Scenes of a City, Vol. 10: Zagreb, Croatia

Often I find myself hyper-focused on a particular place. Not one I have ever been to nor will get to any time soon judging by my near constant lack of funds. However, this doesn't hold me back from taking as much of the culture of that locale I can manage from here. Croatia has been this place as of late, particularly their capital and largest city, Zagreb. Suppose it started as these usually do with for me when I began reading a novel written by a Croatian writer, Miroslav Krleža's On The Edge of Reason. Not that the book is especially Croatian in outlook so much as my mind works geographically thus leaving me reading steadily of the history of the Balkan country. Building this my momentum, I went out and bought bottles of dry white wine made of welschriesling grapes grown in Croatia. Finally, if one is reading Croatian literature and drinking Croatian wine, perhaps it is a good time to dig deeper into Croatian music as well.

I do have a tiny bit of familiarity with Croatia's musical output just from submissions to the blog, including some absolutely stellar albums from East-Ra, Pridjevi, Lizards Exist and from the great Zagreb-based indie label, Doomtown Records, the punk outfit Modern Delusions. None of these should be ignored and what I'm aiming for with this look at Zagreb is to inflate that list with even more notable Croatian musicians and bands.

To be had here:

Peak XV - La Première Ascension (2015)

Peak XV is a kindred soul describing who's himself as an "armchair explorer," which if that's not what I'm doing here what am I doing at all? La Première Ascension is an electronic ambient album, done in a sort of modern classical style. Nearly completely instrumental, it is a fantastic album to hear repeatedly while multitasking, allowing it to fade in and out of your senses, always being pleasantly surprised by whole beautiful is whenever you take a moment to pay attention. That said, my first listen was without distraction and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment.

Denis Katanec Okanagan LTD - Sve moje Laurie (2014)

Americana music sung in Croatian? Sold, immediately to yours truly. Denis Katanec Okanagan LTD plays alt folk, like we often hear coming from North America and does it exceedingly well, but unlike many European artists that make their way onto this blog he singing in his native tongue. No judgment, seriously, good tunes be good tunes in any language. That said, I did find hearing the Croatian compelling, especially in how he quickly spits it out at the being of "Listopad." The main point is that this is a throughly enjoyable EP regardless what you feel, or lack in feeling, about Croatian singing or Croatia overall.

Jastreb - Mother Europe (2013)

Naturally in the globalized world we now all get to inhabit there's little meaning to geographic styles of music, at least in cosmopolitan cities of which I'd include Zagreb. In the light a krautrock band with clear Eastern influence woven in putting out an album in Croatia's capital with a photo of a Alpine mountain as the album art makes sense, at least a bit of sense. Mother Europe makes a nod to all the internationalism that is inherent in being European and did not stop at its borders when it came to informing the style of the album. Pretty goddamn cool shit.

Beat Gates - Elements EP (2014)

A short EP of beats music, as if the name of the outfit didn't give that away straight off. Unrelated to Croatia per se, I have been getting increasingly into beats music, so I am quite pleased to find a good beats artist that crossed sectioned with the country I'd been obsessing about. The songs are a little loopy and ethereal a nicely aloof way and have science fiction spoken word bits laid within. All in all makes for a pretty trippy and interesting few minutes of listening.

Bebè Na Volè - Time of Great Depression (2015)

Here's something I really didn't expect to find looking into Zagreb, music that sounds like early Black Keys and delightfully a touch more gloomy than the Black Keys ever were. Yet there's more to Bebè Na Volè, for it doesn't retain bluesy tone for long, delving into stripped down folk by the fourth track, "Wait For You." At this point becoming similar to Denis Katanec Okanagan LTD but sung in English and weirder by several degrees. The songs become more acoustic yet what is maintained is the frequently nihilistic lyrics. Then it's back towards the electrified blues upon the eleventh track. Like a nice folk sandwich with bluesy bread. A motherfucking fantastic album all around.

Remedies - Believers (2014)

Again I'm writing up something that has been on the blog before, but wasn't written up by me. Like Yorkshire Fields this band was covered by Elvis months ago when they had put out an EP. Since last year's Inanimate EP they've been busy making a full-length release and what we've got here is just that, Believers.

To refresh those that mightn't have heard the EP, Remedies is a electronic bedroom pop act out of Birmingham, Alabama. I had some conflicted feeling about Believers, as it is rather far outside of my usual realm of listening, but in the end I think I came away with a very positive opinion of the album. First thing I was reminded of was Spoonty, the Australian beats musician from the last Grab Bag, and how I was pleased there were vocals in the songs. While guess what, Remedies not only as vocals, they take a prominent role to a degree I almost felt myself not understanding why I didn't problem with it. Let me put it this way, for a man that doesn't fucking tune it to anything to hear the lyrics and clear vocals isn't a necessity in any way, shape or form, I did not find myself wishing away what these Alabamians were saying. Sure, the singing is affected and it seemed to me a little like what I hear if I am ever stuck having to endure whatever it is that people who go to malls or watch a lot of bad TV like. You know with the autotune and whatnot. Yet here's the thing, if that shit was half as well done as Remedies then I might not have to live in what might be one of the largest cities in America with a mall within its borders (Detroit is a weird place, guys, as you can imagine). I'm not saying the made it palatable to me, I am saying the made it downright enjoyable to experience this sort of music.

When I was a bright-eyed and cheerful teenager (in reality an angry and dumb asshole) I did hold a theory that any genre done well would be something I was into. Of course I don't believe that bullshit now, as nothing is gonna save ska from sucking major balls. Notwithstanding that, the theory does seem to be proving itself largely justifiable from my experience getting all sorts of genres on here that I would have never sought out otherwise such as sludgy metal, goth and experimental hip hop. I'd even say some genres like lo-fi electronic called chillwave or glo-fi is completely thanks to Spacerockmountain. While my favorite genres haven't shifted very far, I think it makes all the music I hear better and I appreciate the artistry all these various musicians are bringing forth and sharing for free with all of us when I get somebody like Remedies to show me the range of sounds I enjoy listening to is wider than I previously knew. Eight years of this shit and still getting schooled, thanks dudes.

To be had here:
Remedies - Believers

EP Grab Bag vol. 71

So Detroit has been getting hit by some really wild thunderstorms lately. These have brought rains and winds to a degree I can't really recall in my lifetime in Michigan, not that I'm terribly old. But, I mean, my roommate lost his car in a flood of a Detroit suburb and the most recent storm knocked out my power for the last 36 hours or so. This is why I haven't been able to keep up my breakneck pace of music reviewing. You're gonna have to trust I'm not getting old, for real guys.

To be had here:

Local Onlys - Half Birthday EP (2014)

The second Local Onlys EP of the year, after the Mt. Wister EP that I wrote up back in vol. 65. The Philly-based guys have kept up the garage rock sound with a very distinctive vocal delivery from the singer that I'm totally behind. As far as garage rock goes, they're of the sort that has one foot in jangle pop, which is to say the songs are incredibly catchy and appealing. Basically it has all the things I loved about the prior EP and I am glad to see they've got more songs they're putting out as I'm quickly become a fanboy for Local Onlys.

 The Gateless Gate - Myrrh (2014)

Krautrock is something I wish I had more chances to write up. That's right, I am goading your musicians to send me more Krautrock, and it is all thanks to The Gateles Gate. This Toronto band has reminded me how much I love some mildly creepy, very trippy, German-inspired songs. Other than being an oxymoron, Myrrh is four tracks of psychedelic, near ambient at times, kraut-ish experimental music. That's gotta be enough musical descriptors for anyone, so I'll finish by saying the EP is fucking top notch.


Spoonty - Meditation Machine (2014)

This EP surprised me more than any other in the batch in how much I found myself really digging it. It's an electronic beats/instrumental hip-hop release, something I can't say I am always down with, yet Sydney's Spoonty has proven I do like it despite my shitty preconceived notions. Of course, not having any singing made the experience all the more palatable for me, as people know I'm usually a downer on vocals. Spoonty did it right with just some really fine compositions, and they get more elaborate as the EP goes on.

Bill Times A Billion - Bridges and Borders (2014)

Way back in vol. 29 of this feature I shared another EP by the Massachusetts two-piece Bill Times a Billion. Finally, after a delay since early last year, they're sharing a bit of new material and I mean just a bit. Two tracks, both quite short. However, these brief songs do show remarkable potential should they release something more substantial. So if you got like 2 minutes to spare maybe you can check this out.

DrAlienSmith - Under Songs (2014)

An EP out of Perth, Australia this time. Under Songs is some heavy instrumental post-rock. DrAlienSmith (nice name by the way) makes a very epic soundscape that runs from sludgy stoner rock to light, ambient-esque shoegaze stuff. These are songs that are literally designed to go underneath something, be in a video or just in the background while you putter around the house doing chores -as I took it in. Makes everything feel like the stakes have been upped considerably, and I imagine that is what the goal was.

Buttering Trio - Toast (2014)

The ME may be going to hell in a hand-basket, but the beats and music from the region keep rolling on towards a better and brighter day. Or maybe a darker one. I don't have a clue.

What I do know is that the ME, and Israel in particular, is the home to some great musicians who are making music that is pushing the boundaries of pop globally. I have championed Memory in Plant on this site and on the podcast, and this record by Buttering Trio is a perfect flip side to their music. Both are experimental and creative in their approach, but while Memory in Plant creates disjointed post-punk music for the pop crowd, Buttering Trio creates vibrant sounds-capes through the use of electronics. You can't always tell a book by its cover, but the sleeve to this record perfectly encapsulates the sound within.

When I say this is an electronic record, you should not expect disco and techno beats to coldly pound a simple vocal harmony into your eardrums. This is "warm music" that is often hard to come by in the electronic genre. Rather than forcing you do deal with the cruelty and dissonance of the modern world, Buttering Trio wrap you in warm embrace of beats. Then, and only then, do they share the horror that is the world.

Get it here:
Buttering Trio - Toast (2014)

Torky Tork - Black (2007)

Confession time: I've been getting super burnt out listening to garage/psychedlia/lo-fi music all day. How many mornings have I woken up, head throbbing with memories of relentless tom-toms. reverb coating the windows in frost. What day is it? Floor scattered LPs imprinted with names like "Burger" and "In The Red"... this vinyl flooring... did I pass out in the kitchen?

I believe it an integral aspect of human health to switch things up. Variety isn't just the spice of life, it's the essence of life. We all must keep moving; keep experiencing. Once we stop moving, we die.

To all of you avid reader(s) and podcast listener(s), you've heard of my love for the hip hop, the trip hop, and yes... even the bibidy bop. But were you aware how much I love DJ music? That sample-based genre that makes art out of the lost and found? I mean, at this point that's all music is, right? DJs are different in that they aren't delusional about what they "borrow" from others. They know they're taking samples from records. And often times, what they create ends up MORE unique than another Velvet Underground rip-off.

Torly Tork is a great example of the talent that's out there... a lot of which you can find on bandcamp for free. I love this self-description he has on his bandcamp page, "Skipping through endlessly boring 70s flics from Eastern Germany and digging in the crates for 1€ records crammed with scheisse Volsmusik is something TORK does all the time...don't ask yourself why. Listen!"


"Scheisse Volksmusik" translates to "shitty folk music" or something close. It seems our Berliner friend, Torky Tork, can turn shit into gold. Good thing for us. What we've here are strange German records and films sampled and spliced over some tasty hip-hop beats. That's about it. There's quite a bit of German spoken word over top, too, I'm guessing from one of those East German flicks he mentions. I didn't pay close enough attention in high school German class to understand much here... it might be a bunch of communist propaganda for all I know. If it is, it's the phatest (kids still say that, right?) communist propaganda record in existence.
23 tracks.

Torky Tork - Black

Czar Rose - Death Honey (2014)

Trip hop is a genre that emerged out of Bristol's graffiti and breakdance scene in the early 1990s. Many credit a group called The Wild Bunch, which was a conglomerate of DJs and vocalists, with creating the genre, which would peak in it's popularity thanks to one of The Wild Bunch's original contributors, a sinister alien-voiced rapper by the name of Tricky. Other notable members of the group include all 3 original members of Massive Attack (probably most well known in the States for writing the song used in the opening credits of House), and Nellee Hooper, a former member of of one hit wonder RnB group Soul II Soul and current big time producer who has worked with the likes of U2 and Madonna.

While Tricky and Massive Attack still make records (and are reportedly collaborating on an upcoming release), it's not everyday you come across new contributors to the genre of trip hop, which seems to almost not exist anymore. But if there's one city in the United States that resembles the cold, grey, economically struggling city that was Bristol in the early 1990s, it's .... Los Angeles?

Czar Rose, a duo that hails from the sunny city of angels, harnesses the sound of Mezzanine-era Massive Attack pretty damn well. Slick hip hop beats slowed from 120 to 80 BPM, marauding baselines with lush arrangements over top, this is music for rainy, city nights. They manage to put their own swing on the sound, adding occasional guitar to the mix and, at least on the last song and album namesake "Death Honey", a mega-compressed beat reminiscent of another LA-based artist of recent repute, Flying Lotus.

Overall the vocal delivery feels slightly derivative of Robert Del Naja's airy, cigarette-scorched voice. Also in the last song, the vocalist (can't tell if it's a different vocalist or the same with a voice-deepening effect) sounds incredibly similar to the foreboding croon of other Massive Attack vocalist, Daddy G. Can I hold this against Czar Rose? Fuck no. Massive Attack were a favorite band of mine for years and to head sic a true-to-form contribution nearly 20 years later, it's a valid homage (even if they didn't mean it to be).

I applaud Czar Rose for this solid contribution to a genre that's ripe for return.

7 songs, pay what you want.