Fuck Her, or the Terrorists Win - Up The Ante

Yves Rakotomalala - Ce matin encore (1981/2010)

Free Music Archive
Golden Pavilion
Arachnid Records
Lastfm

7.8

/Folk, Singer-songwriter/

Comment: A set of 12 tracks sung in French and English were originally released in 1981, though later being some times re-issued (most lately at Golden Pavilion and Free Music Archive). Cute folk songs wherein one chord is soothingly followed by another, where acoustic sounds are mixed up with electric ones, indeed, having all premisses for some commercial success on the album which physical copies have apparently been very rateable in the circles of old folk music completists.

Venice - Animals, Stars & Other Psychedelic Creatures (2011)

Bad Panda
Lastfm

9.6

/Avant-garde, Avant-pop, No Wave, Post-rock, Post-psychedelic electronica, Electronic, Krautrock, Avant-rock, Experimental rock, Psychedelic/

Comment: The Rome-based Venice`s album kicks off as a kind of vanguard-ish tribal sound (Faust`s proto-industrial hypnotism) which step by step is getting evolve into...ehh...vanguard-ish tribal sound. A way too tautological, isn`t it? Indeed, but it so bloody cool. However, the second track makes some turns rightward (or is it leftward actually?), incorporating the elements from the vibraphone-centered post-rock a la the early Mice Parade and The Dylan Group and some full railing atmospheric layers of Kosmische Musik. It is almost undescribable how soft and subtle it used to be chiming throughout the course. The third track continues principially in the same vein, though, turning its focus more upon bouncy yet cutting edge paces, however, reminiscent of No Wave-drenched ones and besides it adding some treated guitar effects either. No doubt, a superb issue.

[aftersun] - Goodbye (2011)

Bandcamp

9.8

/Shoegaze, Post-punk, Goth rock, Psychedelic, Alternative rock, Space rock, Covers/

Comment: [aftersun] seems to be a combo from Brooklyn, New York which makes a mesmerizing sound loving heavily to loan from a mix of cosmic shoegaze, proto-shoegaze, and the British post-punk/gothic punk music. Indeed, this 2-track issue bases on atmospheric, astonishingly overdriving guitars, rigid bass undercurrents and the same way stomping drums. More detailly, it resembles of such bands as The Chameleons, Swervedriver, Moose, The Comsat Angels, and the French post-punk legend Asylum Party whose track Old Dreams Are Not Innocent is covered herein. An amazing trip.

Japanese Gum - Gonna look in the backroom

Plastic Whore - Elite Elbow Patch Collection (2011)

Plastic Whore
Lastfm

9.2

/Alternative rock, Post-punk, Experimental rock, Electro-rock, Crossover, Psych-rock, Doom/

Comment: Jarmo "Chopper" Nuutre has been active since the first half of 00`s in the Estonian (indie) music scene, i.e being the drummer in many groups. Obviously the most known is he used to be via as one half of doom/stoner/post-metal duo Talbot (having got appreciated outside the borders of Estonia as well), also being recently a member of the dream pop/shoegaze combo Jean Dean. However, Plastic Whore is his solo project, and Elite Elbow Patch Collection is his most accomplished solo publication. In comparison with Talbot, indeed, it might be a little bit subdued enterprise, though, which does not mean it is the restraint project a jot. EEPC is full of (sometimes even) very diverse stylistic angles showcasing itself as a melting pot of alternative rock/post-punk/punk funk, primitive electronic music, doom-ish string waves, grandeur heavy guitar riffs, hardcore snippets, and much more else. First of all, my favorite track is Bogus Charlie which rushes out as a homage to the Fall, more concretely being filled in with a dialogue between synergical bass guitar crests and a nihilistically primitive drum section and those mumbling vocal effects and mere yet sufficient electronics. On the other side, the exertions on infused guitar layers and some funky bass developments do resemble Sonic Youth and Talking Heads, respectively. Indeed, regarding the Estonian scene it is another mesmerizing album after Mirabilia`s Sümpaatiline Õudus EP during this year so far.

The Peach Tree - Children of Cain, Night-Loving Creatures, Prepare Thyselves for 2012 (2011)

Tribal Dancing Kid
Bandcamp
Lastfm

8.6

/Dark folk, Synth noir, Neofolk, Singer-songwriter, Apocalyptic folk, Dark wave, Heavy metal, Electronic, Experimental, Conceptual/

Comment: The Australian Angus Maiden is a busy man, who used to be running the label Tribal Dancing Kid and who has released a bunch of albums under the pseudonym Peach Tree. The recent album is inspired by 21st December 2012 and the Mayan Prophecies. However, through those 11 tracks are represented the dominating dark folk-ish line (those lavish guitar strums), spacious synth noir overthrows, teeth gnashing heavy rock-ish guitar riffs, naive-shiny stompings or primitive burblings, and sweaty chopped-up chords-breakbeats. By the vocal characteristics Maiden does add either dark-tinged manners or high-tempered oppression. An intriguing concept, interesting sounds, and indeed - no sense to be denied- quite rational expectations/conceivable scenarios against this fucked-up world/simulacrum. So let`s see will the whole be restarted or not.