Gazpacho, Tick Tock

Norway, 2009.

Tick Tock had not yet been formally published, and it's too great an album to go without a proper post.

Gazpacho's previous work, the stunning Night, had left my hopes pretty high. Still, the band managed to outdo their previous masterpiece with an amazing follow-up, a conceptual album (inspired by Saint-Exupéry's memoir, "Wind, Sand and Stars") that takes neo/modern progressive rock to a whole new level of creativity.

Playlist:

1. Desert Flight
2. The Walk (Part 1)
3. The Walk (Part 2)
4. Tick Tock (Part 1)
5. Tick Tock (Part 2)
6. Tick Tock (Part 3)
7. Winter Is Never

Link.

more...

The Pax Cecilia, Nouveau

US, 2004.

The Pax Cecilia's first album is an obscure release that lacks the experimental instrumentation and production quality from their subsequent work, Blessed Are The Bonds. Notwithstanding, it is an enjoyable album overall, nicely incorporating violin and piano-ridden melodies into a post-hardcore structure. Screamo vocals aside, Nouveau anticipates a very interesting composition.

Playlist:

1. Opening Monologue
2. Beneath Every Powerline There Is Still A Graveyard
3. An Aurora: The Crux Candide
4. MDCCLXXV
5. Fluorescence A.D. 1429: Burning The Body Of Joan Of Arc, Or "Cupid"
6. Phosphorescence A.D. 79: Buring The City Of Pompeii, Or "Psyche"
7. England: Theatre Of The Air
8. A Denouement

Link.

more...

Jakob, Cale:Drew

New Zealand, 2003.

Three piece instrumental post-rock outfit from New Zealand. "Waves of distortion, delicate guitar lines and intricate melodies – Cale:Drew, is an exploration of a dark soundscape that at times threatens to escape to something brighter."

Playlist:

1. Controle
2. The Diffusion Of Our Inherent Situation
3. Semaphore
4. Faye
5. I Was Hidden
6. Jimmy Hoffa
7. Laburnum
8. Skew....Aard

Link.

more...

Earth, The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull

US, 2008.

This is the sixth studio album by the experimental rock/drone metal band Earth. The title is a reference to the Biblical story of Samson, who tore apart a lion and when he returned, he noticed a swarm of bees and some honey on the lion's carcass. Also, the album includes the collaboration of jazz guitarist, Bill Frisell.

Playlist:

1. Omens And Portents 1: The Driver
2. Rise to Glory
3. Miami Morning Coming Down II (Shine)
4. Engine of Ruin
5. Omens and Portents II: Carrion Crow
6. Hung From the Moon
7. The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull

Link.

more...

Espers, Self-titled

US, 2004.

Espers is the self-titled debut album from the band Espers released in 2004. It featured the band in their original trio line-up and established their contemporary psych folk sound.

Playlist:

1. Flowery Noontide
2. Meadow
3. Riding
4. Voices
5. Hearts & Daggers
6. Byss & Abyss
7. Daughter
8. Travel Mountains

Link.

more...

Your Ten Mofo, Things Change While Helium Listen To Everyone

Austria, 2006

Debut record by the band Your Ten Mofo.

Playlist:

1. Are U Sleepy? (2:55)
2. Things Change While Helium Listen to Everyone (4:44)
3. I Think We May Be Alone Now (14:17)
4. Glamorous Thoughts Thought in a White Arctic Body Behind Someone Alone (10:20)
5. In the Waiting Line (12:06)
6. <3 (3:13)
7. Rewind and Begin to Leave Used Thoughts Behind (15:31)

Link.

more...

The Mars Volta - 2009-06-18: ICA, London, UK

US, 2009 (audio bootleg)

Warm-up show for upcoming Octahedron tour. Lots of sound problems at the actual venue, but the sheer volume was mostly filtered out by the recording device fortunately. Songs off Octahedron sound pretty good live and they seem to be putting off extended jams for the time being, which can both be good or bad, depending on how inspired they are on the night.


Playlist:

01 - Intro
02 - Goliath
03 - Cotopaxi
04 - Wax Simulacra
05 - Viscera Eyes
06 - Halo of Nembutals
07 - Ilyena
08 - Teflon
09 - Roulette Dares (The Haunt of)
10 - Desperate Graves
11 - Cygnus....Vismund Cygnus
12 - Luciforms
13 - The Widow
14 - Drunkship of Lanterns

Part 1.
Part 2.

more...

We're From Japan!, Now Breathe

U.S., 2006

We're From Japan are a good Portland-based band with an overall melancholic tone that resembles (as for me personally) the works of Riding Pânico and a bit of Explosions In The Sky without the ever-recurring abusive delays and spatial interludes.
Taking advantage of the characteristic guitar-centred approach and a – sometimes aggressive – direct sound, this comes out as anything but boring.
One of my rare post-rock posts.


Playlist:
1. Black Bag Work
2. Bleed
3. Climb Mountain, O Snail
4. There are Horses in the Streets
5. In Every Hive, A Queen
6. Run Shoot Don't Panic
7. September 13, 1848


Link.

more...

Faith No More, Live at Brixton - The Second Coming

Bootleg, 2009

It took a while, but they're back. This is my recording from FNM's first reunion show on 10/06/2009. Quality varies from pretty good on the calmer songs like Stripsearch, to good with an awful lot of singing, but that's what you get when you're dead centre at the front surrounded by fans. Feel free to use this recording to mix with other sources and produce a better bootleg.



Playlist:

1 - Reunited
2 - The Real Thing
3 - From Out of Nowhere
4 -Land of Sunshine
5 - Caffeine
6 - Evidence
7 - Chinese Arithmetic
8 - Surprise! You're Dead!
9 - Easy
10 - Last Cup of Sorrow
11 - Midlife Crisis
12 - Cuckoo for Caca
13 - Gentle Art Of Making Enemies
14 - RV
15 - King for a Day
16 - Malpractice
17 - Jizzlobber
18 - Be Aggressive
19 - Epic
20 - Mark Bowen

Encore 1
21 - Chariots of Fire
22 - Stripsearch
23 - Just a Man

Encore 2
24 - I Started a Joke
25 - Pristina
Part 1.
Part 2.

more...

The Cancer Conspiracy, Omega

US, 2008.

The Cancer Conspiracy is a progressive rock group, whose sound draws heavily upon King Crimson and Yes, though incorporating fusion, hardcore and math rock influences as well.

Playlist:

1. I
2. II
3. III
4. IV
5. V
6. VI
7. VII
8. VIII

Link.

more...

Lis Er Stille, Apathobvious

Denmark, 2007

Following up on the amazing post by kollaps, here's Lis Er Stille's second studio album.

As one of the fans described the album:
A powerful crescendos led by marching piano lines and incredible vocal layers give way to a capella breaks that lead into somber piano bits and epic finales.


Playlist:

1. Preludium
2. Lorelei
3. Land Mítt
4. Hvalfangeren
5. Transition
6. Lys Over Tid
7. Spurven
8. Fyr I Framman

Link.

more...

Blueneck, Scars of the Midwest

England, 2006.

Formed in 2000, Blueneck are a reclusive four-piece based in North Somerset. Blueneck’s music can be best described as a cinematic soundscape of ambient atmospherics, dark skeletal rhythms and swirling crescendos, all created with analogue synths, sparse piano and soaring guitars.

Playlist:

1. The Hills Have Eyes
2. Judas! Judas!
3. Oig
4. Le:465
5. UB1
6. Epiphany
7. UB2
8. Amoc
9. Yesterday's Forgotten

Link.

more...