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'The golden archipelago'

Το 'The golden archipelago' διαθέτει την παράξενη γοητεία και τη λογική ενός παραμυθιού με έντονη την αίσθηση του μυστηρίου και φόντο ένα απομονωμένο νησί και τις κοινότητες που κατοικούν εκεί. Την αφήγηση αναλαμβάνει ο χαρισματικός Jonathan Meiburg με τη μαγευτικά συναρπαστική και τη συναισθηματικά άμεση φωνή του, όπως και τις έξοχες εναλλαγές της τόσο σε τόνο όσο και σε ένταση. Η σκοτεινά δραματική και ποιητικά μελαγχολική ατμόσφαιρα ενισχύεται με γνώριμους (από τo κλασικό πλέον 'Rook'), αν και εξ' ίσου πλούσιους ήχους και τις συνθέσεις των Shearwater να θεμελιώνονται πάνω σε μελωδίες στο πιάνο, σε κρουστά (drums, βιμπράφωνο, μαρίμπα) που αιχμαλωτίζουν τη δυναμική των ζωντανών εμφανίσεων και κιθάρες που ακούγονται άλλοτε σαν απαλοί ακουστικοί κυματισμοί που αργοσβήνουν καθώς πλησιάζουν στην ακτή και άλλοτε σαν τρικυμίες. Δεν απουσιάζουν τα έγχορδα και τα πνευστά, καθώς επίσης και όλες οι λεπτομέρειες που επιβραβεύουν την κάθε νέα ακρόαση, ενώ μέσα από το βιβλίο που το συνοδεύει βιώνεις μία εναλλακτικά όμορφα οπτική.

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'Endless falls'


"'The making of grief point' is nine minutes of dramatically-charged, glitching, Biosphere-like drone, spun from downplayed neo-classical instrumentation and filtered loops, all accompanying Bejar's typically elliptical, digression-prone and fractured lyrics."

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Shutter island

Με ένα λαμπρό σενάριο βασισμένο στο μυθιστόρημα του David Lahane ("Mystic river", "Gone baby gone") το "Shutter island" αιφνιδιάζει και καθηλώνει με την εφιαλτικά δραματική πλοκή του, η οποία φωτίζει την σκοτεινή πλευρά της ανθρώπινης φύσης. Με αναφορές στα film noir διαθέτει την ένταση ενός ψυχολογικού thriller (θυμίζοντας ταινίες του Alfred Hitchcock) και το ρυθμό μιας αστυνομικής περιπέτειας, με τη φωτογραφία, τις ακραίες καιρικές συνθήκες και την υποβλητική μουσική να οξύνουν τη σύγχυση που επικρατεί, την στρεβλή αντίληψη της πραγματικότητας, τις αυταπάτες και τις παραισθήσεις, ενώ με τις αναδρομές στο παρελθόν και τις ανατροπές ενισχύεται η δράση, η αγωνία, η συγκίνηση. Οι ερμηνείες των Leonardo DiCaprio (τέταρτη συνεργασία του με τον Martin Scorsese) και Ben Kingsley μένουν αξέχαστες. ****

Max Richter - On the nature of daylight

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"Natural tune"

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"Me me me the brick house"

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"...but all I want is your eyes in the morning as we wake for a short while"


Η ρομαντικά μελαγχολική folk των Bowerbirds με τις pop αναλαμπές και επίκεντρο την ακουστική κιθάρα μέσα από το νέο τους video για το "Northern lights". Από το λατρεμένο 'Upper air'!

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"Sometimes perfect strangers make the best friends"

Animation (με την πλαστελίνη να κυριαρχεί) για τη μοναξιά, τις απογοητεύσεις, την έλλειψη αυτοπεποίθησης, την περιθωριοποίηση, την ανάγκη για αγάπη, την επιθυμία να αποτελέσεις μέρος ενός κοινωνικού συνόλου και να αναπτύξεις δεσμούς με ανθρώπους, τις απροσδόκητες εκπλήξεις που ομορφαίνουν τη ζωή, τη διαφορετικότητα (και δεκάδων ακόμα προβληματισμών που αναπτύσσονται καθ' όλη τη διάρκειά του), ... που εξερευνά αριστοτεχνικά κάθε πτυχή του εσωτερικού κόσμου των ηρώων (με τους οποίους μπορείς να ταυτιστείς) μέσα από εξομολογήσεις, γράμματα, σοκολάτες και περιστατικά. Και φυσικά, όλα αυτά παρουσιάζονται με τρυφερά μελαγχολικούς αφηγηματικούς τρόπους, με έντονα τα κωμικά στοιχεία και με φωτογραφία που επικρατούν οι σκοτεινοί τόνοι. Ο Adam Elliot γράφει και σκηνοθετεί με την καρδιά του και γι' αυτό είναι αδύνατον να μην ενθουσιαστείς με το θαυμάσιο Mary and Max! **** (τουλάχιστον)

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"I'm supposed to save you now, but my hands are freaking out..."

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"I built myself a metal bird"

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Music Alliance Pact - February 2010

Ακόμα μία μηνιαία συλλογή διανθισμένη όπως πάντα με σύντομες πληροφορίες και εύστοχα σχόλια και στόχο να απελευθερωθούν στον παγκόσμιο διαδικτυακό ουρανό μελωδικοί χαρταετοί με πολύχρωμες ηχητικές λωρίδες και να προσεγγιστούν αξιόλογα συγκροτήματα και καλλιτέχνες από τη μουσική σκηνή 35 διαφορετικών χωρών. Καλή ακρόαση!

Σημείωση: Οι επιλογές που ξεχώρισα έχουν πράσινο χρώμα, χωρίς αυτό να σημαίνει ότι οι υπόλοιπες δεν παρουσιάζουν ενδιαφέρον.

GREECE: Mouxlaloulouda
Etten - Clockwork Skies
Etten, former lead singer of the Greek band Film, weaves her tales of hope and dreams in a warm bearskin coat of pop sensibilities. Her voice offers the moods 'light and shade', while production touches colorfully paint enchanting pictures. Dark, but never needlessly so, I Know You're Behind Me But I'm Not Scared is an intoxicating, addictive debut that offers a rich, distinct world of lullabies, spacey timbres and ghostly beauty. It blends brittle, 80s-influenced electro and Knife-inspired synths with buzzing basslines, guitars and samples in a sound that's both atmospheric and richly textured.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
Eloisa Lopez - Espiral
This is one of Zonaindie's favorite tracks from 2009. It was taken from Eloisa's third album, Por Un Paisaje. Maybe we like her so much because she manages to elegantly combine acoustic textures with native South American percussions and digital sounds. Espiral is a great example of this, and yet an unbelievably catchy tune that has Leo Garcνa as a guest vocalist. What else could you ask for?

 AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
Kite Club - Royal Gums
Royal Gums is one of those tracks that grabs you straight away and drags you along for three minutes thanks to its chanting hooks and penchant for large-scale production. It opens with a beat lifted from Psychocandy and an explosion of layered vocals but then settles into a calming, meditative refrain, just letting the melody and harmonies carry the song. Kite Club (aka Nicholas Futcher) marries the laptop trickery to the tune without letting it control the song nor detract from its melodic core.

 BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
Barulhista - Indieota
When it comes to avant-garde music in Brazil, Barulhista (which means something like "noise follower") is certainly an artist to keep an eye on. His electro-acoustic sounds encompass experimental electronica and more concrete music both in his solo songs and in the soundtracks he composes. Indiota (a mix of "indie" and "idiot" in Portuguese) is as close to pop as he has ever been.

 CANADA: I(Heart)Music
Novels - No Hard Feelings
A supergroup of sorts featuring members of Born Ruffians, Tokyo Police Club and Will Currie & The Country French among others, Novels quietly released their self-titled debut EP into the world around Christmas. As No Hard Feelings (not to mention the other four tracks) demonstrates, it totally lives up to its pedigree. The album is full of catchy, 70s-inspired pop and it makes the EP well worth a (free!) download.

 CHILE: Super 45
Moreno - Pica
Moreno is the new darling of Chilean indie-rock. With a powerful and psychedelic sound, Giancarlo Landini's project - he plays every instrument on record and has a backing band for live shows - is inspired by lo-fi legends such as Lou Barlow (Sebadoh), J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr) and Robert Pollard (Guided By Voices), with a classic flavor.

 CHINA: Wooozy
Mosaic - Sunshine Train
Mosaic are one of the new generation of bands from Chengdu. They were called GT6 before they changed their name in 2008. At the end of last year they successfully completed a tour of China through 10 cities. Although they haven't released a full-length album, they are definitely worth a listen.

 COLOMBIA: Colombia Urbana
Rayo y Toby - Manitas Magicas
After trying with different partners, Rayo and Toby finally realized they themselves were the perfect combination. The duo mix good urban music with a shot of melody and their approach is both fresh and unsettling.

 DENMARK: All Scandinavian
Before The Show - Gabriel
Before The Show was originally a solo project by multi-instrumentalist Laurids Smedegaard, who often worked on his own songs just hours before he went on stage with any one of the numerous other bands he's involved in (hence the band name). Now a quintet, Before The Show are working on getting their debut released and until that happens we can all enjoy this excellent taste of what’s to come.

 ENGLAND: The Daily Growl
Jose Vanders - For Now
Jose Vanders is a piano-playing chanteuse who is less eccentric than Regina Spektor and smarter than Kate Nash, but with even more doe-eyed, curly-haired cuteness. For Now shows off her gift for melody and picture-book lyrics, albeit on a ukulele instead of her usual piano. Jose has released three exquisite EPs in each of the past three years, aged 17, 18 and 19. Surely fame beckons at 20.

 ESTONIA: Popop
Barthol Lo Mejor - Windshield Pfeiffer
Barthol Lo Mejor makes popdada music - experiments with electro rhythms and unconventional sounds including pieces of conversations, cliches, old movies and anime cartoons. His music is considered effective for recovering from hard drug addiction. Windshield Pfeiffer is part of the K8 MOSH EP, available for free download here.

FINLAND: Glue
Kiki Pau - An Old Song
After their well-receive debut Let's Rock, Kiki Pau return with a fantastic sophomore album to be released in early March. A MAP exclusive, An Old Song is the opening track of White Mountain and shows a more guitar-driven band with uplifting spirits. Those following the Nordic indie scene will hear about this band quite a lot this year because the whole album is a keeper that channels the classic sound of T.Rex, The Velvet Underground and left-field US guitar gods such as Pavement and Guide By Voices without forgetting a twist of Finnish pop.

 FRANCE: ZikNation
Satine - Iron Gόm
Drawing inspiration from northern poptronica (Under Byen, Mum, Efterklang) and electro rock bands (Radiohead, The Notwist), Satine gave birth to their first intimate yet powerful tracks in 2004. Live, the band unfolds a dreamlike visual universe with video projections and light shows that make every concert a unique experience. But it's always deep, beautiful and organic.

 GERMANY - Blogpartei
Napoli Is Not Nepal - People Call It Mantra
Napoli Is Not Nepal is the solo project of Cologne-based Hendryk Martin. What he calls 'electro nihilism', I'd call outstanding ambient electro with some eclectic moments. Although People Call It Mantra was released in mid-2009 as part of the album Boredom Is Always Counterrevolutionary, it's still quite a statement for the growing influence of music that sits between ambient and indie.

 ICELAND: I Love Icelandic Music
Mammut - Svefnsykt
Mammut were formed in 2003 by two boys and three girls, aged 14-16. David Fricke of Rolling Stone magazine called them "a really good band". They played SXSW in 2007 and toured with dEUS in Iceland and Germany. In 2008, Mammut released their second album, Karkari, through Icelandic label Record Records. Svefnsykt was its first single.

 INDIA: Indiecision
Noush Like Sploosh - 3 Act Circus
Noush Like Sploosh is one of the most promising hopefuls of India's growing, urban singer-songwriter scene. Armed with a dry wit and a musical sensibility falling somewhere between Regina Spektor and Imogen Heap, Noush Like Sploosh's music is refreshing indie-pop that's lyrical yet largely accessible. 3 Act Circus brings together myriad references, a laid-back ambient pop vibe and Ms Sploosh's positively delectable vocals.

 INDONESIA: Deathrockstar
RNRM - Zsa Zsa Zsu
RNRM are one of the finest electronic acts to have emerged from Indonesia's underground and have earned praised in several music scenes, from punk-rock to high-class dance clubs. Their latest record, Outbox, was listed as one of the best albums of the last decade by Deathrockstar.

 IRELAND: Nialler9
Autumn Owls - Raindrops In The River
Autumn Owls are a Dublin four-piece who have been honing their brand of nocturnal atmospheric rock songs since 2006. With two burgeoning and impressive EPs released and a debut album on the way, the band will travel to Austin this year to play the SXSW festival. Watch out for these guys in 2010.

 ITALY: Polaroid
Kobenhavn Store - Strangers
The main quality of Kοbenhavn Store's music is its ability to build a layered and monumental sound with an incredibly strong emotional impact. There is something vast about the band, as if they could throw their songs for miles and miles. Strangers is taken from the forthcoming release, Hi. The new album will be the first chapter of a trilogy.

 JAPAN: JPOP Lover
LITE - The Sun Sank
LITE are one of the most enthusiastic live bands in Tokyo. They are often compared to Battles and Mogwai, and combine math-rock power and precision with emotionally-charged compositions. They will be doing a U.S. west coast tour with Mike Watt & The Missingmen in March. The Sun Sank is taken from their latest EP, Turns Red.

 MEXICO: Red Bull PanameriKa
Furland - Quiero Ser Un Color
Furland are famous for having a huge grass-ball on stage, this Mexico City quartet dream of tripping to a place where strawberry fields stretch forever. On their proper debut, La Historia de la Luz, they explore the eternal message of love through light, sound... and a banjo. Quiero Ser Un Color is the first single off a 360-degree work filled with lush orchestrations, majestic vibes and acidic lyrics stuffed with cotton candy - food for thought.

 NETHERLANDS: Amsterdam Event Guide
Moon & Sun - Ashes
To escape from the harsh winter we need some music that draws pictures of summer hazy beaches, endless days and warm nights. Enter the gorgeous Moon & Sun from Amsterdam. Their whimsical, sexy sound merges with a slightly more eerie tone of the vocal melodies and harmonies between frontlady Monica Tormell and her accompanying musicians. Playing a mix of piano, drums, guitars and steel drums, Moon & Sun have definitely got the 2010 sound down with their Caribbean sensibilities.

 NEW ZEALAND: Counting The Beat
Pumice - Greenock
New Zealand's best one-man band multi-instrumentalist psych-noise outfit is Pumice, the pseudonym of Stefan Neville. One of Pumice's best albums, 2007's Pebbles, is about to get a vinyl release on Soft Abuse Records. Wheezing organ and guitar feedback combine in album centrepiece Greenock, named after the Scottish village Neville's ancestors originated from.

 NORWAY: Eardrums
Team Me - Weathervanes And Chemicals
Team Me play warm and rich orchestrated pop music in the same vein as Sufjan Stevens, Efterklang, Hjaltalin or Sigur Rσs. This used to be Marius D. Hagen's one-man band - a recording project where he could play the songs that didn't fit in his other bands. But Team Me has grown into a seven-strong orchestra and the fragile acoustic songs Hagen used to play have been transformed into a much larger and richer sound. Hagen is also a member of alternative rock band Jaqueline and half of semi-electronic pop duo SiN along with Tord Overland Knudsen of English band The Wombats. SiN will release their debut album later this year and hopefully we'll also get a release from Team Me in 2010.

 PERU: SoTB
Rafo De La Cuba - Freak Profesional
Rafo De La Cuba has left anonymity to become an idol of Web 2.0. His home demos skip from ear to ear so it was no surprise that someone so talented could not stay hidden. Influenced by The Beatles, his songs tell simply of life - intimate stories turned into melancholic, but not sad, poetry. Hopefully we won't have to wait too long to hear new material, with his debut LP due to be released soon.

 PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
Jasmin Jones - Lost In Rainbows
Jasmin Jones, whose mother is Portuguese, was born in Australia and lived in different countries during her childhood. She is a surfer and nature lover. Her debut album Beyond The Clouds will be released this year, even though she didn't find a label to represent her. Jasmin currently lives in Lisbon and besides her solo career, she is the vocalist for Triplet, a rock band.

 ROMANIA: Babylon Noise
Kumm - Pop Song
Kumm started 12 years ago as an art-rock band. Much like their influences, Sonic Youth and Spritualized, they have developed a new approach to rock by constantly experimenting with various sounds and styles. Their latest album, Far From Telescopes, is a refreshing pop experience, a new episode of their music journey - far from their roots and closer to simpler things. This is a band that has grown up by getting younger.

 SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
Werd - Breakdown
Even if you're just a casual hip hop listener, you owe it to yourself to give Werd a spin. The 22-year-old's rhymes are as cunningly creative as they are uncompromising and he executes them with such furious, stylish precision. You can (and should) download everything the Edinburgh rapper has done for free from his Bandcamp page. In the meantime, the irresistible force of sub-two-minute track Breakdown will leave you wanting more... which is the point, yes?

 SINGAPORE: I'm Waking Up To...
Stellarium - Chocolate & Strawberry
Stellarium are a shoegaze band, and that's all you need to know. Instead of updating a familiar sound, they do something even more commendable by playing shoegaze as if it never went away. The moment the fuzz bass comes in during Chocolate & Strawberry, you're caught in the band's intricate web of white noise, ghostly reverb and cryptic vocals. Overall, the whole thing sounds like a long shutter exposure speeding past bright lights. Bliss.

 SOUTH AFRICA: Musical Mover & Shaker!
Dans Republic - Afrikaans
Dans Republic is the coming together of two groups - Flash Republic, a band with the ability to set the dancefloors alight, and Foto Na Dans, who are breaking the boundaries of Afrikaans music with their own signature style. Their electro-tinged song Afrikaans showcases and merges the English and Afrikaans genre. It blends their unique styles seamlessly into something that is dreamy, indie, rock and electro all at once, yet never compromises each band’s sound.

 SOUTH KOREA: Indieful ROK
The Pony - Disturbance
Four-member indie-rock band The Pony released their first full-length album, Pony, last year. Full of well-produced tracks, it offers plenty of variety. Disturbance is a catchy, energetic song with great hooks to keep the listener coming back for more.

 SPAIN: Oscuro Magazine
Estereotypo - The Big Fake
Estereotypo are one of those pop-rock bands with which you can't remain indifferent. It's best to see them live, where their power and presence are reminiscent of bands like Franz Ferdinand, The Faint, Foals or Delorean. Based in Santander, their second album, Love Your City, is out this month and The Big Fake embodies the powerful sound of this great indie band.

 SWEDEN: Swedesplease
Staphan O'Bell - On The Rooftop
This song is great example of romantic swirling pop a la Rufus Wainwright. It's one of three songs that are available from Stockholm resident Staphan O'Bell's forthcoming album. If On The Rooftop is any indication then that album will be one to keep an eye out for.

 UNITED STATES: I Guess I'm Floating
Toro Y Moi - Thanks Vision
Toro Y Moi is the solo work of South Carolinian Chaz Bundick. Hailing from the college town of Columbia, Bundick creates distorted lo-fi pop music that warmly floats between your ears like something beautiful you'd stumble across while sifting through static radio waves.

 VENEZUELA: Barquisimento
Atkinson - Pais Tropical
Wincho Schafer, Erik Aldrey and Rafael Cadavieco are musicians from famous Venezuelan bands Desorden Publico, Zapato 3 and Amigos Invisibles who decided to join talents in this interesting project called Atkinson. They launched their first production last March and since then they've been touring the country amazing new fans with smart lyrics and clean but catchy pop-rock. Pais Tropical is a musical explanation of the socio-political particularities of Venezuela.

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"We may be remembered by what we did when we sat down"

Οι Youth pictures of Florence Henderson καλλιεργούν πολύπλοκες pop μελωδίες ονειρικών διαστάσεων, επικής διάρκειας και post rock αισθητικής, συνδυάζουν φωνητικά (άλλοτε τραγουδάνε, άλλοτε μιλάνε και φωνάζουν λέξεις) με ηχητικά samples, ενώ με το τσέλο και τις μνημειώδεις κιθάρες τους προσελκύουν εικόνες απαράμιλλης ομορφιάς θυμίζοντας το μεγαλείο των Explosions in the sky, αλλά και τους Jeniferever. Με τη δεύτερη δισκογραφική τους κυκλοφορία (πέντε χρόνια μετά το 'Unnoticable in a tiny town, invisible in the city') συνεχίζουν να εντυπωσιάζουν! Η διάθεση για ακρόαση του 'Youth pictures of Florence Henderson' δύσκολα θα εξασθενίσει.

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Magic chairs

Κάθε ξενάγηση στο φαντασμαγορικά υπέροχο και εκτυφλωτικά λαμπρό, δισκογραφικό κόσμο των (λατρεμένων) Efterklang επιφυλάσσει ποικίλες, αναπάντεχες, ηχητικές εκρήξεις συναισθημάτων και αποπνέει εκθαμβωτικές, κινηματογραφικά ποιητικές εικόνες.
Στο 'Tripper' ξεδίπλωναν τον έντονα δραματικό ήχο τους και έδιναν έμφαση στη χρήση εμπνευσμένων ηλεκτρονικών και beats, ενώ στο 'Parades' κατέφευγαν σε περίπλοκα πλουσιότερες και μεγαλοπρεπέστατες δομές με δεδομένο ότι ενισχύονταν από πολύχρωμο πλήθος μουσικών οργάνων και χορωδιακών φωνητικών. Το 'Magic chairs' αποτελεί ένα ακόμα τολμηρά πειραματικό βήμα με στόχο τη διερεύνηση και τη διευρύνση σε ρυθμούς και τόνους. Η νέα προσέγγιση συλλαμβάνει με αποδομημένα μελωδικό τρόπο και οικονομία στις ενορχηστρώσεις την pop αισθητική, ενώ το νήμα με το οποίο ξετυλίγονται και συνδέονται τα τραγούδια, αλλά και το εικαστικό περιέχομενο, το οποίο πιστώνεται και πάλι στους Hvass&Hannibal παραμένει ακαταμάχητα μαγικό. Με κομψότητα και δεξιοτεχνία εμφυσούν σταδιακά σε απλές συνθέσεις που κυριαρχούν τα drums και το πιάνο και πρωταγωνιστεί (για πρώτη φορά σε τέτοιο βαθμό) η φωνή του Casper Clausen χάλκινα, έγχορδα, αλλά και τη δυναμική των ζωντανών τους εμφανίσεων. Η παρουσία του πολυτάλαντου Peter Broderick, ο οποίος παράλληλα με τις προσωπικές του κυκλοφορίες, συνεργάζεται και περιοδεύει με το συγκρότημα τα τελευταία τέσσερα χρόνια είναι καταλυτική, προσδίδοντας με το βιολί του επιπλέον συναισθηματικό βάθος στην ατμόσφαιρα.
Ένας θρίαμβος που ενδυναμώνεται με τις ακροάσεις.

Efterklang - Modern drift (from 'Magic chairs')
Efterklang - Cutting ice to snow (from 'Performing Parades')
Efterklang - Caravan (from 'Parades')
Efterklang - Falling horses (from 'Under giant trees')
Efterklang - Chapter 6 (from 'Tripper')


Στις 9 Μαΐου στο Rodeo Live Club θα έχουμε τη χαρά να απολαύσουμε τους Efterklang, ένα από τα σπουδαιότερα συγκροτήματα της τελευταίας δεκαετίας για δεύτερη φορά.

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Nothing to wish for (nothing to lose)

Τρία χρόνια μετά το υπέρμετρα σαγηνευτικό 'Daylight storms', το 'Nothing to wish for (nothing to lose)', το οποίο θα κυκλοφορήσει την 1η Μαρτίου σηματοδοτεί την επιστροφή των κιθαριστικών μελωδιών, των φωνητικών του Μatt Βartram που ο άνεμος της μίξης μοιάζει να παρασέρνει μακριά, της shoegaze αισθητικής και των υπνωτικά ονειρικών αποχρώσεων των Air formation. Μέχρι τότε απολαύστε το νέο τους single, "Low December sun".

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Written in reverse

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"One was a lie"

"Somewhere in the two thousand-mile-journey between the capital of Saskatchewan and downtown Montreal exists a new body of music. It's where the two musical minds of longtime friends (and The Besnard Lakes co-founders) Jace Lasek and Michael Gardiner met to explore and draw the new borders that make up the 45 atmospheric minutes of their debut album, 'The Soft Province'."

"Drawing on Mike and Jace's love of the pop song and long repetitive drones, the album spans the distance between the concise pop song structure of Francoise Hardy and the psychedelic organ drones of Broadcast."

The Soft Province - One was a lie

Τα πρώτα δείγματα ενισχύουν την πεποίθησή μας ότι θα συνιστά ακόμα μία αριστουργηματική κυκλοφορία (μετά το 'The Besnard Lakes are the roaring night') στην οποία θα συμμετέχει ο Jace Lasek.

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Paul's tomb: A triumph

Επιτέλους! Προετοιμαστείτε για ακόμα ένα αριστούργημα από τους Frog eyes

"Three years in the making, 'Paul’s tomb: A triumph' marks Frog eyes’ thunderous, frantic, fiery return. This is a slow-brewed masterpiece that is unmistakably Frog eyes, a new album that was very much worth the wait. It's wrapped in a gauze of fuzz, but a fuzz that's neither yesteryear nor painfully now. It is neither overly modern nor awkwardly vintage, and it contains a depth and bombast that's not only absent in Frog eyes' previous work, it's absent from most contemporary music.

'Paul’s Tomb: A triumph' was recorded almost entirely live to tape, with the guitars stabbing and shimmering, and Mercer coming on strong, like a crazed, guttural Van Morrison, playing with cadence and syllables at every turn. It's heavy, raw, literate, otherworldy and in the end, utterly compelling. The more you give of yourself to it, the more you get lost in its gnarled world."

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"I fell in the silence overwhelmed by these days"

Τέσσερα χρόνια μετά την επιτυχία του 'The trials of Van Occupanther' oι Midlake αναζητούν νέες ηχητικές διεξόδους και έμπνευση στους πίνακες της Αναγέννησης και στις σκιές του Μεσαίωνα. Στο 'The courage of others' που χαρακτηρίζει η συνθετική απλότητα, βυθίζονται σε folk ρυθμούς (κοντά στο ύφος των Espers) με τις ακουστικές κιθάρες να δαμάζουν τις μελωδίες (με τον ηλεκτρισμό να απλώνεται σε λιγοστές ενορχηστρώσεις) και το φλάουτο (το οποίο καλύπτει την απουσία των πλήκτρων) και τα φωνητικά του Tim Smith να συλλαμβάνουν πένθιμα νοσταλγικές εικόνες. Μία κυκλοφορία που σε ανταμείβει με την κάθε ακρόαση.

01. Acts of man
02. Winter dies
03. Small mountain
04. Rulers, ruling all things
05. Van Occupanther

"'Core of Nature' is built around a pertinent couplet from Goethe, 'Into the core of nature/No earthly mind can enter'. I don't know much about Goethe, I just had a book of his poems from the library. A lot of times, I'll use poetry to start coming up with a melody, because I don't write the lyrics first, I always start with the music and then see what sounds right coming out of my mouth. Certain words suit my voice better than others, and those words can then create the germ of an idea for a song. But I can't come up with it out of thin air, so a lot of times, to come up with an idea for a melody, I'll sit at the piano or guitar with a book of poetry and start singing the words, then I'll go back and replace them with my own lines. But that line was just so great, I realised I was never going to top that."
Tim Smith talks to the Independent

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Squid - Cowards

Follow their traces

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