Mark McGuire - The Garden of Eternal Life



McGuire is an ambient/noise/other things artist, and primarily a guitarist. Hailing from Cleveland, he also happens to be 1/3 of the band Emeralds, which already have an entry in this thread. Not exactly a whole lot of info out there on the guy, aside from the fact that he's about 22 or so. I've never actually seen him in person, but he looks kinda short in pictures.

The Garden of Eternal life was I believe the last of McGuire's 10 or so releases in 2008. Yeah, he tends to put out a lot of stuff, but so far the quality hasn't really dipped down, so that's nice. Released by Arbor (edition of 150), and technically not an album, Garden is easily one of the most anodyne 30 minutes I've had in quite some time and I've heard lots of pretty music.

Totally blissed out, relaxing, Garden is perfect to throw on at any time either as the focus, or something to blend into the background, slowly absorbing subconsciously. Unless I'm mistaken this release is just McGuire, guitar, and live looping. Maybe some tapes and a little synth thrown in there, I'm not sure. The songs aren't very long, the opener being the longest at 6 minutes. The opening track is cool, some sort of sample I guess from a 70's sounding relaxation record that was supposed to help people sleep. Instead of the sounds of the ocean or rainforest, this track focuses on the feeling/comparing colors of the rainbow. "Imagine yourself in the green grass, sun shining on your face" kinda stuff. From there McGuire comes in with lovely melodies and a great use of repitition to totally put you in the zone. I'm always amazed at McGuire's talent, especially when you think about how old he is. Between his solo/collab output and his work with Emeralds, he's already an accomplished musician.

Graceful, flowing, and ridiculously pleasant, Garden is a great one to get if you can, it's been out of print for a bit now. I was certainly pleased to get my physical copy yesterday after wearing out the mp3s. Let me know via PM or in this thread if you need linkage.

Black Dice - Load Blown



Formed in Providence in 1997, Black Dice started out as a thrashy-noise type group, but has since continued to move away from that aftermoving to New York in 1999. BD's current line-up is comprised of Bjorn Copeland, Eric Copeland, and Aaron Warren. These days I suppose you can slap them with the vague "experimental" label, but that's no fun. In my opinion they are currently making great highly organized dancey noise-pop music that, well, is pretty awesome.

2007's Load Blown marks a definite turn for the band into a more accessible territory, but accessible is a very subjective word I guess. More friendly may be a better term to use. Overall a rather chilled out listen, it goes great for a hot afternoon by the pool, drinking beers and having a little smoke if ya know what I mean. The record has a nice flow and isn't highly abrasive, although there are moments where some of the soundz can be a little piercing. Grooves is the word of the day here, and if you don't find your head bobbin' I'd like to know what the hell is wrong with you. Electronic hum and screech for the whole family. Kind of...ok not really. I can also imagine this being fun music to have sex to....maybe.

BD use all kinds of neat/weird analog equipment that I was able to get a good look at when I went to a couple of their shows recently. I'd love a chance to **** around with that stuff, but alas. Great shows, I suggest ear plugs, although it is quite the ****ing experience without them. You'll hear it for days.

To sum it up, really cool album with no real low point, it's nice to throw on and jam to for a while, especially considering the nice summer weather. If you like this record, I highly suggest their 2009 release Repo. Similar to Load Blown, but taken a step further into poppier, groovier territory.

Also like to take the moment to say that if these guys would Get of the Paw Tracks label, I think that would help them out a bit.

Hüsker Dü - New Day Rising



3 cool cats from Minnesota's twin cities area, making hardcore punk and going on to lay part of the foundation for what would become "alternative rock". New Day Rising was the band's 4th studio album, released in 1985 only six months after Zen Arcade. Although the majority of people I talk to would pick Zen Arcade for this list, I think NDR need's to have it's moment in the spotlight too. Both albums are excellent in my book.

Hüsker Dü was definitely not your typical hardcore band, and listening to this album is a perfect example of that. There was so much going on beneath the surface. Bits of blues, folk, and an overall poppier sound found it's way into the songs, while still retaining some of the thrashier elements that marked the earlier releases such as Land Speed Record (their first release, a live record) and the first 2 studio albums.

New Day Rising's cover does an excellent job of summing up the music found within. A great start to any day, on your way to work or a day with friends sitting around the grill. Not as noisy or angry/poltical as some of their previous work, many of the tracks on NDR are infectious and easily show that Hüsker Dü was one of the key bands (along with others such as the Replacements) that, intentionally or not, paved the way for "alternative" or "college" rock. The combination of Bob Mould's vocals with the faster tempo guitar and drum work really keep the songs moving and make for easy head bobbin' action. The distortion isn't as thick on this record, making the overall sound less gritty and angsty. Several tracks seem celebratory, almost inviting you to get up and out. To experience the world for yourself, and see what might be out there for you. Opportunities abound.

Hüsker Dü was also the first American indie band to sign to a major label which meant more listeners.Many bands have been and are influenced by Hüsker Dü's sound although sadly they broke up in 1987.

Can - Ege Bamyasi




Can came together in the late 60's in Cologne, Germany. Call it krautrock, experimental, psychedelic, or a number of other things. They all apply to some degree. The use of improv is huge with these guys, and the results are pretty spectacular. Without a doubt Can has influenced many a band and genres of music. It's still happening today. Not a bad band to look up to for sure.

The band's third proper album, Ege Bamyasi (1972) is a complete pleaure to listen to. Whether I'm in the car cruisin' about as I do at times, or at home dancing in my socks it's always a good time to put this record on. Jazzy, groovy, and (purely) addictive are three words I'd use to describe this album. Strong drumming keeps things moving while guitars take me on a smooth ride, interweaving between the vocals and various sounds that come from here and there. The strings are plucked softly, but with plenty of purpose. Ege has a very inviting sound, despite it's other-worldy, weird, and almost alien moments.

The vocals on Ege, performed by Damo Suzuki, fit the flow of things very well. Can I understand what he is saying half the time? Not really, although it's not a problem. He seems so into the music, determined to be a part of something great....and he is. Not that it's a new thing for him or the other members with Ege Bamyasi coming hot off the heels of the great album Tago Mago. Ege, however, spawned the hit single "Spoon". Selling some 300,000 copies and hitting the top 20 charts in Germany, the single "Spoon"wasn't even originally set to be on the album. The song was essentially filling space on the album. Hell it was only so popular because of it's use as the theme for the show "Das Messer" I'm glad it made it on the record, though. Killer song.

That last paragraph was sorta weird. Anyhow, songs from Ege Bamyasi have been covered by fine folks like Beck and sampled by douchebags like Kayne West ("drunk and hot girls" from graduation apparently).


Overall great album. If you wanna try some other Can albums, the biggies are Monster Movie, Tago Mago, and Future Days.

There you go Mistoffelees, 70's and German to boot.

The Skygreen Leopards - One Thousand Bird Ceremony




Skygreen Leopards is mainly made up of two guys from San Francisco. Their music is a nice blend of sometimes poppy psych-folk with some field recording/slighty noisy moments. Freak folk maybe? I'm admittedly at a loss when it comes to sub genres and micro-managing. It's a waste of time.

Released in 2003, One Thousand Bird Ceremony was skygreen's debut album It may be their best as well, but my opinion on that varies from time to time. Bird Ceremony is light and airy for the msot part, with a few darkers moments that manage to fill out the album despite it's short length at ~20 minutes. Some songs shine brighter than other, and those tracks never fail to help relax my mind and drift for a short while. The murkier bits are solid, and allow me to appreciate the sunny, sometimes fanciful bits that surely could have been at home on FM radio. Just another reason I'll like to rec. this album, it just needs to be heard, to be enjoyed. The album was released on Soft Abuse records, with Jagjaguwar releasing the 4 subsequent albums. They self-released their fifth and up till now last album in 2006.

I should also mention that Glenn Donaldson of skygreen is most notable for his association with the Jewelled Antler record label/collective. He has collaborated/been a member of many bands including:

Thuja
The Blithe Sons
Flying Canyon
The Birdtree (solo project)
The Ivytree (solo project)
and of course Skygreen Leopards.

Donaldson is also a prolific collage artist, and his surrealist-inspired nature collages grace the covers of many of the Jewelled Antler albums.






ETA: The album is not 20 minutes long, got confused there for a second.

Thought I might add a small entry real quick....

Cold Sun - Dark Shadows



Only recording one album in 1970, it wasn't released until 1989 I believe. If you are into 13th Floor Elevators, particularly Easter Everywhere, I can't rec this one enough. Psych music from the 60's and 70's is all over the place, but these guys managed to make it calm, interesting, and free from totally overt drug references that IMO plagued many a band at that time. Very nice album for a summer evening. A real shame they never recorded anything else.

Fripp & Eno - (No Pussyfooting)





First, here's a little background on Robert Fripp and Brian Eno just in case some of you aren't familiar. Hopefully, this is not the case.

From wiki (cause I'm lazy bitches):

Quote:

Robert Fripp (born 16 May 1946 in Wimborne Minster, Dorset, England) is a guitarist, composer and a record producer best known for being the guitarist for, and only constant member of, the progressive rock band King Crimson. Huge discog without counting his work with KC.

Moving right along....

Quote:

Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno[1] (born 15 May 1948), commonly known as Brian Eno (pronounced /ˈiːnoʊ/), is an English musician, composer, record producer, music theorist and singer, who, as a solo artist, is best known as the father of ambient music. Eno studied at art school, taking inspiration from minimalist painting, but he had little musical education or playing experience when he joined the band Roxy Music as their keyboards and synthesisers player in the early 1970s. Roxy Music's success in the glam rock scene came quickly, but Eno soon tired of touring, and he left the group after their For Your Pleasure (1973), beginning his solo career with Here Come the Warm Jets (1973) and Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) (1974).

I've been wanting an excuse to talk about ambient music more, and I figured I should touch on some older stuff as opposed to flooding the thread with more jabber about this whole analog scene that's eating away at me, slowly but surely.

So, (No Pussyfooting), released in 1973, was the first of three collaborations between Fripp and Eno. At the time of release the album didn't make the charts (oh no!), and met a generally negative reaction. It didn't help I suppose that Eno released Here Come the Warm Jets, his first solo record since leaving Roxy Music. To put it mildly, Here Come the Warm Jets is a much more approachable album, and genius in it's own right.

Anyways, (NP) made use of "Frippertronics", this system of tape loops that was developed in the early '60's. It was first used by composers like Terry Riley (he surely deserves a mention in this thread). The use of this system didn't really gain popularity until it's use in ambience by guess who? Fripp and Eno. For the sake of the geeks who may be reading this, here's an explanation of what I'm talking about:

Quote:

Frippertronics (a term coined by Joanna Walton, Fripp's poet girlfriend in the late 1970s) is an analog delay system consisting of two reel-to-reel tape recorders situated side-by-side. The two machines are configured so that the tape travels from the supply reel of the first machine to the take-up reel of the second, thereby allowing sound recorded by the first machine to be played back some time later on the second. The audio of the second machine is routed back to the first, causing the delayed signal to repeat while new audio is mixed in with it. The amount of delay (usually 3 to 5 seconds) is controlled by increasing or reducing the distance between the machines. Fripp used this technique to dynamically create recordings containing layer upon layer of electric guitar sounds in a real time fashion. An added advantage was that, by nature of the technique, the complete performances were recorded in their entirety on the original looped tape.

To say the least, this album is epic, and quite a bit to take in. Many of the artists I love today that are involved in the whole drone/experimental electronic stuff owe plenty to albums like this. There's no way around that. Pure proto-ambient bliss is an easy way to sum things up. Fripp's guitar playing is superb, and Eno's work with the loops is amazing (although this was surely a learning process). Perfect for a calm drive through under a tree bridge or something to relax to while you soak in the tub. If you do that, I'm all about the shower personally.

Ok, this is getting long, so I'll just say that if you are into Fripp or Eno, or anything they've been involved in you owe it to yourself to give this album a spin. Ambience may not be your big thing, but this is essential.





Robert Fripp





Brian Eno

Grouper - Cover the Windows and the Walls



Grouper's (Liz Harris) "unofficial" thrid album. Not sure why some people think it's unoffcial. Maybe because it was vinyl only, or because it was so painfully limited. Who knows. Anyway, this is an absolute gem of an album, that actually manages to stand out a bit from her other wonderful releases.

Absofuckinglutely drenched in glorious reverb, this album is something tangible seen through blurred vision. A nice a pillow for your brain that will lull you into the safety of loving embrace. Maybe that's just me. It's not really drone, it's not what you want to call shoegaze....ambience? No, it's much more than that. It's floating through a brackish sea, surrounded by fog. All alone with your thoughts and sorrows. Suddenly, a little bit of light appears, a light that comforts and lifts your sorrows. This is the kind of music that plays inside the uterus during pregnancy. Prepping you for all the life that lies ahead.

Gorgeous and essential.

Sonic Youth - Sister



What can I say about these guys that hasn't been said? Formed in 1981, SY have have been prolific in the world of music with tons (this is an approximation) of releases as a band and as solo artists. I doubt people will ever be able to agree on which release is the best, but tends to be a common problem so what the **** ever.

Released in 1987, Sister (their 5th album/release I think) is my personal favorite album and in my opinion is as good a place as any to start your journey through the discog. Considering the scary crazy that is EVOL and the poppier sensibilites of Daydream Nation, it seems the perfect mix of musical ideas the band were expressing in the 80's. So it's said that Sister was partially inspired by the life and works of Philip K. Dick. Apparently some lines that are quoted verbatim. Gotta love the Dick, baby.


All around a rockin' good time friends.

/tells you nothing about the actual music since you should have this already

Lightning Bolt - Wonderful Rainbow



Here's an album that I and others on RT have mentioned here and there on RT since way back whenever.

Lightning Bolt is comprised of Brian Gibson on bass and Brian Chippendale on drums/vocals. The result is what I like to call "mega super awesome". Formed in Providence in 1995, the Bolt has released 4 albums, the most recent being Hypermagic Mountain in 2005. They began as part of Providence's Fort Thunder art and music collective, witha number of other bands looking to make some noise. Many of these bands have releases through Load and other labels. Some are still around, others not so much.

While the first two Bolt albums are rather insane, Wonderful Rainbow (2003) and Hypermagic Mountain managed to harness the energy and abrasiveness and form something overall more cohesive without losing that signature sound. I've seen too many bands fall into the trap of trying to wrestle their sound into something more appealing (in a great way) and fail. I'm glad these guys got it right.

So anyway, Wonderful Rainbow is a riffmaster's heaven. The bass volume is at 11 at all times, and the sound is very thick and heavy. Some of these tracks still manage to make my jaw drop a bit when I sit back and realize that one crappy old bass is putting out all this sound. Amongst the monster riffs are nice little lead parts, or parts of lead parts. Not sure how to describe it really. Of course Gibson isn't using the standard bass either.

From wiki (accurate enough for this post):

Quote:

Gibson plays his bass guitar tuned to cello standard tuning, in intervals of fifths (C G D A), using a banjo string for the high A. He used this four-string setup for several years, but has recently been seen using a five-string setup, tuned to C G D A E, with banjo strings for the A and E.

Interesting right? Well it is, mofo. The sounds are amazing and certainly unique. Like I said, the music can be abrasive, but if you don't get hooked on these grooves we can't hang out anymore. If this review doesn't give you enough info I apologize. It's just something you must hear to understand.

Glorious album, give it shot. Play at max volume for best results. Just trust me, guys.

Here's a super lazy mini update for ya....

Dead Meadow - Shivering King and Others




get it, love it, buy the other albums

Caboladies - Constellation Deformity

[no picture available]

Here's one from February of this year that is an easy 2009 favorite for me. Technically it's not an album, but whatever...

Caboladies is an interesting trio making weird drone stuff from Kentucky. Maybe they hang out with SuperNick, but I doubt it. I honestly don't know a whole lot about them, but all their releases so far have been good - very good in my humble opinion.

Constellation Deformity is a two track slip n slide across the cosmos. Coming in at about 20 minutes, the tape doesn't feel rushed at all and has a nice pace. Gives you just enough time to take a deep breath and soak in the whatever galaxy you're orbiting before helping you drift along to the next big thing. Shiny, penetrating beams of light coming out of the void definitely make contact with me at least.

The whole drone thing these days covers a lot of ground, and many acts are good, but of course there are many that just aren't there yet. Caboladies is there and waiting to take a peek inside your skull. If you like this one, you'll surely like the rest of Caboladies material.

Charlemagne Palestine - Four Manifestations on Six Elements



Charlemagne Palestine (known as CP (lol) from here on out), is an American minimalist composer, performer, and visual artist. He is probably best known for his works using piano, but he's an eclectic character. Lots of good output from this guy, and his first release of 2009 is already available on the internet. Duh.

The main reason I chose Four Manifestations on Six Elements is because of the idea of repitition I mentioned in my last post. This album is big on repitition, but not in a way that's dull or boring. Well, it might be to you, but you're wrong.

Released in 1974 I believe, the album is piano-based, and a solid 70+ minutes of awesome. The track titles tell you everything you need to know about the songs themselves, which is often not the case, especially these days. Here's the tracklist to let you know what to expect:

A1 Two Perfect Fifths, A Major Third Apart, Reinforced Twice

B1 Fifths In The Rhythm Three Against Two For Bösendorfer Piano -One

B2 Fifths In The Rhythm Three Against Two For Bösendorfer Piano - Two

B3 Fifths In The Rhythm Three Against Two For Bösendorfer Piano - Three

C1 Sliding Fifths For Piano (1972)

D1 Three Perfect Fifths, A Major Second Part, Reinforced Twice


That's all he's playing, although the tempo does change, and clusters do form as the pieces progress. At least I think they do. Not really to well educated on tonal clusters and timbres and all that. Maybe someone could help me with that? Anyways, it's a drone of sorts. Really, really intense and increasingly more mindwarping.

Not really sure what else to say since I don't want to sound retarded, but this is a real gem. Pretty essential listen in my opinion. Also, if you're looking for for an example of of music inspired by this check out Super Minerals' Clusters (2009).

Polygon Window - Surfing on Sine Waves



There's been talk of Richard D. James on RT over the years, and it's clear we have quite a few fans in OT. His discography is pretty huge, and scattered under a variety of monikers. To most people he is best known as Aphex Twin. Richard James has been called "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music." I find it hard to disagree with that statement, but there is always someone to argue otherwise.

Surfing on Sine waves was originally released in 1993 on Warp records, one of the most well known labels when it comes to electronic music, no doubt about it. It was released in 2001 I believe with a couple of new tracks.The album is almost entirely instrumental, which is pretty common in my choice music these days. Just how it is. Anyway, the album features infectious beats, perfect for a night at a club. I don't go to clubs, but it translates very well to my living room. You can't see me dance that way. Along with the grinding beats there is somewhat ambient, flowing feel to the tracks. Lots of neat soundz to chill too if you aren't up for dancing. This balance makes itsuitable album for taking a nap. I've tried it, and it's nice. Makes for the fun dreams.If you're interested in Aphex and don't know where to start, this may not be the best place, but it's certainly not the worst. Not in the mood for IDM, jungle, or something with more ambience? Give this one a shot.

I should also mention that this album was the second release in Warp Records' Artificial Intelligence series.

Magik Markers - Boss



A three piece from Hartford, Connecticut, Magik markers make their own interesting brand of noise rock. The group formed in 2001 and has managed to build a large discography mostly comprised of CD-Rs. Their sound varies a bit, and some of it's a little too harsh for me. Finding a good starting place is helpful.

The first time I ever saw (or heard of) these guys was in 2004 while they were touring with Sonic Youth. Honestly at the time, I didn't really know quite what to think. They were the second band to play, coming on right after DOuble Leopards. If you don't know who Double Leopards is, well let's just say that their set consisted of two drones that added up to about 30-40 minutes. After that initial onslaught, I was a bit disoriented. So the MM take the stage and and all I can focus on is this chick (Elisa Ambrogio) in a strange little dress banging her guitar all over the place. I mean sure, this is a Sonic Youth show, I expected some noise, but these guys were a lot to take in for sure. I believe a (former?) RT poster by the name of Dissent was also at that show. Interesting night.

Anyways, that was my first experience with Magik Markers, and one I got home I familiarized my self with them a bit more and have become a fan. Boss is their most recent full length, and is easily the most conherent and accessible record they've released to date. Still full of twangs and clangs, and other trademarks of noise rock, there are also pianos and of course Elisa Ambrogio's voice. I find it rather sexy when she keeps the vocals a bit more toned down. Some surprisingly catch songs on this album, which is new but welcome. It's nice to hear more focus, but the screetch that made them known is still here. Give the album a spin and see if you don't catch yourself with a MM tune in your head.

Ratatat - Classics




Ratatat is an electronic music group formed in Brooklyn, NY in 2001. The band consists Mike Stroud on bass/guitar and Evan Mast on synth. Even has also done some production work, but I don't feel like looking all that up.

Classics is easily my favorite of the three non-remix albums Ratatat has released to date. Smooth, clear, relaxing, and groovy are all words I'd use to describe Classics. As an instrumental album it really makes for a nice drive or as a background element at a party. Plenty of head-bobbing is sure to ensue, and I don't mean on Moses' ****.

I don't really think I need to say too much more about this one. In my opinion, it's a must have so go out and get it already. Dance a little.