Judging by the tags listed on this rather charming EP, I would have thought that this music is meant for the dance floor. It is, actually. It’s just the sort of thing you would want to listen to after a night of pounding noise and stomping around in your best shoes. With this release, BlankFor.ms lets you lilt gently into a relaxed phase, ending your evening on an exalted note. There is a cracked, crunchy beauty to this album. I look forward to exploring the band further.
Bandcamp
[Music] Nass Zuruck – Golden Age
This is the last release of 2019 for Kalamine Records, a label out of Bordeaux, France, who have a deep catalog of bands deeply made in the post-punk and electro-Industrial mold.
Nass Zuruck release a very short album, but this is good. The grooves are tight, meaty, and it left me with a tinge of disappointment because the album was far too short. This is definitely for fans of Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft and mid-era Wax Trax! Records fare.
[Music] Trigger Cut – Buster
Thanks kindly to Ralph Schaarschmidt for introducing me to Trigger Cut, a band that sounds like The Jesus Lizard, Die Haut, and a reformed Big Black slowing their sound a bit into something more manageable, yet equally powerful, as their speedy stuff. This has punch.
[Music] Various Artists – Serein: A Compilation (FREE)
[Music] Bandcamp’s Best Albums of 2019
Another banner year for Bandcamp. They continue to be the premier platform for new artists, and the reissue market benefits greatly from their presence. May 2020 be much better for them!
Monday, Dec. 9: Best Albums of 2019: #100 – 81
Tuesday, Dec. 10: Best Albums of 2019: #80 – 61
Wednesday, Dec. 11: Best Albums of 2019: #60 – 41
Thursday, Dec. 12: Best Albums of 2019: #40 – 21
Friday, Dec. 13: Best Albums of 2019: #20 – 1
[Music] Reza Solatipour – The Gate
Reza Solapitour is a dark ambient musician based out of Tehran, Iran, discovered by the best ears in experimental music, Raffaele Pezzella of Eighth Tower Records.
The album is booming, eerie and spacious, as though one had the sensation of floating in a cave. Quite a powerful release.
[Music] The Latins & Alba and Aris Karantanis – Oriental Shake!
I have no idea about the artists on this mini-compilation except to say that Radio Martiko has a wonderful habit of digging up some incredibly cool cuts from both past and present times. This is a peach of a 7-inch.
[Music] Saigon Soul Revival – Họa Âm Xưa
2019 was a great year for a soul revival, and The Saigon Soul Revival end this trend on a very high note. From their Bandcamp site:
Saigon Soul Revival has been on a quest to reawaken the raw, enchanting sounds of 1960’s and 70’s Vietnam; a time when passionate music resonated in Saigon’s streets and clubs with messages of love, heartache, hope and freedom. Amongst the turmoil of war, there was a rich cultural climate that fused popular genres of the day like rock, soul and bolero with Vietnamese music and lyrics. This fusion of sounds that bridged east and west became forbidden after the fall of Saigon in 1975 and almost vanished. Four decades later Saigon Soul Revival was born with the initial purpose of bringing these dormant sounds back to the stage. After numerous live performances over the last 3 years, the band has developed their own sound and now, with the release of their debut album “Họa Âm Xưa”, they are ready to share it with the rest of the world. The 11 track LP, including original compositions and nostalgic reinterpretations, blends traditional Vietnamese elements with modern concepts, featuring pre ‘75 and current artists, all while remaining firmly rooted in the “nhạc vàng” (golden music) of the time. Meaning “Old Harmonies”, Saigon Soul Revival is proud to present “Họa Âm Xưa” as a tribute to the artists and composers of the time that inspired them to create this marriage between past and present.
[Music] Oh! Calcutta! – The Greatest Story Ever Told
No, not that Greatest Story Ever Told, where Max von Sydow plays Jesus Christ. This Story is a bit less profound, but Oh! Calcutta! avail themselves well enough with a powerful album where post-rock and hard rock meld into each other for an enjoyable listening experience.
[Music] Lalić – I Do Not Deserve This Catharsis
Z Tapes always produces charming, simple surprises. This one comes in the form of Australian/Serbian troupe Lalić, whose album reminds me of what demos of early Railway Children, Movement-era New Order and maybe something a tape collection inside the Postcard Records post box might sound like. Worthy.
A Miscellany Of Tasteful Music 