Thursday, August 2, 2012

Stoned Reverence To Doom

Like many I've been waiting patiently for new material by Seattle's Samothrace.  2008's Life's Trade is a phenomenal record - perhaps one of the best records of all time in the greater doom genre.  Needless to say, expectations are quite high for Reverence To Stone.
My vinyl copy came in from 20 Buck Spin yesterday and I am delighted.  All of the trademark elements of Samothrace's sound are still present five (perhaps slightly turbulent) years later. Furthermore there seems to be a deliberate and purposeful refinement in their songwriting. The two pieces that comprise the album bare an exquisite preciseness; I have no doubt that the band took their time to make sure these songs matched exactly their creative vision, and it is clearly audible.

The greatness of Samothrace is in the passage of riff to riff, motif to motif...each lavishly explored, beginning with a sense of self-manifestation and ending like a phoenix combusting into its next form - a drawn but beautiful series of auricular movements. Though these tracks clock in at roughly 15 and 20 minutes, they don't feel anywhere near that long. Completely capturing the undivided attention of the listener, they surround as they pass and effortlessly carry you along throughout their full run.  Riffs twist and turn up steep slopes, gaining speed as they approach a mountainous peak in a heaven of dense misty clouds and refracting sunlight setting against a broad colorful horizon...and then they dissolve into the dark and brooding depths of cold, damp caverns harmonically rich with feedback and noise, guttural wailing, and sparse reverberating percussion.  Reverence To Stone ascends and then descends, saturated in a profoundly awakened heaviness and affection for cathartic melancholic beauty - it is an intense experience, and highly recommended.

You can listen to the album online thanks to Pitchfork. I've embedded their uploaded tracks here for your convenience...enjoy!

Subsequenaut

Intronaut is busy working on material for a new record expected sometime next year. They released this short video earlier today, and while it doesn't give much away it definitely gets me pretty amped. Valley Of Smoke saw Intronaut treading quite a bit of new ground in exploring sonic possibilities; it provided a variation of Intronaut without compromising their core character or quality. What's in store for 2013? Is it bad that I am already expecting my mind to be blown? When I listen to this I cannot help but want to pick up my guitar and create copious amounts of loud.

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Happy Belated Melodramatic Birthday To Me

I am in 90's shoegaze heaven thanks to my Mom and Dad; for my birthday this year they ordered all three Mazzy Star 180g vinyl represses: She Hangs Brightly, So Tonight That I Might See, and Among My Swan. These came out a couple of years ago around the time that Hope Sandoval spilled the beans that they were working on a new record, which is slated for release before the end of the year. My vinyls arrived this weekend and I must say that I am thrilled with the quality of pressing and packaging - the robust sturdiness of the sleeves is simply delightful; all high grade vinyl should come like this. I'm too often disappointed with 180+ gram discs that are housed in cheap, nearly paper-thin sleeves.
The music of Mazzy Star is a hazy summer afternoon of introversion - alone in a smokey and softly quiet room, the rustling sound of wind through trees reminiscent of the ocean. You look out further and further to what surrounds you now and what throughout the years has been the backdrop of life. As this eventually fades you inevitably meet yourself. Roles and dramas fall away...feelings well up and out. As you open, you empty. You stop being the proprietor of emotion, and instead become the releasing of it. Though initially intense, as you continue to deplete this magnitude diminishes...until you become nothing - inanimate and void of substance. Depressing? Sometimes. But nowhere can only become somewhere, and no one can only become someone. Nothing easily turns to anything and to everything. You can't grasp at past identity if you want to be free; you have to completely let go so that you can take hold of the reins once again. Mazzy Star is the cathartic fixed stare into the mirror that we all need from time to time.




Sunday, July 1, 2012

Novel Tea For Etherics

I have not really explored electronic music for quite some time, so admittedly I am far out of the loop. That said, it did not take me long to turn up the latest release from Silent Land Time Machine, and it's blowing my mind. I am no longer alone with myself and can only artificially recall the scary and beautiful feeling of solitude is, as a title as well as a record, a tremblingly lustrous piece of poetry. Each track steeps within the senses, working into the fascia of the physical and ethereal bodies where it saturates into the solidarity of our experience. As the record comes to a close, it carries a weight...you know that feeling when you've just finished reading an incredible book - one that spoke so deeply to your heart that you truly felt understood - one that left you with heightened energy and the sense of perfect aliveness? You assimilate the reading of that literature into the fabric of your being; from there on out that book is intertwined with who you are and can no longer be considered merely a physical object on a shelf. Try this on for a while and see how it fits...

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Why wait until the last minute when...

June has been a pretty inactive month for TimbreLeaf. This wasn't intentional, but it also wasn't unintentional. Other corridors of my life have been given much more of my attention lately. What little time I manage to assemble for creativity has been optioned to music projects: one long distance endeavor with a long time dear friend, some local jamming with a newer friend, and some very personal solo acoustic work.

Things have been busy. My dad went in for surgery a couple of weeks ago. This was the second related to the aneurysm that ruptured in his brain last October. I am happy to report that the operation was successful, resulting in an expected increase in his strength, independence, and return of personality traits. Every day I am in awe at how resilient my old man is...he still has so much drive and liveliness in him even after all of this. Seeing and hearing him laugh is an amazing gift that I will never again take for granted.

I also recently celebrated my 31st birthday. I had a small group of friends over and throughout the night I insisted my guests choose vinyl from my collection to spin. I am sure that it was mostly due to my insistence, but they cooperated nonetheless. Here's a sample of selections from the evening: Jethro Tull's Stormwatch, Sleepy Sun's Embrace, Fleet Foxes' Helplessness Blues, Do Make Say Think's Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn, An American Prayer, some random Polish polka, and Jethro Tull's Songs From The Wood.

Last night I spent some time exploring new music (well...new to me anyhow). It was the first time in a long while that I had actually dedicated time for doing just that. It was quite a fruitful evening as I stumbled upon a few things that may eventually find their way to TimbreLeaf. For now I'll leave you with a track from Seattle's Anhedonist, whom I've discovered thanks to the dangerously fantastic blog that is OMG Vinyl. Hearing this was a reminder and a beckoning - long has it been since I've delved wholeheartedly into this sort of dark and powerful music...and long has it been since I've allowed music to flourish in my heart the way I once had. It is time for me to nourish what I can no longer ignore.

PS ~ You may have noticed the incredible new TimbreLeaf logo above the blog archive. This was created by the exquisitely lovely and talented Rosemary of Rosemud.

Friday, June 29, 2012

The Thing V

The fifth Thing In The Spring came to a close the afternoon of Sunday June 10 with a very special set. To the surprise of many, Death To Tyrants had announced earlier this year that they would be performing a reunion show. I was disheartened when I realized that I was not going to be able to attend. Imagine my delight when their name appeared on the bill for this year's Thing. I'm extremely happy to have had a second chance and it was the perfect ending to an amazing art-filled weekend.

The festival kicked off June 8th at Peterborough Town Hall. The Town Hall's auditorium was the perfect step up as a venue for The Thing, featuring a large stage and ample space for seating, dancing, mingling, and merch. Later that evening entertainment moved down the street to Harlow's Pub for a late night dance party DJ'd by Redwing Blackbird's own Austin Wright. Saturday afternoon simultaneously featured both *broke: The Affordable Arts Fair and a Jem Cohen film marathon presented by The MacDowell Colony. In the evening we were graced with not 1 but 2 shows: one at the town hall, and the other at Harlow's Pub. If, miraculously, you managed to get up and out of bed Sunday morning Harlow's also featured a farm breakfast with cartoons - a mellow appetizer for the afternoon's grand finale.

Needless to say I was pretty spent by sundown Sunday evening. I relaxed at home reflecting on the festival, feeling refreshed and inspired to create. It sometimes just seems too good to be true to have such a rich art scene here in the Monadnock region, and even more so that every year we get to experience the showcase of talent that is The Thing In The Spring. I certainly never take it for granted.

I've deliberately chosen not to go into depth about each artist/band in this year's Thing post...there'd just be too much to squeeze in. Instead I'll let the music speak for itself. I have selected a single track from my bootleg of each indoor set. These tracks were recorded with a pocket voice recorder and thus are very raw, providing a fly-on-the-wall experience; don't expect sonic clarity, but instead let each track convey the atmosphere and energy of each performance. Accompanying each is a photograph by Elisabeth Fuchsia (her full set of photographs from The Thing can be found here). In some of the shots you can get a glimpse of Luke Ramsey's artwork as the backdrop for the main stage. Enjoy!

Friday - 01 - Mmoss
mmoss


Friday - 02 - Daniel Higgs
daniel higgs


Friday - 03 - Woods
woods


Saturday - 04 - PG Six
DSC_7510


Saturday - 05 - Brown Bird
brown bird


Saturday - 06 - Nina Nastasia
nina nastasia


Saturday - 07 - Mail The Horse
mail the horse


Saturday - 08 - Coke Weed
coke weed


Sunday - 09 - Red Sled Choir
red sled choir


Sunday - 10 - Death To Tyrants
death to tyrants


Personally, my highlights were the centering and spiritual experience that is Daniel Higgs, the foot-stomping swampy sounds of Brown Bird, and the intense instrumentals of Death To Tyrants. My utmost thanks and appreciation go out to Eric and Mary Gagne, all of the contributing artists, and everyone who helped put this together. Thank you all for a fun and truly memorable NH weekend!

Sunday, May 27, 2012

The Voyages Of The Soul

Whilst Record Store Day last month may not have been everything that I wanted it to be, the day was later ameliorated with the arrival of a very limited edition pressing of Alcest's Les Voyages de l'Âme. I had been patiently awaiting this vinyl's presence in my collection and had been tying myself over by streaming the record on Spotify pretty regularly since its initial release.  This special edition is on 180g gold-colored vinyl and unlike the first pressing dons the original gorgeous album artwork:
Les Voyages de l'Âme is overflowing with beauty to the extent that is just not possible to describe with words; I've honestly been putting off this post because I'm rendered speechless every time I sit down to listen to it.  Les Voyages... is an observation and artistic representation of the eternal part of what it means to be human - our legacy of touching the earth - the immortality of continuous generational knowledge and growth.  This is not just a record, but an affirmation of humanity on a personal, intimate level.  Further, it's a journey that can only be taken after a fall to a low, dark place. Some form of clarity arrives and the ascent begins...the bittersweet rise from the ashes of the phoenix. Some part of yourself is gone - left behind and not to be felt ever again, but with this transformation comes rebirth and the immense energy of an empty canvas.
I can feel my heart break but also open continuously...it could be a very confusing state for attempting to discern its reason or validity. Alcest's sound is the expression of this transfiguration of emotion from anguish and immense sadness to pure love and resolve to light; it's the wavering motion of emotional intensity and the understanding thereof with a clarity of heart. Through most of the record vocals are sung cleanly and comprised of delicate and graceful melodies set atop a strong foundation of varied guitar work and chord progressions. Occasionally brutal howls underly the deliciously lush vocal phrases and drawn melancholic instrumental motifs. Some passages border on shoegaze, others on blackened doom metal...and incredibly there really does seem to be nearly everything else in between at one point or another. Everything fits and flows like a natural and rocky stream - the whole record is delivered smoothly and with an organic confidence. It is also clear that Les Voyages... was meant to be taken as a whole, telling a sort of musical spiritual fairytale - chalk full of the mystery and majesty of life. It's a lonesome and well-needed wander through the wood: a meditation of the heart's song.

Speaking of walks in nature, Alcest has just recently released this lovely promo video for the title track...
The second side of the record opens with angelic choral vocals, immersing the listener in a dream state until blast-style percussion and driving guitars spill into the mix for one of the record's most powerful moments. When I hear this, I can only listen and not help but be swept away...
Les Voyages de l'Âme is easily one of my top picks for 2012; I have fallen in love with it.  All sung in French it is quite the sensuous treat - a sumptuous feast.  If you have not explored this masterpiece of an album yet, you are truly missing out on something quite special.

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Meshuggah / Baroness @ The Palladium

May 19, 2012.  I just returned from Worcester, wired from Meshuggah's intense and lengthy set.  I could have done without so much man sweat everywhere, but it was worth it to see all of the headbanging stop and start again every 3 to 10 seconds when the band would change time signatures.  They stuck with mostly newer material but dug as far back as Chaosphere and even Destroy Erase Improve.  To say their performance was tight is like saying the ocean is a bit wet...and although there wasn't much movement on stage apart from Jens Kidman's robot zombie gorilla gesturing, the stage art and lights kept onlookers well entertained.  Tomas Haake's percussive precision had my eyes fixed for much of their set.
Baroness played a well-varied set including a couple of new songs from the forthcoming Yellow & Green.   Despite the lackluster bass-trap sound of the Palladium they were great - vocal harmonies and twin guitar licks were beautifully executed.  It was very cool to see them on this bill between Poland's Decapitated and Sweden's Meshuggah: a break from the brutality to lay down some serious rock and roll.  The crowd responded by dissolving the pit and opting for copious amounts of crowd surfing.
I was hoping to pick up a vinyl copy of Koloss, but Meshuggah had very little music to offer at the merch table - only a couple of CD's and no vinyl at all.  I was happily consoled by 5th represses of both Red Album and Blue Record.  Sure, 5th repress doesn't sound special, but it is.  They're high-grade 45rpm double vinyl editions, limited to ~1000 (Red Album) and ~500 (Blue Record) copies in 2011.  These editions where the ones in my wish list; look at them...gorgeous!

Thursday, May 17, 2012

The Thing Returns

I am very excited for this year's The Thing In The Spring.  In about four weeks I'll be spending the weekend in lovely downtown Peterborough filling my ears with a variety of sounds, and enjoying the hopefully gorgeous late spring weather.

This year's lineup is brilliant: Mmoss, Death To Tyrants (!!!), Brown Bird, Coke Weed, Klessa, PG Six, Woods, Nina Nastasia, Daniel Higgs, Tongue Oven, Ouroboros, Mail The Horse, Rock Flint Contemporary Ensemble, and David Kontak.  As usual on Saturday there's *broke: The Affordable Arts Fair featuring dozens of local artisans hawking their wares for cheap.  Is that not enough?  How about a music documentary mini festival, breakfast and cartoons at Harlow's Pub, a bunch of free outdoor sets, and an after party?  Go get your tickets here!


Poster art by Ryan Wilson

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Jackpot!

I spent the day walking around Salem, MA with my Grandmother.  After asking at a few places we found the unassuming shop named The Record Exchange.  With no website and located well outside of the downtown and wharf areas, this place is quite the lovely hidden gem.  I was lucky to have enough time before they closed to walk away with a serious record haul.
All three classic Boston releases.  All first pressings.  Don't Look Back and Third Stage don't even look like they've been played.  These are not rare by any means, but in this condition are a very unusual find.
This copy of Patti Smith's Easter is an original and while the sleeve is quite a bit worn the vinyl disc is near mint!  The copy of Dream Of Life is also a first pressing and looks unplayed.
Cat Steven's Numbers: A Pythagorean Theory Tale.  The sleeve is worn, but complete with story book and inner sleeve; the disc is in very good condition.  A very interesting concept album featuring sides zero and one...very cool.

I brought all of this home for $37.  The Record Exchange just made my must-visit list.

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Grave Words: ...And Justice For All

It can sometimes be easy to forget how Metallica became a household name in the music world.  In recent years they've been the punchline to many jokes and the whipping post for much public ridicule.  This can leave a bad taste in anyone's mouth (or ears).  I certainly have not been keen to spin a classic Metallica record in a long while.  Today I got the urge and have been reminded that while they have not released a great record in many years, their legacy really is undeniable.  The fact is that who Metallica are now has greatly affected how we remember and perceive who they once were.  We can easily forget their three album rise to making it big and just how much impact they had on other metal musicians who then went on to do amazing things of their own.  How crazy was the speed thrash anthem Metal Militia in 1982?  How heavy was the apocalyptic nuclear doom opener Fight Fire With Fire in 1984?  How epic and orchestrated was the fan favorite Master Of Puppets in 1986?  It's not difficult to take them for granted after years of exposure and eventually excessive radio play.

Clear away your preconceived notions of Metallica, what they were and what they are.  If you can, forget you've ever heard them and then sit down and listen - really listen - to ...And Justice For All like it's the first time you've heard it.  It's 1988 and your mind is about to be blown.  These guys pulled out all the stops and made a truly uncompromising record.  No one was telling them what to do, and even if they were it's clear that no external input was heeded.  All bassless jokes aside, the production of the record was very tight, clean, and dry; it was quite harsh and gnarly for the eighties and reset the notion for what heavy music production could and would be.  Some say it was too clinical, but what I hear is a reflection of anguish and a stand in what otherwise may have been defeat.  AJFA is seeping with bitter, cold loss - there is no doubt in my mind that the music and sonic mood reflect the grief over the loss of bassist Cliff Burton in 1987.  There is a hard stifling of tears here, and a strong resolve to move on with a record that was as unconventional as it was commercially successful.  This record saw Metallica at the height of their technical skill and performance ability...and though many metal musicians today far surpass this level of skill, it was quite an innovative and impressive display in 1988.  I remember seeing these guys on the cover of nearly every guitar, drum, and metal magazine in the months, and even years, following its release.  This record reminds me of why Metallica was (and is) huge.
My original European pressing.
From the brutal opening track, Blackened, to the beautiful masterpiece To Live Is To Die and lightening quick double-kick-laden closer Dyers Eve, ...And Justice For All provides an ample amount of angsty sociopolitical lyrics and vocals, metronome-tight guitar licks, furiously pummeling drum fills, and progressive song structures and changes.  I am reminded that there is still space in my heart for classic 80's Metallica, and I am glad to welcome it once again.

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost

Ahhh...there's nothing like starting a sunny Sunday morning with a mug of hot water, a stick of sweet incense, and some mood music.  Jon Porras' new record Black Mesa wastes no time getting right to things; immediately our ears are met with a twangy, lush, and airy motif that sets the tone for the rest of the record.
The elders speak of the great Black Mesa, a mysterious and introspective space; a place seekers wish to explore in hopes of an initiation to a deeper plane of awareness.  There is something up there, on or within the plateau...an organic mirror that reflects our true self with no bias.  By way of the mirror we become the third person experiencing the extremes of both our positive and negative.  Undulations of emotion trigger memories and dreams that move us, and move through us, until a stillness takes hold.  Then through careful watching and breathing, our light and our shadow become one, and inseparable from the light and shadow of the world.

Porras captures the essence and ritual, not only of this figurative mirror, but also of the journey to discover it.  Preparing ourselves for the spiritual rite, working our way to the top of the mesa, and following our instinctual guides to where we need to be taken.  Our time on the Black Mesa is well spent in roaming and searching the dark corners of ourselves...and through an understanding of our cosmic composition, casting brilliant and boundless healing light into our own hearts.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Meditative Visions

The guys from Barn Owl are seemingly always working on something.  Just recently John Porras released Black Mesa (review imminent), and Evan Caminiti will soon be gifting us with Night Dust.  Important Records have tied us over with the heavenly droning enchantment that is Portraits.
This vinyl has been sitting, neglected, in my record bin now since its release in January (could it have be that long?!).  Portraits was actually tracked more than two years ago in winter of 2009 by members and former members of Root Strata, Terentel, Higuma, Date Palms, and Barn Owl - and utilizes a fine array of musical instruments.  I've finally set aside some music meditation time to give her a spin, and now I'm kicking myself in the ass for not getting to this sooner.  Portraits is an amazingly energizing record with a depth of introspective atmosphere.  At start our ears perk at the initial sitar (or perhaps tambura) drone, augmented by occasional sweet, ghost-like chimes.  Soon following, layers of instrumentation from electronic oscillator to bass clarinet form a collective movement which is eventually peaked by smooth ringing gong hits.  Side B opens with an earthy multi-voice chant, leads us carefully to a place of inner presence, and ends in a waking and reverberating subterranean rumble.  Though it does feature some electronics, all are analog effects and real tape loops, providing a very warm and lively sound.

The packaging is a textured screen printed chunk of thick cardboard folded in half, which houses a quality vinyl disc.  At $15 and limited to 500 copies, I highly recommend Portraits for those into atmospheric drone and to those seeking meditation music.

Monday, April 23, 2012

The Trampling Hooves Of The Feistodon: RSD 2012

I had a very busy day Saturday, but did not let that stop me from making a visit to the wonderful Toadstool Sounds in lovely Peterborough New Hampshire for Record Store Day 2012.  I must admit that I was fairly disappointed in this year's titles, however there were a couple that kept me content.

The faithful repress of Patti Smith's 1975 full length debut Horses takes the prize.  The original audio has been tastefully remastered and finds itself now pressed to high-grade, medium-weight vinyl just for RSD.  The last US vinyl pressing of Horses was in 1977, so this was long overdue.  The remaster was performed with a great attention to detail; we get a bit more bass and the upper midrange distortion has been nearly eliminated.  Because we also still get a little bit of the hissing S's, it tells me that rather than risking over-processing the original masters things were performed with a fairly light touch and a devotion to maintain the character of original recording.  Arista also did a great job of keeping the classic look and feel of the record with detail right down to the labels on the disc.  It has a sweet retro flavor, and I love it.
Be sure to look for Patti's new record, BANGA, due out this June!

When I first read the RSD 2012 list I thought someone may have made an error: a Mastodon/Feist split?  Indeed, the Feistodon 7" just seemed too cool to be true yet here it is in my hand.  Side A contains Mastodon's cover of Feist's A Commotion, from Metals:

Side B contains Feist's cover of Mastodon's Black Tongue, from The Hunter:

I rather enjoy when a cover is adapted into the performing artist's style and these two are great examples of just that.  Here's to hoping that next year we see more interesting titles and/or limited represses of hard-to-find gems.  Thank you to Patti, Leslie, and the men of Mastodon for making my RSD 2012 experience worth it, and thank you to Eric and Megan of Toadstool Sounds.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Steampunk-o-phone

When my friend Jeff mentioned a steam-powered record player last week I had to check it out and see for myself.  This is perhaps old news in some circles, but I feel compelled to share it here on Timbreleaf.  Simon Jansen's creation is far from fit for audiophiles, and indeed for anyone who actually wants to hear music...but it does work, is a bit insane, and I love it (further evidence that I am a geek).
Photo by Simon Jansen
You can read up on the basics of how it was made here.  Essentially, steam provides the power for the motor and the speed of the turntable is regulated by a servo-driven throttle that is controlled by a single-board microcontroller.  Control loop feedback is implemented with a coil to sense a set of magnets fixed to the spinning platter.  On first glance I thought of Seth Chatfield, a local artist here in New Hampshire.  Not only would he love this, but it would look right at home next to a few of his interesting creations.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Technical Ecstasy

While I somewhat regret not having ordered this from Relapse when it came out, perhaps picking up Obscura's limited vinyl pressing of Omnivium recently from a mom-and-pop establishment worked out for the best.  I ended up with the amazing mossy green splash colored vinyl, which may now be my favorite colored piece of vinyl...it's too wonderful for words.
If you're a fan of technical metal, you already know Germany's Obscura, who have embarked on an epic artistic undertaking of a multi-album concept - the scope of which essentially includes the creation, evolution, and destruction of a (the?) cosmos.  This, of course, wouldn't work at all if they weren't completely astoundingly talented as musicians and songwriters.  Some of what you hear in Omnivium will scramble your brain - harmonies that rotate intervals between the two guitars and bass, sweeped semi-harmonic arpeggiated chords, odd time signature changes complete with off kilter percussive rolls and fills, out-of-the-blue dissonant guitar breaks, and bass leads that creep in and out of the mix.  Other bits of what you hear will tap into the primordial self - bludgeoning caveman-simple thrash, palm-muted guitar chunk with double-kick backbeat ferocity, tight-knit rhythm grooves, and powerful guttural vocals.  Everything is sorted and organized just so by the collective science of the band, and yet still bares the emotion and soul of truly heartfelt music.  This is a combinational balance that very few bands can pull off...and even more rarely do it as exquisitely as Obscura have here.  Like the work of a master carpenter, everything fits together perfectly; joints and edges are square and finely matched with a precision of superior craftsmanship and love - their are no glue spots or unsightly gaps...only the marriage of art and form.  Here's the nearly instrumental penultimate track from the record...


Obscura are about to release a collection of demos and covers called Illegimitation and hit the road in Europe with Spawn Of Possession, Gorod, and Exivious.  Here's to hoping they make it back to the States for another leg before we have to wait for their next record.

Thrifty Instincts

Some months ago I picked up an old disheveled record cabinet from Murray's in Peterborough.  It was somewhat abused and seems to be amateurly hand made: a bit wobbly and covered in wax candle drippings...a hippy artifact of yesteryear?  It had far too much character to pass up.  Since then it has been my on and off again project.  I disassembled it to removed the sliding doors, sanded it down to the bare wood, double stained it, smoothed the finish, painted the feet black, double matte sealed it, reinstalled the doors, and tightened things up a bit to eliminate the wobble.  I never took a before picture when it was all the color of the inside portion, but here's what it looks like now in English Chestnut...
She still needs a few extra finishing nails and maybe some wood glue, but I am very pleased with the results for my total of ~$20.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

The Owls Are Not What They Seem

I was not aware that this record existed until Jon Porras mentioned it to me last autumn during the Lost In The Glare tour stop in Allston, MA.  Garden Sound was a one-off collaboration project by Barn Owl (Evan Caminiti & Jon Porras) with Dewey Mahood and Jed Bindeman of Eternal Tapestry.  When hunting down the quite limited pressing of Black Summit, I surprisingly stumbled upon a like-new copy which I purchased for fifteen American dollars.  A great find.

Knowing both the sound of Barn Owl and Eternal Tapestry, Black Summit sounds pretty much like one would anticipate...and this is not a bad thing in the slightest.  Dewey and Jed are here providing ET's garage psych rock foundation - even steady beats and percussive accents to repeating guitar motifs and variations on thereof.  Barn Owl fill in the gaps with drone and feedback, topping off the mix with light touches of entrancing chiming nuances left to ring out.

The record exudes a mystic atmosphere - not overbearingly dark, but heavily foreboding.  As the observer it is often easy to feel as though you are on the edge, waiting for the break, fall, or spill to take take you to a plateau of resolution.  This may be because, though relaxed, there is often more going on than at first glance.  The three guitars overlap, complementing and augmenting each other in a way that embraces the leading edge of presence...something often experienced in good improvisation; Black Summit has a bit of that live vibe.  You can feel each piece working to carry things through from one section to the next quite naturally...but also that it could have happened in any number of ways.  The percussion seems to effortlessly reel things in and keep it grounded - from getting too drawn or too stagnant.  The second track (found below) is the heaviest and most immediately intense of the four, in which each element is more narrowly focused on creating a particular and singular whole sound movement.
I'm very happy with my purchase.  Black Summit has made a lovely and unique addition to my collection.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Lost In The Sky's Dream

I was introduced to San Francisco's Sleepy Sun a couple of weeks ago and cannot stop listening...nor could I resist the sweetness of their sound on vinyl.  Both Embrace and Fever, their first two albums, arrived by post this weekend.  Their third, Spine Hits, will be released April 10th and supported by a lengthy tour.  I've preordered my copy at The End Records' webstore for a mere $12.99.  Rumor has it that we came very close to getting a tour date right here in Peterborough, NH that fell through...quite disappointing.
I love high grade vinyl...too much, perhaps.  Both these discs are top notch pressings and filled with classic rock haze.  Like when the sun is muted behind a veil of passing clouds that eventually break and give passage to the intensity of light, energy, and warmth - Sleepy Sun oscillate beautifully between the shimmer of mellow psychedelic hippy jams and an electric cascade of stoner fuzz rock-and-roll.  The softest moments are stripped down to acoustic folk ditties, while the heaviest are rich with warm distortion and falling-tree riffs.  It's quite possible that Sleepy Sun are equally as influenced by Simon and Garfunkel as they are early Black Sabbath.  Vocals throughout are smooth and robust, featuring male and female voice in duet and lush harmony.  The integration of all these elements couldn't be more fluid and natural; Sleepy Sun make lovely, lovely work.
Wild Machines (Fever)

Golden Artifact Official Video (Embrace)

I highly recommend checking them out, with Fever as a starting point.

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Birds & Trees: Redwing Blackbird & Arborea @ Mindful Books

February 4, 2012.  I had not been to Jaffrey's Mindful Books in years.  Last night I finally made my way back to scope out The Listening Room - a series of intimate musical performances.  This instance featured New Hampshire's own Redwing Blackbird and Maine's Arborea.

Redwing Blackbird had indeed been busy since the last time I caught them.  That I could tell, their set featured only new songs - Austin putting down his six nylon strings in exchange for solid-body electricity.  The folky acoustic duo here offered a hybrid flavor: strumming and plucking was married to shimmering and warmly driven amplified textures.  Mellow, humble songwriting and sincere words sung true and harmonized, remained present and unmistakable.  Hearing RWBB play is like getting a hug from a good friend: inviting, calm, refreshing, and reassuring.  I'm very much looking forward to their next record, and you should be too.
Redwing Blackbird - Nightingale live on NHPR

Husband and wife Buck and Shanti Curran, a.k.a Arborea, play a delightful blend of airy psychedelic folk/folk rock.  A wide variety of instrumentation lends itself to the sweet and sweeping musical backdrop as the duo switch on and off.  The twanging of banjo or ukulele, droning of harmonium, or combination timbre of ban-jammer is paired with guitar - sometimes an electric played with EBow or glass slide, other times a steel-string acoustic carefully strummed.  This is all transcended by Shanti's crystalline empyrean voice that effortlessly moves through the room and into your chest.  Arborea soaks in to your heart and finds it's way to the part of you that resides below surface-level patterns and drama.  There it steeps, adding strength to one's purpose and ease to unfolding.  Just close your eyes and be.
Arborea - Black Is The Color

Last night was much needed.  I've lately found myself in a restricted space, out of tune...unmotivated and unaligned with love.  Meeting some new people and sharing the gift of these two band's music, energy, and motion has helped to remind me of where I am called to be - floating along again as my own vector of life's great current, rather than an entity separate and caught in its tides.  Thank you.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Selections From 2011

I have finally stumbled upon a few small blocks of time; with it I've put together a selection of albums from 2011.  While I could write pages of praise about Feist's Metals, Fleet Foxes' Helplessnes Blues or Obscura's Omnivium, I'd rather put some effort into picking out some perhaps less obvious releases that haven't showed up on most of the top 2011 lists that I've seen.  This list is in no way ordered or ranked - they are each great records in their own right.  I hope you enjoy.

Tones
Small Sur
The latest release from this Baltimore, MD band is very warm, mellow, and rich with a vibrant and appreciative energy.  Their lyrics are simply beautiful, undeniable, and powerfully recharging.  Tones reminds you of how absolutely wonderful it is to be a living human animal being amidst the lush landscapes of earth.  I LOVE this record.
The Long Procession
Amia Venera Landscape
This technically came out in December of 2010, but I cannot help but include it here.  Technical, bludgeoning, and massive riffs meet with sweeping ambient interludes, dissonant cyclones of noise, and melodic melancholic doom.  This album is relentless, and dare I say perfect.  AVL's more-than-impressive self-released debut is a monumental triumph of modern metal.
Your Name In Secret I would Write
Red Heart The Ticker
Heartwarming and homey New England folk by husband and wife duo Robin MacArthur and Tyler Gibbons.  With a mixture of mostly traditional and some contemporary instrumentation Your Name... recreates several "lost" Vermont folksongs which MacArthur's Grandmother spent many years tracking down.  You can read and/or listen to the story behind this very unique record on NPR Music.

The Volume In The Ground
Adeem
Hiphop from New Hampshire...learn it.  This LP keeps you swaying from beginning to end with original beats, catchy loops, smooth grooves, and thoughtful words.  Hiphop with insight is the best best hiphop and Adeem does it right.  The Volume In The Ground is forward-stepping recognition of what is, with a realization of positive intent for what will be created...for what is at the leading edge.

Searchlight Needles & Blue Highways
CONC has a classic aesthetic - a vibe that resonates with a simple and introspective expression.  I can't help but hear these two records with a mental movie being projected in my mind.  There's something theatrical yet understated here - like montage music in an artsy indie film, or the backdrop to a solemn actress providing a lonely stage performance - a lovely monologue mirror to the soul.
Angels Of Darkness, Demons Of Light
Earth
Ambient psychedelic stoner rock at its finest.  Slow, repetitive, and sonically rich tapestries are carefully woven over three sides of vinyl.  Ghost tones swell and ebb between guitar, cello, and various "devices".  The result is a creation of intimate and warm space, in which each musical movement breathes with the listener in appreciation of presence.
Acrobats
Peggy Sue
Poppy, brilliant UK indie rock chock full of amazing songwriting, creative twists, and musical exploration.  Acrobats is gorgeously melody rich and impeccably heartfelt.  Vocals are cute, sultry, and very well trained.  Each piece of well-varried instrumentation works for the whole of each song in a beautifully balanced way...and each song, offering a distinct flavor, complements the others, making for a diverse but cohesive work of art.  This album is an absolute joy.


777: Sect(s) & 777: The Desanctification
Experimental psychedelic black metal...maybe.  I don't know what to call this except quite interesting and quite good.  Here Blut Aus Nord provide an intense artistry to the mathematics and mystery of musical sound: overlapping repeating illusionary patterns, majestic and cryptic motifs, grating dark dissonance, and odd time changes.  These elements combined with gritty guitars, sweeping eerie keyboard ambiance, and haunting vocals comprise the sound of the two 777 records.
His Young Heart & The Wild Youth
Daughter
I fell in love with Daughter toward the end of last summer; I listened to His Young Heart's four catchy tracks too many times to count.  Daughter's work is concise, passionate, soft, and bursting alive with the human experience.  There is a vulnerableness and yet also a fierceness present in Tonra's lyrics - her voice carries them into your heart where they settle in as your own.  These two EP's are simply beautiful.

Night Gallery
Eternal TapestrySun Araw
Lustrous, sensual waves of shimmering, living, meditative celebration.  This collaboration is an uncanny match made in heaven.  Droning organ, airy scrambling synths, reverb soaked electric guitars, drumming bass, and subdued percussion repeatedly climb into space and slowly glide down again.  This record is like the lost live interlude outtake from the most tranced-out Doors show imaginable.  That is all you need to know.

They Will Find You Here
Sleepy Vikings
This Tampa Florida band has quite a fantastic debut album of somewhat shoegazey, melodic tunes.  Mixed male and female vocals harmonize over acoustic strums and clean electric leads whilst percussion sets the pace, sometimes picking things up a notch.  A softness and loving acceptance pervades the energy of the whole record - it's a great way to refresh and recharge the soul.
Eylsian Magnetic Field
Dirge
The name Dirge is a perfect reflection of this French band's sonic character.  Eylsian Magnetic Field is hugely epic "post-metal" funeral dirge doom.  Ambient, droning, and heavy - this record creates a weighty, introspective, crestfallen space.  Keyboards, choirs, and organs add an airy breathe to the sludge and dirt of tuned-down guitars and downtrodden percussion.  Vocals crown the mix with gruff cathartic wails and desperate laments.  This record leaves you empty and ready to move.
We Will Start A Storm
Loch Lomond
Portland Oregon's Loch Lomond are in the studio right now working on the followup to this record...and they indeed have their work cut out for them.  This album is a treasure-trove of charming and melodious songwriting.  They have reached a pinnacle here: each song is just what it should be - no more, no less.  With varying depth of instrumentation and voice, Loch Lomond have served each song just so.  The result is passionate art: wonderfully lovely to the ears and heart.


Well...that's it I suppose.  There were so many amazing records in 2011 it's impossible to choose a small selection and not leave something out.  I've done my best to pick out the records that I had not already written about, and that seemed to have evaded the praise of many popular bloggers and critics.  2012 is looking to be a powerful year for music; many great artists and bands have already announced releases and projects in the works.  I am very excited to find new and inspired sounds to fill my ears.