Jay Bennett Kicking at the Perfumed Air (Rock Proper)

Jay Walter Bennett (1963-2009) was first of all known as a keyboard player in the line-up of Wilco during the years 1994-2001. He was dropped out from the band after the artistic-relied disagreements with the frontman Jeff Tweedy, and Jim O`Rourke who was being invited for producing and mixing Wilco`s fourth (and legendary) album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot finally issued in 2002. Thereafter Bennett released 6 solo albums reflecting upon his personal failures (department from the band, divorce) and disturbed touch because of having been sustained on painkillers (lacking the money for hip replacement surgery).

Vis à vis with his previous album Whatever Happened I Apologize (2007/2008), the 11-track brand new heavy Kicking at the Perfumed Air (mastered and recorded(?) 2007-2009) is more fulfilled with suggestive splendour, making it up through crafty variegated tunes, first off, offering energic and dynamic proceedings, on the other side, downdrifting into a melancholic alliance of sparse fingerpicked guitar and husky voice manner, or on the third side being brought forth via mid-tempo songs, based, as usual, upon alt-country/alt-folk tunes spiced up with lush organ blowups. Moreover, having managed to get in for a touch upon Bennett`s approach at the silence-noise and traditional/modern scale it does not make much difference in comparison with Wilco`s last issues in principle, having its experimental oasises in the middle of the American roots music-drenched desert. As Kicking at the Perfumed Air is filled with excellent tracks from the outset to this closure, it can proudly be admitted about the presence of the beautiful swan song by this great singer-songwriter.

Listen to it here

9.6

[Artists] Alexander Martovsky

Foundamental Network
Sgustok Net
Lastfm

[Old but important] Werewolves Dance Raincoat Dress (BNS Sessions)

I tried to analyze and find out for myself the main intention hidden behind the name of a US-based 5-piece ensemble, of course, in correlation with their multicoloured musical approach. It might be realized out that the title "Werewolf" is appropriate enough for reflecting upon the difference between the main core and lateral shreds of their musical conception, drifting between the mainstream and peripherical murky areas relied upon the nowadays and past experiences of (alternative) pop music. In a more concrete way, the 12-track album released at the end of 2009 does have a lot of references biased heavily toward the head-on psychedelic swayings of old school monsters (Vanilla Fudge; Manfred Mann, early Pink Floyd, ) and some later hypes (Kula Shaker), groovy drone-infused motorik rock a la Spacemen 3, Brian Jonestown Massacre and early Spiritualized, and Neu! as their precedessor, on the other way, their tie-up to the mainstream currents reminiscent at times of the likes of Franz Ferdinand, and Keane does build up a gleamy backbone based upon joyous guitar gears and distinct even manifesting/shouting vocal lines or hovering below the piano-based soulful soft-rock ideas. Last but not the least - I am really fascinated by the ending track House Of Anarchists which does satisfy my very need for Spiritualized and Bobby Gillespie`s apathetic fuck-off posture. All in all, Werewolves did play out via Dance Raincoat Dress a magnificient whole without any weak examples thereby being one of the most dynamic, completed rock releases you could find out from the the last years. As they have said at their home page that the only way to support revolution is to make your own.

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[Artists] Phaseone

Phaseone
Lefse Records
Myspace
Lastfm

Alex Winston The Basement Covers (Alex Winston)

Alex Winston is a young American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist with classically trained background having got much attention during last years performing with diverse range of artists at the different stages (Chuck Berry, Miranda Lambert, The Wreckers, Love Arcade, Electric Six, We Are The Fury, the Satin Peaches, Uncle Kracker, and more). Now he has released an 5-piece cover album, making out a refreshing coat for the chosen songs of Mumford & Sons, Teddy Bears, The Rolling Stones, Jack Penate, and Francis and the Lights. No doubt, her high-pitched timbre and artistical shuffling are up here to reveal her talented skills drifting ideologically very close to the New Weird America movement`s female figureheads like Joanna Newsom, the sisters Casady (CocoRosie), Danielle Stech-Homsy (Rio en Medio), Meg Baird (Espers; The Baird Sisters). As an ordinary characteristic regarding the NWA the soundscape is half-electronic, half-acoustic, conjuring innocently beatific even naivistic milieus via minimal-approved chord paintings. Indeed, enjoy it, it is really worth much attention to be paid for.

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9.5

[Artists] The Conet Project

Irdial
Archive.org
Lastfm

Cody England The Monotony Monopoly (Rack & Ruin)

First off, the description "Cody England from USA" met at the record site sounds very amusing way, isn`t? By this way, I can remember for that Dallas, the Estonian indie frontband by 90`s was also made fun of it the same way at times ("Dallas from Tallinn"). However, the Arkansas-based musician is described as "a part-time assistant librarian and a full time creative", which actually says much about his dedication to the creating process. He made his debut this year, having released two issues to date. The debut The Metal Band from Hamburger Land (an apparent reference to his previous employment) showcased his adoreness toward minimal songwriting approach with deeply lovelorn lyrics and taking on some bittersweet arrivings at memories. Yet, the conception of his opening album was a bit too fragile and loose, where the parts of it were set apart from each other, sounding sometimes as a set of the Christmas songs for the lo-fi crowd.

No doubt, the sophomore one is much better evolved into the impressive output, though, based upon the same instrumentation as the previous time. His music is played up with cheap yet magnificient effect-drenched Casio synths (I have at home an example of the first series, namely Casio Tonebank SA-1 bought for 300 EEK/ca 25 USD and being properly worked out during the last 10 years), and home organ GEM H-400 as well. His warm, dream-alike voice does make up lots of great resonances with mild organ drones and programmings on the slow-paced/middle-paced/fast-paced mode. Being sometimes serious, sometimes sad, and sometimes funny the only "weakness" is a fact the record is too short (5 tracks within circa 10 minutes). Searching for soul mates Cody England`s approach can be compared to the aesthetics of his home label Rack & Ruin the first place, though, which generalized sonority has lots of common roots with the bedroom music pioneering by The Russian Futurists and keyboard-drones-based-austereness-drowned-into-harmonies of Beach House as well. A strong workout, indeed.

Listen to it here

9.1