I Am The Cosmos - Monochrome

 

Band / Artist: I Am The Cosmos
Year: 2013
Genre: New Wave, Synthpop, Post-Punk Revival

My Review:


They come out of Dublin. They make some really pleasant Dreampop-like New Wave music. The references in their songs to various modern and postmodern artworks was nice for me, but a half decade of art school will do that to you.

There is a lot of information in the liner art for this release, discussing the artworks they reference, and coming off kind of like a little manifesto. Its pretty subdued music with a lot of ideas there if you're willing to look into it, but sounding great and flowy if you aren't looking for more than some calming tunes.

It definitely has a great sound to it, something I could imagine enjoying at my favorite gothish bars on a quiet patio or lounge space.

I Am The Cosmos - Monochrome

K.Flay - I Stopped Caring in '96 (Pt. 1, 2, & 3)

Band / Artist: K.Flay
Year: 2012
Genre: Alternative Hip-hop, Alternative Pop

My Review:

I Love K.Flay. She may not always have a coherent story in her songs, but she always cranks out a great beat, and the lyrics go to some of the most unexpected and unorthodox places. This is a series of mxtape EP's that are the newest collection of work she has cranked out. These take a step away from the “MASHed Potatoes” Mixtape, and is much more from scratch, or at least nothing on it registers as something I've heard before.

The set is made of 3 parts. Made and released one at a time. Each of the volumes has a music video.

The first is subtitled as "I Feel Nothing", started out the set on April 1, 2011.


The second, subtitled as "I Feel Everything", came out on April 15, 2011


The second, subtitled as "Everything is Nothing", polished it off on April 29, 2011.


It was a fast paced release schedule, and all of it comes together to make one great album. Normally I split my time between this and the Eyes Shut EP.

 Alright peoples. Go get the album, and have a good one.


K.Flay - I Stopped Caring in '96 (Pt. 1, 2, & 3)

Sasha Yeller - The Land With No Defects EP

Band / Artist: Sasha Yeller
Year: 2012
Genre: Tech-House, Ambient Techno

My Review:
During the early 90s, the techno, trance, and house movements were starting to come into their own, but had nearly a decade before they would mature into a solid entity, only to seemingly fizzle out of existence in the public realm, and be eaten and reused by many other genres and given little credit for the creativity they lend themselves toward.

But these early 90's explorations into electronica bore a ton of bands and engaging albums into the world, which still hold their own, especially in my collection. This harkens back to these seamlessly, while sounding very unique and fresh in its own right. It reminds me of mid 90's Orbital, Traci Lords, Utah Saints, and others, but more stripped down and with soft vocals layered throughout. Tracks are long, and help to evoke the trance element, giving you the urge to drink a little too much and dance with strangers in strangely lit rooms to it. I think this is a good quality.

There isn't much else to say about this one, because all I found for the musician was a Google+ page here. https://plus.google.com/113896913755414679771/posts

As always, hope you enjoy.

Sasha Yeller - The Land With No Defects EP

Sunny Jain's Red Baraat Festival - Live on WFMU's Transpacific Sound Paradise broadcast from Barbes, Sep. 13 2008

Band / Artist: Sunny Jain's Red Baraat Festival
Year: 2008
Genre: Brass band, Indian, Dance, Jazz

My Review:
A wonderfully bright and lively album. Sunny Jain's Red Baraat Festival is a Brooklyn Indian brass band. Coming off of the carnival season in New Orleans, Brass bands are a great thing to hear from outside Louisiana. From what I get, Sunny Jain is the percussionist, who does his own solo work, and decided to bring the band together.

Here's his solo site.
http://www.sunnyjain.com/

And here's the band site.
http://www.redbaraat.com/flash.html

A mix of New Orleans brass band sound (like you'd hear in the Treme), with Indian and Balkan street band sounds. Its good for a little street party, or it might be awesome for a little bit of an international flavor at a bar. Enjoy.

Sunny Jain's Red Baraat Festival - Live on WFMU's Transpacific Sound Paradise broadcast from Barbes, Sep. 13 2008

Free Singles - MORBIDTWATT, Myron & E, Andy Iona, Magnifico, K.Flay Feat. Felix Cartal

MORBIDTWATT

There was a funny-ish backstory to me finding this musician, but it wouldn't be in best service to him to tell it to you. Suffice it to say, art and life are rarely on the same level. He makes dark industrial music with a lot of techno influence, much of it utilizing string soundscapes. This is a link to all of his soundcloud tracks, as he offers them all up for free.

Myron & E - If I Gave You My Love

This is a soft, Motown-ish sort of track, that has a good amount of horns. It'd be good for dancing or.. ahem.. more private activities..

They do music with a group called  Soul Investigators, and the two just joined up to make a debut album on their new record label, Stones Throw. The new album is called Broadway, and it'll be out in July.

Andy Iona - Pretty Red Hibiscus & Naughty Hula Eyes

You know, that photo is just a tad creepy to me. Nevertheless, these songs are soft, melodic ukelele songs from long ago, which both are pleasing to listen to or to play for a significant other when you're being cute. Both of these fall into the public domain, as does most of his music I believe.

Andy Iona lived from 1902 to 1966, and mostle released music as "Andy Iona and his Islanders". He was noted as being one of Hawaii's most influential musicians, and somewhere out there is a boxed set of his work that has 112 tracks on it.

Magnifico - Ubic‡u Te

A guy from Yugoslavia. He's been getting big there, and has starred in a few Slovenian movies, as well as releasing a number of albums since 92. This track is from 2011.Its kind of like a cross of Latin dance (like salsa and such) with a bit of dub effects, and a few flares of that eastern European horn playing that I've started to notice is common. Its pretty great, even though I have no idea what he's saying.

K.Flay Feat. Felix Cartal - Rest Your Mind

You know where this is going. Its dancey technoish hiphop. This time there was a long backstory. Here it goes...







..and thats it. I like this one more than some of the softer stuff. It makes me wiggle my ass.

Ralp - Fuldatax

Band / Artist: Ralp
Year: 2011
Genre: Chiptune, Glitch, Hardcore Techno

My Review:

This is a man from Barcelona. He makes interesting things involving chiptune and breakcore. For this album he mixes chiptune with very aggressive, abrasive versions of techno and other. Its a very minimal instrument set. It probably isn't everyones cup of tea, but my goal is to share as much stuff as I can of different types, and this one was different.

If you like some old streets of rage type games for their music, then this might grow on you. If you are a fan of gabber, you may also enjoy it. 

Ralp - Fuldatax

Nac/Hut Report - Junkstarrr/Bright Future, 9th Overflowing​.​.​.​Milky Slaughterhouse​.​.​.​Dream Of Incubator

Band / Artist: Nac/Hut Report
Year: 2013
Genre:

My Review:
I have been woefully behind on loving music the last few weeks. Mostly because I got an awesome new job and I'm thrilled and insanely stressed all at once. Today was the first moment I started to feel a little bit like my squirrely self since probably last Sunday. So since I have a few minutes to get my music love on, I looked back through my emails.

And I found this.

I’m Jadwiga Tabaczynska of Double Hallucinative records. We’re a small, new-born, underground label from Poland. We would be glad if you could review our new release “Angel-like Contraction Reverse” Lp by the Italian-polish experimental duo Nac/Hut Report, or even just post on Jumbly Music the link for their Free-download Promotional Single “Junkstarrr/Bright Future”.

Its post industrial. The music has a really strange grindy sound, with soft vocals and guitar layered on top. I was imagining that it would be a much darker sound when I first looked at it, but it seems much more positive, like coming outside after a serious disaster, and feeling hope that you survived and can rebuild. (I don't know, its what came to mind.) Its short and sweet, with a bitter, abrasive side to it.

Nac/Hut Report - Junkstarrr/Bright Future


Also by them, I'm sharing this longer, older album, "9th Overflowing​.​.​.​Milky Slaughterhouse​.​.​.​Dream Of Incubator"

This one is a darker, more droning sound, which I liked less, but is more experimental and industrial in a lot of ways. Alright, well I hope everyone is doing great, I'll have some more stuff for you soon.

Nac/Hut Report - 9th Overflowing​.​.​.​Milky Slaughterhouse​.​.​.​Dream Of Incubator

The Popovers - Make It So!

Band / Artist:  The Popovers
Year: 2011
Genre: Powerpop, Pop Rock

My Review:
The popover is an American version of Yorkshire pudding and similar batter puddings made in England since the 17th century, though it has evolved considerably.

The Popovers were a bedroom band that you might have even heard before, assuming you've listened to The Savage Lovecast, the weekly sex advice podcast. They were also working on a video series on Youtube called Often Awesome, which also started the whole organization. The focus of the organization, to help educate and find a cure for Lou Gehrig's Disease. This is their website.

http://www.oftenawesome.org/

The lead male singer that you hear passed away at the beginning of 2012. He had been suffering from the disease for quite a while. The Popovers album is still provided by the Often Awesome group for free, though they hope that you'll donate a little to the organization and help fight against ALS.

As far as the music review, this is a lively, poppy, lo-fi sort of sound. Its got a lot going on, and it has a really good lyrical quality to it. They like to talk about simpler things, such as two people bitching at each other about the annoying bits in their relationship, or nosy assholes that always have something to say about your business when its obviously none of theirs.  Really lively and entertaining little album, thats really great.

The Popovers - Make It So!

Dudley Whitemud - Dudley Whitemud Sings Selections From Aqua's Aquarium

Band / Artist: Dudley Whitemud
Year: 2012
Genre: Acoustic, Indie Folk, Alternative Pop

My Review:
An acoustic album... of Aqua covers. Yep. I played this for a friend that really likes folksy acoustic stuff, and she was really enjoying it without expecting what it was, until he said "I'm a barbie girl". She laughed, said "OHHHH", paused, and then said "This is pretty awesome though."

Thats a good sentiment for it. The same goofy subjects from that 90's goofball pop album, but taken to a different context, with a very pleasant outcome. The songs come off as sort of reverent in some ways, while working well as a fairly non-intrusive background music for when you really just need something playing, and you get the benefit of eliciting a chuckle from a friend who just happens to catch on to the lyrics.

Unfortunately I don't know a whole lot else about the guy/band. I looked for a while but I wasn't getting much more than a dead link to the record label that originally did the recording. Well, I did find SOMETHING, but I'm gonna be a dickish lad and not share it just yet. Don't fret though, you'll see what it is soon.

I did find the artist that made the cover though. Here's his blog.
http://pearlymoustache.tumblr.com/

So all in all, I rated this as one of my top 10 finds of last year, which sounds dumb as hell before you listen to it. Hopefully you agree that it was worth the listen. I like listening while I mow the neighbors lawn.

Dudley Whitemud - Dudley Whitemud Sings Selections From Aqua's Aquarium

Lomov - Free Port

Band / Artist: Lomov
Year: 2004
Genre: Ambient Techno, Minimal

My Review:
I had no idea that the label this was posted under had closed down. I'm really sad to see that. I've had this album for almost 8 years, and I've listened to it for so long that it feels like a glass of milk & honey for my ears, smooth, and calming, settling me in so nicely. It works really well as a sleeping album too.

So first I'll talk about what I know about the musician. His name is Axel Bergk. He lives in Hanover Germany. He started making music and made his own collaborative label, Stadtgruen. He was very prolific from 2004 until around 2008, and then I'm not quite sure what happened. I had been in contact with him at one point, and he gave me the chance to use some of his music in an early prototype of a flash game that my team was working on. He was very generous, and I am forever appreciative for it.

The album itself is all based around the idea of a port, and a conputer. The mixture of digital clicks and beeps, with the ambience of a somewhat sparse industrial setting makes for a pretty great minimalist album, falling somewhere between a droning ambient, and the most minimalist of microhouse. I've loved it for years.

Lomov - Free Port