A Sweeping Curve of Sound

There are a number of reasons why I like Tilly and the Wall. They use a tapdancer for percussion, they hail from my hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, they are incredibly energetic live, and they write infectious pop songs that you want to play over and over. I received a recent e-mail from Fanatic Promotion about their recently announced 2008 American tour, and figured that was a good a reason as any to sing their praises. I think the following quote from a Pitchfork review sums up the band quite well:

Tilly and the Wall’s music is childlike in the sense that it celebrates the tactile and emotional world with the verve of unjaded perception; organs of pure sense probe the enticing recesses of the night. Their music is a prism that refracts the wonder of the human pageant from various angles, making familiar colors bend fantastically. It doesn’t deny harsh realties– Tilly’s world of teenage knife fights and drunken bra-clasp fumblings doesn’t elide homeless women walking the snow; a prostitute with “money spilling out of her hands;” “the newly born crying, realizing what life is” or a grandfather’s weathered eyes. Tilly blurs them all into a giddy compendium of humanity, at once acknowledging and renouncing the possibility of despair: “The world is big and it’s got a loose heart/ So you either start screaming or start singing.” 

To me, Tilly and the Wall sometimes seems like an awesome fictional band come to life. The rag-tag group of kids pulling together to make good (complete with unique instrumentation). You really have to see them live to understand the joyful vibe they transmit. So if they are coming to your town, do yourself a favor and check them out.

Downloads: Tilly and the Wall - “The Freest Man”, “The Freest Man (CSS Remix)”
Also, be sure to check out exclusive cuts from their forthcoming album at Daytrotter.

Links: Tilly and the Wall on MySpace, Tilly and the Wall at The Hype Machine

The “darkly-tinted” pop group WHY? is releasing their new album “Alopecia” (Anticon) on March 11th, and if the advance single “The Hollows” is any indication, this band could become the “next big underground thing” (if they aren’t already). An intensely catchy song that mixes so many musical influences together it leaves your head (or at least my head) spinning. Sort of like if Interpol really liked rap, or if They Might Be Giants were foul-mouthed, and way more into New Order. Anyway, you get the idea.

WHY?
(photo by sarah cass)

“Thus, the impending release of WHY?’s latest, brightest, darkest smile-twisted opus, Alopecia, isn’t so much a return as it is an affirmation of something already in the air. In February of 2007, the trio temporarily relocated to Minneapolis and became five, officially inducting Andrew Broder and Mark Erickson of good-art friendlies Fog into the band, then recording their new work live. As can be expected, Alopecia is a fantastic offering of raw sweat and dreams inspired by nothing more or less than the infinite erring bits of daily existence.”

WHY? will be hitting the road this spring, and will be coming to my neck of the woods (that would be the Great Lakes states) at the beginning of April. So check them out:

4-2 - Bloomington, IN - Space 101
4-3 - Chicago, IL - The Abbey Pub
4-4 - Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club
4-5 - Madison, WI - Cafe Montmartre
4-6 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry

In the downloads section of this post you’ll find not only a link for “The Hollows”, but an unreleased (and very nice) cover of The Cure’s “Close to Me”. Enjoy.

Downloads: WHY? - “The Hollows” and “Close to Me” (Cure cover)

Links: WHY? on MySpace, WHY? on The Hype Machine

Coming out later this month is the new album from Hello, Blue Roses, a collaboration between Sydney Vermont and Dan Bejar (of New Pornographers fame). Entitled “The Portrait Is Finished And I Have Failed To Capture Your Beauty… “, the duo has created a tapestry of beautiful songs that evoke emotive ’80s-era post-punk, psych-folk, and the arty styling of artists like Kate Bush and This Mortal Coil.

Hello, Blue Roses

“Following a month spent bundled up in the deep freeze of the Arctic Circle making music & art, Hello, Blue Roses’ Dan Bejar and Sydney Vermont return to their hometown of Vancouver just as the greater part of North America feels a shivery winter continue to cover the country with mounds of white fluffy stuff … Drawing on everything from an unabashed love of 80’s AOR ala Prefab Sprout and Kate Bush to prime Aquarian-age femme folk of the 60’s and 70’s to create an infectious, readymade classic. “

The song “Shadow Falls” is an instant classic (people are already covering it), the kind of tune that is infectious almost immediately. Plaintive, sweet, catchy, and simple. It makes me look forward to picking up the whole album come January 22nd.

Downloads: Hello, Blue Roses - “Shadow Falls”, ” Sunny Skies”

Links: Hello, Blue Roses on MySpace, Hello, Blue Roses on The Hype Machine

Veteran industrial/electronic band Die Form will be releasing a special tribute to classical composer Johann Sebastian Bach in February on Metropolis Records (late January in Europe on Trisol Records). Entitled, appropriately enough, “Bach Project”, the album is the result of a well-received performance at Bach Fest in Leipzig, Germany.

“…the unique interpretation of Bach compositions - as it was performed live in Leipzig on the occasion of the Bach week in 2007 - is released on a new album. Once again organic and electronic noise with neo classic elements is united with experimental structures with classic harmonies and vocals. And also again cold technical elements are confronted with the warm and erotic voice of Eliane P. Due to the sensational success of these Bach interpretations the performed songs are now presented on an official DIE FORM album and unfold the irresistible charm of the original performance on the basis of harmony and rhythm.”

Sounds like a treat for fans of Die Form, ambitious electronic music, and those interested in modern variations on classical music. I’ll most likely post a full review once I receive my copy.

Downloads: Die Form - “BWV 1002 Partita Nr 1 in B Moll (partial clip)” & “BWV 147-5 Bereite Dir Jesu noch itzo die Bahn (Herz und Mund) (partial clip)”

Links: Die Form on MySpace

Legendary British folk-rock pioneers Pentangle are reforming to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their Royal Hall performance where they recorded the live portion of the seminal double-album “Sweet Child”.

Pentangle

“On 29 June 2008, exactly 40 years to the day that unique British folk/jazz ’supergroup’ Pentangle recorded the live disc of their seminal double album, Sweet Child, at London’s Royal Festival Hall, the original band: Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, Jacqui McShee, Danny Thompson and Terry Cox, will reunite and return to the Royal Festival Hall to celebrate their legacy. From their formation in swinging ‘60s London, Pentangle were one of the most exciting and innovative groups in the world, genuinely pushing boundaries and exploring new musical avenues. Simultaneously stars of the underground and darlings of the mainstream, they enjoyed an unprecedented degree of success worldwide for an acoustic band and their influence and musical impact is still revered and relevant today, as evidenced by the critical and commercial acclaim for The Time Has Come, and their BBC Radio 2 Lifetime Achievement Award presented in February 2007 at the BBC Folk Awards by Sir David Attenborough. This concert is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for long-time fans to revisit and new fans to experience for the first time the magic that is Pentangle.”

It is hard to overestimate just how influential Pentangle and other British folk-rockers were on the new crop of Psych Folk artists, the British Wyrd-folksters, and the Pagan music scene. Though the original lineup hasn’t worked regularly together since 1972 (though vocalist Jacqui McShee still tours with a band dubbed “Jacqui McShee’s Pentangle”), their shadow looms large on the current underground folk scene. A recent example being the 30th annual Brosella Folk Festival in Brussels, where several members of prominent Flemish folk bands joined with Jacqueline ‘Jacqui’ McShee and Danny Thompson to form “The Wicker Band” and proceeded to perform songs from “The Wicker Man” movie before a midnight showing of the film (an event I would have given my eye-teeth to attend).

The highlight was the special project, The Wicker Band. Their performance was dedicated to Antoine Courtmans, honorary president of the Friends of Brosella, who died in April. First, the group performed some songs which contained themes in relation to The Wicker Man film. Including music written by XTC, Malicorne, The Velvet Underground and some traditional numbers. There was also a beautiful duet between Neeka and Jacqui McShee, the classic folk song “My Husband’s Got No Courage In Him”.

No doubt fans are going crazy at the thought of seeing the original lineup live. In any event, its a good an excuse as any to explore this extremely talented and influential group. For a quick education on the band, why not start with their recently released box-set? You’ll be glad you did.

Downloads: Pentangle - “Cruel Sister”
(from the album “Cruel Sister”)

Links: Pentangle on MySpace, Bert Jansch on MySpace

It’s tough being a band in the “dark” (goth, darkwave, ethereal, industrial, deathrock, etc) underground in the USA. Bands can have a career spanning decades without a hint of mainstream success, playing the same clubs and venues as the newcomers, and upstaged by bands who appropriate the look (and often the label) with hardly a nod to the legacy of musical sounds they (sometimes unwittingly) reference. Is it any wonder some American “dark underground” musicians have decided to relocate to places like Germany (or sign exclusively with European labels)? The point being that there are a lot of very talented bands and musicians out there being ignored by both the mainstream and the indie hipster taste-makers because of stupid stereotypes and preconceived ideas. Which brings me to The Machine in The Garden.

The Machine in The Garden

This darkwave band’s 2005 album “Shadow Puppets” made my list of “best” albums for that year (#2 in fact), and I played it incessantly on my radio show and at the clubs I DJ-ed at (I even hosted them for a live gig in my town). It was the kind of album, that, if there were any justice, would have seen them quitting their day-jobs in order to tour and focus exclusively on their musical careers. Sadly, that didn’t happen, but it hasn’t stopped Summer Bowman and Roger Frace from continuing to make excellent music that inhabits, yet transcends, the “darkwave” genre. So I’m pleased to announce that the band has returned with a new release entitled “XV”. A look back at their 15-year run that includes remixes, outtakes, demos, a cover, and two new songs.

“The album is filled with the powerful songwriting of both Roger Fracé and Summer Bowman, each sharing duties as composers and vocalists. The songs span the vast styles the band is known for, layering rich textures of synthesizers, guitars and vocals into a variety of tracks ranging from ethereal to darkwave to goth rock.”

“XV” is no mere collection of filler that some bands resort to as a contract-fulfiller or stop-gap method while trying to create new material (in fact the band self-released the album), it instead reminds one of an anniversary party celebrated with a collection of close friends (perhaps not surprising since Summer and Roger are themselves a happy couple). The unreleased songs are chosen with care, including the beautifully moving “Six Days”, and the spacey, eerie “Nowhere”, while the remixes are respectful and highlight different aspects of the band while sharing the spotlight with some of their musical peers (Matrix, Ego Likeness, Pete Murray).

While my club-DJ compatriots will most likely give a lot of focus to the dance-mixes on this collection, I especially wanted to hear the two new tracks for hints of where the band may be going (musically speaking). While “Mental Wasteland” is a fine but somewhat uneven musical exercise in wing-stretching, the closing number “Otherworld” is a revelation. The songs does away with many of the normal guitar effects the band uses, and instead channels a sonic aesthetic that very much reminds me of “Faith”-era Cure (especially with that echoing drum machine) married to Summer’s soaring vocal work. Definitely a success, with the more classic approach highlighting the duo’s strong songwriting skills. Something I hope to hear more of on the band’s next full-length of new material (whenever that may be).

“XV” is very much worth your time, a snapshot of a veteran band confident in their skills taking a look back. Happy anniversary, I’m looking forward to what comes next.

PS - For more TMiTG-related sounds, check out the upcoming (but available for order now) album “Sub Rosa” from Mirabilis, a neo-classical project featuring Summer Bowman and Dru Allen (from This Ascension). A release you’ll be hearing more about from me in the near-ish future.

Downloads: Get a variety of Mp3 sound-clips from “XV”, here.

Links: The Machine in The Garden on MySpace

California’s The Grizzly Owls want to take you to the honky-tonk. But not just any honky-tonk. Their bar is a Dust Bowl-era joint where Nick Cave and Merle Haggard swap stories while Patsy Cline (or is it Elizabeth Fraser in a cowboy hat) sings a sad ballad concerning fallen women. Then after the inevitable bar-fight, they all settle down and watch European art-house cinema.

Singer Jenny Andreotti

“The Grizzly Owlswere inspired by their grandparents’ journey from Oklahomato Bakersfield, Californiaduring the Dust Bowl migration. Keeping in tradition with their roots, The Grizzly Owls looked to country legends such as Buck Owens and Merle Haggard in addition to writers Raymond Carver and Henry David Thoreau, spaghetti westerns of the 1960’s and French new-wave films of Jean-Luc Godard as influences. As a married couple, Joseph and Jenny Andreotti made music together for seven years before recording their debut, By Night On My Bed. Jenny’s smoky vocals give depth and texture to Joseph’s Southern style guitars and electro-pop beats.  Raymond Richards (Frankel, Mojave 3) contributed pedal steel and vibraphone while mixing and mastering what’s come to be a whimsical record full of tales about death, lust, love, and obsession.”

If we are going to make musical comparisons, Neko Case is a decent place to start.  A sort of old-timey country sound filtered through a post-punk aesthetic. But while Case has slowly grown away from formal country structures, The Grizzly Owls keep a steady Spaghetti Western-influenced sound firmly in place (along with some hints at electro-pop). It very much reminds me of an ethereal band trapped in the Old West. I don’t quite see the Nick Cave influences they claim, but I also haven’t heard the full album. Is there some madness hidden beneath the surface? Only time (and a promotional copy of the album) will tell. In the meantime, enjoy these two very enjoyable songs from “By Night on My Bed”.

Downloads: The Grizzly Owls - “Rifles and Hemlines”, “What’s A Girl to Do”
(from “By Night on My Bed”)

Links: The Grizzly Owls @ MySpace The Grizzly Owls e-card

Sure, we all do. But thanks to Canada’s Blood Ceremony, you can relive the days of Black Sabbath, Black Widow, Pentagram, and Jethro Tull (among others) from the comfort of your laptop. NOW Magazine profiles the band, and asks how they came to “channel” rock’s “witchy” past.

Blood Ceremony

“I’m with Blood Ceremony’s Sean Kennedy and Jeremy Finkelstein in the 150-year-old cemetery. The scene suits them. The local doom rockers make no bones about whose rock altar they worship at – they’re Sabbath heads full-tilt. “I don’t feel bad ripping off Sabbath because that’s where metal came from,” says Kennedy, tucking a lock of blond hair behind his ear. “Some of our riffs are pretty Sabbath-y, but there’s another band that we rip off more, Pentagram. And with the flute we’re leaning on Jethro Tull pretty heavily, too.” Vocalist/frontwoman Alia O’Brien and her fluttering flute give Blood Ceremony a mystical, medieval vibe reminiscent of early Tull. Although once said instrument enters the forum of heavy metal, there aren’t many other bands you can reference. But the melodic flute focus is what separates Ceremony from a zillion weed-hazed dudes blasting Iommi riffs. It gives their otherwise gloom-drone occult rock a heightened sense of drama, imagery and femininity, something sorely lacking in most metal.”

Blood Ceremony isn’t the only band mining this particular musical vein, acts like Witchcraft and Dungeon (both from Sweden) are also carrying a torch for 70s-era doom-metal styles, but BC have a refreshing accessibility that a lot of modern metal acts often lack (plus, the flute is a nice touch). Plus, my Pagan readers will surely enjoy songs like “Hymn to Pan”, an eight-minute flute-heavy jam in honor of everyone’s favorite pastoral god. Their first album is due out sometime in 2008, though which label it will be out on hasn’t been announced.

Downloads: Blood Ceremony - Hymn to Pan (live)

Links: Blood Ceremony on MySpace

Since this blog has only been in operation for a few months, there are a ton of great 2007 releases that I haven’t had the chance to comment on. Releases that may not go in my “best-of” lists for 2007, but are certainly worthy and deserve a listen. One of those albums is “Ultrashiver” by The Secret Meeting. The band is a collaboration between kaRIN and Statik of the band Collide, and Dean Garcia of Curve fame.

“Ultrashiver, their debut release, is an intoxicating ride through modern alternative music – at turns sleek, sensual, emotive, chilling, surreal, aggressive, detached, but never less than engrossing. This release is delicate and menacing, noisy and beautiful, and sure to penetrate hearts and resonate in the minds and souls of the listener. Echoes of Collide and Curve can be heard in these grooves, of course, but The Secret Meeting takes on a life and personality of its own.”

How does it sound? It sounds a lot to me (unsurprisingly) like Collide (which isn’t a bad thing since I’m a fan of Collide’s work) with an extra-slick sonic sheen provided by Garcia’s programming skills. No doubt debates are raging elsewhere as we speak on the subject of if The Secret Meeting sounds more like Curve with a new vocalist, or Collide with an extra member added, since the styles of both bands merge so well.

The Secret Meeting

But no matter how you slice it, it is still beautiful and well-produced dark(wave) electro-rock, with songs fronted ably by kaRIN’s distinctive and sensual vocal style. Perhaps the added boost of star-power from Garcia will help elevate kaRIN to the wider attention she has long deserved. Collide’s 15 minutes are long overdue, and if The Secret Meeting and a member of Curve can provide it, then more power to them. In the meantime, this is a worthy debut that should be equally welcome on club dancefloors as it is on your home stereo.

Downloads: The Secret Meeting - “Am I Here” (clip), “Blacker than Blue” (clip)
(from “Ultrashiver”)

Links: The Secret Meeting on MySpace, Collide on MySpace

Smooch Records is releasing a double-album compilation from Denver’s short lived “psychedelic death rock” band Soul Merchants. Often regarded by fans as America’s version of The Sisters of Mercy, the band only lasted a couple years (1985 - 1987), but in that time released a large amount of recorded material that infused distinctly American psychedelic rock elements into the gothy post-punk sound.

Soul Merchants

“Soul Merchants’ music is best described as the band dubbed it 20 years ago: psychedelic death rock. On the surface, one could consider them Denver’s version of Sisters of Mercy, but even in the ’80s these guys were too old to be the new hip goth act and their ’60s psych and ’70s glam influences shined brightly over the darkness. Too punk for the goths and too goth for the punks, Soul Merchants never fit into the ’scene’ yet still collected a devoted fan-base during their brief 1985-’87 tenure. After an exhausting two years with over a hundred songs recorded, Soul Merchants threw in the towel and performed their final show at the inaugural South By Southwest in Austin.”

The bulk of their releases were cassette-only and have been out of print for years, forgotten by all but the most hardcore of fans. Now, thanks to Smooch Records, we have access to an hour and twenty minutes of re-mastered material. Listening to the songs now, the band shows the last glimmers of the glam-infected post-punk that typified the early goth sound before it gave way to the drum-machine-driven gestalt that typified second-wave 1990s Gothic Rock. Certainly a treat for Deathrock revivalists, and fans of musical treasures from the post-punk era.

Downloads: Soul Merchants - “Joanna”, “Crown of Glory”, “When I Smile”, “Attics”
(from “1985 - 1987″)

Links: Soul Merchants on MySpace

[This is the fifth in a series of posts discussing some of my favorite musical releases in 2007.]

This time around I’ll be doing a double-dose of my favorite releases from 2007. Two European bands whose releases point to the still-thriving “ethno-gothic” genre (also called “Neoclassical Darkwave”) created in the wake of bands like Dead Can Dance, and Ataraxia. While there have been many releases in 2007 that could fit under this banner, including quality releases by Faun, Omnia, and Irfan, the two that have impressed me the most are “Regõ Rejtem” by Hungarian band The Moon and The Nightspirit, and “The Spirit Rises” by Italian/French collaboration Khvarena.

The Moon and The Nightspirit

“Regõ Rejtem”, The Moon and the Nightspirit’s second album, highlights a rapidly evolving duo who went from a talented but uneven darkwave project, to a surprisingly confident ethnic folk-driven force to be reckoned with.

“They released an admirable but uneven CD entitled “Of Dreams Forgotten and Fables Untold” in 2005. Back then I wished they would sing more songs in their native tongue and inject some more energy into their music. It seems that all my wishes were granted because on “Rego Rejtem” (which means “I with conjure magic” in Hungarian) Agnes Toth and Mihaly Szabo de-emphasize ethereal electronics and concentrate on the music and folklore of their native land to create a breathtakingly amazing release.”

While the album is dominated by (Hungarian) folk styles, they also insert electronic atmospherics and even some metal-inspired vocal work to flesh out the album and give the songs an even greater passion and energy. Their music embodies a shamanic primal quality that hearkens to an older Europe.

Downloads: The Moon and The Nightspirit - Rego Rejtem
(from the album “Regõ Rejtem”)

Links: The Moon and The Nightspirit on MySpace

The second release, “The Spirit Rises”, comes from a collaboration between Jeanne & Fabrice Lefebvre of the French band Rajna (a sort of orient-inflected Dead Can Dance), and Francesco Banchini of Gor (a project that gives a special focus to medieval and middle-eastern sounds) called Khvarena (a Zoroastrian concept meaning “divine glory”), a unified musical vision of Europe’s early interactions with the Middle-East that seems to transcend the individual projects and create something truly sublime. This is a work that vocally and sonically rivals Dead Can Dance at their very best.

Khvarena

The band uses lyrics inspired by 10th century Persian poet Ferdowsi, and incorporates a ritualistic reverence for Middle-Eastern ethnic instruments, recalling a time when monotheism was still young, and mysticism the order of the day. This is a mature and intelligent work that impresses from the first listen, and stands up to constant play. An album I enjoy returning to over and over again. One can only hope that this isn’t a one-off project and we will see more from Khvarena in the future.

Downloads: Khvarena - “Khvarena (clip)”, “Zot (clip)”
(from the album “The Spirit Rises”)

Links: Khvarena on MySpace

For all the blather about how Industrial music serves dark purposes and powers, it is actually pretty rare to come across a band that seems somewhat serious in their convictions. Scratch the loud klanging beats and horror-movie samples, and you’ll often find a rather pedestrian product. So it is refreshing to know that when Peter Devin of yelworC invokes notorious occultist Aleister Crowley and dark ritualistic magick, he really means it (man).

“yelworC’s dark stage performances usually consisted of Devin dressed in a robe, singing from a wooden podium and surrounding himself by candles, pagan symbols and a black tapestry backdrop”

You know, this sort of thing…

Around on and off since the early 1990s, yelworC returns with “Icolation”, the second album since the project reformed in 2004 (sans co-founding member Oliver Büttner). This time the band gets downright diabolic with a set of songs inspired by Dante’s Inferno.

“Drawing influence from Dante’s Inferno, Icolation takes the listener on a journey of the damned, from darkest hell straight to an apocalyptic purgatory. The music is as hard, twisted and complex as before - a synthesis of strong, vital rhythms and darkest melodic compositions. Darker than dark, harder than hard - but always featuring that surprising and patented twisted YelworC sound. The master of evil electronics has returned, and has brought the very sounds of Hell with him.”

So how does it sound? It is surprisingly accessible. Much of the record involves itself with atmospherics laden with samples, at times bordering on dark ambient rather than industrial music. This works in the albums favor, making the darkness a more seductive and unnerving presence rather than relying on the battering-ram mentality of many bands working within the industrial genre. Some of the tracks, like “Lord of the Three” and “The Bells of Waiting” are almost pretty (in a demonic, clattering sort of way). When the music does become faster-paced and more aggressive on tracks like “In the Purgatory”, yelworC avoids boring monotony and keeps things interesting. My only real complaint is the album’s over-reliance on “evil” vocoder-manipulated vocals, which just comes across as somewhat cheesy to me. Still, this is a strikingly mature work, that explores occult themes and ideas about supernatural evil without falling into many of the traps similar artists encounter.

Downloads: yelworC - “Lost Futile” (clip) and Ecce Mundo ver.2 (clip)
(from the album “Icolation”)

Links:  yelworC on MySpace

[This is the fourth in a series of posts discussing some of my favorite musical releases in 2007.]

It is often the case that some of the best “dark” music isn’t made by the usual merchants of goth music, sometimes, the most sublimely haunting music comes from an unlikely marriage of styles that show a promising new direction. Such is the case with Leeds band iLiKETRAiNS. Their debut full-length album, “Elegies to Lessons Learnt”, is a masterful revelation of how different musical forms can meld beautifully. In this case it is taking the grand and sweeping post-rock styles of bands like Sigur Ros and Godspeed You! Black Emperor and fronting it with a vocalist who could easily have fronted a goth rock band circa 1985.

iLiKETRAiNS

Almost relentlessly mournful, yet buoyed with transcendent orchestration that veers between heavenly swirls and a churning menace that makes the at-times over-the-top lyrics seem right at home. The band has been quoted as saying they wanted to their post-rock sound to have a “sense of location”, and if put in that context the portentous vocals married to anthemic and orchestral sounds makes perfect sense considering that Leeds was also the home to bands like The Sisters of Mercy, The March Violets, and Red Lorry Yellow Lorry. This isn’t to say that iLiKETRAiNS will be incorporating a named drum machine any time soon, but that its impossible not to acknowledge the rich veins of darker sounds to come out of their home town and that infuse the songs on “Elegies to Lessons Learnt”.

It is rare to find a band so fully formed on their first full album. iLiKETRAiNs have created a special album, that will no doubt generate a nigh-fanatical audience (if it hasn’t already). Despite some critics harping on their “goth undertow” as if referencing that genre were some sort of musical sin, I applaud their bravery to acknowledge that life can be tormented, melodramatic, and yes, over the top at times. Certainly one of the best albums with a darker-bent for the year 2007.

Downloads: iLiKETRAiNS - “We All Fall Down”
(from “Elegies to Lessons Learnt”)

Links: iLiKETRAiNS on MySpace, iLiKETRAiNS @ The Hype Machine

The Portland, Oregon band Vanishing Kids has just released a new album, “Skies in Your Eyes”, a follow-up to 2005’s excellent “The Selfish Mirror”. On “Skies in Your Eyes” this post-punk influenced group builds on much of the potential found in their debut album , creating a more consistent and mature work. The influences and stylistic choices from their first album are still present, but they are more fully integrated and the band seems more assured in presenting a unique identity apart from the influences.

Vanishing Kids - Skies in Your Eyes

At first, “Skies” feels like it might become a sonic tug-of-war between their more electro and dark post-punk inclinations, and the band’s obvious love of shoegaze bands like My Bloody Valentine. This is most apparent in the two opening tracks “This Light” and “Old Eyes” (both energetic, but slightly schizophrenic), but after that these two stylistic poles seem to come to a truce and merge wonderfully on songs like the spacey (and slightly creepy) “Valentine” and the swirling, rushing exuberance of “Winter”. As a whole, “Skies” shows that Vanishing Kids are moving forward with their dreamily euphoric  (yet downcast) sound, and that we have only scratched the surface of what they are possible of offering us in the future. Having broken the dreaded “sophomore slump”, the band could be poised to garner the wider attention they deserve. “Skies in Your Eyes” is certainly a quality release worth your time and money.

Downloads: Vanishing Kids - “Valentine”
(from “Skies in Your Eyes”)

Links: Vanishing Kids on MySpace

The 1960s and 70s seemed like a time when film was going in some truly unique directions. While advancing technologies today strive to make everything seem more “real”, many filmmakers from that past era strove to use their growing repertoire of camera effects to explore the strange and unreal. To evoke a more symbolic frame of reference that created enduring memories. Many of these films are considered cult classics today, enjoyed by those turned off by the overly literalistic methods of popular film-making. One shining example was the 1970 masterpiece “Valerie and Her Week of Wonders” by Czechoslovak New Wave director Jaromil Jireš.

Valerie and Her Week of Wonders

The film is an extended dream-sequence in which the protagonist starts to enter adulthood and sees a surreal dream world around her filled with monsters, vampires, ominous religious authority figures, and scenes that seem lifted from Symbolist paintings. The film has long inspired a cult following, helped along by its 2004 DVD release. Now a group of talented musicians have composed a new score in honor of the film they find so inspiring. The Valerie Project, which features members of Espers and Fern Knight (among others), strives to re-contextualize the film for a new generation.

“Philadelphia musicians bring new life to a forgotten classic of the Czech New Wave: Jaromil Jires’ Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970). The sound goes off and the amps get cranked (do harps need amps?) as a collective of Philadelphia’s finest underground musicians pay tribute to this seminal film of the new folk movement … Key to the concept is how reframing the film’s action with an alternate soundtrack draws new interpretations from a work of intricate depth and changeable meaning. Foremost in the musicians’ minds, however, is paying tribute to a timeless fantasy film of increasing relevance. The tone is lush, orchestral and acid-charged.”

The Valerie Project creates an inviting (yet haunting) and dream-like musical haze, helped along by wordless shimmering vocals, and string-drenched atmospherics that seem to key into a more primal sort of “folk” music. Something hinted at by the project’s web site.

“It should be noted that the underlying impetus of The Project Series is to reconnect the world to itself. Valerie is a film partially born from of a complex folk tradition, centuries of provincial culture. As global borders expand and cultural homoginisation ascends, it is important that artists spread the heritage and uniqueness of pre-21st century cultural identity, so that such identities can be discovered, valued, and hopefully preserved by a modern global culture that tends to forget the learned wisdom of its past.”

The sound samples I have heard so far are truly magical, and I can’t wait to experience the full work. If you don’t have the opportunity to see them live performing alongside the film, be sure to pick up the CD release when it comes out on November 20th. You may also want to pick up the much-lauded original soundtrack.

Downloads: You can find four live clips at the Valerie Project web site. In addition, the excellent mp3/music blog Raven Sings the Blues has posted a spotlight on the project along with two tracks from the upcoming CD.

Links: The Valerie Project on MySpace