Raindeer - Moonstruck EP (2011)

Bandcamp

9.3

/Poptronica, Experimental indie, Disco pop, DIY, Electronic pop, Synth wave, Electro pop, Glo-fi/

Comment: firstly, the coverprint is fabulous, incorporating nowadays and vintage tendencies, glamour and old-fashioned signs. Indeed, similarly to the sleeve this 6-piece issue showcases its borderless playfulness - all those highly effusive, at times retrodelic synth riffs and bubbling synth vibes are embellished with fragile yet somehow whimsical vocal lines and gliding, light-hearted electronica. On the other side, Apocalyptic Love runs on massive disco pop propulsions and stroboscope rays. In a word, this Baltimore-based musical collective provides an impressive glam-fi vision. In any cases, I used to believe in that. It is sexy, it is charming, it is compelling.

The Underscore Orkestra - Balancing Act (2012)

Bad Panda
Lastfm

9.0

/Vaudeville, Swing, Music hall/

Comment: an amusing, one-track appearance reminding of the heydays of vaudevillean, highly swinging pop. Indeed, it used to be a quite authentic representation of it. It involves an array of tempo changes (from very slow to very fast moments) and harmonica-laden chirps which play on a suggestive motif. The notch is sung by female and male voices, thereby creating a lot of pleasant contrasts between the different sides of the piece. The track can be considered an example of a simulacra, yet, it is not because it is very good, i.e being without any deviations.

Phopha - The Bus (2008)

Ground Floor
Jamendo
Lastfm

8.8

/Electronic pop, Found sound, Trip-hop, Musique concrète, Crossover, Modern classical/

Comment: bubbling synth propulsions or more trip-hop/breakbeat-laden rhythms are either set below the piano drops or found sound/street sound-drenched synth and cathedral organ-driven progressions. At times the outlet is more picturesque, sometimes more restraint in its quite onerous developments. The last track exploits a template of rhythm as if melancholic piano driven and Kraftwerk-esque synth whiffs fused pop were mixed up with bhangra-influenced breakbeat punches. In conclusion, this 7-track issue is well composed and accomplished. The project originates from Czech Republic.

[Teaser of the day] Dark Souls Day - Electrify

Hox Vox - Outskirt - Belief: Greed

Brain - The Dogs Side B (2010)

Eye Machine
Eye Machine

8.8

/DIY, Lo-fi, Primitronica, Alt-folk, Psychedelia, Anti-folk, Weird folk, Free folk, Experimentalism, Freeformfreakout/

Comment: these 11 tracks can be considered drunken songs somewhere around the campfire - as we have been having knowledge such kind of action can be appealing at least since Animal Collective`s Campfire Songs. It extends from expanding, in unison produced guitar and vocals in chorus and ferocious guitar strumming to synth-driven instrumental compositions, however, all of that is surrounded with a remarkable amount of gritty, rough hiss. The last track The Dogs is a truly demented one, involving and replacing the elements of electronic cuts and warped folk music and looped rhythm sections and sampledelic bits to each other. In a word, it is a weird shit by Captain Missouri, and C. Russel Lewis. In any cases, the more you listen to it the more beloved it gets for the listener. For instance, 03 (Folding) is an absorbing ditty. In conclusion, The Dogs Side B is a pop and anti pop album at the same time. Is it provoking? Definitely yes.

They Stay Dead - Cursed (2011)

Death To False Hope
Bandcamp

8.0

/Hardcore punk, Pop punk, Hair rock/

Comment: by watching the coverprint and considering the title of this 3-piece issue it may be seem a little bit disorientating because the topics behind it are not so atrocious, though. The tracks used to run on melodic intentions which in turn are shaped by intense rhythmic sections and pop punk guitar hooks and sleazy vocal manner. Furthermore, the singing in chorus and some bombastic guitar riffs remind of the 80`s ridiculous gigs embodied by so-called hair rock/metal/pop metal scene (Europe, Poison, Charizma). In a nutshell - not bad at all because lots of energy used to ooze out of the slots of the issue.