Covering all the Music You Didn't Know About Since '96

Another dark industrial EBM and dance album by one of best up-and-comers this past decade has seen in this genre, Suicide Commando. “Implements of Hell” smashes your skull against hard concrete drum loops, techno acid synths, and distorted vocals that could only be heralded by people who have a sinister desire of the dark gothic underworld. The album populates each banging beat with gyrating club-friendly melodies that while harsh are still undeniably catchy. To date Suicide Commando had yet to release such a compelling stroke of genius that was across the board fantastic but “Implements of Hell” does just that and much more raising the bar for everyone else in a very dominated EBM genre.

Remixes of KMFDM’s latest album released in 2009, “Blitz”; “Krieg” is a body-crushing dance nightmare with some of scene’s bravest and best innovators tapped to revision the music into something distinct and even more intriguing than the original track. The album opens with a bang with Combichrist’s “All 4 One Mix” of “Bait & Switch”, sounding like a rave held at an abandoned east European factory.  Then “Strut” is rerubbed by Andy Selway whose “Disco Balls” mix is dirty and reminds one of Lords of Acid. Seismologist offers up a darkened “Potz Blitz!” that bleeds old school industrial dance. Prong grabs their distortion pedals and pounds on your eardrums with their rendition of “Bait & Switch”. Skinny Puppy contributor and engineer Dave “Rave” Ogilvie brokers his take on “Never Say Never” with a mix that’s surprisingly very Yo Gabba Gabba with its sun-soaked synths and pleasant melodies. Other notable contributors are Komor Kommando, Assemblage 23, tweaker, Koichi Fukuda, and Vile Evils (Pop Will Eat Itself).

The group featuring Mrs. Miller and Mccabe, neither of which is the real name of either of the duo whom are properly referred to as Victor Krummenacher (Camper Van Beethoven, Monks of Doom) and Alison Faith Levey (The Loud Family, The Sippy Cups), performs stirring indie pop with an Americana twist. But refusing to be slipped into a specific genre cabinet, the group delves into Southern blues, folk, pop ballads, roots-rock, jazz, and pleasant acoustic. It’s foot-stomping fun that refuses to succumb to any industry pressure to sound like this or that. I love that. And you will too. Looking for the next big thing that none of your hipster friends have heard yet? Pick up “Time for Leaving” and you won’t be disappointed.

Peep a video for these indie pop rockers for the title track:

Lesson 1 for those of you in unsigned bands hoping to get review coverage and notice in the music industry – first impressions are key. And no I’m not just talking about the fact that the first 30 seconds of your first song should be killer (that’s a no brainer folks) but it’s the little things, like the look-n-feel of your packaging. Some bands subscribe to the notion that they should put airplane size bottles of booze in there (awesome and much appreciated, keep ‘em coming!), others have cute 8×10 press cuts (yawn, please no more brick wall photos, thanks!), and then the inventive take it from the very first look – what and how you pack your music that’s sent via the mail. Get Laid nailed it – excuse the pun. Not only did they use Simpsons stamps, which is universally noted as ‘awesome’ but they put their vinyl in a decorated package. Going that extra mile means the world and shows that you really REALLY want folks to open it up to see what surprises lay inside. “Pretty Weathered” is a female-fronted proto-punk, spazz, and crusty indie rock outfit that deploys intriguing stop-and-go guitar chugs while firmly nodding to their hardcore brethren. “Decca A.D.” is oddly a B-side but could be their lead track. Easily mistaken for D.C. era post-hardcore and dare I say, emocore, Get Laid is one up-and-comer that everyone worth their salt in the music biz and Regular Joes who just want to be in the know for the next best band. Love it.

Nite Nite – How to Touch the Moon

Imagine if Bjork’s voice was put to a backdrop of Siouxsie and the Banshees and you’ll conjure an image of Nashville’s Nite Nite’s brand of gothic rock.

Gerald Krampl – Innocent Wasteland

Sober minimalism of ambient meets classical, “Innocent Wasteland” reaches out past the more traditional feel of spirituality and meditative healing that he had been composing alongside his wife and poet Hilde who passed away a little over 7 years ago under the name Agnus Dei. He also wrote and created a multimedia project about the Holocaust. Gerald focuses on the mellow side of things with this reflective journey of classical ambience. Beautiful.

Matt Weston – Seasick Blackout

Experimental noise and compositions that is staggeringly different from most anything this side of John Zorn that you can find. It’s weird and different and sure and if you give it a chance (and you damn well better), can help propel your musical tastes into a whole new surreal chapter. Not for the feint of heart.

Listen to a sample [MP3]

Proud Simon – Anchors Aweigh

Nice album title pun guys! Journeying through Americana, folk, and alternative pop, Proud Simon write great songs that are poetry wrapped in rhythms and harmonies. Nice and since you can download it for free, you might as well give them the old college try, eh?

Download the EP for Free!

Ramblin’ Dawgs – Shoot ‘em Up

New Jersey natives that play your standard blues rock bar music. Nothing special but entertaining enough that you’d probably go out to see them again and have a good time. Isn’t that what it’s all about sometimes?

Elaine Lachica – I Think I Can See the Ocean

New York’s Elaine Lachica is a classically trained soprano and her music is extremely intricate and inventive in the vein of the Cocteau Twins and Regina Spektor. Nice.

Gabriel Johnson – Fractured

Trumpeter Gabriel Johnson blends electronica releases an album on Carmen Rizzo’s label whose worked with the likes of Coldplay, Paul Oakenfold, Jem, and Seal to name a few. “Fractured” takes the notion of jazz to the modern era and spins it up a bit. Intriguing.

The Bodies Obtained – Dead Plans

Experimental electro that dapples in gothic rock, industrial, and noise, The Bodies Obtained are a wealth of avant-garde but their post-punk/post-electro soundscape does take a while to grow on you.

The Heligoats – Goodness Gracious

Smart indie rock from Chicago from a band that’s been a bit of an after thought in a way for the folks in the group off and on for a decade now. Melancholy melodies and loosely strummed guitars form the crux of “Goodness Gracious” and everything builds from there on out. Definitely an album you need to re-listen to a few times to fully soak in all of the nuances that are going on – no that doesn’t mean it’s an art rock album filled with weird studio tricks, but that it just needs proper time to be absorbed the right way. Good stuff.

The Sexy Accident – A Merry Christmas to You – Remix

I guess I was a little late on the timing of this one. Power-pop remix of the band’s X-mas song with clips from “It’s a Wonderful Life” along with the original and the b-side, “Say Goodnight”.

Yukon Blonde – Yukon Blonde

‘70s era pop-rock with power pop chops and lucrative melodies rich decorate the catchy harmonies breathed out by Canadian indie outfit Yukon Blonde.

Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba – I Speak Fula

Malian musician Bassekou Kouyate has been around the music world for a long time and jammed with the likes of Bonnie Raitt and U2’s Bono as well as gotten praise from Eric Clapton. His chosen instrument is a derivative of the banjo, known as the ngoni, or ‘spike lute’. He in fact has taken the instrument and created his own magic with it, creating his own trademark sound and one that cannot be copied. “I Speak Fula” is an album that is a great testament to his great accomplishments and his musical lineage.

U-Melt – Perfect World

Progressive rock with plenty of grooves, “Perfect World” by U-Melt is their third studio album and was recorded in their home studio in Brooklyn, not that you can tell with its dashingly grand sound.

Sambada – Gente

Afro-Brazilian brilliance from Santa Cruz, California? Seems unlikely but boy does it ever work with elements of surf-rock, reggae, and funk blended effortlessly by a band who likes to show off their capoeira talents as well. Radical.

Various Artists – Happy Holidays from Ye Olde Hometapes 2009

Again I’m not so topical, but better late than never! Home is where the tapes are. Hometapes, one of the best indie labels out there, was kind enough to mail out old school cassette tapes (wow am I really THAT old now?) to friends and family. Featuring some of the best on their roster of awesome, the compilation is also available for free digital download here.

Robert Valente – Alive

Pop-inflected melodies percolate this folk/country hybrid, “Alive” by Robert Valente, an unsigned artist from California. Lyrical it’s astute and matched nicely with well-blended instrumentation. Nice.

Hallowed Butchery – Funeral Rites for the Living

Doom metal from one of the coldest states in the U.S., Maine. Symphonic doom that trails the line between hard-edged soundscape and something along the line of Neurosis, Hallowed Butchery is a fascinating listen.

The Dojo Workhorse – Weapons Grade Romantic

Calgary-based The Dojo Workhorse pumps out coffeehouse indie pop that feature eclectic instrumentation such as the lapsteel guitar, cello, viola, tap dancing (yeah that’s right), and the glockenspiel. Vocally they’re on point and could easily be a featured band at a Starbucks near you – though I doubt that they’d go that commercial, they’re far too “lo-fi”.

Real Vocal String Quartet – Real Vocal String Quartet

Given the band moniker and the self-titled album, you can imagine what you’re getting – vocals and violin/viola/cello. So now that we’re out of the “no-duh” category”, I’d like to point out that this isn’t chamber music – there’s African trance, circus/klezmer bluegrass, influence.

Chaos Invocation – In Bloodline with the Snake

Debut by German atmospheric black metal outfit; yes it’s clichéd and typical but if you’re into this genre, why not check it out?

Virtual Humans – Transcend

Brazilian group that boasts (?) they have no “real” singers but in the same breath say how their focus on lyrics about human subjects is key. I guess they’re trying to do something pretty cerebral here but it falls flat, both in their delivery (I think they should actually ABANDON the notion of singing since they can’t) and their mantra. The only coup they pulled off was convincing me it was worthwhile to give their yawning barf of modern college pop-rock a listen. If Elvis Costello was dead, he’d haunt their asses.

Bridges & Blinking Lights – Heroes, Guns & Snakes

Chunky guitar hooks bridges the indie pop harmonies and their energetic rock mantra. Their singer reminds me a bit of the dude from My Morning Jacket but the one complaint I have is that it really feels at times as if he’s holding something back. Definitely an album for those of you looking for something off the beaten path of more traditional indie rock.

Carnaval – 2

Due to complications with the recording studio, this second album of stoner rock from Slovenia by Carnaval is their first debut album; that drama aside, Carnaval churns out chunky guitar-centric stoner wailings with dense song structures.

Concentric – Immeasurable

Milwaukee’s acoustic instrumental trio Concentric composes complex progressive music that is sharp, brilliant and special – far from what you would classically dub “acoustic instrumentals” (I swear they have blast beats!). An intriguing listen and something for those of you looking for something unique and off the beaten path but still amazing and catchy.

Yet another notch in the holy belt of engineer and musician Kurt Ballou (Converge), “The God Complex” was recorded in his den of awesome, God City Studios in Massachusetts and boasts annihilating aggressive hardcore that strays from conventions. Another Breath was formed in 2003 by a bunch of friends that grew up in “The City with a Future”, also known as Fulton, New York – yeah I know, that’s a misnomer, no one has heard of it…but maybe in the future? Anyway, this eleven-song masterpiece churns out perfected lyrical writing by singer Ted Winkworth (doesn’t his last name sound like some Golden Ticket winner from “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”)? Okay I digress. The guitars are aggressive blending harmony with dissonance. Each song seems to build off the last and by the end of the LP, you feel like you just experience a 12-round slug fest with the best boxer in the sport. Isn’t it awesome that at this point in the realm of hardcore, there are still bands reinventing the genre?

Check them out on MySpace.

Plus peep some footage of their record release show:

Balmorhea is an acoustic quartet from Austin (where else?) releases yet another brilliant and stunning array of surreal music. Their ’09 album “All is Wild, All is Silent” received rave reviews and “Constellations” won’t settle to just ride on its coattails; instead the group reinvigorates itself with meditations on cosmos and the metaphysical worlds beyond our mental grasp. Beautiful piano tinkling that tickles the ear drum and serenades you with a wild array of emotions.

Balmorhea – Constellations

Obviously the album title tilts the subject matter on its collective axis, wondering what is out there amid the chaos. Colorful melodies harmonize with a core of musical accolades that easily put Balmorhea among some of today’s biggest rising stars. At times you’ll find yourself almost worn thin because each track is that daunting but once you deconstruct it, your mind and ears find yourself reinvigorated to the Nth degree. It boggles my mind that this group is still somewhat of an unheard of entity in the music world. They are clearly one of most inventive, talented, and cerebral groups to come out of the Austin, Texas scene, which is like saying someone is the best Rhodes scholar.

Sometimes cinematic soundscapes can seem elemental, almost dire and borderline snoozing – this is absolutely never the case with “Constellations” which constantly engages the listener in a new fashion as each tune progresses. Daunting, brilliant, and stirring – oh and did I mention, acoustic? Jaw dropping to say the least. Just watch their live performance on KEXP during SXSW for further proof:

KEXP live @ SXSW: Balmorhea – Coahuila from KEXP RADIO on Vimeo.

Or watch a short film…I mean is there anything Balmorhea can’t do? Dodge bullets comes to mind, but I think they could lull violent acts into submission!

Indie rock that’s busy bridging gaps and forging in the forest of dissonance and chaos, “Instant Everything” by Untied States (that’s not a typo English majors, thanks) is a whirlwind and cacophony of noise, both spazzy and delightful. Post-punk noise nuance is a great way to describe this Atlanta-based five-piece. Experimental jam sessions gone awry and hectic, lunging from unexpected to predictable seemingly in the same stanza of prose. I hear a lot of yesteryear Sonic Youth influences minus Kim Gordon but plus David Yow of the Jesus Lizard. Loud and abrasive guitar-centric noise machines Untied States write raw and authentic college rock anthems that are sometimes hard to follow but always pleasing to the appreciative ear.

When people mutter the word “crossover” in regards to music, I find it usually is a reference to two possibilities – one being that it’s a “nu-metal” type band from the ‘90s in the vein of Korn or Deftones or hell even Limp Bizkit, and the second being even worse, an excuse for not being able to write music that’s good, thus using a genre crutch to get by the simple fact that your band can’t write anything cohesive or imaginative. Slow Six has convinced me that there’s a third; a genuine crossover that crosses the genres of classical in the traditional sense with electronic music in the semi-traditional sense – and I’ve found that more and more bands in this hybrid genre are being self-referential when saying the ‘c’ word. Interesting how music and the verbiage to describe it constantly is evolving, huh?

Slow Six – Tomorrow Becomes You

The music of this breed is one that is both a stripped down and raw acoustic-electro experiment that refuses to abandon the structures that classical music has eschewed for a handful of centuries now. “Tomorrow Becomes You” is somewhat prophetic in this sense, offering a new style of minimalism that darts and dashes through high-brow melodies harmonious with slow-building cacophonies of sound that simply overwhelm the senses. Crafting soundscapes this rich and surrounding, almost to the point of sonic suffocation is no doubt a challenge, but one that Slow Six has raised the bar in creating. Even more elating that the timeless pieces of music that the group has composed is the fact that Christopher Tignor, who is both the band’s violinist and resident software engineer, has released his custom written music software to the general public available for free on their website. Stunning people, stunning. This is a must-have for 2010 – they’re touring in support of “Tomorrow Becomes You” and if you are lucky enough to see one of their shows, please leave comments, I’d be fascinated to know what that experience is like.

Listen and watch a live rendition of “Echolalic Transitions” as performed on WFMU:

Slow Six – “The Pulse of This Skyline with Lightning Like Nerves” with video art by Shimpei Takeda:

Recommended If You Like: Philip Glass, Brian Eno, Tortoise, and The Dirty Three

Orange County may be the most Republican county (and rich, hmm coincidence?) in all of California, but Chaser is all about the Do-It-Yourself scene and have been a part of it since 2002. Playing their brand of melodic mall punk with a twist of alternative rock, Chaser drops fast rhythms and quick guitar pacing alongside melodic and somewhat nasal vocals. Think of No Use for a Name or other California, mid-to-late ‘90s pop-punk and you get the general gist. Not that it’s a bad thing, but I think “The Big Picture
” is more of a time filler between listening to really good albums than something I’d boast about to all of my friends about “being the first to be into this album”. There are some great guest spots that really augment the album though, namely Death By Stereo’s Dan Palmer and Authority Zero’s Jason Devore. As you might imagine you may have already seen them on the Vans Warped Tour (they played on it in ’08) or you may see them soon (they’re touring with Guttermouth in the early part of 2010) and they had some amount of national notoriety with their hit single “Numb America” that was out in 2006 with KROQ giving it a lot of spins.

Follow Chaser on Twitter.

Watch a live video of the group playing three songs and being interviewed courtesy of Flashrock: