timbres, ambient-esque spheres and occasional flamenco guitar chords. My favorite instance is Time To Leave.

The Gifted Children - Fallacy Stilts (2011)

The Gifted Children

8.5

/Psychedelic pop, Alternative pop/rock, Experimental indie, Alt-folk, Chamber pop/

Comment: This is a group from Rochester/Buffalo, USA, having been active since the mid-90`s period and recorded more than 1300 songs, yet, remaining in status of unsung heroes to date. On this record they have featured 6 songs of experimental indie pop, more concretely, compiled of dynamically running strumming guitars, subdued near-shoegaze sounds, delicious progressions on orchestrated elements, acidious sonic effects and off-kilter synth ripples. The small things and beautiful songs make sense indeed.

Rocketships of Love - UFC Space Soundtrack (Book 2) (2011)

Quixodelic

9.4

/Psychedelic pop, Synth pop, No wave, Exotica pop, Drone rock, Electronic pop, Avant-pop, Psych-pop, Pop experimentalism/

Comment: First off, this is an amazing set of 14 tracks. Demonstrated through idiosyncratic (analogue) synth-backed and dusty reed organ-shined exemplaries which do veer from highly densed Suicide-alike psych-out torrents and flashingly droning synth gears-vibrations to contemplative near-ambient notches and vastly catchy space age pop/exotica pop once made by such grandmasters like Jean Jacques Perrey and Gershon Kingsley. On the other side, 90`s are apparently visible via the hints at Spiritualized and James for instance. Indeed, it is a re-interpretation of the past experience in the verge of a cycle of the pop tradition.

Kodacrome - Robbery

Kodacrome - Robbery from marathon of dope on Vimeo.

Amygdala Projects - Shortcut to Heaven (2011)

BFW Recordings

8.0

/Electronic pop, Downtempo, Big-beat, Ambient trance, Psyambient, Psytrance, Kosmische musik/

Comment: Those 11 tracks do come by László Néder from Hungary, which mainly relies upon brooding electronic textures with hypnotic big-beat stokes and sometimes calm, middle-tempod hypnotic trance/psytrance/psyambient, and the other time (The Snag) embarks on a journey through the spherical realm of our inner space, reminiscent of the workouts in the realm of dark ambient and kosmische musik.

Bruno & the Susio Squad Band - The Little Prince - My tribute (2011)

Jamendo

8.6

/Pyschedelic, Conceptual, Brass pop, Alternative pop, Progressive rock, Soul funk/

Comment: This issue is concretely inspired by Antoine Saint Exupery`s unforgettable book named "The Little Prince" and is filled in with beautiful harmonies and catchy rhythmic combinations. However, it can be generalized as psychedelic pop with latin pop/brass pop influences and progressive rock glimpses. Some examples. the first track The boy inside me sounds at times very close to Manu Chao-esque delightful (latin pop) somersaults. The sound of an overflying plane refers undoubtedly to Saint Exupery`s main profession (the flyer). On the other side, the refrain of the track the Fox (feat. Mimisoul) is a rip-off of The Cardigans` Lovefool mixed up with soul funk.

The Echelon Effect - We Will Spin Forever