The Rare Sound Machine - Beauty Machines

The Spanish band The Rare Sound Machine released their first recording "Beauty Machines" (downloadable from their My Space site) an EP with six splendid pieces of instrumental progressive rock, powerful and determined, in which they don't beat around the bush and from beginning make it clear what they do: progressive hard-rock, with guitar always at front and clear references to bands like Dream Theater and Tool. With power chords and great solos, enough to let clear the technical soundness of Alvaro Diez and company, but avoiding cloying virtuosity, this guys from Madrid makes intense and dynamic music, maybe a little austere for progressive standards, that over 40 minutes gives no truce nor rest with songs like "Temazo", vigorous and sharp, "N", with metal and Tooleans flashes, or the masterful "Jorge's", dedicated to disastrous George W. Bush who "participate" with fragments of his extremists speeches. Besides being an excellent presentation and overwhelming sample of what The Rare Sound Machine can do, "Beauty Machines" is one of those progressive rock albums that, from time to time, assert the "rock" part to "progressive rock" label. -CORANNIEIT-

The Rare Sound Machine, Beauty Machines
TRSM-Indie, 2009

Links:
Official Site
My Space Site

The Paper Chase - Someday This Could All Be Yours Vol.1

Third album, first of two conceptual albums that have planned from this cult's band, makers of impossible melodies, in which they play 10 songs, each with the name of a catastrophe, ranging from conventional indie rock to avant-garde ballads. Capricious music that from chord to chord moves from anxiety to sweetness, from dissonance to catchy ditties, and from tenebrous to innocence. Although at first listen "Someday All This Could Be Yours Vol.1" may sound a little bit dispersed, in the end the Texan quartet manages to make the combination of wandering pianos, incidental noise, changing rhythms and strange but strongly melodic lines, becomes in some kind of indie/noise-pop with a little touch of experimental music. Captivating and slightly freaky. -CORANNIEIT-

The Paper Chase, Someday This Could All Be Yours Vol.1

Kill Rock Stars Records, 2009

Links:
Official Site
My Space Site

The Woodlands - Self Titled

Another record to the American indie folk inventory courtesy of the Portland (where else?) based husband-wife duo The Woodlands, who debuted with this self-titled album produced and published by themselves, making 10 pieces of bucolic and austere folk/pop. While Samuel is in charge of music, unplugged, and lyrics, almost poetics, Hanna contributes with her so sweet (i mean really sweet) voice, sometimes barely whispering, creating songs that moves between oppressive melancholy and levity moments in which the couple allow themselves a little joy. Despite the limited instrumentation and extremely honeyed Hanna interpretations may cause after some tracks the album falls into monotony and cloying sweetness, this is not a bad record; it is saved by a few "bon iverean" touches and good moments on tracks like "We Can Stay", "Anymore" or "In The Dark Of Monday" that, at the end, makes of "The Woodlands" a pretty record. Ideal for "Grey's Anatomy" soundtrack. -CORANNIEIT-

The Woodlands, Self-Titled
The Woodlands-Indie, 2009

Links:
My Space Site

Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson - Summer Of Fear

Miles Anthony Benjamin Robinson debuted a couple of years ago with a magnificent album that in someway was overshadowed by the legend that accompanied him (homeless, junkie and dealer in New York, later discovered by Chris Taylor from Grizzly Bear and Kyp Malone from TV On The Radio). Leaving behind the morbid about this period of his life, Robinson delivers his second album "Summer Of Fear", an album honest, sober, in every meaning of the word, free of any indie smugness, in which he makes warm, refined rock/pop that's flows smoothly, as he sings lyrics trying to revive the lost innocence by recalling "I remember seventeen / I remember being honest, horny, healthy, and clean / I remember briefly believing / That I 'd been born to be the one" ("Always An Anchor"), though ultimately there's no illusions and he knows that nothing is easy "And it's not that bad / to be bored and sad / When the dreams you've had / are just bets gone bad" ("Hard Row"). Despite the stormy and dark his inspiration can be, Robinson makes of "Summer Of Fear" a nitid and shiny record. A true gem. -CORANNIEIT-

Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, Summer Of Fear
Saddle Creek Records, 2009

Links:
My Space Site

Peter Gabriel - Scratch My Back

On the premise of "no guitars, no drums," the maestro Peter Gabriel introduced his new album "Scratch My Back", a covers album which, however, is so interesting for two reasons: the first one is the spectrum of artists and bands of which Gabriel select songs, ranging from contemporaries, such as David Bowie or Lou Reed, to "new values" such as The Arcade Fire or Bon Iver, without missing consolidated bands that are right in the generational middle, as Radiohead or Elbow. The second reason is that Gabriel, accompanied only by piano and classical orchestra, practically re-invented each song through versions in which an introspective and serene tone predominates, even dark sometimes, making each piece barely recognizable. Maybe "Scratch My Back" is not the most exciting or innovative album from Peter Gabriel, at least not in the usual sense, but it is certainly an album worth to listening enjoyment. -CORANNIEIT-

Links:
Official Site
My Space Site

Diablo Swing Orchestra - Sing-Along Songs For The Damned And Delirious

Combining extreme metal with symphonic arrangements is not exactly something new. If besides we're talking about a Nordic band the thing seems really predictable. However, this is not the case of "Sing-Along Songs For The Damned and Delirious", second album from the Swedish band Diablo Swing Orchestra who deliver 10 amazing songs in which they manage to meet all symphonic metal canons (from demonic voices to string arrangements, and from crushing riffs to the "break-a-glass" soprano voice) while at the same time they pass through swing, Balkans music and even some Latin touches. Thus, while most of their colleagues look for the operatic exquisiteness and grandiloquent classical arrangements, Diablo Swing Orchestra goes trough burlesque, theatricality and joy, with songs like the opener "A Tapdancer's Dilema", in which power chords engage to swing jazz, or "Lucy Fear The Morning Star", a song with afro-latin percussion in which we just don't know whether to make some headbanging or to shout "Azucarrrr!" while (Oh! gothic-metalhead sacrilege!) dancing deliciously. Demonstrating that there is always an exception that proves the rule, Diablo Swing Orchestra delivers a very good symphonic metal disc. Anti-solemn and exuberant. Sabor! -CORANNIEIT-

Diablo Swing Orchestra, Sing-Along Songs For The Damned And Delirious

Sensory Records, 2009

Links:
Official Site
My Space Site

madhatteR - Universal Thinking Stops Time

In a so fucking arid scene, as the national rock is (i'm talking about mexican rock scene), an effort like "Universal Time Stops Thinking", from the Queretaro's band madhatteR, should be, at least, a remarkable occasion. Unfortunately works like this, away from commercial standards and which did not originate in Mexico City, Guadalajara or Monterrey, often go almost completely unnoticed. Moving between post-rock, progressive rock and post-metal accents, "Universal Time Stops Thinking" (by the way, it can be downloaded from the band's site on last.fm) is a record composed by 7 pieces, almost all of them instrumental, in which madhatteR runs over the same roads of bands like Mogwai or Indukti making music in which a punchy and intricate bass is guiding powerful guitars, that in songs like "God Hates Ugly Music", acquires a dark and sinister touch, approaching, keeping all proportions, to the style of the masters of Tool. On the other hand, the quartet also shows its friendly face in light themes such as "Anderson Council" while in "Daemonieke Reprise" they experiment with electronic music. Perhaps just with vocals as weak point, and despite the limited studio production, madhatteR delivers a cerebral, well done and full of good moments record. -CORANNIEIT-

madhatteR, Universal Thinking Stops Time

madhatteR-Indie, 2007

Links:
My Space Site

Los Campesinos! - Romance Is Boring

Asserting itself as one of the most prolific bands nowadays, Los Campesinos! presents "Romance Is Boring", their third album in just 2 years (plus a couple of EPs), which includes, for if this were not enough, 15 tracks. While the quantity and, it is fair to say, the quality has never been problem for this guys from Wales, perhaps some thing that is beginning to be noticed is the lack of variety. Though "The Sea Is a Good Place To Think Of The Future", an excellent song that was published on their website in October last year, led us to expect a record a little bit more "profound" and ambitious, "Romance Is Boring " still maintains intact the style of the band featuring, once again, funny, energetic, partying music. Spontaneous and effusive rock/pop with accelerated rhythm guitars here and there, splashed with some violin and the pampered interpretations of Gareth Campesino!. Plenty of catchy & irresistible melodies, almost with a single on every theme, "Romance Is Boring" does not contain any innovation but, in some way, it patent the "Campesino" sound which, after all, is not bad...not at all. -CORANNIEIT-

Los Campesinos!, Romance Is Boring
Arts & Crafts, 2010

Links:
Official Site
My Space Site

The Flaming Lips - The Dark Side Of The Moon

The (often over-rated) Flaming Lips have fulfilled his threat and present their version of one of the Pink Floyd's masterpieces. Signed in conjunction with Stardeath and White Dwarfs, Wayne Coyne's nephew band, and with the participation of Peaches and the iconic punk Henry Rollins, who practically opens the album (perhaps some kind of reconciliation between the punks and Floyd?). Somehow Wayne Coyne and company shown them selves conservative and in a general way they respects almost entirely the original version changing just some things that "lighten" the sound of the work. So, the relaxed and trippy tone of "Speak To Me / Breathe" is now presented as an accelerated introduction with a frenetic bass and spectral guitars, "Time", with the unforgivable omission of gilmourean solo, becomes a sweetened interlude between "On The Run" and a reprise of "Breathe" which follows "The Great Gig In The Sky" in which Peaches, keep the hot style of Clare Torris, but adds a gritty, visceral tone. It is from "Any Color You Like" when the Lips take a little "risk" to close the album with flashes of psychedelia and funk touches. Without the trippy sound of "Dub Side Of The Moon" or the originality of "Dark Side Of The Moon A Capella", this "Dark Side ..." sounds too cautious and is saved more by greatness of the original version than by the Coyne and company work. A plain good version. -CORANNIEIT-

The Flaming Lips, The Dark Side Of The Moon
Warner Music, 2009

Links:
Official Site
My Space Site

Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More

When you see the cover of "Sigh No More" the first thing that comes to your mind is: Does the world need another Felice Brothers clone?. But is enough to listen "Sigh No More" and "The Cave", the songs that open the album, to immediately change your mind. Practically with an unplugged sound, this British band has the sensitivity to capture, even better than many of their American colleagues, the essence of folk, country and bluegrass (which, considering they coming from the urban-London, is something not to be ignored) to make 12 crafted pieces of clear, intimate and extraordinary warm folk/rock. From emotion, between melancholy and celebratory, of "The Cave" or "Roll Away Your Stone", in which Winston Marshall happily untie his banjo, to the introspection and severity of minor keys in "I Gave You All " or " Thistle And Weeds ", the quartet, beside let us clear that they definitely are not a Felice Brothers clone, give us music as simple as brilliant. A joyful and cordial record. -CORANNIEIT-

Mumford & Sons, Sigh No More
Island Records, 2009

Links:
Official Site
My Space Site