2/09/2012
Joshua Manchester - Occident (2004)
Betasound
9.4
9.4
/Improvised music, Free Jazz, Chamber music, Musique concrète, Crossover, Spoken word, Avant-garde, Experimentalism, Electro-acoustic/
Comment: Joshua Manchester is a classically trained jazz composer/percussionist closely related to Chicago experimental jazz/improvised music scene. There are represented 10 compositions which used to variegate their shapes, change their patterns and constitute innovative, refreshing modalities. At times it delivers more jazz-centered pieces (especially by exploiting the whiffs of brass-wind instruments), sometimes it gets developed into chamber music/noir progressions, at times it used to be getting close to electro-acoustic/ambient music, sometimes Manchester has managed to showcase his aspirations through avant-garde characterized pitchbent effects and warped voice snippets. On the other side, Psycle Sluts takes on a storytelling endeavour slightly embellished with brassy sounds. The album will be ended up at get serious wrapped up in tight street sounds. Though the issue used to be a complex result, it is coherently composed and thereby vital and galvanic. An eminent outlet which deserves to be remembered.
Akron/Family - February 17, 2011 Knitting Factory (2011)
Nyctaper
8.8
8.8
/Psych-folk, New Weird America, Psychedelic rock, Free folk, Avant-folk, Free folk, Experimentalism, Live recording/
Comment: the gigs by Akron/Family (Dana Janssen, Seth Olinsky, Miles Seaton) seem to be highly joyous by nature. At least this one used to be. In addition to the band`s frenetic experiments/improvisations with folk, blues, electronic undercurrents, dance rhythms, musique concrète-drenched sounds, sharp psychedelia there are some funny dodges (interpreting old standards; let the crowd singing). Enjoy the gig by a musical combo at Knitting Factory, a legendary venue for innovative artists, which was one of the most eminent chapters in the appearing process of the New Weird America movement alongside with Animal Collective, and Devendra Banhart.
Alpha Couple - WHNZ:27:NJNYC (2011)
/New Weird Canada,Psych-folk, Crossover, Avant-folk, Psycho-acoustic, Acousmatics, Improvised music, Sound art, Free folk, Experimentalism, Non music/
Comment: it is thoroughly problematic to classify this 4-track issue because of having at least two or even more strong intentions and axes within it. At first, it can be handled as an instance of acousmatic explorations which used to comprise the elements of musique concrète, improvised music, radio station-ragged samples and noise, and of course, radical yet striking folk/psych-folk/dream folk contents. By its folk-ish side it is essentially restraint resembling of Charalambides, for instance. However, all these parts are expressed in equal extent. Despite this radical content the publication seems to be a domesticable one after many listening times. Thanks to its open-ended approach and borders it offers the listener possibility for further imagination.
2/08/2012
Karibean - ePop019 (2011)
/Alternative pop, Jangle pop, Surf pop, Twee pop, Indie pop, Experimental indie/
Comment: there are 6 tracks spreaded out over 18 minutes. The issue starts off with a tropical pop tuned Christmas song (Xmas Vibrations) (and will be ended up in the same mood - Down Before Christmas). This track and the rest ones on the album include easy, suggestive melodies and harmonies so characteristic to the 80`s twee pop, jangle pop/C 86 scenes (early Primal Scream, The Housemartins, McCarthy, The Primitives etc) which in turn was partially influenced by Beach Boys and other Californian surf pop and sunshine pop groups´ sonorous chirps. Despite of the influences this Ancona, Italian-based trio is a clear-cut entity with its strengths and...more strengths on its own. Because of outreaching the borders of different eras with playful lightness at any moments and including the pieces being essentially strong, in a word, the release can be considered one of the best issues on Eardrums Pop so far.
Coke Weed - Volume One (2011)
Coke Weed
9.3
9.3
/Alt-folk, Americana, Experimental indie, Indie folk, Art rock, Alternative pop/rock, Indie rock, Folk indie, Alt-country/
Comment: Coke Weed is a quartet from Bar Harbor, USA delivering a set of 10 tracks which is self-released by the musical group itself. However, the notches are filled in with folk/indie pop tunes being very strongly influenced by so-called saccharine underground/cowboy psychedelia genre introduced once by Lee Hazlewood. Furthermore, similarly to the legendary musician, CW like to diversify their soundscape with female and male (baritone) mixed vocals backed up with chiming magic dust and chirpy guitar strums. For instance, listen to Sea Smoke, or Dandy, or nevermind, something else and you can get a clear-cut idea of how root-related music can be interpreted in modern way without losing the initial power and adding to it lots of new features.
Romantic States - Come Over To My House (rare bootleg) (2012)
/Glo-fi, Alternative pop, Noise rock, Garage rock, Fuzz rock, Primitive, DIY, Lo-fi/
Comment: it is a rare, 11-track recording by Romantic States, a Baltimore-based glo-rock duo. Jim plays a guitar, synth and sings, and Ilena delivers percussion. More profoundly, the washes of rough guitar riffs are variegated with catchy synth gears and unpolished background hums and susurrant bits and rusty drum sequences. All of that is rehearsed and recorded in the duo`s upstairs room. Though the issue is an interesting listening, however, I recommend listen to Romantic States´ full-length albums in the first place.
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