Glass Fingers - Stranger EP (2011)

Bandcamp

8.9

/Post-punk, Avant-pop, Electronic pop, Crossover, DIY, Experimental indie, Glo-fi, Lo-fi, Dark pop, Alternative, Remixes/

Comment: Portland-based Jesse Gertz`s Stranger EP consists of six tracks, more detailly, half of them are remixes of the songs by The Microphones, The Milkman`s Union, and Huak. In general, the issue drifts between a majestic yet psychotic concept (a la Jason Pierce-esque incantations) and posh glo-fi gleaming and bubblegum-ish post-punk thump and breakbeat-backed electronic music. All of that is subject to the algorithms of lo-fi/DIY culture. In a nutshell, all is nicely produced and designed indeed.

Tree No Leaves - Java Rave (2011)

Bandcamp

9.0

/Art pop, Experimental rock, Cabaret pop, Post-rock, Dance rock, Psychedelic rock/

Comment: Actually Sigmund Freud was not right principially when he suggested that the human being is permanently forced to abandon the enjoyment for the overall socializing sake. Furthermore, delegating some of his/her rights to the rest makes no sense if he/she gets compensated instead of it with potent aesthetical pleasures from the other side. Subsequently this is the essential point of human being`s interactions, yet, observed from the tilted point of view then. The US-based collective Tree No Leaves is a representative of highly crafty music power, where can be seen lots of tensions channelized and elaborated right and left. It is highly enjoyable in the form of hysterical vocal manners, velvety cabaret-like appearances, at times, ascending into the frenzied grooves of exuberant post-rock, off-the-kilter forms of dance grooves, and bedecked art pop. In fact, the album rings out more convincing than its possible inspiration sources (the likes of Arcade Fire, and PJ Harvey) nowadays, for instance. The songs were recorded live at Java Rave in Tiffin, Ohio.

Nemo Asakura - the older ep (2011)

Mayoware

9.3

/Alt-folk, Indie folk, Folk indie, Folk pop, Folktronica, Chamber folk, Art pop/

Comment: this is a little yet very promising content from Japan and under a Japanese label, called Mayoware. All those 4 tracks, sung in English, function to head off into laid-back folk pop-ish soundscapes where, more detailly, can be seen a sublime communication between trilling fingerpicked/guitar arpeggios and epic orchestrations in the background. Furthermore, at times some snippets of rhythm and other patterns are electronic-veiled. However, this is an example of how it is possible to create glorious, heartbreaking music with a little amount of instruments beneath it. Consequently, in the first place, all the sonic layers must be accentuated with a strong quantity of spirituality as similarly as made out by velvety-voiced Nemo Asakura.

Super Random Knowledge Porridge - Satan And His Army

Junior - Algo Respira Por Mi (2010)

Blackfish Discos

8.5

/Alternative rock, Noise rock, Fuzz rock, Shoegaze/

Comment: Indeed, this Buenos Aires, Argentina-based project is not bad at all. You will be washed out by a straightforward, highly energized alternative rock a la Dinosaur Jr which one time evolves into a mesmerizing reverb-laden noise/shoegaze outburst (Hora Feliz). Ultimatively, do Alfred, Gabriel, and Oskar rock your socks off (what a clichè!)?

NightWake - Relation (2007)

Deadknife

8.5

/Crossover, Cut and paste, Drum and bass, Post-Metal, Chipmetal, Samplecore, Sound collage/

Comment: it happened approximately two weeks ago when I reviewed Burning Of Eterna City`s weird metal/grindcore/nintendocore/eurobeat album And Onward They March With Broken Legs. Actually Nightwake`s 14-pieced album speaks out in similar way consisting of diverse stylistic borders for which the sort of central narrative is quite problematic to define (is it either keen to samplecore project or off-the-wall metal album?). However, it is provocative enough in its manifestos and on the other side showcasing itself as a recherche patchwork compiled of spoken word interludes, sublime guitar fingerpicking, brutal metal outbursts, different kinds of breaks beneath it. My favorite one is Dark Goth which is an outstanding combination of chiptune and convincing metal sound. By the way, the total amount of money Nightwake spent for making this album was 4 bucks.

Youth Lagoon - July + Cannons (2011)

Bandcamp

8.8

/Dream pop, Experimental indie, Glo-fi, Lo-fi, Chillwave, Hypnagogic pop, Avant-pop, Post-pop, Electronic pop, Poptronica/

Comment: Trevor Powers aka Lagoon Youth is one of those nowadays wunderkinds who is chosen to inveigle us with the help of fabulous bows of melody and crafty touches of harmony. If you have previously experienced kind of dreamy, blissed-out collectives like Beach House, Memoryhouse, and Mathemagic you are ready yet what to expect for. More concretely, you do sweep along a trajectory where lo-fi meets glo-fi meets dream pop. While those two tracks do not speak about your life, instead writing up your (more or less) exact states of mind, it is really worth to listen to.