sobota, 26 grudnia 2009

CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG - IRM [2009]



"It is a measure of the extraordinary esteem in which she is held that Charlotte Gainsbourg, one of the brightest stars of modern French cinema, should make an album in partnership with such luminaries as Jarvis Cocker, the French duo Air, The Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon and celebrated English producer Nigel Godrich. Her third album has been produced by Beck and was released in France on the 7th of December.
The album, called ‘5:55’, represents a return to the studio for an artist who made her recording debut at the age of 13. Indeed, that first album came around the same time Charlotte made her film debut. Perhaps such burgeoning talents were always deeply embedded in her DNA – she is the daughter of legendary French poet and singer Serge Gainsbourg and the English actress Jane Birkin, herself one of France’s most cherished celebrities.
Charlotte’s debut album, simply called ‘Charlotte Forever’, was a collection of songs written by her father. Lavishly received in France, the album hinted at the possibility of a long recording career. Instead, however, it was the cinema that gripped Charlotte’s attention.
She made her movie debut with ‘Parole et Musique’, the first of some 30 or so films that have established her awesome reputation as one of the most beguiling screen actresses of her generation, feted by directors across Europe. At the age of 15, for instance, Charlotte won a Cesar, the French equivalent of an Oscar and an accolade she was to win again the following decade." LAST.FM
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FIELD MUSIC - MEASURE [2010]



"Field Music is an experimental pop band from Sunderland, UK, formed by brothers Peter and David Brewis and their schoolfriend, pianist Andrew Moore. They have recently reconvened after an extended hiatus with a new line-up featuring guitarist/keyboardist Kev Dosdale and bass player Ian Black (Andrew having taken time out to train as a chef). A new double album is due to be released in February 2010.
The band’s first album, the eponymous “Field Music”, was released in 2005, followed in 2006 by a collection of b-sides and early tracks entitled ‘Write Your Own History’. During this time they toured with fellow bands from the North East England, such as Maximo Park and The Futureheads, as well as sonic adventurers from further afield, including Melbourne’s Architecture in Helsinki and Portland’s Menomena.
In 2007, they released ‘Tones of Town’, a critically acclaimed song cycle, which captured a particularly English variety of post-industrial frustration. However, sensing that a quick follow-up could lead to a dilution of ideas and purpose, the band announced a hiatus shortly after the album was released. In this time Peter and David each released solo albums as The Week That Was and School of Language respectively.
All of their albums were self-produced at their own ‘8Music’ studio in Sunderland"
LAST.FM
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SIGUR RÓS - TÍU LIFANDI [A CELEBRATION OF TEN YEARS OF LIVE MUSIC] [2009]



"Sigur Rós is an icelandic post-rock band. The name is derived from the name of lead vocalist Jónsi Birgisson’s little sister Sigurrós. According to their website, it is pronounced “si-ur roas (as in roast).” They hail from the same creative and vibrant Icelandic music scene as múm and Amiina. They released their first ever foray into film-making with their tour documentary, Heima in late 2007.
Jón Þór (Jónsi) Birgisson, Georg Hólm and Ágúst Ævar Gunnarsson formed the group in Reykjavík, Iceland in August 1994. They soon won a record deal with a local record label, Smekkleysa (Bad Taste). In 1997, they released Von (Hope) and in 1998 a remix collection named Von Brigði. The name is Icelandic wordplay: Vonbrigði means “disappointment”, but Von brigði means “hope alteration”. (In English, the album is sometimes known by the alternative name “Recycle Bin”.)
International acclaim came with 1999’s Ágætis byrjun (“An alright start”) for which the band were joined by Kjartan Sveinsson. The album’s reputation slowly spread by word of mouth over the next two years. Soon many critics worldwide hailed it as one of the best albums of its time and the band was playing with Radiohead and other big names. Drummer Ágúst left the band after the recording of Ágætis Byrjun and was replaced by Orri Páll Dýrason."
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THE FIELD - YESTERDAY AND TODAY REMIXE [2009]



"The Field is a minimal techno artist, based in Stockholm, Sweden.
His music comes from tiny loops of pop history. It might actually be an older brother to the Cologne movement Pop Ambient - the sentimental brother who is never content with being in the background, the one with the heart on his sleeve. To clarify: The Field makes dance music. The edges are soft, the mood often romantic, the sounds moving up, up from the ground. As ”minimal” as a sunset, as ”banging” as a pillow.
In 2005, Willner submitted a demo tape to the German indie label Kompakt and was subsequently signed. He released his first 12”, a demo mixtape of Norwegian singer Annie’s “Heartbeat”, as well as the track “Things Keep Falling Down”.
In 2006, “Sun & Ice” 12” was released. Later in 2007, Wilner became the first musician to take part in the Nordic Light Hotel’s “Sound of Light” concept. After staying at the hotel, Wilner used the experience as the basis for his EP of the same name. His 2007 album “From Here We Go Sublime” has met high critical acclaim." LAST.FM
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środa, 23 grudnia 2009

THE FLAMING LIPS - THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON [2009]




"According to an L.A. Times report, the Flaming Lips are set to follow-up their life- (and death)-affirming LP Embryonic with a full-album redo of Pink Floyd's gazillion-selling 1973 psych-rock classic Dark Side of the Moon.
The Lips version of Dark Side is a collaboration with the band Stardeath and White Dwarfs (which includes Wayne Coyne's nephew Dennis Coyne as a member), and features guest spots from Henry Rollins and Peaches. It will most probably be an iTunes-only release.
The announcement was made last night during a Q&A session with fans at a MySpace show last night at L.A.'s Nike/Ricardo Montalbán Theater.
Other tidbits revealed: While Embryonic was the final album of the Flaming Lips' current contract with Warner Bros., they plan on sticking with the label for future releases.
Also, the video for "Watching the Planets" features a nude Wayne Coyne (as well as a bunch of nude bikers). The internet's not ready." PITCHFORK
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poniedziałek, 21 grudnia 2009

LOS CAMPESINOS! - ROMANCE IS BORING [2010]



"Los Campesinos! are an indie pop band which formed in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom in 2006. The band consists of Gareth Campesinos! (vocals, glockenspiel, keyboards), Kim Campesinos! (vocals, keyboards), Tom Campesinos! (guitar, vocals, keyboards), Neil Campesinos! (guitar), Ellen Campesinos! (bass, vocals), Harriet Campesinos! (violin, keyboards, vocals) and Ollie Campesinos! (drums). Aleksandra Campesinos! (vocals, keyboards, glockenspiel) left the band in 2009 to focus on her study. She was replaced by Gareth’s sister Kim in September 2009. The band’s name translates to “The Peasants” (or “The Farmers”) in Spanish.
The band performed their first gig in May 2006 at a student union club night, and went on to play a number of increasingly well-received gigs around Cardiff. An early demo was recorded featuring the songs Death To Los Campesinos!, It Started With a Mixx, Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks, and live favourite You! Me! Dancing!. The songs were posted on the internet, bolstering the popularity established by their energetic live shows and earning them airplay on Beth & Huw’s evening show on BBC Radio 1 Wales. The band’s reputation continued to grow, and in August 2006 landed them a slot supporting Canadian supergroup Broken Social Scene.
In November 2006, the band were signed by Wichita Recordings, who put out their first single on 26 February 2007, a double A-side featuring new songs We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives and Don’t Tell Me To Do The Math(s). In April the band signed to Canadian label Arts & Crafts for Canadian and North American releases. In June 2007 the band released You! Me! Dancing! on limited edition 7” coloured vinyl, accompanied by a handful of dates playing Bath, Newport, Cardiff and London." LAST.FM

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piątek, 18 grudnia 2009

SWANS - THE GREAT ANNIHILATOR [1995]



"After a three-year break occasioned in part by wrangles with the Sky label, Swans returned in 1995 with a vengeance, as always pursuing their unique muse of dramatic, ever-more textured music. Gira and Jarboe work with a fantastic core band this time out, including returning veteran Westberg, who trades off guitar duties with Steele, at points playing together with him, a magnificent combination. Other returning musicians include Kizys and Parsons, while newer players like drummer Bill Rieflin from the Chicago Wax Trax! circle join as well. As is par for the course by now, Swans seem incapable of producing a bad album, Annihilator being crammed full of astonishing songs to prove it. Everything's a little more stripped-down here, possibly due to having a central band, but it's still all very lushly arranged and created, perfectly balancing force and restraint. Leadoff single "Celebrity Lifestyle" is one of the catchiest things the band has ever done, but it's still uniquely Swans -- a minimal, throbbing song matched with a sharp lyric on starlust and what it might mean. "I Am the Sun" pounds as hard as any early Swans track, but the use of careful space between blasts, Gira's heavily echoed, out-of-nowhere vocal (accentuated by equally vivid background vocals from Jarboe), and tempo shifts clearly demonstrates the constantly evolving nature of Swans music; the band is never content to simply repeat the past. Jarboe's own standout tracks include "Mother/Father," a brawling number showcasing both her and the band at their full-on best, and "My Buried Child," with her softly husked take on a terrifying Gira lyric, which is carried by a roiling rhythm. This is followed immediately by the sweeping, cinematic "Warm," where she contributes wordless vocals. Once again, Swans have created an epic, incredible work of art." AMG

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DÄLEK - ABSENCE [2005]



"I'm at a bit of a loss as to how to describe Dälek's third album without making it sound repetitive and boring, two things it most certainly isn't. Whereas many modern hip-hop albums spill over with infectious beats and sci-fi sounds, and draw variety from a wide array of hired-in producers and guest spots, this does the opposite: It's the product of just three guys-- Dälek, Oktopus, and Still-- and the entire record is built around essentially a couple of simple beats with slight yet important variations.
Dälek have a knack for taking basic elements and sculpting them differently every time, a controlled, deliberate attack designed for pinpoint destruction and insight. They can turn a sheet of blistering, white-hot skree into a convincing hook simply by attaching it to the right part of the beat and controlling the volume and density of the noise, allowing Dälek's complex, considered rhymes to weave their way through the tangle. Here, the harsh, cavernous textures coating the songs are ostensibly all dissonant, droning walls of noise cut through with scratches and samples.
The templates of Dälek's tracks are augmented by an incredible wealth of detail in both their beats and backdrops. Cascading flumes of gutter noise torment the edges of "Asylum (Permanent Underclass)": They heave and bend, wavering in pitch and contorting into snatches of tortured melody. Close listening reveals that the squall is actually a tight cluster of dozens of drones, added and subtracted to mold the music into grit-teethed crescendos and dizzying passages of spiraling, exquisitely controlled chaos.
Dälek the MC spits head-spinning verses like "Who trades his culture for dollars/ The fool or the scholar/ Griot, poet, or white collar" ("Culture for Dollars") and "Seen your movements through peripheral/ Remain same individual/ When a man's viewed as criminal to act animal is logical" ("Distorted Prose"). There's nary a nod to sex or personal enrichment, and in fact he opens the album by rapping, a cappela, "Broke stride as last of men realized their deep deceit/ This troubling advance of half-assed crews crowd these streets," a broad and open indictment of what he seems to see as hip-hop straying from its early ideals.
In "Eyes to Form Shadows", he speeds up his flow as melody is forcibly wrenched from queasy, metallic tones, before culminating with "Addicts move in slow increments within granite/ Hands bound and damaged are weapons we brandish/ Deemed savage by masses/ When this anger's just average." Dälek's unsatisfied with nearly everything-- and politics are no exception. On "Asylum", he skewer administration arrogance and fear-mongering with clear-eyed and direct lyrics that avoid the tendency toward opaque abstraction that bogs down so much underground hip-hop.
Crunching along in an endlessly innovative fashion, Absence seems old-school in its simplicity, clarity and forthrightness, but sounds futuristic. And although the album is full of abstract noise and painstaking sound sculpture, the no-nonsense approach to beat-making and Dälek's modest flow make this album more accessible than its presecessor, 2002's From Filthy Tongue of Gods and Griots. That album had higher peaks than this one, but Absence is more consistently engaging-- and another powerful statement from one of modern hip-hop's greatest crews." PITCHFORK

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FOUR TET - ROUNDS [2003]



"For his solo projects, Fridge's Kieran Hebden is a lo-fi experimentalist who, had he been recording 15 years ago, would've been cranking out songs on a four-track recorder instead of a laptop. As demonstrated on his third record, Rounds, he's one of the few musicians capturing all the promise inherent in computer science -- being able to summon, manipulate, and mix any sound imaginable. The record offers something to nearly every audience that could approach it, with a bit of a groove for electronic fans, an obtuse sense of music-making for experimentalists, and a dreamy melodicism sure to endear it to indie-pop fans. The opener, "Hands," is especially breathtaking; it begins with a few seconds of drum samples, surgically inserted and ill-timed, but opens into a warm, melodic production with a simple frame-kit beat outlining Hebden's guitar-and-keyboard atmospherics. "My Angel Rocks Back and Forth" features a music-box melody playing against softly shaded backmasked guitar and a subdued, grating percussion line reminiscent of an iron lung. The nine-minute "Unspoken" alternates guitar and piano playing the same beatific melody, over another simple beat and tambourine claps. Though Rounds is experimental by nature, Kieran Hebden's gift for melody and emotional shading allows his records to be enjoyed by an audience wider than merely experimental listeners." AMG

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ASVA - FUTURISTS AGAINSTS THE OCEAN [2005]



"For those who are paying attention to the doom metal scene, Futurist's Against the Ocean sells itself without one note being heard. Just look at who is involved and their pedigree: G. Stuart Dahlquist from Sunn 0))) on bass, B.R.A.D. from Burning Witch on drums and vocals, and Trey Spruance from Mr. Bungle on guitar, piano, and tubular bells. Rounding out the lineup is John Schuller from Master Musicians of Bukkake on guitar, Jessika Kenney from Gamelan Pacifica on vocals, and Troy Swanson on organ. If that was not enough to get the salivary glands pumping, Billy Anderson is behind the producer's desk like he was for High on Fire, Sleep, and Melvins. For those familiar with the names, Asva's sound should come as no surprise. But where other avant-metal supergroups (Fantômas, for example, or Tomahawk) don't deliver on their promise, Asva takes a glorious heavy racket, removed from the regular tropes of the doom scene enough to make both this group and this album something really special. The opening track, "Kill the Dog, Tie Them Up, Then Take the Money," is the most conventional track, moving at a glacial pace, with guitars inching from one note to the next, almost as if the metallic drone of the amps were playing through the guitars, and not the other way around. But by track three, "Fortune," the ambience has taken over, and the metal melts away. Droning organ, loping bass, and spiders-on-the-fretboard guitar scrapings set the scene for Kenney's vocals. More operatic (think Diamanda Galás) than tortured (like Khanate's Alan Dubin), Kenney's pure tones are easier on the ear than the scene-standard barked whisper/growling. This leads right into the epic closer, "By the Well of Living and Seeing," which melds the ambience of "Fortune" and the droning assault of "Kill the Dog" to Kenney's multi-tracked chanting vocals and a guitar straight out of an Ennio Morricone score. It is a perfect summation of the album, and Asva's sound in general: operatic ambient western doom metal, to pin words on it. Recommended heartily for those interested in the avant-metal scene." AMG

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SUPERSILENT - 6 [2003]



"Play it over and over, and you will still find amazing things in Supersilent's 6. The level of unspoken understanding, interplay, and clarity of vision in experimentation is now beyond words. This album was put together from four days of improvisations in the studio. The digipack case doesn't mention the group members to reinforce the idea of a collective effort, but the press release confirms that the lineup has remained the same: Helge Sten (aka Deathprod) on electronics, Ståle Storløkken on keyboards and synthesizers, Jarle Vespestad on drums, and Arve Henriksen on trumpet and electronics. The music follows the ambient path laid down in 5, while adding more textural noise and hypnotic rhythms. Deathprod has selected a captivating set that unfolds delicately, immersing the listener on an hourlong journey. Unrehearsed and improvised as they may be, these pieces sound scripted at the very least, the individual interventions too well timed not to be planned ahead. Henriksen's sparse trumpet calls in "6.2" and his soft singing over light distorted piano in "6.6" provide memorable moments. In the fourth piece, the group finds an irresistible momentum propelled by Vespestad's drumming, the kind of freight-train-to-outer-space drive that should send all members of Godspeed You Black Emperor! back to their bedrooms. Supersilent simply does it better, without the irritating poise. Highly recommended to dreamers, droners, and avant rock lovers." AMG

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MOZERGUSH - FAIRYTALE ALCOTRIPS [2007]



MOZERGUSH is a doom metal band from Ukraine.

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BRAINBOMBS - GENIUS AND BRUTALITY... TASTE AND POWER [1994]



"Brainbombs are a noise rock group from Hudiksvall, Sweden formed around 1986. The band consists of Dan Råberg, Peter Råberg, Jonas Tiljander, Drajan Bryngelsson and Lanchy Orre. Drajan and Lanchy also play in the punk band Totalitär. In 1986 Brainbombs appeared on two underground compilation albums, “Unveiled” on Mechanik Cassettes and “In the Shadow of Death” on Cold Meat Industries. Soon after they released their first single “Jack the Ripper Lover”. Between 1986 and 1992 they had a few more singles and compilation appearances before releasing their first full-length album “Burning Hell” on Big Ball Records. Throughout the 90s they released three more albums: “Obey”, “Genius and Brutality… Taste and Power” and “Urge to Kill”, as well as some more singles and EPs. In the 2000s they continued releasing singles but didn’t release another full-length record until 2008’s “Fucking Mess”. Most recently they have released another single titled “Substitute for Flesh”. Brainbombs have been infamous not only for their abrasive music but their extremely explicit lyrics, depicting rape, murder and child molestation among other things. Despite only being able to produce limited releases and do small tours, Brainbombs have been continuously active since their formation in 1986" LAST.FM

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BAND OF SUSANS - LOVE AGENDA [1989]



"While Page Hamilton's work on guitar here is often referenced in stories about Helmet, the fact is that Band of Susans is very much Poss and Stenger's band, and the at-times grotesquely grinding feel of Hamilton's later work is thankfully missing in favor of the more intricate while still powerful music here. The group's second full album is one of those creations of its time which ages well rather than just sounding dated. Though you can easily imagine the band in its particular late-eighties New York context right from the first track, "The Pursuit of Happiness," from the squalling guitars and Poss' just a little bit like Thurston Moore at points vocals, the fact is that this album just plain kicks out the jams, art that is blessedly unafraid to rock. "It's Locked Away" is a killer example of this, centered around a great riff that has much more of an angular, drony sound to it than anything else, but is wedded to a full-on crunch that also has a great groove (one of the Susans' many instrumental secret weapons) to it as well. Poss, who produced the record, mixes his vocals, as well Stenger's occasional backing efforts, fairly deep into the mix throughout the record; rather than being annoying or pointlessly obscure, it just feels right, a good way of letting his voice be another instrument to carry the songs. Perhaps to reference that fact, "Thorn in My Side" and "Sin Embargo" are both instrumentals, and are as great numbers as any of the rest on the album. The CD version contains the band's noted cover of the Rolling Stones' "Child of the Moon," which in its guitar-overdriven way pretty much beats out the entire remake of Exile on Main Street that Pussy Galore did. " AMG

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poniedziałek, 14 grudnia 2009

MOUNT EERIE - BLACK WOODEN [EP] [LATITUDES] [2009]



"Mount Eerie represents the latest evolution of Phil Elverum’s musical vision. Formerly known as The Microphones, Phil changed his project’s name to Mount Eerie while maintaining his subtle, lo-fi, and lyrically dense fuzz-folk aesthetic.
Elverum explained this change in an 2003 interview with Discoder, asserting that “Mount Eerie is a new project. The Microphones was completed, or at least at a good stopping point. I did it because I am ready for new things. I am new.”
As Mount Eerie, Phil is generally sans synthesizers, drums, and the accenting voices of Mirah, The Blow, and fellow K-Records/Anacortes friends. Mount Eerie’s album “Seven New Songs of Mount Eerie” was also the first recording released on Phil’s new label, P.W.Elverum & Sun. All songs from that recording are available for free download in the Internet Archive."
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piątek, 11 grudnia 2009

YEASAYER - ODD BLOOD [2010]



"Yeasayer (pronounced “yay-sayer” /’jeɪseɪ.ər/) is an experimental band based in Brooklyn, New York. Live performances sometimes include trippy, psychedelic visuals projected in the background.
The band members are Anand Wilder, Chris Keating, and Ira Wolf Tuton. They describe their music as “Middle Eastern-psych-snap-gospel”.
Yeasayer recently revealed in an interview with Pitchfork that they had finished their sophomore album and it would be released on February 9, 2010. On October 30th, 2009 Yeasayer revealed details for the first single release from “Odd Blood” entitled “Ambling Alp”

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sobota, 5 grudnia 2009

DEAD MEADOW - FEATHERS [2005]



"Just as Shivering King and Others was a departure from Dead Meadow's earlier work, their fourth album (and first as a quartet), Feathers, is another evolution in the band's sound. It's perhaps the most polarized-sounding Dead Meadow album yet: a few songs that recall the densely heavy trippiness of their older work, but many more are restrained and almost poppy, pushing the boundaries of the band's music. Feathers' clean production also emphasizes its duality; somehow, the psychedelic smoke swirling around tracks like "Let It All Pass" seems even thicker, while the pretty melodies and jangly guitars on "Stacy's Song" and "Such Hawks Such Hounds" make them sound like folk songs gone vaguely acid rock. Jason Simon's vocals are also much more prominent on Feathers than on any of Dead Meadow's previous albums, and tracks like the slow, strutting "Get Up On Down" sound more like typical stoner rock because of it. Though Feathers' restrained sound seems counterintuitive to the strengths the band showed on albums like Howls From the Hills and Shivering King, more often than not it works. The aforementioned "Such Hawks Such Hounds" still has plenty of Dead Meadow's eerie intensity, and "At Her Open Door" finds the perfect balance between this album's polish and the power of the band's earlier material. The song is downright pretty at the beginning, with slippery guitars that sound oddly Western and Polynesian at the same time; it gradually becomes trippier and takes flight around the four-minute mark, when Dead Meadow's trademark wah-wah pedals come into play. Feathers' second half features more of the heaviness that fans have come to expect, particularly on the final track, "Through the Gates of the Sleepy Silver Door," which closes the album with a nod to the first track on their 2001 self-titled debut album and 15 minutes of heavy but spacious sludge rock. "Eyeless Gaze All Eye/Don't Tell the Riverman," meanwhile, boasts both a lumbering, Sabbath-esque riff and nimble solos along with dreamy slide guitar interludes. This is a subdued, lying in bed and staring at the ceiling kind of album, and coming after the majestic peaks and valleys of Shivering King and Others it initially feels a little disappointing. However, after a few listens, Feathers reveals its own, mellower pleasures, as well as Dead Meadow's versatility." AMG

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THE GEROGERIGEGEGE - TOKYO ANAL DYNAMITE [1990]



"Either 40 minutes of absolutely unlistenable noise, or the greatest rock & roll record recorded -- or both. Tokyo Anal Dynamite is a live recording consisting of a frontman announcing a song (Japanese or Western rock classics), giving a count ("onetwothreefour!"), and then proceeding to explode into pure chaos -- the sound of 20 high-on-speed thrashcore bands falling down a flight of stairs, while being electrocuted along the way, only to land in barbed wire. It lasts a minute and after a slight pause, it starts again. And it repeats over 70 times. Checking the track listing won't help matters, for something like a Doors song comes out as "Raightomyfiyaaaonetwothreefour!," with the aforementioned minute of audio hell following. Juntaro Yamanouchi's noise experiment is rock music ad reductum, and probably his purest effort -- as well as his most stunning. Few things can match it." AMG

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TIME TO BURN - BURN THE LIE DOWN [EP] [2004]



"Motivated and characterized by an uncritical devotion to the most extreme sounds. A wild-eyed, unbalanced and obsessive familiarity with post noise hardcore and melancholic mammoth soundscapes impregnated with the saddest melodies." LAST.FM

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BATTLE OF MICE - A DAY OF NIGHTS [2006]



"It isn't very often that a team-up involving members of two distinct bands works out in the way that Battle of Mice's A Day of Nights does. That is to say that the gazier aspects of guitarist Josh Graham's Red Sparowes and the sheer intensity that Julie Christmas brings to her band, Made Out of Babies, come together without having to make sacrifices on either end. The music on A Day of Nights is sometimes dreamy, at other times coarse, and still other times intrusive and uncomfortable. What really sticks in the listener's ear with A Day of Nights -- at least in the general sense -- is that this album feels like it was constructed in a cave. It's tight, cramped, and screaming within a breath's distance of one's face. And yet, it's a huge-sounding record, powerful, layered, and dense. Christmas is the star here (as she is in most appearances on disc), her voice moving from wailing banshee to precious-sweetheart-stalker on the verge of a breakdown and back at the drop of a hat. For Graham, whose band can be as heavy but lacks (perhaps due to their lack of a vocalist) the intensity that Christmas provides to her band, this is his (and the rest of the players, whose ranks include Tony Maimone) moment to break from the collective-like sound of Red Sparowes and explore a tougher, more pummeling style of song structure. Tracks like "Bones in the Water" and "Wrapped in Plain" are undeniably heavy and intense, almost churning between tension and release, but the heaviest moments on the record -- and most disturbing by a long shot -- are at the end of "At the Base of the Giant's Throat" (the band will not discuss this section, by the way): a 911 call of a woman being either beaten or worse while the phone keeps listening. To call parts of this record harrowing would be spot-on, but it can also be delicate, heavy, precious, and dreamlike. No mean feat, really. A Day of Nights is a perfect example of pushing the confines of metal and rock aside and really letting go. An amazing piece of work, hands down." AMG

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HOT SNAKES - AUDIT IN PROGRESS [2004]



"Audit in Progress is Hot Snakes' third outing, and the first to include ex-Sea of Tombs drummer Mario Rubalcaba. It's a much more focused album, too, bottling up the energy created by rapid-fire drums and two chaotic guitars, only to unleash it in the explosive moments not dominated by Rick Froberg's captivating yelp. After two relentless openers, the Snakes downshift into the dynamic stops and starts of "Retrofit." There could be some influence from guitarist John Reis' Rocket from the Crypt here, in the way the song winds punk tight only to let go of the top. But it's he and Froberg's Drive Like Jehu that comes most often to mind on Audit in Progress, from the crosshatched guitars to the explosive rhythm section in Rubalcaba and bassist Gar Wood. Hot Snakes' previous albums sported these elements, too, but they also had patches of howling noise and a generally manic quality that was addicting for some, but too insanely driven for most. Audit doesn't take any breaks, either. But it uncovers melody in the strangest places, and sweats with an addicting fury. "I pay nothin' for nothin'," Froberg sneers over the title track's choking power chords. "Audit me/Audit me/I don't give a sh*t." Not everything here pounds you over the head. "This Mystic Decade" is relatively more subdued at first, that is until its rhythm section comes to life, drowning out the dulled-down guitars as Froberg screams the chorus like an anthem. And "Lovebirds" unleashes a gritty organ effect that plays off wrangled and tense spy guitar fills. Audit in Progress ends strong with three stamping machine rockers, their stuttering drum pound and devastatingly effective guitars rising to snap and hiss in between the yelping cool vocals of Froberg. Overall, it's a record with a lot to offer for the indie rock purists still spinning their Jehu records a decade later. But it's also an example of making a cleanly focused rock album in the 21st century that doesn't need a hyphenated term to describe it. Audit in Progress? It just stings. " AMG

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HOT SNAKES - AUTOMATIC MIDNIGHT [2000]



"Former Drive Like Jehu members Rick Froberg and John Reis (also a member of Rocket From the Crypt) and drummer Jason Kourkounis of Delta 72 shred rock & roll to pieces on the Hot Snakes debut. Automatic Midnight, an album full of noisy guitar and dominating rhythms, hardcore thrash, and Swervedriver atmosphere, starts off with the charged-up, frenetic live wire that is "If Credit's What Matters I'll Take Credit." Throughout the rest of the rapid-fire record, Hot Snakes go from the dark, showdown sound of "10th Planet" to the slightly Sonic Youth-circa-Daydream Nation grind of "Light Up the Stars" and on through the chant-along anthem "Our Work Fills the Pews." The album finishes off with "Let It Come," a hard/soft dynamic, shout-and-holler ride that would fit well alongside At the Drive-In. Always intense, always destructive, the Hot Snakes, like Black Flag, play their rock & roll all-out with their sights set on anything or anyone in their path. " AMG

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MP3@192KBPS

czwartek, 3 grudnia 2009

CLIPSE - TIL THE CASKET DROPS [2009]



"Clipse is an American hip hop duo, formed in Norfolk, Virginia in 1992, made up of brothers Gene “Malice” Thornton and Terrence “Pusha T” Thornton. They met Pharrell in 1993, he formed a working relationship with the duo and helped them secure a contract with Elektra Records. The group’s debut single flopped, but Williams resuscitated their careers in the early 2000s, signing them to his Star Trak Label. The Clipse’s debut album, Lord Willin’, was released on August 20, 2002, and their latest studio effort, “Hell Hath No Fury” was released on November 28th, 2006 to much critical acclaim. Their third release, Till The Casket Drops, is set to be released mid 2009." LAST.FM

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poniedziałek, 30 listopada 2009

FEVER RAY - LIVE IN LULEÅ [2009]



"Fever Ray is the solo project of Karin Dreijer Andersson, who is one half of the Swedish electro act The Knife (the other half is her brother Olof Dreijer). Andersson was also the lead singer and guitarist for the defunct indie pop group Honey is Cool.
The first, self-titled Fever Ray record was released digitally on January 13, 2009 and its first single “If I Had A Heart” was released on December 15, 2008.
Born in Gothenburg, Sweden on 7 April 1975, Andersson currently resides in Stockholm, Sweden.
What would you do if one decade into your career you suddenly saw one of your songs turned into a worldwide hit, won six Grammis in your native Sweden and your latest release was declared album of the year by one of the world’s most influential music websites? If you’re Karin Dreijer Andersson, formerly singer with ‘90s pop hopes Honey is Cool and now one half of The Knife, the answer is to take a couple of years off and return as a solo artist under a new name: Fever Ray.
In Karin’s own words, “I had so many songs to record that I just had to make an album. I thought I was going to have a longer break but I guess it will never happen. I can’t stop working. My aim was to finish the album and now that it’s done I’m a bit restless (good that The Knife has an opera to write then.) During the last years I discovered that I like to sing too, so I hope that my newly found live band will make it to the stages next year. We are rehearsing and building something beautiful and brilliant.” LAST.FM

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SOULSAVERS - BROKEN [2009]



"When Soulsavers recorded 2007's It's Not How Far You Fall, It's How You Land they were out of contract, scraping by on credit cards and had just begun working with Mark Lanegan; not known for his frivolity. Unsurprisingly, it emerged as dark and depressed. Two years, a major label record deal and mountains of ecstatic reviews later, and the duo's prospects have brightened considerably, though their sound – as their fans will be relieved to hear – has not.
Like its predecessor, Broken fuses delta blues, grizzled gospel and comedown electronica to create an atmosphere that is both grand and bleak. In fact, on initial listens the mood is so downbeat that songs blur oppressively into each other, not helped by a hoary blues vocabulary where blood is always ''cursed'', wounds ''never heal'' and bones are always ''weary.''
Understandably, many will lack the appetite for second helpings. But for those who persevere, there are enough gleams of light poking through the cloud cover, and enough slowly revealed surprises to make the effort worthwhile. So while Death Bells is too dourly self-regarding to truly love, and the long, creaky Gene Clark cover Some Misunderstanding sounds distressingly like Chris Rea, other songs see Soulsavers live up to their considerable reputation.
One is Unbalanced Pieces, where the solemnity of Lanegan's central melody is lifted by a skulking, hypnotic bass and one of the album's few big, hummable choruses. You’ll Miss Me When I Burn is far starker, based around little more than a mournful, circling piano, but is all the more moving for its simplicity.
Unusually, the album saves its best surprises for the end, when Red Ghost makes a late, strangely uplifting appearance. On the sweet, sad-eyed lullaby of Praying Ground, the Australian sings with an authority and assurance remarkable in a newcomer. Even more boldly, she more than holds her own on her duet with Lanegan, Rolling Sky, which is as menacing and unpredictable as an approaching storm.
Broken is probably too stubborn and idiosyncratic to win over many who haven't already acquired a taste for either Soulsavers or Lanegan. But those who have are likely to love it deeply and fiercely. " BBC.CO.UK

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niedziela, 29 listopada 2009

THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE - WHO KILLED SGT. PEPPER? [2009]



"The Brian Jonestown Massacre was formed in San Francisco in 1990. The band has had over 40 members since then, but its driving force and main songwriter is Anton Newcombe. Prominent ex-members included Matt Hollywood, Dean Taylor, Jeff Davies, Brian Glaze, and Joel Gion. Their sound is heavily influenced by the psychedelic sounds of the 1960s, but also carries influences from shoegaze, jangle pop, garage rock, and lo-fi sonorities. The band is probably most famous from their mid-90s friendship/rivalry with The Dandy Warhols, and ensuing documentary, DiG!.
Over its decade-long history, the band has undergone a large number of personnel changes. Multi-instrumentalist and main songwriter Anton Newcombe is the only member who has stayed with the Brian Jonestown Massacre since its beginning, when it was founded by Newcombe, tambourine player Joel Gion (who stayed with him the longest), and guitarist/bassist/vocalist Matt Hollywood. There are at least two dozen musicians who have been in the BJM at one point or another.
Ex-members include: guitarist Jeff Davies; Matt Hollywood, a founding member of Portland band The Out Crowd; Peter Hayes, founding member of San Francisco rock trio Black Rebel Motorcycle Club; Joel Gion, a founding member of San Francisco band, The Dilettantes; Rob Campanella, a Los Angeles producer and engineer who has worked with The Tyde, Beachwood Sparks, Dead Meadow, Mia Doi Todd, Frausdots, Scarling., and his band The Quarter After; Bobby Hecksher, founding member of Los Angeles band The Warlocks; solo recording artist Miranda Lee Richards; Matt Tow, founding member of the Australian band The Lovetones." LAST.FM

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THE RESIDENTS - THE UGHS! [2009]



"The Residents are an avant-garde/experimental music and visual arts group largely shrouded in mystery and myth. The Residents began recording in 1969, although many of these recordings from their early years have still gone unreleased to this day. The earliest material from The Residents, traded among bootlegs, was recorded in 1971. The Residents’ first official release, Santa Dog, was released in 1972.
Allmusic had this to say about the Residents: “Over the course of a recording career spanning several decades, the Residents remained a riddle of Sphinx-like proportions; cloaking their lives and music in a haze of willful obscurity, the band’s members never identified themselves by name, always appearing in public in disguise — usually tuxedos, top hats and giant eyeball masks — and refusing to grant media interviews. Drawing inspiration from the likes of fellow innovators including Harry Partch, Sun Ra, and Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band, the Residents channelled the breadth of American music into their idiosyncratic, satiric vision, their mercurial blend of electronics, distortion, avant-jazz, classical symphonies and gratingly nasal vocals reinterpreting everyone from John Philip Sousa to James Brown while simultaneously expanding the boundaries of theatrical performance and multimedia interaction" LAST.FM

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TAINT - ALL BEES TO THE SEA [2009]



"Taint of South Wales are something of an enigma. Many have striven to place their sound within a handy genre definition, only to find themselves wondering whether a band so dynamic and full of surprises can really be called ‘sludge’, or whether music so antithetical to boredom can justifiably be termed ‘post-hardcore’. Taint’s 2005 full-length debut for Rise Above, ‘The Ruin Of Nova Roma’ was a crafty beast that revelled in constructing such riddles for the listener and, of course, the critic. Pigeonholes are for pigeons, after all. It’s the purpose of great rock groups to not quite fit in.
Formed as teenagers in 1994 amid the South Wales DIY punk/metal scene, Taint released a few demo cassettes of epic Helmet-influenced riffology which landed them with a stoner/doom tag that would, eventually, become superfluous. In 2000 the ‘Die Die Truthspeaker’ mini-album was released on London’s Household Name Records and national shows were played with the likes of Acrimony, Canvas, Capdown, Cathedral, Consumed, Converge, Clutch, Earth Crisis, Hard To Swallow, Iron Monkey, Stampin’ Ground, Spirit Caravan and Will Haven. Where many of those bands have disbanded or changed beyond all recognition, Taint are still here, following their own path with determination and purpose, their recent UK tour with Clutch leaving many jaws dangling open at the sheer intensity and fervour the band are able to generate live. Which brings us to their second full-length album release, ‘Secrets And Lies’." LAST.FM

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czwartek, 26 listopada 2009

DNA - DNA ON DNA [2004]



"DNA were formed in 1978 by guitarist Arto Lindsay and keyboardist Robin Crutchfield. Rather than playing their instruments in a traditional manner, they instead focused on making unique and unusual sounds. Their music was described as spare, noisy, and angular and was compared to some of Captain Beefheart’s output and even to Anton Webern.
DNA originally consisted of Lindsay, Crutchfield, Gordon Stevenson, and Mirielle Cervenka, and took their name from a song by another no wave band, Mars. Stevenson went on to play bass for Teenage Jesus and the Jerks; Cervenka was the younger sister of Exene Cervenka of X. This incarnation of the band was very brief, not playing even one concert. After the rapid departure of Stevenson and Cervenka, Lindsay and Crutchfield hastily recruited Ikue Mori — a Japanese woman with little command of English and no drum set — to be DNA’s drummer.
THis lineup of DNA played occasionally at CBGB and Max’s Kansas City and recorded one 7” single. Within their first year, they had cemented their reputation as a paradigmatic No Wave band when Brian Eno selected them as one of the four groups documented on the No New York LP, the first recording to expose No Wave groups to an audience outside of lower Manhattan. The other three bands appearing on this album were The Contortions, Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, and Mars. No Wave was, of course, a movement against new wave." LAST.FM

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VBR@~240KBPS

GRIDLOCK - FORMLESS [2003]



"Gridlock was an experimental electronic band originally created by Mike Wells in 1994. A year later, Mike Cadoo joined up, and the duo released their first two demos, Sickness and Frozen, and soon signed to Pendragon Records in 1997. Their style was originally akin to the sound of early Skinny Puppy with less vocals and an ambient aspect not normally found in industrial. Eventually, they took on a more epic soundscape; slowly removing their traditional industrial influence and cultivating an experimental sound, combining elements of ambient, drum and bass, idm/glitch, and noise. Today, they could better be compared to Autechre due to their IDM sound, and to Panacea for their drum and bass experimentation.
On March 24, 2005, the band announced its dissolution on its website, but promised to continue making music under Wells’ and Cadoo’s respective side projects.
Mike Wells will continue the Gridlock ideology through o2, doing remixes for other artists, as well as a new O2 release. He also runs a mastering studio, Mike Wells Mastering.
Mike Cadoo works under the aliases Dryft and Bitcrush. He also runs the record label n5MD and the MP3 label en:peg digital." LAST.FM

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MP3@256KBPS

DEATH IN JUNE - BUT, WHAT ENDS WHEN THE SYMBOLS SHATTER? [1992]



"Death in June are led by UK musician Douglas Pearce, and credited with the initial development of neofolk music along with Current 93 and Sol Invictus.
Death in June emerged in 1981 from the remnants of the punk unit Crisis, reuniting singer/multi-instrumentalist Douglas P. and bassist Tony Wakeford; drummer Patrick Leagas completed the original lineup, which made its live debut late the following year with an opening slot for The Birthday Party.
The 12-inch Heaven Street soon followed, and in 1983 Death in June issued their first full-length effort, The Guilty Have No Pride. From the outset, the group was criticized for its adoption of fascist imagery, and charges of Nazism dogged Pearce throughout his career. However, Pearce is openly homosexual and has also collaborated with various ethnic Jews throughout his discography; the official Death in June web site used to sport an Israeli flag, and Death in June played live in Israel on June 18, 2004 for a predominantly Jewish audience.
Upon completing the Burial LP, Wakeford left the lineup to form Sol Invictus. Following the release of 1985’s Nada!, only Pearce remained, with Leagas exiting to form his own project, Sixth Comm.
Beginning with the 1986 double album The World That Summer, Pearce continued Death in June primarily as a solo concern, aided by a revolving group of collaborators including Current 93’s David Tibet, Boyd Rice and Coil’s John Balance." LAST.FM

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MP3@320KBPS

KEITH FULLERTON WHITMAN - PLAYTHROUGHS [2002]



"The first full album that prolific, multifaceted electronic composer Keith Fullerton Whitman released under his birth name (following 2001's 21:30 for Acoustic Guitar, but also several releases by his breakcore/drill'n'bass alias Hrvåtski, among others) contains five similar-sounding, decidedly minimal extended drone pieces. The entire album consists of nothing but processed guitar tone, though since the guitar is all but imperceptible as a point of origin for this music, the emphasis is squarely on "process" and "tone." The process, which involves running a guitar-generated signal (not the actual guitar sound) through a carefully arranged sequence of programmed Max/MSP modules, effects pedals, and other signal processors, is described in loving detail by Whitman, at heart a true academic, on his website. For the vast majority of potential listeners, of course, the explanation is just that -- academic -- but, unlikely though it may seem, this is an album that richly deserves many listeners, because the tones it contains are nothing short of breathtaking in their beauty and simplicity. There's not a whole lot on the surface to differentiate these five pieces, but each eventually reveals a discernible identity. Opener "track3a (2waynice)," the shortest and simplest, sets the tone with a glacial, gradually mutating collection of warm, lucid, harmonious drones. "Feedback zwei" introduces slightly more movement and progression with a subtle, cyclical pulsation, occasional points of feedback, and a slowly building field of muted, engulfing static. "ACGTR SVP" stands out as perhaps the most distinct, with its dense accumulation of tones and slightly buzzy, organ-like texture, while both "fib01a" and "modena" return to the placid drones of the opener, embellishing their steady hum with gentle, burbling, vaguely aqueous fluctuations. It's difficult to qualitatively distinguish Playthroughs from much of the ambient, drone-based music that's out there, although it does have a conspicuously unpretentious and inviting quality -- a sense of openness that must be ascribed to the unabashed consonance it retains (there are strikingly few instances of true dissonance to be found here) in spite of its constantly shifting harmonic content, which creates the sense of a continual unfolding or blossoming. It's equally hard to comprehend the evocative and emotional effect of this music, and harder still to describe it: it seems to function on a fundamentally different, precognitive level. But simply put: this is some of the most soothing, stimulating, and spellbinding sound that has ever been put to plastic. Without doubt, a masterpiece of modern minimalism. Emphatically recommended." AMG

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MP3@320KBPS

YOUNG WIDOWS - SETTLE DOWN CITY [2006]



"Young Widows are pretty much former Jade Tree band Breather Resist without the vocalist, but you can barely tell. Are they still indebted to the Jesus Lizard? Sure. Just listen to the queasy, seasick guitar lines in the title track or "Glad He Ate Her" (see what they did there?) to find that same oppressive head-bob rhythm between galloping drums and sludgy bass. But they've learned a whole lot of patience and found at least a couple other bands to rip off, making Settle Down City a thoughtful and more original record-- if a little less manic-- with far more potential than their former band. Don't sleep on this late-2006 album like I nearly did; the halls of nu-pigfuck are beset with obstacles, and it might be only these three penitent men who pass.
For one, the vocals of Evan Patterson are much calmer, recalling the flat, ominous delivery of early June of 44. That's exactly who they remind me of-- albeit a nastier version-- on the opening title track, when after a few bars of pounding the downbeat with Neanderthal drumming and a bass tone that hits like a bowling ball dropped in mud, everything recedes for guitar plinking and some idle warnings from the singer ("Why'd you come around, the city left you/ Should have settled down..."), just before more furious grinding.
The production is dry, truer to those mid-1990s grails, and rather than the middling distortion tone of Breather Resist, the guitars have more of a free-floating echo above the din, crunchy but clear. Songs like "Small Talk" are less riffing and more incidental noise, punching in and out of the verses with an almost dub-like abruptness and ghostly reverb. Meanwhile, that starkness gives room for drummer Geoff Paton to stomp like a fuming animal over tracks like "Formererer" and makes moments like the staccato full-band thwack at the finale of "Bruised Knees" that much scarier.
While the tempo and tone get pretty homogenous, save for some backing vocals on "Mirrorfucker", Settle Down City is consistently dynamic and surprising, from the title track's twists and turns to the many change-ups and fake-outs of tracks like "Glad He Ate Her" and "Formererer". Young Widows borrow from a narrow selection of influences, but it's forced them to come up with a stronger-- and uglier-- result. It may not step too far out of the shadow of its heroes, but it is taking a step. Either way, it's a worthy entry to an undermined corner of the underground." PITCHFORK

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VBR@~210KBPS

THE VAN PELT - SULTANS OF SENTIMENT [1997]



"The second and final full-length release from the Van Pelt is really so good that it makes their breakup one of the most painful aspects of listening to the record. Their formula works brilliantly on this ten-track CD, with Chris Leo's grueling spoken vocals clearly paving the way for the evocative rock the rest of the band contributes. Over climaxing guitars and airy build-ups, Leo's abstract musings brim with emotion and, on tracks like "We Are the Heathens" and "Let's Make a List," his creative wording gives amazing credibility to his thoughts on social outsiders and the business of teaching. The arrangements are still pretty heavy on this record, unlike some of the more arty restrained rock on his later releases with the Lapse, and the band is as unafraid to rock out as Leo is to bring himself to the sort of unrestrained and slightly unmusical screams that give true feeling to "Don't Make Me Walk My Own Log." The Van Pelt aren't for everyone, and Leo certainly has the ability to drive some listeners crazy with his often monotonic mumbles, but the odd combination of subtle oddities are enough to make this a standout record from a standout band. No matter where you stand on the nuances of their craft, there's no denying that they do what they do in a smart and original way."

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VBR@~240KBPS

TAINT - THE RUIN OF NOVÁ ROMA [2005]



"When it came to recording a full-length album, Taint was definitely a late bloomer. The Welsh trio was formed in 1994, but it wasn't until 2004 that Taint finally recorded their first full-length album, The Ruin of Nová Roma (although they were heard on various EPs, split CDs, and demos along the way). Stylistically, this excellent CD isn't easy to pin down. Taint plays metal -- that much is obvious -- but what kind of metal? Their sound is quite sludgy -- sludgy as in doom metal and stoner rock, sludgy as in grunge-influenced -- and there are parallels between Taint and bands like Fu Manchu, Orange Goblin, Eyehategod, and the Melvins. But it would be a mistake to think of this album as strictly a by-the-book doom/stoner/sludge outing. Doom and stoner bands are often Black Sabbath-obsessed, and the abundance of slow, plodding riffs that have come from doom metal and stoner rock clearly worship at the altar of Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi. But Taint, instead of going out of their way to emulate Sabbath, also gets plenty of inspiration from the speed and velocity of punk, thrash, and hardcore; they know how to be both sludgy and thrashy at the same time, which isn't to say that the CD doesn't have its share of slow-tempo material as well. Throw in some twangy Southern alt-metal influence (of the Alabama Thunderpussy variety) and a bit of Neurosis' atmospherics, and you have a band that is clearly striving for originality -- a band that is definitely relevant to the doom/stoner/sludge field but also has its share of punk, thrash, hardcore, and alternative metal appeal. And never let it be said that Taint lacks a sense of humor; "I'm Going to Kill Henry Ford" and "Drunken Marksman" are among the song titles on this promising, memorable release." AMG

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VBR@~250KBPS

SWARM OF THE LOTUS - THE SIRENS OF SILENCE [2005]



"Explosive. Mammoth. Mayhem. The absolutely crushing wall of sound that is SWARM OF THE LOTUS is a force to be reckoned with. Coupled with the band’s fiery determination and passion to pursue their art, they can only move forward in a positive direction and have no other plans but to do just that. Since the band’s inception in the city of Baltimore in the Fall of 1998, SOTL has come a long way and is still only at the beginning of their budding career. With unbridled potential and so much support behind them, the band is destined to leave their mark very permanently on the metal/rock community. And in fact, has started to already. With the release of their debut album, “When White Becomes Black”(At A Loss Recordings) in January of 2004, followed very soon after in the Spring with a 7” Picture Disc Single(Reptilian Records) featuring artwork by Carlos Batts and 3 exclusive tracks, the band received critical acclaim and has been featured in many different publications as a result. Most notably Metal Maniacs, in which their album was included in the top 10 albums of last year, Terrorizer, BW & BK, Rocksound, and most recently Hit Parader and an article in Revolver magazine, as well as a ton of positive feedback from many other online zines and such. The album also saw praise at the CMJ Music Festival last year in which it debuted in the Top 20 of their Loud Rock/Metal Catergory.
The controlled chaos that is the band’s sound has been sculpted over the band’s 7 year existence." LAST.FM

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VBR@~250KBPS

THE TERMINALS - TOUCH [1992]



"The original Terminals are a moody, swampy, dark rock band from New Zealand. Working from memory, the Terminals have shared members with Dadamah, Flies Inside The Sun, Victor Dimisich Band, the Renderers, and others of the Xpressway/Flying Nun universe. The early Terminals releases are fairly poppy (e.g. “Frozen Car”), though the darkness begins to emerge with “Disconnect” and then dominates subsequent releases on Xpressway, Raffmond, and Siltbreeze. Standout songs include “Native Waiter,” “Deadly Tango,” and a cover of Roxy Music’s “Both Ends Burning.” All the “similar artists” references on Last.FM are to this version of the Terminals.
There is apparently another, newer Terminals — a punk rock band from Lincoln, Nebraska, signed to Boomchick Records, and consisting of: Dave G- Vox, Guitar, Drums, Keys/Organ. LizHitt - Vox, Guitar, Drums, Keys/Organ. Brooks - Vox, Guitar, Drums. One commenter suggests “they will surely rock your face off.”

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VBR@~170KBPS

ENABLERS - TUNDRA [2008]



"Fitting to its name, the San Francisco quartet Enablers writes songs that are equally manipulative and encouraging to our darkest desires. The band made up of journeyman veterans of Swans, Tarnation, Nice Strong Arm and Toiling Midgets merges dramatic and flowing melodic soundscapes — of which SF Gate calls “possibly the world’s best power trio” — with the visceral spoken narratives of underground literary veteran Pete Simonelli. It’s almost as though the band’s fluid and often soothing music exists to distract our better instincts while Simonelli whispers above it all, urging and lulling us into the dark, decrepit world of his words.
Guitarist and recording engineer Joe Goldring has collaborated with Swans, Toiling Midgets, and Doug Scharin of June of ’44 under the moniker Out in Worship, as well as with Neurosis’ Steve Von Till’s solo projects.
Guitarist/bassist Kevin Thomson, veteran of Timco and Nice Strong Arm, has been playing and touring for twenty years and with his own projects and has been a writing partner with Goldring for ten of those years collaborating on Morning Champ, Touched by a Janitor, and now Enablers.
Drummer Yuma Joe Byrnes has lent his unique take on the trapset to Tarnation, Broken Horse and others.
Pete Simonelli has been continually writing and publishing his efforts in underground literary journals for years and now brings his poems to the table for Enablers." LAST.FM

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MP3@320KBPS

TRENTMØLLER - THE LAST RESORT [2006]



"Anders Trentemøller is a Danish electronic musician from Copenhagen.
Trentemøller made his debut in 1997 together with DJ T.O.M. when they formed the first live-house act in Denmark, Trigbag, and started playing concerts all over the globe. Trigbag’s single “Showtime” was played by international DJs such as Alex Gopher, Laurent Garnier and Etienne de Crécy. Trigbag dissolved in 2000.
Trentemøller returned on Naked Music in 2003 with his The Trentemøller EP including the tracks “Le Champagne” and “Work in Progress”. Trentemøller received the award “Up Front Release of the Year” at the Danish DJ Awards in February 2004 for the Track “Le Champagne”.
In late 2004 he and his friend and partner, DJ Buda, issued a white label remix of Aphex Twin’s “Windowlicker”, under the name “Run Jeremy”. Together they’ve also made other great tracks such as “Gamma” and “25 Timer”. Furthermore, Trentemøller has worked together with DJ Buda and DJ T.O.M. on another track on the upcoming and much anticipated Lulu Rouge album entitled “Bless You” which will be released in May 2008.
In February 2005 Steve Bug released the renowned Trentemøller EP “Physical Fraction” on his label Audiomatique. This release put Trentemøller on the map of internationally successful producers, and was followed by three releases on Bug’s main label Poker Flat: Polar Shift, Sunstroke and the Nam Nam EP. Many reader polls awarded him as the Best Newcomer of the year 2005." LAST.FM

DL PART1
DL PART2

MP3@320KBPS

WILLIAM BASINSKI - THE DISINTEGRATION LOOPS I-IV [2001, 2003]



"William Basinski (Houston, 1958), a New York-based classically-trained clarinetist and saxophonist, specializes in compositions for loops and drones. He began experimenting with compositions for piano and tape that created a melancholy ambience via looped and overdubbed melodies with Variations - A Movement in Chrome Primitive (1980), released on Variations - A Movement in Chrome Primitive (Durtro, 2002 - Die Stadt, 2004), and A Red Score in Tile (1979), released on A Red Score in Tile (3 Poplars, 2003).
Shortwave Music (1982), some of which appear on Shortwave Music (Noton, 1998), processed and assembled snippets of radio broadcasts to produce atmospheres at the border between musique concrete and ambient music. The River (1983), collected on the double-disc The River (Noton, december 2002), was the most mature expression of “shortwave music”.
Melancholia (Durtro, 2003 - 2062, 2005) collects more loop-based vignettes from the 1980s, closer in feeling and scope to Erik Satie and Brian Eno.
During the 1980s, Basinski often played saxophone during multimedia performances, and was a member of the Gretchen Langheld Ensemble, which later evolved into House Afire. In 1989 he opened his own loft for the creative arts, nicknamed “Arcadia”. Throughout the 1990s he refined his song-cycle Hymns of Oblivion. In 1997, Basinski launched his performance-art act Beautifying America. He also formed the electronic ensemble Life on Mars. Basinski has also created videos and films, notably the “ambient film” Fountain (2000)." LAST.FM

THE DISINTEGRATION LOOPS I
THE DISINTEGRATION LOOPS II
THE DISINTEGRATION LOOPS III
THE DISINTEGRATION LOOPS IV

MP3@320KBPS

poniedziałek, 23 listopada 2009

PONTIAK - SEA VOIDS [2009]



"Baltimore/Virginia-based trio Pontiak is comprised of multi-instrumentalist brothers Van (guitar, vocals), Jennings (bass, keyboards, vocals), and Lain (drums, vocals) Carney. To date, the prolific Pontiak’s releases - two EPs, two full lengths (“Valley of Cats” and “Maker”) and a mini-LP, “Sun on Sun” have been self-produced, moody slabs of guitar-based rock. The band has grown heavier with each record; “Sun on Sun” can fairly be called a hybrid of classic- and stoner-rock, with songs running into 10-minute territory and extended instrumental breaks. 2009’s “Maker” is even heavier, noisier, and packs a Texas-sized wallop. Both of the band’s more widely-distributed records, “Sun on Sun” and “Maker,” have been critically well-received." LAST.FM

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NAAM - KINGDOM [2009]



"One of the newest signings to Tee Pee, Naam is a three-piece band from Brooklyn whose blissed-out jam-heavy pyschedella is spot lighted on the 11 minute “Kingdom”. For fans of Dead Meadow, Grails, Sleep." LAST.FM

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APSE - CLIMB UP [2009]



"Apse was formed in 1999 in Newtown, Connecticut as a three-piece while the members were still in high school. The group made purely instrumental ambient rock until about 2003, when reverberant lead vocals by Bobby became a regular part of the band’s songs.
The lineup expanded over the years and by 2005, Apse was signed to Spain’s Acuarela Discos to record and release its culminating self-titled EP.
Amidst a shifting lineup, the group moved away from the trappings of “post-rock” territory to write and record its debut full-length album – the tribal, atmospheric Spirit, released in 2006. Extensive touring (exclusively in Europe) and further lineup changes took place over the course of the next two years, during which time the band signed to ATP Recordings, which gave Spirit a wider re-release in 2008.
A limited edition vinyl LP titled Eras, which signaled the start of a shift in sound for the group, also was released in late 2008, very much under the radar.
Apse is now made up of Bobby, Michael Gundlach, John Mordecai, Jed Armour and Brandon Collins. 2009’s Climb Up sheds much of the gloom, tribal rhythms and esoteric lyrics of Spirit for more eclectic moods across its 12 tracks, coupled with more concrete lyrics exploring the many sides of relationships between people."

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