Blogiarhiiv

1/01/2013

[Teaser of the day] Dumbo Gets Mad - Bam Bam

[Teaser of the day] Mentz - Squares

The Hirundu - The Colour Of Pamanganates (2012)




9.5

/Alternative, Anti-rock, DIY, Art rock, Ambient, Electronic pop, Brass pop, Experimental electronica, Leftfield, Experimental rock, Avant-rock, Experimental rock, No Wave/  

Comment: undoubtedly Johnny Crewdson is one of those unsung geniuses whose loads of issues (with or without comrades) are up to be discovered in the future. Having been active since 1987 he has been demonstrating an infernal drift between off-kilter electronica/sound art/alternative dance and uncompromising indie/lo-fi/post-punk/No Wave aesthetics, between knee-deep avant-garde and quirky pop music. This time his music seems to be more string and natural drums centered, though, those sparkling "guitar pop" tracks are more or less bent and warped. Listen to slight funk track Casual Paging, and light-hearted orchestration Planet Of The Lathes, and lofty violin hook based Itll All Work Out In Poundland, and delightful vocoder-induced Feed The Ducks, To The Swans, and and ebullient brass pop beauty Near The Photographic Island you will get the idea of my aforementioned words. Moreover, imagine The Beta Band meets Arthur Russell meets Super Furry Animals meets David Bowie meets The Nits, for instance. But not only, of course. In the first place - it is The Hirundu in Crewdson`s idiosyncrasy. Very inspiring compositions by any means.

Hox Vox - The Carnival of Animals (2012)



9.3

/Avant-prog, Conceptual, RIO, Experimental electronica, Avant-rock, Progressive, Experimental rock, Weird pop/

Comment: this batch of 14 short-running tracks used to run in the wake of theatrical prog rock developments and some free jazz-tinged elements, however, containing lots of "acute" way-out edges and refreshing forays. And many excesses I have always loved by the Venice musician Gianluca Missero aka Hox Vox. At times it chimes slightly in an infantile way, though, mostly showing up steady constitution and suggestive harmonies. Emotionally the release is intense and exuberant, however, giving no possibility to relax or rest. In a word, it is one of the best outputs produced ever by Missero.