[Old but important] Delta Waves Under Clouds Over Ground (Earth Monkey Productions)

In the 90`s Burnt Hair Records was cited as one of the most eminent labels in the Michigan-area and the main locomotive kind of to have pushed forward an experimental blend of spaced-out/ambient and drone rock sound along the Detroit underground scene. Indeed, they made out some influences for the future days of experimental rock. For instance, the clients of Larry Hoffman`s label were Windy & Carl, Auburn Lull, and Mahogany among others. The imprint finished off its existence with Delta Waves` release the DELTA WAVES dream in real time (2002). By embarked on in the mid of 90`s Delta Waves is being a band dictated by Greg Naumann, having seen lots changes of line-ups around him. Notwithstanding having been recruited later by other labels (Supple; Clairecords etc) as well Delta Waves seems to be genuinely related to Burnt Hair Records by its ideological perspective and fluctuations, though.

Under Clouds Over Ground, one of my all-time favorite dream pop/shoegaze issues, consists of 4 tracks released under the Earth Monkey Productions in 2005. The then-time line-up by Naumann, Anton Abramov, Ryan Anderson, and Jason Taylor did play up a lot of mesmerizing moments-monumentums, reminiscent by their darkwave-shoegaze crosslined approach of the likes of Lycia (at times Naumann`s murmuring vocal manner has got managed to approximate pretty close to Mike Van Portfleet`s fluids, the second time to circle around Neil Halstead`s emotive timbre). In any cases, this is not an example of such a band at all having somehow imitated the celebrities of the genre, instead diving into vague yet vastly exciting minutiae of sonic alchemy, being touched by minimalism, ambient, hypnotic, hiss-drenched drone, darkwave, shoegaze. All in all, it is used to be a dream-filled transcendence. Let`s repeat it once again just concerning on those otherworldly orchestrations and your heart will be lost for sure.

Listen to it here

Pinkle House Plants (Aaahh)

Let`s still continue with some handsome sounds from Chicago (the previous time was dedicated to the (post-)psychedelic experimentalism-drenched ensemble Crouching_World) this time it is focused upon the singer-songwriter Bryn Martin aka Pinkle`s follow-up to the Invertible (2009, self-released/Jamendo) and shitloads of albums previously released on Jamendo. Beside it he is used to upload and show up his works in progress and a bunch of completed songs on his home page.

By studying himself in Lausanne, Switzerland, Europe the 13-track album House Plants is released under the German-based label Aaahh Records, obviously not incidentally though, as Martin`s music is getting really close to the mid-European indietronic/folktronic tradition. The restraint acoustic guitar/ukulele loops are mingled together with his soulful, half-filtered vocals and mostly sublime electronica (using legendary electric/electronic keyboards like the Mini Moog synth and the Farfisa organ among the vast array of acoustic instruments), sometimes letting come forth some abrupt sonority as well, by this way, reminding of Beck (Alibi). In general, it can be resumed up to be more album-oriented music.

In conclusion, by supposing him as a kind of simple (not simplistic at all, though) and gentle musician as a person on his own, in any cases, his music is really worth to get a try to letting you to be thrown away from disturbingly surrounding accidental noise over to the middle of grass and flowers.

Listen to it here

8.9

[Artists] Wyrm

Wyrm/Bandcamp
Lastfm

[Old but important] e.p hall the edge the middle (CLLCT)

e.p hall has been one of the queens on the Bloomington-based CLLCT alongside with iron like nylon (Meghan Lamb) and Shelby Sifers. By avoiding to be a target by possible feminist attacks, however, I don`t feel myself internally hindered for to get name her as one the excellencers on the New Weird America scene as well. Moreover, she has been active since the first half of 00`s (the first demo was recorded in 2003), relatively long before the starting point of CLLCT. Listening to her home recorded 6-track album (2006) again after a while, after being on a year-long interval away from it I shall have to admit her conception works previously very good out. She is a musician who loves driving on acoustic guitars, mingling its mellow chords together with emotive, sometimes dream-alike voice and some synth currents and gurgling electronics. Indeed, at times e.p hall is used to be changed herself into an acutely flaming fur by putting acoustic guitars down or throwing them to the background and letting machine-inflected and electricity-filled sounds overlap and conquer the record`s backbone. For instance, That Letters and Numbers make is an epic maelstrom having lots of turnings up and down, getting quite close to the noise/shoegaze ensembles at times. A classic touch indeed.

Listen to it here

Crouching_World Wasted Time (Bandcamp)

A Chicagoean quartet consisting of Jober, SNuffy, Paragus, Sabez, Kevin K, is ready to give out a follow-up (of 3 tracks) to their great debut issue Passed Out, which offered a refreshing touch to a kind of open-ended experimental music compiled of the burden of drone, noise, psychedelic, electro/psychoacoustic lines, effect-loaded voice and electronics (reminding of the early, academical music-based sonic experiments), altogether having brought forth a resonating, DIY-soaked blast. Surely the kind of overtly psychedelic, lo-fi-esque approach has always been pointed out in a fine way. This is an example by the post-psychedelic electronica-relied tradition, indeed. By beavering away on KORG Electribe MX, KORG microKORG, Manipulated Thumb Drum, MacBook, Guitar, mad pedals, microphone + vox, however, the sophomore release continues partly with the similar desires, on the other side, in the title named track its sound seems to be more clear, even blissful, channelized into a gazing, even trance rock-ish spot. Yet, such sorts of tendencies will be abandoned at Killing Time Pt. 2 which is played out with a more improvisatory outlook, fringed by abrasive, even nihilistic synth pulsatings and rough blasts. This album is obligatory for everyone who is involved in cutting edge-touched, improvisational music.

Listen to it here

9.2

Power und Beauty The Gnome EP (Peppermill)

Behind the Spokane-based, Washington, US-quartet Power und Beauty are four women (Anna Collins-Wakeman, Sarah Moyer, Karli Fairbanks, and Caroline Fowler) playing up an interesting, New Weird America-esque folk conception on 4 tracks by using more or less conventional musical instruments (a battery sustained second hand keyboard, tambourine, vegetable steamer(!), glockenspiel, accordion, guitars, tambourine, shakers), yet basically being actualized via at times magnificently glee vocal harmonies, conjuring sublime overtones as well, for instance at Author Of The Spring, the strongest notch on the issue, accompanied only by some sparse guitar fingerpickings. The opening track Beggars and Felons, on the other side, is a whimsical, accordion-backboned groove outlook, and the following one, Lavender, is a light run of fast-paced progression on the accordion, having made out the impression with the help of barely heardable yet affectively touching shaker shuffle on the backdrop. Peaches is a (more) synth-chorded, half-droned folk occurence. A fine workout indeed.

Listen to it here

8.7

[Artists] Fatal Injection

BPM Front
Space-Time Continuum/Altered Existence
Lastfm