Alpha Couple - WHNZ:27:NJNYC (2011)

We Have No Zen
FMA

9.3

/New Weird Canada,Psych-folk, Crossover, Avant-folk, Psycho-acoustic, Acousmatics, Improvised music, Sound art, Free folk, Experimentalism, Non music/
Comment: it is thoroughly problematic to classify this 4-track issue because of having at least two or even more strong intentions and axes within it. At first, it can be handled as an instance of acousmatic explorations which used to comprise the elements of musique concrète, improvised music, radio station-ragged samples and noise, and of course, radical yet striking folk/psych-folk/dream folk contents. By its folk-ish side it is essentially restraint resembling of Charalambides, for instance. However, all these parts are expressed in equal extent. Despite this radical content the publication seems to be a domesticable one after many listening times. Thanks to its open-ended approach and borders it offers the listener possibility for further imagination.

[Teaser of the day] The Kyoto Connection - H.E.A.T

Karibean - ePop019 (2011)

Eardrums Pop
Bandcamp
Lastfm

9.5

/Alternative pop, Jangle pop, Surf pop, Twee pop, Indie pop, Experimental indie/

Comment: there are 6 tracks spreaded out over 18 minutes. The issue starts off with a tropical pop tuned Christmas song (Xmas Vibrations) (and will be ended up in the same mood - Down Before Christmas). This track and the rest ones on the album include easy, suggestive melodies and harmonies so characteristic to the 80`s twee pop, jangle pop/C 86 scenes (early Primal Scream, The Housemartins, McCarthy, The Primitives etc) which in turn was partially influenced by Beach Boys and other Californian surf pop and sunshine pop groups´ sonorous chirps. Despite of the influences this Ancona, Italian-based trio is a clear-cut entity with its strengths and...more strengths on its own. Because of outreaching the borders of different eras with playful lightness at any moments and including the pieces being essentially strong, in a word, the release can be considered one of the best issues on Eardrums Pop so far.

LAKE R▲DIO - Every Little THING

Coke Weed - Volume One (2011)

Coke Weed

9.3

/Alt-folk, Americana, Experimental indie, Indie folk, Art rock, Alternative pop/rock, Indie rock, Folk indie, Alt-country/

Comment: Coke Weed is a quartet from Bar Harbor, USA delivering a set of 10 tracks which is self-released by the musical group itself. However, the notches are filled in with folk/indie pop tunes being very strongly influenced by so-called saccharine underground/cowboy psychedelia genre introduced once by Lee Hazlewood. Furthermore, similarly to the legendary musician, CW like to diversify their soundscape with female and male (baritone) mixed vocals backed up with chiming magic dust and chirpy guitar strums. For instance, listen to Sea Smoke, or Dandy, or nevermind, something else and you can get a clear-cut idea of how root-related music can be interpreted in modern way without losing the initial power and adding to it lots of new features.

Romantic States - Come Over To My House (rare bootleg) (2012)

Bandcamp
Mediafire

8.7

/Glo-fi, Alternative pop, Noise rock, Garage rock, Fuzz rock, Primitive, DIY, Lo-fi/

Comment: it is a rare, 11-track recording by Romantic States, a Baltimore-based glo-rock duo. Jim plays a guitar, synth and sings, and Ilena delivers percussion. More profoundly, the washes of rough guitar riffs are variegated with catchy synth gears and unpolished background hums and susurrant bits and rusty drum sequences. All of that is rehearsed and recorded in the duo`s upstairs room. Though the issue is an interesting listening, however, I recommend listen to Romantic States´ full-length albums in the first place.

[Teaser of the day] Elite Gymnastics – Real Friends