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.

FREE SHIT GALORE!

For some reason, I've been bombarded with a ton of free downloadable releases that are awesome lately. I don't know if there's some sort of surge (bring it back!!) in artists being kinder or what, but this shit is up for grabs and you need get on it asap. Keep in mind just because these releases can be free, doesn't necessarily mean they should be free. Some of these even have physical copies available. Donate whenever possible. Show your appreciation and bands are more likely to keep it up.

Look forward to some of these showing up in my Saturday Haiku Reviews. 'Cause that's what I do.




Corey Larkin - Body Tensor (Abrash)
Super minimal high end ambient drone

Herv - Not Figuratively, But Literally In Love With Music... (Cock Rock Disco)
Breakcore dance tunes

Orchards & Ponds - Preparations (Panda Fuzz)
Murky loopy guitar drone

Bermuda Bonnie - Bermuda Bonnie (self released)
Tropical girl pop




Tobias Hellkvist & Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words - White/Grey/Black (It's A Trap)
It's a free Dead Letters track man. Wtf more do you need?

Ultimate Thrush - Ultimate Thrush (Winning Sperm Party)
Intense Locust-style craziness

My Brother Daniel - Live At The Gulu Gulu Cafe (Just Not Normal)
Strange electronics, audience participation, bizarre slightly-danceable electronica

Saskrotch - I'll Have You Naked By The End Of This ROM (8bitpeoples)
8 bit chiptune breakcore awesomeness




timwarrenmusic - under_score (Square Root)
Beatless layered ambient drone

Sparks & Spools - visions--magic--trees (Mooondial)
Bang clank folk

Silver Antlers / Seven Feathers Rainwater Split (Mooondial)
Wonder psych haze drone

Dinosaur Feathers - Early Morning Risers (self released)
Super fun AnCo tropical pop




Have A Nice Life - Voids (Enemies List)
Demos and rarities from the (second?) best band to come out of Middletown, CT. Epic gloomy shoegaze pop

Light - Life Is Meaningless & Goes On Forever (self released)
Bleak funeral black metal doom

Few Quiet People Promo Sampler
Awesome new experimental netlabel sampler with a Tomasz Bednarczyk track

The Most Powerful Telescope In The Universe - The Moonlight's Fair Tonight (Data Was Lost)
Hypnotic indie rock

Ata Ebtekar & The Iranian Orchestra For New Music Performing Works Of Alireza Mashayekhi - Ornamental (Isounderscore, 2009)

Ata Ebtekar & The Iranian Orchestra For New Music - Ornamental


Ata Ebtekar & The Iranian Orchestra For New Music have put out possibly the most challenging record who's genre wouldn't include the word "power." They make listening as difficult as possible while still making it entirely rewarding and enjoyable.

Ornamental is a mind fuck of an electro-acoustic record. Ebtekar does all sorts of electronic shit and then there's the orchestra playing traditional instruments. It reminds me a bit of Greg Kelley's Self-Hate Index in the way that you're never sure if the sounds you're hearing are from analog or digital instruments (except in Kelley's case, it was almost all analog). The lines are blurred so much that if there were no liner notes, I might assume this was a 100% electronic record.

The sounds on Ornamental are fucking nuts. It's almost total anarchy. The speed goes from slow chugging to amped up giddyness in one explosive second. Crazy arpeggios, shrill tinny blasts of nonsense, and piano smashing that take you by surprise every fucking time. The crunchy electronics sound like if Tristan Perich made his 1-Bit Music back in the '60s. And the regular instruments that I do recognize seem processed to oblivion.

Every time I listen to this, I make just a little bit more sense out of it. The first time it just knocked me the fuck down, without so much as a "sorry." The second time I was at least able to hold my own. And each time I hit play again, I have more confidence than the last that I'm gonna make it my bitch. But it never happens. Ornamental is somehow always, like, 10 steps ahead of me.

And did I mention that this is on double vinyl? Look at that cover art up there. Super slick. So gorgeous. You need to buy this.

Show Worthy 10/12 - 10/18

Karlheinz
Monday, October 12
Cowards, Karlheinz, Sharpwaist, Howard Stelzer & Luke Moldof, Double Awake at O'Brien's ($6, 9:00, 21+)
Killer local noise show. Cowards are Nick Pace (from Diaphragm) and Jesse Allen (from Cathode Terror Secretion) and they play some serious drone noise. Karlheinz destroys everything he touches with his ferocity. Sharpwaist is just fucking brutal. Moldof & Stelzer is going to be a supremely unique experience, with Stelzer messing with his tapes and Moldof fucking around with his crazy guitar stuff. And Double Awake just has some of the best power drone in town. This show is going to be fucking amazing.




Monday, October 12
Sexual Janitor, The Waifs, The Needy Visions at Charlie's Kitchen ($5, 9:00, 21+)
On the other hand, if you're feeling less like noise and more like super fun garage rock pysch pop stuff, then head to Charlie's Kitchen. Some more bands are supposed to be playing, possibly Maine Coons and Life Partners. Nothing's set in stone yet, though.



Om via by ronaiandras
Monday, October 12
Om, Lichens, Six Organs Of Admittance at ICA Boston ($16, 8:00, all ages)
You must know about this show already. If not, here's your heads up. I've seen both Om and Lichens before and I can attest to the fact that their music is enhanced 10 fold when performed live. Go to this is you're not feeling like rocking out at Charlie's or getting your ears fucked at O'Brien's.



Benjamin Nelson via by Susanna Bolle
Tuesday, October 13
Benjamin Nelson at Cafe Fixe ($5, 8:00, all ages)
DROOOOOONE. You love it. I love it. Cheap. Delicious coffee. Home in time for bed. Thanks Non-Event.



Former Ghosts via
Wednesday, October 14
Former Ghosts, White Hinterland, Boy Without God at The Middle East Upstairs ($9, 8:00, 18+)
Former Ghosts is about to blow up because it's Jamie Stewart of Xiu Xiu, Freddy Ruppert of This Song Is A Mess But So Am I, and Nika Roza of Zola Jesus. I'm not a huge fan of Xiu Xiu, I don't know TSISMBSAI, and I love Zola Jesus. Doing the math, I expected to be pretty ambivalent about Former Ghosts but somehow their album Fleurs is fucking fantastic. Love it. But I'm pretty sure Roza's not going to be playing with them live, so...



Jim Haynes via by Randy Yau
Thursday, October 15
Jim Haynes, Murmer, Ophibre at Axiom ($8, 8:00, all ages)
More awesome dronings. Jim Haynes is half of Coelacanth (with Loren Chasse (of Jewelled Antler)) and has a new CD out on Intransitive, who's putting on this show. Murmer has done lots of work, including a CD with the genius Jonathan Coleclough, and makes wonderful minimal drone. And Ophibre, well, if you read this blog and don't know who he is, then you're not reading this blog. I love that man. Everything he touches is gold.



Achim Wollscheid via by Asier Gogortza
Saturday, October 17
Achim Wollscheid, Jason Lescalleet at Goethe-Institut Boston ($10, 8:00, all ages)
An experimental artist of the highest caliber, Wollscheid does installations, festivals, performances, records, everything. He is all over the fucking place. It's an absolute honor to have him perform in Boston. And with Lescalleet nonetheless! The man who fucks with tapes and microphones and amplifiers and tons of other shit to make some totally awesome drone. Gonna be a great show.




Saturday, October 17
Craig Colorusso's Sun Boxes at Important Records (FRREEEEE, noon-dusk, all ages)
Colorusso will be installing a mess of huge solar powered speakers, each with a different guitar loop playing through it. The idea is that it will sound different wherever and whenever you stand, due to the angle and placement of the speakers and that each loop is a different length, so at no time will the whole thing repeat itself. It runs from noon until sundown, because obviously the speakers won't be able to continue playing once they lose power. Anyway, this sounds so fucking cool. Not very accessible without a car though, so if you're going through Salem on your way to this, pick me the fuck up and we can have a good time. I promise good company and maybe I'll buy you lunch or something. I just have to be back to work around 5ish. Deal?

Haiku Review: Andy Hofle - Arcade Ambiance 1981-1992 (GDG, 2005-2007)

Andy Hofle - Arcade Ambiance 1981


Andy Hofle
Arcade Ambiance (download)
/nostalgic chaos/
/endless lo-fi explosions/
/just one more quarter/