Pink Mexico - Pnik Mxeico (Self Release, 2013)

This first album of Pink Mexico is Garage Grunge a bit more minimalist than it's usual in Grunge and with vocals that have some 60's or 70s Pop colors. As most often in post Nirvana Grunge there's some riffs and bits of vocals or instruments melodies that evoke some Nirvana tracks, but it's variations, there's an important style shift, and that's not on all tracks.

The deliberate echoes are a part of the pleasure to listen this album, but the key is the style which is very successful and unusual for Grunge influenced musics. The vocals quite top with a lot of nuances and they are certainly the major element of the album. The instruments are quite more Rock to match the Grunge style, they are less sophisticated than the vocals and they have an approach a bit minimalist. But the instruments details and uses are polished, and they are a major element to build the tracks by giving an excellent counter point to the vocals, and the whole is very catchy. It's great stuff rather uncommon despite the mainstream influences through Grunge and Pop.

To listen: Band's  bandcamp page. Or 115k vbr v6 preview.
To support the artists: Buy the digital.

Where all of this is going if nobody buy the music? Be fair, buy the music you like dig.

Big French - Downtown Runnin (Wharf Cat, 2013)

I didn't noticed this album at its release, but thankfully the band released in September through ORS Tapes the Would Not Try EP on cassette and digital. That new release allowed me noticed this album. For the anecdote there's some links with Blanche Blanche Blanche for which I put some comment on their album Wooden Ball released at beginning of the year. Zach Phillips plays keyboards and the album is released by the same label that will release on 5th November the new Blanche Blanche Blanche album, Breaking Mirrors. The two bands also share clear musical ambitions and albums with many short tracks. But the music is totally different.

The singer use many different type of voices and all are rather strange if not weird. If you consider the voice as another instrument this bizarre approach is just an interesting and fascinating musical exploration of vocals. That's how I listen this album and if the first listening was a bit disconcerting, I quickly found this quite appealing. It's a major element of this album so if you can't go over this you'll get blocked at the door entrance of this album. Eventually to discover the band you could try first the Would Not Try EP. It's a smart selection of two tracks of the album and demo version of two tracks of the album. It's still quite bizarre but it doesn't produce the same weirdness chock that could produce the first listening of the album.

The vocals are quite diverse and they do an exploration around Pop weirdness and dissonance, but if you enter in it it's strangely very appealing and easy to listen. The instruments build a layer more aggressive and more Rock. Both use strange or uncommon sounds and dissonances but the vocals much more than the instruments. The dissonance games are most often light but are also often merged with weirdness or strangeness. That produces a strange feeling of not identifying clearly when it's real dissonance or when it's more strangeness but not dissonances. The whole is very dynamic, between Pop and Rock, a little bizarre but very catchy. That doesn't evoke at all the color of 60's Psychedelic, but the approach definitely evokes it from the point of view or merging weirdness and strangeness into music. It's a great impressive album, time could even makes it a classic (or not), but clearly it's not stuff for all ears.

To listen: Streaming sites like Deezer, Rdio or Spotify. Or 115k vbr v6 preview.To support the artists: Buy the vinyl. Or the digital on the various standard places.

Where all of this is going if nobody buy the music? Be fair, buy the music you like dig.

Eets Feats - Trash From Our Lips (Aye Aye Aye, 2013)

It seems their production choice and material used pushed them to record at a very low level, but that sort of music can only be listen LOUD. So to be able to enjoy you'll need increase quite a lot the sound volume to listen this album.

That second album of the band is quite different than the first, it is much more focused on speed, energy and a compact orchestration on most tracks. The dense aspect and the constant pressure throughout the album reminded me the Ex-Cult first album that I commented in the blog. But it's also quite different, the vocals are more abrupt and crude, it's faster, and it's not at all the same sound. Unlike the Ex-Cult album this album doesn't use noise or fuzz, there's only a bit of saturation on vocals and not on all tracks.

Even if the instruments are rather clear and could be heard distinctly, the massive orchestration produce a sort of noise feeling, or at least it makes noise. :-) This feeling is increased by the speed as most tracks are quite fast. The bass also contributes to this massive feeling through a noteworthy role on many tracks by being almost in front and sometimes by doubling a guitar.

It's a brutal album because of its speed, the rude vocals, and the compact orchestration. The strange choice to avoid use noise or fuzz gives it a distinct color for that sort of album. For sure it could have benefit of a bit more subtlety including in the vocals. But with some listening care you can capture the variations between the tracks, and also like the Ex-Cult first album, when you listen more the album the differences between the tracks become more obvious. Anyway the main point is it's a fun blitz assault with no piety, no prisoner, and that makes it great.

To listen: Band's bandcamp page. Or 130k vbr preview.
To support the artists: Buy the cassette at Aye Aye Aye. or the digital at Band's bandcamp page.

Where all of this is going if nobody buy the music? Be fair, buy the music you like dig.

Formica Man - Formica Man (Self Release, 2011)

This is the first EP of the group. It's been released in 2011 and I haven't found any other releases. I'm not sure if the band is still up or not. In March 2013 they posted a comment in their Facebook page to mention there will be perhaps a tour in Europe the next year. So it's a bit strange to post about this EP now,  but I'm just in love with this EP and I "discovered" it only in 2013.

It's a special Pop using abrupt vocals and a lot of breaks and brutal ruptures. The result is both a little strange and quite catchy if you enjoy like me abruptness and breaks in music. Despite a systematic use of abruptness and breaks, the band succeed brilliantly to make each track very distinct and the vocals use many different approaches. It could be tagged as a sort of Art Rock but despite the abrupt vocals most tracks have a sort of Pop color, it's vaguely in the idea of the first album of the Pretenders which is a Pop album with very abrupt vocals, something weird for Pop but rather great, alas The Pretenders never reproduced it nor developed it. That Formica Man EP is much less into Pop than this first The Pretenders album, but still a bit, it could be tagged Art Pop, anyway it's a great EP.

To listen: Free download at Band's bandcamp page.
To support the artists: Buy the vinyl.

Where all of this is going if nobody buy the music? Be fair, buy the music you like dig.

Benkes - 2012 EP Collection (Unofficial Release, 2013)

Benkes released four EP in 2012, but I discovered them only at beginning of 2013, firstly the two released through bandcamp ie Amazon Tape and Benkes EP, and few after two other that was available as free download through last.fm ie Limão Session and Home Alone.

I listened them mostly only as a whole in their release order. It's been a musical shock and I'm still totally amazed by this collection of tracks. I asked Benkes if he could released them as an album, he was agree but wanted re edit them but he was busy in another musical adventure he had started, Boogarins, I posted in the blog some comments on their first album. I finally gave up wait and didn't want disturb his focus on his new adventure, so I made myself this collection. Clearly it's very unofficial stuff but those four EP are available for free download, two on Benkes bancamp page, and two on Benkes last.fm page. For the collection I didn't used one track from Limão Session, I tried equalize approximatively their sound level recording so they fit well together, and I choose an order for the tracks. But it's basically the tracks of those four 2012 EP.

It doesn't matter that it's material from four different EP nor that it was four different recording and producing sessions, they merge very well together. It could be a lost tape from the 60's and from a group that recorded under acid multiples sound tracks and few days after took the material and crafted it to produce an alien psychedelic pop album with a large dose of Garage spirit and good amount of smiles. It's clearly music made with a lot smiles, humor transposed in music, even if in the end it's a deadly serious music... with a lot of winks and smiles. Most tracks are insanely catchy if you can bear the weirdness and the humor. This music benefits of a careful listening, and a headphone is certainly the best choice to enjoy all the work on the details. Anyway, it's (now) an amazing (unofficial) album of modern Psychedelic made with the spirit of the most ambitious 60's Psychedelic.

To listen: It's unofficial stuff, so try this 130k vbr preview.
To support the artists: Buy the Boogarins album in vinyl, CD, or digital at Other Music, or at Fat Possum. And the cassette at Burger.

Where all of this is going if nobody buy the music? Be fair, buy the music you like dig.

Froth - Patterns (Burger, 2013)

This is the first album of the band. At first it doesn't seem very original but it is surprisingly catchy and fascinating. It's that sort of album that makes me feel I shouldn't like it that much and I should get tired of it quite fast but I'm not. There's some magic I can't pinpoint clearly making this album catchy, fascinating and resisting well to accumulated listening.

This album has three distinctive elements not really original but at least less common, laid back incantatory vocals quite fascinating, a strange production and strange use of reverbs giving a strange sound to the album, a 70's like keyboard which is an important part to build the mood of the music. There's also on many tracks a (second) guitar with studied slashing building above the music an important melodic and rhythmic layout. And on some tracks, there's textures build in the background additionally to the work done by the keyboard.

The whole is build with a light psychedelic mood and sounds like a mix of two musical layouts, in front a laid back but intense layout build by vocals and a guitar, and a second layout build by the other instruments which is like the swaying of waves with some temporary acceleration. It's a great first album a bit fascinating and with some mysterious magic.

To listen: Band's  bandcamp page. Or 130k vbr preview.
To support the artists: Buy the digital.

Where all of this is going if nobody buy the music? Be fair, buy the music you like dig.

Yargo - Bodybeat (London Records, 1987)

This 1987 album was first released in UK and France and the year after in Europe. When I listened this album it was distributed by Barclay in my country. So it's a mainstream release and the music is clearly mainstream ready. Also if I remember well, at least in my country, the Pop/Rock mainstream reception has been extremely positive.

So why would I want quote this mainstream release? Firstly even if the music is mainstream ready it's not at all pure catchy stuff to attract the masses. Secondly I never understood why this album has never been re released, it's for me a clear classic that would worth a re release and perhaps a remaster.

The music genre is... a bit difficult to pinpoint. It's minimalist and it succeed merge high intensity, laid back, captivating groove, and on some tracks a sort hypnotic mood that could remind Kraut Rock. It's a sort of merge of Soul, Reggae, Dub, Downbeat and a bit of Jazz, and there's also some distant links with Pop/Rock from a large perspective. One element is more kicking than others, even if it's a part of the whole, the vocals are incredible with a constant subtle or more direct tension, and with a voice that sounds a bit like Harmonica. It' a great release and quite unique, even their second album, quite cool too, didn't succeed to capture the same magic.

To listen: I couldn't find any major streaming sites allowing to listen it. So try this 130k vbr preview.
To support the artists: Apart used I haven't found any link to buy it, not even any digital releases.

Where all of this is going if nobody buy the music? Be fair, buy the music you like dig.

Family Curse - Twilight Language (Self Release, 2013)

This is the first album of the band. They tagged it as Art rock and Art Punk and that's quite pertinent, it's also a sort of Post Punk with some Art Rock relationships and strong roots in Punk without to be Punk.

There's various sources of influences on this album and their dominance depends of the track. For example the singing use three distinct directions, a path quite close to some classical Punk, another almost spoken or shouted with influences from Hardcore singing, and another reminds Art Rock declamatory. Another example is the guitars. It's almost Punk riffs on some tracks and on some other other it seems come from a New Wave close to Post Punk like "NY NY NY" with strong echoes of sounds color and guitars melodies that seem come right from Cure first albums particularly the first. And on some tracks the abuse of guitars break seems come from Art Rock.

One great element of this album is the composition quality. It's a solid Punk/Rock composition talent, not at all aiming Pop. The compositions are  diversified and there's a direct efficiency despite some sophistication in instruments, vocals and tracks structures. That's enough to allow enjoy it a lot, but there's perhaps missing a more distinctive style, more uncommon and more clearly identifiable to attract the attention and remind you to re listen it once more. It's anyway a very good first album, strongly advised if you like modern Punk or Post Punk.

To listen: Band's bandcamp page. Or 130k vbr preview.
To support the artists: Buy the digital.

Where all of this is going if nobody buy the music? Be fair, buy the music you like dig. 

Eleven Year Old - Harakiri Krishnas (Jingle, 2012)

This first album of the band is mainly Surf Garage with a non common approach. On most tracks the vocals and choirs are clearly influenced by Surf Music, there's some guitars slides games typical of Surf Music, and compositions are often partially influenced by surf Music.

But there's also a very good work on Garage sounds, the compositions are influenced by more than only Surf Music like modern Garage and a bit Psychedelic, the vocals and choirs have a an unusual color for Surf Music, they use a higher pitch and are more shouted. There's also an excellent work on vocals intensity and tension that transfigures the music. A great Garage Surf album both very catchy and surprisingly uncommon.

To listen: Band's bandcamp page. It's a "choose your price" download, put 0 to download it for free. To support the artists: Buy the digital. There was also two very limited releases on cassette, but I have no link.

Where all of this is going if nobody buy the music? Be fair, buy the music you like dig.

The Sufis - The Sufis (Ample Play, 2012)

The band released last month their second album, Inventions, on the labels Ample Play and Burger. I need listen it more before post or not some comments on it in the blog, but it pushed me comment shortly their first album, The Sufis.

This first self-titled album was initially a release with a free download on bancamp. But this didn't last long because the band found the label Ample Play to release the album.

This first album is very influenced by Pink Floyd era with Syd Barrett and more generally by 60's Psychedelic. It's musical games collecting psychedelic tricks, merging them and chaining them to build tracks from catchy to almost experimental for few tracks. It's great stuff and the strong echoes to that Pink Floyd era isn't a problem because it's still different and it's not a frequent lineage.

The only difficult point is that few tracks are borderline experimental which could make them difficult to listen depending of your mood. But there's only two tracks that are very close to experimental and they are smaller, about 1"40 each, it's "In the Ashram" and "Light Tunnel". But the parts or elements more experimental add a lot of spice to the whole album. Most tracks use almost experimental elements or at least weird elements and merge them smartly to make most tracks both catchy and uncommon. On most tracks the experimental aspects are even almost hidden by the smart merging, great first album.

To listen: Streaming sites like Deezer, Rdio or Spotify. Or 135k vbr preview.
To support the artists: Buy at Ample Play the vinyl or the CD. Or the digital on the various standard places.

Where all of this is going if nobody buy the music? Be fair, buy the music you like dig.

The Space Padlocks - The Space Padlocks (Close Up, 2012)

With that EP released at the end of 2012 this French band made a leap forward. They choose explore a style more uncommon than the styles of their previous releases, ie this new EP is a sort of Heavy Space Garage.

There's a good diversity of the tracks, even the vocals use a different approach on the tracks, multiple vocals with different textures and a bit slow on first track, soft and slow on second track, relatively acid and faster on third track with multiple vocals games, and relatively acid and fast in last track. It's four great tracks well diversified, it's a rounded tempered Heavy Garage with clear influences of Space Rock and perhaps more hidden references of Sludge, a great EP.

To listen: Label's bandcamp page. Or 128k vbr preview.
The Band: Band's bandcamp page.
To support the artists: Buy the Vinyl or digital.

Boogarins - As Plantas Que Curam LP (Other Music - Burger - Fat Possum, 2013)

This is the first LP of a Brazilian band. I already posted in the blog some comments about their first EP released sooner this year. The EP was a free release on bandcamp but it isn't available anymore to allow the official release of this LP which includes the 6 tracks of the EP plus 4 new tracks.

This extension doesn't change the quality of the whole, it's great uncommon Psychedelic Pop that sounds both almost ready for mainstream and still surprisingly uncommon. Check the comments on the EP for few more details.

For this official release it's not that the band founds a label but they found two labels! Burger for the cassette version and Other Music for the vinyl, CD and digital releases. Other Music is a label that operates through the Fat Possum label which manufactures and distribute for them. It's not really a surprise, the surprise was more to not see it on start on a label. Anyway that's a great LP an it's great they found those labels.

To listen: Streaming sites like Deezer, Rdio or Spotify. Or 135k vbr preview.
The Band: Band's page.
To support the artists: Buy the vinyl, CD, or digital at Other Music, or at Fat Possum. And the cassette at Burger.

Where all of this is going if nobody buy the music? Be fair, buy the music you like dig.

Catholic Spit - A Pact with the Devil LP (Bad Touch, 2013)

Imagine a huge sphere rolling on a slope. It isn't perfectly round so there's many subtle variations in the rumble of thunder produced. A little girl stays with ease on top of the rolling sphere, and she shouts and sings without restraint with acidulous vocals and clear Punk lineages. And now the part more difficult to imagine, all of that happens in the sky where some Horror movie is screened. Job done, I think this describes you faithfully the music of this album.

There's an excellent abuse of bass tones making it Heavy and aerial like a troupe of elephants dancing with grace. Add to that some discrete but efficient echoes of Horror movies music, and on top of the sounds waves the vocals are frenetic, speedy, and acidulous. The whole is very fun, and more subtle than could let feel a superficial listening, a great stuff transmitting its excess of enthusiasm, refreshing.

To listen: Band's bandcamp page. Or 130k vbr preview.
To support the artists: Buy the vinyl at label. Or  Buy the digital on bandcamp.

Where all of this is going if nobody buy the music? Be fair, buy the music you like dig.

Ultra Zook - EPUZZ (Gnougn - Human Feather, 2013)

It's the second EP of this French group. Their first EP named EPUZ (only one Z) was already excellent. However this new EP is more immediately catchy, partially because it shows a lot of enthusiasm which is very contagious. Moreover the first EP uses several times Electro tones a little cheap, which may deter the first listening before fully appreciate their use in the context. This second EP also has a more Rock color and less Electro due to the sound pallete used.

It is not obvious to classify their music, however I would say that this last EP has several links with the recent evolutions of Math Rock. Rather than to explain these evolutions of the genre I am rather going to quote some albums, Battles - Gloss Drop, Hair - 1000 Thousand, Pneu - Highway To Health but also Zach Hill - Face Tat. This EPUZZ EP has some kinships with both first ones. They share an enthusiastic approach, an effort to also be catchy and not only ambitious, and they don't hesitate to use influences from various genres and even to use some vocal. They even have all  a distant influence from West Indian musics, but it's not Zouk.

This last EP of Ultra Zook also has one or two tracks with aspects a little Jazz, or more exactly links with Free Rock with links with Jazz and influenced by Free Jazz, as for example, Zu vs. Mats Gustafsson - how To Raise An Ox, Zu - Igneo, or even in other styles Zu - The Way of The Animal Powers, Blurt - The Kenny Rogers Greatest hit, Mombu - Mombu, or very appart but a reference for the games between (true) Jazz and various genres of Rock, the album Naked City - Naked City … I think I have fulfilled the goal of the number of reference citations per month, but if there is a real link with one or two tracks of this Ultra Zook EP, it would be especially with the first two quoted, and rather distant links. : -) Furthermore all those albums are sometimes a little bit experimental, a pitfall which avoids carefully Ultra Zook with a constant effort to catch the listening even in the more adventurous parts, it's a point shared with the Naked City album quoted above.

But this is only some aspects of this EP, there are maybe some other influences or significant kinships which I forgot or don't know, the point is this EP is very free and creative. It's little Math Rock not sounding like Math Rock, inventive and deliberately enthusiastic and catchy. In brief, it is an excellent EP with its own style and knowing how to merge ambition and seduction. It's even two excellent EP but the second is more immediately catchy.

To listen : Band's  bandcamp page. Or 135k vbr preview.
To support the artists: Buy the 12" vinyl or digital.

Where all of this is going if nobody buy the music? Be fair, buy the music you like dig.

X-Ray Fiends - X-Ray Fiends (Sound Recordings, 2013)

It's the first album of this New Zealand band, they had released previously an EP in 2011 and a single at beginning of 2013. It's an album between Punk and Garage but with an orchestration and play between the instruments which isn't usual in these two genres, and it's also an element quite different than in the single released at the beginning of the year. The singing is varied but is always very punk and uses various kinds of Punk singing. The Lo Fi and direct aspects plus few hooks remind Garage.

The Punk singing is very good and diversified, and compositions are quite good, but it's the orchestration and the work on the instruments (guitars, bass and battery, and even keyboard on some track) that gives most of its salt to this album. It's varied, interesting, sometimes with tones not common.

During the first listening it seemed to me to be a nice album but not more, but with more listening I'm completely stuck and now I like very much this album. It's very good Punk singing, very good Punk Rock compositions, cool Lo Fi and direct approach of Garage, very interesting orchestration and excellent work on instruments and play between them. It's great stuff.

It's a "choose your price" download at bandcamp, so don't hesitate to put 0 for a free download.

To support the artists you can buy the vinyl at the Sound Recordings label, or the digital album at the price you want at the band's bandcamp page.

Sapin - One, Two, Tree, Four! (Azbin, 2013)

It's a short EP of four tracks, the first release from this French group. It's very good Garage Rock with an excellent abuse of hooks and even if there's several echoes from stuff you can have the feeling to know, there's also good tricks more uncommon and the whole mixture isn't common stuff.

The sound color isn't very dirt but instead is quite rude, it's like Noise Rock without the noise and morphed into Garage Rock with ton of hooks and some funny games with sounds. It's a very good brutal and catchy Garage Rock EP.

To listen: Azbin label bandcamp page. Or 135k vbr preview.
To support the artists: Buy the vinyl EP or the digital.

Where all of this is going if nobody buy the music? Be fair, buy the music you like dig.

Crystal Soda Cream - Escape From Vienna (Totally Wired, 2013)

It's the first album of this Austrian band but before, they released an EP in 2012. Anyway forget the EP and start with this LP because it's just another band. Both are games with the New Wave but the EP is a bit simple when this new LP is just another matter.

So this LP is games with some New Wave from the end of 70's and beginning of 80's but there's a rather interesting shift. I'm not fan of most of the best known of the New Wave coming from the 80's. My problem isn't that I judge it's not interesting music but that at that time ton of groups jumped onto the genre and alas often it ends in making music around a too limited range of sounds, because that sound color was identified as "New Wave" which was on the hype. But that was a weird (and popular) shift of the genre. Moreover, during that period many bands evolved from a music with some edges to a rounded music much more Pop and honey. That was too much sugar at the same time and too much too similar stuff at the same time. And worse, the genre was just too popular at that time and too mainstream and this generated a lot too many too similar albums.

But I'm a fan of New Wave, in particular the two albums that are often considered the origin of New Wave and that are for me two great masterpieces, I mean the first two albums of Roxy Music, but not the honey/crooner Pop band's albums that followed. I could quote some other albums of New Wave I did like a lot and still like a lot as, Kas Product - Try Out,  various The Nits albums before 1986 like New Flat or Adieu Sweet Bahnhof (Henk album is their masterpiece), Talking Heads - Remain In Lights, The Sound - Jeopardy, Baroque Bordello - Paranoiac Songs or Via, XTC - White Music or English Entertainment, some Devo albums, and some more. In fact I could also quote some New Wave that has been tagged later Post Punk because the New Wave tag had got a too negative fame and had evolved too much to a pure Synth Pop with a very identifiable sound color. So at first they was tagged New Wave and later has been tagged Post Punk like Joy Division, The Cure, Young Marble Giant - Colossal Youth, and more. And for a recent example of New Wave I like I can also quote The Pheromoans - Does This Guy Stack Up? commented in the blog.

So that first album of this young band is playing with New Wave but also a lot with the first two albums of The Cure that are two releases of their first album with same tracks but also some different tracks. That two albums are definitely New Wave, more than later Cure albums which are more… Cure stuff. But they are also different than the well-known New Wave color of that time and few after.

The singer uses many different voices on this album and that's quite interesting. But also on many tracks the singer uses even a voice that reminds quite a lot Robert Smith. But it's not the virtuoso singer that was Robert Smith, but a Robert Smith that would be more direct, unpolished and slightly abrupt, ie a Robert Smith with some light Punk influences. And if the music and sound color reminds in part the sound of the New Wave of the 80's, there's quite a shift because it's merged with bit of acidity, with some edge and a sound slightly dirty.

It's definitely an homage and games with a genre and some albums, but the shift they apply to the New Wave is just great, ie a bit dirty, a bit acid and a bit unpolished. It's definitely an approach I would expect to listen at that time but never get the luck to find in the New Wave of the 80's. Moreover I have to admit that the variations and winks to the first two Cure albums is another great element for me because I'm just fan of those albums and much less of what followed, even if it had some ambition… beside all the theatrical gesticulations. So that album is for me great stuff, it's games with New Wave and in part with The Cure first two albums, and it's a New Wave with a shift, slightly acid, dirty, unpolished and with some edges.

To listen : Totally Wired label bandcamp page. Or 135k vbr preview.
To support the artists: Buy the 12" vinyl or digital.

Where all of this is going if nobody buy the music? Be fair, buy the music you like dig.

Os Drongos - Greetings from Cuckoo Bay (Bleeding Gold, 2013)

This is the first Single/EP of this French group, and they should release soon their first album. The three tracks have a different approach but the band has a strong enough style to keep it coherent. To simplify the first track is Garage Pop, the second is Garage Rock Psychedelic and the third is Garage Pop Grunge Psychedelic. There's also a light South America color that mildly justify the name of the band and of the EP. :-)

The use of Garage in the tags is a bit exaggerated, it's Garage not much focused on noise and dirt but instead focus on some games with sound and a sort of Garage energetic and direct approach with a well balanced production, clear but not too clean. So it's not really Garage but some of its spirit is close to Garage, including the light Psychedelic touches that remind modern Garage frequent approach. Anyway even if it's not really Garage, I think it's an excellent EP that could enjoy fans of Garage.

To listen: Bleeding Gold label bandcamp page. Or 135k vbr preview.
To support the artists: Buy the 7" vinyl or digital.

Where all of this is going if nobody buy the music? Be fair, buy the music you like dig.

Ex-Cult - Ex-Cult (Goner - 101 Distribution, 2012)

It's probably my favorite album of 2012 but I refuse admit it. :-) The point is it's the album released in 2012 that I listened the most and I'm not tired of it. Listen it few time more for commenting it was still a refreshing listening. I refuse admit it's my favorite album of 2012 because my brain tells me that the tracks are too similar and reuse too much similar tricks. Moreover the first place in my 2012 favorite list is already taken by an album that I consider a masterpiece, and for the listening duration it's clearly the album I listened the most because it's a double album, White Fence - Family Perfume Vol. 1&2.

Among all stuff I ever listened this Ex-Cult album is the closest to The Ruts album, The Crack released in 1979 which is probably among the albums that I listened the most. And because of the singer premature death it generated a frustration to not have any follow up. The Ex-Cult album is faster, more violent, more dirty, more savage but it's exactly what was needed to reproduce a roughly similar feeling for an album released 33 years later. Anyway, despite tracks seem a bit similar in part because the music is lost into a lot of violence, dirt and garbage, it's a great Garage Punk album, for me it's a date.

To listen: I noticed streaming sites like Deezer, Rdio or Spotify. Or 115k vbr v6 preview.
To support the artists: Buy the vinyl or CD at label shop. Or the digital on the various standard places.

Where all of this is going if nobody buy the music? Be fair, buy the music you like dig.

Burnt Ones - You'll Never Walk Alone (Burger, 2013)

This second album of the band is a very good Garage Pop album. It's Pop with energy but also some softness and many choirs, many fuzz and some organized garbages by the addition of special sounds and noises to the base music. That seems simple but if many Garage albums use some Pop tricks most are mainly looking toward Garage and Rock hooks, here it's pure Pop very Garage.

A good example is their first album that was quite more Garage Rock and that was using many classical Garage Rock hooks, maybe too classical. This new album gives up this relationship with classics of Garage and instead is focusing on Pop. It's very good stuff and the Garage approach makes this Pop less common, not Shoegaze, not Dream Pop, not mainstream Pop, it's just Garage Pop but it's a less common genre so less chance to be tired of it.

If you are fan of the classical Garage hooks then this new album could disappoint you, otherwise it's very good Garage Pop, very Pop but also fuzzy, noisy and with energy, and in a way it is more original in the contemporary Garage context than was the first album.

To listen: Streaming sites like Deezer, Rdio or Spotify. Or 115k vbr v6 preview.
To support the artists:  Buy the vinyl LP or the cassette at Burger label. Or the digital on the various standard places.

Where all of this is going if nobody buy the music? Be fair, buy the music you like dig.

The Pheromoans - Does This Guy Stack Up? (Upset The Rhythm, 2012)

The first release of this UK band was in 2009, but they are prolific and before this last album "Does This Guy Stack Up?" they had already released four albums, two mini albums, three EP and several singles. The previous releases of the band are varied but generally, rather experimental, very Lo Fi and some are more Garage. At the beginning of 2012 they however released the Rock Bar on the EP label Monofonus Press with a better production and a bit less experimental but still quite weird.

The album "Does This Guy Stack Up?" was released later in 2012 and is even more experimental but this is merged with many catchy hooks and its production is much better, neither Lo Fi nor Garage. The result is an excellent and ambitious New Wave album, varied and catchy. It is in my opinion their best release this day, and it is probably the ideal album to discover the band while having an insight of its rather ambitious and rather experimental approach.

To listen: I only found it on Spotify. Or 115k vbr v6 preview.

To support the artists: Buy the vinyl LP or the CD at Upset The Rhythm label. Or the digital on the various standard places.

Where all of this is going if nobody buy the music? Be fair, buy the music you like dig.

Waylon Thornton and the Heavy Hands - Enter The Coven (Cool Tapes, 2013)

Waylon Thornton has released many albums and EP since few years, I discovered him through the No Chew No Rip EP which is an amazing furious Garage Rock EP playing on excess of enthusiasm and on a delicate balance between control and lost of control, both for the vocals and the instruments. But I have to admit that I get lost by weaker releases that followed and by the amount of previous releases that discouraged me.

It's tempting to give up on some artists because they release too much and too often. It's very hard to enter in such universe, and it's even harder to follow. But the point isn't that this LP is by Waylon Thornton the man of 1000 releases. The point is it's just a great LP and no need to try others Waylon releases to enjoy this one fully, and if you want try one this one is the one to try.

Through that album Waylon and his band reach another level, not only there's only very good tracks, but also the LP has a personal style, it has a good diversity, and the tracks are more sophisticated, there's particularly a more intense and more interesting work on the sounds. The result is a high-tension Garage Psychedelic album played with extreme passion, the work on sounds is a bit hidden by the energy and the Lo Fi, but it just requires some attention to details to enjoy this fully. Don't let you intimidate by the discography size of Waylon Thornton, that's a great album of Garage Psychedelic.

In fact after six careful listening I have the felling that it's a classic, it's like I have put my hands on something like Raw Power, not the style but the dimension. Every element is great and together they build a synergy to achieve something not only amazing but archetypal. Moreover, myself I never heard an album with this approach and reaching the same dimension, huge. :-)

It's a "choose your price" download at bandcamp, so don't hesitate to put 0 for a free download.

To support the artists you can buy the the cassette or the digital album at the price you want at the band's bandcamp page.

Owen Temple Quartet - Rot in the sun (Casbah, 2013)

It's not easy to define the music of this album which is the second album of this French group. It's a sort of mid-tempo Rock which is relatively heavy. It has various influences and the result is uncommon. The singer uses a special declamatory singing that strangely remind me Extra Life, but it's different. There's a sort of slow heaviness in the instruments playing that reminds me the 90's but unlike a lot of the underground Rock of the 90's there's here no influences of Punk, Hardcore or Noise Rock not even Stoner or Sludge. Moreover I can't pinpoint any 90's group or album particularly.

Anyway that's an excellent album of uncommon Rock with a mid-tempo and relatively heavy. There's many very good tracks, a good overall originality and a freedom of the inspirations sources. Lol, ok it's excellent stuff that I like a lot, that's why I wanted comment this album even if I still can't pinpoint it well, and that I can't pinpoint it well is one of the reasons making me enjoy this album. :-)

You can listen it on Casbah label bandcamp page. Or you can preview it here but at a quality only a bit better than standard streaming, and be fair, if you like dig it, support the artists and don't forget to buy the album.

To support the artists you can buy the vinyl with a digital download at the Casbah label bandcamp page.

Pow Wows - Bent Out Of Shape (Bruised Tongue, 2013)

This mini album that lasts 25" was recorded live January 12 2013 at The Silver Dollar Room, Toronto. It shares only one song with the first album of this Canadian group, Nightmare Soda released in 2011. And there's two tracks never released before. The other tracks are coming from the two EP released in 2012 and 2013 and one track was released before through the digital release of a live recording for WFMU radio. You can find them all on the band's bandcamp page.

The sound of this album is very good and very fun, and the band was in a very good shape. The result of this live recording is like a new album with an excellent producing. The vocals has a constant echo that is very cool and that fits very well with the music. The instruments are at same time very clear and with a cool Garage dirt, and the guitars and bass have a great sound partly coming from the recording and partly from the playing. There's no weak track and the result is a very good Garage Rock album. The band's first album is quite good too but for some reasons, I even prefer this new live album that I like a lot.

You can listen it on Bruised Tongue label bandcamp page or on band's bandcamp page. Or you can preview it here but at a quality only a bit better than standard streaming, and be fair, if you like dig it, support the artists and don't forget to buy the EP.

To support the artists you can buy the cassette with a download card at the band's bigcartel page. Or you can buy the digital album at Bruised Tongue label bandcamp page or at band's bandcamp page. You can also buy a tee-shirt at band's bandcamp page.

White Reaper - White Aura (Self Release, 2012)

That big EP with eight tracks is the first of the band, it's an aggressive Noise Rock merged with a ton of hooks coming from various horizons, including Garage Rock, Punk, or even Rock. The merge is excellently done and gives a good originality to the whole.  The cumulation of hooks is also excellent and makes this EP very catchy. The fast Noise Rock makes it brutal and gives it an excellent urgency, it's a tornado!

It's a very fun EP if you can bear the Noise Rock aggressiveness. It's not at all Shoegaze because there isn't the main standard tricks of Shoegaze like playing with textures and noise walls, and it replaces the Pop hooks by other hooks more linked to genres that are less Pop, like Garage Rock, Punk or Rock.

The sound level recording of this EP is very low, like many other albums or EP commented in this blog. It's quite important to adjust the sound level and increase it quite a lot to makes it at a level on par with the average current production. I'm using iTunes that allows setup a sound level increase for any mp3 and it keeps the setup. Even at the maximum it's not enough to be on par with contemporary production, and some other albums or EP commented in this blog has also this problem. So I used the ability to define a special tuning setup mainly increasing the sound level and I use it for that sort of EP and album, that most often are self production with simple recording tools. And thanks, itunes also remember this setup for each mp3.

Anyway, it's a noisy garagy loudy tornado full of perverse hooks! It's juicy, catchy, funny, and there's no piety and no prisoners! :-)

It's a "choose your price" download at bandcamp, so don't hesitate to put 0 for a free download.

To support the artists you can buy the digital EP at the price you want at the band's bandcamp page. But also the Earthbound label will release soon a vinyl of the band, the Conspirator/The Cut 7" that you can preorder at bigcartel Earthbound label page.

Ugly Motors - Ugly Motors (Self Release, 2013)

It's the first EP of this band and during the first listening I said to myself that it was quite good energetic Garage Rock but very classic, maybe too classic. However without knowing why, I was intrigued. That brought me to listen it again and more attentively. Then I noticed that the playing of guitars and sometimes the bass is quite sophisticated with several melodic lines in parallel and games between the instruments, and it's quite interesting. In fact it's not common to have such sophisticated instruments playing well merged to powerful Rock and Garage dirt, and this approach gives an originality to the sound color of this Garage Rock.

Moreover, the singer does an excellent work with a slightly dirty singing that matches well the genre. Also the energy is quite present without to be lost in the complexity of the instruments playing. The result is a very good power Garage Rock EP, and unlike the feeling that could gives a first listening, it isn't common Garage Rock. It is particularly advised to the lovers of guitars or of powerful Garage Rock, but not only

It's a "choose your price" download at bandcamp, so don't hesitate to put 0 for a free download.

To support the artists you can buy the cassette or the digital at the price you want at the band's bandcamp page.

Tiny Hazard - Tiny Hazard (Self Release, 2012)

This is the first EP of this band, its music is a sort of Art Pop to make a parallel with Art Rock. It's a bit experimental Pop but not really, the elements are mostly with a standard approach but it's much more the songs structures that are quite broken, and that reminds a lot Art Rock or some types of Prog Rock, but it's more Pop.

Usually I prefer avoid list many references because I consider echoes of known music are mostly coming from a mechanical neuronal mechanism to link new stuff to stuff you already know. But after several listening I still have the feeling of a mix of echoes, Kate Bush, Björk, the French singer Camille, King Crimson and modern Classical Music. Often the voice and the singing reminds me a bit Kate Bush first albums, the broken structures and sometimes the singing reminds me Björk, and few time how are used silence with whispering and loud singing reminds me Camille. The piano reminds me either Classical either modern Classical. And the track Old Man Sea reminds me a lot King Crimson. But don't hope find any of those bands in this EP, it has its own personality and you'll probably won't hear the same echoes than I do. Anyway it's great stuff that touches me much.

You can listen the album on band's bandcamp page. Or you can preview it here but at a quality only a bit better than standard streaming, and be fair, if you like dig it, support the artists and don't forget to buy the EP.

To support the artists you can buy the digital EP on band's bandcamp page.

E.T. Habit - Venomous (HoZac, 2012)

Before this EP the group released two very Progressive albums. The first one, self-titled, was released in 2010 on the label Skrot Up. It's Prog Rock colored by Psychedelic on many tracks. The second, Panthers On The Roof, was released in 2012 on a label created by the group. Despite there's 5 tracks from their first album, the two albums have a quite different mood. This second album is much less psychedelic. In fact the 5 tracks reused are sometimes very different and other times are remastered and this makes them less Psychedelic and more Heavy. Both are very interesting but personally I prefer the first one whom I find more original with this mixture of Prog Rock and Psychedelic.

However with this Venomous EP released on HoZac the band reach another dimension with a Garage Prog approach and a work on the sounds which is dared and original. It is a little bit strange, especially during the first listens, but the ear becomes used fast and in the end it is very catchy and very original. It is an excellent and original EP, I hope that the group will released an album with in this approach.

You can listen the album on some streaming sites, I noticed Deezer, Rdio and Spotify. Or you can preview it here but at a quality only a bit better than standard streaming, and be fair, if you like dig it, support the artists and don't forget to buy the EP.

To support the artists you can buy the vinyl 7" at HoZac label. You can also buy the digital album at the various standard places.

Various Artists - Le Garage Se Rebiffe (Close Up, 2013)

This recently released Garage compilation has a shift when compared to current Garage. It's quite old school oriented with a sort of 60's color, and it's not much focused on the dirty aspects of Garage unlike most modern Garage. Moreover many tracks has winks to French Yéyé music from the beginning of the 60's. All of that gives to this Garage compilation a very uncommon color in comparison to modern Garage.

Another very interesting element is despite this rather old school and falsely naive approach, in fact many tracks are quite interesting musically with uncommon and funny instruments plays and compositions. It's an excellent merge of false naive and old school with relative sophistication and originality mildly hidden. The whole is very fun, very refreshing and quite interesting. I applaud and with a little louder clapping for the he girls side which is the A side, and also for the special track concluding very well this compilation.

You can listen it on Close Up label bandcamp page. Or you can preview it here but at a quality only a bit better than standard streaming, and be fair, if you like dig it, support the artists and don't forget to buy the album.

To support the artists you can buy the vinyl at Close Up label. You can also buy the digital album at Close Up label bandcamp page.

Unwed Teenage Mothers - Forever Until You Are Bones (Hiss Lab, 2013)

This four tracks EP is quite different than the previous band's releases that I listened, "Blonde Girls" LP and "If That's Love" EP both released in 2010, and an EP released in 2012 by Speaker Tree label.

It's still in Garage area but the tracks of this new EP are faster, more energetic and dirtier. They are also more Pop with catchier hooks including some vicious choirs. The result is sort of bombastic aggressive dirty Garage Pop quite funny and juicy!

You can listen it on Hiss Lab label bandcamp page. Or you can preview it here but at a quality only a bit better than standard streaming, and be fair, if you like dig it, support the artists and don't forget to buy the EP.

To support the artists you can buy the vinyl 7" or the digital at Hiss Lab label bandcamp page.

Coyote Indigo - Horning (Self Release, 2013)

This is a Psychedelic Rock album by a Brazilian band. Its sound has a lot of relief and has a very clear sound color, this isn't common in this genre. There are many parts with saturated and sizzling guitars but the sound is very clear anyway. The frequent use of echo on the voice and the numerous saturation effects from the guitars do not build a noisy, dense or psych sound, they are just tools to compose the tracks and it's surprisingly fun and catchy.

In my opinion the album has a small imbalance in the tracks order. Basically the first part is very dynamic, has energy and hangs easily. While the second part is quieter and more difficult to listen. The effect is a bit strange and makes the second half a bit difficult to listen. By the third listening of the album I changed the tracks order to balance the album, I simply put the 4th track between the 6th and 7th tracks. For me this order is more effective and more balanced, if you also have this feeling of imbalance and that it bothers you, try this order a little different.

Anyway this is a beautiful album of Psychedelic Rock with a sound approach that gives some originality. You can listen it or download it for FREE at band's bandcamp page.

White Lodge - Demo Tape (Self Release, 2013)

The second best album of The Gun Club has just been released this year, and better, it's a very tasty Lo Fi Garage genre. That is a good news!! OK OK it is not the first album made by a zombie which would have gone out of its grave, nor even a lost and found tape. It's the first release of this new Australian band which has strong and assumed influences coming from The Gun Club but in a very dirty and very lo-fi Garage genre. That's not the only influence but this one is striking and the result quality proves that it's a great choice.

It's an excellent EP which half seems to consist of covers but that's original tracks. This kinship with The Gun Club is a quality, because every piece remains very different from what has done The Gun Club even if there's many strong echoes. The result is invigorating and the echoes which it can evoke increase even more the listening pleasure. It's very Lo Fi so remind to raise widely the sound volume to appreciate fully.

That's great stuff, enjoy, it's a free download at bandcamp.

To support the artists you can buy the cassette to the band, check their Facebook page for more information.

Mozes and the Firstborn - Mozes and the Firstborn (TopNotch, 2013)

This is the first album of this Dutch band. It's mildly Heavy Rock with a strong 70's color,  some laid back Grunge influences and a bit of Psychedelic on some tracks. If the tracks have most often a sort of simplicity, both in the style and in the complexity, there's also an excellent composition diversity along the album.

It's not that sort of album that instantly slap your face, instead it seems at first a bit harmless, that sort of second grade album, very pleasant to listen but that's it. But after more listens it grew on me quite a lot. I did notice that to fully enjoy it I need listen it with care, probably because it has a mildly laid back approach that doesn't drag back the attention easily. Anyway now it's great stuff for me.

You can listen it at band's bandcamp page, or it's a "choose your price" download at bandcamp, so don't hesitate to put 0 for a FREE download.

To support the artists you can buy the vinyl at TopNotch label or you can choose the price you want for the digital version.

White Fence - Cyclops Reap (Castle Face, 2013)

No matter the manufacturing context of this album, only the result matters. If there are several echoes from the previous double album, on the other hand there is a surprising style evolution, it's crystalline Garage Rock. This is paradoxical but this is really the style of this album. Not only sounds are very pure, but even the dirty sounds are more symbolic dirt and become crackling from which the slightest vibration is clearly audible, acid sounds tend to be very clear, and noise is build with textures allowing to hear any detail of the weaving.

But the most impressive element building that crystalline Garage is coming from the orchestration, mixing and production. Most often there's two lines and sometimes three lines of guitars, there's the singing and few times two vocal lines, there's the percussions and sometime a bass, and all this is orchestrated and mixed with a surprising clarity. Every instrument, every effect and every note can be heard clearly. And in spite of all this sound clarity, the feeling that it's Garage is very present. Garage fans could be disappointed by this special approach of Garage, and the previous double album had tracks with a relatively similar approach, but they was only draft of what achieves this new album which is a kind of paradox.

Personally, even if I consider the previous double album is a masterpiece unmatched by this new release, I adore this new Cyclops Reap album which is unique including when it is compared to the previous album. For sure it would be even better with fewer echoes from this previous album. But it's just echoes, each past albums had also many echoes from the album that preceded it, and it's very far from cloning. Anyway, the point is it's a great unique crystalline Garage Rock album.

To listen: Streaming sites like Deezer, Rdio or Spotify. Or 115k vbr v6 preview.
To support the artists: Buy the vinyl, CD, or the LP limited edition at Castle Face label. Or the digital on the various standard places.

Where all of this is going if nobody buy the music? Be fair, buy the music you like dig.

Die Zorros - Future (Voodoo Rhythm, 2012)

It's a rather special Garage Rock album by a rather special Swiss band. Firstly the style is special because it's supposed to be an album from a Garage band during the 60's that tried imagine Garage Rock in the far future. The result is both old school and weirdly modern.

Moreover, more than half of the songs are covers of classics or less classics from Rock history plus one from Jazz. But they are completely deconstructed and mistreated up to the point of being difficult to recognize, or at least the result is very different from the originals.

And the diversity of the covers is quite wide, from recent Pop to classic Pop and Rock, and even Metal, Jazz, Rockabilly and more: Amy Winehouse "No No No", Black Sabbath "Black Sabbath", The Rolling Stones "Paint It Black",  The Beatles "Walrus Eats Taxmen" , Morris Albert "Feelings", The Jive Boys "Hey Rockabilly", Herbert Jarczik "Der Komissar", Moody Blues "Nights In White Satin" and Rod Stewart "Sailing".

Although based on two funny and weird postulates, and from a band whose main goal is to have fun and to not take music seriously, the result is an excellent Garage Rock album and not common.

You can listen the album on some streaming sites, I noticed Deezer, Rdio and Spotify. Or you can preview it here but at a quality only a bit better than standard streaming, and be fair, if you like dig it, support the artists and don't forget to buy the album.

To support the artists you can buy the LP, CD or cassette at Voodoo Rhythm label. You can also buy the digital album at the various standard places.

Little Seizures - s/t EP (Self Release, 2013)

It's an explosive and very enjoyable EP. The tracks have an impressive power that relies on an emphasis on graver sounds. This is built by games between the bass and the battery. This boosts the tracks by making them at the same time very powerful, bouncy and catchy.

The singer is excellent with a singing rather abrupt and rhythmic, the compositions are very good or excellent, and the whole is very dynamic and fast. At first it sounds a lot like Garage Rock that sounds differently, but there's very few work on sounds dirt and noise. Then Punk comes in mind, but it's partly only and rather by the aggressiveness of the singer and the brutality of the tracks, not by the sound color or instruments play.

This EP reminds me the big slap of last year with Ex-Cult album, while being very different. In fact I find this Little Seizures maybe even more a shock, but on the length of an EP it's difficult to compare with an album which is a bigger challenge.

Since the beginning of the year I enjoyed a lot many albums and EP, yet for me this EP is one of those that stand out of the pack, and it's one of the biggest slaps of the beginning of this year.

You can listen it on bandcamp. Or you can preview it here but at a quality only a bit better than standard streaming, and be fair, if you like dig it, support the artists and don't forget to buy the album.

To support the artists you can buy the digital album at Little Seizures bandcamp page.

Hookworms - Pearl Mystic (Gringo, 2013)

It's the first album of this Psychedelic Rock band from UK. Their first EP which preceded this album is interesting but it is dark and little catchy, this makes it difficult to listen. At the opposite this first album is strangely catchy and it makes wonder why it is so much fascinating.

Its genre, especially on the most energetic tracks, is to transpose Happy Mondays into a psychedelic more classic than what made Happy Mondays, and it's enough distant to Happy Mondays to not be a simple copy. The result is viciously catchy. A superficial listening can make it look slightly too classic, in fact the mixture gives a result not so common in Psychedelic Rock, and this makes it catchy to the point of being fascinating. This album is a superb success.

To listen: I noticed streaming sites like Deezer, Rdio or Spotify. Or 115k vbr v6 preview.

To support the artists: Buy the vinyl LP, CD or lossless digital at Gringo label. Or the digital on the various standard places.

Where all of this is going if nobody buy the music? Be fair, buy the music you like dig.

Beard Closet - Corporeal Economy (Self Release, 2013)

It's the third EP of this Canadian but this new EP has a totally different style than the two previous EP. It's a single track, but it lasts 15 minutes and it evolves a lot by chaining different parts, this gives it the weight of an EP.

The genre is in the center of a pyramid, textures used as drones, Psychedelic, Noise and a sort of modern symphony. The result is a long psychedelic track structured in a series of musical movements and with an uncommon sound color for Psychedelic because of the work around Noise sounds.

The EP is made with only one to three guitar lines, and the result is a surprising mixture of greatness and simplicity. The work on sounds, through drones, textures, sounds partly Noise is quite great and catchy.

The chain of rather different successive parts gives more dynamism than a more standard approach of a long psychedelic track, and it creates the feeling of a modern symphony. Also this frequent change of the music makes it more catchy by drawing the attention.

It's a single track but in the end it's a magnificent Psychedelic EP which is rather uncommon and surprisingly catchy.

It's a "choose your price" download at bandcamp. So don't hesitate to put 0 for a FREE download, or to support the artists you can put the price you want.

derTANZ - Kaktusz (Self Release, 2013)

I listened multiple times and with a lot of pleasure that Hungarian band's first album. It's for me, interesting, fun and easy to listen. But many elements can make the listening quite difficult for many listeners, minimalism, experimental aspects, unconventional singing, compositions often build around repetitions and suspensions, compositions more focused on structures, rhythms and tones than on melodies. So yes I like a lot that album, but it's probably an album that will be difficult for many listeners.

The singing is one of the most important element of the album. It is quite special, varied and audacious if not provocative sometimes. It reminds me The Book Of Knots, in particular their album, Garden Of Fainting Stars released in 2011. And for me this gives an Art Rock mood to this derTANZ's album. Beside the special singing and the experimental aspects, another element gives this album an Art Rock mood, it's the emphasized games on the suspensions in some tracks. It's even more emphasized than did The Book Of Knots that also worked on this aspect in some of their tracks. In fact it's sometimes very strange with tracks with a long blank pause that is surprising and makes you wonder what happen and wait for what follows.

The band links their music to Noise and to some quite noisy bands. It's not fully right. Originally Noise has been used a lot for adding aggressiveness. And its evolution increased this approach. So often Noise uses many walls of sound and a lot of high-pitched and mildly high-pitched tones. That type of sound assaults the ears. It even reached a paroxysm during the first half of the 2000's and I don't mean experimental bands. I have been quite a big fan of Noise up to extremes during that period. But gradually I became a bit tired of it and then, later, I discovered modern Garage. In Garage and even more in modern Garage there's still a lot of work on sounds garbage and dirt, but it's more diverse than just for aggressiveness.

If derTANZ had used a classical Noise approach I wouldn't have enjoyed this album as much. But they rounded a lot their noise, gave up to use too standard walls of noise, moved the noise to more deep tones, and gave up focus the noise on pure attack of the ears to develop instead a noise quite closer to modern Garage approaches.

In the end, it's for me a surprising and very interesting album between Post Punk and Art Rock with some Post Hardcore influences, and I know nothing equivalent. It could please to adventurous ears, and perhaps to fans of Post Punk, Art Rock or Post Hardcore. For the others I'm not sure, but try it seems to be a good idea.

It's a "choose your price" download at bandcamp. So don't hesitate to put 0 for a FREE download, or to support the artists you can put the price you want.

Lasso - Lasso'd (Double Phelix, 2011)

It's a magnificent album of Psychedelic Rock that would be a sort of symphonic Garage mixing very well dirt and greatness. But it's also Psychedelic Rock merged with numerous genres. All these genres aren't mixed together, but they are used according to the tracks and many tracks alternate various mixes. The evoked genres are for example, Country, Western Spaghetti, Soundtracks, Cabaret, Pub music, Classic, Gypsy, Asia, Surf, Mass, and more.

It's very diverse and very well merged and chained, so despite all this diversity, the album keeps a strong unity. The result is an original and very varied Psychedelic Rock Garage with a dirty greatness. A magnificent album, for me it's a classic that I store with the greatest Rock classics.

You can listen it on bandcamp, but I suggest skip one or two minutes of first track beginning because it's a part difficult to appreciate without a good sound quality. Or you can preview it here but at a quality only a bit better than standard streaming, and be fair, if you like dig it, support the artists and don't forget to buy the album.

To support the artists you can buy the cassette, the CD or the digital album at Lasso bandcamp page.

Organ Eyes - Multibody (Bruised Tongue, 2013)

This is the first EP of this Canadian band, but with six tracks and 24 minutes it's almost a short album. This band is from Ottawa like Boyhood for which When I'm Hungry was reviewed in the blog, and both was released on the label Bruised Tongue. Multibody was released at the end of 2012 as a video. But it's only at beginning of 2013 that it's been properly released through the label.

At first listening I heard Dream Pop and though, again Dream Pop, an approach overused in many very popular genres... sigh. But without to understand why, I was glued and couldn't stop listening. At second listening it was obvious, it's far beyond a classical Dream Pop. There's an intense work on sounds, it's not flashy but it's constant and it changes significantly the music. This work is on the music as well as on the varied and relatively complex singing.

This work on sounds creates touches of originality, effects creating small gaps, oddities, changes of atmosphere, or simply additional games on sounds and textures adding another dimension to the music. All this adds a lot of depth to the music but also it builds a discrete but in-depth originality.

The compositions are very good, this is elegant without being too clean, on the contrary. The music brings some energy and some power building a contrast with the more aerial singing. The result is rather staggering and of an exceptional quality.

You can listen it on Bruised Tongue label bandcamp page. Or you can preview it here but at a quality only a bit better than standard streaming, and be fair, if you like dig it, support the artists and don't forget to buy the album.

To support the artists you can buy the digital album at Bruised Tongue label bandcamp page and at a minimal price rather low. It seems that the cassette isn't available yet. But to buy a cassette perhaps you can try contact the label or the band through their facebook page.

Black Bug - Reflecting the Light (XVIII 2012, Hozac 2013)

This album of this Swedish group currently based in France was initially released in vinyl at the end of 2012 on a French label, XVIII. Recently Hozac re-released the album, at the same time for an American distribution of the vinyl but also for the CD and digital versions.

It's the second album of the group, but it is very different from the first one, and the composition of the band changed a little with the departure of the female singer. The first album was drier, a bit minimalist and more violent. This new album isn't minimalist, it is darker, more roundish and more powerful than violent. Sometimes it is a bit dancing, while keeping a Punk aggressiveness and dirtiness.

It's Post Punk with some New Wave elements but it hasn't the classic New Wave sonorities. It would be more between the first album of Chrome and a little the first album of The Sound while being very different to both. Another way of seeing its genre, it's powerful Synth-Punk a little Cold Wave that is a bit tenebrous but also a little bit dancing and catchy. It is a bit in the lineage of Joy Division including this dancing aspect on some tracks as in Joy Division's first album. But there too it is very different from what made Joy Division.

It's the quality of the tracks which makes this album excellent. It begins by chaining eight varied tracks and all are a slap. The track 10 is also excellent. On the other hand, for my ears, the tracks 9 and 11 are less strong without being bad. Anyway this album is listening in one breath and it is intoxicating so much it is excellent.

You can listen it on XVIII label bandcamp page. Or you can preview it here but at a quality only a bit better than standard streaming, and be fair, if you like dig it, support the artists and don't forget to buy the album.

To support the artists you can buy the vinyl either to XVIII label for Europe, either to Hozac label for America. You can also buy the CD to Hozac label. And you can buy the digital on the various standard places.

Thee MVP's - Philly Jammin (Stolen Body, 2013)

This is the second EP of this UK band and it is much better than the first. It's Garage Rock of an unusual style in contemporary Garage. Those last years Garage music was often dense which strengthens the Garage aspect. Here it's a Garage with more space and more variations of sound intensity. It gives it a very pleasant 70's color.

This space is in the structures of the tracks as well as the music with less sound density but with an excellent work on the dirty aspect to compensate.

Another significant aspect is how the tracks are very catchy with numerous riffs, sequences and vocal parts that are very effectives and catch quickly and firmly the attention.

With a first mildly distracted listening this EP could seem a bit good Garage but a bit common, but with some attention and by enjoying the very catchy aspect, it shows all its qualities. It's an excellent EP and with a style not common for its time.

You can listen it on Stolen Body label bandcamp page. Or you can preview it here but at a quality only a bit better than standard streaming, and be fair, if you like dig it, support the artists and don't forget to buy the album.

To support the artists you can buy the cassette or digital on Stolen Body label bandcamp page. And you can also buy the cassette to Stolen Body label.