Mothlite, Dark Age

UK, 2012

Daniel O’Sullivan releases his second album under the Mothlite moniker on May 14th through Kscope. ‘Dark Age’ is the follow-up to 2008’s ‘The Flax Of Reverie’ (Southern Records).

"This is prevalent in the lyrical content, which denotes a catharsis throughout a period of hysteria and emotional turmoil”. He describes ‘Dark Age’ as “Dark megalomania, contradictions and paradoxes, and general bleakness”, yet rarely does such subject matter get delivered with the soaring pop aplomb as on the album’s twelve tracks, flitting from sparkle and rumble of ‘The Blood’ to the epic washes of ‘The Underneath’ and beyond. The album has allowed O’Sullivan to break free from the confines of genre, taking influence from the likes of Tears For Fears and Kate Bush from his parents’ record collection through the industrial and gothic textures of DAF, The Cure, Coil and Dead Can Dance to the hardcore punk of his own personal roots. - last.fm

Playlist:

1. Wounded Lions

2. Disappear

3. Seeing in the Dark

4. The Blood

5. Something in the Sky

6. The Underneath

7. Zebras

8. Dreamsinter Nighspore

9. Milk

10. Dark Age

11. Red Rook

Link.

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Miracle, Fluid Window

US, 2011.

Steve Moore (Zombi, Earth, Titan, Gianni Rossi, Lovelock) + Daniel O'Sullivan (Sunn O))), Guapo, Æthenor, Ulver, Mothlite, Miasma & the Carousel of Headless Horses) = Miracle.

Playlist:

1. The Visitor
2. Sunshine Hall
3. Wild Nights
4. Sunstar
5. Breathe

Link.

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Umberto, Prophecy of the Black Widow

US, 2010.

If Zombi and Justice had a child and the child played videogames. Just awesome.

Playlist:

1. Temple Room
2. The Psychic
3. Red Dawn
4. Widow Of The Web
5. Black Candles
6. Night Stalking
7. Someone Chasing Someone Through A House
8. Everything Is Going To Be Okay

Link.

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Mamiffer, Mare Decendrii

US, 2011.

Simply awesome.

Mamiffer is Faith Coloccia, a Seattle-based pianist, and Aaron Turner from Isis, Jodis, Lotus Eaters, as well as a collective of other song-weavers and visionaries.

Playlist:

1. As Freedom Rings
2. We Speak in the Dark
3. Blanket Made of Ash
4. Eating Our Bodies
5. Iron Water

Link.
Buy it.

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DeVotchKa, 100 Lovers

US, 2011.

DeVotchKa is a four-piece multi-instrumental and vocal ensemble that fuses Romani, Greek, Slavic, Bolero, Mariachi music with American punk and folk roots. This is their latest release. Playlist:

1. The Alley
2. All the Sand in all the Sea
3. One Hundred other Lovers
4. The Common Good
5. Interlude 1
6. The Man From San Sebastian
7. Exhaustible
8. Interlude 2
9. Bad Luck Heels
10. Ruthless
11. Contrabanda
12. Sunshine

Link.

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Grails, Deep Politics

US, 2011.

According to a press release, "The eight-song set was conceived during the band's longest-ever gestation period between albums, a fact immediately reflected in the increased compositional depth, intensified use of fetishistic cut-and-paste production techniques (akin to those employed by RZA and MF Doom), and the striking inclusion of lush string arrangements (courtesy of acclaimed composer Timba Harris)."

The resulting sound is described as containing "the indelible stamp of '70s Italian film scores and obscure occult/fringe library music, cultivating an immersive environment that inspires both an eternal sense of longing and an impending sense of dread."

Playlist:

1. Future Primitive
2. All The Colors Of The Dark
3. Corridors Of Power
4. Deep Politics
5. Daughters Of Bilitis
6. Almost Grew My Hair
7. I Led Three Lives
8. Deep Snow



Link.

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Long Distance Calling, Self-titled

Germany, 2011.

“We are just a tiny part of the ever growing universe. It's the important third album, so we decided to call the album Long Distance Calling as a statement.”

Playlist:

1. Into The Black Wide Open
2. The Figrin D'an Boogie
3. Invisible Giants
4. Timebends
5. Arecibo (Long Distance Calling)
6. Middleville
7. Beyond The Void

Link.

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Vanessa Van Basten, Closer To The Small/Dark/Door

Italy, 2010.

"Vanessa Van Basten is a duo from Genoa, Italy with many guests and contributors from the alternative and extreme Italian underground. They make slow, heavy, metaphysic instrumental music. Formed in 2004. Their influences are the cosmic psychedelia, industrial rock like Swans or Godflesh, Neurot & Hydrahead catalog.

The music can still be described as heavy post-rock, but Vanessa Van Basten is nowadays a lot more than just that. A strongly emotional sonic magma absorbs and metabolizes different sonic influences, from the introspective metalcore of Jesu and Neurosis to the experimental metal drones of Sunn O))), from Lycia and Slowdive melancholy-driven soundscapes to the psychedelic and spacey atmospheres of Klaus Schulze to the cinematic melodies of Morricone and Badalamenti. And there you have Vanessa Van Basten."

I can't really be bothered to describe the album or the band in my own words, but this is awesome.

Playlist:

1. Porzellangasse
2. Putana
3. L'Uomo Che Comprava Il Tempo
4. Fuck The Best, Take The Rest
5. Domio '95
6. La Selva Dell'Orba
7. Scolopendra
8. Untitled
9. L'Affetto Non Serve

Link.

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Seabear, The Ghost That Carried Us Away

Iceland, 2007.

Seabear is an experimental/folk band from Reykjavík, Iceland. Their music is subdued and mellow folk pop, with hints of piano, violin, acoustic guitar and atmospheric vocals, all carefully squeezed through a lo-fi filter.

Playlist:

1. Good Morning Scarecrow
2. Cat Piano
3. Libraries
4. Hospital Bed
5. Hands Remember
6. I Sing I Swim
7. Owl Waltz
8. Arms
9. Sailors Blue
10. Lost Watch
11. Summer Bird Diamond
12. Seashell

Link.

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Earth, Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light I

US, 2011.

"Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light I is the sixth full-length studio album by the band Earth, released on Southern Lord Records. Cello is introduced as a new instrument, along with the usual ones being used since the album Hex. Dylan Carlson describes the album as more melodic and riff oriented. The second part of the album (described as being more spontaneous than this one) will also be release in 2011."

On a side note, I love this cover.

Playlist:

1. Old Black
2. Father Midnight
3. Descent to the Zenith
4. Hell's Winter
5. Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light I

Link.

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Olivia Pedroli, The Den

Switzerland, 2010.

"This third album, at the crossroads between classical, folk and experimental music, was released on September 27th, 2010 under the musician’s real name, Olivia Pedroli. It shows the evolution of her compositions and voice towards more personal and enchanting horizons."

Classically trained Olivia Pedroli was born in Switzerland. "The Den", which was produced by Valgeir Sigurðsson, combines Olivia's enchanting voice with the most beautiful experimental folk compositions.

Playlist:

1. Bow
2. The Day
3. A Path
4. To Be You
5. Raise Erase
6. You Caught Me
7. I Play
8. Stay
9. House
10. Silent Emily

Link.

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Jesu, Christmas EP

Wales, 2010.

"Jesu's sound is heavily layered and textured, drawing from and incorporating an eclectic mix of influences, ranging from ambient music, post-metal and drone doom, to shoegazing, downtempo and industrial music. Broadrick himself has made it known that he does not consider Jesu to fall into any of these categories and that he has been intentionally writing what he considers to be coherent and structured pop songs."

Playlist:

1. Christmas
2. Christmas (Pale Sketcher Remix)
3. Christmas (FINAL Remix)

Link.

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Apparat Organ Quartet, Pólýfónía

Iceland, 2010.

"Apparat Organ Quartet is a 5 piece band: 4 organists and 1 drummer. Their music is sometimes described as “Machine Rock and Roll" but the standard definition of their sound is “Organ Quartet Music", a completely new genre."

The truth is, words cannot describe how awesome this music is. A crossover between nintendocore and Kraftwerk on acids. I strongly recommend this album.

Playlist:

1. Babbage
2. Cargo Frakt
3. Konami
4. Pólýnesía
5. Pentatróník
6. Macht Parat den Apparat
7. Síríus Alfa
8. 123 Forever
9. Söngur Geimunglingsins

Link.

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Lunatic Soul, Lunatic Soul II

Poland, 2010.

Lunatic Soul is the solo project of Mariusz Duda, vocalist and bassist of Riverside. In stark contrast to his main outfit, Lunatic Soul contains no electric guitars at all and can be best described as a mix of ambient and progressive elements - Duda himself calls the sound “oriental-alternative”.

This is the second album, released on October 25, 2010, and is a continuation of the sound established on the debut.

Playlist:

1. The In-Between Kingdom
2. Otherwhere
3. Suspended In Whiteness
4. Asoulum
5. Limbo
6. Escape from ParadIce
7. Transition
8. Gravestone Hill
9. Wanderings

Link.

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Cyann & Ben, Happy Like An Autumn Tree

France, 2005.

Cyann & Ben is a French post-rock band formed in 2001. Their sound is not a usual post-rock sound. They have a warm and mellow, almost pop-like sound and they have electronic influences too.

This album impressed me because it sounds completely different from everything else I've been listening to. It's very mellow and folkish, but can get psychedelic at times too. I really recommend it.



Playlist:

1. Circle
2. (Silences and Little Melodies for...)
3. Gone To Waste
4. Close To Discovery
5. A Moment Nowhere
6. (Tide)
7. Summer
8. Obsessing And Screaming Voice In A Shell


Link.

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...And The Earth Swarmed With Them, The Fading Voice Of The Old Era Speaks To Us, But Where Are The Ears Left To Hear It?

England, 2010.

…And The Earth Swarmed With Them is the project of Mitchell Johns & Kat Stanbridge.

They were recently joined in the studio by Ted Parsons (Jesu, Godflesh & Ex-Swans member) for their latest EP “The Fading Voice Of The Old Era Speaks To Us, But Where Are The Ears Left To Hear It?”.

Playlist:

1. Everyone Will Fade
2. As We Drove...
3. Always Looking Backwards (For Those Without Eyes)
4. The Slow Decay Had Already Begun

Link.

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Crippled Black Phoenix, I, Vigilante

England, 2010.

Where do I even begin to describe this? One would think that "The Resurrectionists" and "Night Raider" would be impossible to top, but CBP prove us wrong. "I, Vigilante" is nothing short of a masterpiece, and "Of A Lifetime" (which is a Journey cover, by the way) might just be my favourite song right now.

They don't tour much, but don't hesitate to see these guys live if you have the chance. Not only are they amazing musicians, they are also the coolest guys I've ever met.

Playlist:

1. Troublemaker
2. We Forgotten Who We Are
3. Fantastic Justice
4. Bastogne Blues
5. Of a Lifetime
6. Burning Bridges (Hidden Track)

Link.

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Valgeir Sigurðsson, Ekvílibríum

Iceland, 2007.

Valgeir Sigurðsson is an Icelandic record producer, mixer, composer, engineer and musician. Ekvílibríum is his debut album released in 2007. Notable appearances on the album include Bonnie 'Prince' Billy and Dawn McCarthy, who contribute vocals, along with Nico Muhly, who appears in half of the tracks playing different keyboard instruments. Drummer Samuli Kosminen from fellow Icelandic band múm also makes a guest appearance.

Playlist:

1. A Symetry
2. Evolution of Waters
3. Focal Point
4. Baby Architect
5. After Four
6. Winter Sleep
7. Equilibrium Is Restored
8. Before Nine
9. Kin
10. Lungs, for Merrilee

Link.

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Wildbirds & Peacedrums, Rivers

Sweden, 2010

Rivers is the latest album by this overwhelming duo, which comprises their last 2 EPs, Retina & Iris. Language is leaving me.


Playlist:

1. Bleed Like There Was No Other Flood
2. Tiny Boles In This World
3. Under Land and Over Sea
4. Fight For Me
5. Peeling Off the Layers
6. The Wave
7. The Drop
8. The Course
9. The Lake
10. The Well

Link.

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Dog Fashion Disco, Adultery

US, 2006

This is to complete my previous post - to everyone who had never heard of Dog Fashion Disco. Shame on you. Their music is a fusion of metal, hardcore, jazz and lounge. This is a concept album, telling the story of a man who starts going insane after getting involved in a story of murder and rape.

Playlist:
1. The Uninvited Guest
2. The Sacrifice of Miss Rose Covington
3. Silent Film
4. Sweet Insanity
5. Desert Grave
6. Moonlight City Drive
7. Private Eye
8. The Darkest Days
9. Dead Virgins Don't Sing
10. The Hitchhiker
11. 100 Suicides
12. Adultery
13. Mature Audiences Only

Link.

more...