Music For Your Week

 

Unwound - The Future of What

Yesterday I had the pleasure of seeing one of the best American bands from the esteemed Olympia, WA scene of the 1990's. 

Their sound is one of destitution, anger, madness, and beauty as well. But not in an overt, cartoonish, Deftones-esque way... which in my opinion is low hanging fruit aggression. Rather, Unwound embrace dissonance in both harmony and chord progression to create a musical environment that's grey and depressed, with moments of churning, wild, desperate ferocity. 

The Future of What is the band's third record, originally released in 1995. Many of their most beloved songs are from this record. 

Olimpia Splendid - S/T

Speaking of "Olympia", the self-titled 6 track EP by  Finnish group Olimpia Splendid, was a welcome find this week. Formed in 2010, Olimpia Splendid are a trio from Helsinki making lo-fi, fever-dream, DIY indie rock. It was easy for me to lose myself in this release, and by the time I got to track 4, I was like... hold the fuck on a minute... is this snake charming music and I the snake? 

The write-up on their bandcamp states it best "their hypnotic music is a mix of weirdly tuned guitars, muddy drum machine loops, whispering vocals and trash can delays." They are signed to Fonal Records out of Finland, which seems a treasure trove of interesting Finnish music, so stay tuned for more choice picks from that.

thur-gone - Before Time

Here we have a simple recording of one Daniel Thurgood Bromfield, simply playing a piano. And it's not Bach or Mozart or anything, but one person's musical wanderings around the keys. From the sound of it, it's an inexpensive set up, with the microphone picking up all ambient sounds of the room and house.

The house is known as The Campbell House. I believe it's a student house on the University of Oregon campus. 

It's an interesting recording, and one can clearly hear a dryer or dishwasher in the background, and the occasional door or conversation happening in an adjacent room. A snapshot of someone else's life that could almost be your own.

Diplodocus - Slow And Heavy

There are a lot of niche markets out there in the world. Bacon flavored vodka, turkey and gravy flavored soda, and this... dinosaur themed dungeon synth. 

When you hear it, it totally makes sense... much more than meat-flavored beverages, anyway. You can probably already image what this sounds like... slow thudding, ambient synths with the sounds of dinosaurs roaring in the background. 

In a sense... very slow and heavy. A conversation starter for your water cooler breaks, if that's a thing that people still do. 

Todd Tobias - Impossible Cities (2014)

Todd Tobias, who is one half of Brother Earth, has made an album inspired by Italo Calvino's book, Invisible Cities. Calvino is a writer I like tremendously, and I have been 80% done with Invisible Cities for about a year now, but after misplacing it I just haven't found my way back to polishing off the last few pages for whatever reason, though this album might be the kick in the ass I need. However, as the book has no linear plot, is filled with creative anachronisms and intensely poetic passages nominal based on an city that Marco Polo describes to Kublai Khan discussing death, memory and all sorts of existential issues it is a doozy to comprehend. And Todd Tobias thought it was good fodder for an album. Turns out he was totally right.

Borrowing the titles of the album and the tracks from the text of the book, Impossible Cities, is eccentric and unexpected as Calvino's writings in many ways. Purely instrumental the songs paint a picture, a sonic landscape akin to the prose poems of literature. They range from spooky and sparse ambient compositions to melodic and harmonized psychedelic experiments. While the book itself often as not provoke no small amount of dismay for me, Tobias's album had none of the negative dilemmas. It proves to be a delightful, unique experience. Impossible Cities has been released by the Australian label, Hidden Shoal, the guys that put out Makee, Markus Mehr and Kramies just to name a few. Streaming on bandcamp naturally, downloadable for a $7 and CDs available.

To be had here:
Todd Tobias - Impossible Cities

Drawn... - Surges (2014)

As I've eluded to, I recently moved to another town. Well, sorta another town, Hamtramck is surrounded by Detroit so it really isn't like I left the city so much as went to a political separate enclave within it. It's much better here, more things to do and see, and it is about as diverse as it gets demographically. However, as a moved and it sapped my cash I haven't much furniture nor funds to go out an explore yet. So I sit on my porch and watch the neighbors, something that would be dull in almost any other part of Michigan, but here there are young men carrying their musical instruments, children at play, Muslim families streaming in and out of their homes, teenagers throwing footballs across the street over the top of traffic, and so many tiny interesting happenings of urban living.

While observing the human landscape around me, enjoying what may be the last of the warm weather this city gets until springtime, I need a soundtrack. Luckily I have an inbox full of potential candidates to assume the role of the sonic background to my stationary sightseeing. The London-based electronic musician known as Drawn... fit this role marvelously. Although one could tag Surges as a dark ambient album, it isn't purely so and it never takes on a sinister tone. The experimental and other-worldly electronic explorations dominate making it a prefect companion to my street gazing. Lightly droning and only momentarily gloomy the album usually picks up pace in unexpected yet incredibly well-transitioned cycles. A feat of electronic mastery, I'd think Surges would make a fine accompaniment to most any my solitary activities and if I ever had a cool party in my life I might be able to play it there too.

To be had here:
Drawn... - Surges

Chvad SB - Crickets Were the Compass (2014) & Electric Bird Noise - Kind of Black (2014)

Silber Records does not put out pop ditties on 7 inch records. The music they push is the crank of the artistic community; dissident, difficult, yet timely. This North Carolina based label was kind enough to send me 2 CDs of their newest releases. Little did I know the rabbit's hole of rewarding terror I was in for.

Chvad SB is a Brooklyn based noise/ambient artist that has been chugging along for a few years now. This set of songs might be his most cohesive to date, with some of the oddest and most terrifying sounds you may here this side of the haunted house. No, this is not music that is intended to revolt, but the haunting atmospheres sustained for extended periods of time will surely cause some discomfort in many listeners. Not me however, as I am a serial killer always looking for a new soundtrack to haunt my prey to. This is not "easy" music, but it is worth your time.

Electric Bird Noise is another well established noise artist that is pushing two decades of activity. Crafting hypnotic yet challenging experimental music, this is the dark side of nu-age. No phantom crystals or spiritual transcendence here, this is music to pull your soul right into the muck from which it came. Your alien godparents may be flying by on a saucer overhead, but if you are listening to this, they may assume you have already been conquered by Lord Kinbote and abandon your soul to lesser beings. Beware this record's power.

Valerinne - Arborescent (2013)

I'm still on that post-rock jam, though I do feel a shift coming soon. Nevertheless for today I've got a good old dark and heavy sort of post-rock/post-metal album for you to give a whirl. Hailing for Romania, also know as one of the 'vampire countries' according to Jesse Thorn, Valerinne has got a sound that touches up on ambient at times only to vacillate all the way to guitar-filled metal soundscapes. It is rather hypnotic should one devote enough attention toward the music, especially when they utilize a healthy amount of reverb on the droning guitar. I've always been a fan of the longer tracks when it comes to instrumental post-rock and on that measure Valerinne delivers as well, with this album having only five songs with four exceeding eleven minutes. Really allows one to become immersed and enjoy the subtlety of the transitions. While it can be heard on bandcamp for free, to get the mp3s it's €5, or whatever the shit that is in dollars these days. If you're looking for fresh post-rock then this is a good option.

To be had here:
Valerinne - Arborescent

EP Grab Bag vol. 50

I've returned to swoop the glory of the fiftieth Grab Bag out from under my most esteemed colleague, Elvis, mostly to maintain my internet persona of a roguish dick with good tastes that covers for a offline personality of dick with old pants and unkempt hair. Anyhow, sorry about not being on top of the blog and I know there is always a million musicians looking for whatever exposure they can get but I have spent the last months deep in a rabbit hole of John Fahey, cheap beer and used books to really be in the space for listening to all the material sent. To be honest I am most likely still burnt out but I have been giving it the old college try tonight and here is what I found in a very brief looking over of the submissions.

To be had here:

Snake Chime Zen - 702 & Bad Trip Tape (2013)

702 is a demo tape really done in one continue track, running for 23 minutes. However, this guy got to me at the right level of alertness/drunkness and I was inclined to hear all of it and was pleased. Both the releases on his bandcamp are worth hearing for the lo-fi fan. He explains it better than I would in his submission email: "Hi, ummm this stuff is really lo-fi and some of the first music I've ever made. The following is a few minutes of a tape I made tripping on acid in my bedroom while I was supposed to be baby sitting my dying grandmother. Recorded in one take on a handheld battery operated tape recorder.  It's cool if you don't like it, I don't think it's that great either, it was a spontaneous thing that couldn't be stopped."

Mao Tzu - Stripped Down and Out in the Cold (2013)

This is a dude whose work I have been a fan for years already. I had a good idea going in that I would be pleased by this latest effort and I can happily claim I am not disappointed. It is the strange electronically-enhanced psychedelia I have become familiar with from guy's music. It is done just as well as anything else I have heard from him and I recommend to to all of you that have downloaded him in the past and those that have not to go back into his older releases.

Nostalgique - Awake the Light in the Night of All Creatures (2013)

This is off the track from what I have been listening to lately but it's always good to force oneself out a rut. This is some rather low-tempo, atmospheric music with a gloomy mood. I enjoy how echoey the piano playing is. Makes the tracks seem hazy and more ethereal like the album art invokes so well. Recommended for those seeking something mildly depressing but emotionally evocative.

Отстой - Тупым (EP)

I have no idea what those words are or mean as I don't know Russian at all, but according to the submission email is a one-man garage rock act from St. Petersburg. It is loud, fast and pretty heavy which as you can most likely guess leads me to greatly enjoy it. However, I've a bone to pick in that even for a lo-fi release this recording is sloppily done, with bumping and scratching sounds that sounds like a microphone is getting hit are audible throughout. I am earnestly interested in hearing more and better recordings by this fella, therefore I have posted it so someone can sent him a message in Russian to clean up his act and get this ship shape next go around.