Hey, look, it's Moon Duo! Whom everyone enjoyed at Austin Psych Fest earlier that same year & at Rudyard's that exact same month (#1 and #7 Live Shows, 2012).
Another quality record from Maserati, after a few all-timers.
Top Ten!
"The Eliminator" from VII (2012)
Pseudo-single, or whatever you call an internet-released preview track to hype your upcoming album. In the old days, it was a single... and it came on a vinyl disc!
"Abracadabracab" from VII (2012)
As catchy & all-out as that one was, I suggest exploring the elektro-deluxe landscapes of this epic mid-album centerpiece. The whole record's real nice - another one with the textured LP cover as well...
Hey, who is that on "Synthesizer [Assisted By]"?? Why, if it isn't Steve Moore of Zombi (co-#5, 2012)!
"Solar Exodus/Lunar Drift" from VII (2012)
Just because, I made this video of a coupla atypical Maserati tracks. Vocoder & synths & something different. I like it.
I'm not sure if this will work. If not, go here here (via Rocket)... or straight to Roadburn, who has some other streams.
Anyway, that's supposed to be a 1-hour audio stream of Teeth of the Sea (#10 of 2010, #9 of 2009) playing live at Roadburn 2013!
Since that embed is not appearing in my draft preview, maybe some YouTubes?
"Swear Blind the Alsatian's Melting" - live at Roadburn, 4/20/2013
YYYYYUP!!
"The Reaper" - live at Roadburn, 4/20/2013
That's something all new & different - apparently from the forthcoming album later this summer. Give it a chance, swirl it around in yer skull, set the controls...
Not actually from actual Circassia - that's just kinda the band name: Circassian... from Athens (Greece this time).
Man... now I wanna learn more about Acid Barrets!
"Sally" ***NSFW*** CGI video - by Circassian, from the Procrastinational EP (2012)
Recent EP free / name-your-price at Bandcamp, along with a previous self-titled EP too.
There's streaming and a couple of downloads over on their Soundcloud page, and a couple of different tunes at MySpace.
Wait, where did I hear about these guys? Okay, found it - on Cosmic Tones For Mental Therapy's A Guide to Psychedelic Music of 2012. Where they said:
Spinalonga Records helped this EP come to fruition, but what really needs to happen, is for these Athenian rockers to get signed for real and get an album's worth of material to the ears of the masses. The 3 songs on "Procrastinational" (as well as the stuff from last year's Self-Titled) are each smashing in their own right, and show the immense potential for the band's future pursuits. They call their music torture and their influences "psuedocultured" - but spending any amount of time with them suggests that they are the real deal.
Interesting guide/list/post on the blog... check it out!
I saw the Space City Rock review of the most recent release from My Education (opener, #3 Live Show 2011) sometime last month, and I'm clearing out my backlog of blog-post-drafts!
Not sure why the player wants to start with Track #5, but you can play it & buy it over at Bandcamp too. They're instrumental post-rock from Austin, TX - also mostly pretty good.
"A Drink For All My Friends" live May 21, 2011
I'm not sure exactly what the Violinist Sessions are, except for: live music + Denton, TX. Looks worth exploring though - here's the page for the My Education sesh (w/ free D/L too).
Ok, here's the band's official website. And I think I might jump on one of the remaining 50 copies of the vinyl Sound Mass LP (2011).
Along the lines of the ritual Drone/Ambient scene of Finland and the depressive Black Metal of Iran, we must now add the modern Post-Rock of Indonesia. This post will be part exploration & part map resource, lots of information & links densely packed in - with a minimum of embedded images & videos.
Thanks to Keith Henderson’s list on Aural Innovation's 2012 staff picks, I was lead to the 4 free-download compilations offered by Post Rock Indonesia:
Henderson specifically mentions the bands Little Space Donkey & Under The Big Bright Yellow Sun, so let's start off with them - and then the primary compilation that he listed. And on & on...
"Anumerta" from Dreamer's Manifesto EP (2011)
I found some info about the Jakarta band Little Space Donkey. The primary result was that most of their songs appear on their latest EP Dreamer's Manifesto, "released in Bandcamp on May 2011." (A free download link located on their Tumblr!) Also that the tune "Eleven Brave Warriors on That Field," was included on Volume 2 of the Beyond The Sky comp released by Invasi Record, a netlabel out of Bandung, Indonesia. Free Invasi releases are still available at The Archive.
Their first EP, Collection of Songs That We Will Never Play Live, Ever (2010, on Probablyworse.org) follows Rule #21 of Black Metal to a tee.
So this was the actual (free) compilation album that Henderson listed as one of his tops among 2012. I'm just going straight down the tracklist - links flying everywhere, maybe a video or two for something special. Feel free to listen to the comp, download whatever, and click around!
01. BOW (Burial Of World) – "Welcome"
Hahaha! I honestly didn't intend to start off embedding the first video. I'll try to restrain myself. But the slideshow brings up a point that I wanted to make: the Indonesian archipelago looks beautiful & exotic. So far most everything I've heard from these albums is both much better and much less exotic & distinctly Indonesian than I'd expected. Everyone seems to know the Post-Rock formula(e) and stick to it, to a surprisingly consistent degree. About the only angle I could go with might be that a lot is in the style of Mono, from Japan (whom Burial of World cover), rather than say Tortoise or Maserati - but that feels like a stretch.
Ok, back to BOW - nice tune. They've got a work in progress on Soundcloud, and a 2012 live "Shoki" for free download. Here's a YouTube search for further exploration.
Already we're beyond the borders! (The comps will get less & less Indonesia-centric as we progress...) Based on all the disconnected links from Indian Bands Hub, they've either renamed or broken up. MySpace is still up, though - looks like we might now be dealing with Anuragi instead. Direct download for Angina's Lost in Reverie mini-album (2010). There's at least one more release, but it all just got too confusing.
From Malang, East Java - I think the only MLK samples, and a counter-example of Indonesiatic musical influence. Specifically in the live instrumentation on this jam and on that one. Here's a studio "Small Friend," possibly from their free-download album Jumprit Singit (2011)?
East Jakarta troop - not much out there, but check out Soundcloud with D/L's. Well, someone made a cool video for "Fallen Angel." There are apparently other singles out there... somewhere.
Quite a bit shorter tracklist, so I'm going to continue with that approach for now.
<*Band descriptions from id-postrock translated by Google & me!>
01. Heima - "December"
<*The band that I think is oriented with the icelandic music like Sigur ros... it's that cold-coooooold.....!>
Not Icelandic, no - they're from Jakarta. Couple of relevant YouTube channels to scope, if interested: Heima-001 and Heima-002. There's also Facebook and MySpace. Couple of versions of that one song at Soundcloud. Single-song direct download link here.
02. Suara Hati - "Dream in Mine"
<*Solo, besides famous in its rock music scene.. it also stores the genre the band is post-rock/instrumental and one of them is Suara Hati.>
03. My Violainé Morning - "Color of condensed vapour in the sky"
<*Derived from Bandung armed with shoegazing instrumental music rock.Yupss!!! it's My Violaine Morning! I think successful band released the album "The next episode of the world" which was released by the Japanese label called "Happy Prince" who had released God Is An Astronaut's album.>
04. Stupidzero - "Anomalia dan Keyakinan"
<*This is what I say has been driving the music scene. glitchy Instrumental rock / noise from northern Sumatra to be exact.
>
"Tiga Kali Lebih Tenang" by Stupidzero, from totalfeedback vol 6
"Sumatra." Just two tracks at Soundcloud. Check out a live cover of "Heart-Shaped Box," which is where I think that video footage comes from. I dig this band's vibe, mang... There's also a Facebook.
Stumbled across GRUNGEE JUMPING! #2: Indonesian Raw and Noise Compilations (2012) during my search. It does appear you can both stream & download from Reverbnation - so check that out too!
05. Roommate - "Megumi on fire"
<*The band's music embraced alternative / indie but slightly spiced elements of post-rock...>
06. Musikari - "Hujan Tropis"
<*This hails from outside Samarinda. enlivening the Borneo music scene post-rock / instrumental in my Indonesia. So the band has a good following when they see themselves going consistently...>
07. Strangenoisemaker - "Welcome Home"
<*From jogja with music instrumental / electronic / ambient, Strangenoisemaker is an instrumental / electronic unit in jogja which also helped to enliven the indie scene in sana. though it was a vacuum... but, we must wait for the best works of them :) >
Here we're going well beyond Indonesia, around into the region & the Philippines... I'm thinking "SEA" actually means "South East Asia," although Indonesia has been part of a few thalassocracies, most notably the Srivijaya and Majapahit empires. In which case, things should start speeding up now.
Solitude tracklist:
01. Hon Narongrit - "Raining in Summer" (Thailand)
Are those dudes at Rudyard's? These guys had Valve State Dreams (2002), Ape Kill Ape (2004) and appear on the very recent Mull; Debauch to Kuala Lumpor (component three) comp (2012). Albums maybe here. O yeah, and MySpace. You're probably better off just hitting this YouTube search actually.
I'm a big fan of having your own Bandcamp - it's almost as good as having free downloads. They've also got a YouTube channel, and here's a couple of live videos. Stil not entirely sure what TVsessions is/are, but it's shown up quite a bit. So good for them!
[Edit 1/23: Finally located their Soundcloud with a downloadable live-set, plus two tracks!]
Thought we might have covered this group already, but not so. Another of the Bandcamp singles, with more tracks at Soundcloud (including some other relevant music). You'll probably find more with this YouTube search than without.
I don't know why, but I'm glad there's a Filipino band/artist going by 'time/edit'. They have the official site, the Bandcamp site (w/ free 2011 demo), song "Return," and a bunch of others around YouTube.
Wait, wait, wait. "Between Tranquility and Impending Death" is billed as: Monochrome x Garapata (vs.?). Which is also posted on their FB, and apparently this Garapata [fictional character]... well, "garapata is a tick."
The band's name: Robot. Explore the extensive Soundcloud (with significant D/L's)... Also, Facebook and MySpace still. From FB, "Download our latest EP Between Earth and The Sky (2011): Link"
These guys have a Tumblr! There's a n-y-p EP on Bandcamp, and 1 tune on Soundcloud. I also found "An Untold Introduction" to a mystery Demo (2008). I see they also make music under the name Lemuria sometimes: single's out on their Bandcamp.
Tumblr brings news of another free netlabel comp: Mine All Mine Two Hundred (2011) [D/L @ B/C] from Mine All Mine! Records in Madison, Wisc.
5. 6LA8 - "Our Dog Eat Dog World of Heroic News Reporting" (Karachi, Pakistan)
But like Alexander Tucker, also a bunch of intriguing leads - things I overlooked or maybe totally forgot. (White Hills @ Roadburn 2011 probably deserved to be in the Top 10 Live/Comp/Etc...)
"I am Utopia" by Saturnia, from AlphaOmegaAlpha (2012)
This record was on a couple of lists, and that's some classic cover art. Here's a full-album playlist, starting with the next/2nd song. Pretty sweet - read the Aural Innovations review.
Currently on sale (30% off) at AllThatIsHeavy: 2xCD / 2xLP.
"Lupine" by Farflung, from Black Rainbows split (2012)
Currently on sale (20% off) at AllThatIsHeavy: CD / LP.
Head Music comp (2012) playlist [mostly excerpts]
I really, really, really meant to buy this, but forgot. Gonna try to rectify that real soon - but in the meantime, there's a bunch of samples for almost the whole compilation.
Another Top 10 regular: MONO (#5 of 2006, #4 of 2009, #7 Live of 2009, #10 Live of 2010). Their 2nd record, but the oldest I'll probably have once we've moved backwards beyond their 2001 debut, Under the Pipal Tree.
Emotive Japanese post-rock in the cinematic GY!BE vein - if that means anything to ya: quiets & louds. Unfortunately, I missed their recent Houston appearance and still don't have the new one.
"COM(?)" from One Step More and You Die (2003)
After a few minutes of floaty intro track, you get one of the best, early, typical Mono tunes. It doesn't wallow excessively in the heartstrings, modulates the intensity rather than just straight-up lowering the boom, acknowledges its debt to Pink Floyd. Plus, like 16 minutes! (Okay, they do somewhat drop the hammer once, but whaddya gonna do?? It is what it is.)
"Sabbath" from One Step More and You Die (2003)
I believe this one has been the longest-running of live staples in the Mono roadshow. You gotta have an occastional break from all the crescendo freak-outs sometime. The next song could almost be a cover of The Caretaker... This aspect presents an early classical experimental composer path that they really didn't pursue later (at least on the albums I've got).
"Halo" from One Step More and You Die (2003)
Not gonna post each & every. Here's the last full-on track (before a backwards-mask coda piece), and another quality composition from Mono. What can I say that listening to the music won't tell you? Dynamics this, interplay that, a little cello there, some strings here, Floydian drift, Sonick noise-drop, instrumental mood-music post-rock, whoop!
Well, the new Maserati record finally got here. Haven't had much of a chance to spin it, but that will change on the open road this weekend. The natural habitat of Maserati's high-speed, gear-shiftin'... okay, okay.
I'm not going to post the original preview track "The Eliminator" because: (1) I already did, and (2) you can stream it over at this new Maserati internet mixtape. Deep cuts!
"Abracadabracab" from Maserati VII (2012)
Despite being almost 11 minutes long, that one seems be getting a lotta love over the internets. Maybe it's the Genesis reference? (Another long tune that got a lotta love...)
Maserati have an all new website design. And new tour info - under "Tour." But not coming to Texas at all?
"Earth-Like" from Maserati VII (2012)
A topical song for the times - or as topical as an instrumental track can be. This was the 2nd preview track for this album, pretty hefty for them.
So far, the whole album sounds pretty good. There is one early tune that does kinda sound like disjointed mix-and-match with random Maserati sonic components. (Basically what I'd imagine Maserati sounds like to someone who doesn't dig it.) I think it might have been this one.
The geometric shapes on the cover are glossy and embossy on both the CD and the sweet double-dipped vinyl (clear with color blob). New full-time drummer fits well. You can order it here.
I'll try to post something other than recent or upcoming new releases over the weekend. Wish me luck!!
A couple of tracks have been released for preview. Apparently recorded with the Wordless Music Orchestra, who joined Mono for their live Holy Ground 3xLP/DVD (#27, 2010).
"Legend" from For My Parents (2012)
That's the "A Journey Through Iceland" official music video for the opening track, according to Pitchfork. Link also includes world tour info... 10-14 Houston, TX - Fitzgeralds! Top Live Shows: #7 of 2009 & #10 of 2010.
A few people of note could use your (financial) help. Perfect transition on the Top 10, as we start with Grails. What, you thought we were done with them already?
According to the front page at Grails' own Pamlico Sound Mailorder, they are holding a "Donation drive to save corrupted hard drive containing up to 5 records of material!" They'll take whatever you can spare, but...
You can get a SIGNED LP (for $30 donation), or some unreleased early-ish LIVE TRACKS (for $15). These are: "Burden of Hope" (Paris 2006), "Back To The Monastery" (Boston 2006 - below), "Word Made Flesh" (Amsterdam 2006), "The March" (Paris 2004), and finally "Dargai" (Geneva 2006). Bas Ass, right?! I might donate twice for that.
Donate here. I even made you an exclusive crappy MS Paint "album" cover! [above]
Also, I found a few items on Woodsman's Facebook. Smooth transition on the Top 10 sliding scale, huh?
"Insects" [live 11/09/2010], from Rare Forms (2011)
To help fund their upcoming U.S. tour, they'd like to sell you some stuff! On the vinyl tip, a special collection of recent stuff - specifically, copies of the #2 of 2011 LP & EP, plus a 7" single of "Insects." All for $20!!, but only 20 total packages available...
They've also put up 2 early self-releases for sale on their Bandcamp site. That would be the Indoor Days cassette and the Humdrum CDr (both 2008). Stream and buy directly from those links - thanks!
And I just now found an older free Woodsman digital single from 2010, on BEKO-DSL: "Manual Control / Chants." Had never even heard about that one. You can also check out their Daytrotter Session, for Free D/L... (well, with free 7-day trial.)
Finally, there's a Kickstarter for Ad Hoc zine (ends March 5th), a new project by people from the dearly departed Altered Zones. You may remember AZ from such features as "half the MP3's on Astral compilations" or something like that.
"Miarches" by Forest Swords, from Dagger Paths (2011)
For $15, you can get a download comp of unreleased tracks by... Woodsman (#2, 2011)! The Caretaker (#10, 2011)! Forest Swords (#21, 2010)! Rene Hell and Dan Lopatin/Games (from Oneohtrix), also Ducktails, Keith Fullerton Whitman and Rhys Chatham (from #20, 2011), people from Austin Psych Fest (Amen Dunes, Pure X, Sleep ∞ Over, Sun Araw, Beach Fossils & Young Prisms), dronesters & noiseniks (Brad Rose, FORMA, Hubble, Matthewdavid, Stellar Om Source, Pete Swanson), new styles (Balam Acab, James Ferraro, Laurel Halo, Julia Holter, Julian Lynch), and several more!
