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[spoon_of_grimbo]

Drugs are a hell of a thing.  They've inspired some of the most influential albums ever made, and at the same time, they've driven hugely influential musicians to make some absolute shite.  However, it's always intriguing when a band actually document their own drug-fuelled collapse with music, especially when the result divides their fanbase right down the middle.

The Wildhearts emerged from the British rock underground in 1992, and spent the next four years releasing numerous albums, EPs and singles of punk and metal-influenced rock, like a turbo-charged Guns 'n' Roses, or as many journalists described them, Cheap Trick-meets-Metallica.  However, the entirety of this time, they were constantly in battle with their record label East/West records, the stress from this situation more than likely being the catalyst for the constantly revolving cast of drummers and guitarists, as well as the descent of mainstays Danny (bass) and Ginger (vocals/guitarist/main songwriter) into heroin addiction. 

In 1997, finally free from their old label, the band signed to the independent label Mushroom Records, who were keen for the band to capitalize on their infamy and several minor chart hits with a new album.  So logically, fuelled by all manner of substances, the band joined producer Ralph Jezzard to make a twisted, distorted, anti-commercial headfuck of an album, toured it once, and promptly broke up.  Ladies and gentlemen, I give you...

"Endless Nameless" by The Wildhearts

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http://www.mediaf!re.com/?qeji3o0ynmn
Don't let any preconceptions you might have about the band prevent you from giving this a go - there's plenty of hardcore fans of the band who still think this is a total shit sandwich, whereas several people I've shown the album to have really enjoyed it, despite hating the rest of The Wildhearts' material.  I myself first heard of the album when, in the space of about a week, I read two articles on the album - one being a magazine feature on "lost classics" and the other being an internet article on "infamously terrible albums."

"Endless Nameless" takes a few listens to get used to - the layers of distortion and corruscating noise* on top of every track are pretty disorientating, but persevere and the pop melodies underneath are worth the effort, especially when it all culminates in "Thunderfuck," the ultimate comedown-song.  If you need any more indication of the noise-rock pedigree of this album, consider that spazz-metal legend (and occasional Wildhearts touring-guitarist) Devin Townsend used samples of distorted noise from this album on his "Infinity" solo effort.

*One story I heard about how they got some of the distortion effects on the drums, was that each drum was mic'd up, with each mic connected to a guitar amp via a distortion pedal.  Each amp was then covered in blankets, and another mic was then placed in front of each blanket-ed amp, fed through ANOTHER distortion pedal and into the mixing desk.  Apparently this process resulted in several channels on the mixing desk, for want of a better phrase, FUCKING EXPLODING.

[Oqtober]

THANK YOU ALL FOR THE CHIPTUNE!

In return, Justice - Planisphere

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http://www.mediaf!re.com/?ntjljzdudmt
I don't think this is released, but it's damn good.

[lauraelise204]

i know there's a bunch of people on this thread into post-rock bands.  here's an instrumental group i have loved since 2004.

Foxhole - EP2:X

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from www.foxhole.info
Foxhole is an instrumental “post-rock” band from Nashville TN, Bowling Green KY, Louisville KY, and Austin TX USA.

Begun as a project with a wide view and no particular goal, Foxhole has been writing, recording and performing since the turn of the century. The early days saw prolonged themes and occasional vocals, culminating in the self-issued “EP1” in 2002. Its five songs were recorded in the three-bedroom Bowling Green apartment where all of the band members lived at one point or another; packaged in hand-sewn, hand-inked canvas with hand-embossed liner notes, it has long been out of print and has no realistic hopes of a return.
(A follow-up release, “EP2:X,” followed the band on their first tour of the East Coast and contained live recordings of improvisational songs from the performances. Its copies numbered less than 200, and its hopes of return are even more dim than its predecessor’s.)

i have the hand-inked canvas cover.  sadly, i lost the cd a long time ago with a bunch of others when my huge cd case was stolen out of my car years ago.  i don't remember how i found these files.... i think i had burned them on to a mixed cd and then when i found that cd, i copied it on my computer immediately.  therefore, i do not know the names to the songs, but they are still great songs and you should give them a listen.  not the greatest recordings (they've gotten better since), but they are AMAZING live.


"Push/Pull" is an album was thematically inspired by videographer and band friend Aaron Marrs' death at sea.  some really great songs on here, too. this is their final cd that they currently have out (released in 2006).  according to their website, their second full length should be released sometime this summer.

Foxhole - Push/Pull

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http://www.mediaf!re.com/download.php?tnhyhxjij2z

the pictures on this cd case (inside and back) are really great.  i love them.

now go do a search in this forum for "We the Wintering Tree."  it's already been posted and highly recommended.

[Phshhdan]

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Post your link using code tags. It's the # icon above the policeman emoticon. This prevents the links from being traced back to the forums, lowering the chance that the wrong people notice the thread, potentially threatening Jeph with legal action.

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Here is some Tim Buckley for you guys:

Amazing psychedelic folk. My favorite album is starsailor, which at times may sound inaccessible, is still a staple of experimental music. He was also the father of acclaimed 90's artist Jeff Buckley. You can definitely see how Jeff borrowed from his father.


Tim Buckley - Googbye and Hello [1967]

Often cited as the ultimate Tim Buckley statement, Goodbye and Hello is indeed a fabulous album, but it's merely one side of Tim Buckley's enormous talent. Recorded in the middle of 1967 (in the afterglow of Sgt. Pepper), this album is clearly inspired by Pepper's exploratory spirit. More often than not, this helps to bring Buckley's awesome musical vision home, but occasionally falters. Not that the album is overrated (it's not), it's just that it is only one side of Buckley. The finest songs on the album were written by him alone, particularly "Once I Was" and "Pleasant Street." Buoyed by Jerry Yester's excellent production, these tracks are easily among the finest example of Buckley's psychedelic/folk vision. A few tracks, namely the title cut and "No Man Can Find the War," were co-written by poet Larry Beckett. While Beckett's lyrics are undoubtedly literate and evocative, they occasionally tend to be too heavy-handed for Buckley. However, this is a minor criticism of an excellent and revolutionary album that was a quantum leap for both Tim Buckley and the audience. -amg

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Tim Buckley - Happy Sad [1969]

Easily Tim Buckley's most underrated album, Happy Sad was another departure for the eclectic Southern California-based singer/songwriter. After the success of the widely acclaimed Goodbye and Hello, Buckley mellowed enough to explore his jazz roots. Sounding like Fred Neil's Capitol-era albums, Buckley and his small, acoustic-based ensemble weave elegant, minimalist tapestries around the six Buckley originals. The effect is completely mesmerizing. On "Buzzin' Fly" and "Strange Feelin'," you are slowly drawn into Buckley's intoxicating vision. The extended opus in the middle of the record, "Love From Room 109," is an intense, complex composition. Lovingly under-produced by Jerry Yester and Zal Yanovsky, this is one of the finest records of the late '60s. -amg

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Tim Buckley - Starsailor [1970]

After his beginnings as a gentle, melodic baroque folk-rocker, Buckley gradually evolved into a downright experimental singer/songwriter who explored both jazz and avant-garde territory. Starsailor is the culmination of his experimentation and alienated far more listeners than it exhilarated upon its release in 1970. Buckley had already begun to delve into jazz fusion on late-'60s records like Happy Sad, and explored some fairly "out" acrobatic, quasi-operatic vocals on his final Elektra LP, Lorca. With former Mother of Invention Bunk Gardner augmenting Buckley's group on sax and alto flute, Buckley applies vocal gymnastics to a set of material that's as avant-garde in its songwriting as its execution. At his most anguished (which is often on this album), he sounds as if his liver is being torn out -- slowly. Almost as if to prove he can still deliver a mellow buzz, he throws in a couple of pleasant jazz-pop cuts, including the odd, jaunty French tune "Moulin Rouge." Surrealistic lyrics, heavy on landscape imagery like rivers, skies, suns, and jungle fires, top off a record that isn't for everybody, or even for every Buckley fan, but endures as one of the most uncompromising statements ever made by a singer/songwriter. -amg

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[gospel]

Storm & Stress stuff:

Chicago/New York experimental rock trio Storm & Stress is electric guitarist and singer Ian Williams (of Don Caballero), drummer Kevin Shea and bassist Erich Ehm (of Golan Globus). Named for the German literary movement, Sturm und Drang, the band recorded their first album, Storm and Stress, with Steve Albini in early 1997. It was released in July of that same year on Touch & Go. In June and July of 1999, Storm & Stress recorded their follow-up album with Jim O'Rourke, this time with guest appearances by not only Micah Gaugh, who also performed on their first release, but by drummer Jim Black, as well. Under Thunder & Fluorescent Lights was released in early 2000 on Touch & Go.

Storm & Stress - Under Thunder and Fluorescent Lights (2008)

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On Under Thunder and Fluorescent Lights, Storm & Stress takes minimalism as its mantra, offering nine tracks full of nothing but odd instrumental chatter, askew tape samples, and the occasional (and equally odd and askew) vocal. The band seems determined to never let the mishmash of sounds congeal into anything that resembles an ordinary song: Ian Williams picks idly at his guitar, Erich Emm drops random bass notes, Kevin Shea's drum beats disintegrate as quickly as they begin; lyrics, rhythm, and melody are abandoned in favor of "avant rock" -- free jazz done by a power trio. The payoff -- and not a big payoff, mind you -- comes only if you listen closely enough. Groove and melody begin to pop up where you hadn't thought they existed and in ways you wouldn't expect: the repetitive shimmer of a cymbal, some garbled a cappella singing. At its worst, Under Thunder is just noise, albeit noise that's as tepid and inoffensive as a Windham Hill sampler. Williams, Emm, and Shea and are obviously talented musicians, and you have to respect that they take the subtle route, piling texture upon texture instead of showing off their chops. It's just too bad that the result is far too cerebral for most people's tastes.

Storm and Stress - s/t (1997)

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This garbled cacophony of untamed genius wanders the blurred line between coherence and unheard-of creativity. Musical pieces progress without fully conceived ideas of rhythm, time, melody, or any remotely obvious form of construction. Everything here seems fleeting, improvisational, and therefore, in some way, directly from the inside of these amazing musicians (two-thirds of whom now make up the undeniably amazing Don Caballero). Guitar lines vomit and squirt from the prodigious hands of one of the greatest guitarists of our time, Ian Williams. The percussion erupts in spurts of mad ranting that is spaced and cut-throat. Incorporating foreign elements such as the breaking of bottles and the lighting of a cigarette, it often seems to be emerging from a totally different room than that which the rest of the band occupies. Sporadically, the band locks into glorious meshes of coordinated sound with deadly precise rhythm and beautifully intertwined melodies; this, however, never lasts for too long. The muttered, half-spoken, half-sung vocals of Ian Williams creep into the fabric of the music, reciting far-gone abstraction that in some way captures the essence of the band around him. Storm and Stress is doing something until now untouched, taking the logistics of everything we know about music and crushing them into spattered stains upon the walls and floor.

[Wasteroo]

JUSTICE

I am in the process of downloading this now, and am tentatively excited.

...and at 0:45 into the first track my suspicions were confirmed and I could not stop smiling.

[scarred]

Gray Young - Firmament (2009)

This is rawsome.

And now for some tasty new 2009 releases!

White Rabbits - It's Frightening



Do ya'll like Spoon? Ya'll be Spoon lovers? Ya'll can't get enough of Spoon and their indie rockalicious hooks, funky drums, groovin' bass lines, and wacky piano/guitar riffs?

Then ya'll might like their bastard son, White Rabbits. Their new release sounds so much like Spoon that it might as well be the follow-up to Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. This might be helped by the fact that it was produced by Britt Daniels. For all those with a vague doubt about this record's awesomeness, just listen to "Rudie Fails."

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http://www.mediaf!re.com/?mylx3jldjeu
Pomegranates - Everybody, Come Outside!



Pomegranates are a fuzzy and delightful group that proves that good things can come out of Ohio. They burst onto the scene with their special brand of smart, poetic lyrics and electronically-infused indie pop, and this is their latest release. It's quite possibly the definitive indie pop summer album.

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http://www.mediaf!re.com/?vly2eymywmi
Because I love 'em so much, I'm throwing in their first EP as well, in case you skeptics want a shorter download to try them out:

Pomegranates - Two Eyes (2007)

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http://www.mediaf!re.com/?nonyyjjrzmt
Of course, I highly recommend both.

[Tom]

Beat Happening - Dreamy (1991)

A stunning return to form, Dreamy reprises the dark aggression of the preceding Black Candy, but brings to the table a significantly stronger and more assured collection of songs. Measuring Calvin Johnson's increasingly menacing lead turns with Heather Lewis' more wistful contributions, the album strikes a careful balance between maturity and naïveté; for all of their ragged minimalism, tracks like "Collide," "Revolution Come and Gone," and "Me Untamed" are remarkably sophisticated and assured. And in addition to the newfound sexiness of cuts like "Nancy Sin" and "Red Head Walking," there's also a renewed sense of emotional urgency -- Heather's beguiling "Fortune Cookie Prize" is one of the group's most buoyant love songs, while the mournful "Cry for a Shadow" exposes the tenderness beneath Calvin's tough-guy veneer.

   1. Me Untamed – 3:46
   2. Left Behind – 2:53
   3. Hot Chocolate Boy – 2:21
   4. I've Lost You – 2:48
   5. Cry For A Shadow – 2:27
   6. Collide – 3:29
   7. Nancy Sin – 2:40
   8. Fortune Cookie Prize – 3:46
   9. Revolution Come And Gone – 4:16
  10. Red Head Walking – 2:07

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http://www.mediafire.com/?ziyw5ixnygm
Beat Happening - You Turn Me On (1992)

Beat Happening's final LP is also their best: concluding the emotional and musical progression begun with the minimalist innocence of their earliest work, You Turn Me On is a mature record of tremendous breadth and complexity. Where once the trio's songs were brief and bouncy, the nine tracks here are epic (several top out at over six minutes) and ambitious; produced in part by ex-Young Marble Giant Stuart Moxham (an obvious influence), the record's full, deep sound belies its bare-bones performances -- "Teenage Caveman" sports booming, primal drums perfectly suited to its title, while the propulsive "Noise" manufactures the illusion of a bassline where none ever existed. The most democratic record in an output founded on egalitarian ideals, You Turn Me On offers Heather Lewis' strongest songs ever -- her hypnotic nine-minute "Godsend" is the LP's heart and soul -- and she and Calvin Johnson even trade verses on the closing "Bury the Hammer." As for Calvin himself, his solo contributions are exceptional -- the spartan opener "Tiger Trap" is an evocative heartbreaker, and the title track is a fire-breathing corker. A masterpiece.

   1. Tiger Trap – 6:53
   2. Noise – 3:23
   3. Pinebox Derby – 3:07
   4. Teenage Caveman – 4:35
   5. Sleepy Head – 4:07
   6. You Turn Me On – 4:10
   7. Godsend – 9:28
   8. Hey Day – 3:25
   9. Bury The Hammer – 6:04

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http://www.mediafire.com/?4mqkm1dzq3e

[lauraelise204]

Pomegranates - Everybody, Come Outside!



Pomegranates are a fuzzy and delightful group that proves that good things can come out of Ohio. They burst onto the scene with their special brand of smart, poetic lyrics and electronically-infused indie pop, and this is their latest release. It's quite possibly the definitive indie pop summer album.

Code: [Select]

http://www.mediaf!re.com/?vly2eymywmi
Because I love 'em so much, I'm throwing in their first EP as well, in case you skeptics want a shorter download to try them out:

Pomegranates - Two Eyes (2007)

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http://www.mediaf!re.com/?nonyyjjrzmt
Of course, I highly recommend both.

the pomegranates are awesome!  they are also my friends! (i'm from cinci)

two other great cincinnati bands to check out (that i sadly do not have their music on my computer) The Seedy Seeds and All The Day Holiday.
ATDH just had their CD release show a couple weeks ago in covington, ky.  these guys are seriously talented and amazing.  i was so happy and so proud to see them up on stage in such a huge packed house.
i do have their EP, but it's in my cd case and not loaded on my computer.

any of the three come to your area, go see and support these amazing buckeyes

[Oqtober]

JUSTICE

I am in the process of downloading this now, and am tentatively excited.

...and at 0:45 into the first track my suspicions were confirmed and I could not stop smiling.

Their new album should be out soon, then I can die a happy man.

[David_Dovey]

JUSTICE

I am in the process of downloading this now, and am tentatively excited.

...and at 0:45 into the first track my suspicions were confirmed and I could not stop smiling.

Planisphere can be pretty monotonous but it's worth noting that it was actually a commissioned piece for a Dior runway show, so it had to be pretty steady.

I don't know whether I should have high hopes for the new Justice record, because the last few remixes they have done have been really uninspred.

[Wasteroo]

It is sort of monotonous, but it is just so loud and hard-hitting that I cannot dislike it. It's not exactly a subtle series of tracks, but they make me want to dance about wildly.

PS What's this about a new Justice album?

[Jughead5267]

Ramona Cordova - The Boy Who Floated Freely

http://www.myfriendramon.com/

Jesus Christ, I haven't even listened to it, but your description pushed me to send $8 to some guy I will likely never meet.

[JD]

White Rabbits fuck yeah

Fantastic post

[gospel]

In a certain mood today, so here's some more post-rock. I generally don't love the music from my hometown (Chicago), but this is an exception. If you want the gambit of things in a sprawling, enormous--sometimes complex, sometimes serene, but always cerebral--go for this. I am certainly happy I got a new pair of headphones recently.

Russian Circles - Enter

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http://www.mediafire.com/?mwdz2zzmvqy

Russian Circles are a heavy rock instrumental trio from Chicago, and Enter is their debut long-player. Comparisons to Pelican and Isis have been tiresome at best -- and inaccurate at worst -- as RC differ in key ways. The construction of their tunes is more intricate, not reliant as much on the heavy riff and the elegant phrase -- though it's not quite as delicate as Explosions in the Sky or Growing, either. On the opener, "Carpe," it's easy to hear that there's a lot happening. Guitarist Mike Sullivan and bassist Colin DeKuiper engage in musical counterpoint, which is not knotty math rock, either -- dynamic ranges are not built as much as employed in each section of the tune. Repetition between three-note vamps is present, but only as a grounding point. Drummer Dave Turncrantz has both great responsibility and great freedom. The tune crunches, folds back on itself, and then comes out on the other side with an entirely new musical statement to make, carrying just a hint of its origin. What's amazing is that this happens in each of this platter's six longish tracks. The placement and arrangement of the drama and flow within dynamic ranges make these tunes feel like songs, complete with bridges, crescendos, and intros and outros. "Micah" is another example. The cut begins to build on its fairly simple melodic fragment quite quickly, and then, as the three high strings are meandered upon by Sullivan, he tosses in a set of lines that are more intricate and winding, as DeKuiper moves him toward something else, something foreshadowed but not articulated, almost departing the rhythm section. Turncrantz's drums hint at what's coming: the cut explodes into raucous glorious heaviness and just as quickly eases back from the sonic abyss. This is not some kind of Godspeed You Black Emperor! trip. This also doesn't mean that Russian Circles are incapable of roaring into metallic frenzies (check out "Death Rides a Horse"); they most certainly are, complete with knotty stop-and-start-on-a-dime pyrotechnics. While there isn't a weak cut here, and each becomes part of some musical journey into tight, constructed yet somehow sprawling rock, there is vulnerability amid the heaviness and noise. It's like a form of instrumental poetry, woven, articulated slowly and deliberately, and all designed to take you "there," wherever your particular "there" is. The buzz on this band in Chicago has been big and it's easy to see why. Enter is a very impressive debut.

Russian Circles - Station

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http://www.mediafire.com/?mxhfk1ztozy

For those who celebrated the intricate heaviness of Russian Circles' debut album, Enter, or better yet saw them devastate live audiences with the sheer metallic roar of it all, Station may seem a little underwhelming -- at first. Brian Cook of Botch/These Arms Are Snakes has replaced bassist Colin DeKuiper (on record at least). That said, one should expect a wall of sonic attack that would make the gods cower, right? Not exactly. Texture and dimension have become a big part of Russian Circles sound on this seven- track album. They've tried to get themselves out of the post-rock "build up and up and up and finally explode" equation that has actually hampered the growth of the music. They haven't left metal behind, but have tempered it somewhat with some softer sounds, a more gradual expansion, and layered textures on any given theme, or some set thereof. About half the album relies on this technique, and admittedly, it can be a bit frustrating on first listen because there are so many parts folded into one another it simply isn't as obvious as Enter was. Mike Sullivan's guitar playing relies as much on fingerpicked swells that shimmer and refract as it does power chugging riffs. Dave Turncrantz's drums won't announce the shifts and twists and turns, either. He jumps in with the rest of the band, playing to the sense of drama and tension that get spread beautifully over the dimensions of space and power, framed perfectly by producer-engineer Matt Bayles. "Harper Lewis" takes the ominous heaviness that Russian Circles are known for, pours paranoid ambient sonics around the drum kit, and allows Cook to let that low end bass just throb wide open, until Sullivan just crushes the entire thing with his wall of squall stun riffing. It takes a little while to develop, but the payload is big. This is also true to a greater degree on the title track. Back and forth guitar and bass thrumming becomes a push and pull between the two players until only the thudding drum fills can breach the gap. It becomes almost unbearably tense even as the tonal and time signatures shift. The same kind of metal effect takes place in "Youngblood." Think of the menacing guitar intros of vintage Iron Maiden or Judas Priest paired with the sense of distortion, detuned feedback, and the noir transcendence of Isis or Pelican. The softer tunes, such as "Verses" and "Xavi," are really compelling puzzle pieces loaded with tricky corners, intricate spaces, and floating guitar and bass parts that open the door of power rock infinity but stop at the threshold. The bottom line is that this diversity is not a lack of focus, but growth and development that make the band stand out from the pack, making the effort to spin this a few times yield very big rewards.

[Bowers]

Pomegranates - Everybody, Come Outside!

This is awesome,
Thank you

[valley_parade]

I've been looking everywhere for this, and finally found it. Of course I will share with you guys.

Fancey - Schmancey

"Fancey" Schmancey -- you know, like Nilsson Schmilsson? Well, not exactly, but Todd Fancey's glorious obsession with '70s soft rock and sunshine pop isn't sullied in the least by a comparison to Nilsson's masterpiece of subversive pop. If anything, Fancey has gone out of his way to up the subversion factor on his second solo effort; the production and arrangements are gloriously user friendly, and Fancey's crew of like-minded musicians (including fellow New Pornographer Kurt Dahle) summon a sound as tight and emphatic as any crew of Los Angeles session heavyweights could deliver in the Golden Age. But between Fancey's eager embrace of an impressive variety of dangerous drugs on "Blue Star," the cheerful doom of "Lost in Twilight," the rocker's avarice of "Whoa," the creepy enthusiasm of "Heaven's Way"'s paean to Christian Conservatism, and the self-explanatory angst of "Karma's out to Get Me," this is album whose engaging surfaces cover a dark side as sure as the front cover artwork shows a sun-dappled garden hovering over the flames of Hell. But on Schmancey, the twist in the tale is part of the fun, and the undertow provides a ying that adds weight to the yang of Fancey's bright and superbly crafted pop tunes, powered by his stylistically malleable guitar work and period-appropriate keyboards. One might think being in one superb indie pop act would be enough, but Fancey's presence in the New Pornographers and on his own records suggest he's becoming a one-man dynasty of upbeat sounds with a nasty undercurrent.

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http://www.mediafire.com/?mdffeh2jzmz

[Wasteroo]

TIM BUCKLEY

Everybody needs to download Starsailor right the fuck now. I'm not kidding. DO IT.

Monterey is an absolutely essential track.

[valley_parade]

There is no such thing as an "essential" song or album. People keep telling me Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine are "essential", but they're both shitty bands.

[Wasteroo]

Monterey is an absolutely essential fucking fantastic track.

[WriterofAllWrongs]

There is no such thing as an "essential" song or album. People keep telling me Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine are "essential", but they're both shitty bands.

Sonic Youth are actually pretty awesome

But Jens, have you considered the completely valid point that they are not actually that great and also the fact that halfway into all their albums the songs devolve into shitstorms of noise that very barely have structure?



(I think we are going to disagree on this point)

[Wasteroo]

As far as overrated 'essential' bands go, I've never much liked Sonic Youth but I'm embarassed to admit that I love Loveless more than is probably warranted.

[WriterofAllWrongs]

(I think we are going to disagree on this point)

[De_El]

I don't understand. What's bad about shitstorms of noise?

[WriterofAllWrongs]

Because when it isn't really used all that well it starts to hurt my head?

[Wasteroo]

Sonic Youth: Exercise for your brain.

[WriterofAllWrongs]

Jens, are we gonna have to step outside?


Brainiac and Deerhoof use noise and dissonance well.  Sonic Youth hurts my head.  I do not like them because of it and also their voices should be other people's voices.  Are you prepared to enter a world of hipster conflict?  Because I am so ready to clog a really good thread with an argument just for the sake of showing my balls off.

[Wasteroo]

Writer, I love Brainiac too, but I generally skip their noise tracks. Even on ones like Sexual Frustration (did I mention I love it?) the opening noise is for the purpose of building tension to make the actual song even better. For another example, see the Knife's "We Share Our Mother's Health", from Silent Shout. The opening chaos and directionless noise slowly develops into a beat and melody and it's just fantastic. But these are generally pretty brief segments, and usually they end up actually developing into something.

[Avec]

You guys are about to love me.

Hauschka - Ferndorf.

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Hauschka is not a post-rock band. It is the alias of German pianist/composer Volker Bertelmann who experiments with "prepared pianos". This means he attaches a variety of materials to different parts of the piano to produce different tones and outside sounds, e.g. aluminium foil to produce a rustling sound.

However, it is a very good album and you should still get it.

Seriously.

[JD]

Not if we don't know anything about the album.

[Wasteroo]

Oh phew, I was afraid it was an album I was supposed to recognize on sight.

My indie cred felt seriously threatened.

[scarred]

Oh phew, I was afraid it was an album I was supposed to recognize on sight.

My indie cred felt seriously threatened.

[the_pied_piper]

You guys have never heard of Hauschka?

The guy who clamps weird things to pianos.

EDIT: Here is his homepage Hauschka homepage

Also, you should probably put a short description with the album.

[JD]

The White Rabbits- Fort Nightly

Vague recollections of a surreal 1940's movie scene eddy up. Six musicians enter a room, take their seats, and begin to play...six different pieces of music. They stop, look at each other, nod, and begin playing again...all different songs. They exchange sheet music, but cacophony still ensues. The memory is dim, but the White Rabbits bring it vividly to life with their strange, but brilliant, Fort Nightly album.The sextet sashay in with the Latin flavored "Kid on My Shoulders", a track infused with a 50s feel, but a dark and dangerous atmosphere that evokes The Specials, and lyrics that put even Terry Hall's most obscure lyrics to shame. "March of the Camels conjures that band's specter even more strongly with its oppressive atmosphere, solid reggae bass line, and eerie cries which echo of "Ghost Town". In contrast, "Dinner Party" sets a table for the Fun Boy 3 with its rhythm heavy arrangement. And like the Fun Boys, its the Rabbits's rhythms that are the driving force of the band's sound. Many of them are jazz or big band inspired, but not exclusively, as the martial drums that power "Take a Walk Around the Table" or the Afro-beats that patter across "I Used to Complain Now I Don't illustrate. But the big, bold beats are often juxtaposed against champagne styled piano, which in "Complain"'s case slides slyly into ragtime. If Liberace joined a swing band, and enlisted a guitarist addicted to eclecticism (Western, surf flecked, and C&W (included), it might sound a bit like this. Yet somehow, The White Rabbits pull this surreal set straight out of the hat, because for all its fractured elements, the group still magically conjure up coherent, complete songs. As lyrically eclectic and clever as it is musically, this is one fascinating album. As unique an experience as the Fun Boy 3's eponymous debut was in its day, and just as mesmerizing.

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I hope I didn't mess this up, this is my first contribution.

[KvP]

Milanese - Extend

A brawling soundclash that threatens to scorch off your eyebrows, the debut LP from Milanese takes the schematic he ironed out for Warp a bit ago and sparks it through the dubstep bedrock - resulting in the noir electronics of 'Extend'. Scrunching handfuls of jungle, grime, dancehall, electro and dubstep into the fizzing whole, 'Extend' is an album all about the friction caused when rough aural surfaces connect; kicking off with the depth-charge sonics of 'Mr. Bad News' and closing 40 minutes later on the majestic malice of 'Tony Sombrero'. Including the serrated coalition with Virus Syndicate that burnt some stylus a few weeks back, other notable tracts include the juxtaposed silky vocals / gnarled beats of 'Caramel Cognac' (reworked from the killer 7" version released by Various Production), the digitally disrupted bluster of 'Barry', whilst 'Boss Eye' flirts with Alec Empire territory through a crumbled edifice of bleached digital mayhem. Able to alternate between moments of high drama and throw away excess without a jarring transition, 'Extend' sees Milanese offering up a vision that is from the darkest family-tree, but nonetheless exists in a world of its own.

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The Black Dog - Book of Dogma

Everything gets slicker. When it comes to consumer technology, you just have to throw up your hands at some point. My discman finally died its death a month or so back, and I was forced to buy an iPod I couldn't really afford. If I'm honest, I caved mostly because the idea of buying a new discman in 2007 was too ridiculous to contemplate. I would have been laughed out of Best Buy. Aesthetics are a little bit different. I continue to wear Chuck Taylors and Vans because I'm as turned off now by extraneous bells-and-whistles as when I was when griping like a 14-year-old Andy Rooney about all the lights and pumps and gels. So I guess sneakers were my inchoate introduction to refusenik simplicity. And if you still want to be cheesily ostentatious, a pair of snakeskin Chucks or slip-ons with stupid flames airbrushed on them are a lot more honest than a goddamn Identi-Kit basketball shoe with a bunch of pointless and "modern" plastic gewgaws.

Like the late 20th century output of your neighborhood Foot Locker, my recent distaste for electronic music stems from a sterile slickness imposed by the march of technology colliding with an aesthetic asceticism-- an over-articulation of an extremely limited language. Too much "minimal" sounds both conceptually thin and sonically fussy. Listening to the new 2xCD Book of Dogma, a collection of rare EPs by famed but obscure proto-IDM act the Black Dog, I was struck on the first few listens by a joyous simplicity that manages never to sit still. Take "Seer and Sages", which, over a beat that never deviates from its two loud thwacks, shifts from boogaloo house pianos to techno synthesizers recast as "Baby Elephant Walk" baseball stadium muzak to an agitated rave spasm of pure noise to an outro as delicate as anything off a Kompakt Pop Ambient LP.

If, as with the crude, cut-up New York house and sparkling Detroit techno they were inspired by, time has somewhat dulled the shine of the Black Dog's sonics, it's also made the music sound more direct and engaging than ever by cultural contrast. To flip another non-musical metaphor, minimal can feel like the suspended animation slog of non-narrative avant-garde filmmaking in THX/IMAX fidelity, but these early Black Dog tracks are like a spelunking spaceman bounding happily through the corny, color-saturated landscape of a no-budget 1980s sci-fi flick with a cranked-up soundtrack of post-Kraftwerk synths, sampled self-help gurus, cosmic divas, distant dog howls, and chirping wind-up birds. Though Book of Dogma comes wrapped in the chilly graphics of a Depeche Mode album, this at times gaudy music, with its barreling melodies and shouting rappers, isn't afraid to get loud in your face; it sounds like an oddball party crasher in glassy, reserved 2007.

This out-of-step quality isn't terribly surprising; as the first decade of the 2000s winds to a close, the electronic music of the early 90s, be it of the smarty pants or party hard variety, feels as distant as "Models Inc." or Homer Simpson's beloved clear cola. In the light of everything from the rainbow-hued syncopation of 2-step garage to Perlon's thousand dry timbres of percussion, the Dog's very first EP Virtual-- the first three tracks on disc one of Dogma-- sounds stark, like staring into the tie-dye-cum-Rorschach pattern on the original's vinyl label as it spins on your turntable: revolving breakbeat patterns overlaid with creaky synths. But its bold if basic boom-bap is totally appealing, even on the more hi-fi second disc when the trio begins to swing their beats into crunching triplets as on the broken beat foreshadowing "Vanttool" or whatever the hell the stop-start lurching astro-samba of "Erb" is. "The Age of Slack", from the 1989 EP of the same name, is zonked electronic funk with shuffling beats straight off a Rob Base record and bursts of sampled rap; its woozy atmosphere-- that faded soul singer makes the whole thing sound like a stoned take on My Life in the Bush of Ghosts-- slows you down, creating a very different kind of "slacker" vibe than contemporaneous Superchunk. I mean, what better way to describe the Dog's music than their own pointed, self-penned epigram "Ambience with Teeth"?

Not everything on Book of Dogma sounds bound to some unrepeatable golden era for nostalgic ravers. "Glassolalia" is spare and dark enough to still be easily slotted into a DJ set, and listen to the intro to "Techno Playtime" and tell me that Mouse on Mars weren't listening hard. You might say it's silly to pit music from two very different decades against each other, especially considering I can be as much of a sucker for a well-done piece of shiny modern minimalism as anyone. But call me a crank or a grouch or hopelessly out of touch or more interested in aesthetic appeal than the march of technology-- I still can't shake my feeling that too much modern techno has been molded into a slick, aerodynamic Nike-sweatshop anonymity that's more fun to read about than listen to. Maybe it's less about being a luddite than about comfort and enjoyment. For folks too young or indifferent to be into 90s "electronic listening music" at the time, Book of Dogma may feel like a pair of ratty old sneakers, but try them on and I bet you they get worn a helluva lot more this year than the pair that's eye-catching in the catalog and hell on the feet.

Part 1

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The Doubtful Guest - Acid Sauna

The Doubtful Guest is Libby Floyd, a trained vocalist who, for her Planet Mu debut, chooses to create an all-instrumental album of neo-Acid. Much travelled and with musicanaly family background, she found ultimate happiness dancing for ten hours straight at 90's Chicago warehouse raves. Hence Acid Sauna - but this is Acid with its strobelights and glowsticks ruthlessly confiscated, its Smiley face turned upside down. "Under heavy manners" references abound - King Tubby on "Tubby" and the urgent, sampled squeal of Public Enemy's "Rebel Without A Pause" among them. This is a music of dark acid flashbacks, in which the squiggly 303 chatter is rendered sinister, paranoid and malevolent, right from the 11 minute opener "Slaves", in which the listener can concoct their own narrative of the tyranny of the beat being somehow rendered terrifying and nightmarishly literal.

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[valley_parade]

INCOMING

COCK SPARRER

Jens, I take back anything bad I've ever said about you, even in a joking way. I fucking LOVE Cock Sparrer.

[ex_penumbrae]

Here's the album that may well turn out to be my favourite of the year. It's the new release from Hecq, entitled Steeltongued, & it brings together the very best aspects from his previous albums Night Falls & 0000 - in other words, it fluctuates between warm, lush ambient & gritty glitched-up IDM, all of it packed with invention, & brilliantly executed. Like 0000, this release also comes with a second disc filled with remixes (all of the title track), but whereas the remixes on 0000 didn't really live up to Hecq's own talent, most of these are really excellent. Very strongly recommended! 


[mp3 | 320 | 300Mb]

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[JD]

Fiona Apple- Extraordinary Machine

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Like her second record, this album is not immediate; it takes time for the songs to sink in, to let the melodies unfold and decode her laborious words (she still has the unfortunate tendency to overwrite: "A voice once stentorian is now again/Meek and muffled"). Unlike the Brion-produced sessions, peeling away the layers on Extraordinary Machine is not hard work, since it not only has a welcoming veneer, but there are plenty of things that capture the imagination upon the first listen — the pulsating piano on "Get Him Back," the moodiness of "O' Sailor," the coiled bluesy "Better Version of Me," the quiet intensity of the breakup saga "Window," insistent chorus on "Please Please Please" — which gives listeners a reason to return and invest time in the album. And once they do go back for repeated listens, Extraordinary Machine becomes as rewarding, if not quite as distinctive, as When the Pawn. Nevertheless, this is neither a return to the sultry, searching balladeering of Tidal, nor a record that will bring her closer to tasteful, classy Norah Jones territory, thereby making her a more commercial artist again. Extraordinary Machine may be more accessible, but it remains an art-pop album in its attitude, intent, and presentation — it's just that the presentation is cleaner, making her attitude appealing and her intent easier to ascertain, and that's what makes this final, finished Extraordinary Machine something pretty close to extraordinary.

Dear mediaf!re thread,
Fiona Apple is an amazing artist
Love, Zombiedude

[Avec]

Several tracks were broken.

[ex_penumbrae]

Nope, all tracks are fine (i just downloaded & double-checked them all) - you need to download all four parts, & then unzip using WinRAR or equivalent (right-click on part 1 - then "Extract here"). Trying to extract the parts on their own won't work.

[Avec]

The Morning Benders - Talking Through Tin Cans.

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If you’re itching for a good shot of melodic California pop, then The Morning Benders are your boys. Talking Through Tin Cans is one of the most infectious and accessible albums that you’ll find these days.

Hearya.com

[Avec]

Ex_Penumbrae,
I didn't have a problem with extraction itself, as only one or two songs were broken.

[ex_penumbrae]

Yes, i got that Avec; as i said, i also downloaded all four parts, extracted them & checked to see if they played correctly. All tracks played fine, so i suspect one or more files didn't download correctly when you downloaded them.

[Harun]

Das Parfum soundtrack by Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek, and Reinhold Heil. Performed by Berliner Philharmoniker



One of my favorite soundtracks. Goes perfectly with the movie. Beautiful, haunting.

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[pwhodges]

You guys are about to love me.
image

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http://www.mediaf!re.com/download.php?dxyvetr3vqzSeriously.

Because you don't name this artist or album, no-one will be able to find it on a search.

[Orcusmars]

You guys are about to love me.
image

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http://www.mediaf!re.com/download.php?dxyvetr3vqzSeriously.

Because you don't name this artist or album, no-one will be able to find it on a search.

What he should have said is, "Damn good post-rock by a band called Hauschka"

I'd get the album, if I were you, but satisfy your skepticism if needs be.

[the_pied_piper]

Hauschka is not a post-rock band. It is the alias of German pianist/composer Volker Bertelmann who experiments with "prepared pianos". This means he attaches a variety of materials to different parts of the piano to produce different tones and outside sounds, e.g. aluminium foil to produce a rustling sound.

However, it is a very good album and you should still get it.

[valley_parade]

HEY JENS WHERE THE FUCK IS THAT COCK SPARRER?

[Avec]

You guys are about to love me.
image

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http://www.mediaf!re.com/download.php?dxyvetr3vqzSeriously.

Because you don't name this artist or album, no-one will be able to find it on a search.

Hauschka - Ferndorf.

You're downloading free music, I think you can put a little effort into reading.

[Mr. Tool]

Just for the record, both of the White Rabbits' albums are awesome.

The Seal Cub Clubbing Club - Super Science Fiction

One thing the Northerners have definitely mastered is the art of contortion. Many times on Super Science Fiction they gradually weave shreds of dissonance into songs: taking a lo-fi threnody and twisting in convulsions of noise and other eclectic sounds. "Aurienteering" and "3ft of Air" both throw a surprising mid-game switcheroo. The former infusing its light 'n' breezy fare with deep, throbbing spy music and the latter taking a regal, cascading rhythm (akin to Clap Your Hands Say Yeah) and bolstering the latter stages with eruptions of twitching noise which would make Norman Bates reel in terror.

It's not all Bates and switch though, opener "World of Fashion" sustains itself with a disco rhythm - the kind usually found in an MGMT or Calvin Harris composition - and deepens into a brooding, perilous atmosphere, always topped by that cheery, amaranthine melody line. It is the cockroach of riffs, able to survive any mood change, no matter what the severity. Even the seismic swells of the guitar-distortion-waves cannot shake it in the song's third act.

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