blonde redhead

You wouldn't believe it, but Blonde Redhead's new album "23" is even better than the antecessor and must-have "Misery Is A Butterfly". Listen to it is comparable with reading a book of poems by Erich Fried - "I love you less now that I know you". You drift between heaven and hell, between fear and hope when Kazu Makino bewitches you with her incommensurable voice while Amedeo Pace's pressureful chant helps you be well grounded again. Bittersweet and/or fleet-fooded the melodies stream through your body and create fields of goose bumps not only on your skin, but in your brain too. Melancholy everywhere - everywhere melancholy.... The highly creative trio with Amadeo's twin brother Simone persuade again with authentic hymns to life and what it's about. Music to complex for the radio, music for the last romantics on earth, music for advanced ones.

"Looking everywhere, I see nothing but people (...) they are calling me."

As if getting a spread in a popular home décor magazine just a month prior to this album's release wasn't enough of a tipoff, Blonde Redhead have come a long way since their days of mimicking Sonic Youth's brittle art-rock. Clanging guitars have been replaced by warm synthesizers and soft strings, while Japanese singer Kazu Makino's thin voice has become a ghostly moan on the grandiose opener and title track of the New York trio's seventh full-length release, 23. Their last one, 2004's Misery Is a Butterfly, was a lovely throwback to the dream-pop heyday of the Cocteau Twins and Lush. This one presses further down that road, only with a more experimental streak, as cascading guitars, military rhythms, and wobbly melodies shape opulent, otherworldly songs like "The Dress" and "My Impure Hair." --Aidin Vaziri

band: www.blonde-redhead.com, myspace
label: www.4ad.com

russian circles

simply, russian circles is a three piece instrumental band from chicago. i have to admit that i always thought that an instrumental band can be indeed nice and interesting, but can't leave a really lasting impression on me. russian circles changed that belief. soft and quiet at times, but also pretty powerful parts are included in this album, which really seems to be of a piece. additionally it needs to be mentioned that the artwork is stunning. heard this music quite often lately and would love to see these guys live.

Simply, Russian Circles is a three piece instrumental band from Chicago. It would be tough to imagine that a band would be able to develop its own unique presence and innovation with such solid groundwork in the instrumental genre. However, Russian Circles does bring something new to the table. Their songs feel incredibly narrative and linear. There is no angular flash or mathematical flair. These songs stream through themes and by no means build on just one repeating idea. They are gargantuan in scope. They flow seamlessly from beautiful soft ambience to truly defined melody to massively thick heaviness with a gradual progression that never leaves you lost. Variety is no gimmick and they are a band that does not just vacillate within an achieved sonic identity. Newborns as of late last year when guitarist, Mike Sullivan and bassist, Colin DeKuiper saw their previous instrumental band, Dakota/Dakota come to a halt. With mounds of ambition and ideas still to produce they quickly contracted drummer, Dave Turncrantz who was willing to leave his residence in the St. Louis band, Riddle of Steel. Playing, practicing, and writing became relentless and incessant giving Russian Circles a maturity one would not expect from a fledgling band.

band: russiancircles.net, myspace
label: flameshovel.com
merch: indiemerchstore.com

crippled black phoenix

a love of shared disasters

repetitive, warm, very quiet, melodramatic, fragile, dark, just beautiful at times. you have to get into the love of shared disasters for exploring the essence - and it's definitely worth it. the soundscapes create a special mood, make you feel lost sometimes - but also create moments reminding you of a sunny day in spring.

2007 release from this band formed by Justin Greaves (Iron Monkey, Electric Wizard, Teeth Of Lions Rule The Divine). A twisted cinematic experience, handcrafted by a mercenary crew of musical outsiders, giving depth and gravity to regal songs about love, loss, tragedy and redemption. Back in 2004, Greaves started recording songs and soundscapes he'd had in his head for several years using primitive recording techniques. Encouraged by Mogwai bassist Dominic Aitchison those ideas would become the bones of Crippled Black Phoenix. Other great compadres followed, Panthiest members Andy Semmens and Kostas Panagiotou, Nial McGaughey of 3D House of Beef and -(16)- amongst others and solo folk songwriter Joe Volk, who also fronts critically acclaimed heavy rock band Gonga, all stepped up to bring a variety of influences to complete the line-up. In 2006, during the summer the band recorded their debut album in Bristol signed to Invada Records (run by Portishead's Geoff Barrow). The result is a collection of self penned endtime ballads, a dark hybrid that is the culmination of all the members' eclectic influences. Invada.


release date: 02/04/2007
label: UK/EU = invada; North America = redeye
crippled black phoenix
myspace
2xLP Vinyl Album (and also CD) can be ordered here!

CSS - or tired of being sexy is meeting Paris Hilton

Take a group of six unpretentious, innovative and self-contained people out of Sao Paulo's young art-scene, place them on a stage with instruments they have never played before and be fascinated of the result: CSS - Cansei de Ser sexy, portuguese for "tired of being sexy" which Beyoncé Knowles reportedly declared, was chosen because of it's adjugded asininty as the name of the project, which is "not only music but a new way to life with it."
The new album is a must-have for aficionados of electro-rock or as I would prefer to call it electroclash. The lyrics are fragmented and provoking "i aint no artist. i am an artbitch i sell my paintings to the man i eat" and on the other hand thoroughly honest and in some way vulnerable "i'll break your face in two/i'll spread your teeth and blood all over this neighborhood".

Diversified, purified music, which just makes you dance. Music which is not finished yet, doesn't even pretend to be - fortunately - because everything finished is already dead and this sounds more than just lively "let's make love and listen death from above".

label: subpop
distribution (austria): trost
shop (austria): substance record store
vinyl: eil.com

muse

Every single album can be highly recommended, especially at these rates. Melodramatic sounds, catchy at times, often rather dark - and overall the voice of Matthew Bellamy, which makes it very special. Also on their actual record "black holes and revelations" nearly every song is of high quality. So, even if you can hear a lot of influences from other bands in this music - these guys just know how to rock.

One can't listen to Muse without hearing Bends-era Radiohead, so it's necessary to start there. But for all the familiar grandeur and gloom, Muse's other catharsis-rock influences, like Queen, Slade, and even Black Sabbath, provide the band with a dazzling, heart-on-their-sleeves theatricality. Always threatening to layer on another falsetto from singer Matt Bellamy, or conjure more guitar crunch from the ether, Absolution is downright Baroque in parts, like a Rufus Wainwright-penned rock opera fantasy. When these guys let it rip, there's no doubt they have the fever. If you wish a certain Thom Yorke-led outfit from Oxford had made another record or two before evolving into minor-key art rockers, Muse carry the torch for another few miles, gloriously and tragically unaware that they're running in circles - Matthew Cooke

Vinyl can be found here!

bloc party

Love that one, as great as their debut, on heavy rotation over here!!

Follow-up to their hugely popular 2005 debut 'Silent Alarm.' A stunning collection of songs showcasing their unique style of multilayered intensity. This is a more lyrically focused, emotionally exposed album which brings with it a more rounded overall sound whilst retaining the raw power of their debut.

VINYL can be found here!