quarta-feira, 27 de março de 2013

Depression



Depression is the solo project from Jason Ellis, original from Philadelphia, USA. According to his own words, that's what Depression is all about: 


"Depression is basically the music i write thats too cold/dark for Under the Wire. I am 24 years old and besides these 2 projects ive only been in 1 other band when i was 16 and it was garbage. so growing up i didnt really have music as an outlet i was just your average teenage lost soul. did alot of things im not proud of and i decided to make music that reflected on those bad times(i.e. the name depression),  so The ep is called " Out of Medication" which is coming out on patetico recordings (shishi,stellarscope,panophonic,drowning dreams, the playing fields) "Out of Medication' is basically stating the obvious... im out of medication and this is my cold version of life."

That's an excerpt of an interview he did with the majestic blog The Blog That Celebrates Itself in this post. And the description couldn't be more accurate, as anyone can feel the gloomy dementia that surrounds all his songs. However, Depression is not all about utterly opressive music, as one should be wondering by now. Instead of making quasi-static forms of Doom Metal, or extremly lo-fi bathroom-demo of Black Metal "songs", he explores the realms of Dream Pop, Electronica, Darkwave and Witch House with a Lo-fi-esque flavor. Those who admire the likes of Fever Ray, Alligator Indian, Gazelle Twins, new gazers like Disappears or "oldskull" juggernauts such as Bauhaus, New Order and Siouxsie and The Banshees will surely dig Depression's work with a great smile in their faces (no, I don't mean do be ironic...)

Finally, you can take a listen to his music at the link right below, which directs you to the bandcamp page of his EP, Out of Medication, which is also part of the Fund for Danny Lackey beautiful iniciative by the gazers around the globe. It's only 6 bucks the whole EP, a more-than-reasonable price for the big talent of Jason. So, Depression is defintevly a name worthy paying attention to in the near future, because we'll surely hear a lot about it in the following months and years, and that would be more than deserved.




//Upping this post to drop here Jason's latest work, Smashed Teeth EP. It's as amazing as his previous effort, or even better than it! The lyserigc electronic vein is even thicker now, developed in a more refined aesthetics, and it will surely please the fans of the afore mentioned bands. I hope you enjoy it too! :)























enjoy!







enjoy!

Wonky Doll And The Echo


WDATE (nice acronym, don't you think?) is a greek musical project born circa mid-2010, exploring the gloominess of Post-punk with a Shoegaze/Dream Pop touch. The result of this almost-3-year work can be tasted at their LP called Pleasant Thoughts, released at September 2012. 

Pleasant Thoughts, or simply PT (I love to make acronyms, as you should've realized), consists of a 9 lush tracks collection's that invokes the best moments of many dark treasures like Joy Division, Clan of Xymox (to whom they opened a while ago), (early) Cocteau Twins, Baroque Bordello, For Against, besides some modern acts such as (((S))) and I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness. That means you'll hear fuzzy and deep bass lines, danceable rhytms, reflexive and somewhat vulnerable vocals, not to mention oneiric keys. 






It seems they're causing some buzz around Europe lately with this album, and I really hope it's their very first flight to higher an higher horizons, as the raw potential is there and they're undeniably in the right track to accomplish it. Therefore, I drop the bandcamp link for this great work of theirs, which I really hope you enjoy the way it deserves! 










enjoy! (bandcamp)

The Bilinda Butchers

The Bilinda Butchers is an USA duo who took the name after a totally obscure british musician (I dare any of you know who she is! And those who do, will earn a biscuit). As the name unveils, they draw a strong inspiration from My Bloody Valentine (that's a tip for the challenge above, see guys?) sugared loops n' noises, but they go wider into the boundaries of Shoegaze horizon and explore some Electronics wisely. At the end, we have something that appeal not only the most purist gazers, but also those about the fresh upcoming acts in the likes of Wild Nothing, Still Corners, Teen Daze and Twin Shadow. Therefore, I drop their two efforts made so far, both 20-minutes EPs that serve as great soundtracks from riding the subway to walking at a park, being nostalgic, cheerful and bittersweet at the same time.


// Ressurecting this post in order to bring you their latest work, the song "The Lovers Suicide". Those who enjoyed their previous EPs can't be wrong with it, that's Dream Pop in its purest essence, fragrane and delight, as you can taste in the soundcloud link right below!








enjoy! (new link)





enjoy! (new link)

domingo, 24 de março de 2013

SIANspheric


SIANspheric is one of the most sadly forgotten and overlooked shoegazer bands from the 2nd wave. It was formed circa 1994 at Canada, releasing a stream of three amazing records from 1995 thru 2001, and disappeared from our line of sight after that, reuniting only at 2005-2006 for a few concerts and a new single. SIANspheric soundscapes contain the best of british noistemates provided a few years before its foundation, blending the lush and delirious melodies of Ride and early The Verve with the stellar textures of Souvlaki-era Slowdive and a Drone/Space Rock vein characteristic of the very few north american bands who ventured in this world, such as Bethany Curve, Bowery Electric, or Flying Saucer Attack. Oh, and before I forget, it's easy to notice some Post Punk touched in their pieces of sound too, specially The Smiths and some Disintegration-phase The Cure. Is it enough for you? 

The results of this beautiful amalgamation can be tasted at their three studio work, all of them featured right below. At the end, SIANspheric showed for me, and I guess it will do for everyone else who's reading these pages, that the Shoegaze world is much bigger and richer than we imagined, and there are always fantastic pieces that remains unveiled (or criminally overlooked) even 20 years after, with the advent of world wide web connections and so on. That's the case now. So, I hope you enjoy it as deserved!  














enjoy!








enjoy!








enjoy!

terça-feira, 19 de março de 2013

Last Leaf Down


Hello, guys! Yeah, I know it's been a long cold winter since the last post. As I said in the fb page, these last days were quite harsh for me, but now we're back on the track.

Last Leaf Down was formed circa 2003 at Switzerland. In its earliest incarnation, they were dedicated to early Katatonia-based Doom Metal, but as time passed by, they evolved their sound in a less metallic fashion, following a Shoegaze with hints of Dream Pop and Post Punk approach. However, the melancholic vibe of the past was still there, burning and shining, carving their music in such a way that we can notice influences of The Cure, Autumnblaze, Astral, Anathema, Slowdive (Souvlaki era), etc. which may appeal even for those who relate with the soft, softest side of Blackgaze.

As a final result, these are dreamy, late-afternoon songs for autumn days by a band that is still exploring its real potential, and doing very well, by now, in doing that. The result of it can be tasted at the bandcamp link right below, as well as the soundcloud link for the best song from LLD (imo).










enjoy! (bandcamp)



sexta-feira, 8 de março de 2013

Sounds Of Sputnik



Sounds of Sputnik, or simply SoS (great acronnym, right?) is a Moscow-based solo project by Roman Kalitkin. As the name suggests, SoS inspiration is heavily drawn by Space Rock and the mesmerizing beauty of our beloved Universe. It would be good enough for many of us, howerver, it's way more than this. His music is a rich amalgamation of sonic influences that ranges from the classical Shoegaze and old school Alt Rock bands such as My Bloody Valentine, Jesus & Mary Chain, Slowdive, Sonic Youth, Happy Mondays, etc. to modern incarnations of Post Rock, Ambient and Shoegaze, making names such as Mogwai, jesu, Hammock, God is an Astronaut come to our mind easily. All the songs are instrumental, exploring not only ambiences and walls-of-sound taken directly from cosmic travels, but also electronics, samples, drones, besides beautifully melodies peppered with a lot of dissonance, thus creating sonic tapestries that fit perfectly for reflecting, reading an Arthur C.Clarke (or an Isaac Asimov) book and taking a journey through the stars. 


SoS has no EP or full-length released officially, but there is one scheduled for the summer of 2013), just a few songs uploaded in the Soundcloud and Youtube. Thanks to Shauna (Ummagma - with whom Roman colaborated with the song Live and Let Die, from their also-astonishing Antigravity album), I could get his songs at my hands. There are 8 pieces of incandescent beauty and sonic delight to be found around myspace, youtube and such, that should not only satisfy any Post Rock, Dream Pop, Shoegaze, Space Rock, etc etc etc fans, but make they hungry for more and more.

For now, I provide to all of you Shades Of Cosmos and Visualization, two free tracks for download a@ soundcloud, besides Blizzard, another remarkable tune, so you can get a good taste of what Roman's Sputnik is crafting lately. I hope you enjoy it!









sábado, 2 de março de 2013

The Ecstasy Of Saint Theresa


TEOST is probably one of the most exotic and largely unknown band from the very first generation of Shoegaze. Born in Czech Republic (actually, Czechslovakia at that time), they were dedicated to the fuzz worshipping in its original shape, making devastating records such as the first EP, Pigments, and the debut album Sussurrate (featured at the bottom of the page, in case you don't feel like reading me :P ), then shifting its musical semblant to something more Ambient, lysergic and pastoral, as a Pink Floyd meeting Cocteau Twins in the following records circa '93-'94. From the year 2000 to now on, they are roaming in trip hop-ish/loungy landscapes, creating more "cosmopolitan" and synthetic sounds although Shoegaze still makes its appearance in some isolated moments of fury. 

But let's talk more about their earlier, Shoegaze phase. They didn't hide the fact they drew much inspiration from My Bloody Valentine, specially in the Isn't Anything era (the drumming owe a lot to Colm's brilliancy in that album), but their music is not limited to that. That means your ears will be burned with some of the most psychotic, urgent, woozy and grinding sonic assaults first-generation Shoegaze EVEN if compared to their british mates. The production is not that great, but I think just a few would really mind to it, since this charactheristic of them gave the album a wilder, lo-fi flavor that was rarely seen from those oldschool bands (well, Swirlies were an exception). As a parallel, think of a more raw and less psychedelic version of In the Presence of Nothing, by Lilys which, coincidently or not, was released almost simutaneously with Sussurrate. Or a much fuzzier and more acid version of Pale Saints. Then you'll have a picture of what they sounded like filtered by a blurry window in a foggy late-autumn morning. 



Although they're enjoying a greater recognizement now than in its darker and muddier days, they made such incandescent register of unpolished Shoegaze that REALLY shouldn't be forgotten by its loyal and passionate scene that is always celebrating itself. 










enjoy!