Julianna Barwick - Nepenthe [Review]

Julianna Barwick appeared in my ears while I listened to The Magic Place (2011). Comparing her to another emerging Avant-garde/Experimental artist Julia Holter makes me think of them as musical sisters. Julianna Barwick is the silent sister, the one who whispers her words while the music warp her tender voice with the exact harmonies needed. Nepenthe is a perfect night soundtrack, which make you imagine that angels voices are singing to you, a moment before you close your eyes. Its production is minimalist, yet impressive and Julianna's voice... Well... Try to listen, here are five samples of her albums, three of them from the later.

Album Rating: 8/10

The Harbinger (Nepenthe, 2013)


Envelop (The Magic Place, 2011)

Forever (Nepenthe, 2013)

Pacing (Pacing EP, 2013)

One Half (Nepenthe, 2013)

Moby

When I hear the name Moby, the first thing that comes through my head is innovation. Moby (Richard Melville Hall) played Hardcore Punk in the 80's, moved to Techno and Breakbeat and tried his luck in EDM, Electronica, Ambient  and a lot of more music styles. His Eleventh studio album Innocents, which was released a few days ago, is based on collaborations with various artists such as Mark Lanegan, Damien Jurado, Skylar Grey, Wayne Coyne (Of The Flaming Lips) and others. For my opinion, it's his best album since Play (1999), so take a little break to hear three new songs from this album and two earlier releases of this talented artist.

Almost Home with Damien Jurado (Innocents, 2013)

Feeling So Real (Everything Is Wrong, 1995)

The Last Day With Skylar Grey (Innocents, 2013)

Natural Blues (Play, 1999)

The Lonely Night With Mark Lanegan (Innocents, 2013)

About Farewell - Alela Diane [Review]

After a great half year of musical discoveries in 2013, July seemed to be weaker than the previous months. But then my ears met Alela Diane's wonderful voice. The Forth studio album of this Folk singer from Portland's scene, About Farewell, is a beautiful, mature album of one of the most surprising talents I've heard this year (Torres debut album, for example). I'm not a great fan of Folk music (Maybe that's because I'm from Europe...), but Alela's voice haunted me over and over again, made me listen to her album few times this week. Here are five of my favourite tracks of her album, which was released on 30th of July.

Album Rating: 9/10

About Farewell

Lost Land

 

Rose And Thorn

 

Hazel Street

 

The Way We Fall

Life Is A Rollercoaster: 20 Years To Red House Painters' "Red House Painters"

When you look at the roller coaster's photograph on the cover of the sophomore album of Red House Painters, you can't even imagine how beautiful yet painful is this record. Roller coasters always seems to be one of the scary attractions in parks but Red House Painters sung about "The one only sissies ride..." (Roller coaster). I think that's one of the things that made them pretty under-rated, the sharp look on the things that we try to forget. This four piece band from San Francisco consisted of Mark Kozelek (Which formed few other acts later such as Sun Kil Moon), Anthony Koutsos (drums), Jerry Vessel (bass) and Gordon Mack (Guitar) and split about a decade ago. This album is their best, with one of the most beautiful breakup songs I've ever heard, Katy Song, which goes like this: "Can't go with my heart when I can't feel what's in it I thought you'd come over, but for some reason you didn't, glass on the pavement under my shoe, without you is all my life amounts to".One of my all time favourites, five songs of it will show you why, even though that's been 20 years since its release on 24 of May, 1993.

Album Rating: 9/10

Katy Song

Mistress

Dragonflies

Brown Eyes

Grace Cathedral Park

Trouble Will Find Me - The National [Review]

Since the release of High Violet, the amazing fifth studio album of The National, an American Indie band from Cincinnati, Ohio, I've waited for their next album. That haunting sound with Matt Berninger's baritone which fits the lyrics perfectly made me listen to it over and over again. The only thing that was better that year was the Arcade Fire release, The Suburbs, which was brilliant (It seems that they gonna release a new record this year too). The sixth release of this five piece band, which consists of Matt Berninger, Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner, Scott Devendorf and Bryan Devendorf, named Trouble Will Find Me, catches them in a certain point of their musical career, where only troubles can appear after such a great success. Well, when I first heard Demons from this album, it seemed that they won't repeat the excellence of the previous album, but as long as I listened to the whole album, I was convinced that that they are still one of the most fascinating bands in the world. The sound remains almost the same and Matt's voice still sounds wonderful, but the work they made on the ballads such as I Need My Girl is something so precious that I cannot describe in words. I don't think it's better than High Violet, it's different in some kind of ways... Take a listen to five of their songs, three of them from Trouble Will Find Me

Album Rating: 8/10

Don't Swallow Your Cap (Taken From Trouble Will Find Me, 2013)

Bloodbuzz Ohio (Taken From High Violet, 2010)

Sea Of Love (Taken From Trouble Will Find Me, 2013)

Sugar Wife (Taken From Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers, 2003)

I Need My Girl (Taken From Trouble Will Find Me, 2013)

Not Hamlet's Wife: 15 Years To Natalie Merchant's "Ophelia"

I first heard Natalie Merchant's amazing voice on the TV, when she and her former band 10000 Maniacs covered Patti Smith's song "Because The Night" on MTV Unplugged. I haven't heard a lot of her music since that early 90's, but when I put her second solo album named Ophelia, which was released 15 years ago on 19 of March, 1998, I fell in love with her music again. Ophelia was produced by the British composer Gavin Bryars and it is rich in instrumental arrangements and co operations with other artist such as Karen And Don Peris from The Innocence Mission and N'dea Davenport from the Brand New Heavies. This is not a concept album, as many think, but Natalie Merchant tries to show the female standpoint, who looks at the social structure and finds out some of the opportunities are closed. In a certain sense, it holds a Feminist point of view and was quit rare in that time. Here are five songs from this album, hoping you'd like i

Album Rating: 7/10

Kind And Generous

Ophelia

King Of May

Break Your Heart (With N'dea Davenport of Brand New Heavies)

The Living

Volume 3 - She & Him [Review]

If you don't like bitter-sweet music, which sounds like Nostalgia Pop music from the breezy 60's, you can skip this article right now. If you like this kind of music, I'm convinced you'd love the new release of She & Him named Volume 3, which was released on 7th of May, 2013. This album continues the same spirit of the previous ones made by the collaboration of Zooey Deschanel (Yeah, the cute girl from New Girl and Indie movie [500] Days Of Summer) and M. Ward. In contrast to their earlier records, this one is more mature, maybe because it was the first release since Zooey Deschanel and her her husband, Ben Gibbard from Death Cab For Cutie, separated. The music may sound sweet, but the songs' lyrics are about togetherness and separations, which make you wonder what the hell Ben Gibbard was thinking about when they divorced. Meanwhile, it seems that Zooey Dschanel keeps doing the things she likes in her own sweet way and it sounds great with the melodies of M Ward guitar. That's not a ground breaking album but it'll keep you warm in colder nights.

Album Rating: 7/10

I Could Have Been Your Girl (Taken From Volume 3, 2013)

In The Sun (Taken From Volume 2, 2010)

Somebody Sweet To Talk To (Taken From Volume 3, 2013)

Black Hole (Taken From Volume 1, 2008)

London (Taken From Volume 3, 2013)

MCII - Mikal Cronin [Review]

Mikal Cronin is an American young artist, which is known for being part of Ty Segall's live band as Bass guitar player. In addition, Mikal Cronin, which specialises in Garage-Indie Rock, which sounds sometimes like it was recorded on Lo-Fi, takes part in a lot of other bands such as Okie Dokie, Epsilons, Party Fowl and Moonhearts. But the main reason I mention him here is his second solo album named MCII, which was released on 7th of May, 2013. In this album, Mikal Cronin finally escaped the burden of Ty Segall's shadow, showing how talented he is as a solo artist. The album is more communicative than his debut record and it seems that he left some of the Garage Rock ingredients behind, replacing them by something similar to Power-Rock. It kind of reminded me the new album of Kurt Vile, what makes him one of my favourite so far in this year. Here are five songs by this talented artist, three of them from the last release.

Album Rating: 9/10

Turn Away (Taken From MCII, 2013)

Is It Alright (Taken From Mikal Cronin, 2011)

Peace Of Mind (Taken From MCII, 2013)

Apathy (Taken From Mikal Cronin, 2011)

Weight (Taken From MCII, 2013)

New Toughts: 10 Years To Blur's "Think Tank"

When Blur, the highly acclaimed four piece band from London, started their recording sessions in 2001, they didn't know that it would be the last album of them together. All the four founding members, Damon Albarn (Vocals), Graham Coxon (Guitar and backing vocals), Alex James (Bass) and Dave Rowntree (Drums) have been together since high school, but Graham Coxon was deeply involved with alcoholism, what  made him leave the recordings after a while. The three members then recorded without their leading guitarist, a thing that you can notice when you hear the album at the first time, when you're looking for the guitar melodies in the songs (except of Battery In Your Leg, the only song he played in at this album. The result is more Electronic, Damon's voice based and a few clues for things that Damon Albarn will do in the next decade with Gorillaz, The Good The Bad And The Queen and more. It's also more Political with references to the invasion to Afghanistan and an anti-war declarations that you can recognise on the album cover. 10 years after the release of the seventh album of Blur (Released on 5th of May, 2003), I can still find here some magical moments, five of them are featured below.

Album Rating: 8/10

Out Of Time

Battery In Your Leg

On The Way To The Club

Ambulance

Sweet Song

Mosquito - Yeah Yeah Yeah's [Review]

It seems that's a long time has passed since the release of glorious It's Blitz!, the highly-acclaimed third album of the Yeah Yeah Yeah's in 2009. The expectations were high, when I heard that they're going to release their fourth one named Mosquito. The release of the leading single Sacrilege, made me wait for this album even more, because of the great tempo between Indie and Dance, and the sexy voice of magnificent Karen O, the leading singer. The album cover, in contrast, was one of the ugliest one I've ever seen, but I didn't hesitate to open it and listen to the new record of this Brooklyn based Trio (Kaern O, Brian Chase and Nick Zinner). First impression: This is Not It's Blitz!, don't try to compare between them... Mosquito feels like an itch on the skin: It bothers you, you try to get rid of it, but it comes back again, buzzing even stronger than before. I don't know if it's gonna last a long time in my ears but, I can't quit listening to few songs like Mosquito, Sacrilege, Wedding Song and Under The Earth. As I said earlier, that's not It's Blitz, but you cannot stay calm, when you hear it. So here are five songs of this great band, three of them from Mosquito.

Album Rating: 7/10

Under The Earth (Taken From Mosquito, 2013)

Little Shadow (Taken From It's Blitz!, 2009)

Sacrilege (Taken From Mosquito, 2013)

Maps (Taken From Fever To Tell, 2003)

Mosquito (Taken From Mosquito, 2013)

Oblivion OST - M83 [Review]

It was pretty surprising to find out that Anthony Gonzalez of M83, was involved in the making of the original soundrack for a Hollywood film called Oblivion, which features Tom Cruise and Morgan Freeman. OK, I might claim that M83 became more familier to the mainstream listeners by releasing its last (and great) album, Hurry Up, We're Dreaming and the hit single Midnight City, but Hollywoodian Movie, C'mmon... Well, after realizing that it's a Sci-Fi movie, directed by Joseph Kosinski, who also co-wrote it, that seems more realistic. When I started to listen to this long soundtrack (30 tracks!), it sounded like a soundtrack made by a veteran composer such as James Horner, Gabriel Yared or Alan Silvestri: Well-Composed, well-orchastrated and Dramtic for the most parts. Still, you cannot judge a film score like you're judging an album, but it seems that M83 felt like familier with this kind of work, what made it sounds like semi-M83 new album. This release gives us a chance to play some songs by this great group, so here are five of them, three from this release and two who could easily become part of soundtrack.

Album Rating: 6/10

Starwaves (Taken From Oblivion OST, 2013)

I'm Getting Closer (Taken From M83, 2001)

Oblivion (Featuring Susanne Sundfor, Taken From Oblivion OST, 2013)

Sister Part 2 (Taken From Digital Shades Vol. I, 2007)

Return To Empire State (Taken From Oblivion OST, 2013)

Junip - Junip [Review]

I must admit that I fell in love with the music of Jose Gonzalez when I heard his exciting cover version for one of my favourite Massive Attack's songs, Teardrop. That's the reason why I tried to listen to the new album of his band, Junip, without any prejudgements in order to criticize it better. Junip are a Swedish Indie-Folk band which consists of Jose Gonzalez (Vocals and guitar), Tobias Winterkorn (Organ and synth) and Elias Araya (Drums). Founded in 2005, they released 3 EP's, one LP called Fields (2010) and a new one named simply Junip. There is no special surprises in this album. In fact, Junip brings us exactly what we expected to hear, Indie-Folk music without over-production or over-mixing. The formula of Guitar-Organ-Drums sounds good and creates some magical moments in this album. It seems that every song is good enough to be in this album and that's what makes it pretty mature and joyful one. Three of the songs from this album are listed below together with two earlier songs of this talented Trio.

Album Rating: 7/10

Line Of Fire (Taken From Junip, 2013)

Without You (Taken From Fields, 2010)

So Clear (Taken From Junip, 2013)

Official (Taken From Black Refuge EP, 2005)

Your Life, Your Call (Taken From Junip, 2013)

Overgrown - James Blake [Review]

The hardest part for any artist is to make the second album after a highly-acclaimed debut album. That's the case of James Blake, an Electronic and Dubstep producer, who released his first album on 2011. James Blake became very popular, receiving good reviews from most of the critics, saying that James Blake might be "The great next thing". So two years after that glorious release, he gives us his sophomore album called Overgrown. Not surprisingly. this album got mature sound and feels like that James Blake grew up during the last two years. The first single, Retrograde, which was released earlier this year is one of the best songs so far. Listening to this album makes you feel like you're laying back, with Blake's breezy voice floating over you. After listening to it a few times, it seems that it's one of the best records of 2013 so far. The mixture between the Electronic beats, Dubstep rhythm and Blake's soft voice are produced perfectly to match each other. So before you're running to get your own copy, here are five songs that may help you do so....

Album Rating: 9/10

Overgrown (Taken From Overgrown, 2013)

CMYK (Taken From CMYK EP, 2010)

Retrograde (Taken From Overgrown, 2013)

Limit To Your Love (Feist Cover version, Taken From James Blake, 2011)

To The End (Taken From Overgrown, 2013)

Sudden Elevation - Olof Arnalds [Review]

After writing about Olafur Arnalds' latest release named For Now I Am Winter, it's time to move on to his cousin, Olof Arnalds. This young Icelandic singer/songwriter has three LP's so far, the last one of them called Sudden Elevation, which was made available for purchasing in February 2013. While Olafur Arnalds is focusing at Neo-Classical elements together with Electronic and Ambient music, Olof Arnalds is an Indie-Folk kind of girl, playing charango and violins for a few Scandinavian acts such as wonderful Mum. Her last release is a mature one, based on her fragile voice and strings playing without any special studio productions. As such, it's as pure as her voice. The only problem I can see in that record is that after three songs it seems it's all the same... She should have tried different tunes in order not to bore her audience. So here you've got the opportunity to listen three songs from her last release and two from earlier ones. Hope you'll enjoy this five songs set

Album Rating: 6/10

German Fields (Taken From Sudden Elevation, 2013)

Surrender (Featuring Bjork, Taken From Innundir Skinni, 2010)

Treat Her Kindly (Taken From Sudden Elevation, 2013)

I Nyju Husi (Taken From Við Og Við, 2007)

Onwards And Upwards (Taken From Sudden Elevation, 2013)

For Now I Am Winter - Olafur Arnalds [Review]

Olafur Arnalds is an Icelandic multi-instrumentalist who usually makes great mixture between Piano and other classic instruments with Electronic/Ambient music. So far he has released three albums in his career, while his fourth release got out to record stores on February, 2013. In For Now I Am Winter he cooperate with Arnor Dan Arnarsson, the leading singer of Agent Fresco. The result is a beautiful, space-like sounds which hugs gently the listeners ears not letting him forget what he heard. I think it's one of the most atmospheric albums I've ever heard, the closest thing to Sigur Ros projects. It's hard to imagine that Olafur Arnalds was once the drummer of a Hardcore/Metal bands , but that's the magic that lays on his hands: On the one hand, he can hit the drums and the other hand, he can play peacefully on the piano. All you have to do now is to take a warm blanket, get it on you with a hot chocolate beverage and drown into five songs from Olafur Arnalds' discography, three of them from the last release.

Album Rating: 8/10

Old Skin (Taken From For Now I Am Winter, 2013)

Fyrsta (Taken From Living Room Songs, 2011)

A Stutter (Taken From For Now I Am Winter, 2013)

A Hundred Reasons (Featuring Haukur Heidar Hauksson, Single Only)

 

For Now I Am Winter (Taken From For Now I Am Winter, 2013)

Specter At The Feast - Black Rebel Motorcycle [Review]

When Black Rebel Motorcycle Club released their debut album BRMC in 2001, they sounded like the big next thing mixing inspirations ranging from The Verve to Neo-Psychedelia. But the promise had never came true and the next albums sounded pretty much the same. That's what takes me to the seventh release of the band. Specter At The Feast, which was released 18 of March, 2013, should be listened as a goodbye from a close person, That person is Michael Been, the sound engineer of the band and also The Call former leader and the father of the bass player, Robert Levon Been. The band mates, Peter Hayes and Leah Shapiro, gather together and wrote an album of mourning, adopting more realistic standpoint. I found the album very joyful, maybe because it was made from the bottom of the heart. So put your motorcycle jackets on and let's dive through five songs of that angry rebels.

Album Rating: 8/10

Let The Day Begin (Taken From Specter At The Feast, 2013)

 

Not What You Wanted (Taken From Baby 81, 2007)

Lose Yourself (Taken From Specter At The Feast, 2013)

Love Burns (Taken From B.R.M.C, 2001)

Angel Baby (Taken From Specter At The Feast, 2013, bonus track, cover version of Rosie And The Originals)

Girl Who Got Away - Dido

 

I don't think she's got the longest name in the world, but Dido Florian Cloud De Bounevialle O'Malley Armstrong, which you'd recognise by her first name has got a great angel-like voice. That's been a long time since we heard from this singer and I was very excited by the opportunity to listen that voice again in her fourth release Girl Who Got Away. After achieving world wide fame due to her debut No Angel (1999), which led to winning the prizes of BRIT and MTV Europe, Dido made two more albums and recorded one live concert at Brixton Academy, which shows how talented she is. I don't know a lot of artists who sounds the same either at the studio and the stage, but I'm sure that Dido is one of them. The new album is ears-pleasing as usual, but suffers from heterogeneity of songs. Some of them sounds great, others you'd rather to fast forward. Dido keeps singing with the same passion as in her earlier releases, she's dedicating herself to every word she sings, but sometimes it seems that the lyrics downgrading her vocal skills. Still, this album is well produced and nice to have in your own discography for late starless nights. Three of the best songs in her latest release are waiting for you below with two other from the past.

Album Rating: 6/10

Girl Who Got Away, Acoustic Version (Taken From Girl Who Got Away, 2013)

White Flag (Taken From Life For Rent, 2003)

 

Day Before We Went To War (Taken From Girl Who Got Away, 2013)

 

Take My Hand (Taken From No Angel, 1999)

 

No Freedom (Taken From Girl Who Got Away, 2013)

Comedown Machine - The Strokes

The Strokes were considered the new hot thing around in 2001, when they released their highly acclaimed debut album Is This It? I remember that I bought that disc only a few days after I heard The Modern Age and really enjoyed listening to it. But that was a long time ago, and although there weren't any changes in the group members (The five founders Julian Casablancas, Nick Valensi, Albert Hammond Jr., Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti are still together since 1998). they took a turn into more popular music, which sounds like another solo album of Julian Casablancas. Don't get me wrong, The Strokes are doing a fine job, even in this last release Comedown Machine, but they aren't getting closer to what they did at the start of the Millennium. Comedown Machine is well produced one but The Strokes sounds like an old band recording an album without any special effort to impress or surprise anyone. That's not what I was expecting from this young fellows. Down below you can hear three songs from Comedown Machine and two more which will remind how good they can be if they want to...

Welcome To Japan (Taken From Comedown Machine, 2013)

 

The Modern Age (Taken From Is This It?, 2001)

 

All This Time (Taken From Comedown Machine, 2013)

 

Heart In A Cage (Taken From First Impressions Of Earth, 2006)

 

Happy Ending (Taken From Comedown Machine, 2013)

Delta Machine (Depeche Mode #2)

After celebrating 20 years anniversary to fabulous Songs Of Faith And Devotion, it's time to move on to Delta Machine, the 13th album by Depeche Mode, which will be released on 26th of March, 2013. In contrast to the Rock and Grunge influences in Songs Of Faith And Devotion, Delta Machine is more Electronic and Dance oriented album. As such, it could be a very pleasing album if we were speaking about a new artist or band, but not for Depeche Mode. I must admit that I liked some of the tracks in the album, especially Alone and My Little Universe, which sounds great but as a whole it's quite disappointing to have such album from the veteran Trio consists of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore And Andy Fletcher. I'll let you judge it by yourselves, meanwhile here are five songs of Depeche Mode, Three of them from the last release.

Heaven (Taken From Delta Machine, 2013)

It's No Good (Taken From Ultra, 1997)

My Little Universe (Taken From Delta Machine, 2013)

Shake The Disease (Taken From Singles 81-85, 1985)

 

Alone (Taken From Delta Machine, 2013)

10 years for Beck Hansen's "Sea Change"

On the 24th of September it would be 10 years since Beck Hansen released his highly appreciated album called Sea Change (2002). The album was written after he broke up with his fiancee, Leigh Limon which cheated on him with a member of Whiskey Biscuit band. Nigel Godrich, which is known for his works with Radiohead had produced that album. The acustic sound was very different of what Beck has done and it was compared to Nick Drake's work and to Bob Dylan's albums from the 70's. So here are the 5 tracks which I like most from this album

1) Lonesome Tears

In 5 words: Breathe taking piece of art.
Favourite line: "Lonesome tears, I can't cry them anymore, I can't think of what they're for, Oh they're ruin me everytime"

2) Lost Cause

In 5 words: Brave and honest break-up song
Favourite line: "I'm tired of fighting, tired of fighting for a lost cause"

3) Round The Bend

In 5 words: I thought Nick Drake's alive
Favourite line: "We don't have to worry, life goes where it does; Faster than a bullet, from an empty gun"

4) Sunday Sun

In 5 words: Surprisingly electric and noisy one
Favourite line: "There's no other ending, Sunday sun"

5) The Golden Age

In 5 words: Great trip to an American night
Favourite line: "Put your hand on the wheel, let the golden age begin; Let the window down, feel the moonlight on your skin"