Labeled apocalyptic folk, experimental music, dark ambient, neofolk, even post-industrial and musical influences include religious chants, traditional folk music, but also some progressive bands such as Yes, King Crimson, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Current 93 it’s hell of a trip musically and literally. David Michael Bunting aka David Tibet renamed “Tibet” by Genesis P-Orridge are what we usually called a weirdo. He took off from preoccupation with mysticism, mostly influenced by the works of Aleister Crowley and ended up stating that he now identifies himself as a Christian. Kind of backward trip of Crowley. 😀 Still, he kept in he’s project name the number “93”, number of great significance in Thelema, the religious philosophy founded by Crowley. (The central philosophy of Thelema is in two phrases from Liber AL: “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law” and “Love is the law, love under will.” The two primary terms in these statements are “Will” and “Love”, respectively. In the Greek language, they are Thelema (Will) and Agape (Love). Using the Greek technique of isopsephy, which applies a numerical value to letters, the letters of both of these words when added together equal 93). Read more Current 93 – HoneySuckle Aeons (2011)
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Flaming Lips and Neon Indian (2011)
“Is David Bowie Dead?” (or “dying” – it’s still unclear…) it’s a huge song. It’s so David Bowie. 6 minutes and 45 seconds of pure stardust. I can play this single track for a whole day. At least. Maybe even backward. The over 8 minutes of “Alan’s Theremin” is more Neon Indian than Flaming Lips, it sounds like a psychedelic puzzle torn off from the 70s and striped to the bones now days. It’s like a carousel, floats and waving around. “You Don’t Respond” returns with a twisted guitar riff and gloomy electronics and sounds exactly like a broken answering machine. Finally “Do You Want New Wave or Do You Want the Truth Part 2” seems like a rehearsal recording, kind of “work in progress” stuff. And that’s all, this is the long expected collaborative project of Flaming Lips with Neon Indian, this 12″ EP. Read more Flaming Lips and Neon Indian (2011)
Panic! At the Disco – Vices and Virtues (2011)
Baroque pop I guess covers pretty good what singer/multi-instrumentalist Brendon Urie and drummer Spencer Smith dose on this third studio album by Panic! at the Disco. 10 tracks, 37 minutes, nothing complicated, a little bit rock filtered through that indie approach, some electronics with discrete retro perfume, positive vibes, good grooves, danceable stuffs – I guess 😀 – and most of their themes aim to hit the charts. And the first single, “The Ballad of Mona Lisa” entered in heavy rotation across the MTV Networks and received positive reviews. Actually I prefer the heavier “Let’s Kill Tonight”, the smooth tunes of “Ready to Go (Get Me Out of My Mind)” or the real retro taste of “Sarah Smiles” and “Nearly Witches (Ever Since We Met…)”, probably Urie thought about everybody and delivered something for everyone. Read more Panic! At the Disco – Vices and Virtues (2011)
IAMX – Volatile Times (2011)
Back in 2004 Chris Corner left behind Sneaker Pimps and started this new project: IAMX. The musical direction is not quit out of Sneaker Pimps line, it’s still a gloomy, dark electronic blending with indie infusions and the lyrics are dealing with subjects such as sex, death, emotions, narcotic intoxication, decadence, religion, alienation and allusions to politics. Since the debut album “Kiss + Swallow” released in 2008, Chris didn’t waste any time and 2008 bring another two releases, “The Alternative” and “IAMIXED”. In 2009 was released “Kingdom of Welcome Addiction”, and in 2010 “DOGMATIC INFIDEL COMEDOWN OK”. So, Chris kept his self – and our – quit busy.
The new album was preceded by single “Ghosts of Utopia”, which received its first radio play on Prague’s Radio 1 on January 23 and was released on February 25 and a free download of “Fire and Whispers” was made available on March 4, as part of the count down of the album released on 18 March 2011, but the full album was leaked online on March 12. Read more IAMX – Volatile Times (2011)
VA – Homefront – Songs For The Resistance, OST (2011)
“Homefront” is the controversial first-person shooter video game developed by Kaos Studios and published by THQ. The antagonists in “Homefront” were originally intended to be Chinese, but were later replaced by North Koreans for two reasons: a possible backlash by the Chinese Ministry of Culture and the reality of economic interdependence between America and China. Homefront is set in a near future America in 2027 when a nuclear-armed Korean People’s Army invades the USA. The game is written by John Milius, who co-wrote “Apocalypse Now” and wrote/directed “Red Dawn”. In the speculative fiction, post peak oil world that features a significantly diminished United States, and a united Korea that has built a massive alliance in East Asia. The game focuses on the collapse of the United States, subsequent occupation by the Greater Korean Republic – a united Korea under the rule of North Korea – and the American Resistance that fights said occupation. The player is invited to join the American Resistance, “using guerrilla tactics, commandeering military vehicles, and utilizing advanced drone technology”. For sales of Homefront to Japan, the game has been censored by removing all references to North Korea including pictures of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.The changes are replaced by using a “A Certain Country to the North” and the “Northern Leader”. Read more VA – Homefront – Songs For The Resistance, OST (2011)
Sum 41 – Screaming Bloody Murder (2011)
With their debut effort “All Killer No Filler” released back in 2001 certified platinum in Canada, the United States and in the UK and the following three releases certified platinum in Canada, Sum 41 definitively it’s what we call a mainstream rock/punk band. Still, these Canadian guys rocks harder then 99.9% of the so-called rock and punk bands the record companies and the media trying to sell us as “real stuffs”. They blending intelligently rock, punk and hardcore elements and they have a good taste to write real songs. “Screaming Bloody Murder” is not only in its title a killer piece of work, it’s really an intense material far from the usual “bubble gum” and “soap box” pseudo-punk stuffs we get used with lately.
Deryck “Bizzy D” Whibley – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboard, Jason “Cone” McCaslin – bass guitar, backing vocals, Steve “Stevo” Jocz – drums, percussion, and Tom “Brown Tom” Thacker – lead guitar, backing vocals managed to write and put together a quality material, 14 (plus 2 bonus) tracks without any senseless filling. Read more Sum 41 – Screaming Bloody Murder (2011)
Al Di Meola – Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody (2011)
I love from time to time to listen to Dizzy Gillespie, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Stan Getz or Astrud Gilberto, but honestly, I’m not an “expert” in Latin jazz. I was just a boy when I heard “Alien Chase On Arabian Desert” and maybe “Splendido Hotel” (1980) it’s not the best moment of Al Di Meola, many people says there he goes commercial, but I still love that song and if it comes to jazz/fusion, I think it’s a standard. But I have to admit it, I didn’t follow closely Al Di Meola’s career. Following “Splendido Hotel” there was the famous “Friday Night in San Francisco” with John McLaughlin and Paco de LucÃa, but still, I kept an eye almost exclusively on Mr. McLaughlin works. But since 1974 Al Di Meola constantly working, writing, playing music and this is the 23th solo album of the 56 years old guitarist who also plays keyboards, drums, percussion, cello and sing vocals. Read more Al Di Meola – Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody (2011)
Jonathan Kreisberg – Shadowless (2011)
Jonathan Kreisberg has studied a wide range of music and performed in many eclectic situations, with a busy touring schedule and positive reviews from the press, he’s steadily becoming one of the most exciting new faces on the international Jazz scene. Jonathan played with Joe Henderson, Michael Brecker and Red Rodney. He performed 20th century works with the New World Symphony under Michael Tilson Thomas. He has performed as a sideman in the groups of Dr. Lonnie Smith, Joe Locke, Lee Konitz, Ari Hoenig, Don Friedman, Stefano DiBattista, Joel Frahm, Greg Tardy, Donald Edwards, Jane Monheit, and Yosvany Terry, as well as leading his own groups. On this new recording it features Jonathan’s touring band members: Will Vinson on Saxophone, Henry Hey on piano, Matt Penman on bass, and Mark Ferber on drums.
The release of “Shadowless†marks the rebirth of New For Now MusicUSIC, a label Kreisberg created in 2002 for the release of “Trioing”. Read more Jonathan Kreisberg – Shadowless (2011)
Letlive – Fake History (2011)
A classy, good-old fashioned hardcore record from L.A.’s Letlive. And still, Letlive looking forward, they blending perfectly the traditional hardcore approach with modern sounds and solutions. “Fake History” came out originally on Tragic Hero Records in 2010, but it is set to be re-released by Epitaph Records on April 12. We’ve got 14 (on the original release 11) very intense, high energy kicking tracks. It’s a very striking mixture of dark tone riffs, dizzy rhythms and tasty melodies. Jason Aalon Butler – vocals, Jeff Sahyoun and Nascimento – guitars Jean, Ryan Jay Johnson- bass and Anthony Rivera – drums find a path to bring together the frantic intensity of The Blood Brothers, the sonic complexity of At the Drive In, the unrestrained emotion of Glassjaw and industrial strength hardcore of Refused and the result is 100% Letlive.
Read more Letlive – Fake History (2011)
Movits! – Ut ur min skalle (2011)
Three guys from Sweden mixing up Hip Hop with Swing. Feelgood music. Just jump around and forget about all that s*it its going on lately. And Johan Jivin’ Rensfeldt – vocals, Anders Rensfeldt – multi-instrumentalist and DJ, and saxophonist Joakim Nilsson make a good job as usually any Scandinavian dose it. Formed in 2007 Movits! choose their name alludes to Fader Movitz, a character in the Epistles of Fredman by Swedish 18th-century poet and composer Carl Michael Bellman, and replaced the last character of the name z with an s in order to avoid being associated with Swedish bands playing dance style music, such as Lasse Stefanz, Svänzons or Larz-Kristerz.
Their debut album “Äppelknyckarjazz”, literally translated as Apple sweeper jazz, was released in November 2008. Read more Movits! – Ut ur min skalle (2011)
