Cuneiform Records can do no wrong to these ears. Sonar are a band out of Switzerland who produced a tight, punchy post-rock that made for enjoyable evening listening.
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[Music] The Summer in Jazz Releases — Bandcamp Daily
We highlight some of the most notable jazz releases of the last three months.
[Music] Angel Olsen, Down to Earth — Bandcamp Daily
The rising star stays grounded with her strong working relationships and control over her own image, never sacrificing warmth or artistry.
[Music] Sauce Llorón – Sauce Llorón EP
This charming EP by Sauce Llorón came during a late night stumble on Tumblr. It seems like it’s a combination of Mexican folk music and something that Yann Tiersen might come up with.
[Music] Santiago Fradejas – Sketches For Sarah, Vol. 2
I had the pleasure of reviewing Mrs. Fradejas a couple of days ago, and now it’s time to review Mr. Fradejas! Santiago’s new release sits in an equally unique point on the music reference chart. One can find something akin to post-Industrial noise, a brutalist interpretation of contemporary classical music, improvisation in the fine European-American free jazz tradition, and avant-progressive rock which labels like Cuneiform Records champion. Another masterpiece by one of the best young composers operating in Europe today.
[Music] Shoom – Tried To Sing But Couldn’t
Thirteen years ago, I was given an opportunity to work with Shoom, an Israeli band whose sound nestles comfortably within the realm of Mediterranean ethnocore, avant-rock and ethno-rock, a term I’ve not heard in quite some time, but which seems appropriate for this band.
Lots of percussion and guitars flow quite nicely with a duduk making melodies on top. Definitely worth a listen to this album, as well as their back catalog.
[Music] A.M Ferrari Fradejas – Dominique Worships The Sun
A.M Ferrari Fradejas is a composer based in France who also happens to be the wife of noted guitarist and composer Santiago Frajedas, whose amazing work has graced these pages in the past. Ferreri Frajedas’ new release is an absolute delight to listen to, and it came as a shock to my ears.
I was expecting progressive rock, and I was rewarded with that in spades. What I didn’t expect to find was a deep thread of ethereal music, some of which reminded me of past bands like Chandeen or Love Is Colder Than Death. There is also a touch of cabaret music here, as well as reminisces of groups like Slapp Happy, Henry Cow and Dagmar Krause’s solo work. Fans of Laurie Anderson might find something familiar here as well.
It was weird, hazy, and utterly fun listening for me.
[Music] vivienxo – w84u
vivienxo is a Finnish musician who does ‘dreampop’. I have no idea what the genre really is, but there’s a lovely, muffled sound to it that reminds me of old 80s dreampop that I’m familiar with, such as bands like Dream Academy. Definitely worth investigating further.
[Music] Mary Halvorson & Noël Akchoté – Mary Halvorson & Noël Akchoté
I have to admit that I’ve been waiting for such a release to come about for a while now. Noël Akchoté, perhaps the most prolofic guitarist working in improvisational music today (and maintaining astoundingly high quality throughout each release) pairs with NYC-based Mary Halvorson, a guitarist I have only become acquainted with this past year. This is a purely improvised duet, with no rehearsals, recorded in Belgium this year.
For those who already collect the work of Noël Akchoté, this will be another treasure to add to your collection. As for Mary’s work, this is a fine introduction, which makes me want to delve into her solo work.
[Music] Is Bandcamp the Holy Grail of Online Record Stores?
I’m a big fan of Bandcamp. So much so that I not only have a personal account with them, where I’ve bought over 630 albums, but I’ve also released 9 albums on my own online label. They have a great model to work with, and are the equivalent of an incredible indie record shop, but they need only to develop a social media platform in order to allow people to really connect. Otherwise, Bandcamp is really something else.
The New York Times writes about them here.
A Miscellany Of Tasteful Music 