Carmelo Amenta - L'erba Cattiva (2010)

Barbie Noja

Lastfm

8.7

/Progressive rock, Art rock, Glam pop, Alternative pop/rock, Pomp pop, Crossover/

Comment: Carmelo Amenta is a quintet from Italy taking on an idiosyncratic, spectacular patchwork of sensitive art rock, high-flying glam pop, progressive rock-tinged gliding, and some unexpected jazz and tango standards in-between. It may seem a little bit weird but it is soothing and propulsive simultaneously, at times it is longing, at times highly cheerful. This 10-piece track is released on an Italian cult label, Barbie Noja (this is a home for Barbagallo, Les Dix-Huit Secondes, The Last Merendina and many other quaint projects mostly coming out of Sicily). By the way, all the songs are sung in Italian.

Convex Mancave - Atomic Blonde In E (2011)

Tavern Eightieth
Bandcamp
Lastfm

9.1

/Guitar ambient, Post-rock, Space rock, Epic, Ambient noise, Minimalism, Avant-garde, Experimentalism/

Comment: this album (actually just one track turning off at the length of 21 minutes) provides at the first sight brutal kind of noise-infiltrated, dirty ambient or, on the other hand, a spatial yet bristled post-rock outlet (as you wish it to be categorized for). Behind those deliberately hiss-laden layers you can hear microscopic yet impressive changes in harmonies, almost invisible shades of melodies (indeed, at a time your imagination starts to work). In a word, the release is about permanent pulsations, ghastly phases and their modulations. Convex Mancave is the collaboration act of Matthew Collings, Chris Tenz, and Greyhound Out Of Mainline.

Dreamphish - Midnight Comes Around

The Gifted Children - Christmas 2011 (2011)

The Gifted Children

9.2

/Indie rock, Psychedelia, Alternative pop/rock, Noise rock, Experimental indie, Conceptual/

Comment: it might be I am being a little bit late with this set of 14 songs because the Christmas time is already over (though, for the members of the Russian Orthodox Church it is up to begin soon after the next week). Indeed, you can not be wrong - indie meets the Christmas songs produced by a prolific US-based indie rock combo who has been active since the mid of 90`s and produced approximately 1300 ditties. However, the miscellany hides within itself a handful of enthralling, poignant gems, however, extending from whimsical electronic developments and suggestive psychedelia to monumental noise rock and even medieval-tinged folk indie. May it be these songs will be widely accepted in 2050, for instance? Or sooner?

Delmore fx - No Ideas (2011)

FMA

8.6

/Avant-garde, Freak folk, Weird folk, DIY, Improvised music, Lo-fi, Experimentalism, New Weird America/

Comment: these 7 short-running tracks used to take ona kind of improvised music made up of miniature folk-alike twangs and some drum forays. Yet, its intention seems to be a little bit more to be classified as a part of the New Weird America scene only. Its pop direction is heavily covered up with a sort of shamanic experimental crust. You can draw parallels upon Thuoom, Pilesar, and Gang Gang Dance (it chimes like a little brother of this famous yet off-kilter combo). Altogether, let`s call it just bedroom tribalism.

Lizard Kisses - Slow Bones

lack of Eoins - Sudden Death Mode (2012)

Seksound

9.4

/Indie rock, Remixes, Dream pop, Glo-fi, Art pop, Shoegazetronica, Electronic pop, Alternative rock, Doomgaze/

Comment: the Estonian leading indie (rock) label Seksound has issued the new single Sudden Death Mode by lack of Eoins, a Viljandi-based alternative rock trio. The single is a solid example of how arty, riff-charged guitar drive meets subtle synth brass sections as if the synth progression were borrowed from a track of Dreamphish, a label-related Estonian indie juggernaut (the latter element will be brought out in remixes either). Additionally, the one is accompanied by the set of 3 remixes by Tallinn Daggers, Wolfredt, and Imandra Lake - indeed, apiece of them is successfully accomplished, however, extending from acidic, bubblegum-ish riding and beatific shoegaze looming to gloomy blend of doom folk/rock, shoegaze and dream pop, respectively. The favorite of mine is Wolfredt`s version because of strongly reminding of all those old indie glimpses and bits coming out of the memories of the 90`s. Essentially nostalgic. In a nutshell, the single is a very felicitous choice to start out a new year.