Eclectic and International: Imaginary Mixtape 2/3

            This is the 2nd imaginary mixtape on this blog.

            For this week's imaginary mixtape, I'm going to break with style a bit, and showcase some songs that don't fit in the genre I've been focusing on.  Next week, I'm delving back into the overarching shoegaze/alt-rock theme, but for this week, you can check out some great tunes from other styles.
            As usual, there are loads of great bands from all over the world, and many of them are largely undiscovered, so I hope this post helps, even if only a bit.  So get ready for another installment of the imaginary mixtapes, this time, from across borders, musically and physically.
            Here's my TBT:

            1. "Someone With My Face And My Name, But Not Me" by Portabot, from There Must Be A Sunrise In Every Ending (2009).

            This is a heavily ambient/shoegaze/psychedelic/microglitch/electroacoustic instrumental.  As you can see, it almost defies genre description, but fortunately, what it lacks in similarity to other songs, it makes up in what sounds like pure distorted sound created straight from the mind.  It starts out with a calming cinematic under-sampled melody, which sets up the almost 8 minutes to come, well.  There's harmony and dissonance at once, crushed through under-sampling distortion which gives it a kind of hypnotic and meditative effect.  Loops alter throughout, and the song changes face after the 3 minute mark, to eventually include what sounds like glasses being played musically, and synths overtop the ever-changing crushed sound.  It's hard to decide what the sounds actually are, but I'm guessing reversed acoustic guitar.  Needless to say, there aren't enough words (in English, at least) to accurately describe the sound without getting ridiculously technical, but I highly recommend it (and the entire There Must Be A Sunrise In Every Ending by Barcelona's own Portabot), especially in headphones, when you're in that space between waking and sleeping.  Portabot has since released a few newer songs available at the same link (http://portabot.bandcamp.com/)

            2. "With Our Eyes Closed" by Prevrat, from Symbols (2013).

            "With Our Eyes Closed" starts with a strange and modern analogue-sounding loop.  There are definitely dream-pop influences in the track, but it's mainly an indie-pop/synthpop track.  Vocals are fed through a soft vocoder, and loads of addictive synths, drum samples, and harmonies create a cold yet upbeat atmosphere.  "We walk through the world with our eyes closed" is an awesome lyric.  It also has a bit of a video-game sound to it, like some of Yoshito Hirano's and Yuka Tsuhiyoko's compositions.  There are some intricate compositions of notes in the track that transcend ordinary video-game music as well, and retain a kind of strange welcoming alternativeness.  (http://prevrat.bandcamp.com/)

            3. "Ophelia (among the flowers)" by What,Really? from s/t Promo 2013 (2013).

            To shake things up a bit, here's a power pop track from Italian band What,Really?.  "Ophelia (among the flowers)" begins with a bandpassed guitar, and then hits the mark with sharp drums, indie-rock-style guitar, and a great following bass.  Vocals fit so well in the sound What,Really? is going for, with nice harmonies, and an easy-going attitude, lyrically and tonally.  It's upbeat, and catchy like the Dickens.  There's a catchy energy like songs the Newglads release, Here There Anywhere Like You (which I reviewed earlier in the year), but it reaches the ears in a distinctly different way.  Once again, music from across the sea holds its own against the sea-like swarm of pop-rock/power pop bands from my own continent.  (http://whatreally.bandcamp.com)

            4. "Ol Rudy" by Euphoria Again, from Bedroom tapes part 1 (2012)

            "Ol Rudy" is a great lo-fi track.  The thing about lo-fi that I really love is the ability to create a certain organic mood, without overusing instrumentation, and this track is no exception.  A sleepy, emotionally worn-out sound comes through, in a nice low-frequency range; with the sound of soft double-tracked vocals, beautifully (and deceptively) underplayed acoustic guitar, and a southern/indie twang of an electric guitar fed through a quiet-sounding amp.  John Forrest Klein's name for his project, Euphoria Again, is a perfect description for the mood both musically and lyrically.  There's almost a kind of sarcasm of the track, but it also sounds at least equally honest.  Relaxing, bittersweet, and folky; lo-fi euphoria again.  Euphoria Again has since released a new compilation of remastered versions of the bedroom tapes releases available at the same link. (http://euphoriaagain.bandcamp.com/)

            5. "Machines Fall Apart" by Tree Wave, from the EP Cabana (2004)

            This is an interesting alt-pop/dream pop crossover track.  It starts with strange and wonderfully warped electronic sounds (likely made from some sorts of archaic synths), and then an old-school 808-reminiscent drumbeat leads the song forward.  More layers of synths, and great vocals that sound like they're sung by a slightly-more-awake Bilinda Butcher (shoegaze in-joke) make it both alternative and poppy, but as the track goes on, the sound evolves into a structured and serious yet upbeat melody, similar to Billy Corgan's amazing solo album, TheFutureEmbrace.(http://archive.org/details/os034)

            6. "half open" by The Bilinda Butchers, from Goodbyes (2012)

            From sounds like Butcher, to named after Butcher, here's the 6th track of this imaginary mixtape.  This is a dream pop band I've been wanting to mention for some time.  No, it's not Bilinda Butcher in some new solo project, but it is a dream pop band with some great tones.  "half open" is a bit poppy, and has some mild Eastern-stylized synths as well as loads of other ones.  Vocal "ahhs" are in a great amount of reverb, and the melody is catchy and greatly sung.  The layers of different synths, drums, vocals, and guitars, give it an overall modern style, even though there are some definite '80s sounds in there too.  The instrumental ending is like listening to an epitome of something not yet named.  Oh, and don't be freaked out by the sounds at the end; they're part of the track, not actual radio interference near your ears.  (http://thebilindabutchers.bandcamp.com/)


            7. "Community College" by LAKE R▲DIO (feat. PIXEL GRIP), from Hypnagogia (2013)

            "Community College" is a laid-back instrumental with house influences by LAKE R▲DIO (Caden Moore), featuring PIXEL GRIP.  There's a lot of reverb in all the right places, and a synth solo that's analogue-yet-new-sounding.  Vocal samples turn into blips, and the track brings a slow style to the electronic music scene, that doesn't rely on bad writing, vocal trills, or ambient loops to make it sound that way.  Slight hip-hop influences also come through, and it sounds just as good when sped up at time and a half (I like to experiment with music on my computer).  (http://lakeradio.bandcamp.com)

            8. "I'm Not Perfect, Are You?" by The Silence of a Whisper, from The Past, The Future, The End (2011)

            This is a moody and pensive instrumental track from Swedish artist The Silence of a Whisper (Jerome Engström).  It reminds me of the kind of dusk when it's getting dark-blue outside; like a rainy day spent in a tub surrounded by the atmosphere, and a soft yellow light.  As much as that isn't in musical terms, it really defines the sound to me.  "I'm Not Perfect, Are You?" is one of the slower and non-distorted tracks off the largely post-rock/metal The Past, The Future, The End.  Starting with a deep bass drone, and soft nostalgic melodic electric guitar fed through reverb, the track takes on a beauty reminiscent of Sigur Ros, or some of the softer early Pumpkins tracks ("Luna" comes to mind a bit).  Drums are as evocative as the rest of the track, and the whole track has a kind of relaxed, resolved sound that is almost completely unique.  The Silence of a Whisper has since released 2 new singles, available at the same link (http://thesilenceofawhisper.bandcamp.com/)

            9. "Downtown" by The Shipyard [single] (2012)

            This is a nice nighttime-ish alt-rock track from Polish band The Shipyard.  This track is upbeat and catchy, as well as being sophisticated and mellow to a point.  Great lyrics and singing are complimented by perfectly equalized and processed drums, loads of heavily melodic guitars, a chorus-processed bass, and synths that sound like a new beginning for popular music.  "Downtown" has the great quality of being moving without being overdramatic, and catchy without being annoying; it's a slight chillwave influence on top of a post-rock/pop-rock style that seems to do the trick.  And the ending is just how I wanted it to be, before I heard it.  It's also featured on the new album by The Shipyard, We Will Sea, under the name "Downtown 2012". (http://theshipyard.bandcamp.com/)

            10."a smoothie robot for my moon mansion" by Ricky Eat Acid, from (2011_demos) (2012).

            The final track of this imaginary mixtape is a somewhat ambient track, with a sweet beat, and beautiful piano, accented with delays, and other soft synths on top.  It's a rich atmosphere of contemplative melancholic contentment, as uplifting as it is nostalgia-inducing.  An instrumental, it reinforces the power of instrumentals to evoke the same amount of emotion that non-instrumentals do.  The track sounds like Air, but mixed by someone like Brian Eno, maybe with help from Nigel Godrich, and a lo-fi/chillwave producer as well.  Beautiful sums it up well.  (http://rickyeatacid.bandcamp.com/)

            Overall, this is an eclectic mix of genres, from different albums, from different countries, and they all bring great sound to the table.  Now just see how that can work, physically.

Indie Gaze: Imaginary Mixtape 1/3

 

            This is the 1st imaginary mixtape on this blog.

 

             Well, it’s Friday the 13th, but if you like Track-By-Track, today will be a lucky one.  For September, since it’s a kind of new-beginning time of year, instead of reviewing albums or EPs, I’ll turn you on to 10 great tracks each week, from different albums and compilations I’ve found over the years, for the duration of the month.  Don’t worry, I’ll return to album/EP reviews in October, time willing.

            I realize I’ve been giving the whole of indie music a bit of a hard time so far. Many of these tracks have indie influences, and they sound great because of it; so don’t think I’m against the genre, I’m just against it being where it doesn’t sound good, like any other genre.

            Here's my TBT:

            1. “Dreaming” by Adam & The Amethysts, from the compilation album Foreign Trade - A Music Exchange Between Minneapolis & Montreal [CJLO 1690AM (Montreal) & Radio K (Minneapolis)]

            Dreaming is a soft new-wave/old-school dream pop track.  The lyrics are great, with a storyline about some kind of archeological site.  A slow, relaxed beat mixes with soft guitar and bass, and natural, harmonized vocals.  No extreme processing of any kind, but the style sneaks up and relaxes, like a chillwave take on 80s ballads.  Adam & The Amethysts are from Canada, which makes them the first band I’ve reviewed from my homeland, astonishingly.  What sounds like a sax brings the end home, and makes the over-six-minute length seem short and worthwhile.  “If it seems like I’m dreaming, don’t wake me.” (http://cjlo1690am.bandcamp.com)

            2. “Flourish” by Jesper Lundager, from I Could Fall in Love Again EP (2011)

            This is an old-school dream pop (very little synth, more guitar processing) song, very reminiscent of 90s dream-pop band Cocteau Twins.  Despite what might be a dark tone lyrically, it’s uplifting musically, and really otherworldly with acoustics heard through chorus processing, and soft, unusual, and fitting vocals.  There’s either a slide guitar, or a synth that sounds like it, that really drives the emotion in the song, and as bass and bass synths soothe, a certain sadness also comes through the nostalgic and upbeat song.  Lundager is now in another band, Tusindfald and I can’t wait to hear more from either.  “See her candle light calling out for you.” (http://jesperlundager.bandcamp.com)

            3. “Double Vision” by Hunting Club from Mosaic (2013)

            And now, this is what I call new-style dream pop.  There are definitely indie influences in the track, and at times it reminds me of Arcade Fire’s “No Cars Go”.  Vocals are like pop vocals, pre-pitch correction, with enough warm, resonant reverb to really get that indie feel.  The beat is fast, guitars are repetitive and Summery, bass creates the real base of the melody, and the synths show why digital, done right, can be just as good as analog.  “I cannot forget with double vision.” (http://huntingclubmusic.bandcamp.com/)

            4. “Know Me Right” by The Sorry Shop from Mnemonic Syncretism (2013)

            “Know Me Right” is definitely shoegaze, but indie comes through as well.  Awash in reverb, the track starts off with over 40 seconds of shoegaze guitar, bass, and drums (and tambourine).  Then comes the pitch-treated vocals, which emphasize a kind of Jesus and Mary Chain atmosphere already hinted at with the music.  Fortunately, lyrics are included, so you can understand a kind of agoraphobic story nicely playing with the static and energy of the song.  “Why will I ever need anything from the outside when it’s so good in here”. (http://thesorryshop.bandcamp.com)

            5. “Headcleaner” by Hypermagic from Sugar (2011)

            “Headcleaner” is an instrumental shoegaze/drone/ambient track by Hypermagic, that mixes the sound of heavily-driven tremolo-effected guitar, soft vocal trails, an interesting and kinda syncopated beat, and great resonant sounds all around the ears.  It’s drone in a way, because it doesn’t change the main chord structure, yet it also reminds me of ambient tracks, and shoegaze, with a very slight touch of indie in the vocals and mixing.  Hypermagic has since released more music, with their newest 3 track EP, Of Marsh and Mallow. (http://hypermagic.bandcamp.com)

            6. “Saint Étienne” by Abiku from Techincolor (2011)

            Where would my blog be without great Italian music?  Well, let’s put aside that scary rhetorical question, and look at this track.  Abiku’s “Saint Étienne” opened my heart through this song so much, that I wish I knew more Italian than what digital translations tell me.  It has a rich sound like a fine wine, or perhaps something finer, and both relaxes and invigorates.  There are touches of indie without being overbearingly so.  Beautiful vocals, a perfect and prominent bass, and warm textured synths in the beginning make it very warm and sunlit.  Drums bring out the energetic side, and just when you think it’s set in a certain sound, distorted and inverted-sounding guitars enhance the mood.  There’s really no way to describe the full sound, but needless to say once you’ve heard it, it’s bliss.  (http://abikuband.bandcamp.com)

            7. “Alpine” by Apollo Vermouth from Burning in Heaven (2012)

            It was hard to choose which song off Apollo Vermouth’s Burning in Heaven release I wanted to review for this imaginary mixtape.  “Untitled” was a runner up, but “Alpine” took the cake for its strong shoegaze sound.  “Alpine” is an instrumental shoegaze/drone track.  Through its repetitive drone nature, and huge distortion, a relaxation sets in, like a kind of obliteration of the senses (or at least one).  It’s like a My Bloody Valentine coda, and a bit like their “Sometimes”, in the way of relaxing distortion that most people would use in harsher rock.  You can tell some of the indie edges in the track, even through its meditative and pensive overall sound. (http://apollovermouth.bandcamp.com)

            8. “I’m Not Talking” by AC Newman From Shut Down the Streets (2012)

            AC Newman released Shut Down the Streets last year, and “I’m Not Talking” starts the album off on the right foot.  The beginning has some great analogue-sounding synths, and soon the song explodes with the full energy that’s throughout almost all of the song.  The beat has lots of 60s-style tambourine, and the song screams indie done properly.  It’s warm and full of heart, with great harmonies, and an overall great focus on melody.  The classic sound of acoustics and bass, give the song retro flair, and I’m happy that this sound was made in Canada.  “I Like the way things are, I say abandon the search, for an author of small work.” (http://www.acnewman.net/)

            9. “Sunlight” by Yuno [single] (2012)

            “Sunlight” is another alt-rock song with great melodic sense.  Vocals with heavy reverb, layered guitars, warm bass, and an addictive beat.  The song is nostalgic and hi-frequency tones make it sound both back and forward looking.  It’s definitely a hit, but like a like a lighter, more shoegaze or dream pop style version of an older one.  (http://yvno.bandcamp.com)

            10. “Untitled” by Sea Oleena from Sleeplessness (2011)

            The last track by someone from my homeland in this imaginary mixtape, is a song titled “Untitled”, by Sea Oleena (writer/performer Charlotte Oleena, produced and mixed by her brother Luke Loseth).  It has both background noises that enhance the track’s indie/lo-fi vibe, and music that sounds professionally constructed.  The writing and style reminds me of Leonard Cohen, which is a big plus lyrically and musically.  It has a certain sparseness, enhanced by guitars (acoustic and processed) and soft evocative vocals sung through airy reverb.  The bass is addictive, just like the beat, made up of strange sounds sometimes with interesting delays on them.  “Untitled” is from Sea Oleena’s second release, Sleeplessness, which I highly recommend for ghostly alt-acoustic tones. (http://seaoleena.bandcamp.com)

            Overall, these are inspiring and amazing indie-alt-rock crossover songs that you should check out right now.  I mean it, right at this moment.

Pink Elephants: The Good Kind of Hallucination

 

            This is a review of Pink Elephants’s eponymous EP (2013), and the 16th Review (and 2nd bonus review) here on Track-By-Track.

            Pink Elephants (teenage solo artist Bradley Coy) released the Pink Elephants EP this year, and after finding it, I loved the somewhat nostalgic-yet-modern sounds.  Cooper's music has an interestingly 80s retro vibe, but done in a modern way, a bit like M83.  As with most good modern dream-pop, It’s like glide-guitar (pitch warping) has been taken straight from My Bloody Valentine, and applied to synths.  The vocals are generally very airy, with loads of reverb, and the great synths drive this EP.
           Generally, the release is on the technological side of dream pop (new-style dream-pop), though it isn’t a complete turn away from the laid-back alternativeness that paved the way in the pre-'00s.  Sometimes I felt like digging out my old Sega Genesis, because some songs sound like classic video-game music running through loads of pedals.
            Here’s my TBT:

            The first track, “I Think I Know” is pretty great new-style dream pop.  It has some basic drum samples, but the atmosphere created by the synths, bass, guitar, and vocals, make up for them in spades.  It’s like if Priums were remixed by Cocteau Twins or Echo & the Bunnymen.  Cuts are abrupt and sometimes disconcerting, to good effect.

            “Iridescent” has classic synths, and some pop-style ducking, with an equalization that washes everything in an ocean of digitally created waves.  This is the hit song on the EP.  The drums are more classic than low-end, which is a plus for this EP.  If there will be singles from the EP, this one should lead.  Great vocal harmonies accentuate the drifting feeling of the song, which is just like what I’d expect a producer from the 80s would die for.  It's ridiculously addictive, and the major glo-fi/chillwave sound helps with that addictiveness.

            “Lemmings” overpowers with bass, though the drums sound very Garageband despite their great beat (near the end they don’t seem too distracting though).  Vocals and synths are very dream-pop.  The sound, though lo-fi is addictive and harshly ethereal.  I wouldn’t be surprised if Cooper was out of breath after every take, or even every line, because they’re wonderfully breathy; seething with understated emotion.

            The 4th track, “The Flying Bandstand”, starts with the one word that can be definitely discerned from the vocals on this entire EP:”F**k”.  The synths are very classic-sounding, and it almost sounds like great vocals put to great video-game music.  Just like the rest of the EP, discernible words are sacrificed for the sake of atmosphere; we of the shoegaze ilk don’t mind that, but non-gazers might not understand.  It makes me think of a large circus tent at the end.

            “When I Will Learn” sounds like the vocals were either recorded backwards, or sung to sound backwards.  It’s the folk song on the EP, and the guitar is kinda indie-lo-fi.  I can’t figure out the lyrics completely, though “when will I learn” is part of the chorus.  It’s like all the seams of the melodic structures from the previous songs have been whittled down, and we’re left with the sound of unwound threads, scattered by a skilled artist while slightly under some unknown influence.  Or, in musical terms, good guitars and lo-fi vocals.

            Overall, a good dream-pop EP, and I can’t wait for more.  I’m hoping that in the future, Cooper will play with more drum samples, or live drums, to perfect his sound.  You can check out Pink Elephants at http://pinkelephants1.bandcamp.com, and stream and download this EP for a pay-what-you-want price (as of writing this).  After taking a listen, if you’re anything like me, you’ll want to see more Pink Elephants in the near future (pun intended in a good way).

Week Lag / Mixtape Month

Well, it’s that time of year again.  Colds, spending, and cramming, for many.  I’ve missed writing this blog, but needed some time to recover.  I’ve been working on a new project for this month: Creating imaginary mixtapes for people interested in Track-By-Track, for the duration of the month.  So, though it’s been delayed by a week, I present to you the first of three imaginary mixtapes: Indie-Gaze.  Of course, it wouldn’t be fair to be late, and not have anything to make up for it with, so I also include as the only review of an actual entire EP this month: The Pink Elephants’ EP, Pink Elephants (2013); dream pop galore, which should help with the shock of the temporary but sudden change of style here on Track-By-Track.

   Enjoy,

     -Daniel Trainor-Mckinnon, Track-By-Track

In Frame: An Amazing Picture

            This is a retrospective review of In Frame (2010) by Monokle & Galun, and the 15th review here on Track-By-Track.

            Well, it’s the end of August, and that means it’s the end of the retrospective month.  Fortunately, it’s going out with a bang, with 2010’s Russian collaboration, In Frame, by Monokle (beatmaker Vladislav Kudryavtsev) and Galun (vocalist Sergey Galunenko).  For a while, I’ve been addicted to music from the German 12rec label, and this is a good example of why.  The album goes between indie pop, and Radiohead-reminiscent alternative rock, with loads of overlap, and sometimes hints of chillwave.  In fact, a lot of this sounds like Danger Mouse working with Radiohead.
            There are sounds that defy explanation throughout, and most tracks have elements of genres that don’t normally mix well with each other.  I was happy to hear these different influences and styles mixed together in ways that actually work towards inventive and alternative music.  Though overall indie pop, the tracks are also alt-rock, with the guitar featuring prominently in almost every track.


            Here’s my TBT:

            “Happy Sun” begins the album.  It’s a lot like indie poppers Peter Bjorn and John, but with extra processing with hip-hop and trance influences.  There’s loads of sampled vocalizations, noise, and random noises, underneath a solid beat and a great heavily-processed bassline.  Guitars and other instruments are warped and tweaked, like an old-school acid dj got hold of an otherwise happy track, and then threw the mix to a shoegazer to make it palatable.  The track’s name is repeated a lot throughout, to good effect, and the ending reminds me of the Scottish IDM duo Boards of Canada.

            “Colding” is like David Lynch’s work on Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse's Dark Night of the Soul, but with more of a sophisticated and upbeat edge.  The beat is very addictive, and as usual, loads of sampled sounds and great bass brings the track loads of modernity without being horrid or too standard like most of the pop scene.  It’s a fitting title for the song, yet it has a warmth that’s undeniable.  Despite having only a few words throughout, it works extremely well, and even reminds me of some of the best David Wise video game scores.  Falsetto.  Need I say more?

            “Two Times” comes next, and it sounds like Radiohead and Peter Bjorn and John collaborating.  Vocal trails in falsetto overtop sampled other vocal samples, loads of guitars and synths with delays and reverb in abundance, and a heavily processed beat.  When the main vocals kick in, there are actually two of them.  Panned left, a soft spoken part; and right, a sung part; all the while, vocal trails softly panning both directions in tandem.  It’s like "Motion Picture Soundtrack" on Radiohead's Kid A, and the instrumental hidden track on the same album, especially because of the softer sounding xylophone-like synth.

            “Globus” is the 4th track.  It starts with some deep ambient vocals and tones; then some well-timed resonators being fed with what sounds like organs and wind chimes through a Leslie speaker.  It’s mostly instrumental, and very ambient; with slow vibraphone that really makes it relaxing and soothing.  There are so many sounds on this album that it’s just amazing how they’ve been fitted to make the tracks sound better, without altering the mood of the overall tracks they’re part of; and this track is a shining example.

            “Fine Care” is a great psychedelic indie-pop track with chillwave and alt-rock mentality throughout.  It definitely sounds like a hit.  The lyrics are few, but the voices are many; loads of vocal trails in falsetto, cut up, and likely sampled, as well as the vocals that do sing words.  Sampled glockenspiel and a “15 Steps” reminiscent beat work with mk-style synths, and occasional pitch-treated guitars and random noises, to create a rich and textured soundscape, sometimes fed through shifting resonators.  I find it astounding that music like this stuff isn’t constantly on the radio.

            “Air Krispella” slows things down a bit, and gets more modern, without losing its alternativeness.  The vocals are often like duets between The National’s Matt Berninger, and Thom Yorke, with occasional lines from Beck, in some kind of imaginary collaboration.  Loads of sampled sounds, reversed and forewords, and even a strange looped synth solo near the end.  The beat and solid bass have soul influences, but it’s definitely an alternative track with the ambient synths and warm vocals.

            “Crossed Fingers” is the 7th track.  It begins with an ambient guitar loop, then bass and vocals with just enough reverb.  The bass really drives this one, and guitars sometimes sound like kotos or other zithers.  There’s also a great electroacoustic moment at the end that’s like the best of Rune Lindblad, and Brian Eno warped together and awash in reverb.

            “Justalite” has what sounds like a soft wind instrument, and warped guitar and additional synths, before the beat and vocals cut in.  The lyrics repeat like a fast drone track, and the guitar is more prominent in this one.  The glockenspiel sounds like Sigur Rós near the end, though this is very much a Monokle and Galun original.  They bring sounds together in such a way to both soothe and unsettle at times, like this track’s light yet downtempo feeling.

            “Get At Will” is the 9th track.  Guitars (pitch treated, and warped) once again take the forefront, with a chopped beat, strange synths, and quite possibly some bass.  It’s an instrumental track, and guitars surround, emphasizing the psychedelic style that Monokle and Galun dabble with amidst their overall indie pop genre.  It’s refreshing to hear things in different ears, because, after all, we’re listening to music in stereo.
    Here’s my TBT:

            “Long” is downtempo with vibraphone and guitar, and bass that drives the track until the drums break in at full, and make it a post-rock crossover.  The lyrics are minimal and repetitive as usual, but also sung with loads of feeling, like all of the tracks.  The end is like a great ambient song with guitar overdubs.

            “Smolder” is the second-last track.  Some of the sped-up whispering vocals from the first track’s end return, but this time, with overarching deep ambient sounds surrounding them.  The guitar and bass are beautiful, and very warm.  It reminds me of that dusky time when everything is blue, yet as if someone has a warm fire to gather around in the early fall.  Look for piano and synths, in this instrumental.

            “Means” is the final track.  It’s softer, warmer, and brighter, than most of the other tracks, until the beats cut in with processed flair.  There are more lyrics, though the lyrics don’t seem as important as the sound.  More guitar, and processed samples, then a synth solo that screams both old and new.  The ending is a bit abrupt, but doesn’t hurt the track.

            Overall, it’s a strong alternative album, with both great creativity and attention to melody.  You can get this album, and loads more, for pay-what-you-want at http://12rec.bandcamp.com.  Then be sad that the label is not releasing anymore.

Naked Sanctuary: A Sonic Sanctum

            This is a retrospective review of the Vinyl Williams release, Naked Sanctuary (2010), and the 14th review here on Track-By-Track.

            Naked Sanctuary is extremely well-done shoegaze psychedelia.  Though fairly recent, it’s still a release I wouldn’t normally review due to being part of the back-catalogue of Vinyl Williams releases; I’m normally interested in current albums, but it’s a treat to bring attention to previous releases that are just as relevant as modern ones.  And this is an appropriately retro-influenced release.  If this album were released in the ‘60s or ‘70s, music as we know it might have changed course for the better; though it’s exciting to know that artists who make music as transcendent as this are still alive and well.
            Amazingly, this is a solo project; Lionel Williams is the sole engineer and writer on the album.  The professionalism and quality of music from solo artists never ceases to surprise me.  There’s also an interesting overtone of mysticism throughout, both musically, and in terms of lyrical content.  Loads of ideas flow through, and even the artwork (individual to each track) helps with making this a refreshingly alternative release.  Though Naked Sanctuary has just five tracks, I can’t really decide whether it’s an album or an EP, because of its over 27 minute length.  Washes of reverb, static, and an abundance of melody, in some ways makes me glad it wasn’t released back in the height of psychedelic and progressive rock’s popularity, because I’d wear out the grooves of an analogue record like this pretty quickly.
            Here’s my digital TBT:

            The release starts with “100”, with a constantly changing melodically warped atmosphere that mainly goes between a somewhat Syd-Barrett, and a stripped-down Sway (reviewed at the beginning of this month), in style.  Some very cryptic lyrics, occasionally in a language I don't know: “Lef’nei shanim zeh haya midbar (Years ago this was a desert)”.  Loads of strange sounds that surround like The Flaming Lips’ best songs.  There’s guitar with loads of static and delay throughout, textured drums, and during the chorus, a great combination of soft-yet-loud bass, huge guitar, heavily-panned tambourine and drums, and evocative vocals; in what might be a defining moment of melody.  Vocals throughout are soft, layered, and curious.  And the ending surprises.

            “Freshly Picked Diamond” follows, with obscured strange and hypnotic lyrics (thankfully provided in print), and transcendent melody.  To call this merely a shoegaze track would do it a disservice, because it’s another strongly psychedelic track; loads of sounds that really bring attention to the fact you’re listening in stereo, delays to the hilt, and what sounds like very warm spring reverb.  There might even be some warm synths low in the mix.  It’s like the vocals are trying to convey a secret message in this, and all the other tracks on Naked Sanctuary, yet the rich guitars, bass, and drums, combine so perfectly with the vocals that there’s little doubt the music is important to Vinyl Williams.  It finishes with a beautiful and heavily-processed coda that sounds like a clip from a larger ambient track.

            The third track, “Zeal Biotics” is the downbeat track.  Though at times breath is audible in the track, it sounds like part of the intent rather than production problems.  It’s so captivating that it’s hard to describe.  It’s a bit like a modern-rock track, but with such heavy abandon into deep melody -- bass combines with guitar to create conflicting yet melodically sound chords, and vocals add yet another dimension -- that it goes far beyond any standard form of rock.  Heavily shoegaze and psychedelic again, with slightly overdriven drums, and guitars that sound like reverb itself.  And who could ignore this: “Every time you think or feel, I’m resonating vast frequencies”?

            The second-last track, “Spiral Galaxy” is instrumental and uplifting, especially after the last track’s dark tone.  It starts out with meditative harmony from what I can only guess is a sampler through five or ten reverb channels, and there are soft drum and tambourine sounds as well.  It’s hard to describe what this track is, but it’s beautiful; just nothing other than itself comes to mind.  It has a definite Eastern influence, like other works by Vinyl Williams.

            “Psychic Shrine” is the final track, which starts out with a guitar panning from ear to ear.  There’s a sitar.  I repeat.  There’s a sitar.  That’s all I need to fall in love with it.  Even though there’s so much more.  Guitar dives in and out of complete overdriven reverb obliteration, bass undertones harmonics, and the drums are addictive.  The vocals drive the track, especially in the chorus with these lyrics: “Can you tell me what there is on the other side?”.  They’re so emotional, yet not at the expense of melody and quality.  Some occasional vocal tones sampled and panned right give even more texture to the track, even though it doesn’t seem possible beforehand.  Sometimes the guitar is reminiscent of Sonic Youth, with loads of static, and unusual chords (both in discord and not).

            Overall, unbelievable, powerful, and deeply musical.  This release is a good example of why I don’t do drugs; I assume I can get roughly the same mental transcendence and warping without the bad side-effects.  You can stream for free, and download for pay-what-you-want prices in CD quality at http://vinylwilliams.bandcamp.com.  Vinyl Williams has since released a new EP, and LP, available at the same link.  Sit back, relax, turn on, drop out.  Oh, and don’t take the brown acid.

APZOO EP: Shoegaze Evolved

            This is a retrospective review of Asalto al Parque Zoológico’s first release: The original version of their APZOO EP (2009), and the 13th review here on Track-By-Track.

            Asalto al Parque Zoológico (APZOO for short) is a band from Buenos Aires in Argentina.  Though they’re a fairly recent band -- they’ve been going since 2008 -- I’m reviewing their EP as part of the retrospective theme of this month because I would normally avoid reviewing music released before 2012, to keep current.
            And the retrospective theme suits them perfectly.  They have a style like older alternative rock, just with hints of modern flare.  There are noise rock and psychedelic elements to their work, but mainly they’re a shoegaze band.  There are also some old-school (not mainly synth) dream-pop sounds underneath their overall noise-gazing bliss, underplayed to near-obscurity.  When I found APZOO, I was amazed that there were bands keeping shoegaze alive, let alone being evolutionary forces keeping it growing, like this EP certainly does.
            Here’s my TBT:

            The EP starts off with “Below”, a visceral grating guitar tone with soft drums and blurred vocals, with a scoop-processed bass.  It’s ethereal, but also harsh, and sounds like My Bloody Valentine playing a set with The Flaming Lips (“Ego Tripping” era).  There’s a great uneasiness that is pronounced with the warping and drifting guitars and vocals throughout; which are quickly interrupted by a holocaust of starchy distorted guitar, somewhat comparable to “You Made Me Realize”

            Then comes “Breeze”.  Huge loud guitars, with vocals that skillfully double-trip over each word.  The bass pretty much never stops, and it sounds more like the hum of a large vehicle at times than just a bass guitar.  the drums are heavy and the low frequency is emphasized.  At the end, there’s a mainly reversed coda, which is a definite homage to My Bloody Valentine’s Tremolo and Loveless era codas.

            “Awake” is more psych-rock; kinda like The Brian Jonestown Massacre playing with The Dandy Warhols.  There’s a huge resonant whirlwind, and strange shimmering (heavily delayed with loads of high-frequency) guitars.  It’s a treat to hear chords and sounds this unusual, especially with tambourine and a bass kick like a persistent deep drum on a log.  The lyrics are repetitive, but it suits the song.  There’s a dissonance between the resonant washes of what I think is reverb and the main guitar and vocal sounds, that makes it that much more alternative.

            “Slow Motion” is the second-last song on the APZOO EP.  It’s a noise-rock piece.  People who like both The Velvet Underground and Rune Lindblad will love this one.  It’s instrumental, and seems to have muddled bass and a guitar that sounds pitch-treated, awash in huge reverb.  Those low-end frequencies makes the APZOO EP sound older than it is, to good effect.

            “Le Dernier Jour” is the final track, and though I don’t speak its language, I do love the clarity of the vocals; it’s unusual in shoegazing tracks, though it works just as well as obscuring them does.  It sounds like a shoegaze-influenced modern track, until the chorus messes with expectations by removing the reverb, and changing key.  You’ll find radio-transmissions (or vocals that sound like them) throughout the second half, and there’s a feedback solo that gives way to another coda.  And before you know it, like the snap of a finger, it’s over.

            Overall, this EP is an earthy alternative rock/shoegaze treat, and like all addictive substances, makes you want more.  APZOO has since re-released the EP with two new tracks -- and deleted their original Bandcamp page, which mentioned what year the original EP was released -- but the new songs very nearly stand on their own.  You can stream for free and purchase in CD quality at http://sadness.bandcamp.com/album/apzoo-ep-asalto-al-parque-zool-gico.  And the new version's new tracks are like the cherry on the cake.