Neuro Trash - This Apocalypse Was Less Fun Than We Thought It Would Be

Year: 2013
Genre: Ambient, Downtempo, Instrumental, Neo-Folk

My Review:

After they had destroyed all the humans, the robots felt terribly alone

That quote is all to be said about this album by the band. As I've recently been doing a crap job of keeping up with singles posts and submitted albums for artists, this one slipped through the cracks for a while. I'm just now getting back to it, and realizing that I needed a good softer folky album to post on here. I wrote a whole review for this, and can't find it, which pisses me off.

The range of instruments used is very impressive, especially since I can't remember the last time I heard someone play a saw. The sound of this overall its a somber, melodic album that works great for a relaxing few minutes of your day, or trying to sit in that little gray corner of your mind for a while.

Neuro Trash - This Apocalypse Was Less Fun Than We Thought It Would Be

The melodies in this one are so hypnotizing to me, but I can feel a mental drive toward digital music after listening to it for a while. I guess it means I should listen to their earlier EP, which will balance it all out. You might want to as well, so here it is.

Neuro Trash - Blokoppy

Marsan - Music For Agoramaniacs

Band / Artist: Marsan

Year: 2014

Genre: Chillout, Ambient Techno, Electro-Acoustic

My Review:

I got a new email from a fresh friend. At least he's a friend now. He wanted to share his music with the blog. I listened through and I like it, so I'll let him describe it all, and I'll just share.

"I'm a 21 y/o Chicagoan who's performed in a few local DIY bands (shy guy says, acker). In late 2012, however, I decided to use the resources around me to write music on my own. All parts were written, performed, recorded and edited entirely by myself.

I began with some minimal repetitive pieces for a buddy's film. I recorded some ambient/IDM tracks, but used all live instrumentation, which, to my surprise, gave it a unique energetic or "live" feel. I got the idea to keep using this technique but with a larger variety styles (Post-punk drumming and vocals on "Strain Theory", pop melodies on "Linoleum", "Dominoes" or "Snow Day", saturated jazz/hip-hop on "reawaken", and so on). The result was an intricate, diverse album, which, thanks to my steady lineup of instruments & effects, managed to flow seamlessly.

The album art imposes a setting for the album: a shopping mall. The massive, labyrinth-like landscape is the perfect launch point. The songs navigate through the complex to different rooms and corridors - spaces of all different sizes, moods, attitudes... Really this album is for people who are, like me, obsessed with open space.

Thus the title - Agoramania: a mania for open spaces

Because the whole project began as an attempt to imitate electronic music with acoustic (or "live") instruments, I continued the theme with the artwork. The cover was made by printing out mall blueprints with different colors and photo effects. Then, inspired by the layer options in photoshop, I hand cut and pasted the prints. In the "alternate" cover, I held up the painting of the room, floorboards and background at varying distances and snapped a picture.

I was considering naming the album "Digital by hand" after the technique, but instead used the name for a track. In line with the theme of shopping malls, the lyrics deal with consumerism, contradictory media messages, manipulation, etc."

Alright, well I hope that clears it all up for you. I'm going to be listening to this one for a while. I'll keep a free version of the album online as long as he'd like.

Marsan - Music For Agoramaniacs

The Quick Brown Fox - SPEEDKORE 4 KIDZ!

Year: 2009
Genre: Speedcore

My Review:
HooooooooBOY! Maybe like 2% of the people checking this post out won't absolutely hate it. There are a ton of days where I would be turning this right the fuck off, but every once in a blue moon, I get the itch, and for a whole day I will listen to nothing but Harsh Noise, Speedcore, Freejazz, Frenchcore, Sludge Metal, and pretty much anything else that is dissonant, grinding, and likely to piss off anyone within the audible vicinity.

I'm always sad that so many of these genres have no way to sustain themselves, because the makers of each little subset usually can't stand members of the others. If we could all just get along, we could create the most aggravating and horrifyingly noisey live event on the planet. It should have a great name too, like BigBadFest, or COREFEST! *XxCoReFeSt!xX*, Where you mosh in mud all day, chill with Harsh Drone for sundown, and then dance horribly under strobe lights all night  .. Actually, that sounds like it would be kind of awesome, and THE WORST PLACE TO DO DRUGS ON THE PLANET.

Sorry if this one seems dissapointing to some, but I felt like I needed to spice up the mix a little. I might start doing at least one of these kinds of oddball posts every other month. I just wanted to warn you that this post isn't for everyone, but for the few that love this kind of ... stuff...  But I'll make a dare. If more than 5 people can actually listen to this thing from beginning to end without stopping it, and comment in the post, I will post at least 1 humiliating photo of myself.

Godspeed.

The Quick Brown Fox - SPEEDKORE 4 KIDZ!

Kaninchen - Broke up

Year: 2013
Genre: Field Recordings, Spoken Word., Post-Rock, Acoustic

My Review:
This one showed up in my email inbox quite a while ago. I promised to share it, and now, I'm going to keep my word. Hopefully better late than never.

An unusual album to get sent in an email. It feels like one part sound pieces and field recording, one part acoustic pieces that I might call sadcore, and one part spoken word. It's about failing relationships, and the feelings of those moments of breakup. I like how some of the field recordings tie into the music, and how the differences in style really bring out the point they were driving at emotionally.

I can definitely say that there has been a theme of sadder stuff on my playlist for a while, and I've picked this one up a few times. I hope you check it out, and thanks to the band for sharing it. If you guys want to do an interview with some more work, drop me a line.

 Kaninchen - Broke up

Singles Posts - Kitty Cash, K.Flay, Son Lux, Aesop Rock & Blockhead, SKOGSRÅ

Kitty Cash - Love The Free


A good mixtape that falls between glitchy Alt Pop and R&B. There are a lot of electronic influences in this, and it takes a song or two before it really gets rolling in my opinion. Once it gets going, I enjoyed it, except for the between-song sample that would remind you that Kitty Cash made the mixetape. Advice for all the mixers out there, if you need to remind people who made the set, then you are definitely doing something wrong.

K.Flay - Seen it all (Jake Bugg cover)

This one is a bit different from the usual K.Flay hippityhop. Its a softer, sadder, slower song, which is obviously going much more for the alt-pop sound of The Knife, which is fitting, since its about someone seeing a guy get knifed by a gang at a house party. I like this, but it sucks for the dude getting knifed.

Son Lux - Easy (Arandel Remix)


Speaking of The Knife, this song sounds a whole lot like stuff you might hear from them if they stayed on the path that "Silent Shout" and "Deep Cuts" were headed. This would be a soft track you would hear somewhere in the middle, and it is the kind that you grow to appreciate even more than the bigger tracks around it.

Aesop Rock & Blockhead - Try not to die

Ah, good ol' Aesop Rock. This one is an older b-side that he and Blockhead made in the early 2000s. If you like "Float" and "Appleseed" then you are getting a track you'll like.

SKOGSRÅ - Now You See Me

What a great track to round out the post with. This one is sort of poppy, and really vibrant, funky, and just overall good for grooving. In fact, I'd say this track sounds a LOT like newer stuff you hear from Daft Punk, and who the hell doesn't love that? Whats best, is that it stays interesting and pleasing for nearly 7 minutes. I really enjoy it.


Alright. Dance like nobody is watching. Have fun.

Eddie Condon & His Orchestra - 30 Selected Works

Band / Artist: Eddie Condon & His Orchestra
Year: 1929-1944
Genre: Big Band, Jazz, Ragtime

My Review:
I shared a single recording from Eddie Condon a while back, and it was too dancey for me to pass up sharing more. 1930's Big Band Jazz really is some of the best jazz.

There are a ton of reasons I love old jazz, especially living in New Orleans, but I'd definitely say that it isn't hurting me that the music has all come into the public domain now. The downside with it is that you don't really have tracks numbered into an album, because often enough, it is a compendium of restored and digitized records. A lot of my friends have talked about how impressive this style of music is, and when they have such varied tastes, I'd say that means something.

Eddie Condon & His Orchestra - 30 Selected works

Pretty Lights - A Color Map of the Sun & A Color Map of the Sun Remixes

Band / Artist: Pretty Lights
Year: 2013
Genre: Electro, Nu Breaks, Jazz, Funk Techno, Hip-Hop, Neo-Soul

My Review:
"A Color Map Of The Sun has been nominated for the Best Dance/Electronica Album GRAMMY"

This is awesome news, because I've been listening to Pretty Lights for the past couple of years. I'm excited to see him blowing up the world with his music, AND HE'S STILL GIVING IT AWAY. Okay, to be fair, you can also buy it (and you probably should throw him a few bucks since he works so hard), and there are links to that on his website here, http://prettylightsmusic.com/

As far as the music goes, it is a different sound and approach than the last Pretty Lights works. I think that for this one, he had started with a beat, then had artists come in and make music over it, only for him to come back through, mix and process their work, then do his magic over top of the whole thing. The end result is a wobbly, glitchy, soulful album that teeters between sad and active, with big old style jazz elements throughout.

Pretty Lights - A Color Map of the Sun (Disc 1)


Here's the remix album.

Pretty Lights - A Color Map of the Sun Remixes

If you want solid old school jazz, definitely come back in 5 days, but if techno-jazz is your jam, then by all means, jam out. Personally, I think this post and the next would go well alongside one another, in an odd couple sort of way

Banned Books - Mission Creep

Band / Artist: Banned Books
Year: 2009, 2010
Genre: Experimental Rock, Indie Alternative, Avant-pop, Noise-Rock

My Review:
YEAAAAAAAAAAAH. Imagine you're an Indie-pop group, then get really pissed off and jaded with the shitshow of pop, and hanging out and listening to bands like Wolf Eyes, Merzbow, and Dog Fashion Disco, and The Blood Brothers for a little while. Start liking the idea of sounding that way, but don't quite be sure that you want to just make noise, after all, you do have nearly a whole album recorded. You go back to the drawing board with what you have, AND THIS COMES OUT OF THE SAUSAGE GRINDER.


That is what I'd imagine was going on with this album.

Aside from my BS description, lets talk about the band themselves.

They started out as a 3 man New Jersey band, lost a member, and moved to Philly. Now they call themselves a super-duo. They don't keep a lot of information out in the public about when they formed or when they moved.

Here is their exceptionally informative website.
http://www.bnndbks.net/


Anyhow, these albums are both a little short, so I thought it'd be best to share both of them.

Banned Books - Mission Creep

This one is Man Maker, a more groove laden album. They switch tempo a lot in this one.

Banned Books - Man Maker

And ON TO 2014! FFFFFFFFFFUCK YEAH!