post rock / indie

From eerie black metal to a soothing blend of post rock and indie rock. It's all in a day's work for a Merchants Of Air reviewer. In that aspect, this certainly is one of the most varied jobs in the world. But enough about me, let's talk about this album, the fourth by German combo Nihiling. Much like the poles an actual battery, this album seems to have two different sides too, even though you can easily place it among your favorite post rock albums. 

The first four tracks are post rock induced indie rock songs. Yes, songs, with vocals. With a calm, relaxed atmosphere, these tunes are beautifully immersive, and that comes from someone who is not a fan of vocals in this kind of music. Then again, with a sound in between acts like Ef, Foals, The XX and more traditional post rock bands, Nihiling certainly delivered something captivating and convincing, something even Sigur Ros has never managed to do for me.

Part two of the record consists of four elaborate instrumental post rock songs in the vein of bands like This Will Destroy You, Mogwai or Explosions In The Sky. For me personally, these are the four highlights of the album. 'Cellardoor' is my favorite track, a brilliantly built-up piece of music which is simply irresistible to fans of the genre. It shows exactly how good this band is in instrumental songwriting. 

In all, I think this is an excellent album, certainly worthy of your attention. If you are a fan of post rock, this one definitely deserves a spot on your undoubtedly overloaded shelf. So go ahead, check it out and allow yourself to dwell in the captivating sound of Nihiling. I'm positive that you will not regret it...


Serge

post rock / indie rock

Tudo é poético aos olhos de cada um, desde que você se permita (Everything is poetic in the eyes of each one, as long as you allow yourself…) is the most recent album by Brazilian musician Mário Alencar, under the alias of Sketchquiet, released in April 3. With eight songs, whose names display the album title in a fragmented manner – being them Tudo é (Everything is), poético (poetic), aos olhos (in the eyes), de cada (of each), um (one), desde que (as long as), você, (you) and se permita... (allow yourself...) –, this record can be described as marvelously, ostensibly and exceedingly poetic, to the most fundamental and essential principles of its overwhelming sonorous oceans of sentimental elements. The first track already is strong enough to surprise the listener, and make you stay attentively tuned to the wonderful harmonies that slowly unravel graciously in the majestic waves of the essentially calmer, serene and delightful melodies of this unimaginably pleasant record. 

With a fundamentally characteristic style that displays elements of indie rock in an almost imponderable and levitating post rock atmosphere, with ambient and surf music components discreetly added to the integral inherent nature of the work, the delicate beauty of the harmonies digresses and highly trespasses the sincere expressions from the sky of your soul, profoundly appealing to the higher interior sun of the expansive density of the music the desire to have this fantastic sonorous universe concealed in a box. But the major sensibilities that grow inside yourself while listening to these marvelous sounds standardizes the omniscient intuitions of invisible abandoned worlds, stressing in the incommensurable path of surreal horizons the strength of these sincere and almost introspective eulogies, profusely intensified by the poetic alignments of the harmonies in question, that slowly moves towards the castles of our personal dreams.    

With some songs fundamentally evoking the atmosphere of a calm and quiet sunset on a beach – that could have been a plausible influence, conscious or not, into the musicians artistic projections, since Mário lives in Maceió, a city in the northeast cost of Brazil, that has some of the most beautiful beaches of the country, with crystalline green waters, the serene feelings ostensibly transmitted by the pure vibrations of these songs are a revealing trace of lucid creative beauty, exponentially displayed in an ethereal dream of exceptionally sentimental vivaciousness. 

A very interesting, elegant and delightful album, Tudo é poético aos olhos de cada um, desde que você se permita, is a marvelous record that has all the classical Sketchquiet musical trademarks: beautiful and serene harmonies, reflexive and poetic sonorous outtakes, an imponderable and visionary sense of artistry, delicate and creative qualities complemented by a soft sense of  virtuosity, multiple perspectives on life, sidelined by its role on music, and a laboriously elaborated, but gracefully conceived framework of majestic sensibility, that masterly converges to produce works like this one, a monumental soundscape of tenacious, flexible and versatile authenticity, astoundingly singular and sensationally fabulous.  


Wagner

indie / alternative rock

Born in the Heavy is an album by Norwegian indie/ alternative rock band Captain Kill, released on March 10. Thirty six minutes long, and with six tracks – Born in the Heavy, Far, Better Off Dead, Monsters, Critical Point and Absolutely Stellar – Born in the Heavy is a very concise album. With interesting compositions, captivating melodies and a very genuine score, Captain Kill is a honest album, that brings back delightful memories, and an innocent spirit of mindfulness, that splendidly incorporates the spirit of indie rock.

Born in the Heavy has considerable stoner rock elements inserted in the inner layers of its music, which gives to the sound very aggressive features, that adds interesting colors to its well flavored artistic inclinations. With a spontaneous playfulness that has on the core of its style a solid and coherent approach, Born in the Heavy can be regarded as a characteristic exemplar of the genre in several points. Unfortunately, this observation is valid not only for the good ones, but for the bad ones too. If the record has a consistent sound, it should be noted that Born in the Heavy suffers extensively from the main flaws of the genre, and the most terrible of these is certainly the sugar pop shaped songs syndrome, which deeply affects most bands in the indie rock scenario. Excessively happy and uplifting rhythms combined with graceful appraisals of an existentialist combination of clichés contaminates the anatomy of several songs, to the point that sometimes you have the feeling that you are listening to a moderately hazardous rock version of NSYNC.

Born in the heavy is not a bad album, but unfortunately, they aren’t successful in avoiding or deviating from the congenital fails inherent to the genre. So, in the end, they deliver something that manages to be only a little better than just another regular and generic indie rock album. Something similar to a Kings of Leon meets Sting, or anything in this same line of reference.  

In the end, Born in the Heavy is recommendable only to very ardent enthusiasts of indie rock. This album suffers from a very critical condition, that is not a problem of the band itself, but it’s something deeper and disgraceful, that affects the entire genre, and whose main symptoms are the excessive use of clichés, monotonous melodies, sentimental poetry and the abuse of an existentialist quest for meaning, reminiscent of thoughts from a teenager that recently had seen his mom naked. So, if you are searching for something with an artistic scope more wise and meaningful than the one offered by this work, I strongly suggest you to skip this album entirely.       


Wagner

progressive metal

dark ambient

post rock

shoegaze / psychedelic

symphonic doom

grindcore

alternative / metal

dark ambient

indie rock / pop rock

punk rock

rock / blues

funeral doom / black metal

noise / drone / spoken word

heavy metal

death metal / black metal

Serge

pop / rock

You might know Asger Techau from Danish indie rock band Kashmir, where he takes care of the drums. However, since the inception of the band in 1991, Asger Techau has been writing a number of songs on his own. Now, after eleven years of writing, he finally compiled these songs on an album, aided by musicians he knows and respects. The result is an album full of gentle pop rock songs with a lot of atmosphere and emotion.

Opener 'Breathe' immediately reminds me of Depeche Mode, even though this music is far away from synthpop. I think the reference comes from Techau's voice and song lines which are often quite similar to the synthpop deities. The reference will also remain present throughout most of the songs, often accompagnied by people like Nick Cave, David Bowie, Franz Ferdinand , Coldplay and Kaiser Chiefs . I guess that's not a bad set of names to be compared with.

My favorite tracks are the bluesy 'Brother' and the earworm 'Big City Dropout'. That being said, there are plenty of earworms on this album. I'm positive that some of these lyrics and vocal lines will be immediately recognizable when you hear these songs again. They also have the capacity to get stuck in your head, which in this case is a good thing. Other songs worth mentioning include the hit-sensitive tearjerker 'No Misgivings' and the indie rocker 'Iron Betty'.

So if you like decent songwriting skills, emotive rock ballads and a relaxed atmosphere, you surely have to check out this gem. It's just one of those albums that make your daily tasks a little bit more enjoyable, capable of putting a contented smile on your face. At least, that is what happened to me when I listened while doing the dishes. I'm sure this music is suited for a lot more activities than that too. So go ahead, get your hands on this album.


Serge

black metal / crust punk

symphonic metal

facebook

funk / alternative

synthpop / electronic

post punk / alternative / indie

hard rock

black metal / shoegaze

grunge / alternative rock / punk

rock 

bandcamp

post punk / alternative rock

alternative rock / noise rock

hard rock / heavy metal

facebook

grindcore

bandcamp

With Travis Ryan of Cattle Decapitation on vocals, San Diego grindcore outfit Anal Trump comes up with a short and vicious assault. The longest song on this album is eighteen seconds long and I had to listen four times while writing this thing. So yes, this is sick, gore grindcore in perfect Anal Cunt / Napalm Death tradition. It comes with a lot of shit that someone named Donald Trump has been spewing out, like 'I'd Date My Daughter', 'Build That Wall' and 'Breastfeeding Is Gay'. So if you miss Seth Putnam, hate Donald Trump, think music should be torturous and have no problem with the fact that downloading this release will last longer than actually playing it, you need this.

black metal / thrash metal

black metal

punk / alternative rock

doom / sludge

​Serge

indie / alternative / rock

Dream News is the most recent album by Attic Abasement, an American melancholic indie rock band from Rochester, New York. With eleven tracks, being them Guarantee Jesus, Statuesque Mess, Own Your Enemies, Show Up to Leave, So Far, Abigail Folger, Inverted Youth, A Way, Endless & Perfect, Neon Trim and News Continues, on this work, Attic Abasement levels up the usual low and pessimistic mood of their music, to make a sound reminiscent of Counting Crows, The Strokes, Belle and Sebastian, Bob Dylan and The Wallflowers, but striking a different level of uncommon originality and sarcastic suburban lyricism, gripped by sorrow, disdain and ironic stubbornness. 

With short songs, and an agonizing trip of sonorous tranquility, on Dream News, Attic Abasement brings a very different vibe to postmodern indie rock, to sound exactly as it is, but in a more genuinely conservative and closed way. Defying their own intentions towards a more musical lavishness, but being, on the other hand, very capable of sounding serious and even dramatic, Attic Abasement sings their mutual love for ordinary existence on this album, without exaggeration or superficiality, elevating, in the process, the aesthetics of “ordinary” common art and commercial radio music.

Dream News, as a result, is a very good album, amazing at the glow of its own direct results. As a very idiosyncratic and peculiar indie record filled with the gaps of normal existence, I guess you can label this work as non-punk album for punk rockers, since it depicts an aura of rebellion, albeit a quiet one, hidden in the neglected sorrow of a gray horizon.

I wouldn’t dare to say that this is music for teenagers, although you are way more inclined to be appreciative of this kind of music when you are really, really, really young. Nevertheless, what they achieve here is no minor musical beauty, and I certainly have to acknowledge them as an important indie rock band, filled with charisma, and, more importantly, that don’t fake the emotions behind their songs. Of course, while Dream News isn’t exactly a major record, you can obtain a good level of joyful amazement listening to it. Maybe the angry youth that leaves inside of you, or the misunderstood rebellious teenager that died within your soul so many decades earlier, can react better to this sound, as he is easy to wake up to this songs, while remembering that desolate afternoons after school, where he had just been expelled, or had heard a family discussion again. Yes, undoubtedly, Dream News has charm, simplicity, and teenage restless incomprehension. I think this is the best definition for this album, yet!                 


​Wagner

indie / alternative / rock

A beautiful and more vintage sound indie record, Next Thing is a very “straight flash” style of album, with fifteen tracks, but being only twenty eight minutes long. With a style that certainly will remind you of Belle and Sebastian, Next Thing, by Frankie Cosmos, despite is exceedingly impressive brevity, that somehow seems an inheritance of punk rock, is a good album, that has consistence and charm. Unfortunately, with an appeal that its bound to indie rock – with a sensitive integrity rooted in a traditionally alternative pop form – the work is unable to reach an audience outside the genre. Nonetheless, its profoundly honest charm and sincerity are qualities that certainly make this album a delightful and curious experience.

Obviously, you can’t expect too much about it, unless you are crazy about the genre. But with the right expectations, this album might surprise you in a very good way. Despite its simplicity, and more delicate rhythms, a satisfactory feeling of rapture might captivate you emotionally, leaving you in the right mood to properly appreciate this album. What could seems weaknesses at first in fact are the strongest qualities of this album: simplicity here turns into a very strong and solid form of art, brevity dilutes monotony, objectivity pays tribute to very colorful, lucid and vivid harmonies, and tradition is reworked to sound original, playful, honest and direct. And amazingly, all of these qualities are impressively synchronized and cadenced with each other. Finally, you have, if not an excellent masterpiece, an original, superb and impeccably produced work of art. 

A very good album, interesting, lavishing integrity and originality, Next Thing, by Frankie Cosmos, sounds refreshing and beautiful, all the way through. A captivating journey that excels itself on the brilliance of a poetic simplicity, this album certainly should be regarded as a pearl of indie rock. Settled in the right scores of a profoundly authorial line of work, I see, frankly, no flaws here. This is an excellent album, that deserves to be regarded as such. 

Unfortunately, being extremely rooted in such a narrow and very specific style, its appeal outside the genre is practically nonexistent, excluding those people more open minded, used to listen to things beyond their favorite genres of music. Nonetheless, Next Thing is a minor pearl of exceedingly awesome music, and obviously, everybody intimate with the genre will quickly acknowledge this, for a fact.    
 

​Wagner

alternative / indie rock

A full equilibrate, balanced and melodic indie album, with an amazing pace and rhythms settled on a poetic full scale, Dancing is Depressing, by Attic Abasement, is a melody driven, melancholically streamed indie album, that scored absolutely right in all of its virtues and qualities: short songs, in a fulfilling harmony, perfectly dispatched in a sorrowful layout, that, on the other hand, feels happily complete at each and every single note of its sound. 

Despite its traditional approach to an indie sphere of sound as a whole, Dancing is Depressing is very modern, and pop lingered at the same time. With some ironic lyrics, that play with the ordinary challenges and idiosyncrasies of everyday life, this is the perfect album for an indie audience, that fully formed all the correct substances of the genre. Not only this is the proper way to make and deliver music, but all the right influences are correctly inserted, and diluted at the pace of their own style.

Although the basic principles that forms the axis of their songs seems a little formulaic at first, Dancing is Depressing already sounds daring and original at the very first hearing. In what concerns its melancholy, the depressing layers of everyday life, and everything that is commonly related to indie music, all the beautiful qualities are rightly placed, highlighted by a modest intensity that sounds so natural, that you will feel instantly crushed when listening to this album. Of course, if you like the genre, in the first place. Nonetheless, this work, being as much as depressing as can be uplifting – fulfilled with very delicate and sometimes very discreet contrasts –, has the ability to captivate a much larger audience, outside the sphere of indie rock. 

A very good album, calm, melancholic and poetic, exceedingly rooted in the most ordinary aspects of life, Dancing is depressing intrigued me very much, for its gentle aspect, captivating melodies, delicate nuances and simplicity. And deserves to be regarded as a masterpiece, no doubt about that.      
 

​Wagner

alternative / indie / shoegaze

Well, that last album was so enjoyable that I don't feel like play some heavy stuff today. Which, of course, is good news for Poomse, a four-piece from Mallorca, Spain. In their email, they wrote "Though our songs are a bit 'softer' than most of the music you review we've got some elements from post-rock and mathcore so, why not try?", and I can't agree more. Of course their music has a place on Merchants Of Air. After all, they just release and damn pleasureable album.

There are indeed some influences from post-rock noticeable on some of these songs. However, if my knowledge of musical history is correct, post-rock evolved from shoegaze and slowcore, which makes a better description for this music. These are mostly slow pop songs with a great sense of melancholy, reminding me of bands like Low, Codeine, Red House Painters and at times even South San Gabriel meets Slint.

In a way, you can see most of the songs on 'This Is How We Fail' as folkish singer/songwriter tracks, enhanced with a full band. Songs like 'Out Of Tune', 'Break' or 'California' are quite minimal pieces of music, without too much technicality, which keeps the whole thing down-to-earth and intimate. Here and there you can hear a flash of grunge, like in my favorite track 'Worker Bees', a song that has something cabarettesque.

In all, 'This Is How We Fail' is an excellent alternative pop rock album, one in a genre you don't encounter that much these days. If you're a nostalgic person, longing for some nineties melancholica, this definitely is your thing. The level of songwriting is excellent, there's enough variation and there are some beautiful tunes to be discovered here. So check it out, you won't be disappointed.


​Serge

alternative / progressive / pop / indie

Don't you just love those albums that defy classification? Don't you just want to see the face of the record store owner who has to decide where to place a certain album in order to find customers for the thing. Will he put it in the krautrock and psychedelic section, or maybe in the stoner-division, or how about the immense department of pop music? Or indie? Listening to this album apparently makes me imagine that store owner go mad and eventually solving the problem by ordering enough copies to put it in all of the above. 

Underwater Sleeping Society is a band from Finland who, apparently, add a progressive touch to bittersweet pop songs from the sixties. With this new album, they return after a hiatus of six years, in which they "learned to be a band again and play for the fun of playing". In a way, you can definitely hear that on 'Instrumental Healthcare', which, by the way, is far from instrumental. There is a certain feeling of joy and utter pleasure, flowing through the melancholic pop melodies. 

If I have to compare this music to other artists, I guess I'll mention bands like the Beatles, Jefferson Airplane, Coldplay or The Flaming Lips but just as much electronic acts like Air or ​Röyksopp Opener 'A Ghost In The Room' for example, can be seen as an ancient pop song, enhanced with electronics and elements from post-rock. The result is pure melancholic bliss, guaranteed to make you smile.

Another aspect I like about the album, is the sense of modesty. Not one element, instrument or vocal line gets intrusive or overpowering. Instead, everything remains of a calm, listenable level. It feels like the songs are made by musicians who allow the music to write itself rather than showcasing their own technical abilities. And I like that. It's clearly audible in some my favorite tracks, 'Tomorrow's Yesterday' and the somewhat grungy psychedelic rock song 'Hexagon Eyes'.

Another song worth mentioning is the gloomy 'Big Fish Don't Know' which proves that Underwater Sleeping Society doesn't really cares about styles and genres. In this song you might encounter a hint of reggae, dressed in an indie rock atmosphere. Brilliant. 'Catnip Love' is another favorite, once again a track that beautifully combines the old and the new. Oh well, let's just say that the whole album is a welcome deviation from the harsh, in-your-face music that dominates today's underground scene. Check it out, you need something like this...


​Serge

indie / alternative / pop / singer-songwriter

Well, I guess it's time to get this review online. In the past month or so, I've spent several hours listening to the album and rewriting the whole article, only to have it end up in the drafts, waiting to be published. Why so? Well, this simply is a difficult album to describe. For starters, the album reminds me a lot of one particular act but I can't remember which one and that is bloody frustrating. Second, this takes a dig into my entire non-metal musical knowledge, especially the alternative corners of the pop music industry.

First things first, Klein is German multi-instrumentalist Lutz Nikolaus Kratzer. According to the biography, he loves all the instruments in the world, except panpipes. 'Bengal Sparks' is his third album under this moniker, one on which he surely comes up with a heap of instrumentation and electronics. He throws all of those instruments into nifty pop songs, here and there aided by either Mr Vast or Kuoko. 

Throughout this album, an massive load of bands come to mind, from Massive Attack over Ween to Sonic Youth. There are elements from shoegaze, from noise, from trip-hop and even some grunge licks. Yet, all of those elements have been blend into uplifting songs. It's not hard to start shaking your ass to 'Lowride', 'Parking Lot' or 'Nicotine Princess'. Speaking about 'Lowrider', this song is the indie rock version of an electro clash song. You know, Ween plays Goldfrapp, or something like that.

Come to think of it, I'm starting to believe that my little problem is solved. The band I couldn't remember, which is described in the opening paragraph, is probably Ween. The blatant disregard towards genre boundaries, the cheek-in-tongue approach, the joyful yet often gritty sound, this might have well been a Ween album. That also explains why I wasn't very fond of the album at first but love it now. It's the same with everything recorded by Dean & Gene, it needs to grow and gradually show its true brilliance.

So yes, I've grown quite fond of this one. It has become an excellent companion for my daily chores. The trippy 'Silly You' is one of my favorites and 'Ghosttown' definitely deserves a mention because both Massive Attack and Tricky completely forgot to write this beauty. Or how about 'Neon Fog', an americana tune, interlaced with soundscapes and shoegaze and I don't know what else. This is too good to be ignored, this whole album is. 


​Serge

indie / pop / folk

Cheers!Land  is an album released by 椅子 Chairs', an indie/ independent/ folk rock band from Taichung, Taiwan. With a clear sonority, and a very fresh and outspoken approach to indie rock as a whole, Cheers!Land sounds immediately remarkable, with a cautious, but nevertheless extrovert identity thrown into it. With songs amazingly built at the core of melodic resonances, with some elements of fresh pop and out layered marks of delicate and original pieces of soft indie music, very urban scenes and a young generations flavor, subtlety added as primary ingredients, give to this album a promising feature for these musicians to showcase their talent and overall potential.

Although it seems at first very fresh pop music, radio friendly oriented – and at a certain point while listening to this album, this is exactly what they could be labeled of –, their sound does have a wider appeal, a higher ground of consistency, and an intriguing, bold and daring originality. Sometimes a little too much pop, nevertheless you will feel some kind of magic while listening to this album. With some very peculiar elements of soft urban eastern pop rock, these youngsters really have an interesting talent, that they explore exceedingly good. With calm melodies, and very serene songs that easily cool down your heart, the virtuosity of these guys tell a lot about their seriousness and compromise towards their music, regardless of their abilities. Although a lot of their songs are in English, and the influence of western music is apparent in the whole album, at a certain extent, Chairs' manages to build a sonorous identity of their own, being interchangeably lucid, incredibly solicit and astonishingly sincere, all at the same time.

With ten tracks, being them Island, Annual Ring, Kaleidoscope, Dream Silently, The Formosan Dance, Scenery, The Golden Age Blues, Finally Home, A-Hui and Cheers!, Chairs’ does have it all to be the next big thing on their native Taiwan, at least to the younger generations. With some degree of adventurous feeling in their music, maintaining a higher seal of melancholic art, and a superior sense of originality, while at the same time holding a great range of popular appeal, they easily combine together all the elements that could launch them to stardom in their country. Being melodically soft without being too exaggeratingly pop, and being peculiarly popular without renouncing a higher appeal for artistic singularity, Chairs’ really does a great work on this particular album. With what appears to be an already fully matured line of work, a polyvalent goal of artistic excellence, and a very strong view of lucid objectivity, this is a band that really knows their potential, and what they have to do in order to achieve what they deserve. An interesting album, although somewhat impossible to please anyone outside the sphere of melodic pop/ soft indie music, Cheers!Land is an interesting album, that does have it all to be a landmark of the genre, in their native Taiwan.   

So, if soft pop/ indie rock/ melodic folk is your thing, you should give Cheers!Land a chance. I promise you will not regret! 


​Wagner

dark rock, indie rock, shoegaze, doom

Doomgaze, I'm not sure if that term already exists but it definitely covers the load on this album. I knew Mike from Consouling Sounds loves "slow music" but his taste certainly got wider over the years. His expertise brought us a lot of gems in the past, including albums from Inwolves, Jozef Van Wissem, CHVE, Dirk Serries...The list goes on and on. Now he adds another masterpiece to his, and our, collection, a stunning doomgaze album.

Triple Sun formed in 2011 after playing as part of Katia & Marielle Labeque's 'Minimalist Dreamhouse' over three nights at King's Place in London. Although they had different backgrounds the trio formed an immediate bond, a musical alchemy and they decided to continue working together. It must have been an interesting journey, where rock, classical music and avant garde somehow blended in something intensely captivating.

The sound of Triple Sun alternates between Bohren Und Der Club Of Gore, Anathema, Tool, Alice In Chains, Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Slowdive, Brian Eno, Sonic Youth, The Jesus And Mary Chain, The Cure and South San Gabriel. Yeah, I know that's a massive list of names but it should give you a general idea about how great this album sounds. Besides, that's not all, I even forgot to mention a number of drone acts and post-rock bands.

Always slow, usually quite dark, often coming close to the heaviness of sludge metal and often intimate and melancholic, I guess that's the best way to describe this music. Needless to say perhaps, but the atmosphere on this entire album is immersive, inspiring and gloomy, three of my favorite sentiments. I think 'There Are Weapons' is my favorite track, but I don't want to lift it out of context. You need to listen to the whole album.

So yeah, fellow slow music aficionado, look no further. This album will definitely maintain its grip on you in the near future. It's trip-hop for rock fans, ambient for doomers and drones for jazz fans. I don't know if that makes any sense but in Belgium we rarely do. We just know what good music is and we'd very much like it when you listen to it.


​Serge

shoegaze / trip hop

I think I've said it before, but there seems to be something special when a band contains siblings. They grow up with basically the same music, in this case Pink Floyd, gospel and motown music, and they've known each other for way longer than any other band members possibly can. Twins also seem to have another thing going for them: if you let them, they create their own unique language, completely incomprehensible for other people but perfect for their own, often secret, communication.

Musically, it often translates into something magical, something that goes deeper than the limitations of the instruments used. With The Veldt, that is no different, even though the songs on this album could be seen as nice and mature pop songs. The band was founded by identical twins Daniel and Danny Chavis from North Carolina (USA). Aided by a number of likeminded musicians, the band is about to unveil this excellent ep, a blend of shoegaze and electronics with a lot of heart and a lot of soul.

The ep opens with the emotional 'Sanctified', which is also the single. For me personally, it isn't the best song on this ep, which actually says a lot about the whole thing. In fact, 'Sanctified' is a very strong song, perfectly suited to be a single but the talents of De Veldt go way deeper. 'In A Quiet Room' and 'The Token' for example are brilliant songs in which Massive Attack meets The Jesus And Mary Chain. Closer 'And It's You' sounds a bit like Tricky covering a gospel song while giving the guitar player carte blanche.

​My favorite song on this ep is 'One Day Out Of Life', a Bauhaus meets Slowdive meets Cocteau Twins kind of song which is pretty damn immersive. This really is something for the dark dancefloors, late at night. The whole album is. So yes, I'd like to recommend this to all shoegazers out there, whether you like electronic music or not.  This certainly is an interesting trip, quite a psychedelic one too at times.

​
Serge

experimental / rock / indie

September 2009, one of my first Incubate experiences. A guy with a guitar and a drum kit, turning noise into post-rock or something. First he played some guitar, looped the whole thing and then he started drumming. I was amazed by this simple but effective approach and immediately bought his '22 Minutes With Sheik Anorak' cd. I remember the Incubate-booklet claiming that Sheik Anorak was a noise-act but that didn't cover the load, so to speak.

True, Sheik Anorak once started out as a noise project. With harsh guitars and pummeling drums Frank Garcia created a massive wall of sound. Yet, gradually, the project evolved, from noise over noise-rock towards indie rock and no wave. Today he's back with a new album, a very surprising one too. This simply is a splendid indie rock album, or 'lo-fi' if you prefer that tag. Mainly, it's a collection of experimental popsongs.

Opener 'Speaking Voice', and most of the other songs, feels quite experimental but is dressed as a bit of an innocent pop rock song. It immediately made me raise my eyebrows, not in disbelief but mainly in a 'wow, this is nice' kind of way. 'From A To Z' drives on steady drums, a repetitive guitar riffs and a delightful bunch of drones and soundscapes. 'S. Barigool' repeats that recipe but turns it into a free jazz track, or something like that.

It's hard to compare this music to other artists. Acts that come to mind include Caudal, White Stripes and even the surf rock of The Ventures. Yeah, that's indeed very far away from noise music. Hell, there's even a brilliant (half) ballad here, named 'Liar', raw, unpolished and repetitive, but very immersive and a pleasure to listen to. The whole album is an inspiring experience, which is exactly what I'm used to from Sheik Anorak.

So yeah, I'm glad that this act showed up in my inbox after almost seven years and I'm glad he seems to be stronger than ever. From harsh noise towards intelligent pop rock, this act has been through a lot of influences and genres but most of all he simply does whatever he wants and needs to grow as a musician. Check it out, unprejudiced, and you'll discover a world of possibilities.


​Serge

indie / rock / alternative / grunge

With all the metal on this website, we often tend to forget that there is a lot of other awesome stuff to discover.  Of course, we regularly take the time to check out some ambient and post-rock albums but so-called 'regular rock' music doesn't often appear on this website. It's a bit of a shame I know, but we just can't handle everything that comes in and our rock-music reviewer suddenly disappeared.  However, I'd like to present you this little gem I just found in my inbox. 

Lucy Dacus lives in Richmond, VA, USA. Inspired by the Springsteen records her parents played, she bought an acoustic guitar and taught herself some chords.  Perhaps she wanted to be the cool girl at school, a bit like some people would see girl rockers like Avril Lavigne or Anouk. In school she was introduced to the music of Broken Social Scene, Yo La Tengo and Ava Luna, bands that seemingly inspired her.

However, judging from what I hear on this album, Lucy slowly moved towards a rougher sound, leaving the radio-friendliness of some of the earlier mentioned bands behind her.  The acoustic guitar was replaced by an electric one, the distortion went up and a solid rhythm section was hired. What remained was her fragile voice over some strong rock music. It certainly is something I'd like to witness live this summer.

If I have to compare Lucy's music to other acts, I wouldn't add Avril Lavigne by the way.  No, Lucy has a different sound, one that comes closer to The Breeders, Veruca Salt or even Garbage.  Oh, didn't I mention grunge rock yet? Go ahead, put this album in your grunge collection.  The single 'I Don't Want To Be Funny Anymore' is a brilliant rocker and so is 'Strange Torpedo'.  Mid- to uptempo guitar pop which is pretty irresistible.

Yet, Lucy also knows how to kick out a few nice ballads, like the acoustic 'Trust' or the almost jazzy 'Green Eyes, Red Face'.  With the upcoming festivals in mind, I can only recommend checking this album out.  This is a breath of fresh air in an overwhelming and often obtrusive rock scene.  


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noise rock / indie rock

Last night, I was talking about the music industry with a friend of mine.  I was describing an article I found on the internet where a former music executive described a meeting that changed the face of hip-hop and rap music, making it more violent in order to get more (black) people into prison as  cheap workers.  (read that article here).  I wanted to make clear that the music industry isn't as nice and friendly as you would expect.  It is a mean business.

Swedish noise-rockers Traktor also understood that, hence the name of their new album.  They decided to take matters into their own hands and release this album on their own label. Furthermore, they organised a crowdfunding campaign for the vinyl edition.  In their own words: "The idea is to sell our lovechild as a digital download at the very reasonable price of €8 at first and then, when and if, the record is released on vinyl give our digital customers who feel the urge to have it on their shelves an offer to get it for only the shipping cost, or for free when picked up at one of the locations chosen by us."

Yeah yeah, that all sounds very nice and reasonable but how does it sound?

Well, for starters, it sounds pretty intense and blasts through my speakers with loads of energy. Although I intentionally described this album as noise-rock, there is a lot more to it.  In fact, you might see this as hardcore ('W.T.R.R.') induced indie rock, borrowing elements from both genres as well as noise rock ('Senter') and punk ('The Cause of and Cure).  Yet, most of all, it sounds like a bunch of friends having loads of fun by rocking hard.

The album is recorded in an abandoned school outside of Stockholm.  That also seems to add a lot of credibility to their do-it-yourself approach, which obviously derives from their post-hardcore past.  For me, it's hard to compare it to other bands. Perhaps I can mention Sonic Youth or Unsane, maybe a bit of And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, the drums of Foo Fighters with the vocals of Anthrax and the heaviness of Melvins.  I don't know, you figure it out.

All I know is that, regardless of classification, this is a highly energetic and dynamic piece of rock music which certainly deserves your attention.  For now, I am going to add this to my recommendations-list for the upcoming edition of the Dutch Incubate festival.  Traktor would fit in perfectly.  I'm quite sure that they can come up with an intense live set and convince an entire audience.  


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shoegaze / indie 

What a miserable day today.  Outside there is heavy rainfall, strong winds and cold temperatures. Inside it's dark, darker than it should be around this time of day.  From my window I can see people walking, hiding away from the rain, trying to find shelter in their coats.  Umbrellas are useless, some of them are already in the garbage can. The street is loaded with rubbish.  Tin cans, plastic bags, dog poo...  The wind collects all of it in a corner, piling up the waste that should have been picked up yesterday.

With a bit of imagination, it looks like an early post-apocalyptic wasteland:  eerie, damp and bleak. Birds seek shelter in the few remaining trees. I can see them when I sip my coffee and smoke my cigarette and I pity them.  Yet, in a way I feel them looking at me and pitying me because to them, I am one of those creatures who are so exceptionally intelligent that they are ruining their own environment.  Those birds and those trees will be here long after we have gone, that's for sure.

I'm inside, trying to review and album that fits perfectly with this dreadful day.  The band hails from Phoenix, Arizona, which lies somewhere in that massive country we call America.  The band members seem to have had some experience in the world of extreme metal but decided to try something different.  "Are they simply running along with today's shoegaze craze or is this something genuine", I wonder. Whatever their intentions are, I allow myself to float along with these sounds.

I hear flashes of The Jesus And Mary Chain, perhaps even a bit of My Bloody Valentine.  I read the song titles, 'I', 'II', 'III' to 'XVI'.  Some of them are short, droning breathers, others are overwhelming landscapes of blissful shoegaze.  I feel the extreme metal and hardcore background, secretly appearing in the immersive riffs.  Sometimes headbanging could be possible, but I prefer to gently nod my head, facing the floor.    

There are some vocals, hidden away in the background, calmy opening the darkest corners of his soul.  I decide to 'pump up the volume', so to speak, and before I realize it, I'm losing myself in the thick bleakness of True Cross' riffs and melodies.  At times, they come up with stunning post-rock passages and gentle melodies.  On other occasions they are harsh, piercing and intense. The alternation between the two is perfect, certainly for a wretched day like today.

After a bit over an hour, the album ends. The 'endless repeat' button on my Winamp media player decides otherwise and I am very ok with that.  I really like this album, like I said, it first perfectly with a day like today.  Yet, there might be a possibility that it goes right into our daily playlist, along with the bands I mentioned and along with acts like Nadja, Spoiwo, Slowdive...  The rain comes down harder and the volume goes up again.  To hell with this day, I'm shoegazing...


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indie / electronic

Time for something completely different now.  We're leaving the heavy guitars and the obtrusive nature of the rock scene behind for a while and we're delving into the often weird world of electronic music.  And why not.  There is a lot of talent to be found in those scenes and a lot of great music to explore.  There certainly are some strange and bizarre acts too, Hearts Hearts being one of them.

Hearts Hearts is a band from Wien, Austria.  Their music include influences from intelligent dance music, electronics, indie, jazz and classical music but still manages to somehow stay away from all of those.  The result is an odd album, loaded with broken rhythms, melancholic soundscapes and strange percussion.  Above all of that weirdness, there's the distinct voice of David Österle, a bit similar perhaps to Sigur Ros.

The songs on this album are complex, energetic but calm pieces of music.  There seems to be a constant opposites-attracts kind of feel, often evoked by drum & bass percussion on ambient soundscapes and those dreamy vocals.   Songs like 'Bend Pyramid' or 'Potemkinsche Dörfer' for example are nice pop tunes, dressed in an experimental gown, somewhat danceable but nonetheless almost otherworldly.

My personal favorites include 'Blood Level', which is a pop-ballad from Venus or something, and the Autechre meets Boards Of Canada meets Tricky song 'Hunter Limits'.  I might even dance to that if I ever get to chance to check out these guys live.  Another song worth mentioning is the beautiful ballad 'Inner Market', probably the most radio friendly tune on this album.  Yet, most of the tracks here are worth the effort of checking out.

So go ahead, explore this odd and interesting region of the music industry for a while.  Hearts Hearts have come up with an excellent album, proving that songwriting and electronics can perfectly go hand in hand.  Besides, they also prove that electronic music doesn't necessarily has to be cold in nature.  There is some genuine warmth coming from this piece of work.


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