Monthly Recommendations: January 2020

by Dæv Tremblay

Spine Readers – Recorded Instruments

Spine Readers coalesced through the dismemberment of the great prog band Illogicians, which is already a promising start, if you ask me! Then, the band’s new hive mind decided to experiment with various song structures and ideas, going experimental with the progressive rock genre. The result is an astonishing album of genre-hopping madness that doesn’t take itself seriously at all!

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Ekmeles – A Howl, that Was Also a Prayer (New Focus)

What a mind-blowing record this is! The Ekmeles vocal ensemble recorded commissioned works by microtonal aficionados and contemporary classical composers Taylor … Read more

January in 161 Albums

by Dæv Tremblay

Wednesday, 1 January

Blast Furnace – I Pray for Death

22:15
grindcore, experimental jazz, noise
New Jersey
Harvestman

Blast Furnace – The Pox

22:57
grindcore, experimental jazz, noise
New Jersey
Harvestman

East London Sound Ensemble – Echoes / Shadows

22:22
contemporary classical, electroacoustic
London, UK
Independent

Good Night Owl – Liars

44:29
progressive rock
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Independent

Mammock – Itch

30:38
noise rock
Athens, Greece
Independent

… Read more

Weekly Release Dump

by Dæv Tremblay

Friday, 24 January

All Systems Know – I​/​O

19:41
post-hardcore, progressive rock
Los Angeles, California
Independent

Atena – Drowning Regret & Lungs Filled with Water

31:16
deathcore
Oslo, Norway
Independent

Bohren & der Club of Gore – Patchouli Blue

59:10
dark jazz
Germany
Ipecac

Brendan Carniaux, Ryan Carniaux, and Max Goldman – Carniaux​/​Goldman​/​Carniaux

49:53
free jazz
Rhode Island
Independent

Caspian – On Circles

46:16
post-rock
Beverly
Triple Crown

… Read more

Horse Lords, Starfruit, Psalm Zero, Abacaxi, Victory over the Sun, and Nero di Marte

by Dæv Tremblay

Horse Lords – The Common Task (Northern Spy)

Horse Lords are back! and they are stronger than ever! The band’s just intonation psychedelic rock is very cleverly written and played, with many interesting rhythmic-harmonic relationships used in songwriting and a lot of wild modulations keeping you on edge. It’s a brilliant and amazing record!

Starfruit – Wild West Combat

Starfruit is an avant-garde pop music band from Texas that includes a lot of cool people, including saxophonist Garrett Wingfield, who we already covered for his Octopod project. Wild West Combat is highly energetic and eclectic, it’s weird and frightening, … Read more

Weekly Release Dump

by Dæv Tremblay

Friday, 17 January

Absolute Terror Field – Psychospirtual

65:10
free improvisation, noise
Chicago, Illinois
Neutral Archive

Algiers – There Is No Year

39:46
jazz fusion, hip-hop
Atlanta, Georgia
Matador

Aly Keïta, Jan Galega Brönnimann, and Lucas Niggli – Kalan Teban

60:13
world fusion
Zurich, Switzerland
Intakt

¡Fiasco! – Arson

34:29
modern jazz
Washington, D.C.
Independent

Garganjua – Toward the Sun

48:40
doomgaze
Leicester, UK
Holy Roar

… Read more