The Music Fellowship
The Music Fellowship begins their Tryyptych Series—EPs with three 20+minute tracks ("tryyps") by three separate but similar artists—with New Found Land, in what promises to be a very compelling set for those who love ambient instrumental guitar rock. Landing are well known for creating emotion-stirring, spine-shiveringsounds, while Yellow6 and Rothko, projects by solitary men Jon Attwoodand Mark Beazley respectively, get respect not just for their etherealpassages, but also for accomplishing their singular visions alone.Together, the music of these bands makes for a calming, gentle ride,with the exception of a few punches of noise along the way. Althoughall three artists have over 20 minutes of music a piece, they dividetheir large compositions into sections. The expansive sound ofAttwood's Yellow6 seems very exploratory in nature, with most soundscomposed and altered in a digital studio. Each movement has an ambientbacking track, digital percussion, and sly flourishes over the top,from guitar to keyboard lines. Yellow6 is very structured this timearound, too, which makes the music all the more affecting, withemotions running high and the whole gamut. Rothko, by contrast, seemsmuch more interested in off-the-wall sounds and sources, from the musicbox and field recording on the first "Halftone and Metatone" to thedrone and plucked bass of several of the others. It interested me thatthe three artists took little or no effort in making their music blendor run together, either, which was especially surprising for Rothko,where all of Beazley's tracks bear the same name, with only a numberdistinction at the end. This is no slight, however, as each track doesstand very well on its own, it just would have made more sense for 20minutes of music to bear a common theme and intertwine. Landing, whosemusic here is fine an example of how far improvisation can carry whenall members are on the same page and in the same zone. Landing's songsseem more like songs than they have put forth in the past. Some fadein, the vocals begin, and when they've seem to run their course, thesong fades out again. It's the musical akin to a Christopher Guestmovie: miles and miles of tape captured, but in the end it's all editeddown to the finer moments. It's not what I expected from Landing, butquite a pleasant surprise, as each song increases in beauty as the CDplays on. This EP is a great start to the series, and hopefully therest will continue in the same vein.
The Music Fellowship begins their Tryyptych Series—EPs with three 20+minute tracks ("tryyps") by three separate but similar artists—with New Found Land, in what promises to be a very compelling set for those who love ambient instrumental guitar rock. Landing are well known for creating emotion-stirring, spine-shiveringsounds, while Yellow6 and Rothko, projects by solitary men Jon Attwoodand Mark Beazley respectively, get respect not just for their etherealpassages, but also for accomplishing their singular visions alone.Together, the music of these bands makes for a calming, gentle ride,with the exception of a few punches of noise along the way. Althoughall three artists have over 20 minutes of music a piece, they dividetheir large compositions into sections. The expansive sound ofAttwood's Yellow6 seems very exploratory in nature, with most soundscomposed and altered in a digital studio. Each movement has an ambientbacking track, digital percussion, and sly flourishes over the top,from guitar to keyboard lines. Yellow6 is very structured this timearound, too, which makes the music all the more affecting, withemotions running high and the whole gamut. Rothko, by contrast, seemsmuch more interested in off-the-wall sounds and sources, from the musicbox and field recording on the first "Halftone and Metatone" to thedrone and plucked bass of several of the others. It interested me thatthe three artists took little or no effort in making their music blendor run together, either, which was especially surprising for Rothko,where all of Beazley's tracks bear the same name, with only a numberdistinction at the end. This is no slight, however, as each track doesstand very well on its own, it just would have made more sense for 20minutes of music to bear a common theme and intertwine. Landing, whosemusic here is fine an example of how far improvisation can carry whenall members are on the same page and in the same zone. Landing's songsseem more like songs than they have put forth in the past. Some fadein, the vocals begin, and when they've seem to run their course, thesong fades out again. It's the musical akin to a Christopher Guestmovie: miles and miles of tape captured, but in the end it's all editeddown to the finer moments. It's not what I expected from Landing, butquite a pleasant surprise, as each song increases in beauty as the CDplays on. This EP is a great start to the series, and hopefully therest will continue in the same vein.- Yellow6 - Centraal
- Rothko - Halftones and Metatones - 3
- Landing - Through the Twilight
Having been quite active on the European music scene over the last fewyears, receiving some notable praises that include a Grammy nominationin their homeland, Norwegian music collective Jaga Jazzist appear to begaining deserved recognition across the Atlantic for their uniquecombination of jazzy instrumental and electronic based music. Recentlyreleased in North America, the Animal Chin EP is comprised of three tracks from their debut release A Livingroom Hush, two remixes of tunes from said release and a sneak preview track from the soon-to-be-released full length disc The Stix.The rhythmically busy "Animal Chin" provides a whirlwind backing ofinterlacing guitar, keyboard and xylophone as a nice contrast for asmall woodwind section of saxophones and bass clarinet to play out amelody that moves gracefully with each progression. From the upcomingrelease, the more electronic-styled "Toxic Dart" snaps along to ablender mix of live and electronic percussion, bass and multiplekeyboard tweakings that gradually become less abstract with theaddition of woodwinds and some great surf guitar lines that jut out ofthe mix now and again. Drummer Martin Horntveth remixes "Lithuania"from its original relaxed standing of Rhodes piano, twangy guitar anddramatic woodwinds into a cut and paste version of its former self thatat times comes off as a frenetic videogame soundtrack. Yet anotherbonus not available on either of the full length releases, the 70ssoundtrack-inspired "Tristar" highlights some great arrangements forwah-wah guitar, harmonica and trombone. The Animal Chin EP is agreat introduction to the band's musical direction and remix workings,and at the same time gives some insight of what more to expect shortly. 
Dub Tractor is the solo artist alias for Danish musician/ electronic-based artist Anders Remmer (Future 3) under which he blends laid back, machine-generated grooves that carry a smidgen of glitch, various synth patches, the odd vocal track, bass guitar and other low-end frequencies for results which are very pleasing to the ear. For his latest full-length release, Remmer offers up nine individual tracks, all of which tend to convey an overall relaxing and subtly melodic panorama of sound to varying degrees.
At 19, Haley Bonar has already released two CDs on her own and gained asmall bit of credibility for her songwriting at such a tender age. The Size of Planets,her first release on Chairkickers', gives all the impression that Haleyis wise beyond her years, and her music speaks to this without soundingforced. The songs are simply arranged, with no flashy production orpretentious flourishes. Bonar is a talented multi-instrumentalist, aswell, playing guitar and piano, so most songs are just her. A littledrums, bass, cello, or slide guitar from guest musicians here and thereadd flavor and urgency where it's needed, but for the most part sheneeds no assistance. Recorded in the Sacred Heart Church, where Low andothers have recorded recently, the record also has a very full soundwith very distinct acoustics. The expansive sound serves her songswell, conveying the emptiness she sings of with an appropriate, thoughnot overwhelming, hand. She sings better of drinking on the album thanthe vets in the local VFW, better of cowboys than a hundred country orPaula Cole songs, better of car wrecks than J. Frank Wilson or PearlJam could ever muster. Tying it all together is her vocals, with aclear and untainted and unharmed beauty, though still conveying thedamage done. There's not a bad moment on the record, and though sherevisits some of the same subject matter it never gets old. Haley Bonarhas a great deal of faith, it seems, and because of that, I have agreat deal of faith she'll go far. It is the truest music that reachesthe masses, and with her songs Bonar is set to woo the world. 
Apparently, Jon DeRosa has a great sense of humor, as the New Good Timeshides the true nature of his debut full-length with a promise oflighter fare. Not that it's a bad thing that the album contains manysomber moments, as well, but Pale Horse and Rider do not intend to showyou a good time. DeRosa is better known to most as electronic artistAarktica, as PHaR first showed up on last year's Alcohol EPs.Already, though, he shows that his new name shows a lot of promise inits style and delivery. Pale Horse is mostly DeRosa alone, but hebrought along some heavy-hitters to join him in the proceedings, fromAlan Sparhawk's recording and guitar duties to Nathan Amundson onbacking vocals. Jessica Bailiff even handled the photography. Anyamount of guests wouldn't help matters if the songs were substandard,so it's fortunate that DeRosa is as talented in this realm as he is inthe electronic department. Good Times is a fine continuation ofthe PHaR sound, and the songs mostly cry out for some kind ofresolution to the strife regular people suffer through. Acoustic guitarand vocals make up the main palette, and it's really easy to screw thatup, but DeRosa never does. Anyone who can record something as hauntingand beautiful as "I Told Jesus Christ How Much I Love Her" deserves anyacclaim he's given, as it broke my heart the first time I heard it."Will We Be Blessed Someday" is a lighter number, and on "SundayMatinee" DeRosa tries on the piano to great success; so there isvariation of sound and subject matter, as well. The record is a bitshort, but only because I craved for more at its end. DeRosa's voice issimple and unaffected, making everything he sings sound honest andtrue, but there is a greater voice in these songs that he channels.It's difficult to take simple stories and elevate them in this way, butwith Pale Horse and Rider it sounds so easy. That it sounds thispolished is truly an accomplishment.
After two releases on the April label, Thomas Knak (who has recordedmusic as part of the Future 3 collective as well as under his own name)brings his unique style as Opiate to Morr for this EP, and the outputbears hope for future releases. The music is classic Opiate, withglitch beats, string samples, and simple repeated melodies. Knak hasalways had great fidelity on his releases, with the ear-piercing trebleattacks and the wall-shaking bass rumbles. This release is nodifferent, as the stuttered swirl/scratch/beep beat starts on "Perdot."Keyboard swells join in after a few seconds, and as the song buildsmore pieces are added to the aural puzzle, making for a very laidbackbut head-trippy start. "Show Story" begins and ends with a wash ofnoise, with a loud creak as the closer, but in the middle is a prettymix of strings and clicks. It ultimately seems to go nowhere, though,which is a bit of a letdown. "Amstel," though, is anything but as thecenterpiece of the release. Faded keys and distorted low end startthings off, but soon a maze of click beats fill the speakers, almostcompletely obscuring the melody before the piece fades out the same wayit came in five minutes later. Loud squelches make up most of "ForBrian Alfred," but it also features sampled drums and the same keysound. "STP!" has the best beat of the bunch, which stutters and bloopswhile very simple piano plays below. "OpiTTT" finishes the EP on asemi-fun note, as it's very playful with lighthearted beeps andfrequencies and a uptempo beat. For a very limited palette, Knak showssome versatility, though he seems a bit obsessed with similar keysounds on this release. I'd love to hear him completely rip out withsomething off the wall and confuse everyone while they can't helpdancing. Until then, more of the same will have to suffice. - 
It's been over two years since we last heard from Broadcast, butthey've finally graced us with a new 6-song EP, to be followed laterthis year by their second full-length album. Pendulum,which will have to tide fans over until then, is a formidable taster ofthings to come. The overall aesthetic is similar to that of theirprevious work: moody psychedelia sweetened by Trish Keenan's airy,hypnotic vocals. What's different is an evolution of the band's use ofpercussion and synthesizers. The title track shows a definite expansionon the sometimes trippy, sometimes icy melodic themes found on theirlast album. Even on minimal tracks like "Small Song IV" and "StillFeels Like Tears," the complex, yet adeptly handled drum rustles andangular patches of synths leap out amongst the atmospheric "aaahaaaah"s. "One Hour Empire" sounds as if it were culled from thejazz-tinged score of a 1970s crime film. Pendulum is an exciting step forward for Broadcast, and is a sure sign of a promising follow-up to The Noise Made By People.
Following up Flesh Eating Ants' 2002 debut—an extraordinary double LP re-issue of Edward Ka-Spel's Tanith and the Lion Tree—are a trio of Cevin Key-related projects. Each has received the same aesthetically pleasing transition to analog: the audio direct-metal mastered to colorful 220 gram audiophile vinyl and the artwork altered and expanded to gatefold sleeves. Knowing those specs and just simply inspecting them, it's clear that it doesn't get any better than this. Each is well worth their price.
The Monday night crowd at any bar is probably an interesting bunch. On their latest album, Arab Strap gives us their rendition of that crowd as thirteen songs comprised of their gloomy, downtrodden, and defeated thoughts. Amid drunken hazes and empty hookups, the pub patrons reveal the conflicts and regrets that led them to their early week retreat.
The age of easily downloadable software and cheap replication of CDs has its downsides: music is much easier to create and distribute (leaving the task of finding something good much more difficult). It keeps getting easier for any computer-abled person to assemble a bunch of sounds, toss them together and sound like pretty much whatever they want—either an excessive group or a solo noise "artist" with an arsenal of effects. Surely musician and composer (and re-composer) Kieran Hebden understands this, which is probably why for his third full-length release as Four Tet, he has exercised a refined sense of restraint. Here, he has taken a conscious step back from the maximalistic tendencies on his last album, Pause, patiently letting the songs play out more often than cutting a tune to a short sound-byte-style radio hit.
