Quit Smoking Monday

TOKEDASHITA GARASU BAKO

2009-05-23T02:15:00.000-07:00

''A really great example of original creative songwriting and music on the interesting, early URC label, that was launched after a first folk boom influence from America, this meant the exploration of an original new japanese identity and sound. Tokedashita Garasu Baku was a super group that featured many members that came from early psych bands. It was led by Takashi Nishioka (vocals,guitar,percussion, words and music), a singer who was part of the early acid/psychfolk band Itsutsu no Akai Fusen in the 60s. After this he would become an important singer-songwriter with a solo career. The band also featured members from Happy End/Apryl Fool/ Yellow Magic Orchestra (the bass player), Jacks (the drummer, flutist, arranger), Blues Creation (the guitarist,the bassist and the keyboard player), Folk Crusaders (guitarist ; -he later will be part of the Sadistic Mika Band-), all early psych bands, besides folk singer Saito Tetsuo. Like in Itsutsu no Akai Fusen and Folk Crusaders there has been some interesting subtle fusing experiments between Japanese folk and psych music, like on the opener or on the fifth track, or some garage pop psych influence like with Jacks, like on the third track. Mostly we hear sad ballads in a specific song style with effects of droning organ, stoned acoustic guitars and subtle stoned overdubs on voice (on the fourth track), fuzz guitars, attractive rhythms and a few subtle folky arrangements, and improvised flute, and here and there a weird electronic keyboard effect. The fourth track has some violin orchestration, especially the last song is fully orchestrated besides simple acoustic guitar. The album has a really attractive sound and shows really subtle the early avant garde experiments of mixing variouis influences together even when the pop ballads still lead the music.''

TOKEDASHITA GARASU BAKO(MELTING GLASS BOX)

THE DANFORTHS

2009-05-23T02:11:00.000-07:00

''The Chris Danforths are not only a three-way high five between 3
incredible musicians, but also an ethereal holy trinity that is
the one real Chris Danforth. Pluralizing his full name and using
it as the nom de plume for his projects eludes to the kind of
musical Schizophrenia that Chris suffers from. His head is filled
with so many sounds, structures and ideas that He is forced to
allow each voice to have its turn at the helm.

In his work, he (the real Chris Danforth) and they (the Chris
Danforths) come to a complete balance between their / his
academic, DIY, and rock 'n roll backgrounds. Recorded between
technically advanced studios and his bedroom with multiple pieces
woven together from 3 piece band tracks and personal sound
constructs to multiple instrument orchestrations featuring members
of his extended Minneapolis family.

"Look out for the Wolves" is the second full length and just like
his first record "Outside Outerspace", he once again twists genres
and moves along with a wide musical vocabulary dancing from hook
to drone and back again. Somewhere between OMD and Faust, this
record finds him honing his perfectly amalgamated quirk-pop to a
more mature place. Combining found sounds, field recordings, synth
and guitar-led songs, he crafts a kind of "lo-fi psych-pop; an
orchestral, angular epic like some long-lost Elephant 6 track
calling in from the twilight zone." Ink 19

His background in experimental music and perfomance yanks any sort
of standard pop-rock record structure out of its element but still
alows him room for straight up undeniable "hits". Old Scottish
electronics are used well beyond their years and pushed past their
potential, forced to do his bidding. Look out for the Wolves has,
singable melodies, a sense of humor, and the eeriness of playing
along with an old-time recording of his grandmother singing a
lullaby. Dying gear, forgotten sounds, found recordings of family
and friends all re-contextualized into one whole. He has a
singular vision, channeled through many internal personalities. He
is the real Chris Danforth. All of them.''

LOOK OUT FOR THE WOLVES

JOKE LANZ/MICHAEL BARTHEL/RAIONBASHI

2009-05-23T01:16:00.000-07:00

''7 minutes long sensitive psycho-accoustic edit composition with Joke Lanz (shouts), Michael Barthel (accoustics, tri.angle, mix) and Raionbashi (gröhlstab, masse). Recorded 2006.''

7

PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE/MATS GUSTAFSSON

2009-05-23T01:11:00.001-07:00

''If the duo is the most conversational form of jazz, the script for I Love It When You Snore could have been written by Samuel Beckett. Paal Nilssen-Love and especially Mats Gustafsson are a couple of the best known players to emerge out of the '90s Scandinavian free/avant jazz scene, having recorded plenty with the likes of Ken Vandermark and Peter Brötzmann. This brief thirty-two minute duo recording is more unusual than most of the other of the already exceptional recordings either has been involved with. Gustafsson really brings it on with his unique vocabulary of abstract, pops, clicks, squeaks, screams, and howls.''

I LOVE IT WHEN YOU SNORE

CHAS SMITH

2009-05-20T13:47:00.000-07:00

International Record Review
"Musical experiences utterly out of the ordinary. . . Smith's articulately structured music captivates from the start."

New Times (Los Angeles)
"Chas Smith, musician, composer, engineer, metal craftsman and inventor is a classic American original."

NIKKO WOLVERINE

THE NETHER DAWN

2009-05-20T13:43:00.000-07:00

"Filthy, ragged, drone-damage from Antony Milton, the mastermind behind the insanely credible Pseudoarcana label, and recently crowned third member of Black Boned Angel. Crackle and smoldering fuzz turn over and over on itself at ever more terrifying pace until everything within its gravitational grasp begins to smell of burning plastic. Frightening, shamanic, and dare-I-suggest BLUESY (think Fushitsusha not Gary Moore!) yet set within a down-on-the-farm, Antipodean, post-Xpressway context. The future of drone. The future of rock. The future of goddamn everything!"

O U T E R D A R K

DAVID EYGES TRIO

2009-05-20T02:37:00.001-07:00

''Eyges has made his mark by concentrating on a heavily R&B-laced approach, assembling tunes with a heavy backbeat and infectious vamps that make use of the cello's flexible timbre, making use of both bass and viola ranges. Though he has a strong arco approach, Eyges has historically tended to focus on pizzicato playing, laying down earthy basslines as well as attacking with a guitar-like facility''

CROSSROADS

ANTHONY BRAXTON AND ANDREW CYRILLE

2009-05-20T01:04:00.000-07:00

''Even before he started wearing baggy corduroys, sensible shoes, and sweaters with elbow patches, Anthony Braxton's image was one of the enigmatic intellectual. You had to expect his playing to be more geometric than gutbucket. In a meeting at Wesleyan University (where Braxton is on the faculty), however, he and Andrew Cyrille make music that turns that image on its ear. Perhaps the responsibility is Cyrille's, the most instinctively musical of the "New Thing" drummers, whose playing in any setting is subtle, orchestral, swinging and energetic. But if the question becomes who is really playing in who's yard, whether Braxton is moving a little closer to the mainstream, or whether Cyrille is flexing his avant garde muscles, over the course disc 100 the revealed answer is that they meet somewhere in the middle''

DUO PALINDROME VOL. 1

ANAT-BEN DAVID

2009-05-13T06:24:00.000-07:00

''...one momemt she's crooning like a gently demented Nico about buying a double bed in Ikea
a Bacharach-ian number accesorised with synthetic snuffling snares,the next moment space and silence are tested by a barrage of aggressive hi-NRG drums and lunatic scaling vocals...''

VIRTUAL LEISURE

ZOAT AON

2009-05-09T13:26:00.001-07:00

Zoat-Aon is dark ambient project from Finnish label Aural Hypnox.One and only member is Jaakko Vanhala, who is ably assisted by several guests, providing singing bowls, piano and human skull drums(!). By using conventional instruments, various sound generating devices, vocals and other carefully chosen sonic objects Zoät Aon manages to create an unique, dynamic and truly enigmatic, expansive atmosphere that continuously spirals further towards the unknown areas of consciousness.

STAR AUTOPSY

RAPOON/CENSUS OF HALLUCINATIONS

2009-05-09T13:23:00.001-07:00

''...Robin Storey was a founding member of Zoviet France (1980-1992), and since 1992 has been recording under the Rapoon moniker. Census of Hallucinations, are the space-psych-progressive song maestros headed up by Tim Jones & Terri~B of Stone Premonitions. The music on Industrial Exchange will be more of a surprise for Census of Hallucinations than Rapoon fans. Robin took existing Census of Hallucinations songs and did his sonic manipulations on them to create a very nice set of ambient/sound-art/experimental excursions.''

INDUSTRIAL EXCHANGE

JUN TOGAWA

2009-05-09T13:17:00.001-07:00

''..As a 20th-anniversary release, this collection of covers makes a great deal of sense. Ranging from lounge jazz to ominous experimentalism, 20th hits on quite a variety in between, and demonstrates Togawa's unique take on things. ''

20TH

BAXTER DURY

2009-05-09T13:14:00.001-07:00

''...An enchanting folky psych-pop debut from the son of the late, great Ian Dury. Baxter only performed once live before deciding to embark on a recording career, and that occasion was his father's funeral. This is a remarkably realized debut that sounds like early 70s acoustic stuff that would fit somewhere between Syd Barrett and early T. Rex. Fans of Mercury Rev and Flaming Lips will not be disappointed.''

Len Parrot's Memorial Lift

PROZAK FOR LOVERS

2009-05-09T13:05:00.000-07:00

''....it's a great album, the tongue-in-cheek and knowing wink overshadowed by the fact that the originals are pretty much respected, and added to as the style is altered and stripped down to melody and lyrics.
That's kinda what everyone else has said about the album, but it's worth mentioning that French bossa act Nouvelle Vague - who are doing great business in a simliar vein - have basically, ahem, 'borrowed' the Prozak idea, several years on. They even do the same tunes as this CD and Prozak II (Love Will Tear Us Apart, Heart of Glass) in not dissimilar style. Not too sure how they've got away with it! About time the Prozak crew got some recognition for their efforts (and I'm sure some advert syndication cash from some forward-thinking ad people?!?!)''

PROZAK FOR LOVERS

THIGHPAULSANDRA

2009-05-09T13:03:00.001-07:00

''‘Rape Scene’ is the third studio album from THIGHPAULSANDRA and follows on from the hugely successful ‘I Thighpaulsandra’ and ‘Double Vulgar’ albums that were released on Coil’s own legendary Eskaton label. Both albums that literally go way beyond genre categorization.Thighpaulsandra is also a full-time member of both Coil and Spiritualized and also is one-half of the Queen Elizabeth project with Julian Cope as well as being a former member of Cope’s group. ‘Rape Scene’ also features Spiritualized bassist Martin Schellard and Rocketgoldstar’s Siôn Orgon. ‘Rape Scene’ features three lengthy, intriguing, pieces of around fifteen minutes. ‘Joyful Misuse Of The Gomco Clamp’, ‘The Busy Jew’ and ‘His Lavish Showroom’.

"This is difficult music, as Laurie Anderson would say. The 3 Long songs contained here within combine electronics with some of the thought processes of Krautrock/Psychedilic rock, soaring to new dimensions. Thishpaulsandra has also played with Julian Cope with wonderful consequences, Spiritulized, and is now also a member of one of my favorite bands, Coil. Ya gotta love the cover – 3 styles of sit-down toilets in a stark room. This album seems more serious, determined and darker. Minor keys constantly shift and evolve into new sounds. Although these songs are long, you never feel as if you are in the same song as they move all over the place. There is a little singing by TPS, but less than his other albums. Very strong tunes with confidence. This album crosses so many genres everyone will find something they like, be intrigued by what they don't understand, and be amazed with Thighpaulsandra's talent. "(Don Poe)

RAPE SCENE

RATTO LEHTISALO

2009-05-09T12:53:00.000-07:00

''...It reminds us a bit of some modern Czech folk stuff, actually, a la Vladimir Vaclavek (as if that's any help to you!). Guitars and harmonica and drums and whistling and whispering and even a typewriter are worked into these songs' arrangements, and there's at least one track that's got that trademark Circle sorta groove, with Neu!-ish rhythms and krautrocky synth. Yeah, it's weird, almost in a "why are they doing this?" sorta way, but a lot of it is also quite beautiful. (Aquarius Records)''
PARI LEPAKKOA TRANSSYLVANIASSA

ACTE VIDE

2009-05-07T17:26:00.001-07:00

Acte Vide is an open-ended duo project. It consists of a series of improvised sessions that happen spontaneously and at intermittent periods, and involve mainly piano and laptop, but extend to voice, percussion, and any found object in sight.

Acte Vide is also a constant circle of reactivity between two sound sources, two personalities, and two lives. We tend to move around a lot and have often spent long periods of time separated by considerable geographical distance. Our sessions are intimate and concentrated, and they are treated and documented as one-off performances, usually relying on very basic home recording set-ups, with virtually no editing.

Le Nouveau Sans Frontières (Live at Cafe Oto) [2009]

OR DOWNLOAD IT DIRECTLY FROM ACTE VIDE'S WEBPAGE

UEH & KAWABATA MAKOTO

2009-05-07T14:11:00.000-07:00

''Ueh are a group from France who must have made quite an impression on Kawabata Makoto somewhere along the way. They first appeared in relation with the Acid Mothers Temple guitar guru on the Swordfish records compilation ?Do Whatever You Want, Don?t Do Whatever You Don?t Want? that was assembled by Kawabata. Ueh opened shows on an American tour with Kawabata (acting as second guitarist for Seattle?s Kinski) this summer. This disc is short on tracks, but long on play-time, with three of the four songs clocking in at over ten minutes. The first two tracks are all Ueh, while the third finds the band assisted by Kawabata on glissando and bowed guitar. The final track is a 22 minute solo composition for guitar, bowed guitar, voice, and electronics by the prolific Acid Mothers Temple figurehead.''

PATAPHYSICAL OVERDRIVE TO MY COSMOS

TESTBILD

2009-05-06T13:51:00.001-07:00

''...For his debut album, Malmö based Testbild! conjures up an expressionist fiction of Doppelgängers, deep sea exploration and space travel. The record traces the meteoric careers of inventors/pioneers ENIAC and UNIVAC, whose stories take root in a soundscape where Testbild!’s experiments in noise merge with gorgeous multi-layered melodies. One might speculate that Testbild! spent his childhood in the company of Jules Verne, Kraftwerk, Brian Wilson and Claude Debussy. Unidentifiable electronic noises meet with the gurgling of coffee pots, cascades of rain, vibraphone, glockenspiel, accordion, clicking guitars, vintage synths and Rhodes galore. The resulting album may remind you of Young Marble Giants, Bertrand Burgalat, Louis Philippe, Broadcast, Tuxedomoon, or even This Heat at points, but for us, The Double Life of TESTBILD! is as much a plunge into a parallel universe as the stuff in RK’s “official” imaginary soundtrack series..''

THE DOUBLE LIFE OF TESTBILD!

CUCUMBER FARMER

2009-05-06T13:27:00.000-07:00

''..Cucumber Farmer is a strange but very cool Finnish band. I reviewed and loved their other CD called Beyond. This new double CD was 3 years in the making. The first CD is the intended CD, while the 2nd CD is the same tracks (given different titles) remixed by Pink Twins, who I have no idea who they are. The band clearly intended on this being a musical experiment with them playing doctor and you the so called guinea pig. One is expected to take the listening experience seriously. No monkey business here Listen, experience some emotionwrite the review r enjoy your next beer Te Absolute Proof starts the CD and it is very spaced out as the band slowly takes you into their strange world, via the secret entrance around the back. Since I ve een Edge and Bono is a crazy mixture of stoned dub reggae and noise rock. I just died in a Las Vegas Nightclub follows and begins very laid back (think Twin Peaks movie) with piano and a strange ambience but it slowly devolves into some sort of distorted post rock nightmare Worng in the USSR begins with some people labouring in the background with jackhammers and stuff as the music slowly builds up again getting quite heavy at the end. Loneliness of Gary Lonely is next and again features some singing. By the time you get to Bigass Oceanliner the record is pretty intense and really beginning to space my head out The C ends with DTM and a Riding Car and it is another mindfuck of a trip.. Be careful as this CD could serious damage your mind.. As fr the remix CD, it is about 10 mins longer than the regular CD and a totally different trip and very psychedelic! Pretty amazing stuff, actually......''

EMPIRICAL RESEARCH ON WESTERN POPULAR MUSIC 1993-2006

GHOST ROCKET

2009-05-06T13:24:00.001-07:00

"Ghost Rocket are inspired by bands like 13th Floor Elevators, Love and obscure rock 'n' roll and psych from the past 50 years. This 7" is completely fuzzed out!"

DRUG FREEDOM/1 MILLION TIMES

SARAH PEEBLES

2009-05-06T13:19:00.000-07:00

''Memories of the urban space of Tokyo are deeply rooted in the city's initially overwhelming aural ambience. Rather than smell or look, it is the distinctive way the city sounds that can bring prickles of nostalgia to ex-residents. Toronto based composer Sarah Peebles captures some of the kaleidoscopic richness of the aural environment on her reissued 108 – Walking Through Tokyo At The Turn Of The Century (Post Concrète CD) Peebles recorded a week's worth of journeys across the city in late December 1999. While she is intensely aware of the cyclical and periodic rhythms that underlie the city's sounds, this is very much the sound of a single season and a single moment in time, as fast food joints hawk millennium fries and a rare Christian evangelist threatens commuters with fire and brimstone.

Peebles's journeys took her east from the youthful, neon skyscrapers of Shinjuka to the older, downtown areas of Nippori and Ueno. The sound profile thus moves from the garishly synthetic textures of hectoring jingles from electrical shops and the pop-techno metallic cascades of pachinko parlours to the more humanly grounded rhythms of market hawkers, kendo practice at dawn and a temple bell chiming 108 times to mark New Year.

Between each evocatice street scene, Peebles masterfully creates a palpable sense of the joy of motion through urban spaces – the solid pnematic hiss of the doors on the JR trains, station jingles and the learned nasal twang of a streetcar conductor. Christie Pearson's street photos on the enhances CD add another dimension to an exquisitely sequenced piece of audio verité.''

WALKING THROUGH TOKYO AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY

MAQUILADORA WITH KAWABATA MAKOTO

2009-05-06T13:16:00.001-07:00

''...San Diego based acid psychedelic trio Maquiladora makes a collaboration album with Kawabata Makoto from Acid Mothers Temple. Very beautiful dark downer freak out; sounds like Freaked out Syd Barrett."

KISS OVER

BOB GELDOF

2009-05-06T12:57:00.000-07:00

''...Bob Geldof is better known for his humanitarian work (Nobel Prize nominee, knighted Live Aid head) than for his few surviving Boomtown Rats hits, such as the killing-spree monologue “I Don’t Like Mondays.” His solo records have been shockingly uninteresting, but this one provokes an unseemly tabloid fascination: It’s his first since wife Paula Yates left him for INXS’s Michael Hutchence, both of whom later died ignominiously. For Geldof, 47, Sex, Age & Death is a midlife-crisis tale strong enough to reward repeated listens. Sir Bob quotes Bob Dylan on the bilious “One for Me” and does a dead-on Leonard Cohen for the elegantly wasted “Pale White Girls” and “10:15.” The personal lyrics make these echoes of Geldof’s heroes sound heartfelt rather than affected....''

SEX AGE & DEATH

PHIL SHOENFELT

2009-05-06T12:53:00.000-07:00

"I wish I'd taken up Phil McMullen's recommendation and got into Phil Shoenfelt earlier, because this is excellent stuff. With a bleak but resonant vocal, very similar to the great Louis Tillet, Shoenfelt weaves bitter tales of mystery and degradation, populated by weeping shadows, desperate gamblers on the edge of the abyss, and false witnesses. It's a remorseless soundscape, where even church bells ring out of tune BUCKETFUL OF BRAINS

GOD IS THE OTHER FACE OF DEVIL

WREN/STABBINS/RILEY/SANDERS

2009-05-04T13:07:00.001-07:00

''...Four in the Afternoon is among the first albums that documented bassist Tony Wren's comeback on the British free improv scene. The quartet for this studio date had convened only three times before. When listening to Four in the Afternoon, one often thinks of Mujician. The two groups perform with equal passion and following similar inspiration. Of course, much could be said of the musical relationship between Howard Riley and Keith Tippett ? from their albums together to the way they integrate their jazz background into their approach to free improv rather than choke it. But one can easily argue that saxophonists Larry Stabbins and Paul Dunmall, despite the fact that they both play tenor and soprano saxophones, couldn't be less alike. The same goes for drummer Mark Sanders, more textural and expansive than his counterpart, and bassist Wren, more soft-spoken. And yet, inhabited by these well-defined personalities, Four in the Afternoon holds something of the same. When Riley explores a romantic jazz theme in "Where Are the Snows...," shivers run up and down the listener's spine. The climax halfway into "Game of Two Halves" also provides a magical moment; so does Sanders' light but highly complicated playing at the end of "Blue Dark."

FOUR IN THE AFTERNOON

COSMIC COURIERS

2009-05-04T12:51:00.001-07:00

''...electronics and disciplined rythmonomy
characteristics of their Teutonic origin and the
everpresent will to experiment including elements that range from classical to world and space rock...''

OTHER PLACES

MIMETIC FIELD

2009-05-03T13:36:00.001-07:00

"There are many groups who fancy themselves as being at this level of "in touch" with the mysteries of beat electronics, but few who achieve it with such an intriguing sense of twist...''

o V e R r A t E D

THE JONES BROTHERS

2009-05-03T05:14:00.000-07:00

''In spite of their very long careers in jazz, brothers Hank, Thad and Elvin Jones made relatively few recordings together; this Leonard Feather-produced date got the three of them into the studio and added to the gimmick by including Eddie Jones (no relation) on bass, and performing exclusively works by Thad or Isham Jones (also no relation). The music that's stood the test of time includes Thad's often-recorded "Three and One," which was evidently written for this session, and Isham Jones' best-known works "It Had to Be You," and the perennial favorite "There Is No Greater Love." Thad's rich flugelhorn is as strong as on any date he ever recorded, while Hank's playing is a little more reserved than usual, and Elvin, known for his fierce attack, sticks mainly to brushes.''

KEEPIN'UP WITH THE JONESES

LEONARD BERNSTEIN

2009-05-03T05:09:00.000-07:00

''This coupling represents Bernstein's second recording of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. On his earlier 1959 version(Sony/CBS with the Columbia Symphony Orchestra), his verve and rhythmic elan at the piano is more apparent in the first half of the piece than in this later recording. Here his choices of tempi are fractionally slower; his flexing of Gershwin's steely rhythms a little more indulgent.

However, unlike his 1959 studio version, this recording is from a live concert performance which, allied to more modern recording quality, really communicates the spirit of what must have been a thrilling event. The finale with both piano and orchestra hard on the gas pedal takes your breath away.

Nobody conducted Leonard Bernstein's music as well as Leonard Berstein and the Symphonic Dances from West Side Story are no exception. The pieces are beautifully woven together. In fact, almost all the music of West Side Story is evolved out of an economy of musical ideas first stated in the 'Prologue', making this piece truly symphonic. More importantly, the performance of this music is mesmerising: coiled fury, visceral excitement and real lyric beauty: "Somewhere" has never sounded so touching. Highly recommended. ''

RHAPSODY IN BLUE/WEST SIDE STORY:THE SYMPHONIC DANCES

RUTHERFORD/VANDERMARK/MULLER/VAN DER SCHYFF

2009-04-30T11:14:00.001-07:00

''This is a great live set from December of 2004 featuring Paul Rutherford on trombone, Ken Vandermark on tenor sax & clarinet, Torsten Muller on acoustic bass and Dylan van der Schyff on drums. Four strong musicians, each from varied backgrounds, both geographically and age-wise. Emanem all-star Paul Rutherford is one the true pioneers of solo trombone playing, as well as a member of a numerous of key ensembles (Iskra 1903, LJCO, SME & Globe Unity). Vandermark has more creative bands and projects than just about anyone in the current Chicago new music scene. Don't know that bassist, but drummer Dylan van der Schyff is one of the most in-demand and creative percussionists to emerge from Vancouver. Spool's Line series refers to the fact that this is an improv session and a grand one at that. Superbly recorded with perfect balance so that each member of the quartet sounds like a most unified project. It is rare to hear Rutherford playing with any American musicians, except for Braxton, but he and Vandermark work incredible well together. It helps that they are playing with an equally creative and fascinating bassist and drummer. Rutherford's playing is extraordinary throughout, he has a unique way of bending his notes so that they become perfect sympathetic vibrations for the other three players. This is a monster session for four strong spirits.''

HOXHA

STERAC ELECTRONICS

2009-04-30T11:08:00.000-07:00

''Steve Rachmad is a Dutch techno producer, DJ and remixer. By many, he is considered a father of Detroit techno in the Netherlands, respected in the world of electronic music for his deep, groovy sounds that tend to rest on impressive strings, melodies, funk and soul. His career has been reaching its highest peaks from 1996 up to the present time. Yet, it is somewhat less known that he has been in the music realms for over 25 years by now. ''

KEEP ON RUNNING

THE I LIVE THE LIFE OF A MOVIE STAR SECRET HIDEOUT

2009-04-30T11:04:00.000-07:00

''...sounding both like a little kid dreaming in his bed, making up songs about cotton candy or whatever, and your typical early ‘90s indie-rock star....''

Autumn Girl Archers Horsemen Bring Arrows

THE GUILD LEAGUE

2009-04-29T12:18:00.001-07:00

''Brilliant debut album from an international parade of popstars featuring 13 wonderfully eclectic songs about love and travel recorded between San Francisco and Melbourne over a period of a year. Heartfelt lyrics and ace vocals courtesy of The Lucksmiths Tali White, paired with music from a truly collaborative cast including members of The Lucksmiths, Sodastream, Poundsign, The Fairways, The Aislers Set, Red Raku, Art of Fighting, The Killjoys, and Blackeyed Susans. Highlights include the jangling-guitar travelogue "Jet-Set…Go!" which takes in Spain, Yorkshire, Las Vegas and Thailand before its joyous finale in San Francisco…"The Photographer," a strum and bass still life memory of a sea-side moment sung over a loping, looping bass line, with layers of acoustic guitars and frantic drums… and "Siamese Couplets", a lazy hip-hop/pop tune with junky percussion, a soaring chorus and lyrics that attempt to capture the sensory overload of south east Asia while maintaining the distinction of being the first and possibly last song on Matinée to be rapped. From odes to breakfast and London to stripped-back heart breakers and instrumental laments, "Private Transport" is a refreshingly diverse album that exceeds the potential of such a distinguished cadre.''

PRIVATE TRANSPORT

KOJI UENO QUINTETTO

2009-04-29T12:15:00.001-07:00

''...Pianist/composer Koji Ueno first made his mark on the Japanese music scene at the side of Jun Togawa, performing as part of the legendary Guernica. Following the unit's brilliant achievements, Ueno expanded his activities from classical to contemporary, and from jazz to avant-garde, and recently to film soundtracks, ballet suites, and more.
Ueno introduces on this album an orchestra of 15 musicians based on a quintet lineup, turning his focus once again to "jazz." ''

TROPICI DI VETRO

BELA EMERSON

2009-04-28T08:44:00.000-07:00

Bela Emerson is a Brighton-based experimental musician who has gained praises for her spellbinding live performances during which she improvises pieces on the electric cello, using conventional sounds combined with all sorts of additional noises, all sourced from her instrument, which are looped into intricate layers. Unlike Colleen, who has progressively moved toward more traditional musical forms as she has developed her use of acoustic instruments, Emerson continues to combine electro-acoustic and electronic sounds.

Hespera is Emerson’s fourth solo album, and her first for French imprint Bip-Hop. While her previous three records consisted of tracks recorded live during various performances, this latest offering is her first full studio collection. At once dense, complex and elegant, with streaks of cinematic grandeur and more experimental moments, Emerson’s music stimulates senses and emotions by juxtaposing contrasting elements to create a surprisingly homogenous entity. Great musicality is often thrown off course by arid noise nebulas, but this only adds to the fragile aspect of her compositions.

Carved through layers of sounds and noise, and articulated around swelling recurring melodies or delicate percussive or textural clusters, Emerson’s compositions often evolve from one realm to the next and accommodate various sequences in just a few minutes. The apparent chaotic nature of her work is offset by a great attention to details, from melodies that evolve almost imperceptibly to particularly refined motifs, found at the most unexpected moment. While the range explored here is quite wide, form the beautiful theme of 5HTP or the medieval tones of Cavaquin to the ethereal ribbons of Brandywine Shoal, the textures of Dangerous Friday or the menacing tones of Phosphorous, Hespera remains a very consistent collection throughout, making it a fine addition to the already excellent Bip-Hop catalogue.''

HESPERA

CENTROZOON

2009-04-28T08:42:00.001-07:00

''...A significant leap beyond ''Never Trust The Way You Are'' is a genre-defying fusion of Art Pop, Progressive, Electronica and ballad influences, boasting a potent combination of mellow moods, difficult beats, powerful melodies and ambitious musical experiments.
An ideal showcase for Reuter's Touch Guitar dexterity, Woestheinrich's impossible rhythms and Bowness' distinctive vocal style, Never Trust The Way You Are represents a compelling artistic highpoint for all involved....''

NEVER TRUST THE WAY YOU ARE

POSITION NORMAL

2009-04-28T08:39:00.000-07:00

''The fact that the pied pipers behind Stop Your Nonsense are complete loons shouldn't hinder your ability to get lost in its juvenile buffoonery. The cover of the fuzzy, lo-fi, sample-based record depicts a tot laying on his side, revving a toy roadster -- that indicates the state of mind you may need to enter in order to enjoy it. Most of these sample-based tracks zip by in the amount of time it takes for a youngster to destroy a pillow fort. Throughout the duration of "The Blank," a children's game show host repeats, "What is the blank?" At the same time, a voice that is alternately stretched and compressed exclaims "Huhahahaho -- no!" The creepy "Jimmy Had Jane" bears a Dr. Seuss influence: "Pickled egg, pickled egg, Jimmy had Jane/ On the back of an eastbound train." Even goofier: on "Rabies," a voice made to sound like a gent on helium croons "Missing her, like I miss rabies." Other characters who pop out of the jack-in-the-box include a surly green grocer, a concerned aunt who leaves a phone message for her niece, and groups of jubilant kids singing about their dancing fingers. Sampled music from children's records and television shows from the '60s and '70s play a prominent role, and that entails lots of whistles, horns, and garden variety percussion, as well as occasional noodling from a cheap guitar. The gleeful regression is an escape hatch from reality into a rumpus room of fun house mirrors -- imagine adolescent versions of Prince Paul and Aphex Twin toying with a clunky My First Sampler. Andy Kellman, All Music Guide ''

STOP YOUR NONSENSE

EMMETT TINLEY

2009-04-28T08:37:00.001-07:00

''....Dublin's own Emmett Tinley's first album is one he ought to be very proud of. From it's gorgeous musical soundscapes, lush fragile arrangements and ragged choked up vocal; it is a beauty. Songs like 'Christmastreet' and 'Heart Still Breaking' could almost move you to tears such are their sublime delicateness. Fans of Jeff Buckley and Rufus Wainwright will devour this one....''

ATTIC FAITH

JOHN TCHICAI & TRIOT

2009-04-28T08:32:00.000-07:00

''....This live recording of the quartet’s 2002 Danish tour shows three young, in-demand talents of the Nordic countries and one master improviser dialoguing to create an impassioned set of music that elucidates the closeness of musical and human language. On Sudden Happiness Tchicai and Triot reach the sublime heights of the best poetry, where our everyday language is made to speak with a voice of the heart, where with each listening and each reading the words and sounds resonate more deeply.....

SUDDEN HAPPINESS

MOUNTAINEER

2009-04-27T09:48:00.001-07:00

"...incredibly complicated and strong...remarkably different..." - Cornell Daily Sun

"A great pop album with elements of folk and bossa nova and no dull moments." - Soundscaping

"The air is warm, and Mountaineer shines brightly." - XLR8R

5* A perfect escape from the daily routine - De:Bug

"...late summer music at its best." - Music For Robots

When the Air is Bright They Shine

ORCHESTRA DU SOLEIL

2009-04-27T09:39:00.000-07:00

''....combining languid, swirling melodies with generous helpings of echo and reverb, kitschy natural found sounds, and breathy singing to create a soft and inviting ambience that won't necessarily challenge your ears but doesn't sound much like anything else out there, either...''

LABORATOIRE MONDIAL

PHIL VON

2009-04-25T05:27:00.000-07:00

''....For more than a year Flore Magnet & Phil Von have been writing and directing the performance "Deadline Now" for & with the company Persona in Santa Maria da Feira near Porto.

"DEADLINE NOW" is about "TIME", a contemporary sad tale, the story of people existing in one of our modern metropolis during 36 hours. They walk, they run, they work, they phone, they step, they dream, they stumble, they loop, they bug

Yet we are witnessing the absurdity of their tasks, waiting for the appearance of signs of weaknesses, of tenderness, of love even of simple humanity.

To portray the ambiance of such a modern "time dictature", the music of Phil Von strikes as purely urban, electronic, cold and ruled by a strict tempo code, the most common and the most famous : 120 beats per minute.

This pulse is the master, the implacable reality of a metronomic heartbeat which all the actors follow throughout the performance The "Von Magnetic" choregraphic style will only appear as they stamp their feet "live" stubbornly Untill they find through exhaustion and despair the poetry, the freedom or the craziness towards a final exit to escape

Stretching "time" down to a universal wave of silence...''

DEADLINE NOW

PATRICK PHELAN

2009-04-25T01:00:00.001-07:00

''...While Phelan's first album reminds the ear of a minimal rock band like Labradford, only played less powerfully so as to mix well with the vocals and singer/songwriter song-style, ''Parlor'' is a pop record, bringing out the AM pop and Brazillian pop influences that were always probably there but often hard to identify...''

PARLOR

THE BENEVENTO/RUSSO DUO

2009-04-24T13:50:00.000-07:00

''...Though merely two men, the Duo bring with them a massive array of sound, manufacturing a product far greater than the feat of four hands. Marco Benevento’s slick B3 organ chops and distorted, pedal-fueled Fender Rhodes meet Joe Russo’s colliding cymbals and sampled beats head on, fabricating a sound much deeper than meets the eye....''

Best Reason to Buy the Sun

UNKNOWN ARTIST

2009-04-23T14:30:00.000-07:00

''...an unknown artist from Greece Thessaloniki
(propably named Argy) offers us a collage of world wide news broadcasts concerning the Athens riots that took place in December '08 spreading over 8 tracks adding some atmospheric music ambience on top of it making it one of the most interesting documents of the events that shocked (and almost awoke) Greece...

ANARCHY IN THE BIRTH PLACE OF DEMOCRACY

LINDA ALEXANDERSSON

2009-04-23T14:01:00.000-07:00

''..this cd is the audio companion of ''Pure Fucking Mayhem'' dvd and it contains reinterpetions of
Mayhem's songs(and other Black Metal Classics) played by Linda in her piano..Eeerieee!

PURE FUCKING MAYHEM

I

2009-04-23T13:27:00.000-07:00

''Once again Düsseldorf rescues the world. Mysterious and somewhat new musical terrain for a release on Glitterhouse Records, but certainly something that would be played around the GH HQ during office hours. “i” originally was called “D”, but changed their name due to some UK musicians beating their release date by a few months. The recordings were sent with no information in a nondescript envelope, yet miraculously they survived various demo-filters we implemented.

When we contacted them they chose to remain anonymous, no names, no photos, no background info. No contact-address (save for an e-mail account), no interviews, nothing. Complete denial. A handshake deal without actually shaking a hand. Not exactly what we prefer, so we had to downshift the sizeable Glitterhouse promo machine to just a mail-out. Hoping, for once, that the music would do the job.

If you are a follower of the Düsseldorf school of music you will find a direct lineage from Neu!, La Düsseldorf, Cluster to “i”, maybe with a higher handmade factor. If you are not, just believe us.

But they are not far away from other Glitterhouse artists that released instrumental music in the past either – be it Hugo Race´s ambient-noise album “Wet Dreams”, Höst (the Scandinavian/American cooperation), the beauty of Dakota Suite, Friends Of Dean Martinez and the mighty Sub Oslo (8-piece with instru-dub from Dallas).

But “i” are “i” – an old/new sound from Düsseldorf. Kosmische Kuriere, indeed. ''

I

GERRY HEMINGWAY QUARTET

2009-04-23T09:07:00.001-07:00

''....Together this established ensemble navigates Hemingway's compositions with supreme skill, managing both his labyrinthine melodies and his sudden, seismic shifts in tempo and mood. More important, the group plays without apparent strain, dashing through tunes like "If You Like" with an intense but ultimately freewheeling air. Fans of Hemingway's output will recognize most of the tunes assembled, but these interpretations are effectively a breed apart. More accessible but no less adventurous than most of his previous efforts, Devils Paradise should be of interest to any listener with a yen for the sound of surprise.''

DEVILS PARADISE

CHAPPAQUIDDICK SKYLINE

2009-04-23T09:02:00.000-07:00

''....So, unless your bookshelf is stocked with Sylvia Plath and the gas in your oven is turned on, why bother listening to Chappaquiddick Skyline? Because Pernice's blue mood is equaled by his ability to write stunningly beautiful songs. His breathy voice is lovely, his melodies uplifting, his sparse arrangements evocative and haunting. Depression has never sounded so inviting. --Tod Nelson ''

CHAPPAQUIDDICK SKYLINE

MOTOR HUMMING

2009-04-23T08:57:00.000-07:00

''Musical Aluminum is the debut recording of Motor Humming, a tough guitar-bass-drums trio from Japan who can sonically rip up the floor, tearing away diagonal strips, and toss them out to the world's hungry, hard music-loving crowds. This band's eclectic instrumentals have occasional moments reminiscent of labelmate Kletka Red's clamped guitar strings and second-long bits of traditional Eastern European dance themes whipped in a blender of complex punk and hard rock. Every few songs a more deconstructed rock tune appears that sounds like part segmented-Primus, and part like a less patient U.S. Maple. The klunkier moments of disjoint are combed over with the clean production sound and upfront, unstoppable drumming from Morimura Hiroshi. Yamanaka Atsushi's bass playing slides from palpitating heavy metal rushes to wah-wah pedal, fretless funk. Hioki Shimpei's guitar sounds alternately crumple, distort, and tear through the band's rocking numbers. Put together, Motor Humming fuse into a tight, hard, experimental rock band that at times calls to mind post-rock and experimental rock bands including Slint, Don Caballero, the aforementioned bands, and a bit of Fishbone too. ~ Joslyn Layne, All Music Guide''

MUSICAL ALUMINUM

HIDRIA SPACEFOLK

2009-04-23T08:52:00.000-07:00

..Finnish prog space rockers Hidria Spacefolk
get the remix treatment and it's fucking good!!

VIOLENTLY HIPPY RMXS

DSICO

2009-04-23T05:59:00.001-07:00

''Dsico crash lands in your cd player direct from inner city sydney with a cd that's brimful of laptop powered dance pop, his new order-ish knack for a chorus and a wry sense of humour that cuts through the analogue electronics and shakin' beats.''

F O O L

ANCHORAGE

2009-04-23T05:49:00.000-07:00

''...neoclassical,atmospheric,female voices and
the ambience of a soundtrack...seems like kitch Goth when you try to describe it but trust me it's a lot better when you listen to it and a very serious work..''

THE BLEAK WOODEN TOWER

SOFA SURFERS

2009-04-23T05:38:00.000-07:00

''There must be something in the Vienna water engendering the populace towards creating exquisite electronic and dub music; like both Kruder & Dorfmeister and Fennesz, Sofa Surfers are highly accomplished sound-manipulators. They merge beats and sonics into a seamless whole, veering between electronica, hip/trip hop, dub and reggae ...''

SOFA SURFERS

IGORRR

2009-04-23T05:32:00.000-07:00

Incongruities abound and weirdness lurks behind every other bar on Igorrr's "Poison Soluble." Accordion and harpsichord arrangements vie for supremacy in a bizarre, ever-shifting, organic amalgam of sonic sculpture wherein hard rock guitars and soft porn saxophone solos are the least unexpected of the surprises in store. Abstract, often nonsensical drum lines lend a typically IDM flavour to the record, which otherwise borders uncomfortably close to neo-folk melodic stylings. As a listener, you're never quite sure if you're experiencing Edith Piaf on an aged relative's gramophone, black metal from the depths of the mosh pit, a light afternoon operetta, or a drum machine committing electronic suicide.

POISON SOLUBLE

I'M BACK!!!!!!

2009-04-23T05:30:00.000-07:00

YEAH BABYZ I'M BACK.....

THE RUSSIAN FUTURISTS

2009-03-06T04:25:00.000-08:00

THE METHOD OF MODERN LOVE

LET'S GET READY TO CRUMBLE

OUR THICKNESS

....The Russian Furutists is one of my favourite (one man) bands.Matthew Adam Hart's music
always sounded to me like the missing link between Pet Shop Boys and The Beach Boys,the perfect soundtrack to unfulfilled summer love and a naive tribute to the fleeing youth of all grown ups...

JACK DRAG

2009-03-04T14:06:00.001-08:00

''...Fans of the the Eels, Beck, and Apples in Stereo should fall head over heels for Jack Drag's The Sun Inside. From the song titles to the lo-fi psychedelic pop feel, John Dragonetti pushes all the right buttons in creating tiny symphonies of harmonic delight....''

THE SUN INSIDE

MIKE SHANNON

2009-03-04T14:02:00.001-08:00

''...It brings together the many layers of history that have enveloped techno, and it shows you that techno is growing up, distilling it's own soul down to the purest element ...Futurism. ''

SLIGHT OF HAND

MELTING HOLIDAYS

2009-03-04T13:54:00.001-08:00

''...sunshine pop anthems for the painfully coloured,full of milk and honey..''

SEVEN FAVORITES

JOE PRESTON AND DANIEL MENCHE

2009-03-04T05:24:00.001-08:00

''.....layers expand, contract, and weave within each other in an otherworldly, mysterious dronescape, in a way that feels like a moment of mystical/mythical creation akin to Gyorgy Ligeti s introduction to the monolith, in the film 2001 (or Ash Williams' mispronunciation of the Necronomicon and it s results, if you prefer)....''

CERBERIC DOXOLOGY

JUNE AND THE EXIT WOUNDS

2009-03-04T05:07:00.000-08:00

''..."a little more Haven Hamilton, please" defies easy categorization. It’s not quite baroque-pop (not really sure what that is, but I know it when I hear it), or orch-pop (no major string sections here), and definitely not power pop (Todd left his crunchy guitar at home). It is upbeat and arrangement-intensive sophisticated pop for fans of upper-echelon songwriting. Ok, there’s some Beach Boys influence here. And in the in-some-parallel-universe-this-would-be-a-hit-department, "Let’s Shack Up Together" comes as close to successfully marrying Brian Wilson-like vocal arrangements to naïve pop sentiment as has been attempted since, oh, "Good Vibrations."

A LITTLE MORE HAVEN HAMILTON PLEASE

THE BARBARELLATONES

2009-03-04T04:55:00.000-08:00

Close your eyes and picture this, the Doors getting into a fight with a bunch of dragqueens. What do you hear? You hear the .... Barbarellatones!!!

BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE BARBARELLATONES

JUN MIYAKE

2009-02-28T04:13:00.001-08:00

''Jun Miyake is afraid of nothing! Avant-garde, jazz, Gregorian chant, trip hop, chanson, tango, pop hit, Arabic, Latin American and Asian musical vocabulary. Jun Miyake mixes all of this so creatively that it is overwhelming. Executed by tuba, cello, oud, mandolin, a Bulgarian choir and a multitude of electronic and acoustic percussion from which Miyake extracts the most curious of sounds, there is only one conclusion to come to: anyone who likes the melting of contrasts, who likes Tom Waits, David Sylvian or Chet Baker, should absolutely listen to Stolen from Strangers . Jun Miyake and his acolyte Arto Lindsay take a good portion of creative freedom. They unite what seems impossible to unite; they mix oil and water as if there had never been any problem doing so. Daring without ever running the danger of shaking or stumbling, the duo goes forth unhindered by the shackles of musical genre or stereotype''

STOLEN FROM STRANGERS

ROBERT LOGAN

2009-02-28T04:08:00.001-08:00

''UK producer Robert Logan delivers a second release for the Slowfoot label, who are quick to point out Logan's prior experience working with Grace Jones and Brian Eno, information which is left tantalizingly unelaborated upon. 'Grinder' sounds a bit like Jackson & His Computer Band, bitsmashing its way through high gloss cut and paste electro shapes.''BOOMKAT

GRINDER EP

KOKOLO

2009-02-28T04:04:00.000-08:00

''An amazing new sound from Kokolo -- one that takes their Afro Funk groove, and turns it on a host of James Brown classics -- all with a result that's completely unique! The album's hardly a copycat of James' original style -- and instead, it reworks his funky favorites with a complicated approach to rhythms -- one that shows a rich criss-crossing between JB and Fela modes, almost an echoing amplification of the 70s influences that were passing back and forth between the US and African funk scenes! The vocals are something else entirely -- as rhythmic as the grooves, with a quality that isn't as all-out soulful as James -- but in a good way, as this helps them simmer down nicely with the instrumentation, and throw in a whole new level of counterpoint to the music. We're honestly stunned -- quite surprised and impressed at this turn that Kokolo has taken, reaching forward for a sound that nobody else has touched. Titles include versions of "Mind Power", "The Popcorn", "Soul Power", "The Grunt", "Think", "Bring It Up", and "It's A New Day".''

HEAVY HUSTLING

VARIOUS ARTISTS-FIFTEEN SOUNDS OF THE WAR ON THE POOR VOL.1

2009-02-28T03:58:00.000-08:00

''Ultra-red asks fifteen artists and activists to come up with a one-minute audio recording in response to the question: What is the sound of the war on the poor? The results range from field recordings, re-appropriated sounds, mini-symphonies and spoken rants. Volume 1 features contributions by Alejandra and Aeron, Knut Åsdam, Checkpoint 303, Christopher DeLaurenti, Michelle Dizon, Ashley Hunt, Jack Tactic, Anton Nikkilä, Isabelle Noël, Elliot Perkins, PSBEUYS, Jennifer Rarick, Rural Racism Project, Terre Thaemlitz, Ultra-red. (Note: All are invited to send a one-minute audio recording for upcoming releases: info@ultrared.org)''

FIFTEEN SOUNDS OF THE WAR ON THE POOR VOL.1

VISIT PUBLIC RECORD

THE FAST CAMELS

2009-02-27T04:38:00.001-08:00

''Glasgow four piece The Fast Camels have a sound that is strongly influenced by the point in time when Freakbeat was morphing into full-fledged psychedelia; an intriguing mix of Barrett-era Pink Floyd, The Pretty Things psych-pop period, lots of Rubbles bands and small dollops of Forever Changes period Love. "Collector" types will probably delight in spotting the influences; "The rhythm guitar on track 14 sounds like the second Tomorrow single", etc. This would be to miss the point that the band are writing good original songs in a style that hardly anyone else is playing in. As far as I can recall the last UK band to successfully play in this style was The Chemistry Set. Recorded live with vintage equipment, the sound is highly assured for a debut. The harmonies and catchy hooks of 'The Magic Optician' sound authentic without being a pastiche. The Camels present an eclectic mix, including the short, sweet pop of 'Two Day Week', the Arthur Lee influenced 'Privately Insane', and the driving, memorable 'Big Daddy Smyth''

THE MAGIC OPTICIAN

LORD VICAR

2009-02-27T04:31:00.001-08:00

''Fear no Pain” is the debut full length outing of the Finnish/Swedish/British all-star traditional doom metal act Lord Vicar, featuring Peter Inverted of the now defunct REVEREND BIZARRE on guitars, Hammond and Mellotron, CENTURIONS GHOST drummer Gareth Millsted, ex-SAINT VITUS and COUNT RAVEN singer Christian Lindersson and finally Jussi "Iron Hammer" Myllykoski on bass. WITCHFINDER GENERAL, SAINT VITUS, TROUBLE, PENTAGRAM and to a certain degree CANDLEMASS are known as the first true doom metal bands, influenced by BLACK SABBATH. Lord Vicar is then again heavily influenced by said old school doom metal bands. The announcement of the REVEREND BIZARRE split-up in 2007, resulted in many broken doom metal hearts all over the globe. Unlike many other bands though, REVEREND BIZARRE quit while they still were at the top of their game, and this split-up opened a passage for two new interesting bands; namely Peter Inverted’s Lord Vicar and Albert Witchfinder’s THE PURITAN. Peter and Albert are two incredibly creative souls and 2009 will be a nice year for them both, seeing THE PURITIAN’s first album “Lithium Gates“ is just around the corner.

Fans of REVEREND BIZARRE will immediately recognize the thunderous heavy and groovy wah-ing guitars, creating a crushing wall of sound. While REVEREND BIZARRE’s compositions feature many upbeat sections though, Lord Vicar prefer to maintain a slow pace almost throughout the entire album. This makes Lord Vicar’s music sound closer to SAINT VITUS’ than WITCHFINDER GENERAL and mid-period CATHEDRAL. Few exceptions are to be found though, like the mid-tempo rocker “Pillars Under Water” and especially the 10 minute epic “A Man Called Horse” deserves a mention. This track opens with immensely groovy and up-tempo guitars that churn out quite catchy riffs, without introducing any commercial aspects. In between the fast gallop parts, the song occasionally slows down a lot and introduces pounding rhythms and droned Sabbath-inspired riffing, which will leave no doubt in anybody's mind that this is still doom metal. Around the 3 minute track “A Man Called Horse” surprises with very psychedelic guitar and keyboard solos which add a nice experimental and progressive edge to this very rocking tune.

The main difference between Lord Vicar and REVEREND BIZARRE lies in the atmospheres that the bands try to convey. REVEREND BIZARRE focused more on creating a dark, evil and gloomy atmosphere while Lord Vicar is more concerned about religious aspects of life. For instance, opening track “Down the Nails” is about the Disciple that got crucified after Jesus. He reportedly wanted to be nailed upside down, inverted, and according to the legends he was indeed crucified upside down in the Circus of Nero. Whether the Disciple felt he couldn’t die the same was as his master did or because he wanted a quicker death, is still a mystery, and Lord Vicar convey this ancient atmosphere exceptionally well. Ending song “The Funeral Pyre” is a 14 minute stand out track which could be classified as an ancient sounding ballad. This last song opens with controlled and crisp acoustic guitar work for the first minute and a half, before Chritus joins in with his placid and mournful singing. The electronic instruments kick in after 3 and a half minutes and continues this said and melancholic vibe laid out by the acoustic instruments. About 6 minutes into this colossal tune special guest star Don Angelo Tringali (COLD MOURNING, SLOUGH FEG) plays a fast electric solo and arpeggio, without going over the edge of showing off and flashiness.

”Fear no Pain” is a record that is well worth the time for fans of awesome, unrelenting doom. Plenty of powerful grooves are injected into Lord Vicar’s songs and lush Hammond and Mellotron work in addition to occasional acoustic guitar work are vintage features that bring the listener back to the 70’s when the old masters reigned. The production job is also top-notch and keeps it sounding rough and live while still making all of the tones and performances decipherable.http://www.northernmetal.info/

FEAR NO PAIN

ABSTRACT KEAL AGRAM

2009-02-27T03:06:00.001-08:00

''Third album from the Gaelic trio which takes their fish-eyed lens approach to genre-bending to a pleasing new peak. Opening with 'Bad Thriller' I'm compelled to use a comparison that I loath but another appropriate one escapes me; Abstract Keal Agram are cinematic in their scope. Glad we've got that out the way. Building and building through waves of iridescent instrumentation, 'Bad Thriller' is reminiscent of Telefon Tel Aviv's grander visions where swooping layers are overlaid until it all peaks out into muffled acoustic rectitude. Making sure you don't get too dewy eyed, next track 'Street Lamp Confession' blows away the cobwebs through a Atoms Family (Cannibal Ox) hook-up that would have sat perfectly on Anti-Pop Consortium's 'The Ends Against the Middle' EP. Elsewhere 'Riverie' sees Abstract Keal Agram dabbling in some Phoenix/Midwest Project pop, albeit featuring a half-time show of Prefuse shenanigans, 'Delta Force' drafts in Poor Boy for a Devendra Banhart-style platter of folk whilst 'Yo, Rap' has similar warmth to much more overtly electronic work. Great stuff.''BOOMKAT

BAD THRILLER

FLOATING FLOWER

2009-02-27T03:00:00.000-08:00

Here's a fine package containing two albums recorded for Acid Mothers Temple's own label in '98 and '99 respectively, now re-issued as a limited edition 500-run CD. In the liner notes, Acid Mother's Kawabata Makoto says that his two cohorts (Yuki on vocals/violin/sitar and Keneko Tetsuya on tabla/electric-guitar) are off travelling in India whenever they have the chance, while of course Kawabata himself stays busy with AMT and other side projects, so a reunion may be unlikely.

But still, they've left us 75 minutes worth of classic acid-raga jams of pure psychedelia to feast on, some of the best you're likely to hear anywhere. The entire CD offers little variation in terms of style and pace, the latter of which can make it a bit difficult to take in in one sitting, but one sitting isn't necessary... and it all depends on the listener's frame-of-mind (ahem!) anyway. Kawabata actually attributes most of the accolades to Yuki and Tetsuya, who form the more organic, improvised aspects of the music, while his own main contribution is the rhythm of his patented dreary rainy-day Brit-folk acoustic guitar, as well as electric-guitar on a couple tunes (though his production is obviously integral too). Added to that, wandering psychedelic monks Yuki and Kaneko incessantly improvise by way of her violin and space-wails and his tabla and guitar. Speaking of guitar, whether by Kaneko or Kawabata, the electric stuff is exquisitely lilting ether-travelling wails, comparable to the Spacious Mind. Yuki's vocal-as-instrument appears on all tracks, is present most of the time, and while a bit overused and monotonous, there are moments when she lifts the pitch and intensity level.

Occasionally this trio reaches peaks of improvised psychedelic fluidity comparable to Hawkwind's "You Know You're Only Dreaming" or Amon Düül II's "Wie der Wind am Ende einer Strasse". "Johsho Kiryu" and "Wave Ring" are a couple great tunes which, among others, seem to feature what I was sure were synth or tronics, but if not, as the liners indicate, it's some of the best pedal-proccessed guitar-tricks I've ever heard. The former adds tuneful and timely sitar, while the latter's stubbornly simple tabla/acoustic-guit rhythm draws you in before the aforementioned synth-wobbles are introduced to intensify the mood as things gradually speed up. "Fuwa Fuwa" is a colossal jam of 14 minutes, starting off with acoustic strumming like Zeppelin's "Gallows Pole", before heading off into the wandering minds and fingers of the three, a trance-inducing tabla-driven foray, which progresses very subtley, Yuki's vocal getting pretty intense at one point, the violin and guitar sounding as delicate and harmonious as ever. "Walk in the Air" is another lovely piece, accentuated by a delicious embellishment sounding more like flute or clarinet. And so on... the music seems to get better as the disc progresses. "Desert" has another Zeppelin 3-ish folk theme to it, again courtesy of Kawabata.

Indeed, if there was ever an album to make you run for the dope, incense and colored lights, this is it. All I could do was scrape my pipe, but fortunately I still felt quite satisfied by the aural trip. This review was supposed to appear in July's edition of A-I, so I hope there are still some copies left. If not, maybe that's a good thing, as a second pressing would be in order. Though only several years old, probably the original vinyls are nearly as obscure and coveted as a lot of albums from psychedelia's golden age.From Aural Innovations #21 (October 2002)

1ST & 2ND

VARIOUS ARTISTS-WILD SAZANAMI BEAT! VOL.1

2009-02-27T02:53:00.000-08:00

''...Sazanami Records specializes in Neo Mod-Surf-Trash-R'n'R-Exotic-Beat-Garage sounds and this is the first of a number of combilations showing its wornderful Go-Go universe...

WILD SAZANAMI BEAT! VOL.1

VARIOUS ARTISTS-THE MISC FIASCO COMP.

2009-02-25T12:22:00.000-08:00

''...If you know anything about MISC then you can probably guess what this tape is like. Just imagine an endless spew of google searches as audio splooge. This is tape funny at times, garish and stupid at others. Then it kicks you in the nuts with a harsh noise blasts.''ANONYMOUS NOISE REVIEWS

THE MISC FIASCO

ANNEA LOCKWOOD/RUTH ANDERSON

2009-02-25T12:19:00.000-08:00

''...the roar of a Hawaiian volcano, the prolonged boom of an under-ocean earthquake, the quick blips of a pulsar in the Vela Supernovathese are the more exotic sounds Lockwood has wovenintoher tapestry "World Rhythms." What separates her work from musique concrte is that the attention is drawn, not to the sound construction she's made, but to the universe ouside our perceptual framework, no matter how sensuous the results. As you listen, reality overwhelms you. the fact makes her a more importand electronic pioneer than she's yet been given credit for. Anderson's "i come out of your sleep" is no horror-flick soundtrack, but a meditation piece of slowly whispered phonemes at the threshold of hearing."
VILLAGE VOICE

SINOPAH

''BLUE'' GENE TYRANNY

2009-02-25T12:16:00.001-08:00

''.....my favorite avant garde pop record,with all the sublime kitch and profoundly ironic relish of pure postmodern moment..'' THE WIRE

OUT OF THE BLUE

EGYPTIAN LOVER

2009-02-25T12:05:00.001-08:00

''...Egyptian Lover has some of the best record covers ever, put out a big pocketful of electro classics, and was even humble enough to come DJ at our small East Village shop last year. This is his greatest hits collection from 1989 (peep the benzo-coupe steez) and comfortably falls into the category of "fucking electro essential." Not only that, when Egyptian Lover put this together, he picked his favorite mixes from the singles, so you're getting full 12" mixes or 12" dub versions. Of course, you gotta have the 12" version of "Egypt Egypt." The 12" dub mix of "Freak-A-Holic" is a huge score, and by all accounts, this was the track that brought the house down during his show at Studio B. The dub mix of "Girls" is begging for a revival, I totally forgot about how dope this song was until EL played it at our store. You even get "Alezby Inn" (Remodeled Vocal Version), one of EL's more pop-like moments. I could probably name-check ever song on here, but I'll just leave you with "My House On The Nile" and you'll know why he's called The Egyptian Lover. 8 tracks total. Recommended....''

KING OF ECSTASY

FOLKSONGS FOR THE AFTERLIFE

2009-02-25T12:01:00.001-08:00

"Dream-pop merchants from Brooklyn make LP debut> For those under the impression that the current Brooklyn scene consists entirely of garage-rock rehashes and electroclash posing, the lazy, hazy sound of Folksongs For The Afterlife will set you straight. Like some otherworldly combination of Mazzy Star and vintage My Bloody Valentine, they employ wan female vocals and layers of moody guitar in a mind-bending manner whereby even the uptempo songs feel like ballads. Without venturing into overproduction, ‘Put Danger Back In Your Life’ conjures a rich sound capable of carrying you off into the daydream of your choice.” -Uncut Magazine

PUT DANGER BACK IN YOUR LIFE

CENSUS OF HALLUCINATIONS

2009-02-25T11:59:00.001-08:00

''Third album from this very prolific band which contains members of The Rabbit's Hat, Body Full Of Stars, Stan and Mr Quimby's Beard. They make a varied kind of music which incorporates spacerock, prog, psych, blues, ambient and experimental. Subject matter ranges from the hypocrisy of politicians to dreamlike/fantastical images. A couple of the tracks are along the lines of the sophisticated melodic rock typical of The Rabbit's Hat, but most of this album is of a more strange/experimental nature. ''

THE 3RD EYE

BADAWI

2009-02-25T11:56:00.001-08:00

''On this, his second full length release for Asphodel, Raz Mesinai finds his Badawi spectre offering what may truly be considered his piece de resistance. Spires of piano, flute, violin, and cello rise up over Saharan expanses of percussion to create a vibrant and emotionally charged soundscape. Mesinai, joined by such notable performers as violinist Eyving Kang and guitarist Marc Ribot, has composed an album that travels the distance from dub to jazz, tabla to drone, manifesting his nomadic shifts from Jerusalem to New York City and his conceptual shift from Sub Dub to Badawi. Culturally informed analog and digital distortions from the divinities to the avant garde yield this beautifully crafted call to the intimate sanctuary of sound. Safe continues Badawi's renowned sound clash style, layering the desolation of the desert with the comfort of a captivating beat.''

SAFE

UVA

2009-02-25T11:26:00.000-08:00

''...the music itself is sometimes minimal and linear, other times multiplexed, bearing drastic shifts and transients. It is also at times purely danceable and others utterly stunning.
Fission observes and detects the current mutations of techno in a purely idiosyncratic style and manner. It conveys visions and senses of a world to come..''

FISSION

BUY HERE

PETER REHBERG

2009-02-22T22:17:00.000-08:00

It's fascinating to realize how electronic music, puppetry, literature, theatre and dance come together in the projects documented here.

WORK FOR GV

HAMILTON YARNS

2009-02-22T22:07:00.000-08:00

"Like a journey through bewitched, colourful and magically fascinating sceneries that you rarely pass. Yes, the first diving experiences, even if it is only snorkling, are a great metaphor for this."

FAREWELL SPARKLETS

THE LICKETS

2009-02-22T22:02:00.000-08:00

best described as a bizarre analog electronic film score. The album's intimate approach blends acoustic instrumentation with ambient drones, hypnotic loops, and Bacharach style pop in a lo-fi texture that sounds like a lost AM radio broadcast in an alternate dimension of 1973.

Beginners Guide to the Lickets

TANGTYPE

2009-02-20T14:09:00.000-08:00

Around these saturated atmospheres that neither Tim Hecker nor Fennesz would disavow come to join familiar acoustic instruments (violin, percussions) among which the guitar plays an essential part. The sweet and soothing feeling which results from the listening of ` Flake Out' would not be complete without the presence of Julie’s voice, sometimes high pitched, sometimes distilled in a shivering breath. In the middle of atmospheres reminding sometimes Midaircondo, sometimes Davide Balula, Tangtype invites us to have a drink at ‘La reine du Sandwich’ by introducing field-recording or transportes us in the heart of the Konono n°1 tribe thanks to thumbpiano (likembé). No doubt, you won’t regret the trip !

FLAKE OUT

JOHANNA BEYER

2009-02-20T14:07:00.001-08:00

Johanna Beyer is a composer who has been woefully neglected. As the composer of what many consider to have been the first electronic piece (Music of the Spheres, 1938), it's amazed me how little one hears of her. I first became enamored with the 1938 work on a landmark LP with new music by women composers, and am delighted that New World Records is making a lot of Beyer's music available in a recent 2-CD set. The recordings provide a really nice overview of Beyer s music since 1930 (her pre-1930 music remains unknown). Beyer was a contemporary of Charles and Ruth Crawford Seeger, Henry Cowell and other American "experimentalists" of that era, and her music was very much ahead of its time. She ultimately developed ALS and, along with a worsening relationship with Cowell after his release from prison, made her last years tragic and unfortunate. Fortunately for us, however, we have these 2 CDs with a good deal of Beyer's music in extremely sympathetic and skillful performances. Of all the music on the album, the two string quartets particularly stand out. While the fourth movement of String Quartet No. 1 have been described in terms that make it seem proto-minimalist, I'm struck more by its use of repetitive glissandi than its stasis. The string writing reminds me of the one performance I heard years ago of John Becker's string quartet, another amazing piece that I wish were heard more often (note to performers: I'll die a lot happier if I could hear the Becker again, it's that good). The two works for clarinet solo are gems, as is the piece for contrabass and piano. In fact, all the pieces on these discs are incredible finds, and belong in any new music aficionado's playlist. I've wanted to hear more of Beyer's music since hearing that early electronic piece of hers, and now want to hear the remainder of her oeuvre. -David Toub --sequenza21.com

STICKY MELODIES

THE SUN

2009-02-20T13:59:00.001-08:00

“…jerks from punkified garage rock to jittery psychedelia to dewy eyed acoustic folk, with songwriting smarts and deft instrumental touches in ample supply.

BLAME IT ON THE YOUTH

THOMAS ANDERS

2009-02-20T13:55:00.000-08:00

The former voice of Modern Talking adds his own signature to his favorite tunes from the last half of the 20th Century (with emphasis on the 80's, his most successful decade). All are popular covers except the title tune which was written expressly for this project

SONGS FOREVER

VAMPYRE STATE BUILDING/VELVETONE

2009-02-20T13:51:00.001-08:00

Vampyre State come on like a moonshine fuelled Cajun version of MC5 whilst Velvetone offer a much more laid back approach crooning through their offering with undercurrents of hidden menace.

199 HOT/MOONSTRUCK

GARLO

2009-02-20T13:49:00.001-08:00

''54 guitars placed on the summit of the highest sand dune in Europe. The magical song of hundreds of strings vibrating only under the wind's touch, immense sound bands crossed by harmonic waves, and by eddys of frequencies... This is Vent de Guitares, a geo-acoustic creation, a work of land art where the ephemeral act and the climatic uncertainty generate a timeless music.''

VENT DE GUITARES

ETEREO EXPANDEUM CLUB

2009-02-20T13:47:00.001-08:00

''the second cd by these two talented brothers. fine electronics again, "smooth breaks", slow hypnotic rhythms and minimal avalanche of electronic noise.''

AT HI-FI HOME

COLTNOI

2009-02-20T09:22:00.001-08:00

..A' side 7'' hosting the mutant talents of Coti K and Voltnoi reworking on Dead Kennedys
infamous anthem..some distributors of a country we all know ,adviced Coltnoi to put a
sticker on the unfolding cover of the 7'' because it showed the statue of liberty hailing like a Nazi...thanks god they didn't send their Terminator Governor to kick their ass..Lucky Greeks!

CALIFORNIA UBER ALLES

KARIN KROG

2009-02-20T09:18:00.000-08:00

''Magnificent work from European jazz vocalist Karin Krog -- a landmark album that shows why she sings like no other singer! On this 1974 session, Karin moves far beyond the standard jazz of her roots -- into territory that's spacey, cosmic, and filled with the best influences bubbling underground in the Euro scene of the 70s. The backing group features Steve Kuhn on keyboards, Steve Swallow on bass, and Jon Christensen on drums -- all working out these beautiful modal patterns that unlock Karin's cool and icy vocals. The tunes are all pretty incredible too -- vocal versions of originals by Kuhn, like "Meaning Of Love", "Sometime To Go", and "Raindrops Raindrops"; a very cool version of Joni Mitchell's "All I Want", a rare Jon Hendricks' lyrical version of JJ Johnson's "Lament", and a sweet and breezy take on the Michel Colombier tune "We Could Be Flying"!DUSTY GROOVE AMERICA

WE COULD BE FLYING

DEAD HOLLYWOOD STARS

2009-02-20T09:16:00.000-08:00

''Dead Hollywood Stars play country & western from the other side. The saloon is deserted, the dried bushes roll along Main Street, a door slowly creaks in the dry wind. There--a hesitant banjo riff. The echo of an automatic piano. The dead are waking up in the ghost town'' IGLOO

GONE WEST

TOMOGRAFIA ASSIALE COMPUTERIZZATA

2009-02-20T09:12:00.000-08:00

''Tomografia Assiale Computerizzata began as a one-man-band hiding the multi-instrumentist and sound engineer Simon Balestrazzi, which would later join Kino Glaz, Kirlian Camera, Bron Y Aur and features a very peculiar, Nurse With Wound-ish sound interbreeding such diverse styles as no-wave, electronic experimentation, progressive rock, radical improvisation and post-punk.
The rattling, crunchy guitar sound isn't far from Fred Frith's distinctive style in his no-wave project Massacre, and the shattered jazzy orbits it follows are quite close too. The telluric funk-punk basslines contribute creating bony, deconstructed pieces with everchanging rhythms and meters. Then come the electronic incursions of polluted radio frequencies and background buzzes, which give the music an eerie, dismantled feeling.
The lyrics are often quasi-nonsensical, but reflect the aftermath of the strong political engagement of the Seventies. Repetition and obsessive rants are the key elements of Balestrazzi's neurotic vocal style.
T.A.C. sound is completed by occasional free saxophone bursts, atonal piano figures and sparse folkloric remindings. The final result is something between Henry Cow, This Heat, The Work, with a more sinister, industrial mood.''

IL TEATRO DELLA CRUDELTA

VARIOUS ARTISTS-KALORIFEUR,KING OF COMPLAINTS,LITERAL X,ANAL VISSI

2009-02-20T08:56:00.001-08:00

KALORIFEUR-WITHIN THE HERMITAGE

KING OF COMPLAINTS-CHRISTMAS SONG

LITERAL X-LITERAL X

PS STAMPS BACK VS ANAL VISSI-HOMEFUCKING IS KILLING PROSTITUTION

....straight from the depths of Greek Underground four cds that will make you go hmmm..
First the droney,atonal,experimental approach of sound collagists Kalorifeur,the Christmas home
warmth of the King Of Complaints,the somehow Amon Tobin-ish hip hop nightmares of Literal X
and last but not least the industrial techno vibrators called Anal Vissi,listen and you will not regret...

KITEPHONICS

2009-02-20T08:48:00.000-08:00

......the alter ego of the brilliant Fantastikoi Hxoi in an ep of celestial landscapes
and machine made nostalgia...

PAINTED EGGS HATCH

BARK PSYCHOSIS

2009-02-20T05:49:00.001-08:00

Well, imagine Talk Talk's Spirit Of Eden filtered through the last decade of dance music and avant-guitar noise and then transposed onto the crepuscular metropolis that is night-time London and you'll be getting there.

A STREET SCENE

BLUE SCREEN

2009-02-20T05:46:00.000-08:00

Jon Hassell & Bluescreen: Jon Hassell (vocals, trumpet, keyboards); Joe Gore (guitar); Pete Scaturro (bass, keyboards, drum programming); Brain (drums, percussion); BLK Lion (samples, programming).

Additional personnel: Islam Shabazz (vocals, bass); Leslie Winer, Zoe Ellis (vocals); Gregg Arreguin (guitar); Kenny Garrett (saxophone); Greg Kurstin (piano); Jamie Muhoberac (synthesizer); Trevor Dunn (acoustic bass); Flea, Peter Freeman, Buckethead (bass); Adam Rudolph (drums, percussion); Lee Curreri (programming); DJ Grand Shogun KB (scratches).

Recorded at Mutron Studios, San Francisco, California between July and December, 1993; Urban Beach Studio, Venice, California in December, 1993; West Hollywood, California in November, 1989.

Hassell has extracted the crunchy and dense rhythmic base from the mechanics of dark urban musics--most specifically hip-hop--jettisoned the violent misogyny, and essentially mutated everything else. What oozes out of your speakers is the some of the "freshest" stuff he's done in an already long and mercurial career. Here, Hassell plays straight, with no MIDI chaser--although electronics purr below the toxic grooves. For the most part, he's playing his famous trumpet sans technology. The kicker is that he's come up with some amazing music, aided and abetted by his new ensemble Bluescreen.

There exists a vague aesthetic link between DRESSING FOR PLEASURE and a good chunk of Bill Laswell's Axiom catalog, but nothing of this ilk has ever seen daylight before. Sample the polymorphous-ly perverse Arabic twists of "Destination Bakiff," the AGHARTA gut-bucket funk of "Club Zombie," or the Egyptian guitar strut of "Mati." Hassell was ahead of the pack when he first probed the Fourth World diaspora. Here, he applies the same exploratory sense of purpose to the concrete jungle--with devastating results.

DRESSING FOR PLEASURE

BOBBY CONN

2009-02-20T05:44:00.001-08:00

Bobby Conn is weird, weird, weird. It is a testament to either his startling originality (or his aforementioned weirdness) that both his singing voice and his personality can only be described as a cross between a sex-crazed Elvis impersonator and a television evangelist. With Conn's penchant for sex and self-promotion, combined with his manic obsession with tempo, rhythm, and instrumentation shifts, even this four-song EP is a wild roller coaster ride through one man's self-indulgence. The opener, "Free Love," begins with a line of childish bells over a '50s surf riff; strange enough, but then the song morphs -- first into a James Brown-style funk fest, and then into a church-hall sermon with Conn howling "Reach out and touch each other!/Reach out and taste another!" all the while. Track two finds Conn softly crooning (in flawless French) over a squealing Moog for several minutes before his duet partner launches into a rap-funk monologue that abruptly segues into a distorted guitar lead. Throw in bizarre covers of Badfinger's "Without You" and Caetano Veloso's "Maria B" and you've got one unusual record. However, Conn's genius lies not in his fractured ideas or his dizzying genre-hopping, but in his replay value: When the album stops spinning all you want to do is hit "repeat" and ride it all over again. ~ Ari Wiznitzer, All Music Guide

Llovessonngs