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

more...

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.

more...

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.

more...

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.

more...

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.

more...

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.

more...

FEN, Epoch

England, 2011.

FEN are a recently created project from Eastern England that blends black metal, post-rock and shoegaze. Their debut, "The Malediction Fields", was an amazing and absolutely overwhelming album for me. Of course expectations were high enough for "Epoch"... Overall, it's a good atmospheric album, definitely worth a listen, even though not as memorable as its predecessor.


Playlist:

1. Epoch
2. Ghosts of the Flood
3. Of Wilderness and Ruin
4. The Gibbet Elms
5. Carrier of Echoes
6. Half-Light Eternal
7. A Warning Solace
8. Ashbringer

Link.

more...

Gallowbraid, Ashen Eidolon

US, 2010.

Another steal from soundweave, but this stuff is so damn good. This EP is like a mix of Agalloch and Wolves In The Throne Room... or something along those lines. See? This is why I don't write the descriptions myself.

Playlist:

1. Ashen Eidolon
2. Autumn I
3. Oaken And Aspen
4. Autumn II

Link.

more...