Kabjanak - Out of the Dark

Band / Artist: Kabjanak
Year: 2015
Genre: Prog Rock, Trip Hop

My Review:
Dat beat doe... jeezum.  Reminescent of 70s acid trip jam, and laced with trip-hop beat layers and samplings used like ghost masking. It has a lot of skill and agility in how it flows, using all of these influences to form a whole all its own.

Kabanjak is a German artist, who i believe plays a number of instuments, and is the kind of guy to be sharing other musicians works on their own FB band page. Dude track 3, 7th gate, GOD THAT IS GOOD. Never did I think I'd see Prog and Trip-hop merged, and so well on that.

This one really works well alongside L O N E R, who I posted recently. I probably should look at putting them together on one mix.

Kabjanak - Out of the Dark

Howler Toad - Lickin' The Toad

Band / Artist: Howler Toad
Year: 2009
Genre: Stoner Rock, Prog Rock, Rock

My Review:
You'd think that this was going to be something completely different than it is. My first thought was it would be some laid back, long form prog rock. It isn't, by any means. This album is very driven. Its got a hard rock punch to it, that I would easily see myself going pretty crazy at a concert with. Maybe even hitting up the mosh pit.

Howler Toad comes out of Barcelona, Spain, and they may have broken up. I can't find much information for them, and their myspace page is shut down. I am sure to keep an eye out for new albums from them, because this really is a good band, one that I would love to see touring.

Since I can't find any more details for them, I'll just leave it there.

Howler Toad - Lickin' The Toad

TickTockMan - Faded Shapes

Band / Artist: TickTockMan
Year:2014
Genre: Future Punk, Alternative Rock, Prog Rock

My Review:
Like Mars Volta? You should take the chance to hear TickTockMan.

I'm not going to say that they are a direct copy. They aren't. They play a softer, more simple, less frantic version of the type of sound that you hear in a Mars Volta album. The singer also sings in a much more "plain" register, without hitting the very-high-pitch that the singer of Mars Volta does. Also, did you know that this subgenre of music is called "Future punk"? What the hell does that mean?

The band is out of Seattle, and has been around since 2009. Their name seems to directly reference a short story ("Repent, Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman") by a science fiction author Harlan Ellison. My favorite tracks on this album are probably "Pull & Fire" and "Cracked", while "Might Explode" is definitely another that really rings out for the album.




I've had music from TickTockMan for a while, catching an old EP from them that i was considering sharing, but didn't really have the time. I'm really enjoying this one. Not so much as a driving album for in the city, but maybe out on a longer highway drive. It works pretty well as music to work to.

TickTockMan - Faded Shapes

Harq al'ada - Heat Ritual

I posted things from Nick Vanderveldt before, and one of his projects' band name was Harq al'ada.

Its a kind of experimental Prog-Rock/ Psych-Rock sound without really a whole lot of lyrics. When I started up this album, I knew almost immediately that it is definitely a maturation of their sound. Nick described the new release like this;

The name itself came from when my wife and I first moved to St. Louis a few years ago. It was September of 2011, it was hot, I wasn't sure where my life was really going, so I would get up in the morning and record on the 3rd floor, before the heat of the day. I called it my heat ritual.

Heat Ritual took about 2 years to record, compared to our first EP which took around 3 months. So there's a bit of overlap between the two. 

In "A Puck", I was very focused on trying to imitate this Miles Davis funk sound, I think Alex and I talked for hours about improvisation, and how the performance was so important, yet "A Puck" could never really be performed. So when we got together for vocal sessions on Heat Ritual in February, we kept a line on the same tangent. The song "Boninosuccinea" is a perfect example, both the main vocal track and the lead guitar were done in a single take. Alex had scribbled some ideas down on a notepad, and just sort of riffed on these lyrical themes. It wasn't for a few weeks that we went back to it, and thought wow, that's pretty good, and Alex did some backing tracks. The song "Useless" was written a little differently, though I feel like it was following the same thread. Alex, Ryan and I wrote that tune somewhat whimsically before a rehearsal for "The Difference Engine", just the real simple riff, which I think started off at first as a rip-off of "Communication Breakdown". As we played it, this form just took shape, and I started to add effects, Ryan started in on this Chemical Brothers kind of percussion part. It all just sort of fit. The real beauty of it to me is how open ended it is, we could play a different version of the same song every night, with different people.

The last half of the EP is a little more prescribed as it were. "Lobster Fist" was a little bridge instrumental I wrote probably 4 or 5 years ago, and just got shelved, and then I heard the demo again when I was doing sessions for Heat Ritual, and thought about how well it fit, this odd little tune, with these odd chords, and this odd meter shift. Prunus on the other hand, began as an experiment in prescribed improvisation. I wrote out the head of the tune, and then left the bridge open for free improvisation. I had initially envisioned this sort of Eric Dolphy w/guitars and synths piece, but instead I just kept filling in counter melodies until it sounded right. Obviously it didn't wind up being anything at all like Eric Dolphy, but that's where I got the idea anyway.

This is totally worth a listen. It reminds me a lot of songs like "tomorrow never knows" from the Beatles and a mix of early and very late Pink Floyd. The vocal progressions and the rhythms are very interesting, and worth a good afternoon with headphones and a nice sunny place to lay back and listen. It's definitely worth checking out.

Harq al'ada - Heat Ritual

Carthasy - Apertures & 0110/Mindcage

Band / Artist: Carthasy
Year: 2010, 2011
Genre: Post-Metal, Prog Metal, Prog Rock, Alternative Rock


My Review:
If you have an affinity for Porcupine Tree and Tool, then this is definitely a little gem for you. They have some high minded talk describing their songs on their website..

http://www.carthasy.com/#!bio

..but they would be better served with a simple review. They do a pretty great melodic prog metal. Its good, has great layouts of the tracks, and they use effects on guitar and vocals at just the right amount to make them all pay together. I'm looking forward to a full album from them, because if this is their debut, they are likely to grow in just the right way.

My only real qualm with the band is their logo, especially from the demo they did here

Carthasy - 0110/Mindcage

The idea behind the logo seemed really decent, but that font and they way it was integrated into that logo was just irking the hell out of me. I had a few minutes to spend, so I made this.

..and figured it's implement well like this..

but regardless, enjoy the album.

Carthasy - Apertures

Nick Vanderveldt - The interview extravaganza!

Band / Artist: Nick Vanderveldt,
Year:
Genre: Experimental, Interview, Prog Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Blues, Funk

My Review:

Jumbly: It's nice to meet you. How are you doing this week?

Nick Vanderveldt: Good. Very busy working on a couple of projects with people, but I
like to be busy.

Jumbly: So, when did you start making music?

Nick: I've been writing solo material since I was a teenager, but never in any capacity that I felt would be presentable to people (mostly electronic experiments). I sort of made a leap in 2007 and said, well, what the hell, I'd like to share what I've been doing with some friends. So I recorded an album with a buddy's USB mic, and my newly acquired pawn shop acoustic. That album led to my first real band endeavor with other people.

That really morphed what I was doing, because it forced me to be a better musician and learn how to play with other people. We would argue all the time about how a song should go, who should do what where, why this muther-fucker over here needed to turn the fuck down, or turn up etc... Overall I felt like it was very positive, our arguments were never mean spirited, it was all about having dialogue and working for the music.

When I left that group, I was pretty sad, but I tried to take everything I learned and take it to the next level. Just recently, I've gotten together with some friends to play music that is primarily my own, the band is called Harq al'Ada, and it's sort of a mask for me to wear in public, and a psuedonym for my co-conspirators to hide behind. Plus it beats the hell out of putting my own name on hand-bills and posters.

Jumbly: Where are you from?

Nick: I live in St.Louis, Missouri right now, I moved here about a year back from Olympia, Washington.

Jumbly: Do you find it influences your style and your music much?

Nick: I think it's sort of odd that it does. I lived here between ages 7 and 14, and a lot of things like, the way people speak, sank into my musical thoughts. I think all over the world, people have different
ways of phrasing music as a direct result of using language differently. Alternately, the visual and auditory aspects of everyday life sink in too, sometimes I'll find myself trying to imitate the way
an insect moves, or trying to reproduce oppressive heat and humidity with feedback.

Jumbly: What way do you think is best to enjoy your music? Would you consider it good date music, driving music, chillout music, etc?

Nick: I think it's best to just clear your head, and do nothing but listen. Close your eyes, drink some beers, get a little out of your head, that sort of thing.

Jumbly: Do you like giving away your music for free? Do you hope to continue or would you rather move to a pay system?

Nick: I like to give things away. It's ideal because I know not everyone can afford to pay, and I make it for people to enjoy it.

Physical copies of stuff will always have a price, because I simply can't cover the overhead costs, but I plan on continuing to give away my music digitally until it becomes too costly to do so. I really prefer the pay-what-you-want model, because then everyone is happy.

Jumbly: Do you have any sounds/ bands/ or pieces of art that you admire or wish you could emulate with your music?

Nick: Yes. Tons. I'm surrounded by things I wish I could turn into music. I'm a big fan of Isaac Asimov, and Frank Herbert, really just science-fiction in general, movies included. I used to read books and make-up music in my head that went along with each scene. I still hum along sometimes.

There are countless bands I've taken ideas from as well; Ravi Shankar, Davy Graham, Led Zeppelin, Miles Davis, Can, Sun Ra, RL Burnside and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez are the big ones for me I
think.

Jumbly: If anyone wanted to do a collaboration with you, would you be interested?

Nick: Of course. I admit I'm not always the easiest person to work with though.

Jumbly: How should they get in touch with you?

Nick:  Anyone is more than welcome to message me on facebook or soundcloud.

Jumbly: What kinds of projects do you really want to do in the future?

Nick: I'd like to do a hard-funk record. Something like Funkadelic's Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On, or Free Your Mind and Your Ass Will Follow, except I want a bunch of twinkly effects, and sync it to Conan The Barbarian.

Jumbly: What bands on here have you been listening to? What do you think about them?

Nick: The Killimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble. I think it's cool as hell. Even though I have no idea how to classify them. Post-Rock maybe?

You also recently posted a link for a voto latino mix CD which is pretty awesome. Rodrigo y Gabriella have a track on there that is great, and I honestly can't enough those two.

Jumbly: What would you like to see more from the blog?

Nick: I think it's great so far, and I appreciate what you're trying to do. I'm not terribly constructive when it comes to critiquing I'm afraid...

I do like the format quite a bit, every 5 days a new album update. It might be cool to see some video reviews, that kind of thing always seems to grab folks attention.

Jumbly: Do you know any other great sites that people should check out? What about any other bands?

Nick: Yes. http://www.moosickrevoos.com/ is awesomesauce.

Also, if you don't know about The Difference Engine, you chould check them out here:
http://differenceenginestl.bandcamp.com/ (shameless plug for another band I'm in completed)
Also you need to check out a band called LOGOS from St.Louis http://logosrock.com/, and a band called The We Shared Milk, from Portland, Oregon http://thewesharedmilk.bandcamp.com/.

Jumbly: Thanks a bunch for sharing all you music, I'm hoping people love it.

As a parting, I have one last question. Siracha, yes or no?

Nick: Yes. It goes on everything. It's especially good with vodka.

Jumbly: That sounds pretty great. I'm gonna have to try it.

So there we go. Here's all of his albums. Hope that you enjoy them.

Nicholas Vanderveldt - Gypsies, Hounds, and Vagabonds

Some really nice blues, classical ballad, and soft grunge guitar work. It has a clean, simple, lo-fi sound that really fits it together well.

Unicorn Porn - Condensation

This one sounds through and through like an old psych rock album you'd get out of the 70s. Some of it was shiznitty-bam-zipzap-snap. I'd love to hear the same thing, with some modern synthetic goodness layered in.

Nicholas Vanderveldt - اختراع

This one has a deeper Indian flavor, that also definitely fits into that psych rock sound. There are layers of sitar and flourishes of tabla amidst a lot of progressive guitar work.

Nicholas Vanderveldt - Poco A Poco

Another short guitar work album. The main track is kind of like a mini-album all in its own right. It utilizes field recordings, acoustic guitar, and a little bit of studio treatment. Its not bad music for drinking a beer and playing pool or poker with friends on a quiet night.

Beet Oven - Beet Oven

Blues rock. Funky classic guitar rock.

 Harq al'Ada - A Puck, A Bodach, and Bloody Bones

A great one-track release, with synths, and electric guitar, and vocals. It's funky and soulful and trippy and about 20 minutes long.

Alright, so thats all there is. Merry Crimmis

Lüger - Concrete Light

 Band / Artist: Lüger
Year: 2011
Genre: Krautrock, Psychedelic Rock, Space-rock, Prog Rock

My Review:
This one is a crosspost from Moosick, because it was far too good to skip. It has some incredibly catchy parts, with some crazy breakdowns in some areas of their songs, and a really trippy mix of sounds. A good visual description of their sound is in their band photo.

I'll have to admit that i'm not particularly well versed in the krautrock scene. I've looked into it but so far I don't know much. I'm more surprised at how widely the descriptor is used. They have a sound like Jefferson Airplane, Muse, Battles, and Jesus Jones all together in one. A spanish krautrock band, that just incites a chuckle. Here's their facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/dieluger

Its 6 tracks long, and pulls from indian music, drum heavy alt rock, space rock, prog rock, powerpop and a ton of other stuff. The tracks are driving and vibrant, with enough grit and balls to really build up some testosterone, and enough trip and bounce to bring up the party. I'm keeping it.

Lüger - Concrete Light