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.

more...

Cynic, Carbon-Based Anatomy

U.S.A., 2011

Following up on the last post (that was a prog-metal one), we have the recently released EP from Cynic.
Highlights on this one: they dropped the growly vocals, focusing on Masvidal's trembly but melodious and emotional vocals with a more reduced but pleasing pitch-shift here and there. Amazing work from the three founding members, counting on Reinert's beautiful musicality on drums, delicious timbre from Malone on the bass, and Masvidal's great guitar work, sipping on jazz and whatnot.
Apart from the minor fact that a couple of the songs are re-hashes from previous sideproject Æon Spoke, this is a delightful release.


Playlist:
1. Amidst The Coals
2. Carbon-Based Anatomy
3. Bija!
4. Box Up My Bones
5. Elves Beam Out
6. Hieroglyph

Link.

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Arch/Matheos, Sympathetic Resonance

U.S.A. 2011

IMO, an excellent release from Fates Warning founders, guitarist Jim Matheos and vocalist John Arch. Matheos' unmatched ability to balance excellent riffs with an unexuberant technicity along with Arch's great musical positioning and vocals harmonies, make this album reek of early FW releases – though with a better sonic production – and a very unsurprisingly cohesive one at that.
Expect nothing less than great tracks out of this record – fair share of repetitiveness included –, having in mind the personnel included: Matheos, Arch, Joey Vera and Bobby Jarzombek.


Playlist:
1. Neurotically Wired
2. Midnight Serenade
3. Stained Glass Sky
4. On The Fence
5. Any Given Day (Strangers Like Me)
6. Incense And Myrrh

Link.

more...

Kimbra, Vows

Australia, 2011

Amazing artist, amazing voice. Unwilling to span to the kind of clichés spreading throughout the internet about this album, I'll just say it's a very good musical effort, from a very promising young artist who's obviously not afraid to stretch out beyond boundaries. Pop music certainly, but much much more. I'd also advise to check out her music videos.
Ready to let you get under my skin.


Playlist:

1. Settle Down
2. Cameo Lover
3. Two Way Street
4. Old Flame
5. Good Intent
6. Plain Gold Ring
7. Call Me
8. Limbo
9. Wandering Limbs
10. Withdraw
11. The Build Up

Link.

more...

(end of) hiatus

First post in a long while. A reason for this is that, personally, I've been dealing with several issues that demand time – such as dissertation research and teaching –, as I imagine my fellow bloggers from SC have too. I hope I can liven up this blog as much as I can, as the opportunities to do so arrive.
Also, I won't be able to guarantee posts from my colleagues, so I apologize if my posts and tastes don't correspond exactly to the standard you've been accustomed to, from this same blog. However, the variety of genres will be maintained, as much as possible.

I also hope that the few followers which still have us in their radar understand this shift in focus.
In my following posts I'll try and be succinct – even though the frequency of posting may be sometimes scarce –, synthetic about the information or links and, as much as can be, more personal.

For now, I thank you if you're reading this and still care.
Warmth

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Digitalism, I Love You Dude

Germany, 2011

I'd unconsciously waited for this for a bit so I wasn't expecting when it came out.
Thumping and driving, this sophomore album: I was very surprised with the maturing of this electro "dance punk" duo — in terms of both sound and musicality — as I hadn't really loved Idealism except for "Anything New".
I Love You Dude is a great album, cohesive and fun to listen to. Sometimes a rare combination as it obviously tells a musical story, akin to Daft Punk's Discovery. Their concept of social critique and imagery in their music evokes gets you to feel both bright and dark moods (sometimes in the same song) and, come on...
...what basslines.


Playlist:

1. Stratosphere
2. 2 Hearts
3. Circles
4. Blitz
5. Forrest Gump
6. Reeperbahn
7. Antibiotics
8. Just Gazin'
9. Miami Showdown

Link.

more...

Cream, Disraeli Gears

U.S.A., 1967

Disraeli Gears (funny thing about the name of the album, if you don't know already, wikipedia is your friend) is a breakthrough album for a vast majority of musical elements that later came to define what rock would be from then on. One of the first albums the wah wah pedal was used on – about that, check the Cry Baby documentary also –, specifically in "Tales of Brave Ulysses", and which includes the rock classic "Sunshine Of Your Love".
A very good psychedelic listening experience, a cohesive (as much as possible) opus that has earned its place as one of the great albums in rock history.


Playlist:

1. Strange Brew
2. Sunshine of Your Love
3. World of Pain
4. Dance the Night Away
5. Blue Condition
6. Tales of Brave Ulysses
7. SWLABR
8. We're Going Wrong
9. Outside Woman Blues
10. Take It Back
11. Mother's Lament

Link.

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Riverside, Memories In My Head EP

Poland, 2011

Drifting away from their latest release, Riverside seems to target the fans who missed their earliest materials. This EP expresses their spacious nostalgic flavor along with a spiritual feel from the front-man Mariusz’s side project "Lunatic Soul".


Playlist:

1. Goodbye Sweet Innocence
2. Living In The Past
3. Forgotten Land

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.

more...

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.

more...

Vessels, Helioscope

England, 2011.

Vessels is a post-rock band from Leeds, formed in September 2005.

Playlist:

1. Monoform
2. The Trap
3. Recur
4. Later Than You Think
5. Meatman, Piano Tuner, Prostitute
6. Art/Choke
7. Heal
8. All Our Ends
9. Spun Infinite

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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