Wine, Women and Song Wine, Women and Song ..::About Music that will blow your mind::.. ...Stoner, Doom, Drone, Post-rock, Jazz, and occasionaly other weirdness. 
Articles
Candlemass
2009-09-08 00:03:00 During the mid-80's, the European heavy metal scene was dominated by countless thrash, death, and black metal bands playing at breakneck speeds and screaming in a high-pitched frenzy. So when Candlemass released their debut, Epicus Doomicus Metallicus in 1986, its songs (featuring slow, lumbering riffs straight out of the Black Sabbath handbook and vocals delivered in a baritone, operatic style) offered up a stylistic curve ball of shocking proportions. After disposing of its deceptively optimistic introductory acoustic guitar, opener "Solitude" develops into a complete monster, replete with lyrics of suicidal depression and churning with the most colossal, down-tuned guitar riff since Sabbath's "Iron Man." And that's just the beginning, as succeeding tracks "Demon's Gate," "Crystal Ball," and "Under the Oak" (later re-recorded in its definitive version for the band's fourth album Tales of Creation) trudge by with deliberate, immutable doom. Although the group's vision was sta... More About: Music
Chylde
2009-09-07 00:03:00 Within the first three or four minutes of the opening track ?Stride?, I am almost sure that the grinding boogie punished one of the speakers to the point where it blew out a woofer. No kidding. That is probably exactly what Buffalo?s Chylde was going for across this thoroughly impressive debut of boomy, doomy riff rock. Call it what you want: ?real? metal or ?stoner rock? or ?doom.? Whatever the proper nomenclature might be, it?s a lock that the psychedelically-tinged, smart, and virtuosic 8-song full length of unabashed heaviness is right in the path of lineage from Black Sabbath, Blue Cheer, St. Vitus, Soundgarden, Kyuss, and Black Mountain. Now It Can Be Told trades mightily on the strength of the muscular twin guitars of Jon Bobo and Bryce March and the steady and unrelenting pound from rhythm section bassist Thor Johnnson and drummer Michael Ozimek. Chylde has that rare thing that most bands long for but rarely attain: they lock. There?s a precision that runs across Now It Can ... More About: Music
Hooker & the Hogs
2009-02-23 17:29:00 McPhee and the Groundhogs' most important musical legacy, this 1996 reissue of Hooker & The Hogs has an unusual history. Tony McPhee and the Groundhogs first played with John Lee Hooker in June of 1964, when John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers were unable to fulfill a commitment to back Hooker on the final week of his British tour. The Groundhogs were deputized on the spot and played their first show with him at the Twisted Wheel in Manchester. At the end of the week, Hooker told McPhee how much he liked working with his band and agreed to use the Groundhogs as his backing band on his next visit to England. Hooker was back in May and June of 1965, and not only used them as his band but recorded this album with the Groundhogs. The band was Tony McPhee on guitar, Peter Cruickshank on bass, Dave Boorman on drums, and Tom Parker on keyboards ? some of the stuff here may have surfaced elsewhere, on the Interchord label (as Don't Want Nobody) with brass dubbed on, but this release consists ... More About: Music
Hooker 'N' Heat
2009-02-23 17:28:00 When this two-LP set was initially released in January 1971, Canned Heat was back to its R&B roots, sporting slightly revised personnel. In the spring of the previous year, Larry "The Mole" Taylor (bass) and Harvey Mandel (guitar) simultaneously accepted invitations to join John Mayall's concurrent incarnation of the Bluesbreakers. This marked the return of Henry "Sunflower" Vestine (guitar) and the incorporation of Antonio "Tony" de la Barreda (bass), a highly skilled constituent of Aldolfo de la Parra (drums). Sadly, it would also be the final effort to include co-founder Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson, who passed away in September 1970. Hooker 'n Heat (1971) is a low-key affair split between unaccompanied solo John Lee Hooker (guitar/vocals) tunes, collaborations between Hooker and Wilson (piano/guitar/harmonica), as well as five full-blown confabs between Hooker and Heat. The first platter focuses on Hooker's looser entries that vacillate from the relatively uninspired ramblings of ... More About: Music
Baby Grandmothers
2009-02-20 14:52:00 Unbelievably fantastic archival recording by this unbelievably obscure Swedish psychedelic trio that included Kenny Hakansson on guitar. The package is extremely informatative and all of the music is impressive, but special note must be made of the two LONG live (35' total) tracks are extremely good quality for the era and just amazing power-fuzz-freakout psychedelia, which is much, much heavier and out than one would have imagined anyone in Scandanavia doing in 1967. If this sounds like your thing, this will blow your socks off!"Baby Grandmothers were a short-lived Swedish band, but one of the most prolific and unique psychedelic, modal, experimental power-trios to emerge out of the Scandinavian psychedelic underground-scene in 1967. Although hailing from Stockholm, Sweden they only released a single in Finland, which has since become one of the most sought after pieces of vinyl from the era. Baby Grandmothers were formed out of the legendary R&B / beat band T-Boones in the summer... More About: Music
Outskirts Of Infinity
2009-02-20 14:51:00 Because i didnt know these guys, and was curious because they play on this years Roadburn festival. I searched for some files on the net, and found some. And damn it was a happy suprise to see these guys rock like Cream met Hendrix in a psychedelic hardrockin? way. These recodings are mostly live, and the quality is pretty good most of the time. I wanna share a few of these tunes with you guys/gals, I?m not uploading every thing but i hope you have fun with these tunes, and tell me what you think of this band... Peace [mr.A]The Outskirts of Infinity are a British Psychedelic trio who have been boiling away since the eighties. Their sound is a Hendrix scream of fuzz, flower power and syrupy acid blues, created to blow minds and wig-out squares. Guitarist Bari Watts is their not-so-secret weapon, his freely-freaking axe is a riot of Purple Haze and Creamy slashing. The Outskirts are reportedly so good live that clean shaven punters spontaneously sprout weird beards and UFOs crash int... More About: Music
Maserati
2009-02-19 17:06:00 Much has changed in the four years since Maserati 's last release. In that time, the band's sound has evolved so significantly that only shades of the reverb and delay-drenched guitars resemble their previous output. The rhythm section has been overhauled, with Gerhardt Fuchs (!!!, Turing Machine, LCD Soundsystem, The Juan Maclean) replacing Phil Horan on drums. The result is Inventions For The New Season, a bloodshot, 3AM soundtrack to a Michael Mann movie that hasn't happened yet; a sweaty, delirious mix of mid-to-late 70s Pink Floyd, German psych-rock, Krautrock, and mid-80s action film scores. Produced by longtime friend Andy Baker in his Athens, GA home studio, Inventions drags the glory years of psychedelic arena rock kicking and screaming into the 21st Century, with the pomposity (and vocals) carefully removed. The mix is pushed firmly in the red, giving the songs a white-knuckled energy that - coupled with the ethereal guitar theatrics - puts one foot on the dance floor an... More About: Music
Bill Durgin
2009-02-18 17:40:00 My photographs reflect a fascination with the body as form. The complex figurations, undulating arrangements of flesh, as the body seems to collapse onto itself, image an almost abstracted figure lacking appendages and hair. The physical structure becomes not just a shell, but a moving sculpture of skin, muscle, fat, and bone.The gesture within each photograph is created through exploring my own physical limitations and collaborative improvisation with dancers and performers. Often I will come up with a pose and demonstrate it and then ask the model to repeat or respond to it. Each pose transmogrifies the figure towards abstraction; exaggerating or diminishing the skeletal structure until it approaches an amorphic form. I want the bodies to be recognized as bodies, but also to be detached from common perceptions of the figure. Bound within each singular view, the uncanny figures convey the body as both abject and marvelous.Composed through a 4x5 view camera, I place the figure withi... More About: Bill
Novadriver
2009-02-17 17:33:00 Good to know, that the long wait is over and Detroit?s NOVADRIVER were able to record their second album for Small Stone. The past years have been very heavy for the band, due to some tragic and problematic circumstances, but finally the have re-ignited their rocket-booster and returned in best shape. ?Deeper High? is not very different from the debut release, maybe a bit darker and more matured, but it contains all the good things I love about this band: well-structured songs, which are rooted strongly in melody without being to pop-inflected, a double-dose of guitar and bass-driven heaviness as well as the significant and charismatic vocals of Mark Miers. The powerful opener ?You Want Yours, You Want Mine? shows, how moody and mighty this band can sound. But this is only a perfect start for an excellent album, and the following ten tracks are showing a band, which can write some real kick-ass tunes like ?Roll You?, while ?Dark Aftermath? is a dark and emotional semi-ballad. This... More About: Music
Callisto
2009-02-17 17:31:00 Combining metal, progressive and experimental music, trying to fit the Finnish Callisto into one single category hardly does the band justice. Founded in 2001, the quintet play diverse, timeless, downbeat music that is rich in nuances, draws from numerous sources and doesn't really have any obvious fellow creatures or point of comparisons.Callisto's debut "True Nature Unfolds" (2004) received an enthusiastic response and earned the band a worldwide license deal with the British Earache Records.The band's sophomore album "Noir" was released in 2006 and it exceeded all the high expectations set by the debut. Still drawing from modern sludge, "Noir" also introduced subtle jazz leanings, heavy use of mellotron and experimentation with unconventional metal rock instruments such as the saxophone and the flute.Callisto's cryptic lyrics contain strong Christian themes and the band's combination of heaviness and delicacy paints a hazy, almost hypnotic picture that has won over critics a... More About: Music
...And Stars Collide
2009-02-15 14:40:00 And Stars Collide are a band from Nottingham, England that fit most closely into the genre labelled post-rock, playing guitar-driven instrumental music with a strong emphasis on dynamics. RecordsOnRibs.com note that while ?post-rock is 99% tedium?, ?And Stars Collide prove ?there?s still plenty to be done with that 1%?.Having recently self-financed their debut record in the form of a half-hour EP, the band are now seeking opportunities to promote the release through live performances, compilation appearances and press coverage. Though the band may draw inspiration from the delicate tones and textures of artists like Explosions in the Sky, a wide range of influences converges to create a sound wholly their own. Never afraid to throw in a power chord to add to the impact of a crescendo, ?PlayYour Winter and Night Spent in Disguise? sends a subtle nod to the post-metal world of Isis, while ?PlayEvery Step Takes Me Further From Home (Part II)? draws on the energy of 65daysofstatic.Follo... More About: Music
Burnt Hills
2009-02-15 14:37:00 The latest missive from our intrepid heroes from the wilds of Albany, NY. Easily their loudest and most PURE assault on the senses yet. Wild, wooly, and singular-minded in its pursuit of psychedelic Krautrock-inspired oblivion. We can't say it any better than the good folks at Aquarius: "Another glorious blast of blown out bong smoke free rock dope jams the way only these Burnt Hills cats can do it... Burnt Hills, on this particular evening in May of 2007 consisted of NINE members, seven guitars, five drummers, one bass, folks obviously swapping back and forth, and it sounds like it. A super fluid, chaotic confluence of sound. Like some lost subterranean Crash Worship Drum jam wrapped in thick sheets of Haino-like guitar skree, everything enveloped in thick clouds of smoky FX, like some musical opium den. The bass and the guitars are thick and slippery, swooping amidst the relentless percussion, and the wild squalls of psychedelic freakout. At times it almost sounds like some DJ... More About: Music
Aleksander Balos
2009-02-14 12:52:00 In my figurative paintings, drawings and sculpture I explore the depths and subtleties of human experience by creating figurative paintings that reflect the undercurrents of archetypal emotions, ideas and internal struggles, and their effects on us and our environments.I am particularly interested in portraying the dualities present in all human experience. There are no absolutes in life. Rather, each experience is comprised of conflicting opposites. Each individual additionally has her/his own unique experiences. Therefore my paintings are ambiguous and not necessarily resolvable, offering an opportunity for reflection and interpretation by each viewer. The figurative paintings merely reflect a subjective understanding of the human condition, and my desires to explore that further. I attempt not to impose my own interpretations, but rather share with the viewer what it is that I am currently exploring in my art.I find human figures and therefore figurative paintings to be best suit... More About: Aleksander
Magic Dirt
2009-02-13 13:37:00 M agic Dirt ?s longevity cannot be ignored. Since the days of jamming in a Geelong garage in the early nineties, the band has seen a million faces and rocked them all.So often throughout their career the band has been criticized by those outside of the rock scene for not trying something different, but Snow White changes all of that. The most obvious addition to the Magic Dirt sound is layer upon layer of Adalita?s vocals.The first single ?Locket? with a video filmed in one of the Sydney Superdome?s bigger empty sheds, is a catchy sample of straightforward rock ?n? roll, with little regard for the trends of the day. review from; Eve Jenkin, Undercover Links;Magic Dirt - Snow WhiteMagic Dirt @ MySpaceMagic DirtAu Go Go Records More About: Music
Stinking Lizaveta
2009-02-13 13:34:00 I go back to R&R thanks to Stinking Lizaveta?, a friend of mine said. Stinking Lizaveta, named for a Dostoevsky character, born in basements of West Philadelphia and tempered fifteen years of American and European tours has built a reputation as one of progressive metal?s most unique and captivating live acts. Actually the trio tells big stories without words, creating impressive images and plots with meaningful sounds. The LA times has hailed the veteran rockers as ?both polished and unruly?, in our opinion these guys have something really unique in their style: faith in R&R and a genuine search for power and wellness from their instruments. In their last album, Sacrifice and Bliss, you will find ?post-rock, metal, sludge, prog, stoner and doom with jazz styling and eastern influences? (as it?s reported on their official web-site www.stinkinglizaveta.com): and it?s all true. You will also find the sensibility of a 15 years-experienced band that is able to find the right balance bet... More About: Music
Sollubi
2009-02-10 19:17:00 SOLLUBI are a side project from the guys of FISTULA and RAPE X. They play a very original kind of psychadelic / sludge. You'll find the down tempo and the heavy sound of FISTULA with a psychadelic and noisy vibe made by RAPE X. They sound like a tribute band of HAWKWIND made by 16.p.107 ?The Sollubi are an untouchable caste in Arabia noted for their abject vileness. De luxe cafes are equipped with Sollubi who rim the guests while they eat -- holes in the seating benches being provided for this purpose. Citizens who want to be utterly humiliated and degraded -- so many people do, nowadays, hoping to jump the gun -- offer themselves up for passive homosexual intercourse to an encampment of Sollubis.... Nothing like it, they tell me.... In fact, the Sollubi are subject to become wealthy and arrogant and lose their native vileness. What is origin of untouchable? Perhaps a fallen priest caste. In fact, untouchables perform a priestly function in taking on themselves all human vileness."... More About: Music
Merzbow
2009-02-10 19:11:00 There is no need to argue: Merzbow stands as the most important artist in noise music. The favorite moniker of Japanese Masami Akita appears on hundreds of albums. The name comes from German artist Kurt Schwitters' famous work "Merzbau," which he also called "The Cathedral of Erotic Misery." Akita's choice reflects his fondness for junk art (through Schwitters' collage method) and his fascination with ritualized eroticism, namely in the form of fetishism and bondage. All these elements constitute the Merzbow persona.Akita was born in Tokyo in 1956. He grew up with psychedelic rock and began to play the guitar in progressive rock cover bands, in particular with drummer Kiyoshi Mizutani, who would remain a frequent collaborator. After high school, Akita studied literature and visual arts in college. There he discovered free jazz and studied seriously the ideas of Dada and the surrealists (Salvador Dali remained a big influence). Akita gradually withdrew himself from the rock scene ... More About: Music
Farflung
2009-02-07 10:46:00 From Los Angeles, Farflung plays a high energy, often punkish brand of spacerock that is more like a stealth bomber than an acid trip. On this 1995 release the band consists of Michael Esther on guitar, Paul Fox on guitar, keyboards and synths, Tommy Grenas on keyboards, synths and vocals, Brendon LaBelle on drums, Buck McGibbony on bass, and a number of guests on keyboards, percussion, mandolin, flute, and cello.There are actually a number of influences here. I detect punk, early 70's Krautrock, and Pink Floyd sound explorations, sometimes all in the same song. For example, "Solar Electric" opens with two minutes of eerie, call to prayer chanting. Then it launches into another two minutes of space punk. Finally, after a quiet moment it alternates between a very Guru Guru Krautrock sound and more high energy rock 'n punk. Wild!The punk spirit expresses itself in other tunes like the title track, "25000 Feet Per Second", and "Hot Fluffy Mind", which also features some Primus soundi... More About: Music
Maurice Denis
2009-02-07 10:38:00 French painter, one of the leading artists and theoreticians of the Symbolist movement.Denis studied at the Académie Julian (1888) under Jules Lefebvre and at the École des Beaux-Arts. Reacting against the naturalistic tendencies of Impressionism, Denis fell under the influence of the work of Paul Gauguin, whose style was also much admired by Denis's fellow students Paul Sérusier, Édouard Vuillard, Pierre Bonnard, and Ker Xavier Roussel. With these friends, Denis joined in the Symbolist movement and its later offshoot, the group of painters collectively called the Nabis (q.v.). The quasi-mystical attitude of the Nabis was perfectly suited to Denis's highly religious nature. In 1890 Denis expressed the underlying principle of much modern painting in the following often-quoted words: ?It should be remembered that a picture?before being a warhorse, a nude, or an anecdote of some sort?is essentially a flat surface covered with colours assembled in a certain order.?Later, however, afte... More About: Maurice
Blood Royal
2009-02-04 18:48:00 When you start digging around Moncton?s music history you find, as I imagine you would in any city, a lot of incest. This guy was in this band, but now he?s in this band with this guy. You know, that kinda stuff.Well, Blood Royal is that stuff.Their guitar player Jody was in Mood Cadillac, which is known in Moncton as the missing link between the Monoxides and Iron Giant. Their drummer Errol plays guitar in the Peter Parkers, amongst other projects. (I?m still waiting on the next Cedar Lodge show). And singer Mark and bass player Mathieu were also band mates in CLON.Blood Royal has just put out their debut Ochenta. It?s a heavy as balls slice of stoner rock that?s fit any fan of the genre, whether you?re just scratching the surface with Kyuss and Queens of the Stone Age (like I am) or you?re in the deep and fuzzies examples of which I couldn?t even make up. I even managed to spot a Nirvana influence on 2 or 3 tracks early on in the record.Jody?s riffage is A-1 all the way through th... More About: Music
Tsurubami
2009-02-03 19:15:00 An improvisational trio centered around Makoto Kawabata of Acid Mothers Temple, Tsurubami?s approach layers tidal waves of guitar over free-form bass and drums courtesy of Higashi Hiroshi (also of Acid Mothers) and Emi Nobuko, respectively. Gekkyukekkaichi consists of just two tracks, the title piece and ?Seiitenrinengi,? each of them around the half-hour mark. While thirty-minute improvisations may send out warning signals, in this case the band?s droning textural aesthetic is well-served by extended forays.The guitar is certainly at the center of this music, and Kawabata?s ultra-reverberating guitar does initially bring to mind another Japanese trio, Fushitsusha. But while the latter?s Keiji Haino explores mass and emptiness with equal fascination, Tsurubami?s focus is on mass and motion ? there?s space, indeed, but it?s of the outer ? variety, not emptiness. Dynamics are certainly at play, but it?s like a roller-coaster: it goes up, and it goes down, but it never actually stops.... More About: Music
Hooghwater
2009-02-02 17:04:00 Tilburg (Holland), early 2007: having been active previously with Restless Youth (an act which left an impression on the town's underground scene, progressing from a mixture of Oldschool Hardcore and Punk on their demo and 7-inch EP State Of Confusion,to a more dynamic combination of Hardcore Punk and '70s Rock on their 2006 full-length album Light Up Ahead, issued through the Complete Control imprint) which had just passed onto greener fields...well, actually the band split up, all members continuing in music in several other projects...life-long friends Joseph Meurs (singer) and Chris Blankers (guitar) decided to continue their route in music together. What with their influence being the prevalent one in the subtle directional change in Restless Youth, their new project promised to be a positive continuation.Now, it's an interesting phenomenon that during 2005 and 2006 quite a few of the bands which had build the scene in Tilburg in the first part of the new millenium had disba... More About: Music
Crooked Hook
2009-01-31 12:35:00 Crooked Hook are a garage/psyche power trio from New Haven, Connecticut. Composed of Joey Maddalena on guitar and singing duties, Jason Bates on the drum throne, and Rick Omonte playing the bass guitar, Crooked Hook lure the listener into hypnosis with dizzying riffs and a relentless pulse. Bluesy passages lead to otherworldly places. Menacing guitar tones and punishing rhythms define a sound that conjures bad omens and blood moons, foreboding and haunting. This should come as no surprise for a band born out of America's Rust Belt. Their self-titled debut was tracked live to 2 inch, only over-dubbing vocals, to preserve the intensity and rawness that help define the band's crushing live performances. With plenty of shows on deck for Crooked Hook, and plans to record again later this year, one can sense the incoming storm on the not-so-distant horizon.Info stolen from; Safety Meeting Links;Crooked Hook - The Captain Will Be Your GuideCrooked Hook @ MySpaceCrooked HookSafety Meeting More About: Music
Marlene Dumas
2009-01-31 11:00:00 About Marlene Dumas and her art.My best works are erotic displays of mental confusions (with intrusions of irrelevant information)." Marlene DumasMarlene Dumas's provocative paintings of women, children, celebrities and people of colour are as psychologically disturbing as they are violently beautiful. Championing the under-represented classes, her characters occupy an unholy ground where the viewer's individual morality, ethics and adherence to ideological convention are questioned.Marlene Dumas makes paintings with no concept of the taboo. Racism, sexuality, religion, motherhood and childhood are all presented with chilling honesty. Undermining universally held belief systems, Dumas corrupts the very way images are negotiated. Stripped of the niceties of moral consolation, Marlene Dumas's work provokes unmitigated horror. She offers no comfort to the viewer, only an unnerving complicity and confusion between victims and oppressors."It was my first time in a peepshow so when the...
Crystal Stilts
2009-01-30 14:09:00 Following on from their great EP on Woodsist and a summer of packed shows and increasing anticipation, we are very proud to bring you Alight of Night, an album that more than delivers on the promise of their early singles. So what's it like, you ask? There is a definite flavor of Velvet Underground to be had, but Crystal Stilts' spectral avant-garage also takes in such far-flung references as: the spooked 60s Texas psych of 13th Floor Elevators and Red Crayola, the gothic blues/punk howl of Gun Club, the dark, experimental DIYism of early Flying Nun/Xpressway groups Pin Group and Plagal Grind, and a post-punk minimalism that brings to mind early Rough Trade and Factory releases. There is definitely a strong pop element as well, with the buzzsaw bubblegum of early Mary Chain b-sides and Meat Whiplash coming to mind.These are all just rough points of reference, though -- Alight of Night is far more than just the sum of the bands influences. From the twang 'n' echo of "Crystal Stil... More About: Music
Geisha
2009-01-30 14:08:00 Some bands really do all they can in order to confuse their listeners. Take Geisha for example. Who expects a band from Bristol, Great Britain to call their second CD ?Die Verbrechen Der Liebe?? The Brits are hardly known for their love for the German language? The accompanying information by recordcompany Crucial Blast also states that this band is from both Tokyo, Japan as well as Bristol, UK. Not really practical, had it been true.Anyway, Geisha has made a record that fits perfectly in the Crucial Blast catalogue. They have signed more bands making this type of heavy, often somewhat abstract metalnoise (like Nadja, Skullflower, Monarch, Grey Daturas). Geisha brings a variety that combines shoegazer as it was made by My Bloody Valentine with punkmetal / sludge or whatever to call it from bands like the Melvinss?Die Verbrechen der Liebe? can be split into two about equally sized parts. First we have five tracks, most of them fast and in a rather punk style (especially the drumparts... More About: Music
Beyond The Wizard?s Sleeve
2009-01-30 14:07:00 Anonymity has become both a gift and a curse for the blogosphere ? a ?gift? for feeding our hunger, and a ?curse? for, well, not informing us as to who is feeding us. Burial has the world eating out of his hand, picking and choosing various publications access and admitting truths like ?only five people know I make tunes.? Argh. And then there are the artists that leave you a message that reads: ?If you are wondering who we are, we will soon reveal all? we are planning some wonderful all night parties, we wear belts with huge buckles and we play the best music ever. See you back here sooooon. Beyond The Wizard s Sleeve X x? (And I include the fact that they missed out on including the apostrophe in ?Wizards? as part of the frustration.) Well, in the case of Beyond the Wizard?s Sleeve it?s not near the degree of Burial?s obscurity, considering if you dig around online you?ll discover that they are in fact Richard Norris, who just published a biography on Paul Oakenfold (?) and superst... More About: Music
Emeralds
2009-01-27 18:04:00 2008 was a big year for Emeralds. Solar Bridge (released on Hanson) garnered the most widespread acclaim for the trio yet and all three members?guitarist Mark McGuire and synth players John Elliott and Steve Hauschildt?continued their solo explorations with numerous releases that garnered further praise. What Happened sees Emeralds further honing their sound as they hearken in what is sure to be another fruitful year for the unit.No Fun ProductionsThe album opens with "Alive in the Sea of Information," an eight minute excursion which fits snuggly into Emeralds? previous oeuvre. The trio is unflinching in their alliance with the forms of '70s synth explorers like Cluster and Klaus Schulze, and they display their fine capabilities in that realm here as the soft ringing of Hauschildt's Moog gradually thickens with Elliott's Korg MS-10 bass tones. The liner notes state that "this recording is a collection of improvised songs recorded live to tape 2007-2008," an important indicator as... More About: Music
Mills of God
2009-01-27 18:03:00 Consisting of three nearly equal length songs over 63 minutes, Mills Of God 'Call Of The Eastern Moon'. To be specific, the music on offer here is a blend of Traditional Doom, Funeral Doom, Sludge and Post Metal. Some of the riffs carry a swaggering, yet slow, groove while others are like an aural tsunami washing over everything in its path. Some of it reminds me, musically, of Ahab, some of it of early Cathedral and some of it of stuff like Earth and Ufomammut... But Mills Of God manage to not directly ape any one of them.As long as the songs are, there are still passages throughout each one where vocals would not be out of place. It's not so far into the Drone realm that a vocalist would get lost but, considering the length of each song, one would have to write virtual short stories for lyrics to fill them in. The riffs on display here could also easily be broken up into shorter songs. But, as a whole, the album works quite well as it is.This is most definitely worth checking o... More About: Music
Gong
More articles from this author:2009-01-24 15:16:00 Ever since its 25th anniversary tour in 1994, Gong had been sounding like a caricature of itself. Sure, the energy was there, the entertainment too, but the group was relying heavily on its past repertoire and, even in the new songs, still sounded like they were plowing the same fields as in the late '60s. Meanwhile, leader Daevid Allen obviously preferred to pool his creative energies into his U.S. group, University of Errors, whose albums kept growing stronger and more personal. And then came this bombshell, Acid Motherhood. Gong's lineup is here completely rehauled and consists actually of a merger between latter-day Gong, University of Errors (guitarist Josh Pollock, incredible), and Acid Mothers Temple (Makoto Kawabata and Cotton Casino). The resulting sound is heavier, wilder, and noisier than anything else Gong has previously released, but if you had to stamp only one band name on the cover, it would have to be Gong, without the slightest doubt. Despite Kawabata's mad psyc... More About: Music 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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