Ophibre - Drone Works For Differing Digital Audio Formats And Encoding Methods (Sentient Recognition Archive, 2009)

Ophibre - .aiff, 0.63 MB, 4410 Hz, 5 bit, PCM, 44 KBPS


I've said it before and I'll say it again. Ophibre. Is. A genius. With a name for an album like Drone Works For Differing Audio Formats And Encoding Methods, you wouldn't be faulted for assuming this was an average concept album. But what could have been a dull technical exercise or experiment turns out to be one of the most compelling drone pieces I've heard in a long time.

The title of this is essentially self explanatory. Ophibre used a variety of processes to create different sounds with the same song as a foundation. Of course, it helps that the original (if there is one) is as gorgeous as ever but that doesn't take away from the beauty of the album as a whole nor does it ever become too repetitive.

There is plenty of repetition, however instead of annoying it becomes curiously fractilian. The whole album has a sine wave like structure, generally going from the highest fidelity to the lowest and back again. Each song is repeated 24 times and each song itself is a repetition down to the smallest fraction. Everything is looped onto itself ad infinitum. I feel like if you start looking or thinking to hard about it, you're eyes will turn into this.

If you don't know Ophibre, this is as good a place as any to start if only for the supreme techniques and structuring going on. And if you're already a fan of Ophibre (if you read AGB, why wouldn't you be?) then this is pretty much required. Only 100 CD-Rs put out by SAR. There are still some left and I highly encourage that you pick this one up. Totally worth it.

P.S. For extra mind fucklery, try contemplating the fact that the song you're listening to above was ripped from a CD, reformatted into an MP3 at 320KBPS, and now being streamed over the internet. Does listening to it that way change the original intention?

Psychic Ills, Prince Rama Of Ayodhya, Lord Jeff, Truman Peyote, Manners at Pierre Menard Gallery

Prince Rama Of Ayodhya


Lord Jeff

Truman Peyote

Manners

More photos can be seen on my Flickr.

This was a great show. But I have a feeling everyone else enjoyed it a lot more than I did. First of all, I had an excruciating headache that no amount of Excedrin would eliminate. And then there was the whole lineup changing thing. You see, it's not very easy for me to get into Boston to see shows. I had to take Friday night off of work specifically to see this show at the Pierre Menard Gallery and I did it for Psychic Ills. Every other band playing the show is from Boston and I could see them pretty much whenever I felt like it. So the night was special because of Psychic Ills. They were "billed" (I use that term loosely) to go on second to last which was perfect because then I'd be able to catch the last train out of Boston at 12:10. But 3 things happened that made it impossible for me to watch the Psychic Ills' set. 1: Late start, by like 45 minutes. Whatever. That's better than Great Scott. 2: A last minute addition to the lineup (Manners). Usually I'm all for it but tonight I was in a bit of a rush so I didn't really appreciate it. And 3: Psychic Ills were the last band to play. With all those things combined, there was absolutely no way I could get out of there by 11:30 and still see any of the Psychic Ills set. But enough whining because this show was still pretty awesome.

When Manners went on at about 8:45, there was only a handful of people in the gallery. Kinda sad considering the show was publicized as starting at 8. But Manners did their thing which was nice & chill. Like solid indie folk with a stand up bass. I didn't think they had anything too special going for them but again, I wasn't too pleased that they were playing. I'm sure I really would have been into them if I saw them a different time.

Then Truman Peyote came on and all of a sudden the gallery was packed. Maybe 30-40 people had showed up and I didn't even notice. The lights went out, everyone stood up (stark contrast to the sit down affair for Manners) and got ready to party. Truman Peyote played some real crowd pleasers (even if the crowd didn't necessarily know who TP was) and some (probably) underage girls were getting their groove on in a (somewhat) annoying way. But I understand the desire to shake your thing when the Peyote is playing and Friday night was no different. With the small exception of semi-sloppy crossovers in between their songs, Truman Peyote delivered.

Lord Jeff was the biggest surprise of the night. A 3 piece with a lead singer that looks like Devendra Banhart and plays garage rock. Was not expecting a band like this to be playing with Psychic Ills and co. But the thing was, they were fucking awesome and didn't seem out of place at all. They borrowed quite heavily from '50s blues rock and, wait for it... doo-wop. I swear, one of the songs they played sounded like it could have been a cover of "Sixteen Candles." Speaking of covers, they played "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" and it rocked. They had tons of energy and Mr. Banhart could shred some nasty solos so needless to say, I was very pleased.

As sad as I was that Prince Rama Of Ayodhya went on next instead of the more coveted Psychic Ills, I can't say I was even a little disappointed. They handed out little noisy instruments to all the people standing in the front and the four of them started chanting, conjuring up a lovely dancer from the depths of the gallery's basement. Once she arrived, the band members stationed themselves at their proper places and went to town while the princess danced for us all. It was a wonderful way to start a show, especially for a band like Prince Rama, who's music is deserving of such a sight. After the first song, the dancer retreated to the basement and Prince Rama continued their exuberant and fun filled set with dual drum pummelers, plenty of exotic electronics, and more chanting. These guys are simply amazing live and if they ever come near you, it's certainly worth a trip to see them.

And here is where the Psychic Ills part of my review would be had I been able to stay long enough to see them. Still, 5 bucks for 4 fantastic bands? Can't really complain. Here's hoping the Pierre Menard Gallery decides to put on more shows like this.

Haiku Review: Tussle - You Can't Hide Your Love Forever Vol 2 (Geographic North, 2009)

Tussle - Animal Cop
Link removed.

Tussle
You Can't Hide Your Love Forever Vol. 2
/quite repetitive/
/polyester and afros/
/serious bass groove/

Haiku Review: A Sunny Day In Glasgow - You Can't Hide Your Love Forever Vol. 1 (Geographic North, 2009)

A Sunny Day In Glasgow - (Cult of) The Cemetery Flowers (Mandolins version)


A Sunny Day In Glasgow
You Can't Hide Your Love Forever Vol 1
/lightest weight shoegaze/
/wtf is she saying?/
/i just wanna dance/

MP3: A Broken Consort - The Elder Lie

A Broken Consort - The Elder Lie


A Broken Consort is a man from the UK by the name of Richard Skelton. I know what you're probably thinking. "Oooh, a one man band on AGB. This is either gonna be a some crazy noise or a guy making lots of guitar loops." Well, you're wrong. For the most part. I guess A Broken Consort might be leaning towards the latter. Yes, a guitar is used (I think), but there's also strings. Lots and lots of strings. I get the feeling that A Broken Consort listens to a lot of Stars Of The Lid, Hauschka, Max Richter, and Lichens. This is a thickly layered minimal drone affair that's absolutely fucking gorgeous. The layers and layers of strings are mesmerizing, flowing seamlessly into one another, making it feel like it's all one instrument being played. "The Elder Lie" will be on Box Of Birch, which will be available April 28th digitally and on CD & vinyl from Tompkins Square.

MP3: Dinosaur Feathers - Know Your Own Strength

Dinosaur Feathers - Know Your Own Strength


A few dudes from Brooklyn named Dinosaur Feathers are releasing their debut single "Know Your Own Strength" on April 7th on Family Records. It's a solid song that sounds kinda like a mix between The Dodos and Many Mansions. But instead of a band reference, how about a cartoon one? It's got the tropical, underwater, light-heartedness vibe that makes it almost impossible for me to not think of The Snorks every time I hear it. I guarantee Allstar Seaworthy and Casey Kelp spin Dinosaur Feathers at every party.

The B side, "History Lessons," is just as tight and can be streamed (and purchased) right here.

They're coming to town on April 23rd, playing O'Brien's with Pearl & The Beard. Take the chance to see Dinosaur Feathers at a little club before they're playing The House Of Blues alongside Animal Collective.

The Golden Sores - Ashdod To Ekron (Drone Cowboy, 2008)

The Golden Sores - Arphaxad


Ashdod To Ekron is an hour long densely layered drone epic that travels to all the right places and consistently takes your breath away.

Full review on diskant.


I think I'm developing a new policy here on AGB. If something is out of print or generally unavailable to the average person, I see no reason not to share. And I'm pretty sure all 100 copies of Ashdod To Ekron are sold out so...

Check yo'self

Audrey Chen - Glacial (self released, 2009)

Audrey Chen - Glacial


I totally dropped the ball yesterday. My sincerest apologies to Ada Lovelace as yesterday belonged to her and even though I knew it, I couldn't come up with anything to honor her. Thanks to zed=zee, I learned that March 24th was Ada Lovelace Day and the idea was to post something that would "draw attention to women excelling in technology" (loosely interpreting technology as music). My problem was thinking of a solo female musician that A) I was familiar enough to talk about (which eliminated Colleen) and B) didn't already have tons of exposure (which eliminated Grouper, sort of). Then I remembered I picked up one of Audrey Chen's CDs back when I saw her live collab with ID M Theftable and if there's any woman in music that's a pioneer it's Chen. So everything clicked... a day late.

So there is like zero information about Glacial on the internet. All I'm going on is what I'm hearing on the album and what I saw when she performed live. The basis of Chen's music is her cello and voice but after that, anything goes. She's taking the cello to the next level using it in ways I doubt anyone has thought of before. Like I'm pretty sure she's the first to use one of those neon 4-legged electric back massagers on the body of her cello. And while there have been plenty of people who experiment with their voice in extreme ways, Chen has a very unique "inhale screeching" that, even after seeing it in person, I'm still not convinced it's actually human. I haven't heard it elsewhere and would be able to identify it in a heartbeat.

The music on Glacial is minimal and experimental, noise but not noisey. At 20 minutes, it goes from glitchy whirlwinds to ape like whale songs all while generally creeping you the fuck out. In other words: totally boss. I think Chen's music is best experienced live but for most of you, that's unlikely to happen very often. So here's Glacial, the quick fix for your crazy cellist addiction.

Medroxy Progesterone Acetate - Church Of Mandrax (Sentient Recognition Archive, 2009)

Medroxy Progesterone Acetate - Church Of Mandrax


Here's a noisey dude that apparently has been around for a motherfucking decade doing shit like opening for John Wiese and occasionally dabbling in the tragically under-appreciated Number None. Best of all? He's got an East Coast tour in the works. But alas, I'm getting ahead of myself. Wtf is this Church Of Mandrax all about?

Throw on your shitty pair of boots, cross the murky swamp, hang a right at the split tree, go until you find the two tailed turtle, then listen veeerry closely. You should hear some scary noises. Follow those sounds and you'll reach the rusted shack they call the Church of Mandrax where Medroxy Progesterone Acetate is conjuring fucked up sounds from his mostly dead electronics.

The noise on this record is fucking incredible. On the surface, it's a lot of buzzing and droning that would probably scare most of your relatives (except for that one cool cousin who really looks up you and listens to every mix tape you give him). However there isn't any seizure inducing power electronics on Mandrax (well, maybe a little, like on "Trying To Sell Some Broken Amps" which actually sounds like it was recorded using some broken amps). For the most part, it sounds like distant band saws, fog horns, church bells, and whatever kind of strange reptiles you'd find in a swamp, with swarms of gnats whirring around your head.

Some of my favorite noise records are the ones that are so deeply layered that a hundred listens still wouldn't reveal all of the beautiful and delicate intricacies. Church Of Mandrax is one of those records. Sheet upon sheet of dirty & spaced out electronics that are half snowy lullaby, half drugged nightmare.

How MPA has slipped below my radar for so long I'll never know. But I sure am glad I discovered him before he toured, otherwise I might have missed him in Boston and that would have been a fucking catastrophe. Also of note, Church Of Mandrax is on the newish DIY label Sentient Recognition Archive (aka SRA) who I will also have to keep my eye on seeing as they've put out stuff by Ophibre, Caldera Lakes, and Machinefabriek among others. Machinefabriek, people! That automatically gives them credibility (as if they needed it after putting out Mandrax).

Indian Jewelry

Indian Jewelry - Cutthroat


I discovered an Indian Jewelry album I didn't know existed (Fake & Cheap) and that just sent me on an IJ kick. All I've listened to today is 4 of their albums in a row. And as utterly fantastic as Free Gold is, I still hold We Are The Wild Beast as the numero uno. That record is fucking tops.

And not for nothin' but these guys haven't hit it nearly as big as they should. They should be as big as fucking Deerhunter or something. They're fuzzy, loopy, psychedelic, tribal, dark and weird as fuck and everything else that's cool right now. I mean, they're like Wavves but better and doing it for longer. So my question to you is... WTF?

Haiku Review: Gtuk - Herzschlag

Gtuk - Verfall


Gtuk
Herzschlag (download)
/can 8-bit metal/
/be more than just novelty?/
/yes yes yes who cares/

Haiku Review: Team Teamwork - The Ocarina Of Rhyme (self released, 2009)

Team Teamwork - Edan - Fumbling Over Words (Battle)


Team Teamwork
The Ocarina Of Rhyme (download)
/zelda + hip hop/
/good idea in theory/
/still, mostly awesome/

MP3: Pipedream - Passing Trains

Pipedream - Passing Trains


This is an old song but something tells me you probably haven't heard it before. "Passing Trains" came out in 1996 on The Journey From Hamburg To Iceland Begins by Pipedream, a little known post rock band from Canada. This is the shortest track from the record and it's also the best. Not only is it the best song from Journey, it's also one of the best (and probably only) songs I've ever heard that I would use the words "prog," "kraut," and "vocoder" to describe. It's spacey & droney, rocking & epic, and yes, the singer used a vocoder. But forget all of those descriptors and just listen to the song. Let it take you back to 1996 (or further) and remind you why you used to love this stuff and maybe why you should start listening to it again.

P.S. If I lived in Hamburg, I'm pretty sure I would also journey to Iceland. 'Cause I like ice.

Coralcola - 747 EP (self released, 2009)

Coralcola - Stag Highway


An "EP" that's 37 minutes long? Check. Released on tape? Check. Local electronic music that's really fucking tight? Check.

Coralcola reign from Worcester, MA, which isn't as cool as Boston but much cooler than Springfield and kinda falls right in the middle of them geographically. How a place like Worcester birthed a tape like the 747 EP I'll never know but I think we're all the better for it.

747 is almost exclusively electronic but each song has it's own style. Coralcola and I must be fucking meant for each other or something because I don't think there are many people that would throw all of these different tunes onto one album. "Ouch" is a straightforward dance number that would make the kids go crazy in the club. But that's followed immediately by "Stag Highway" which is a glitchy ambient IDM piece. "It's Always Sunny In Boston" while obviously not true takes it back to the danciness of "Ouch" although this time they added a bit more techno. Don't worry, that's a good thing. And then they finish things off with "Sleep Is For Dreamers" which, if you couldn't guess, is some wonderful soaring drone.

I give Coralcola mad props for being brave enough for being able to make a varied record like the 747 EP while still keeping it consistent. There's only 100 of these babies out there and they're $7. If you're an analog-aphobe, they come with free MP3s (and a button). But if you're feeling like a cheap bastard (and who isn't these days?) you can download this sweet bitch right here.

Bit.Trip Beat

Wellll fuck. There goes my idea. Aksys developed a game that Gaijin published and it's pretty much EXACTLY WHAT I WOULD HAVE MADE IF I EVER MADE VIDEO GAMES. But I guess since I don't make video games, it's best that Aksys made Bit.Trip Beat.

Here's the gist, which is very simple. 8 bit music + rhythm game + Pong = Bit.Trip Beat. Little blocks float from right to left and you bounce them off your little rectangle (controlled by rotating the Wii remote) in time with the beat. Super simple, super genius, super fucking awesome.

The game looks & sounds amazing. The music is ace and the visuals are a total eye fuck which helps make the game a bit (heh) more challenging. The crazy meteors and comets flying through the background make the beat blocks more difficult to see and add to the general sense of spaciness.

The game is available only on the Wii as a download from WiiWare. It's 6 bucks and if you have a Wii, you suck if you don't buy this. And if you don't have a Wii? Well, now you have every reason in the world to buy one. Check out the videos below of me playing through the first level and as far as I can get into the second. There's only 3 levels which is a little weak but if I can't get through the second then I guess it's not too much of a problem.

Level 1


Level 2

MP3: Rose For Bohdan - Pocahontas' Boyfriend

Rose For Bohdan - Pocahontas' Boyfriend


During the usual meandering around the internet labyrinth, I stumbled upon Rose For Bohdan, a band I didn't know existed (even though they appeared on a compilation I have from GSL). Sadly, I discovered them a bit too late as their last show ever was in 2007. However you can still hear some new material on their last album ever which they just put out called There It Is, The Creeping Moral Decay Of The Past Thousand Years (download for free on Deathbomb Arc). "Pocahontas' Boyfriend" is the choice track and it starts the album off with some intense spazzy noise punk riffage. Pretty sweet stuff, especially the female screecher. I really dig it. Even though I'm not that into the rest of the album, this song is totally boss.

A Storm Of Light / Nadja - Primitive North (Robotic Empire, 2009)

A Storm Of Light - Brother


Nadja - I Make From Your Eyes The Sun


This is the kind of metal that makes you bang your fist into your thigh with your eyes closed tight, trying not to cry because you’re fucking metal dammit.

Full review on diskant.

Ophibre - Approaching The Ionized Piezo Kiosk (Earjerk ,2009)

Ophibre - Approaching The Ionized Piezo Kiosk


Some have said that due to the large amount of Ophibre related posts here on AGB that I'm having a secret love affair with the man. Well now that's just ridiculous. Why would I be cheating on my wife in such an obvious, transparent way? Don't you think she would notice? But maybe I'm doing it in plain sight so no one suspects anything...shit. COVER = BLOWN.

Approaching The Ionized Piezo Kiosk is Ophibre's latest foray into orgasmic drone and his first CD for Earjerk. Normally Ophibre puts out tapes and while an Ophibre CD is'nt really rare, it's also not a common sighting which is just another reason I'm excited to review Piezo Kiosk.

Once this long track kicks in, it just dives right into a mesmerizing drone, the kind where your eyes glaze over and you're not actually seeing whatever it is you're looking at. Your mind simply wanders off to another place. I claimed "Harem Of Moths" might be my favorite work by Ophibre but "Approaching The Ionized Piezo Kiosk" is quickly gaining on the number one spot. The transcendent shimmer is offset by the melancholic trombone, giving this just the right amount of balance. I'm not sure it's an actual trombone being used, but it sounds very similar to Phill Niblock's Nothin' To Look At Just A Record which is long form trombone drone.

Yes, I just compared Ophibre to Niblock and I did it on purpose. This guy has serious droning chops and deserves high praise. The world needs to know that this Boston experimental noise maker exists and the best way I can think of going about that is to shout about his mad skills.

The packaging on Piezo Kiosk is pretty damn cool, although not quite as spectacular as most of the tapes Ophibre puts out on his Oph Sound label. It's got a semi-transparent reversible eye fuck on the outside with a folded one of a kind piece of a thrift store LP on the inside. There's only 36 of these so you better get on this shit quick.

Haiku Review: Danielle Ate The Sandwich - Things People Do (self released, 2009)

Danielle Ate The Sandwich - On The Planet Earth


Danielle Ate The Sandwich
Things People Do
/girl sings chipper folk/
/ukuleles are the shit/
/sweet charming lyrics/

Haiku Review: The London Apartments - Signals & Cities Are Forever (self released, 2009)

The London Apartments - Fair Is Fair


I came up with a new idea for something on AGB and I wanna know if you h8 or <3 it. I thought that since no one blogs on the weekends (and therefor no one reads blogs on the weekends) that I shouldn't spend a lot of time writing a post that no one will care about. So to make things slightly interesting but still giving myself some restrictions, I thought I could do reviews in haiku form on the weekends. They'll be short and sweet and everyone loves haikus so there's really no going wrong here. Let me know what you think.

Update: Apparently, I don't know how to fucking count. Removed "like" from second line so there's actually 7 syllables.

The London Apartments
Signals & Cities Are Forever (free & legal download)
/above par shoegaze/
/drifting through electro clouds/
/dreamy gorgeousness/

V.E.G.A. - Alienforest - A Sick Mind's Hologram (Debemur Morti, 2009)

V.E.G.A. - Neongraphite


V.E.G.A. (or Vacuum Era Gelid Atmosphere) are 3 dudes from Italy who challenge my vocabulary and descriptive skills. I've had Alienforest - A Sick Mind's Hologram for a little while now, listening to it probably more than I should, hoping that I would reach some sort of epiphany and be able to describe to you all the craziness of this record. That epiphany never came but that won't stop me from sharing this gem with the world.

Just so you know what ballpark we're playing in, Alienforest is a black metal record (originally their debut, a self released tape in 2000, reissued on CD by Debemur Murti this year). The thing is, there's so much synth weirdness going on, that very often this strays about as far from black metal as a you can get while still retaining the BM label. Usually, BM is scary. Like said band are literally demons spawned from Satan himself, put on Earth with the sole purpose of making the most terrifying music ever. But while V.E.G.A. have some of those nightmarish qualities, they're just so fucked up that instead of being scared, I'm just confused.

There are elements of grindcore, thrash, and death metal, as well as bits of techno, all laid over a black metal foundation. It seems like there's enough bizarre black metal bands out there that you could probably make a sub-genre combining all of the various BM offshoots. But V.E.G.A. take it to the next level and create something that I have literally never heard before and doubt will ever hear again. It's so fucking extreme and weird, which (obviously) means it's that fucking awesome.

My only complaint (and it is a minor one) is that Alienforest is so god damn long. At 1 hour and 10 minutes, it's about as long as a CD can get. Don't get me wrong, when I love something, I'd like it to last as long as possible but Alienforest is different. I have not once been able to listen to the whole thing all the way through in one sitting. Sometimes I get distracted and end up doing something else or just get tired and need to listen to something else or whatever the case may be, I just think this one's a bit too long for one record.

Huun-Huur-Tu - The Orphan's Lament (Shanachie, 1994)

Huun-Huur-Tu - Eki Attar


OK, I'm not trying to seem weird/worldly/cooler than you by posting a Tuvan throat singing record. I'm also not going to pretend like I know anything about Huun-Huur-Tu or the subtleties and history of the genre or region. The only knowledge I have of Tuva and throat singing came entirely from the (fantastic) film Genghis Blues.

What I do know is that Tuvan throat singing is fucking amazing and it totally fucks with your brain. The put things crudely, throat singing barely sounds human and sometimes makes the vocalist sound like they have two voices. It is completely unlike anything I have ever heard before and I absolutely love it.

There are many Tuvan throat singing records (well, maybe just more than you'd expect) but The Orphan's Lament is the only one I've ever heard. I don't really have anything to compare it to, no context to put it in. All I can say is that it's probably the least American sounding record I have (in a good way). Sometimes you need to change things up and get a different perspective. But if you (like me) generally aren't a fan of "world" music, then I highly recommend giving Tuvan throat singing a try. At worst, you'll be impressed by the technical aspects of it. At best, maybe you'll have found a new super niche genre to obsess over and start on a lifelong quest to find as many Tuvan throat singing records as possible.

Magic People - You Are The Magic People (Mister Records (probably), 2009)

Magic People - Your Dude


I threw that "probably" up there in the title because this album technically isn't out yet. Magic People have put out a few albums on Mister Records and I'm going to take a wild guess that You Are The Magic People will also appear on Mister. Just a hunch. But please don't threaten/attack/murder/sodomize me if I end up being wrong.

I had the opportunity to see Magic People open for The Skull Defekts at PA's Lounge in October and while I enjoyed their set, I wasn't blown away by anything I heard. When I saw them play live, there was only two of them. Al Deaderick manning the keyboard and drum machine with John Manson pulling duty on vocals, bass, and a kick drum. It was minimal industrial stuff but perhaps too simple of a setup for my taste in that genre. Enter You Are The Magic People to completely change my mind about these local dudes.

This record is fucking awesome. First of all, they've enlisted a couple other people to play some more instruments such as a full drum kit, guitar, saxophone, and various electronic and percussion shit. And it makes all the difference in the world. Coupled with solid production, this rounds Magic People out and overall makes them sound fuller and more professional than they did live.

I mentioned Magic People had an industrial feel, which is true, but in the gritty DIY way that Neptune has become famous for. They also have that strange humor found in some Neptune songs, although it's more overt on Magic People. But Magic People are no copycats. They certainly have their own sound, partially due to the distinctive synthesizer (which Neptune most certainly does not use).

I have a lot more respect for Magic People after hearing their as-yet-unreleased somewhat-self-titled album. It's a super tight record that's just really fucking good. Something that shouldn't be kept hidden from the rest of the world, as is so common with "local" music. When You Are The Magic People gets it's eventual release, it will most likely be pretty limited so keep an eye out for it before this shit sells out. 'Cause it will.

Video: Futurecop! - Karate Kids

In light of the recent "Craziest Video From The '80s" I thought I'd share this video by Futurecop! comprised entirely of clips from all of the best '80s movies. The song is called "Karate Kids" and it's got all of those loveable dancey electro beats that the kids can't seem to get enough of these days. Most of the movie clips are from party scenes and they (aka video creator TNUC) seemed to sync up everyone's dance moves to the song pretty well. Pop quiz, hot shot. Can you name all of the movies in this video?

Maserati / Zombi Split (Temporary Residence, 2009)

Maserati - Join Us Mystic Sister / No More Sages


Maserati - Monoliths / Thieves


Zombi - Infinity


Zombi attempts to tackle their side all in one take with a song called “Infinity.” And while it does only last about 13 minutes, it’s a wonderful 13 minutes of analog synth that seems to last for, well, at least a long time.

Full review on diskant.

Video: Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse Of The Heart

Not many people know this, but the video for "Total Eclipse Of The Heart" is officially the craziest video from the '80s. It's got the certificate and everything. You can watch this 10 times in a row, each time catching something new and laughing your ass off.

Blank Dogs - The Fields (Woodsist, 2008)

Blank Dogs - Passing The Light


Totally bitchin fuzzy doom pop awesomness. BAM.

Julian Lynch - Born 2 Run (Buffalo Songs, 2008)

Julian Lynch - Banana Jam Pt. 2


Great news everybody! I found a cool band you might like! Or rather, he found me, but regardless, I still think you'll like him. You know why? 'Cause he makes good music.

If Julian Lynch lived in Boston, he'd probably get lumped in with the likes of Many Mansions or any of the other acts in that scene we got going on around here. Born 2 Run starts off sounding like it would fit right in with that tropical psychedelic fun-ness. But from then on, each track is (almost) a complete departure from the previous. The second song, "Juicy," sounds like something that a lo-fi experimental Snow Patrol would make for an indie/mainstream film. Then "Caruth" comes on with it's hypnotic bedroom electronics drone and transforms into some lilting Americana.

Seriously, this record is all over the place but in a very good way. Whether it's the fuzzy folk, the organ/synth drones, the psych guitars, or the wobbly electronics I'm all for it. But only because it's remains cohesive. There is a thread that weaves throughout Born 2 Run, holding it all together, making sure it retains that "album" feeling. Sometimes the thread gets pretty thin, though, and may be difficult to find at times but it's definitely there.

Mist - Certain Expansion (Pizza Wagon, 2009)

Mist - Untitled (Side A)
Link removed.


I'm pretty sure most people have at least heard the name Emeralds before but I guess it doesn't really matter either way. Mist is Mist, not Emeralds, even if half of Mist is also in Emeralds.

Certain Expansion is a very limited edition tape (100 copies) that takes an aspect of Emeralds (in this case, synthesizers) and just fucking runs away with it. Mist is pretty much all synth. Sweet bubbly synth. None of this new fangled crystal clear dance synth, though. Expansion sounds like it was played by a couple of dudes who grew up listening to way too much Moroder and decided to make a warped drone album using a couple of synths they found in the back of a run down pawn shop.

I know it's lame to use the name of the album (or band) as a descriptor for the music but fuck it. This is some seriously mind expanding shit. If this was just a little less New Age and a little more ass kicking maybe it could have been used at the end of 2001 when Dave is trippin bawlz through some wormhole or whatever.

P.S. I like big images and the only decent one I could find wasn't the actual album cover but whatever. You probably care about as much as I do.

Millipede - Sand & Surf (Install, 2009)

Millipede - Sea


Millipede is no stranger to AGB and after putting out a few physical releases (Death Mountain and a split tape with Brian Grainger), he's released an internet freebie titled Sand & Surf. If you're even slightly familiar with Millipede, you probably remember that he usually makes Zelda noise (aka music inspired by The Legend Of Zelda). Sand & Surf is his first to contain music completely unrelated to the Zelda series and it gives everyone a chance to see if they still like Millipede's music regardless of the video game relevance.

Sand & Surf is short (4 songs, 10 minutes) and while it's not the best stuff I've heard from Millipede, it's still nothing short of fantastic. Thick, noisey, scary, beautiful guitar drone that is clearly still awesome even when the original influence is forgone. The songs are titled "Sun," "Sand," "Surf," and "Sea" so it looks like this time he's more focused on beachy elements, which seems to work just as well.

Download this now from the Milieu website.

MP3: Princess - Autograph

Princess - Autograph


Pizza reminded me of Need New Body and NNB in turn reminded me of Princess. So here's a crazy weird song by Princess called "Autograph." This is a bit more experimental hip-hop than either Pizza or NNB but it's got plenty of weirdo dance rock elements, too. Can't quite explain it. Definitely too bizarre for even most college radio shows. Pretty sure they only have this one self titled record on Sickroom but I may be mistaken.

Video: No-Neck Blues Band - Ialas Salandiw

This is the video for No-Neck Blues Band's "Ialas Salandiw" and, expectedly, it's some crazy shit. Nothing's exposed correctly, lots of analog visual distortion with mind melting colors, and there's these freaky possessed ninja grasshopper puppets. The end is pretty terrifying. Watch it if you dare.