MONO - "For My Parents"
Dynamics is the secret to make exciting, stirring music. Pink Floyd understood this and was the first to reintroduce dynamics to popular music since the days of classical music.
This japanese combo have been perfecting their post progressive epic soundtrack(ish) music to soul stirring effect with powerfully sweeping melodies and a timelessness that is as deep as the ocean.
Probably the best album of 2012.
GODSPEED YOU BLACK EMPEROR - "'Allelujah! Don't Bend!
Ascend!"
Nobody saw this one coming. The giants of post rock released this album out of the blue. Another legendary and triumphant chapter in the history of this groundbreaking band.
EXTRA CLASSIC - "Your Light Like White Lightning, Your Light
Like A Laser Beam"
One of the freshest releases of 2012 instilled with soulful 70s psychedelia and reggae. Wonderful to see and hear Dri Verhoeven again. She deserves recognition and hopefully this is the vehicle with which she'll achieve it although I must stress out of respect to the excellent musicians playing with her, this is a band project, not just about Dri.
BILL FAY - "Life Is People"
Kudos to producer Joshua Henry for resurrecting this most vital and important English voice. The wonderful musicians embrace these songs with sublety, never overshadowing Fay's voice, letting the message be heard loud and clear. After watching his rare early albums sell for hundreds on the internet, he may be able to retire comfortably. Let's hope there will be more records before he does...
NE OBLIVISCARIS - "Portal Of I"
The australian underground band have conspired to produce a stunning progressive concoction of extreme music. This exciting, complex progressive extreme metal pays no respect to formula and is so organic, it sometimes smells of the earth after the rain. Essential!
CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX - "(Mankind) The Crafty Ape"
This band has been a work in progress and maybe, finally, they are settling into a stable lineup. The influence of post rock is giving progressive rock a more organic sound that will help it stand the test of time. The trained ear may detect a Pink Floyd influence but this will always be a pro rather than a con.
AMANDA PALMER - "Theater Is Evil"
& Grand Theft Orchestra
She asked for a hundred thousand and raised 1.2 million on Kickstarter. Despite the controversy following the "local musicians paid with beer and merch" announcement, the whole affair is nothing less than staggering. Controversy always followed Palmer. It follows every daring, free spirit that takes chances.
The music is brimming with inventive arrangements and sometimes she wears her 80s influences on her sleeve. She is fast becoming one of the most amazing stories in rock music.
She asked for a hundred thousand and raised 1.2 million on Kickstarter. Despite the controversy following the "local musicians paid with beer and merch" announcement, the whole affair is nothing less than staggering. Controversy always followed Palmer. It follows every daring, free spirit that takes chances.
The music is brimming with inventive arrangements and sometimes she wears her 80s influences on her sleeve. She is fast becoming one of the most amazing stories in rock music.
The Swedes have created another masterpiece of progressive death metal. Passionate, powerful and atmospheric.
Quite silly to categorize them as a prog metal band. There is much more to American Hollow who probably got their name from the documentary with the same title. They are more organic and atmospheric than your run-of-the-mill prog metal band and explore ambient sounds. A most promising band. Check out their wonderful EP, too.
Oh, well. Sometimes you're in the mood something sweet and this fits the bill perfectly. Very smooth and very sweet. It has been building up slowly and now they are playing to sold out venues.
Temporary Residence has released a comprehensive box including vinyl (for the first time), cds and DVDs documenting this fascinating and poignant music. The story behind the Disintegration Loops is as fascinating as the music which was assisted by bad storage and time degeneration of the original tapes. What has eluded critics who don't have recording engineering knowledge, it is not only the effect of the ferrite breaking off from the tape that adds to the sublime effect, but also, a significant amount of "crosstalk". Thanking my good friend Stavros P. for bringing this wonderful work to my attention.
Just when you thought you heard every single astonishing story ever to have come out of rock n' roll, comes the amazing, heartwarming documentary that unearths a talented singer/songwriter, virtually unknown to 99.9% of the world. Of course, the documentary would not have been as fascinating had his songs been forgettable. A must see and a must hear (vinyl).
Lest you forgot how essential Joni is...
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