This is the second EP made by Nick Steinborn from Lansdale, Pennsylvania, and you can get both of them from his Bandcamp page. Just as he says, he “decided to write an album for the ..RPM Challenge”. Well, this is an interesting trip into the instrumental/experimental, math rock/post rock area of the music and Nick actually done a pretty good job, he wrote and recorded a couple of interesting themes and maybe the time is right to step forward and transform this solo project into a real band. As I said, these songs are a solid starting point to take off, the four new tracks sounds clean, congealed, gloomy ambiental layers and textures are overlapping some good guitar riffs, dark and heavy passages or subtle, smooth melodies. Dark, but sparking, this is a nice, refreshing trip. Read more Schedule Of No Plan – Oh, These Indistinct Years of You (2011)
Reviews
Dolls Of Pain – The Last Conflict (2011)
This is the 4th album by French band Dolls Of Pain which lead us through the shady side of the contorted human soul once again. This is a wicked world made of leather and latex, conflicts and torture, sex, lies and jealousy. Musically, Dolls of Pain is a mixture of Dark Electro/EBM, resonating New Wave left-overs and reminiscences of Synth Pop and filtered Industrial textures with some rocking guitar riffs. There persist some unavoidable parallels with Front 242, the Belgian pioneers of the Dark Electronic music, but Cédric aka VDB42 – synthetic keys/2nd vocals and Olivier aka Machine – guitars/keyboards programming/composing, the two core members of the group, managed to write some interesting themes, “The Last Conflict” is a quality and absolutely correct album of the genre. Read more Dolls Of Pain – The Last Conflict (2011)
Atari Teenage Riot – Is This Hyperreal (2011)
ATR’s early releases – which included songs like “Hetzjagd Auf Nazis!”/“Hunt Down the Nazis!” – were surrounded by controversy in Germany. Highly political, they fused anarchist and anti-Nazi views with punk vocals and the emerging techno sound which was ravishing new back than at the beginning of the 90s. The three Berliners – Alec Empire, Hanin Elias and MC Carl Crack taken their name from a Portuguese Joe song Teenage Riot from the Teen-age Riot album with the word Atari added, as an Atari ST computer was used to create compositions.
They signing to Phonogram Records, a major European label, in 1993 the band received an unusually large financial advance which they duplicitously used to set up their own record label: Digital Hardcore Recordings (DHR) and in the best tradidion of any anarchist and punk band, they never delivered a commercially viable demo to Phonogram. Read more Atari Teenage Riot – Is This Hyperreal (2011)
16Volt – Beating Dead Horses (2011)
I stumbled into a handful of incredible industrial bands at the beginning of the 90s thanks to Cleopatra Records and two of their compilations, collections of cover songs, I guess it was an AC/DC tribute and another one with The Cure songs. Later I had listen also some nice Smashing Pumpkins, Siouxsie and the Banshees, New Order, The Sisters of Mercy, Pink Floyd, Guns N’ Roses, Dead Can Dance and Skinny Puppy tribute/cover albums. Well, through that records I discovered bands such 16Volt, Razed in Black, Spahn Ranch, Sheep on Drugs, Electric Hellfire Club and so on.
16Volt reminded me of Ministry and it’s the project created by Eric Powell and Mike Peoples in 1988 and “Beating Dead Horses” is the eight studio album of the band. There is still few reminiscences of the Ministry sound like EBM/industrial sound, but 16Volt developed their own sound and unique approach. “Beating Dead Horses” is actually an absolutely beautiful album. Read more 16Volt – Beating Dead Horses (2011)
The Cars – Move Like This (2011)
Some things are never change and it give us a kind of feeling of security. The seventh album by The Cars comes after a “break” of 24 years, but “Move Like This” sounds exactly the same as “Door to Door” or any other previous release of the band, I wonder if they kept all the equipment locked-up in a basement since? The voice of Ric Ocasek (age 62!) sounds fresh and clean as it was two and half decades ago, it’s quite incredible. And Mr. Ocasek it’s also a successful producer, he worked with artist such as Weezer, Bad Brains, Bad Religion, Nada Surf, No Doubt, Guided by Voices, Bran Van 3000, and Suicide, also he released eight solo albums meanwhile. Guitarist Elliot Easton released only one solo album back in ’85, but he joined Creedence Clearwater Revisited, the modern touring version of Creedence Clearwater Revival and also played with Ocasek and he was a member of The New Cars, along with original Cars keyboardist Greg Hawkes, singer/songwriter Todd Rundgren, former Utopia bassist/vocalist Kasim Sulton, and Tubes drummer Prairie Prince. Keyboardist Greg Hawkes signature sounds include the Prophet-5 “touch sync” sound heard on “Let’s Go” and “Hello Again” as well as arpeggiated and syncopated synth lines such as on “Shake it Up” and “Heartbeat City”, he pushed the limits of available technology and sequencing helping to forge the sound of the 1980s and since 2001 Hawkes has been playing and experimenting with the ukulele. Drummer David Robinson has performed with many rock bands including The Modern Lovers and DMZ. The only missing member is bass guitarist Benjamin Orr who unfortunately died in 2000, he sang several of their best known tracks, including “Just What I Needed”, “Let’s Go”, and the major success “Drive”. Read more The Cars – Move Like This (2011)
Friendly Fires – Pala (2011)
It was a time – not so long ago – when “punk” meant anarchy, molotovs, iron stakes, chains, well, it’s not necessarily about violence, but about attitude, revolt. Associations like “dance” and “punk” would be labeled abnormal or at least unacceptable. Times change. “Soap bubble” punk it’s absolutely natural now days. Everything is for sell is the spirit, isn’t it? Consumerism high standards. Sid Vicious was a punk who died in vain. At least I have a better perspective why Cobain put a nice hole in his head. Now the things make other sense.
When The Guardian and NME kissing your ass like crazies, things are pretty clear. But to hell with all my goddamn prejudices, “Pala” it’s a nice, pulsing, quite danceable collection of songs. It has nothing to do with punk, and well, in my deeply unprofessional opinion, not even with other acts labeled “dance punk”, but still, this is a better dance product than many others. Read more Friendly Fires – Pala (2011)
Parachute Pulse – Kingdom (2011)
Something smooth and free to download. Check out the Asiluum Arts site and download “Kingdom”, the debut solo effort of Ana Roman from Bucharest. This is like a dream without sleeping, a soundtrack with ever changing movie, the film that you imagine there. Ana has been an active part of the Asiluum creative group, she worked previously with artist such Discordless and Nightpray, but this release meant to bring her out from the shadow and put her in the spotlight. 11 tracks, one collaboration with Res Es (Åžerban Ilicevici of Semiosis) and another remix by Liar. Field recordings, mysterious and shady noises, some haunting vocal arrangements and shattered harmonies, flowing ambiental layers and broken clock rhythms makes this trip colored and chill. Sometimes strange and slippery, other moments warm, relaxing and friendly, ambiental, trippy and cinematic, this is a nice and smooth journey. Read more Parachute Pulse – Kingdom (2011)
Eddie Vedder – Ukulele Songs (2011)
Fans of Pearl Jam/Eddie Vedder probably salivating in anticipation of Vedder’s second solo album. I admit, I lost my appetite for Pearl Jam and Mr. Vedder gradually, last time I found something valuable to notice on “Vitalogy” and well, it was long-long time ago, back in 1994. On the other hand, “Into the Wild” released in 2007 it wasn’t that bad, but still, “Backspacer” erased definitively any expectations from this guys forever. There will be no more “Ten”, and nothing like Temple of the Dog for example. Featuring a number of original and cover songs that Vedder penned and first played live, but never released on record, “Ukulele Songs” includes a uke version of Pearl Jam’s 2002 track “Can’t Keep”, guest appearance by vocalists Glen Hansard on the Everly Brothers cover “Sleepless Nights” and Cat Power on “Tonight You Belong To Me.” Actually, I think when Mr. Vedder take a look in the mirror he probably see Neil Yong. It’s cool, what can I say, but well, untrue. Read more Eddie Vedder – Ukulele Songs (2011)
Devin Townsend Project – Deconstruction (2011)
I was fascinated by the talent of Devin back in 1993 when he appeared as the vocalist on Vai’s “Sex & Religion” – so far one of the best albums of this Zappa discovered eccentric guitar-hero. But Devin (born May 5, 1972 – Happy Birthday!!!) picked up the banjo when he was five and began playing guitar when he was 12, started his own extreme metal band called Strapping Young Lad, played with The Wildhearts, also in a project called IR8 where Jason Newsted (ex-Metallica) featured on vocals and bass, Devin on guitar and Tom Hunting of Exodus on drums, made many appearances as guest on different albums – Punky Broaster, Front Line Assembly, James Murphy, Stuck Mojo, Unit:187, Zimmers Hole, Skinny Puppy, Paradise Lost, Soilwork, Lamb of God, Gwar, etc, – and released several solo albums beside he’s one of the very appreciated producers now days. We may say, Devin is extremely creative and busy. Read more Devin Townsend Project – Deconstruction (2011)
Polkadot Cadaver – Sex Offender (2011)
This may be one of the best albums of 2011 already and I became fan instantly and unconditionally. If this Spanish/Portuguese sound like “Polkadot Cadaver” don’t sound familiar, Dog Fashion Disco should ring the bell. Actually, “Sex Offender” is their second album, their debut album, Purgatory Dance Party, was released in November, 2007. When Baltimore based Alt-Metal act Dog Fashion Disco came to an end in 2007, it wasn’t the end of front man Todd Smith, guitarist Jasan Stepp Guitar and drummer John Ensminger musical output, they just get sick of living the vagabond lifestyle that a touring metal band requires, so they decided to start a (more) studio band. And Polkadot Cadaver seems to be the perfect form to unleash their schizophrenic musical madness. “Sex Offender” is extremely colorful and intense, full of great songs. Read more Polkadot Cadaver – Sex Offender (2011)
