Haiku Review: Morgan Shaker - L.A. Knightz (Whitehaus Family Record, 2009)

Morgan Shaker - Refective Low Lying Trinity Cloud Forms Above The Boneyard


Morgan Shaker
L.A. Knightz (download)
/muddy beats, thick drone/
/hypnotism by muffling/
/shake, rattle, and roll/

All The Sleigh Bells I Could Find

Sleigh Bells - A/B Machines


Sleigh Bells - Crown On The Ground


Sleigh Bells - Infinity Guitars


Sleigh Bells - Beach Girls


Sleigh Bells - Ring Ring


But I still need more.

Indian Jewelry, Tobacco, Salem, and all that super cool popular stuff. Sleigh Bells are already the last next thing.

Manners - Look Into Look Unto (SUNOFBEES, 2009)

Manners - Fire


Manners is a dude that I preemptively dissed one night when I was cranky because I didn't get to see a band (Psychic Ills) that I went out of my way specifically to see and in my mind I kinda blamed him a little bit. Since then, I've matured into a great benevolent man and have grown to love Mr. Greg Beson and the fantastic music he makes.

Look Into Look Unto is Manners' newest outing in the folky experimental scene. He takes a different approach than everyone else, though, because he doesn't rely on fuzz and blur to entertain. A solid voice and supreme songwriting skills are all Manners needs to make a totally enthralling record.

The songs are all super low-key. Chill, easy going, and borderline depressing. Actually, not so much depressing as just moody. The hooks are scarce but there's plenty of harmonies and sweet melodies to make up for it. And as if Greg's voice wasn't enough to keep things going, occasionally some female backup vocals pop up that are absolutely wonderful.

This type of acoustic singer/songwriter folky stuff isn't something that gets too much play around here but I've been making an exception for Manners. Look Into Look Unto is just a really pleasing listen, especially now that the nights are coming quicker and the sun isn't rising as high. Perfect fall music.

Deastro, Max Tundra, Mystery Roar at Great Scott

Mystery Roar were a bit too sexy for me.

Max Tundra had more enthusiasm during that one performance than I've ever had in my entire life.

Deastro played 4 or 5 new songs. Then shit broke. Then they played 4 or 5 old songs. Then 1 more new song about falling in love with a vampire. And it was all awesome.

Deastro


Deastro


Max Tundra


Max Tundra


Mystery Roar


More on Flickr

Pyramids With Nadja - Pyramids With Nadja (Hydra Head, 2009)

Pyramids With Nadja - An Angel Was Heard To Cry Over The City Of Rome


You know Pyramids. You know Nadja. You know I'm a freak for both of them. I had stupidly high expectations for this collaboration. And this is the first time ever, EVER, that my expectations for a supposed-to-be-awesome collab have been met. IT'S ABOUT FUCKING TIME.

This is an album of epic beauty, a majestic world crumbling, a dark forest with floods rushing through, an avalanche charging down the mountainside. Crushingly magnificent ambient metal gaze noise.

Truthfully, this review was just an excuse to post the last song on Pyramids With Nadja, "An Angel Was Heard..." That song is fucking stunning. I can't believe how gorgeous it is. Listen to it and be convinced that the people who made this record are gods.

Haiku Review: The Great Valley - Under Snow (Spooky Town Artifacts, 2009)

The Great Valley - White Hair


The Great Valley
Under Snow (download)
/trapped in a snowglobe/
/frozen boots stomping with zeal/
/tragic magic tales/

Yoshi Wada - Earth Horns With Electronic Drone (Em / Edition Omega Point, 2009)

Yoshi Wada - Earth Horns With Electronic Drone


I'm not sure too much can be said about Yoshi Wada's Earth Horns With Electronic Drone. Or you can write volumes about it. Take your pick.

Recorded live in 1974 in New York, this release is "only" a 77 minute excerpt of the 2 hour and 25 minute performance. There is a triple LP set containing the full concert but it was extremely limited and I'm sure they're either ridiculously sold out or ridiculously $$$. Take your pick.

Constant electronic drone with Wada's DIY "pipehorns" that are tuned to the frequencies of the room (the one he played in, not yours). EPIC long form drone, heavy, dense, massive, mind expanding, body enveloping, earth shaking, absolute DRONE. You can't argue with it. You can only accept it.

Listen to Earth Horns and forget your existence. When this plays, it is all encompassing. There is nothing else.

Exquisite packaging. Old photos, detailed liner notes, totally worth your cash. If you're new to Wada, check out The Elephantine Crocodile because I think his "Singing" is the most amazing thing I've ever heard ever.

A Faulty Chromosome - Craving To Be Coddled So We Feel Fake-Safe (self released, 2009)

A Faulty Chromosome - Tippy-Toes


WTF. How is A Faulty Chromosome not being worshiped by every indie music nerd on the planet? These guys are creating the best weirdo bedroom pop and they're making it all their own. Craving To Be Coddled So We Feel Fake-Safe is the follow up to my second favorite record of last year, their debut As An Ex-Anorexic's..., and it's every bit as awesome as their first.

The music is the most charming and nostalgic stuff ever, filled with busted keyboards, electronic sprinkler beats, hand claps, excerpts from old educational family records, damaged percussion, dreamy guitars, and mumbled vocals with a fondness for alliteration and puns. Everything about these songs screams a nonchalant fuck you, we're gonna make our music however we want and it's gonna be fucking great.

A Faulty Chromosome is, like, dead broke from making their first record so they're jumping on the Kickstart thing trying to raise money to get Craving To Be Coddled a physical release. So head over and donate whatever you want, then go to their Virb page and download this absolutely necessary album for free.

P.S. THIS RECORD IS THE FUCKING BEST.

Northeast Noise & Power Electronics Festival

three days of total audio depravity
night 1 11/6 7:00 $10 21+
night 2 11/7 3:00 $25 21+
night 3 11/8 3:00 $25 21+
jacques underground
o'brien's
lascivious aesthetics
existence establishment
worth every goddamn penny

Haiku Review: Tim Fite - Watch Your Mouth (self released, 2009)

Tim Fite - That's MY Name


Tim Fite
Watch Your Mouth (download)
/crazy fucklery/
/halloween horror fite style/
/there's no other way/

Belong

I'm home, in my new home, where I should've been all along. I'm still settling in, lots of painting and unpacking and shit, but I thought I'd share with you the two records I christened 33 Roslyn with. Belong's Colorloss Record and Same Places (Slow Version). Absolute beauties that are 100% amazing but still can't touch the masterpiece that is October Language. Technically Colorloss is still available (maybe only digitally, though) so you should certainly spend your hard earned dollars on it because it's totally fucking worth it.

Anyway, I'm just proving I'm still alive and AGB isn't stagnating. Don't expect daily posts for a while. But things should be getting more active around here soon. Just enjoy this for now.

German Shepherd - Alpine Melodies (Sunrise Acoustics, 2009)

German Shepherd - Brutalist Chalet


Last I heard from German Shepherd, he was putting out a 4 way split with MOTH, Millipede, Brian Grainger, and himself. Now he's got a full length of his own out and another split (this time it's free & digital) with the same 4 dudes, plus one Bog Man. Clearly he wasn't using these past 5 months to dick around. He's getting shit done.

Alpine Melodies takes the 3 tracks Shepherd had on Traveling and BAMBAMBAM enhances the shit outta them. Except in not such an enthusiastic way. More like a super chill sleepy way. You know what I mean.

The half hour's worth of guitar drone on this record is exquisite. Hazy melodies that glide face up across the tree tops, grazing on the low hanging clouds. I can totally imagine something on Alpine being used in a Miyazaki film, like when an innocent but imaginative child finally stumbles upon some magical nook in the forest. These are the sounds that kid would hear while glowing dust floated around in the bright sun rays filtering through the canopy.

If that doesn't sound appealing to you, then you have a heart of stone and are probably too "mature" to be bothered with such dreamy gorgeous drone to begin with. Otherwise, hop on this. Only 100 copies, sweet & cheap ($6!) from Sunrise Acoustics, each one with a different cover made from cut-up Childcraft Encyclopedia pages.

P.S. I'm moving, bitches! I'm going to be really busy for a little while so no posts until I get shit in order.

Show Worthy 10/19 - 10/25

Looks like we got some decisions to make come Thursday night...


Mike Bullock by Invisible City via
Monday, October 19
Mike Bullock at Weirdo Records (donate, 8:00, all ages)
Jack of all trades Bullock will be doing a solo set at Weirdo. Here's hoping he'll be playing banjo, like on those tracks available at Compost & Height. 'Cause banjos rule.



Hawnay Troof by la-underground via
Thursday, October 22
Hawnay Troof, San Serac, Bone Zone, Party Master Policy (DJ) at Pozen Center (Mass Art) ($8, 8:00, all ages)
Crunchy synth punk Hawnay Troof is making his way to Boston all the way from California. San Serac throw down some funky disco beats for booty shakin. And Bone Zone is just a fuckin mess. No use trying to describe that shit.



Jozef Van Wissem via
Thursday, October 22
Jozef Van Wissem, Jay Sullivan at The Mills Gallery (BCA) ($10, 7:45, all ages)
Incunabulum head Van Wissem plays a motherfuckin lute. And he does crazy shit with it. Awesome processed folky Baroquey stuff. Sullivan is the dude you see with 3 records on a turntable making fantastic Jeck-ian drone. This show is gonna rule. Thanks to Non-Event.




Thursday, October 22
Ming Ming Dance Co, Kenney & Neff, Eat Cloud, Derrka, Coralcola (DJ) at PA's Lounge ($7 21+ / $10 18-20, 8:30, 18+)
This is the show you go to for listening to weirdo electronics and maybe get fucked up on hallucinogens if that's your thing. Or dance. If you like dancing.




Friday, October 23
Expo '70, Brian S Ellis, Manners at Whitehaus (donate, "hoot o'clock," all ages)
To celebrate their 3 year anniversary and the return of Manners & Brian Ellis from their world tour, Whitehaus is hosting Expo '70. Yes, that Expo '70 (who else were you thinking of? idiot...). Clearly, this show is going to be amazing. Because Expo '70 is playing. OH! And Expo '70 is playing, too. Expo. Seventy. !



Myrmyr via
Saturday, October 24
Myrmyr, Baba Yaga, The Glass Shivers at Spectacle ($5, 8:00, all ages)
Myrmyr is Agnes Szelag and Marielle Jakobsons, touring in support of their new album The Amber Sea. They make electro-acoustic tunes with all sorts of (non) classical instruments, including one of my favorites, the accordion. Beautiful work. Baba Yaga are the local chill folk female duo with enchanting vocals, occasionally using, among other things, a mandolin and harmonium. Yeah! The Glass Shivers will conjure space dreams while JP's Architecture Of The Sun throws some magical old fashioned projections on the walls.

Haiku Review: Light - Life Is Meaningless & Goes On Forever (self released, 2009)

Light - Life Is Meaningless & Goes On Forever


Light
Life Is Meaningless & Goes On Forever (download)
/relentless hatred/
/falcons screech in agony/
/hopeless plodding doom/

OOPs: Cloaks - Serene (Students Of Decay, 2008)

Cloaks - Dream Tape Number One


DOWNLOAD

Another absolute beauty from Students Of Decay. Cloaks has made an album full of swirling washes of piano and bright blissful drone. The real magic happens on the half hour long epic "Dream Tape Number One" but there's still the 5 minute "Improvisation For Guitar And Piano" to cleanse your palette before starting again. Since I'm a bit pressed for time, I'm going to be lame and copy what the label has to say...

"Doran truly has crafted an unique and inspired voice of his own, weaving clouds of piano with spiralling plumes of FX and warm gushes of plaintive guitar. Positively magical."

Serene is, obviously, serene. And gorgeous. You totally want this, trust me.