Mittwoch, 30. Dezember 2015

Mos Eisley Music's 2015 in Rock





Hydromedusa - Hydromedusa


After making waves with some smaller releases including an excellent s/t 7" single Hydromedusa from Adelaide just put out their full-length debut on tym records. If you're into heavy and rough rock and roll sounds there is simply no way around this one. Right from the start with the old school riffs and fierce vocals you just know that this is no joke - this is a truly dangerous brand of rock that doesn't take any prisoners. The band cuts right to the point but also likes to play some intense jams here and there. So as much as some tracks seem to be that kind of music to speed down the highway you will also find some psychedelic flavoured vibes in tunes like "Sew" or "Matter Of Time". more...








Smokey Angle Shades - Shades Of Joy


London's Smokey Angle Eyes are the smoothest blend of country and soul sounds that currently walks the contemporary music landscape. After their recent take on a Jimi Hendrix tune the new album "Shades Of Joy" is now out on Impossible Ark Records and available on vinyl and digital. There are great vocal harmonies, some nice rock licks and a beautiful vibe going through all 11 tracks. It's all captured by some impressive and on point songwriting. It shows in the simplicity of the songs - it's about finding the exciting and little things in an otherwise standard song structure you've heard so many times before - and let me just say that this band is doing an incredible job at this.  Thus it is really hard to pick one standout track to feature below. Still I won't let the gospel/country character of the opener "Empty Carriage" fool you (though it is a great tune) - from bluesy soul tracks like "Everybody Knows" to uptempo acoustic rock tunes like "Had About Enough" - you will find it all on this record and it will grow on you in an addictive way...more








Demon Head - Ride The Wilderness 


You just have to love what Denmark's Demon Head are offering on their recent doom rock release. "Ride The Wilderness" is a tribute to the retro rock sound and yet such a unique piece of contemporary rock'n'roll music in itself. The doom character on this record doesn't evolve through dark or atmospheric moods but more through a Uncle Acid kinda grooving vibes. And without sounding primitive or predictable the songs are surprisingly catchy. So apart from riffs and rumbling rhythms you will also find on point songwriting on "Ride The Wilderness".The number of bands trying to archieve this sound is immense but you rarely hear it executed so exclusively well as in this case...more







Peace Creep- Peace Creep


With their brand new selftitled release Peace Creep from San Francisco will surely become your next favourite punk rock trio. The band draws inspiration from all kinds of rock styles and developed a unique and rough sound on a total of 6 tracks on this EP. It all starts with the incredible opener "Control Yr Crime" that moves with an intense pace through different moods. The punk rock character in Peace Creep's sound blends with all kinds of heavy rock genres and is probably what people should be talking about when they mention the term alternative punk rock. Tracks like "Radio Free Alcatraz" are building on great tensions that are often unloading in massive jams. It's an exciting brand of high energy rock'n'roll music that you should not sleep on....more
 



More 2015 Rock Music:
Hot Lunch EP
We Lost The Sea - Departure Songs
Hair Of The Dog - The Siren's Song
Sweat Lodge - Talismania
Radare - Im Argen
Sunder - Curse The Wolf
Grieg - Retaliate First


Youtube Playlist:

Mittwoch, 16. Dezember 2015

Leaf Peeper & Vesper Chimes - God's Country


Blending experimental ambient sounds and traditional folk motives Leaf Peeper & Vesper Chimes' new album "God's Country" is a perfect meeting of songwriter Matt Brown and Chicago duo Ethan Parcell and Hannah Bureau.

Mostly the aforementioned sounds represent a part of nature as they are unique field recordings that are certainly not always as peaceful and quiet as the coverart suggests. What is true though is the floating character of the tracks - more than everything else they are vibes and atmospheres; the grooves, guitars and vocals arise out of them and find themselves perfectly embedded. So "God's Country" is a journey through wide landscapes filled with melodies and calm moods.

Get the full stream on Bandcamp.

Montag, 14. Dezember 2015

Le Rex - Wild Man


Let me draw your attention to another great record released recently on Cuneiform Records. "Wild Man" is the third album by experimental brass group Le Rex from Switzerland and one that certainly doesn't brake with the label's exciting jazz tradition.

Consisting of drums, tuba, trombone, tuba, alto and tenor saxophone this group develops a highly unique and dynamic sound which reaches from experimental structures to hymn-like passages and uptempo brass groovers - and sometimes all put together in one track. Apparently a trip to Chicago influenced the group to this release drawing inspiration from the iconic Art Ensemble Of Chicago. The influences can be heard though there is certainly a very individual vibe going on in "Wild Man". Just take a tune like "Sugar Maple"; the grooving rythm patterns, the improvisations and the classical jazz arrangements form an exciting blend and truly progressive jazz music.

Stream the album on Bandcamp.

Samstag, 12. Dezember 2015

Mother Mars - Black Coffee And Good Advice


After the previous single "Claimed By The Cloner" here's another short retro rock teaser by Mother Mars before the upcoming full-length album.

"Black Coffee And Good Advice" is an uptempo and no-nonsense track in the Mother Mars tradition: Rumbling blues elements and heavy grooves. On the virtual flipside of this digital release you will find an instrumental jam featuring vibes that remind you of the band's side project Frozen Planet 69.

Get the full stream here.

'15 Christmas Mix



 A short collection of rather grooving and swinging christmas tunes - Don't thank me but the good guys at Aquarium Drunkard and Tramp Records for digging out so many (and most of the here featured) seasonal goodness.

1. Matt Wilson - Winter Wonderland
2. The Youngsters - Christmas In Jail
3. The Bionic I - Disco Claus
4. The Olympic Cyclone Band - Little Drummer Boy
5. Binky Griptite - Stone Soul Christmas
6. Booker T. & The MG's - We Wish You A Merry Christmas
7. Sam Sweetsinger Bell - Happy Birthday Jesus
8. The Beginning Of The End - Ghee Whiz, It's Christmas
9. Jimmy Smith - Jingle Bells

Mittwoch, 9. Dezember 2015

Julian Julien - Terre II


Blending photography and experimental music French saxophonist Julian Julien created a very cinematic jazz sound on his new album "Terre II". As the name suggests it is the successor to a similar project he did in 2000.

Julien worked with numerous international photographers and captured their motifs in very atmospheric tunes using innovative sound elements and developing progressive song structures. His collaborations from the musical perspective are Frédéric Collignon on trumpet, Siegfried Canto on flute, Rémi Dumoulin on clarinet and fellow sax player Michaël Havard. Although I didn't see all the pictures I can tell that they surely transmit a variety of moods and feelings that are expressed in dreamy tracks like "Iris V", dynamic ones like the title tune "Terre II" or dark grooves as in "Mr John Barry".

Stream/watch a few extracts on Youtube.




Dienstag, 8. Dezember 2015

Soulbrotha feat. Beneficence & Kazi - Flow 'N Facts (Single)


As a first taste of Soulbrotha's upcoming album "The Golden Era Isn't Finished" they just released the first  throwback rap single "Flow N Facts" featuring rappers Beneficence and Kazi.

The producer duo from Hamburg consisting of DJ B-Base and DJ 12Finger Dan already collaborated with some of Hip Hop's greatest and if you've checked the names on the coveart above you will realize that they still do. So what can I tell you about this new track what the album's name doesn't already tell you? Flawless old school production and rappers you can trust - and there is no sign that the remaining tracks shouldn't be equally as dope.

Get the stream on Soundcloud. (out mid January)

Sonntag, 6. Dezember 2015

Best Of November '15








The Milk - Favourite Worry


It's been a while since The Milk from London have released some new music - Now they are back with a stunning new album "Favourite Worry" on Wah Wah 45s which shows the band in a very soulful mood. From the great opener "Wonderlust" that equally moves through solid soul grooves and dramatic brass sections to smooth-as-butter tracks like "Lonelines Has Eyes" and the impressive climax in "Favourite Worry", this album is everything that a soul fan could wish for...more








Teej and Cuth - Seven Ages


British producer Cuth is once again part of a great hip hop duo after the relase  with his mate Adam earlier this year. The new record "Seven Ages" features rapper Teej who is equally up to the task of rhyming nicely over Cuth's original and soulful beats. There is an overall more serious vibe on this one which shows in Teej's lyrics and the dusty beats. But this certainly doesn't subtract the dynamics or the quality of their music. A track like "Boy Meets World" is an excellent example for great storytelling and original beatmaking...more







Pixel - Golden Years


"Golden Years" is the third album release by Pixel from Norway which appeared on Cuneiform Records (like so many other great albums these days).The quartet consists of double bassist and main vocalist Ellen Andrea Wang, drummer Jon Audun Baar, trumpeter Jonas Kilmork Vemøy, and Harald Lassen on saxophone. Just take the opener "Rainforest" which creates a perfect setting for the following tracks; a steady and grooving rhythm accompanied by soothing brass sounds playing beautiful harmonies. It is the composition of the tracks, how the pieces fit together, that make them special, like the following track "People Pleaser" whose vocal chorus could've easily ended up in any cheesy pop song - but the strong and lively jazz foundation transforms this element into something entirely different... more







Moon Curse -Spirit Remains


Only one song of the new Moon Curse album "Spirit Remains" is streaming currently on Bandcamp - But this one, the opener "Beneath The Waves", is all you need to get sucked into this band's vibes and to await the release of this record at the end of this month. It marks the second album by the trio from Milwaukee that again knows how to create slow moving and huge sonic monsters. This first single is a perfect prove of that point. Behind the big guitar sounds and stomping rhythms you will be able to find very melodic elements that are worked out nicely and well developed through the songs. "Spirit Remains" spans five songs - five deep and capturing trips into heavy iffs and melancholic melodies...more





BENJAMIN - Arriving


The Chicago-based label Cherries Records is lately releasing some nice funk and r&b records - and its hard to tell if they are either ignoring modern trends in soul music or if they are the very incarnation of them. The latest release features the BENJAMIN-duo and their new album "Arriving". The first single "Those Memories (Sneak Up On Me)" already dropped earlier this year and was a nice example for the synth-vibes and smooth production that you will find on the full-length record... more





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Serious Beak - Ankaa


Another gem from the contemporary Australian heavy scene: Serious Beak's brand new instrumental masterpiece "Ankaa".

The three members of this band can also be found in regional groups like Squat Club, Hashshashin, Nyce Destroyer, Död, Jxckxlz, AM Frequencies, Kurushimi and the incredible Adrift for Days. "Ankaa" is a great mix of heavy riffs, polyrythmic elements and progressive song structures. In just a second this band will go from chaotic riffs to psychedelic moods and back again - all worked out nicely and transmitted through huge dynamics.

Get the full stream on Bandcamp.