SoulSonic - Things That Connect Us (2013)

Archive.org

Cold Tear

/Indie rock, Post-punk, Electro-indie, Alternative pop, Ambient rock, Post-rock, Shoegazetronica, Mood music, Ethereal wave/

Comment: SoulSonic is an artist from Lithuania whose 10-bar issue is a blend of picturesque guitar paintings, crispy electronic rhythms and beatific orchestrations. It can be said SoulSonic`s music is more about to create affective milieu rather than revealing intention to establish something artistically groundbreaking. Indeed, the whole sounds like a smooth jazz/fusion version produced with guitars and electronics. It seems the artist`s goal is to reach a sublime state of mind throughout the course rather than having spot on particular sonic inventions. However, despite there are up hints to almost all styles being connected to “alternative music” throughout the last four decades. The favourite of mine is Gentle Touch due to the spaced-out, longing guitar chord based extensions and highly catchy pattern within it. By continuing the Lithuanian connection I recommend listen to such combos as Picturesque Episodes, and mmpsuf.

Tracer Flare - This Is You

[Teaser of the day] Paris Angels - Door To Summer

• Alternative dance
• Soul pop
• Cinematic
• Dream pop
• Madchester
• Alternative pop/rock
• Indie pop
• Sunshine pop
• Baggy

Artist: Paris Angels

Release: Eclipse

Label: Self-released/Bandcamp

Year: 2015

Mononomoooto - 架空の洞 (2014)

Ceramic

/Electronic, Mood music, Abstract, Experimentalism/

Comment: I am a little confused by listening to this handful of tracks. In fact, I feel I am not able to describe it, to envelope it, to catch it, to pin it. Of course, I hear lots of sounds pouring out of there but what is the genuine intention of these sounds for me is quite puzzling to explain. However, I perceive quite simplistic, amateurish rhythms which are either adorned with subtle drones or softened chords or half spaced-out synth progressions above thereby providing powerful and poignant contrast for me. At tmes The point of mine is this is a quite mysterious issue for me maybe it would be better not to deconstruct it. Just listen to the sequence and combinations of the sounds represented over there. The result of it does not dependent on the subjective opinion of a critic it does live its own life.

[Teaser of the day] The Phosphorus Bombs - At Odds

Torn Flesh

• Punk
• Hardcore
• Punk rock

Artist: The Phosphorus Bombs

Release: Chain of Command

Label: Torn Flesh Records

Year: 2015

Alternative links:

Bandcamp

CJ Lavoire – The First Of The Year (2007)

Bad Panda

Free Music Archive

/Electronic pop, Tropical pop, Alternative dance, Poptronica, Electro-indie, Alternative pop/

Comment: CJ Lavoire is the nom de plume of Rome, Italy-based composer Valerio Franchi and the current track The First Of The Year comes out of his self-released issue Jump. Indeed, there is up just one though, lengthy six and half minute track. The issue involves brisk rhythms mixed up with some sonic effects and a guitar sustained part. All these elements are subordinated to the catchy melody line which is soft and slightly exotic and sultry on its own. The composition is the second one in the discography of Bad Panda Records. In a nutshell, are you ready to enjoy a solid pop ditty?

[Teaser of the day] Sinitus Tempo - Mushishi

• Nu jazz
• Breaks
• Easy listening
• Sampledelic
• Cinematic
• Electronic
• Epic
• Mood music

Artist: Sinitus Tempo

Release: A Tribute to Funimation 

Label: Self-released/Bandcamp

Year: 2015

Radikal Satan - El Incendio Que Se Llevó A La Ciudad (2012)

Radikal Satan

Moncul

/Dark pop, Neoclassical, Gothic pop, Musique concrète, Leftfield, Art pop, Experimental pop, Darkwave, Tango, Avant-pop/

Comment: Radikal Satan is the project of César Amarante, and Mauricio Amarante whose 11-track issue reflects upon their cultural backdrops being related to Argentina, France, and New York. The bunch has been managed in a way to bring forth elaborate, dark-hued pop songs with many threads of tango twists, gothic synthesised upper templates, vivid guitar chords, and Parisian street sounds based on lofty accordion sounds. At times these notches of the sonic backbone are variegated with mixed warped spoken word snippets and concrete sounds (for instance, Exilio en el Exilio) or songs are saturated with excruciated, psychotic vocal deliveries. And those half-orchestrated noises and ominous progressions surfacing here and there used to hit your conscious mind. Behind those visible figures you could perceive shades coming out from the other side and on the other side it arouses your brain to cast aside the control over your unconscious mind. However, the issue is saturated with more elements than discovered above. Yesterday I reviewed Faerùn`s album The Night (2013, Test Tube) which provides a quite similar approach both ideologically and sonically because of recruiting an avant-garde sonic palette to exert it for creating music in conjunction with pop songs formulas. Similarly, both albums are murkily full-fledged yet somehow recognizable and intimate ones. In a word, the output is both intimidating and mesmerizing. Call me morbid, call me pale but I feel myself totally satisfied.

[Teaser of the day] Madoka Ogitani - Explore

Free Music Archive

• Art folk
• Indie folk
• Mood music
• Cowbell indie
• Experimental folk
• Musique concrète
• Easy listening
• Folk indie

Artist: Madoka Ogitani

Release: Take a Walk

Label: La bèl

Year: 2015

Alternative links:

Archive.org

Bandcamp

Faerùn – The Night (2014)

Test Tube

Bandcamp

/Indietronica, Space rock, Experimental electronica, Hauntology, Crossover, Avant-pop, Dark ambient, Dark wave, Sampledelic, Experimental pop, Musique concrète, Spoken word, Leftfield, Art pop/

Comment: it is great honour to arrive at the album list of Test Tube. Indeed, there is no reason to feel yourself disappointed at all by listening to Barcelona, Catalonia residing Marius Miron aka Faerùn`s bunch of handful of pieces. The issue starts off with Dusk, the poem of Robin Rimbaud where a presumably experimental sound package is masterfully subordinated to an independent music algorithm. The track chimes like a less pop appeal drenched version of the Cranberries now and then in the second part. The same could be said about the finishing track Ndasi where slightly undulating synth-induced drones are accompanied by a dynamic rhythm and mind affecting vocal samples. Emotionally the most crushing and orgasmic piece is Hanako which involves the raping sounds, sighs of a man and weeping of a woman hinting at the crimes of Japanese soldiers during the WW II. Room 3327 is a haunting hybrid of space rock and minimally pulsating electronica adorned with radio waves and spoken word snippets dedicated to Nikola Tesla, the true genius within the physics field. If you are searching for some analogue examples within the experimental pop scene then the oeuvre of Broadcast might resemble of that span of 28 minutes. In a word, it is obviously one of the best (leftfield) pop albums issued in 2014.                    

[Teaser of the day] Mogwai - Mexican Grand Prix

Archive.org

• Drone pop
• Indietronica
• Electro-indie
• Live 
• Alternative pop
• Acid rock
• Organcore
• Krautrock
• Motorik

Artist: Mogwai

Release: Live at Showbox at the Market on 2011-05-07 (Seattle)

Label: Archive.org

Year: 2011

Donquièstar – Cellphone Somewhere (2014)

Teque-Nique

/Electronic music, Minimal synth, Alternative dance, EBM, Industrial, Synthwave, Dark pop, Coldwave/

Comment: Donuiéstar is an artist from Brussels, Belgium whose 3-bar issue is hinged on his compatriots` glorious coldwave, EBM and minimal synth tradition harking back to the end of the 70s/beginning of the 80s, though the musician presents it in a more contemporary and diversified form. It is filled with brisk yet chill synth hooks being in turn boosted up with murky industrial music and hollow dark wave/goth fuelled reverberations thereby giving possibility for more detailed elements and minutiae to be surfaced. For instance, the opener Dark Wonder is about to bristle with a ring reminiscent of mechanical sound of the movie camera. It could say these solid compositions are composed to arouse your sensations in your soul and set up your body to take on nervous dance-alike movements. Of course, the listener should take care of to discern subtle relation between the main lines and their subsidiary ones. Additionally, let`s discover the music on the Teque-Nique imprint. 

[Teaser of the day] Rory Storm - rd_01

Tape-Safe

• Minimal techno
• Experimental techno
• Avant-techno

Artist: Rory Storm

Release: Dot Matrix: Red

Label: Tape-Safe

Year: 2014

The “New” Utica Compilation (2002)

Cozy Home

/New Weird America, Crossover, Electronic pop, Blues, Psych-folk, Experimental indie, Acid rock, Psychedelic rock, Anti-folk, Punk rock, DIY/

Comment: I guess I firstly stumbled upon the music of Cozy Home Records at the end of the 00s sometime due to discovering some artists through CLLCT who were being related to the label and closely related platforms like Daydream Generation, and Quixodelic Records. However, this 15-bar issue is the first miscellany being issued under the umbrella in 2002. It was the year when Devendra Banhart, Animal Collective, and Ariel Pink as later backbones to the upcoming New Weird America scene and weird pop appearance just started to gain reputation step by step. Musically the whole is diversified providing a shitloads loads of glimpses into many genres, however, the quality of music not to be given a fuck. Furthermore, it is a vivid exemplar of full-fledged DIY culture in the USA. The listener is being kept in the radar due to thought-provoking crosses between indie and electronic and acid pop bits, freaked-out folk compositions, uncompromisingly stalking blues driven punk rock energy, and effect-laden experimental inclined rock examples. The compilation could be considered as a notch of the so-called New Weird America movement with some reservations because folk music represented over there is not a goal on its own but just a bare instrument to bring forth the magic of sounds. There are represented such artists as The Chrome Ghosts, The Real Burnouts, Have You Seen This, Man?, Zapp Chapp, Crookedfoot (early handwithlegs), D. Only, Dead Priest Sphynx, Early Morning Edison, Christian Science Mobsters, Family Talent Show, Eponine, Travel Labyrinth, Maynard and The Molemen, and The Flying Turdballs (Big Mimi Bourgeous with Jenny Penny and Cashew Cook). Additionally to listening to this lofty legacy I recommend to open up the catalogues and links through the aforementioned platforms to discover an universe within the glorious US-based DIY tradition.

[Teaser of the day] Polyrhythmics - The Mendo Mulcher

• Live recording
• Psychedelic pop
• Funk jazz
• Dance pop
• Afro futurism
• Improvised music
• Mood music
• Afro funk

Artist: Polyrhythmics

Release: Live From the Banana Strand

Label: Banana Strand Media

Year: 2014

Koji Maruyama – Isos (2015)

Totokoko

/Piano music, Modern classical, Mood music, Experimental, Musique concrète/

Comment: once I read that piano is the most disturbing one among the music instruments. However, there are plenty of albums which used to proof otherwise. For instance, Koji Maruyama`s tiny issue Isos (providing a length of 16 minutes only is a sublime drift between minor chords and major chords, between rough taps and subtle chord choices, between ruckus and still life thereby resulting in the emotive content. The artist seems to exert minimal energy to create a truly organic, picturesque whole for your sake. At times those facile chords are mixed up with concrete sounds thereby embracing elements beyond the artificial music compartment (Prelude/Isos). Of course, there is represented electronic music and synthesised orchestrations though at a minimal extent (particularly at Land/Weiter).The favourite of mine is Fluid/Door which brings forth a dynamic flow and moody changes throughout the composition. In  a word, it is a marvellous bunch of tracks indeed. The issue is a bit of the discography of the Japanese imprint Totokoko Records.

[Teaser of the day] DR - #208

• Dark ambient
• Space music
• Kosmische Musik
• Soundscape
• Abstract 
• Electronic

Artist: DR

Release: 206 - 208 / Tape Love

Label: Self-released/Bandcamp

Year: 2015

Anti/Uton - These Rains Were Tales Before (2003)

OM HA SVA HA KSHA MA LA VA RA YAM

Free Music Archive

/Psych-folk, Drone folk, Forest folk, New Weird Finland, Improvised noise, Avant-garde, Improvised music, Experimental folk/

Comment: this set of nine improvised compositions comes out of Porvoo, Finland by the duo Anti/Uton later also known as Hunton Quintet. The issue consists of strained drone progressions and galvanized noisy basses, and rattling drum kits, and over amplified yet quite static guitar noises subordinated to stoned noise ideology and radical sonic aesthetics. Of course, it is kind of a folk music because of being designated by raw plucked guitar chords around. It might be you would think of it as an appearance to depict your very obsessive thoughts you are being hinged on. Indeed, emotionally the result seems to be highly labile ready either to attack you or caress you. The album could be considered a part of the so-called Finnish forest folk movement, however, representing the most extreme branch of it (Kemialliset Ystävät, Vierivä Viiksiportieeri, Jamabansku). By listening to it you can discern monotonous developments and rough sonic bits which are obviously as resulting goals as creating process on its own. Such sort of improvised music was born in 1967 when AMM issued their two-track issue Ammmusic (Elektra). The issue is part of Uton-led imprint  OM HA SVA HA KSHA MA LA VA RA YAM. Could you repeat it?

[Teaser of the day] Songs For Sunday Parlours - Dear Annabelle

Poni Republic

• Acoustic pop
• Indie pop
• Lo-fi
• DIY
• Bedroom pop

Artist: Songs For Sunday Parlours

Release: Songs For Sunday Parlours

Label: Poni Republic

Year: 2007

Bool – I Eat Phantom (2013)

Black Square

/Witch-step, Breaks, Space rock, Electro-rock, Leftfield, Crossover, Spoken word, Abstract, Electronic, Dark wave, Alternative, Witch-hop/

Comment: this handful of pieces is a poignant hybrid of music and spoken word. More profoundly, it is a mixture of spoken word and different sonic pads ranging from witch house influenced occult sonic appearances to mid-tempo broken beats to murky thumps to airy guitar chords and spaced-out guitar riffs. Of course, it does not mean that these elements are juxtaposed next to each other every time.  Frequently elaborate guitar sounds are mixed up with programmed rhythms and vice versa (for instance, Ancient City Emerge). However, the backbone of the issue is appearance of the Tokyo-based artist`s poems chanted in Japanese which used to overcome and to be gravitated by the aforementioned elements. In fact, an abstract language is exerted additionally. It might be the effect of the output would be bigger if only having some understanding about Japanese. The issue is a part of the discography of Black Square, the Russian-based imprint. Fairly nice one indeed. 

[Teaser of the day] RSM - Dziwne Tabletki

• Witch house
• Drag house
• Hip-hop
• Newbreed
• Witch-hop
• Industrial electro
• Dark wave
• Sampledelic
• Avant-hop
• Electronic

Artist: RSM

Release: Side Effects (compilation)

Label: Cowshed

Year: 2011

KVLTIK – OKEAN (2012)

ODDOT

Lastfm

/Witch house, Drag house, Newbreed, Dark wave, Synthwave/

Comment: in fact, it is quite puzzling to add something original by describing this 5-track issue. The issue comes out of the era when chillwave music showed signs of withdrawal and instead the witch house/drag house scene was blossoming and spreading its seeds worldwide. The best thing related to the genre was the artists were not ashamed of themselves to cross different genres ranging from abstract electronica and noise to post-punk and shoegaze related elements. Murky synthesised progressions, sinister rhythmic patterns beneath and uncanny Unicode symbol filled titles and names arouse something otherworldly and alien. The movement instigated to cook up weirdly sounding tags and stylisations. KVLTIK is a Russian-based artist whose issue involves emotively nostalgic, even contemplative moments in addition to more aggressive synthesizer induced ebbs and flows. In a word, it could be an example of contemporary house music for contemporary shamans and sensitives. It is fairly decent in its wickedness. The outing is a part of Oddot, the witch house outlet for many artists.

[Teaser of the day] Stonicdelics - Spirit High

Higher Living Records

• Alternative pop
• Funk reggae
• Dance pop
• Soul

Artist: Stonicdelics

Release: Here to Grow 

Label: High Living Records

Year: 2011

Aaron Yabrov – Tonmuseum (2015)

pan y rosas

Bandcamp

/Hauntology, Avant-garde, Acousmatics, Organic electronica, Dark wave, Abstract, Experimentalism, Dark ambient/

Comment: this album consists of a couple of compositions titled as Tonmuseum, and Pendulum. The issue is composed of found sounds and one pre-recorded analogue synthwave. By listening to it I shall have to admit the result is obviously more overwhelming than the sum of its components. Emotionally it is thoroughly eerie and enchanting like a picture being envisaged about a Sabbath of the witches. Furthermore, these elaborate sounds herald doom to happen in a near future. The artist exerts the sounds of church bell which is a welcome source to disrupt silent ambient flows around or amplifying solemn components to an extent to change its intention into something sinister. Mostly throughout the course the sounds seem to be elaborately buried and restrained to create a slot to release sonic events through it. At times the soundscape is varicoloured with high-pitched piano chords which soon will be channelized into the usual,obscure sound. Aaron Yabrov used to accelerate and decelerate some sonic bits therefore providing more twists and variables to the soundscape. The result is frantic and reverberating both emotionally and sonically. It is the follow-up to his album From Above And Below. 

[Teaser of the day] The Parish Of Little Clifton - It´s Okay, Roseanne

Bad Panda

• Electronic pop
• Poptronica
• Clicks and cuts
• Chillwave
• Alternative pop
• Mood music

Artist: The Parish Of Little Clifton

Release: badpanda098

Label: Bad Panda

Year: 2011

Killredrocketrecords - Killredrocketrecords Jesus in Space Compilation (2010)

Killredrocket

/Psych-rock, Acid rock, Alternative rock, Shoegaze, Fuzz pop, Indie rock, Neo-psychedelia, Electro-indie, Drum and bass/

Comment: by remembering the end of the 00s and the beginning of the 10s then you probably perceived fresh air around your head and shoulder due to appearance of many groups and artists who used to come out of home basements and on the other side there were up a shitloads of blogs who were eager to push them up. This kind of collaboration brought many great groups to the limelight, however, most of them ceased to continue their way. For instance, one such a great platform was CLLCT, being a platform for so many mostly US-based DIY singer-songwriters.

People behind the Austin-based Killredrocketrecords have made great efforts to gather together artists to compile some voluminous compilations for representation of then-Zeitgeist tendencies within the DIY underground artists. Jesus in Space? Firstly it reminds of Jason Pierce aka Jason Spaceman`s relation to the God due to some references in a couple of songs by Spiritualized. Indeed, there are represented 40 songs mozst of them are heavily shoegaze-y in the vein of all those pre-eminent British bands appeared in the end of the 80s and in the beginning of the 90s. Some of them are more noisy, some of the, are more fuzzed-up, some of them more spaced-out and adorned with field recording bits. Of course, the listener should not underestimate a burden of post-punk and psychedelic pop elements within these songs harking back to earlier decades rather than mentioned above. Indeed, reverb-heavy vocal lines, thumping drum machines and synthesised sonic vamps above add something special to the melting pot. Furthermore, there are up some ditties which have got inspiration from the club music scene. Actually it is very sad by watching this enormous list of artists because most of them say nothing about today anymore. However, the imprint`s heritage due to these miscellanies makes sense by discovering this enthusiastic chapter in the pop music history. It is still inspiring.  

[Teaser of the day] UFO Sex Scene - In It

• Space rock
• Experimental rock
• Avant-rock
• Kosmische Musik
• Psych-rock

Artist: UFO Sex Scene

Release: Mothership Loveshack

Label: Lava Church

Year: 2015

x.y.r. - waves t*pes vol.1 (2015)

Bandcamp

Handstitched

/Exotica pop, Post-pop, Chillwave, Glo-fi, Hypnagogic pop, Dreamwave, Alternative, Mood music/

Comment: x.y.r is the project of Vladimir Karpov, the native from the Russian northern capital Sankt Peterburg/Saint Petersburg whose 4-track issue continues to create otherworldly beatific soundscapes replete with dreams and fata morganas of having no source at first glance. Let`s explore the titles within it – Sea Kaleidoscope, Dreamwave, Romantika, and Dolphin Smile. Inspiring, isn it? I don`t even know is it either the sort of post-chillwave sound or contemporary New Age music? Or something else? Never mind – despite it might seem unpretentious at first sight it is actually an album for die hard glo-fi/dreamwave fans. Any vibe and wobble on it seems to be thoroughly planned and elaborated for its own sake. It might be you have experienced deep dreams of depicting otherworldly dimesions and possible universes beyond the Earth. It could be something like that. In fact, it is much better than the dream because of being essentially real. Let`s partake. 

[Teaser of the day] Wisdom Tooth - Everything`s Green

Free Music Archive

• Singer-songwriter
• Dream folk
• Weird folk
• Folk indie
• New Weird America
• Free folk
• Indie folk

Artist: Wisdom Tooth

Release: Oxbow Woods

Label: Phoning It In

Year: 2010

Alternative links:

Bandcamp

Lastfm

Wilco – Star Wars (2015)

Wilco

/Blues rock, Indie rock, Rockabilly, Alt-folk, Alternative rock, Americana, Alt-country/

Comment: It is not the first entry by the Chicagoan juggernaut Wilco into the free music/netaudio world. Their most critically acclaimed album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002, Nonesuch) got the name and some samples from Irdial`s The Conet Project: Recordings of Shortwave Numbers Stations which is uploaded for free download at Archive.org. Furthermore, the combo`s ex-member Jay Bennett (1963-2009) had issued his latest album Kicking at the Perfumed Air for free download either.

Star Wars is mostly a solid, tradition-drenched issue. It is an Americana, roots-driven sound though there are up some moments which used to reflect upon toward rockabilly and even Suicide-inspired nervous template (Pickled Ginger). The 11-track album starts off with EKG wherein angular, galvanized guitar shape apparently reminds of artists from the No Wave scene. The Joke Explained is a sonic bastard somewhere between Lou Reed, Johnny Cash, and The Fall (at Mark E Smith`s most rockabilly loaded self-indulgent moments). Stylistically the whole balances between country, blues, folk and energized guitar rock. The favourite track of mine is Magnetized which is a soulful Americana glance with the assistance of theremin-alike high-pitched keyboard chords. Very nice. 

[Teaser of the day] Deek Hoi - Vice

Lastfm

• New Weird America
• Hip-hop
• Experimental pop
• Psychedelic
• Electronic
• Freeformfreakout
• Ambient
• Crossover

Artist: Deek Hoi

Release: Deek Hoi

Label: Self-released/Bandcamp

Year: 2009

Para Contra - ..Offered With Many Apologies EP (2008)

Rack And Ruin

Lastfm

/Improvised music, Art rock, Alternative pop, Free jazz, Indie rock, Musique concrète, Progressive rock, Electro-acoustic, Avant-rock, Lo-fi, Psych-rock, Space rock, DIY/

Comment: actually the title of this 7-track issue is misleading in multiple ways – firstly it is categorized as an EP though it involves music with a length of 53 minutes. Secondly, the title`s intention seems to provide self-indulgence about the music though by listening to it I can assume it is a very uncompromising issue at abandoning stylistic borders by Ontario, Canada-based trio Para Contra. Of course, it is possible that Alex, Brad and Jake think of quite inferior sound quality represented over there. However, it does not matter and actually adds some charm to the pot. Furthermore, their music is being a part of Rack And Ruin Records whose goal was to pick up home recorded music. The trio`s music is at times full-fledged to extend to the space, at times it is nervously brooding searching for backdoor to leave behind shortages in mind. At times provokingly primitive, at times showing up more sophisticated compositions through psychedelic progressions, artsy progressive rock-alike piano taps and even adding some field recorded sounds to the blend. There is even up one immersive jazz inclined composition called Para Jazz which now and then resembles Sun Ra, the huge mystic in the pop culture. One seems to be true – these guys probably have enjoyed their sessions altogether. Ultimately I could acknowledge that the issue used to grow up on me.

[Teaser of the day] The Shining Men - At Home

• Ambient techno
• Industrial techno
• Leftfield
• Ambient noise
• Avant-techno
• Experimental techno

Artist: The Shining Men

Release: The Great Brain EP

Label: 17 Sons Records

Year: 2011

Alternative links:

Jamendo

A Century of Covers - Belle and Sebastian Tribute (2006)

The Breakfast Jumpers

/Cover, Twee pop, Indie pop, Jangle pop, Fuzz pop, Electro-indie, Conceptual, Alternative pop, Indie folk, Punk rock, Alt-folk/

Comment: indeed, it is a 20-track tribute album for Scottish combo Belle & Sebastian after their 10 years of activity and 7 long players. Given that it could be said it would be great honour for every band to have cult following over a relative short span of time. Stuart Murdoch led combo continued the tradition of The Smiths in a more folk inclined mode though the band`s another obvious influence is being legendary Arthur Lee and his combo Love from the 60s/70s. However, there are up such combos to do not give a damn – The Sad Snowman, Perturbazione, Austin Lace, BillieThe Vision &The Dancers, Canadians, Hell On Wheels, Mixtapes & Cellmates, John Wayne Shoot Me, Mr.60, Tokyo Overtones, Prague, Tom Willman, The Niro, Tall Poppies, Le Man Avec Lunettes, Kawaii, Against Lupa feat. The Buzz, Spring Sale!, and Bob Corn. Beyond the predominant light-hearted twee and jangle pop and folk blended layer there are up some exceptions either – for instance, Spring Sale!`s Get Me Away From Here, I`m Dying is a hirsute punk/pub rock version and Perturbazione do cover in Italian; Mixtapes & Cellmates` provides a spellbinding fuzz/noise pop version of Photo Jenny; John Wayne Shoot Me`s version of Waiting For The Moon To Rise makes up a journey due to a beguiling synth vamp, melody dodges and sensual female voice. The cover print also brings forth the dynamics being overwhelming on the miscellany. In a nutshell, it is a solid tribute issue to an eminent combo. Let`s swallow it. 

[Teaser of the day] Brandon Strader - Sweet Wet Nectar

• Mood music
• Electronic pop
• Smooth fusion
• Easy listening
• Synth fusion

Artist: Brandon Strader

Release: The Wettening

Label: Self-released

Year: 2012

Cemetery Cemetery – Cemetery Cemetery

Lastfm

/Fuzz pop, Indie pop, Jangle pop, Dream pop, Shoegaze, Lo-fi, Alternative pop/

Comment: the first experience of mine with Santa Barbara, California, US-based quartet was being at the end of the 00s while I was avidly discovering the netaudio-based music (mostly at lastfm and later through Archive.org). Probably I came into contact with them thanks to the Borrowdeer Records related compilation which involves many artists representing diverse attitudes and persuasions (mostly alternative folk, free folk and electronic/indie fuelled starting points). The collective has been active in the first half of the 00s and this short-running, 7-tracks issue was issued in the meantime then (I was not able to find out the exact year of it). However, musically it is a charming chapter due to Tim Meyer`s soft vocal delivery and jangly guitar chords with DIY attitude which quite much resemble the aesthetics and opinions of artists related to Slumberland Records, an imprint from the same state, for instance. The release embraces catchy songs (for instance, I`ll See Your Key where Tim Meyer`s dreamy vocal is backed up by slightly murky keyboard chords and uplifting refrain; Thousands And Thousands involves many fab dodges and twists on the harmony and melody level due to sparkly guitar work, Meyer`s daydreamy vocal flow and slight keyboard vamp). Thanks to the issue I can rediscover myself to be an ardent classic indie pop fan. Ina word, it is a great and rare issue indeed.

[Teaser of the day] Summer of Haze - GHΩS† ΩF DΩLPHIN

Lastfm

• Vaporwave
• Hypnagogic pop
• Leftfield pop
• Sampledelic
• Avant-pop
• Seapunk
• Electronic 
• Glo-fi

Artist: Summer of Haze

Release: Ω†Р∆ЖΣНИΣ З∆К∆†∆ 8 ΩКН∆Х СƱПΣРМ∆РКΣ†∆

Label: Oddot

Year: 2013

Alternative links:

Archive.org

Bandcamp

Far from Moscow – Forest (2011)

Far from Moscow

/Experimental electronica, Abstract electronica, Dream pop, Folk, Glitchtronica, World music, Ambient, Indie rock, Alternative pop/

Comment: the forest is being a holy place for northwestern nations of Slavic and Finnish origin in Europe, being a place wherefrom to get power, food and mind related inspiration to live off to the next day. Furthermore, the forest is being a cathedral in a direct and indirect sense, a source which is necessary to arrive at it again and again. By listening to this issue of 19 pieces you can hear stylistically diverse opuses and approaches, however, being more or less directly related to the woods. Many tracks on it are directly rooted with folk music though representing their music in innovative terms and arrangements. The artists might even be inspired to create the forest on their own terms rather than just providing reflections upon the real forest though this could be a rewarding task either. In any cases, the listener can discern sort of a parochial feeling being characteristic to the aforementioned area. I do not mind it in an insinuating way because the borders are necessary to give the phenomenon the shape and essence, sort of existential premiss. There are up a swarm of artists from Belarus, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. More profoundly, Spice Mouse, Antanas Jasenka, DakhaBrakha, Propala Gramota, Viljandi Guitar Trio, Arturas Bumsteinas, Port Mone, Imandra Lake, Andrey Kiritchenko and Ojra, Mari Kalkun, R&R Electronics, Pastacas, Astrowind, Talupoeg, Audio Z (T. Bajarkevičius), Argo Vals, Antanas Kučinskas, Ocheretyanyi Kit, and Iduvigik. 

[Teaser of the day] CementO - Near Infinity

Wavelike

• Free tekno
• Acid techno
• Industrial techno
• Leftfield

Artist: CementO

Release: No Man`s Land 

Label: Wavelike

Year: 2014

Alternative links:

Archive.org

Lastfm

Natural Snow Buildings - The Night Country (2014)

Vulpiano

Vulpiano

Mediafire

/Drone folk, Avant-folk, Chamber folk, New Weird France, Ambient folk, Space folk, Free folk, Dream folk, Post-folk, Experimental folk, Baroque folk, Leftfield, Epic/

Comment: depending on my mood I would call the French duo Natural Snow Buildings the best recent group worldwide in several times. No joke. Indeed, Mehdi Ameziane and Solange Gularte have been solidifying their inner and outer space experience on approximately 20 issues since the beginning of the 00s. Their music is actually much bigger than a sum of its components, however, creating the fabulous vamp over the listener`s ears on The Night Country. Although there are up 80 minutes to go it does not sound worn and boring at all throughout the course. In fact, the issue is craftily balanced due to representing spaced-out glimpses juxtaposed next to woolgathering and idyllic explorations (for instance, Eli`s Song, Season of the Slasher). Furthermore, it is quite pointless to categorize the moments of pure beauty and transcendental bridging from one galaxy to another. If you are feeling yourself a little bit lonely and depressed in the apartment in a town then this 11-track gives wings to you to fly outwards and farther until the spot of you is going to fade away. By denoting the duo`s sound by tags above I shall have to admit it is quite ill-suited to call this sound “weird folk” because such sort of soundscape seems to be thoroughly immanent, natural and full-fledged. However, by doing it nevertheless I assume you do know why I did it and what I meant. Given that a drawn-out talk is a shitty case and to end it I just say grab this divine issue and let`s immerse in a fragment of music of the spheres.

[Teaser of the day] Burial In The Sky - Serpent Of Monotony

Torn Flesh

• Death metal
• Technical metal
• Math metal
• Grindcore
• Progressive metal
• Art metal

Artist: Burial In The Sky

Release: The Psychosis EP

Label: Torn Flesh

Year: 2013

Alternative links:

Bandcamp

Soundcloud

Spiedkiks - Take Off Your Make Up (2013)

Rec72

FMA

/Funk, Hip-hop, Urban music, Electronic pop, Tech-house, Drum and bass, Remix, Big beat, Alternative dance, Sampledelic, Alternative pop/

Comment: Spiedkiks is a German duo whose influences seem to extend beyond their native krautrock tradition which is also represented on this 7-track issue though in a lesser extent. In the opening track Ear Conflict On Main Street the listener could recognize Kraftwerk-ian slightly buried vocalizations stranded in the midst of a funky mayhem (by its accents and timbre resembling Computer World in the first place). By going on, lots of rhythms of slightly different kind would be added to the melting pot by getting inspiration from the vocal-based plunderphonic aesthetic and 80s/90s acid techno and big beat and hip-hop spawned energy. The mix is spiced up with upbeat guitar hooks and hirsute riffs. The duo has set up their pace very firmly to arouse sentiments under your hat and activating the listener`s dance inclined synapses at your extremities. There is also a fabulously spacey tech-house remix by Dominik Berlin. The finishing track Kitchen Suite is a frantic, 13-minute long blend for the afterparty including more calmed down, classical music sections and cinematic funk explorations being juxtaposed next to acidic robot funk, enthrallingly nervous hip-hop scratches and drum and bass/jungle based rhythmic obsessions. Eventually it can be said it is time to pick up this issue and the follow-up Little Smartphone People to your music drawer. It is definitely worth any of its moments. 

[Teaser of the day] Roger McGuinn - St. Clair`s Defeat

Free Music Archive

• Folk
• Americana
• Cover
• Singer-songwriter

Artist: Roger McGuinn

Release: Folk Den Project

Label: Folk Den Project

Year: 2009 

Irish – Destructions LP (2007)

Jamendo

Negative Artwork & Sounds 

/Experimental electronica, Lo-fi, Synth industrial, Breakcore, Drone, Avant-garde, DIY, Drum and bass, Leftfield, Psychedelic/

Comment: I wrote about Kengo Miyazaki aka Irish`s previous issue, called Manufactures (2006, MinusN) for almost four months ago. Similarly to Manufactures Miyazaki continues to explore electronic borders and churn electronic dark matter by positing electronic rhythms next to synthesiser induced whiffs, though, both of these compartments are being warped in a way to create psychedelic sensations and kind of whirling feel. All of that is subject to many stylistic turns and phase and pitch shifts. I cannot understand is he doing it tongue-in-cheek or having serious attitude. Throughout the course inferior lo-fi sounds are running alongside with “serious” industrial drones and even epic progressions (the last one third is truly bewitching of the ending track Welcome Home (Hulot)). For instance, listen to Broken Smile and just trying to understand it – is it jungle/drum and bass music or not at all? If it is the fact then in which way it used to relate to other drum and bass/jungle artists? Miyazaki as a sonic hooligan used to destroy gravitational mass around the listener to free him/her to get ascended and veered away. However, the geniuses are not objects to be judged. Holy shit as you have already understood.

[Teaser of the day] Quonset Slut - Fuck Backwards

Distance

• Ambient rock
• Dark ambient
• Doom rock
• Soundscape
• Stargaze
• Post-rock
• Minimalism
• Guitar ambient
• Avant-rock
• Experimental rock

Artist: Quonset Slut

Release: Quonset Slut

Label: Distance Recordings

Year: 2011

Milky Way Wishes: A Kirby Super Star Tribute (2013)

Ocremix

/Chiptune, 8-bit, Chipbreak, Brass pop, Crossover, Urban music, Alternative pop, Poptronica, Tracker music, Metal, Conceptual, Nintendocore, Electronic pop/

Comment: Ocremix.org is a site for music activists and artists who are being enthusiastic for searching and creating with regard to the videogame music. This time a bunch of artists who have created 23 compositions are being keen to pay tribute to such men as Dan Miyakawa, and Jun Ishikawa who created a game called “Kirby Super Star”. However, do not make adverse opinions about the issue because that hint does not mean this tremendous mixed bag involves 8-bit/chiptune/chipbreak progressions only. There are also up enthralling guitar driven and orchestrated (with or without brass sections) opuses with obviously different sound quality rates. For instance, Sixto Sounds exploits punchy metal drums, powerful guitar riffs and overwhelming orchestrations with a hint at mariachi music. PrototypeRaptor reveals his preferences in the vein of hip-hop, soul, and R`n`B music, of course, set out in his own terms. By going on, gentle melodies and light-hearted, volatile motives are also represented over there to spawn good sentiments and touching sensations for you. In fact, the release is a tickling quest for the listener to rediscover new undercurrents, sonic plateaus and highlands and densely crossed styles being still possible to be dug out from some compartments of pop music. There are represented such musicians as halc, Insert Rupee, Geoffrey Taucer, Usa; PROTO-DOME, Ergosonic, Sir NutS, Brandon Strader, Hylian Lemon, Mazedude, Benjamin Briggs, OverCoat, Monobrow, OverCoat, Sixto SoundsPrototypeRaptor, The OverClocked Plaid Muffins. Few tracks are composed in collaboration between some of the aforementioned artists. In a nutshell, let`s listen to this smorgasbord of two discs and find out your cup of tea.

[Teaser of the day] Alexandre Bilodeau - ÃÃÃÃEnergy (Paul Keeley Remix)

Epsilonlab

• Tech-house
• Electro-house
• Hi-NRG
• Remix
• Electronic dance music

Artist: Alexandre Bilodeau

Release: Energy

Label: Epsilonlab

Year: 2005