Arts & Crafts - Arts & Crafts Sampler Vol. 7 (2010)

Arts & Crafts

9.0

/Electronic pop, Alternative pop/rock, Indie pop, Baroque pop, Compilation/

Comment: this 12 track sampler is issued on a well-known Canadian indie label, named Arts & Crafts. There are represented such artists as Sally Seltmann, Zeus, Dan Mangan, Chilly Gonzales, Timber Timbre, Amy Millan, Broken Social Scene, Jason Collett, Los Campesinos, The Most Serene Republic, Still Life Still, The Hidden Cameras. Indeed, it can be said that the best part of these artists have already established their reputation, thereby being beloved all around the world. However, stylistically the miscellany veers away from the instances of silenful alt-folk contemplations and burbly indie rock examples to shimmering brass and baroque pop, soft rock revival and more electronically whimsical propulsions and majestic spiritual outbursts.

The Flesh Eating Goons - Cranium Crunch EP (2004)

 

Soundcloud

Tripod

9.0

/Surf pop, Avant-pop, DIY, Experimental, Lo-fi, Psychedelic pop, Rockabilly, Mood music/

Comment: a musical project with the funny name, called The Flesh Eating Goons conveys 8 short-running tracks (all the pieces used to be finished off at the length of 2 minutes) to the listeners interlacing dashing surf pop compositions imbued with frantic shuffles on chords and cadences with some rockabilly motives, self-conscious lo-fi sensitivity and humorous sensibility now and then. And those moody overdrives based on slightly gleaming guitar riffs and psychedelic keyboards are simply fascinating. Because of that this case can be compared with the likes of Man...Or Astroman, Juanitos, and Messer Chups, for instance. And these tracks make up your day.

Collapse - A Mano Armata (2011)

Jamendo

Bandcamp

9.3

/Technical metal, Crossover, Surf rock/

Comment: Collapse introduces this 4-track album with spacey, expressive guitar riffs-gliding (the kind of which could have been an essential part of some albums by Michael Karoli, CAN`s guitarist, for example) which soon will be stricken by tumultuous noodling and frantic power washes full of ferocious but technical metal aesthetics, merciless chug and graceful overdrives which brings forth the influences - surprise, surprise - of surf music. In a word, it is an almost crossover album drifting between turbo-sustained technical metal patterns and infrequent surf pop rays. The collective originates from Firenze/Florence, Italy. Great in its self-awareness and self-confidence.

[Teaser of the day] Minimal Boffin - Grain Shift

Archive

Pillars & Tongues - Epitonic saki Session (2011)

Epitonic

9.4

/Slowcore, Drone pop, Alternative, Americana, Live session, Avant-pop, Experimental indie, Psychedelic pop, Ethereal pop/ 

Comment: this set of 4 tracks does build on a highly enjoyable live session for a fascinating music site, entitled Epitonic. However, Pillars & Tongues` soundscape consists of soothing drone undercurrents, dreamy pronounced singing and soulful vowel effects and loosely throbbing rhythms below the two firstly named constituents above. The last track (which will be finished off at the length of 16 minutes) seems to be biased more toward improvised elements, i.e fusing the elements of buzzing minimalism, slight Americana-related touch and expressive ethereal pop, a subtle batch which in the last section evolves into man and woman mixed vowel experiments involving both shamanic and hypnagogic elements.

Son Of A Bricklayer - Shades Of Grey (2008)

Ground Floor

9.4

/Techno, Trip-hop, Downtempo, Experimental electronica, Cinematic/

Comment: This 11-track album is a good instance of how mesmerizing, dance-appealed rhythms should be interlaced with more affective facets of pop-laden electronica or on the other side providing more thoughtful but vigorous trip-hop/downtempo clatter. More profoundly, the listener can detect elusive, cinematic samples as if being a humble witness for the mesmeric motion of clouds above his/her head; now and then it involves silentful smoky reverberations and hazy, though at times murky contemplations abundant with repetitive chords and suggestive harmonies behind it. In a word, it is blissed-out and spaced-out at the same time. This is a great classic by any intentions.

Violeta Päivänkakkara - Kuu (2012)

La Gramola

FMA

Bandcamp 

9.5

/Forest folk, New Weird Finland, New Weird Europe, Weird folk, Free folk, Singer-songwriter, Organic electronica, Alt-folk, Experimental folk/

Comment: VP is a Finnish artist whose music to this album can be considered a part of the famous Finnish forest folk scene. The listener can be sure an intriguing example related to the genre is played craftily out. She provides a handful of addictive, bucolic tracks which are arranged with the assistance of searching, harmony-coated clambering guitar chords, glockenspiel-alike touches, some slightly bleak keyboard lines, microscopic noises and more or less whispering vocal lines, however all of that is accompanied with concrete sounds and thin air plateaus surrounding it at any corner. Furthermore, possible "faults" which might be found out from within the whole seem to be so affective, organic and concept-related thereby demonstating themselves like the strength on it. By kindred souls there can be drawn parallels upon the likes of Paavoharju, and Keijo (Virtanen), Lau Nau and Islaja. Simply glorious.