No Monster Club - Sleigh Decibels Volume One (2011)

Bandcamp

8.9

/Alternative rock, Fuzz pop, Indie pop/

Comment: this set of 4 tracks seems to be closely related to the Christmas, though, being offered in a quite unusual format. Bobby Aherne (who was previously known as Dublin Duck Dispensary) rocks off with the washes of cellophanic guitar dust and tumultuous twangs. Elegant and catchy by any means.

Abstract Nostalgic Fractals Systems - The Inner Peace (2012)

Enough

Bandcamp

Lastfm 

9.3

/Dub-tech, Ambient dub, Crossover, Experimental electronica, Tech-dub, Deep house/

Comment: this 8-track album is an lofty amalgamation of trippy space disco/house/techno rhythms, panoramic ambient-esque organicness, and highly suggestive dub vibes, more concretely, resorting freely a huge array of frequencies and fractals. In a word, feel how the bounce comes down.

Coro Anthèa & Renzo Vigagni - Cum novo cantico (2011)

Parafonica

9.0 

/Conceptual, Gregorian, Ethereal pop/

Comment: these 11 tracks function here to be a sort of holy, blissed-out songs made up of the high-register female vocals and the whiffs of a cathedral organ which in turn used to veer away silentful, almost inaudible and quite powerful outbursts on the other side. While the Gregorian chants are mainly associated with the singing of men this album can be considered an example of the counterpoint of it. Fragile and intact indeed.

[Teaser of the day] Sean Archibald - Sniping for Wallies

Archive

Beats of Rage - Beats of Rage (2010)

Bandcamp
Lastfm 

9.0

/Digital hardcore, 8-bit, Tracker music, Crossover, Electro punk, Electroclash, Riot Grrrl, Alternative/  

Comment: firstly, you can be sure this 3-piece collective from UK deserve its name. It is built upon different compulsions which used to extend from harsh electro appearances and sharp 8-bit/tracker music-infiltrated dodges to more punk-exorcized and even noiseful, more abstract, warped glimpses. Moreover, over all these abrasive constituents are laid the layers of angry, screaming female voice. I guess Malcolm McLaren would have loved it.      

Marissa Nadler - Epitonic saki Session (2011)

Epitonic

9.6

/Dream folk, Alt-folk, Singer-songwriter, Indie folk, Folk indie, Live session, New Weird America/

Comment: this set of 7 tracks is an amazing live session by Marissa Nadler whose profoundly dreamy yet somehow powerful reverberations backed up by lone, clear-cut string chords do immerse the listener in fill. Her aesthetics reminds a little bit of Vashti Bunyan if to hint at her precursors.      

Makunouchi Bento - Rinbo (2012)

Camomille

Bandcamp 

9.3

/Abstract, Film noir, Soundtrack, Avant-garde, Electro-acoustic, Chamber music, Experimentalism/ 

Comment: Makunouchi Bento is a Romanian duo who used to exploit film noir-esque seeds to fuse them into austere, barely discernible chamber music and electro-acoustic soundscapes. Inspite of these "suspicious" presuppositions the listener can perceive some weird kind of easiness at it. Although the album generally is very good on its own, the highly epic Jubokko jumps out as the outstanding track on it. By the way, the friends of MB had covered these pieces being available as the issue at Bandcamp. However, the original track seem to be better, though. And that`s ok.