Karmafish - Life Support (2011)

Jamendo

8.2

/Alternative rock, Grunge rock, Hard rock, Noise rock, Progressive rock, Jangle pop/

Comment: Not a bad effort at all... . A sort of sonic patchwork. It kicks off with stop-and-go rock and roll, which will be followed by the kind of brooding contemplation (you can see at that even some similarities with the glorious British folk music), lots of grunge guitar tones, noisy riffs. Actually prog-rock and hard rock mentality is touched therein either. The last tracks, especially Supernatural reminds of Mozzer`s solo efforts (with some slight influences of Madchester/baggy drums). On the other side, A Perfect View is a charming entry into the light-hearted jangle pop world of 80`s (compare it to the Bodines, for instance). All in all, a spoonful more synergy and glossiness to be added to it yet and the album would have been a genuine masterpiece.

Electric Landscapes of Rebellion - Electric Landscapes with Pigs & Piano (2011)

Petcord

8.5

/Sound art, Electro-acoustics, Found sound, Acousmatics, Experimental electronica, Microtonal, Musique concrète, Avant-garde/

Comment: ELoR is a Spanish duo consisting of Antony Maubert and Edith Alonso which started off in 2007. The recent album compiled of 4 long-running tracks is but a little more than an array of digital hisses and crackles. It is an example of digital metaphysics, a kind of aiming at re-creating a new system incorporating the elements of musique concréte, noise, microsounds, (modern) classical. Moreover, those minimally sounding stretched sounds (before developing into noise) do chime impressively haunting. Or some lone piano chords are laced with the voice of pigs. More generally, it is a crossroad between electro-acoustics/acousmatics, digital sound processing, and sound art.

Beats Antique - Collide (2008)

Bandcamp

8.4

/World music, Ethnic music, Ethnotronica, Remixes/

Comment: This album of 13 tracks is composed and arranged by Sidecar Tommy and David Satori who used to play many instruments on it. However, they are helped by many contributors who play more or less ethnic instruments. Indeed, here can be met upright electronic beats which are mixed up with shitloads of developments on diverse motives - veering from gypsy/Balkan music to the Middle East-centered warbles. Catchy and joyous.

Bwedge - Shrunken Head (2011)

Bandcamp
Mediafire

8.8

/New Weird America, Tropical pop, Free folk, Psychedelic pop, Alternative pop/

Comment: Such kind of sound was firstly evoked by Avey Tare & Panda Bear circa 10 years ago. It was then named as free folk, freak folk, New Weird America or a bit some way else (probably the biggest musical revolution during my life time). However, all things will be changing in time and space - so such sort of sound is re-named as tropical pop nowadays. The most important aspect at it is to see the connection between those abovementioned styles. More concretely, pleasantly bouncing rhythms, exultant voice lines, psychedelic conversation between synths and guitars. By the way, Shrunken Head is a very good album by one 19-year-old guy from the USA.

Muepetmo – Depression, Desperation, Emotional Pressure, Physical Pain, Anxiety, Financial Difficulties or Other Undesirable Situations (2010)

Psicotropicodelia
Jamendo

8.5

/Film noir, Classical, Experimentalism, Noise, Acousmatics, Crossover, Avant-garde, Electro-acoustic, Weird, Chamber music, Psych-music/

Comment: This is a release by a guy from Brazil made through some more or less weird-inflected points of view. Played up through harpsichords, harmonics, pianos, and clavichords. Indeed, it almost sounds like old music/baroque-relied classical music if someone were not able to have focus on noiseful snippets, reversed and heavy reverb-loaded sonic effects. It sounds almost "normal" though it is not "normal" at all. By the way, what does it mean "normal" at all? The issue must reflect upon hard life of the musicians in Brazil.

Nils Quak - On Sinking (2011)

Rural Colours
Bandcamp

9.2

/Ambient, Ambient noise, Shoegazetronica, Minimal, Experimental electronica, Dark ambient, Soundscapes/

Comment: Nils Quak is a musician from Cologne, Germany. By coming from the home city of the CAN, indeed it is such a fact which definitely does make difference. Yet, inspite of positive bias the 34-year-old Teuton`s soundscape makes vastly out on its own. In fact, at times it can even be compared to the sound of the legendary krautrockers, for instance, at Forever Fading throughout which one can perceive for some similar ambient-based vibrations and epic washes with Animal Waves (on Saw Delight, 1977). On the other side, it can be compared to Slowdive, Bowery Electric, and Bing Satellites as well. The kick-off track Please Let Me Rest is set into an "unstable" environment and thereby illuminated with borealic white heat. The second track A Rusting Down continues principially the same array of sounds, yet having acquired some minimal changes through a little more murky tonality in addition to fingerpicked guitars in the background. There Will Be No Harm is a contemplative vision brought forth via barely ringing glitch-like clinks and tremendously minimized flux of sonic particles. Altogether, a solid workout in the realm of experimental ambient music.

The Stereomovers - Waiting

Los Fusilados - Los Fusilados (2010)

Los Fusilados

8.6

/Agit-punk, Anarcho-punk, Punk rock, Psychobilly, Garage rock, Experimental rock, Blues rock, Spoken word/

Comment: This 16-track release is an example of truesomely exorcized agit-punk coming from Chile, from the South America, from a continent, which used to be one of the most revolutionary places all around the world during the last six decades at least. Indeed, the album seems to be presented without any compromises and courtesies, sung or manifested in Spanish either. The soundscape is filled with dizzy psychobilly and blues rock undercurrents, providing lots of key and pace changes within it. Unlikely to the punk music, they used to exploit the kind of snippets played up with harmonicas, making restraint sound-art and "covering" (i.e replaying/sampling) electronic dance music and Grease for once.

The Easton Ellises - EP One (2011)

Enough Records
Lastfm

9.0

/Nu rave, Alternative dance, Alternative rock, Indie dance, Electro-rock, Synth rock/

Comment: Alexandre Dionne aka Alex D and Simon Roy, a couple of residents from Montrèal, Quebec, were previously known as The Stereomovers (2000-2010) mixing up rock music with danceable beats. Moreover, beyond of it, before or in the meantime of the group`s activities they have practised sonic enterprises based on punk rock, trance beats and house music. Whatsoever, as a proof to their huge experience-based past the duo continues with their amalgamative manipulations on rock and very seesawing rhythms. Indeed, this 5-track issue is a crafty blend of sequencer-backed beats and hooks, high-energized nu rave aspirations and intoxicating harmonies. E-rock, as Alex & Simon have themselves described their sound. Although I am not used to be an idle proponent of the nowadays dance music, EP One makes really hugely sense. Good job, dudes.

Greenland Is Melting - Our Hearts are Gold, Our Grass is Blue (2011)

Greenland Is Melting
Bandcamp

8.5

/Bluegrass, Alt-country, Folk, Crossover, Southern music, Punk folk/

Comment: This is a trio from Gainesville, Florida, consisting of Karl Seltzer, Will Dueease, and Shaun Pereira. They mainly do play a upbeat folk/country music with some influences of punk, vaudevillian appearances, bluegrass, and brass music. All is played on a variety of diverse instruments like banjo, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, pedal steel, harmonica, trumpet, bass drum and fiddle. The lyrics represented here do tend to carry more or less careless attitude upon the bittersweet minutiae of life (talking about lingering, finding themselves shelter around here and there, the heaviness of being sober etc). In a nutshell, this is a romantic publication played out in the vein of the Southern music tradition. A honest soundscape indeed.