I'm actually shaving soon. I guess I'll have to make up for it with more uploads.
Indian - The Unquiet Sky
First things first: The Unquiet Sky is everything a doom record should be. The bass tone is so perfect and intense that it could shake your body through a pair of headphones. The guitars bring Black Sabbath-esque fuzz down enough notches to kill a horse. The percussion is sparse when it needs to be ("Ration") and energetic when it's allowed ("Tied and Gagged"). Dylan O'Toole's vocals give Indian the extra edge over many of the other bands who have perfected this formula by complementing the melancholy created by the music with a demonic voice of evil. There is even an extended track of terrifyingly psychedelic feedback, perfectly placed to scare the crap out of you when you're high. In fact, the only thing that fails to be suitably doom-y and evil about this record is the cover illustration of a Christ-like baboon which, despite being evil enough in spirit, looks a bit too much like it was drawn in a junior high art class.
This record is an easy recommend for fans of the "doom" genre, but what about anyone unacquainted with the genre? I personally don't consider myself a huge aficionado of the style, but loved this record. The only things required to enjoy The Unquiet Sky are an attention span and a love of all things metal. This record generally moves slowly, as does most doom, but it is far less droning and repetitive than many recent examples of the genre. As the name of the style suggests, doom is, by its very nature, dark, oppressive music. As such, Indian is definitely better suited to being digested over an extended period of time at high volumes, rather than short bursts in your car or through headphones.
Bottom Line: If you're searching for the latest, greatest doom record to add to your collection, look no further than Indian's The Unquiet Sky. Fans of Neurosis, Eyehategod and Godflesh should also definitely pick this up. It's a solid record from beginning to end from an up-and-coming trio of doom virtuosos.
http://www.mediafire.com/?ixwi3jcvm2j
Fucking awesome heavy doom. This record is a lot like Zoroaster's "Dog Magic," in that I listened to it once and it instantly became one of my favorite examples of the genre (another parallel to that album is that the harsh blackened vocals are a turn-on for me instead of the turn-off they usually are. I don't usually like that vocal style but in this album it fits perfectly). These guys are brutal and this album is magnificent.
Andy McKee - The Gates of Gnomeria
Gates of Gnomeria is a collection of Andy McKee original songs and two covers. His cover of Bjorks, Venus as a Boy is a stunning multi-track arrangement of one of her best known songs from her debut. Join by Bassist Jeff Schmidt on two songs, A Sphere and Dependant Arising, the songs on Gates of Gnomeria as a collection are more laid-back than on Art of Motion and larger musical ideas at the same time. Andy is the most innovative and exciting fingerstyle guitarist to emerge in years. Still in his 20's, Andy has developed a mastery of the 6-string guitar and the harp guitar that leaves me speechless. I find myself listening to his tunes over and over again, discovering new nuances every time. He is the most textural player of the instrument since Michael Hedges, and he creates sonic architecture worthy of the great modern composers for any instrument. - Don Ross
http://www.mediafire.com/?wxfxfbon9tx
Andy McKee might be the best acoustic guitarist I've ever heard. He holds absolute and complete mastery over his instrument. This shit is completely jaw-dropping. Stunningly beautiful music.
ルルル - ルルル
It's easy to think, upon hearing descriptions like "spaced-out" or "instrumental" or "shoegaze," of a bunch of sullen dudes playing soft, twinkery tunes in a dark room. While that is certainly the case for Toyko's rururu, it's also far from the mark. rururu might play spacey songs, but they are loud spacey songs. Loud and huge. Full of swirling guitar noise and Dina's occasional high pitched vocals. Much like Downy, rururu builds their songs up over time through both repetition and sheer volume. Dina's vocals are treated just like the other instruments, acting more as raw tones instead of words, his words stretched and awash in delay and reverb.
Their songs have that dark and dangerous feel so common among the shoegaze set, but songs like "Mugen" and the amazing "&" also offer up trance-like tribal rhythms between the drums and bass, allowing the guitars to spin and scream over the top. This adds a welcome feel of triumph and celebration in an otherwise dismal and despairing genre. Truly awesome, awesome stuff.
http://www.mediafire.com/?bajbemmhtov
Japanese post-rock. For my money, at least as good as Mono, possibly better (yes, really). This forum's savvy enough to know that that would be a big deal. Guess what, this album's a big deal.
Twi The Humble Feather - Music For Spaceships and ForestsI couldn't find a picture or a review for this one. I don't know if people still listen to Animal Collective but this is basically the best album they never made. These guys are a little too good to pigeonhole that way, but the similarities between the two are pretty marked (particularly the vocal style), and anyone who enjoys Animal Collective can be basically guaranteed to love the hell out of this. Spacey acoustic psych-folk with weird chanted harmonies and lots of trippy transitions.
http://www.mediafire.com/?o1moyamgh2f
Brightblack Morning Light - Brightblack Morning Light
Closer to a band of gypsies than any group Hendrix ever conjured, Brightblack Morning Light understand the responsibility that comes with playing off-the-red folk-blues that pitter-patters down the sidewalk like a paranoid goose-stepper. The Southerners-turned-Sanfranciscans whisper more than shout, but they know how to demand attention. Let this self-titled debut steep in its own warm juices for a spell; you'll see. The porno horns bleating through the misty ten-minutes-plus maze of "Star Blanket River Child" are the first sign of expansion. From there, an ever-widening chasm of ghostly chants, swamp-water rhythms, rusty trombones, hand-drum swats, and low-in-the-mix guitar swipes will swallow you whole.
http://www.mediafire.com/?nxdawinmmgc
Oozy, atmospheric and so relaxed and groovy that it makes you wish you hadn't gone to work today. Thrumming bass, nodding percussion, and ethereal vocals are at the core, but horns, flute, and a bunch of other instruments wind their lazy way around the mix as if nobody has anywhere to be anytime soon ... and once you put the album on, you won't want to either. This is some supreme chill-out music, and it's got enough personality to set itself way apart. Highly recommended.