This is the debut album by Parisian M. Fallan. His music reminds me of Sigur Rós, but also some veterans as Tuxedomoon. Taking off from gentle acoustic up to noise explosions right in your face, M. Fallen delivering a tumultuous, contorted trip, still subtle and beautifully layered.
It’s the kind of music which hypnotize you slowly, tie you down and eventually never release you again.
10 tracks, a joyful and gentle, but simultaneously dark and sometimes furiously raging search for answers, feelings, for light, for escape and not at least for ourselves. If you like pianos and screaming guitars, minimalist arrangement, acoustic moments, but also noisy eruptions and contorted grooves, M. Fallan will deliver all his feelings and thoughts merged into this collection of colorful songs and definitively will charm you. This is quite…. contagious. Read more M. Fallan – Contagious (2011)
acoustic
The Walla Recovery – With Trembling (2012), EP, free download
The cello-folk quartet The Walla Recovery delivering through NoiseTrade this 7 track EP for free download. Start they musical journey back in 2001, The Walla Recovery mentioning as influences bands like Yo-Yo Ma, Nickel Creek, Goo Goo Dolls, but reminded me of a more melancholic Smashing Pumpkins or The Cure as well. I like how the cello gives a dark shine for this songs, everything is smoothly arranged and gently performed. Labeled eventually “Chamber-Folk-Rock”, this is a very tasty experience. Warm and very humanly close.
So, listen and grab the download, consider leaving a tip if you’d like what you hear and want them to make more music. Read more The Walla Recovery – With Trembling (2012), EP, free download
Matt Stevens – Relic (2011)
I admit, I didn’t listen to Matt Stevens previous works and quite honestly, I’m kind of “scared” of instrumental rock music because generally speaking it’s quite predictable and boring. Obviously this is not a “politically (or ethically) correct” supposition, but still, don’t matter how sad it is, it’s still true. Well, Matt seems to be very determined to prove me otherwise and listen to “Relic”, his third and latest solo release, I had the surprise to discover that we think and feel in very similar ways about music even if we came from and we’re chosen to go down on different paths. And there’s another fact too: I hate guitar solos as well, because – again, generally speaking – they are nothing, but tasteless fill-ups and egocentric showing-ups. Last, but not at least, I defies genres. There’s nothing stupider than imprisoning yourself in some particular box. And Matt Stevens defies genres as well, his music is colorful, borderless and ageless, breathing and very alive, spacy and intense, subtle and powerful. The bottom line is that Matt delivering music and not only some “musical product” or some “background noise for a few moments of our life”. Matt plays straight from his heart to our soul. Matt’s play seems effortless and joyful, playful and still profound, very expressive. Much more, you can download even for free – “name your price” – “Relic” from Matt’s Bandcamp page, Read more Matt Stevens – Relic (2011)
Pat Metheny – What’s It All About (2011)
This is a beautiful, quite acoustic album. As it’s written on Metheny’s official web site: “The new acoustic solo guitar album from Pat Metheny called “What’s It All About” features classic tunes from songwriters like Paul Simon, Lennon & McCartney, Burt Bacharach, and Henry Mancini. Pat describes it like this: “I wanted to record some of the music that was on my radar before I ever wrote a note of my own, or in a few cases, even before I played an instrument. Every one of these tunes has something going on that is just hip on a musical level, no matter how you cut it. They have all stuck with me over the years.” While Matheny played with John Scofield, Charlie Haden, Jim Hall, Ornette Coleman, Brad Mehldau, Jaco Pastorius and Bob Moses, Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins, Dave Holland and Roy Haynes, Joni Mitchell, Jack DeJohnette, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Bill Stewart, Kenny Garrett,and his older brother, Mike Metheny, a talented jazz musician and a trumpet player, among many others, it’s almost strange that “What’s It All About” actually it’s his sixth solo album while his first, “New Chautauqua” was released by ECM back in 1979. Read more Pat Metheny – What’s It All About (2011)
Devin Townsend Project – Ghost (2011)
Devin is probably one of the most talented rock artist of the 21st century, he always find a way to surprise us, to explore a new path, to create and share exciting music and feelings with us. And I think we should thank for this. “Ghost” is the closing act of the four piece release started with “Ki†in 2009 and followed the same year by “Addictedâ€. “Ki†was an exciting incursion into a world of ambiental, jazz, blues and rock blending and “Addicted†lead us into the area of power pop/alternative metal. This year “Deconstruction†and its nine tracks drive us into the contorted, gloomy world of post-metal madness, it was a mind-blowing return to the noisy constructions of the Strapping Young Lad era. As Devin promised, “Ghost” is the mellowest one. And “mellow” is the word that quite fits this material. Read more Devin Townsend Project – Ghost (2011)
