三毛猫ホームレス - KANEKURE EP (2011)

Maltine

8.0

/Shibuya-kei, Funk fusion, Indie pop, J-pop, Easy listening, Electronic pop/

Comment: A 3-track issue filled in with a mix of dance music and indie attitude of Japanese heritage. There can be detected for shibuya-kei-esque synergy, unwieldy yet catchy synthesized progressions, heavily stomping cadences, funk-y fusions, and easy listening visions. First of all thought for enjoying rather than dancing on the dancefloor.

Meeting Of Important People - Quit Music (2011)

Authentik Artists
Bandcamp

7.0

/Alternative pop/rock, Indie, Grunge/

Comment: Although this Pittsburgh-based trio is considered a representative of the garage rock movement, the last issue reflects only some weak flashes toward it. And the conception of the issue (10 tracks within 29 minutes) are up here to afford a somewhat hazy hint at it. Some loud yet varnished guitar riffs do not allow an exit over to this promised area. In any cases, way too ordinary and bombastic indie pop strums with one explorative trip to the compartment of grunge explosion. At times it seems to be a kind of patchwork made out of the minutiae of The Darkness and Keane respectively. All in all, lacking enough charisma and spark except the ending track Country Wife which does have more treated and planned structure.

Sabrepulse - Wanting

Coolrunnings - Dracula Is Only The Beginning (2011)

Dracula Horse
Bandcamp

8.2

/Psychedelia, Avant-pop, Experimental indie, Poptronica, Alternative pop, Glo-fi, Art-rock/

Comment: Knoxvillian quartet Coolrunnings is back after the great EP Babies Forever which was one of the peak albums in 2010. In fact, it can be considered the group`s first proper LP. In principle, they continue keeping on their current aesthetical tradition offering strong drifts toward Animal Collective-esque exulting psychedelia and Arcade Fire-like straightness in songwriting. This time their songwriting is way too restrainted and less shimmering, though, proffering some really great moments either (Megalomania; Burnout).

Apskaft Presents: 21st Century Schizoid Men (2011)

Bandcamp

8.0

/Avant-garde, Covers, Conceptual, Experimental rock, DIY, Progressive, Experimentalism, RIO, Avant-prog, Experimental electronica/

Comment: Apskaft is used to be a platform for DIY musicians basically with clear-out vanguard-ish orientation. The collective has mainly publicized compilations. At times these miscellanies do have a reference toward some artists or songs. However, the recent compilation relies on King Crimson`s 21st Century Schizoid Man, offering 1o diverse versions on it, veering from frenzied RIO to noise-inflected lo-fi electronics and from reggae sounds to chaotic (near-) dance experiments.

Francois Bonne - Drek da'han le fou (2011)

Jamendo

8.6

/Soundtrack, Orchestrated music, Electronic pop, Mood music/

Comment: The main strain of Francois Bonne`s 4-track issue consists of fairy-tale-alike symphonies, intriguingly syntesized soundtracks, all of which is played up with huge impetus thereby particles in the sublevels will be changed very fast in any cases. Like a film score workout for a kind of plenty with pace, however, it is made out of lots of key changes and mood progressions. Indeed, it is art-y and at times even dizziness-induced. Masterful.

Naomu - Amanita (2011)

Totokoko

8.8

/Folktronica, Primitive pop, Weird folk, Acousmatic, Avant-folk, Minimal, New Weird Japan, Experimentalism, Weird pop, Toytronica/

Comment: This semi-detached album under the Japanese label totokokolabel resembles of the first releases by CocoRosie - it is female voice-lead, deliberately primitivistic, swaying between the ancient eras and recent recording technologies. Beatific and weird and a little bit schizoid acousmatic pop. But satisfyingly relaxing in its naive and restrainted prosperity in any cases.