Momoko Pins - Runner-up

Drainbow - Drainbow (2011)

Bandcamp

9.4

/Psych-rock, Stoner rock, Avant-rock, Sludge metal, Experimental rock, Drone rock, Noise rock, Fuzz rock/

Comment: Drainbow is a trio (Nathan Leach, Jacob Howard, Brad Coupens) from Phoenix, Arizona who fuses hirsute fuzz rock, some glowering stoner metal aspects, powerfully grooving surf rock (especially at Kate) and some threatening sludge metal glimpses into a frantic undulation of psych-rock on their 4-track debut release. Watt & SK resembles of the best days by Sonic Youth at the end of the 80`s. A great instance of sunburned desert rock by any means. In a nutshell, it is what obviously used to be called contemporary rock and roll music.

No Loli-Gagging - The Floor Is Now Lava (2011)

Enough
Bandcamp
Lastfm

7.4

/Plunderphonics, Sound collage, Cut and paste, Breaks, Crossover, Freeformfreakout/

Comment: this album includes 15 (mostly) short-running notches which have been moulded by using cut and paste technique and approach, more concretely, mixing up a huge array of beats or so-called rhythm-based cores with shibuya-kei/J-pop vocal expressionism. On the other side it casts up good taste and more slicker attitudes. Indeed, at times it seems to be way too bulimic due to its high frequency at changing the sound pads and moods or just using very contrasty examples. I guess nobody is not ready to count the total result of samples exploited on the album. In a word, the floor is lava now.

Mequetrefe - Gobi (2012)

Bandcamp

9.2

/Shoegaze, Crossover, Indie dance, Alternative rock, Dance rock, Psychedelic rock, Space rock, Post-rock/

Comment: Mequetrefe, the Spanish-based quintet had released an excellent album called Play Off in 2010 which crossed shoegaze-ish guitar washes with post-rock and space rock shades. This time all these tendencies are still represented there, yet, being coalesced with catchy dance-appealed propulsions and hypnotic, electronically tinged oscillations. All these elements are wrapped up in the 10-minute composition, called Kill All The Indies (indeed, similarly to Primal Scream`s Kill All The Hippies). Moreover, if to trying to compare it with someone else, however, it reminds a little bit of Sereena Maneesh`s self-titled debut album (2005).

[Teaser of the day] Kyoto - Hasta la eternidad

The Womb - Hips

Nasienie - How To Say Goodbye (2012)

Webbed Hand
Lastfm

9.3

/Ambient noise, Minimal, Ambient drone, Ambient, Experimentalism, Drone, Soundscapes, Epic/

Comment: just one, 16-minute composition which takes on epic and majestic and on the other side on soothing and noiseful. Lots of contrasty moments and swirls are up there. During its course the notch evolves into the more brooding and intense final point. If to try to tag it, however, its centric fold can be considered "ambient", though, it can be compared rather to the symphonical aesthetics of Glenn Branca and borealic aesthetics of Tim Hecker than Brian Eno. In a word, intriguing and eminent.

Minehead - Transpose EP (2007)

Planear

8.8

/IDM, Experimental electronica/

Comment: these handful of tracks meet at a crossroad of glowering electronica and clockwork IDM progressions. Its masterplan used to be represented in a way that it flourishes from slots being previously subjected to more restrained frames and borders.

Glenn Liljestrand - Sandslott / Luftslott EP (2012)

23 Seconds
Lastfm

8.6

/Downtempo, New Age, Synth fusion, Mood music/

Comment: just a pair of tracks (the long-running ones, though) by a Swedish producer which rely on synth propulsions, though doing it partly in different ways. Sandslott is a more New Age-tinged/mood music outlet pushed off with Tangerine Dream-alike layers, and Luftslott based on synth guitar riffs and mellow synth soothing fuses New Age tendencies into a more brisk, fusion-alike cream. Both pieces are instrumental ones.

[Teaser of the day] Dan Masquelier - Wake Up