Milhaven - Milhaven (Valeot)

I remember when I first discovered the sound of post-rock with the inevitable introduction to Godspeed You! Black Emperor. And I thought that I'd never get into 'rock' music. Since then, I dug through countless albums, each with their unique elements, building up on the foundation laid down by the masters. I don't want to say that after a while the sound got dull. That would be the wrong word. Nevertheless, it just stood there, still, in all its beauty, unhindered by change. The formula staked into the stage and jagged by every band in different directions. But always bouncing back to the original sound. And the problem with that is that you either sound like the originals, or you don't. Which one would you prefer? Enter Milhaven - a four member band from Bochum, Germany, consisting of Christoph Freudenberg, Jens Reichelt, Hannes Zagermann, and Andreas Fanter. Milhaven doesn't care about being labeled, or further experimentation, or ... that always sought out individuality... They just care about making great music. And if it means that their sound is more traditional, and in a sense classical, then so be it. Perhaps that's precisely what makes it sound so fresh - finally someone recording great post-rock with zero regrets. This is the band's second full length release, self-titled Milhaven, after the debut Bars Closing Down (12rec, 2004) and I. M. Wagner EP (12rec, 2006). A quick note here for the collectors - the aforementioned music was released on German 12rec net label, which means that you can download the music legally for FREE! And the music is worth your time! Beautifully crafted guitar riffs and melodies soar above precision controlled drums, and just enough reverb to create that floating feeling... Unapologetically delicious flashback to the warm currents of nostalgic 90s. Flawlessly executed. Recommended if you like Mogwai, Explosions in the Sky, Mono, and Stars of the Lid. Milhaven is released on Austrian Valeot Records, owned and operated by Alexandr Vatagin, who also introduced us to Port-Royal's Afraid To Dance (Resonant, 2007 / Valeot, 2008). Be sure to pick up Vatagin's own release, Shards (Valeot, 2009), as well as releases by a band Slon [where Vatagin is also a member] - Antenne (Valeot, 2009) and Nachtnebel (Valeot, 2009). Keep your eye on this label for more solid output to come. This album is limited to 500 hand-numbered copies in a hardback cover, available in the US through n5MD, and in UK through Norman.

See also Two and a Half Questions with Milhaven

milhaven.org | myspace.com/milhaven

Lights Out Asia - Eyes Like Brontide (n5MD)

If it looks like I am desperately trying to catch up on some amazing albums, and tell you about them since they first came out, it's because I am. There is just way too much music for me to go through these days. And let's face it, complaining about too much good music is a sin. Yet the fact that I have already listed Eyes Like Brontide on my Best of 2008 List last year should tell you something about my excitement for Lights Out Asia. Never mind the lack of time on my part to give it a thorough review. So I give you no apologies. But I give you these words. The third full length album by the Wisconsin based band opens up with atmospheric swells and echoes of commentary on music, until the drum machine patterns merge into acoustic percussion along the shoegazing, reverb drenched guitars and then... and then we are in the familiar territory of Lights Out Asia's staple sound, with epic harmony and Chris Schafer's desperate vocals. What continues to impress me throughout the works by LOA is the group's ability to effortlessly maneuver their song structures and production between acoustic and electronic, no doubt only belonging to one of my favorite labels, n5MD. I first came upon Lights Out Asia when they released their sophomore album, Tanks and Recognizers (n5MD, 2008). Since then I've been a follower and a fan. The formula behind their work seems simple, yet the emotion evoking execution is flawless. The sound of LOA falls between lush post-rock, organic ambient, crunchy IDM and ethereal cinematic soundscapes. If just that description gets you drooling, then of course, this album is for you, synthetic strings and all... To hear where it all started, pick up the group's debut album, Garmonia (Sun Sea Sky Productions, 2003). Lights Out Asia even made it on Tympanik's compilation, Emerging Organisms Vol.2, as well as ??record Compilation (Zankyo, 2008) [yes, those are Japanese characters in the album title you're seeing], where they shared the spot among Manual, 65daysofstatic, Bitcrush, Helios, I'm Not A Gun, Do Make Say Think, and many others. This album is seriously recommended for the above mentioned artist names, as well as Hammock, Port-Royal, July Skies, and Jatun. Pick up your copy directly from n5MD's mailorder.

myspace.com/lightsoutasia | lightsoutasia.com
myspace.com/n5mafia | n5md.com

Windy & Carl - Songs For The Broken Hearted (Kranky)

Windy Weber & Carl Hultgren have been releasing minimal ambient and experimental post-rock music since the late 90's. The catalog of this Michigan based husband-and-wife duo spans an eclectic selection of notable labels such as Icon, Ochre, Darla, Brainwashed, and of course, Chicago-based Kranky Records. Songs For The Broken Hearted is Windy & Carl's fourth release on Kranky (being signed to the label for over a decade now), where it perfectly fits among the works by their fellow label-mates, Stars of the Lid, Pan•American, Tim Hecker, and Brian McBride. The tracks on Songs For The Broken Hearted continue to build on the duo's style of beatless shoegaze layers of Carl & Windy's guitar work, using EBow and a variety of time-based delays, with the occasional soft vocals by Windy. Both play equal amounts of guitar on the record, and Windy tells me that "each track (with the exception of Rhodes) was created spontaneously with us both playing guitar, and then carl added a few extra layers after and i added the vocals". The sound of this album is still drony, but a lot more harmonic, as if a heavy pillow was left on the Rhodes, pressing on all the right keys. The cover art of the album pictures a forest with breaking light. A parallel could be drawn between this image and the dense stratum of sonic frequencies evoked by the guitar, with an occasional breakthrough of clearly EQed voice, which almost whispers the songs that lullaby the sad, and indeed the brokenhearted. To understand the depth of feelings behind this work, it helps to bypass my interpretations, and instead quote Windy talking about the album on the band's web site: "this is an album about love. everyone has known love, and everyone has known loss. love is not just about warm fuzzy feelings, although that would be the part people say they like the best. and in any span of time, love changes and means different things to different people. [...] songs for the broken hearted is an album full of honesty, both musically and lyrically. it is for anyone who has felt love - you can hear it in the sounds and the words, both spoken and unspoken. the album i never thought would be is finished." For an extensive selection of Windy & Carl's tracks, check out their triple disk release, Introspection (Blue Flea, 2002). A few other great recommendations from the duo include Depths (Kranky, 1998), Consiousness (Kranky, 2001), and a compilation of two EPs, The Dreamhouse / Dedications to Flea (Kranky, 2005) - the latter being a sad elegy dedicated to their departed dog, Flea. Recommended for the above mentioned Kranky roster. Windy & Carl are currently preparing for their spring tour along with Benoît Pioulard with some special treats from Lambs Laughter (Windy and Thomas Meluch). For tour tour dates and details check their website or myspazz.

myspace.com/windyandcarl | brainwashed.com/wc
myspace.com/krankyltd | kranky.net

One Starving Day - Broken Wings Lead Arms to the Sun (Planaria/KNVBI)

The record patiently awaits its turn among the large pile of music. Finally it is allowed to play, to shine, to sing, and to scream in its beautiful agony. It's like this: if you are a drooling mischievous apocalyptic follower of Godspeed You! Black Emperor or Mono, as well as Pelican, Neurosis, and Isis, then you absolutely _must_ get this album. One Starving Day is a group of Italian musicians, with a previous experience in some hardcore bands, but what they whip up on their debut album, Broken Wings Lead Arms to the Sun, is beyond metal, beyond screamo and post-nu-post-rock. It is a blend of very melodic and voluptuous swells of unfolding desperation which erupts into the mass of lava... flowing... slowly... All you can do is just stand there, agape, watching it helplessly wash over your ears, consuming everything in its path. Take the intimate lyrics on my favorite track on the album, Leave: "on these tears / lay down, and wait / for becoming / an abandon / to soothe / all your fears / a pure heart / to soothe / and leave". Into this deadly cocktail, throw in the spacey 70s synth sweeps, raw violin screeches, and explosive (excellent) drumming. And I did mention the screamed vocals, right? That may sound discouraging to some listeners (or readers), but it works _very_ well for One Starving Day, and is actually more than welcomed by yours truly (surprise!). The CD was released on Washington DC based Planaria Recordings, and then repressed on a colored 12" vinyl with two extra unreleased tracks on an accompanying 7" by KNVBI Records. Whether you're a collector or not, this record must be in your library for the likes of the above mentioned bands.



myspace.com/onestarvingday | onestarvingday.com
myspace.com/planaria | planariainc.com
myspace.com/knvbirecords | knvbirecords.com

Cougar - Law (Layered)

On the first listen, Madison based (Wisconsin, US) instrumental five-piece band, Cougar, sounds peculiar - not fitting into any specific classification (and proud of it!), yet tending to be loosely associated with post-rock more than any other genre. But after returning to their debut album, Law, for the second time, I realize that it's exactly what I want to hear. Describing their music as "emergency rock" geared towards "rescue culture", Cougar experiments with beats, harmony, and structure. The production ranges from electronic to organic, reminding me of earlier tracks by Telefon Tel Aviv (minus the glitch) and perhaps even Four Tet. Some rhythms are influenced by electronica and I would go as far as say upbeat instrumental hip-hop beats. There's also a special treat in the "intermissions" between the main tracks. Throughout the album, Cougar sprinkles five consecutively named sketches. These are the experimental pieces that are extremely fun to listen to, reminiscent of pieces on Radiohead's Kid A - I only wish they were expanded into full tracks. The exploratory approach of Cougar's composition brings back the curiosity and excitement which I first encountered through Grails. There is no formula. There is no tiring structure. On Law, Cougar switches gears and takes you into a new direction at a whim. And the mastering is outstanding - I guess it has to be, when you find out that John McEntire (Tortoise and The Sea and Cake) is behind the production. I find myself returning to Cougar over and over. Recommended for the above mentioned names, plus if you like 65daysofstatic, Yndi Halda, Saxon Shore, and This Will Destroy You.



myspace.com/cougarsound | cougarsound.com
layered.org

Daturah - Reverie (Golden Antenna / Graveface)

I don't know why, but I simply love extended post-rock tracks that evolve over a course of ten to fifteen minutes. A track becomes a whole story, a movement, an extraordinary composition. And Daturah, the Frankfurt (Germany) based instrumental five piece band, accomplishes just that. The dynamics build up and drop, the rhythm breaks and picks up again, and the melodies draw me in, unfolding like a trip through a familiar mountain climb, only to reveal a new breathtaking view once you reach the top; and once I'm at the peak, I fall and soar with music towards the sea of sound. I also can relate to this description in the band's bio: "Sand disperses. Counterpoints are set discreet. Suddenly and abrupt you climb up. Newly awoken the listener gets pulled up in a mighty swirl. Resistance seems pointless, but maybe someone is rescuing the listener from an apocalyptical, stormy sea..." Reverie is Daturah's sophomore album. The five tracks seamlessly flow into one another, at times dropping into the ambiance of shoegaze, at times insisting on crashing down the post-metal barrier. Daturah formed back in 2003. After the self titled debut release in 2005, Daturah has toured the world, playing alongside The Thermals, Do Make Say Think, Gregor Samsa, and Mono. Reverie is released on Golden Antenna, a German label previously responsible for Maserati; and on Chicago based Graveface Records with a roster of artists such as Black Moth Super Rainbow, Dreamend and Monster Movie. I would love to see Daturah live. Perhaps Graveface will bring them in [wink]. Be sure to pickup the first self-titled album, Daturah. Recommended for the likes of Mogwai, GSY!BE, Caspian, Yndi Halda, This Will Destroy You, Red Sparowes, as well as Isis and Pelican.



myspace.com/daturah | daturah.de
myspace.com/goldenantenna | goldenantenna.com
myspace.com/gravefacerecords | graveface.com

The Drift - Memory Drawings (Temporary Residence Ltd.)

It's almost half way through the year, and suddenly I realize that I haven't listened to any post-rock released in 2008. So, I hit up one of my favorite labels, Temporary Residence Limited, a Brooklyn based source of great artists like Eluvium, Explosions In The Sky, Tarentel, Grails, and of course, Mono... and what's this? A new album from The Drift, that somehow slipped past me. The Drift is a four-piece instrumental band from San Francisco, originally created as a Lazarus and Tarentel side project, which by now evolved into a strong group of its own. Memory Drawings is The Drift's second full length release, following on the heels of an album compiling their previous three EPs, Ceiling Sky, released in November of 2007. Danny Grody from Tarentel literally synergies with the amazing trumpet work by Jeff Jacobs [the first time I heard trumpet blending perfectly with post-rock was on The Pirate Ship Quintet's self titled EP]. The drums and the upright bass more than compliment the intricate phrases and melodies which were recorded directly onto analog tape. The jazz influences are lurking just behind the curtains of the post-rock driven motif, and the tracks on Memory Drawings do not tire out the listener with any previously used and abused formula. Each piece on an album tells its very own story - changing rhythms, tempo, dynamics, and the tone as it evolves into a little cinematic fragment of memory, never forgotten since never was drawn. Yet another step forward for post-rock. Recommended if you enjoy Tortoise, Do Make Say Think and early Tarentel.

myspace.com/trldrift | thedriftmusic.com
temporaryresidence.com

Bitcrush - Epilogue In Waves (n5MD)

I thoroughly enjoyed Mike Cadoo's previous album, In Distance, under his Bitcrush alias. So I waited for a perfect moment to listen to Epilogue In Waves in a serene place setting. I was especially looking forward to the album after I read somewhere that this may be Cadoo's last release (hence the "epilogue" in the title). The latter rumor is clearly incorrect, and I've got the Two and a Half Questions with Mike Cadoo, to prove that. Plus there is an upcoming re-issue of a long unavailable digital release, Shimmer and Fade, remastered and extended. Epilogue In Waves has received mixed reviews. It may be due to unintended expectations from the ever changing musical approach - Cadoo has morphed between styles for years, from his choppy IDM Gridlock project with Mike Wells, to the d'n'b infused breaks as Dryft. Or it may be due to specific expectations of evolution in sound - anything that has been done before may not be exciting to some listeners. Nevertheless, I wholeheartedly welcome the chilled out production of ambient and post-shoegaze influenced bliss. There are instantly recognizable elements from inspirations like Hammock, Lights Out Asia and This Will Destroy You. And these are the sounds that I can't get enough of. In my opinion, this effortless genre migration demonstrates true musicianship, and should receive all the recognition it truly deserves. Cadoo continues to evolve his sound, and as the owner of n5MD, his label's output, through limitless boundaries of uncaged approach. If you follow the label make sure you also pick up Loess, Last Days and Hologram.

myspace.com/haveyoulostyourway | bitcrush.net
myspace.com/n5mafia | n5md.com

Under Languid Lights - Diver Demo (self)

There are only three short instrumental post-rock tracks on this demo from a German group based out of Köln (Cologne) and Düsseldorf, calling themselves Under Languid Lights. The mood is airy, upbeat and lighthearted. There are no brooding crescendos, apocalyptic messages, nor melancholic images. Instead, each track on the Diver Demo offers a controlled melodic progression that folds neatly within an individual story. But forgive me for just a moment to digress and talk about the packaging. Yes, it's that important. Every cover of the demo is handmade artwork and is undeniably unique. If you check out the photos on the band's myspazz, you'll witness the process of package design and creation, each piece personally labored over. Somehow that adds that much more value to each copy, in not just in eyes of a collector, but music lover as well. In this digital world of limitless copies and aliased illusions, this little touch matters. And if it was the cover that got me to listen to the album, before I chose another album from a queue of submitted uploads... then it worked. And now I've heard the demo a dozen times and enjoyed it enough to tell you about it. Of course, the music will speak for itself. This time a little louder.

myspace.com/underlanguidlights

Sidewaytown - Years In the Wall (Skygaze Music)

Feeling like an outsider, "a stranger on sideways", and inspired by Sigur Rós live performances and their unique constructed language, Markus Baltes builds his own world, calling it Sidewaytown. Instead of brooding shoegaze, Baltes adds edgy guitars and creates Germany’s first skygazing post-rock, layered with his vocals. After years of trial and error, in frustration of previously failed attempts, Baltes thrusts himself into a studio with Markus Stock (Ulf Theodor Schwadorf), to rerecord his opus. At first the album seemed a bit blend to me, but the more I listened, the more I picked out the melodies, and the story unfolded. I definitely prefer to be blown away by an album from the start, but there are also some instances where the intricate details can be marveled upon only after repeated and detailed examination. Like a sip of wine that initially overwhelms, yet upon additional tasting opens its bouquet for your buds to dance to. So does the story of Sidewaytown unfolds. In addition to Sigur Rós, Baltes names My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Oceansize, and David Lynch to be among his many influences. Support the artist by buying the album directly from the official website.

myspace.com/sidewaytown | sidewaytown.com

Ólafur Arnalds - Eulogy For Evolution (Erased Tapes Records)

Majestic, graceful, gorgeous and sublime are only the first few words that come to mind when I listen to Ólafur Arnalds’ debut on Erased Tapes Records titled Eulogy For Evolution. Iceland scores once again, with another composer feeling right at home with many instruments - piano, organ, and a melodica. Bring in the strings - cello, viola and violins - and you’ve got an acoustic ensemble for the melancholic sound easily compared among countryman Jóhann Jóhannsson and, of course, Max Richter. Just when you’ve slotted the chamber sound among the modern classical genre, Arnalds throws in some drums and all of a sudden you’re listening to progressive post-rock. The last pieces on the album are exceptionally emotional, starting off with a solo violin performance and building into a progression full of surprises - so I won’t ruin it here. I especially like how the piano recording is separated in the stereo field: the sound of key action preemptively heard in right channel, followed by the hammer striking the string in center, and the soft dull stomp of a pedal somewhere in the left. I rate the album with AAA - Astonishing Acoustic Aural experience. No wonder it showed up at the top of many Best of 2007 lists. Did you happen to miss it? Rapidly elevating to the highest ranks among the contemporary composers, twenty-year-old Ólafur Arnalds is definitely the name to watch in the upcoming years. A must in any collector’s library.

myspace.com/olafurarnalds | olafurarnalds.com
myspace.com/erasedtapes | erasedtapes.com

Port-Royal - Flares (Resonant)

Flares is a 2005 release by a Genoa based Port-Royal on Resonant Records. I have already voted their follow-up, Afraid To Dance, to be one of the best albums of 2007. I bring back this earlier work in anticipation of an upcoming remix project, Flared Up, due out in the spring of '08, with contributions by Manual, Dialect, Skyphone, Stafrænn Hákon, and Ulrich Schnauss to name just a few. In Flares we are graced with beautiful blend of ambient meets electronic meets shoegaze meets post-rock sound, that defies strict categorization and exists only for your earthly pleasures. One needs to put down the caffeinated drink, turn off the blinking scrollies, and pause to appreciate the album's sheer vastness of hazed texture, lush chilled-out soundscapes, and pure tranquility. And here's the best part, folks (I'm quoting from the label's site) - "in preparation for the upcoming remix version, the royals have placed their debut album 'Flares' for free download from their website." So how can you pass this by? Recommended for followers of Hammock, M83, Sigur Rós, and all of the above mentioned artists. Favorite tracks: the three part Zobione.

myspace.com/uptheroyals | port-royal.it
myspace.com/resonantrecordings | resonantlabel.com

Blueneck - Scars of the Midwest (Don’t Touch)

A North Somerset (UK) based instrumental post-rock band, Blueneck, flicks the lit match into the puddle of gasoline, spilled near my winter beaten soul. With the calm cinematic piano, gliding guitars, and explosive crescendos, Blueneck builds up raw emotion until you are slapped across the face with sound; and while your cheek is still throbbing with the pain of reality, the subliminal messages are pumped into your head in gentle brush strokes. Blueneck expands on the beloved Godspeed You! Black Emperor with their masterful command of instruments, apocalyptic tension, and controlled dynamics. The atmospheric and restrained pace intensifies the anticipation of resolve, and the final delivery does not dissapoint. I'm not a big fan of vocals in my music, unless they are executed by memorable voices, like David Martin's from iLiKETRAiNS. Yet Duncan Attwood impresses me once again - I am instantly reminded of Thom Yorke and Radiohead's classic Kid A. Scars of the Midwest is Blueneck's first album released on Don't Touch records, scheduled for a vinyl reprint by Denovali Records in 2008. I am also impatient about their split release with The Pirate Ship Quintet on the same label, Denovali. Highly recommended! Favorite track : Epiphany and Ub2.

myspace.com/blueneck | myspace.com/denovali

I Am David Sparkle - This Is The New (KittyWu)

We've all been blown away by a Japanese post-rock band Mono, so why not check out an excellent surprise from a pioneering Singapore based instrumental four-piece band, I Am David Sparkle? Before I get to the music, I want to take a moment and drop a tribute to a very much under-appreciated component of an album - its packaging. This Is The New is tucked deep inside an accordion-like stereographic packaging full of hidden words and inaccessible secrets, but to get to the music, you have to become part of the artistic process and remove the stitches holding this enigma together. Once you remove the thread, you can never go back; in essence - creating by destroying. Clawing into the heart of the album, like a hungry squirrel working at the hard-shelled nut, I was praying that the music would live up to its externalities. Tension breaker - two thumbs up! Formed in 2001 and "inspired by the landscapes of life, love, and beauty", the group draws on their past experience in indie, punk and hardcore acts, but at the heart of composition lie the undeniable elements of post-rock, with hints of Explosions in the Sky, Sigur Rós and Mogwai, and an occasional electronic rhythm treatment to the likes of The Album Leaf. The music is comfortably familiar, soothing, and intelligent, adding to the palette a sprinkle of new color, as inspired by the cultural and geographical distance. Favorite track: Dance of Death.

myspace.com/iamdavidsparkle | myspace.com/kittywurecords

The Pirate Ship Quintet - The Pirate Ship Quintet EP (Sound Devastation)

At only three tracks, The Pirate Ship Quintet's first self titled EP, progresses the future of post-rock with an incredible dynamic acceleration. Super charged with emotion, one can not help but anticipate the explosive breakdowns as they crescendo with a cello, piano, and brass. The British eight-piece "quintet" [don't ask - see their myspace explanation] is quietly straying away from limelight, but I can already predict their effect on the scene as they pick up where others have left off to carry on the baton of the genre. It is no coincidence that TPSQ shows up on my rotations within a week from Yndi Halda. Both bands seem to be at the top of my instrumental and orchestral (if you will) post-rock album lists. But the quintet is a bit darker, at times almost post-metal, with abruptly collapsing walls of sound and the following void that's filled by a sobbing cello in the corner or a lost trumpet in the woods. Recommended if you like From The Sky, Mt., Blueneck, 65daysofstatic and of course Yndi Halda. All three tracks get 5+ stars from me.

myspace.com/thepirateshipquintet

Death In Public - Instrumental in Silence EP (self released)

A two member band out of Lancaster, UK, had everything lined up for an EP but the drummer. But that didn't stop Julian Dicken and Josh Longton from going forward on this instrumental release falling somewhere between post-rock and post-metal. Armed with a drum machine, the duo added solid beats to mellow atmospheric shoegaze and explosive attitude grinding chords using everything in their arsenal - including drilling snare rolls (try that with a drummer). And in my humble opinion, it is exactly the element of a unique programming approach that made it stand out among the dozen of promos that line my studio floor. Taking a slight detour, I turn my attention towards their latest single, Biometrics [specifically Motion Sickness track] in which Death In Public have evolved a bit with slightly tighter production, deeper bass, a real drummer, and a vocal line. Yet continuously being biased towards lyrics, I'll just anxiously await an instrumental full length. Thumbs up for the likes of My Bloody Valentine, Mogwai and Pelican. Favorite tracks: Everything Is Tired In Its Own Way and Motion Sickness (from Biometrics EP).

myspace.com/deathinpublicmusic

Mono & World’s End Girlfriend - Palmless Prayer / Mass Murder Refrain (Temporary Residence Ltd)

This album is probably the saddest thing I have EVER heard. By the time I get to the sequentially titled Trailer 3 (of a five part album), I'm almost shaking with grief, unable to comprehend how mere music can possess so much power of movement. I challenge anyone to sit through this marvel and rebut my pronouncement. Mono is a Japanese instrumental post-rock band, which appeared over and over on my charts throughout the years. With multiple releases on Temporary Residence Limited, Mono has developed their own staple sound as well as a group of loyal followers (including yours truly). On this collaboration they are joined by Katsuhiko Maeda, who releases under many names, most notable of them, World's End Girlfriend with excellent albums on Midi Creative / Noble. Maeda's sound is an unclassifiable potpourri of modern classical, experimental post-rock with a touch of electronic glitch, and he has also numerously appeared on my rotations. But on this album, Maeda leaves his micro processing behind to join Mono and create an acoustic requiem which grabs at your heart and does not let go until it squeezes every last tear. I have officially found music for my funeral. Yes, I want everyone to weep freely to this nonreligious, palmless prayer.

myspace.com/monojp

myspace.com/worldsendgirlfriend

Sennen - Periphery // Automatic Writing (Zabel Muziek)

Here's a two for one, fellas - an EP from 2004, Periphery, and a mini-album from 2007, Automatic Writing, both released on the same label, Zabel Muziek, by Sennen, a four-piece instrumental post-rock band from The Netherlands. I'm going to start off with the most recent release and work my way backwards, since that's the order in which I discovered the band. In Automatic Writing, the band employs pretty complex rhythms at times switching between 3/4 beat to 5/4 and unexpectedly back to standard 4/4, and it makes the guitar and trumpet melodies, which effortlessly blend and glide in their own universe that much more interesting. The naming of the album, as well as its flow, imply a creative process in which the writer records his thoughts and feelings with the stream of consciousness. And it's an absolute pleasure to be on the receptive end. When purchasing the mini-album directly from the band [which, by the way, is available for free under the "creative commons" license], I couldn't help but grab their earlier EP (it was an easy sell for only €10 for both). Periphery, on the other hand, feels like a totally different album: it's opening, for example, is a slow build up of a rhythmic march along the paced strummed melody and a reverbed multi-layered tremolo picked guitar... until it all explodes. The three tracks work very well as one intelligently designed piece, and the EP does not disappoint one bit, even as an earlier production. I end up always listening to both in succession, and I recommend you do the same.

myspace.com/sennenband | myspace.com/vetteanalogeshit

Grails - Burning Off Impurities (Temporary Residence Ltd)

This must be one of the most interesting compositions that I've heard in a long time. Perhaps my surprise may be attributed to my lack of familiarity with instrumental psychedelic rock. Regardless of the circumstances, I find the album refreshing, intelligent, skillfully executed, and captivating. The four member band from Portland, Grails, has more than half a dozen of releases on labels such as Important, Neurot and Robotic Empire; and the experience of such musicianship is splattered across an entire album. Burning Off Impurities is a composition that perfectly blends elements of world, classic, psychedelic, and post-rock, where instruments are masterfully played and include piano, banjo, sitar, and of course, guitar. I especially like the non-intrusive percussion that guides the music through the roller-coaster of emotion. Influenced by range of artists from Black Sabbath to Led Zeppelin, the band, however, tends to stay closer to the American folk sound. You have to forgive this reviewer's desire to pinpoint a genre - and so once again I must remind myself (and you as well) of what matters the most: great music. And that's precisely what Grails accomplishes on this stunning album, barring all classification aside. I am very excited about this discovery, and recommend you check them out as well. Favorite Tracks : Silk Rd, Origin-ing and Burning Off Impurities.

myspace.com/grailsongs

worriedaboutsatan - EP02 (self released)

The UK band, worriedaboutsatan, has a very unique and unexpected sound. Gavin Miller and Tom Ragsdale skillfully blend elements of post-rock, intelligent electronica, and noise, with a layer of minimal, tightly mastered beats. Sounds intriguing? You bet! The fusion of genres is usually a dangerous territory if not executed correctly, but worriedaboutsatan surprise me over and over with their perfect control of instruments, programming technique, and dynamic range. The tracks on EP02 seamlessly merge into one another, and are best absorbed in a single thirty-plus-minute journey... that is until your senses are interrupted by Paul Marshall's vocals... and the beat picks up again. The band is taking on the scene singlehandedly, filling one order at a time (also available on iTunes), so grab a piece of history before they explode in a kaleidoscope of colors! For the likes of The Album Leaf, Kashiwa Daisuke and World's End Girlfriend. Favorite tracks: Relative Minors, Morwenna (Part 2) and The Last Song (First Song Remix).

myspace.com/worriedaboutsatan