• Music

    Autumn Tears / Zeresh – Widowing / Possessing

    January 9, 2022 - By 

    What a strikingly good album this is.  Autumn Tears is a collective of musicians from Billerica, Massachusetts who make an ethereal sound that blends the best of bands who would have fit well on 4AD Records during their 1980s heyday and progressive rock, especially for those who are fans of the Russian symphonic group iamthemorning.  Zeresh are beloved friends whose work has been reviewed on this blog in the past, and Tamar Singer’s vocals sound utterly sublime here.  This crosses neofolk with a restrained but foreboding metal vibe.  Dark, but magically so. Of special note, the mastering on this album…

  • Music

    Samo Salamon – Dolphyology: Complete Eric Dolphy for Solo Guitar

    January 8, 2022 - By 

    Our friend from Maribor, Slovenia, the fine guitarist Samo Salamon, graces our blog with a new release.  This one is just him alone playing the works of Eric Dolphy accompanied by his guitar and, apparently, his cat adding in a meow or two. From Samo’s Bandcamp site: The idea of the project began by practicing at home alone during the many Covid lockdowns, rediscovering Dolphy’s music again. Furthermore, I was inspired to do this album by Miles Okazaki’s great solo guitar Monk project. We had a long talk this year via Skype and it was so great to hear how…

  • Music

    Various Artists – Discember: Hear Xmas, See Xmas, Say Xmas

    January 6, 2022 - By 

    As we observe Christmas Eve and the Nativity today and tomorrow based on the Julian Calendar, we share an avant-garde take on “Christmas” music. The French experimental record label Camembert Électrique have released a 94-track comp of some rather interesting takes of some Yuletide classics, as well as a fair number of originals.  Some of the artists included include Anastasia Vronski, Sean Derek Cooper Marquart, James Hoehl, and our dear friends, Lezet.  It’s not a conventional compilation for the season, but it holds its own rather well.

  • Music

    Azure – Amor Fati

    January 5, 2022 - By 

    Azure are a post-rock band out of Aviles, Spain, who produce an atmospheric instrumental vibe on this EP.  It has a familiar sound to those who like a bit of metal inside of their post-rock, so it’s a worthwhile pickup.  Also, for those of you who love using Bandcamp, this release is free, so it’s most certainly worth sampling.

  • Music

    Various Artists: Zanzibara: First Modern Taarab Vibes From Mombasa & Tanga, 1970​-​1990

    January 4, 2022 - By 

    It’s so good to see the inestimable Buda Musique take the modern route and make some of the treasures of their back catalog accessible, not only digitally, but on fine vinyl and CD editions. This compilation brings together a collection of artists from the towns of Mombasa and Tanga, in Kenya and Tanzania respectively, highlighting the genre of taarab.  The genre is influenced by Taarab is influenced by the musical traditions of the African Great Lakes, North Africa, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. Over at the label’s Bandcamp site, there is a brief history of the genre and…

  • Music

    The Bayan Mongol Variety Group – The Bayan Mongol Variety Group

    January 3, 2022 - By 

    From Discogs.com and Light In The Attic Records: The Bayan Mongol Variety Group existed from the early ’70s to the late ’80s. After the collapse of the USSR, the ensemble began to experience serious difficulties with funding and booking concerts, and finally disintegrated, after which the participants lost contact with each other. Fortunately, thanks to efforts from the fans, some old contacts were reestablished, key records and sound sources were dug up, and now this historical record is released again. File under funk, jazz-rock, prog rock, or psychedelic rock. Reissued in cooperation with the band.

  • Music

    Various Artists – Blackford Hill: Transmissions / Volume One

    January 2, 2022 - By 

    Welcome to the first proper release promotion of 2022, and it’s quite a lovely way to begin the year.  Blackford Hill is a record company out of Edinburgh, Scotland, and they offer up a compilation of ethereal independent music from bands like Ultramarine, Emily Scott, Kate Carr, Jake Tilson and a host of others, providing 31 tracks. From the Blackford Hill Bandcamp site: The prospect from Blackford Hill is wide-ranging and far-reaching. This recently established label, curated by designer/publisher Simon Lewin, is based in Edinburgh and shares its name with a prominent topographical feature of that city. This compilation, ‘Transmissions…

  • Music - Podcast - Youtube

    Welcome to 2022!

    January 1, 2022 - By 

    New year, new Youtube channel.  We plan on hosting podcasts here eventually, and would love input from you, our friends.  May we all have a great 2022 filled with the best of music from around the world, both old and new.

  • Music - Spotify

    Tomáš Kočko Orchestr – Ona

    December 31, 2021 - By 

    The Tomáš Kočko Orchestr are one of the great musical treasures of my new home city of Brno.  They band mixes true Moravian folk music, including some melodies with pre-Christian roots (so, at least a millennium of music here), world music and even touches of metal to great effect. The concept of their latest album is based on the women of Moravia, whose character and strength preserved the culture despite attempted encroachments from within and without. From the band’s press release: The songs come from the Moravian folk tradition and talk about the experiences of the great-grandmothers of today’s women…