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Music for gazing upwards brought to you by Meat Beat Manifesto & scott crow, +/-, Aurora Borealis, The Veldt, Not Waving & Romance, W.A.T., The Handover, Abul Mogard & Rafael Anton Irisarri, Mulatu Astatke, Paul St. Hilaire & René Löwe, Songs: Ohia, and Shellac.

Aurora Borealis image from California by Steve.

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ISLAJA, "PALAA AURINKOON"

Sunday, 08 May 2005

Administrator

Music

While I wasn't paying attention, Finland seems to have become the newIceland. All the new underground acts worth knowing about these daysseem to hail from the sub-arctic climes of Helsinki, Tampere orJyvakyla.

PHARAOH OVERLORD, "#3"

Sunday, 08 May 2005

Administrator

Music

Though they are also from Finland, Pharaoh Overlord have scrupulouslyavoided getting lumped into the "Finnish Underground" category typifiedby Es, Kemialliset Ystavat, Avarus, etc. This is largely because theirbrand of churning, plugged-in post-Krautrock shares little in commonwith the often amateurish, willfully obscure acoustic noodling of theirgeographical contemporaries.

"Monika Force"

Sunday, 01 May 2005

Andrew Culler

Music

Monika is the label founded by Gudrun Gut, formerly of German post-punknoir quintet Malaria!, a group that enjoyed renewed interest lately,after Chicks on Speed turned their song "Kaltes Klares Wasser" into anelectroclash anthem.

"4 Women No Cry"

Sunday, 01 May 2005

Andrew Culler

Music

This is supposedly volume one of a series of CD/double-LP No New York-styledcompilations from Monika, all featuring 4 new female artists, eachallowed one-quarter of the running time, one vinyl side. I'mimmediately doubtful that the label will be able to maintain this levelof quality control over a larger series.

Gang Gang Dance, "God's Money"

Sunday, 01 May 2005

Jim Siegel

Music

This Brooklyn based quartet have hit their stride with their secondproper full length release (not counting CD-Rs and higher-profilereissues of CD-Rs). Although the side-long explorations of disjointedrhythms and free form noise of their previous releases were enjoyablein their chaos, God's Moneyis the sound of a band that has found their strengths and discovered away to present them in a more coherent fashion.

DUNGEN, "1999-2001"

Sunday, 01 May 2005

Jonathan Dean

Music

For the cross-generational group of indie psychedelic rock fans that I like to call the Terrascopers, last year's Ta Det Lungtby Swedish group Dungen was a revelation. This is not to suggest thatmany others before Dungen hadn't also explored the same generalpost-Beatles territory, but merely that no one had done it with quiteas much aplomb and effectiveness as Dungen, at least not since theglory days of Elephant 6 groups like Olivia Tremor Control.

Sybarite, "Dolorous Echo/The Mast"

Sunday, 01 May 2005

Lucas Schleicher

Music

Xian Hawkins composes some of the most elegant and addicting music, butremains somewhat lost in the tidal wave of other electronic composerscurrently active. It's a shame because, as Sybarite, he manages tocoerce soft, seductive, and contemplative songs out of his machineryand his music never gets old; it's never lost in an emphasis onproduction or artiness.

Jessica Bailiff, "Live on VPRO Radio"

Sunday, 01 May 2005

Lucas Schleicher

Music

Recorded just shortly after the release of her last, self-titled album,this 7" is a rare document of Jessica Bailiff's sound away from thestudio. Included are two songs available on her full-length recordings,a cover of "Come and Close My Eyes" by Flying Saucer Attack, and aversion of "Shadow," which was previously available only on Disc A ofthe Brain in the Wirecompilation.

Aranos, "No Religion/Spitting Revivalist Dreams of Everlasting Pain"

Sunday, 01 May 2005

Lucas Schleicher

Music

Of the three 7" records released by Brainwashed this month, Aranos' twosongs stand out as shocking and strange, even with his already strangediscography considered. "No Religion" gets straight to the point as athumping bass drum and tambourine fade in, Aranos sings, "Oh, I've gotno religion and I'm glad."

Damien Jurado, "On My Way to Absence"

Sunday, 01 May 2005

Administrator

Music

Damien Jurado dabbles thoughtfully in Americana, making the whole ofour country's midlands his playground. His songwriting has always beensharp (lauded and even appropriated by artists like Neil Halstead) andit loses none of it acuteness on these most recent twelve songs.