Juggling between new wave minimalism and retro tastes of the 80’s and post-punk and rock sounds and structures, X-Wife, from Porto, Portugal, since 2002 delivered constantly quality electro music. “Infectious Affectional” is their fourth full-length album.
João Vieira – vocals and guitar, Fernando Sousa – bass and Rui Maia – synth and keyboards bring to the surface the same pulsing and pounding, minimalist and grungy post-punk/dark electro themes, it’s quite retro, but still not dusty, dark and electrifying music.
Read more X-Wife – Infectious Affectional (2011)
Yearly Archives: 2011
Psychobuildings – Self-titled EP (2011)
From Brooklyn, New York, Psychobuildings brings alive some twisted, but danceable beats to build up some psychedelic construction with roots back to the 80’s new wave experiments, but stepping right into the sound of the future.
After releasing two killer singles last year NYC’s Psychobuildings unveil their first 12″ record in EP format, the band is currently in the studio working on their first full length with producer Peter Wade (MNDR, Jennifer Lopez).
This 20 minutes (6 tracks) of Psychobuildings are the best opportunity to discover what they are up to. Read more Psychobuildings – Self-titled EP (2011)
Dead To A Dying World – Self Titled (2011)
Mike Yeager – vocals, Leigh Ann Jensen – upright bass, Sam Pruitt – cello and vocals, Sean Mehl – guitar, James Magruder – bass guitar and Stefan Gonzalez – drums, from Dallas, Texas, open the gates of (inner) Hell. Sit back and die – slowly. DTADY will takes you down into a gloomy world build upon black metal foundation and colored with post-rock and neo-classic/experimental elements. Doom and crust metal grindings, dark-depressive themes, abstract and contorted moments, scattered cellos and cutting guitars are merged into one dark, but breathing new universe.
This self-titled, debut double-LP from Dead To A Dying World is for those who truly appreciate the aesthetic value of deluxe packaging and heavyweight color vinyl. The album is pressed on 200-gram, translucent green wax and features heavyweight jackets, metallic-silver printed innersleeves and gatefold graphic, and is neatly enclosed in a heavy-duty slipcase. Mastered at 45rpm for superior sound quality, this is an album that was truly meant for vinyl. Read more Dead To A Dying World – Self Titled (2011)
Daniel Levin – Inner Landscape (2011)
“Inner Landscape” is a solo work by cellist Daniel Levin, released on Clean Feed Records and consist in 6 recordings – landscapes/soundscapes. Tracks 1 and 2 were recorded May 24th, 2009 at Brecht Forum, New York, NY by Robert O’Haire, while tracks 3 to 6 on July 14th, 2009 at The Chateau, Chicago, IL by Brian J. Sulpizio.
Ed Hazell in his liner notes for “Inner Landscape” wrote: Daniel Levin is “a samurai with a calligrapher’s brush in his hand instead of a sword.†And well, Daniel Levin brings six improvising pieces, lead us through moments made of light touch to brutal noise, from abstract fantasies and introspective searches to contorted and abrasive explorations.
It’s definitively not an easy-listening, but Levin delivered a sparkling and glowing experiment. Read more Daniel Levin – Inner Landscape (2011)
DJ Mitsu the Beats – Midnight Roses (2011)
Sleazy, easy and smooth, this might be the perfect background music / soundtrack for some nighttime action, or as the Juno Records PRs put it in different words “the best pulling pants and head off” (music).
DJ Mitsu The Beats is widely regarded as one of Japan’s finest mixing wizards, he’s still largely unheralded in Europe outside the nu-jazz and downtempo hip-hop scenes. Mainly instrumental, but also incorporated pieces cuts from Ceefax, Tony Hart’s Gallery and Barry White, this is a nice, soft and quite refreshing melt-down into the smooth universe of slow-dance, soft-focus jazz-funk, nu-jazz and downtempo, still very classy and subtle, “Midnight Roses” is a joyful trip – preferable for two. 😀 Read more DJ Mitsu the Beats – Midnight Roses (2011)
Juno Reactor – Inside The Reactor (2011)
“Imagination. Use it as a weapon.” Or… “No fixtures, all you need is a good vibe, oh and a passport from another planet.” Simple like that.
Formed as an art project in 1990 by Ben Watkins to collaborate with other artists and to create experimental music and non-musical soundtracks that would work with installations, art pieces, and film projects, Juno Reactor becomes a constantly changing ensemble of musicians from across the world delivering a large variety of music genres and styles from trance to industrial and from trip hop to goa and world music. Read more Juno Reactor – Inside The Reactor (2011)
Jumping Jack – Cow & whisky, EP (2009, re-issued)
Jack… Jack… Jack. 😀 AC/DC anybody? Who’s got the jack? 😀
Well, written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, recording on “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” began during the “Beggars Banquet” sessions of 1968, but it was not released on that album, although it was released as a single same year. “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” has been featured in many films, including Martin Scorsese’s “Mean Streets” (1973), in Ron Howard’s “Night Shift” and at the end of Terry Gilliam’s “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”, and on several Rolling Stones compilation albums.
On the other hand, looking at the CD cover it’s no way not to think of “Old No.7” – sure you know what I’m talking about…
These guys are not from Tennessee, but from Nantes, France. Read more Jumping Jack – Cow & whisky, EP (2009, re-issued)
The Bunny The Bear – If You Don’t Have Anything Nice To Say (2011)
I’ve got only and exclusively nice things to say (write) about this album. Erik Kogut and Amber Kogut – guitars, Matthew Tybor – The Bunny and Chris Hutka – The Bear – vocals, Derek Anthony – bass and Brian Dietz – drums are draws from many quite different genres of music including extremes such as electro-pop and death metal to deliver their own and quite unique blending of post-hardcore/metal.
It’s true, there some other bands as well tried to merge dance music with metalcore, but these guys from Buffalo, NY, managed to create a striking, fresh and catchy blending of these styles.
Read more The Bunny The Bear – If You Don’t Have Anything Nice To Say (2011)
Gevolt – AlefBase (2011)
Yiddish Metal? Yes! Taste quite like Rammstein, still it has its own perfume and aroma, Gevolt on their second full-length album delivering a powerful blending of classic and modern metal with traditional Yiddish and Russian musical textures, strong riffs and hypnotizing violins. “AlefBase” it’s available as digital release at their official site for FREE DOWNLOAD. Still, you can donate some through PayPal or can buy the physical release for only 12.90 USD (shipping included).
After the international break-through of Orphaned Land, the Israeli heavy metal scene delivered another exciting progressive metal act.
Read more Gevolt – AlefBase (2011)
311 – Universal Pulse (2011)
Being around for 23 years; released ten studio albums, one live album, four compilation albums, four EPs and four DVDs; achieved triple platinum with their 1995 self-titled album, which reached #12 on the Billboard 200 and achieved platinum with one more album and gold with other two; and finally, but not at least, selling over 8 million records worldwide, 311 seems to be a quite successful recipe. Generally labeled as an alternative rock band, they are also classified as rap rock, rap metal, funk rock, funk metal, ska punk, pop punk, reggae and even jazz fusion. Their ten, and up to date shortest album – only 8 tracks -, “Universal Pulse”, will not clarify further their style and genre, it’s another colourful album, while some might even say, this is the same 311 album they’ve already heard it nine times before.
This is a summer album. Read more 311 – Universal Pulse (2011)
