kayo dot - choirs of the eye

.:: Ever since its founding in 1995, John Zorn's Tzadik label has never failed at releasing albums that completely defy musical genre perception. Tzadik has backed everything from John Zorn's jewjazz ensemble Masada to the master of guitar destruction, Keiji Haino. And then there's electronic super girl, Tetsu Inoue, and the hilariously great Japanese traditional/electronic pop girl combo, Hoahio. However, amongst all this chaos of musical experimentation, this album, Choirs of the Eye, stands out dramatically.

The only real similarity to Tzadik's focal point, John Zorn's discography, is the fact that it mixes many genres into one cohesive product. Zorn's Naked City project, easily the defining point in his career, mixed jazz and grindcore. Toby Driver, Kayo Dot's lead member, aimed for something much more expansive and more like the progressive-metal roots of his previous (and inferior) band, Maudlin of the Well; instead, Kayo Dot's output is 90% chamber jazz-esque ambiance and 10% metal.

This small amount of metal, instead of hitting the Scandinavian black metal roots (a la Opeth), sounds like a clean version of Oceanic-era ISIS. No noisy gravel is audible in any of the 6 compositions on Choirs of the Eye: the music is, figuratively, clear as a bell. Even though the the guitar work in these "lashing out" sections are reminiscent of the dirty-sounding noise of any band associated with grindcore, such as the last two and a half minutes of the epic fourteen and a half minute-long "The Manifold Curiosity", the album comes off feeling smooth and listenable even for listeners not so comfortable with grindcore.

Toby Driver's experimentation is revealed much more clearly in the quieter sections. Instead of sounding similar to ISIS, the sound sounds more reminiscent of the ambiance of Rachel's and the chamber jazz of Tortoise. The style can be likened to post-rock, but I think a better likening would be to new age. Instead of relying heavily on the electric guitar, the quieter sections lean on piano, acoustic guitar, cello, and saxophone. The instrumentation, coupled with Driver's mumbled vocals, mixes a subtle Gothic overtone with Rachel's ambient/chamber musical compositions.

Surprisingly, unlike Rachel's and a majority of Tzadik's releases, pretension (whether it be good or bad) runs extremely low. The album, though only six tracks that total in nearly an hour of music, is extremely cohesive and easy to listen to. From the loud-quiet-loud-quiet pattern of the opening, ten-minute, composition "Marathon" to the epic conclusion of "The Antique", everything flows together into an almost movie soundtrack-like symphony. The key with this album, though, is that there is no filler; the album flows from the introductory punch of guitar and drums to the Harold Budd-esque piano ambiance-filled conclusion with absolute ease.

Fans exclusive to Tzadik's regular CHAOS EXPLOSION!@!@ might come out of this album feeling disappointed, but the album, as a whole, is excellent. This album is the definitive answer for people who think Opeth is far too cheesy (like me) and Rachel's sometimes doodles too much with their music. Tired of Masada's crazy jewjazz? Need something quieter? This album is for you. John Zorn has yet to fail us, and this album clearly shows it.

***this is one of my best kept secret albums... until now. and one of my favorite albums of all time***

download: kayo dot - choirs of the eye

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minus the bear - they make beer commercials like this

.:: Six-song EP. One of my favorite bands! This is the third release from Seattle's Minus The Bear, who construct their sound from guitar tapped melodies, textural electronics, an airtight rhythm section, and vivid melodic narratives. "They Make Beer Commercials Like This" shows the evolution of the band's craft and finally captures the spark of their live show.

Minus the Bear is a Seattle, Washington-based band. The band features ex-members of Botch, Kill Sadie, and Sharks Keep Moving. Their sound is a combination of Pele-esque guitar-taps and electronics, with sophisticated time signature composition. The name "Minus the Bear" comes from an inside joke between the band members, referring to the 80s TV show B.J. and the Bear.

Minus the Bear is known for their amusing song titles, with examples including "Hey, Wanna Throw Up? Get Me Naked", "Get Me Naked 2: Electric Boogaloo", "Monkey!!! Knife!!! Fight!!!" and "Lemurs, Man, Lemurs".


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andrzej jagodzinski trio - once more chopin

.:: "To adapt the great masters of classical music into jazz is extremely difficult, if one doesn`t want to betray their works. It takes a great pianist and a great musician to succeed in such a task. That is absolutely the case with Andrzej Jagodzinski, who has passed this test beyond any doubt, with all necessary mastery , and made this record one of the most perfect achievements of the genre". From CD booklet by Martial Solal


1999 has been declared by UNESCO the Chopin Year. In this way the world is going to celebrate the 150 th anniversary commemorating the death of one of the greatest composers in the history of music. On this occasion we may sample the delights from the music of this great Polish pianist and composer not only through performances at concert halls, which have a long-established tradition, but also we can expect to hear a more modern sensibility from some of today's performers as the 20 th century draws to a close.

In the musical culture of our time there is a tendency for cross borders of styles, seeking various kinds of inspiration, referring to what was done in the past and evaluating and commenting on it in a new way. But these activities are often an eclectic process creating no new values, but seeking just a cheap originality.
Indeed playing Chopin is no joke. Its requirements can be met only by outstanding artists. And yet for all its dangers and difficulties it may produce enchanting music, restful, reflective, a most profound artistic experience.

Andrzej Jagodzinski is with no doubt such an inspired artist. With what has been written by Martial Solal, I can only add that Jagodzinski, educated in the tradition of Polish music, succeeded like no one before in joining two great traditions: romantic piano music and jazz, both understood as one expression of an unlimited invention. And in this is to be found his extraordinary talent. Although at first sight they may be distant from one another, when we come to know them better it appears that they have very much in common not only in the musical sense but also in their feeling and spirit.

This session, so unusual in its idea, became also an occasion for quite an event. In one of the pieces, the Etude in G flat major, Op. 25 no. 9, Andrzej Jagodzinski was accompanied by a special guest, one of the major interpreters of Chopin`s music, Janusz Olejniczak. May this meeting, in the shape of an adroit ragtime joke, be regarded as evidence of just how artistically refined the crossing of stylistic barriers can become.

So there you have "Chopin Once More" – that is a tribute to Frédéric Chopin, or a modern look at a historic heritage, a link between the old and the new, or quite simply an invitation into a land of beautiful music and profound feelings. From CD booklet by Maciej Karłowski

Jazz has naturally adopted, the nineteenth-century tradition of improvizing on known themes. In the case of the Andrzej Jagodzinski Trio so popular and loved by all of us, the Chopin themes found a refined performer endowed with taste and sensibility. I am very pleased that I could take part, if only symbolically, in this project. It was for me a wonderful relaxation and a pleasure, but I should like it to be also an expression of my admiration for the talent and art of Andrzej Jagodzinski. I am glad that Andrzej made "once more" a Chopin record. From CD booklet by Janusz Olejniczak


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headphones - headphones

.:: Headphones features David Bazan (Pedro the Lion), Tim Walsh (Pedro the Lion, TW Walsh), and Frank Lenz (Starflyer 59). Headphones was engineered and mixed by Jared Hankins in Seattle in the early days of 2005.

Built wholly from synthesizers (that’s right, no guitars), live drums, and the familiar warmth of Bazan’s syrupy vocal delivery, Headphones boasts deft arrangements with timeless melodies and uncanny lyrical depth, finding Bazan, Walsh and Lenz at their best. Clean, open room recording; digital subtleties with analog affectations; seamless integration of electronic and rock and elements — Headphones is a striking, sophisticated success.

Fans of Bazan’s past efforts will feel comfortable here, but also challenged and excited by a new chapter in his book of classic songwriting. Headphones poses a stark simplicity, relying on a limited number of voices — reminiscent of early records by Low. Thematically, Headphones treads dark waters where a certain frankness and antagonism work to confront issues of love, loss and loyalty headon — straight forward, no bullshit, no fucking around.

Built wholly from synthesizers, live drums, and the familiar warmth of David Bazan's syrupy vocal delivery, Headphones boasts deft arrangements with timeless melodies and uncanny lyrical depth. Clean, open room recording; digital subtleties with analog affectations; seamless integration of electronic and rock and elements — Headphones is a striking, sophisticated success.

Fans of Bazan's past efforts will feel comfortable here, but also challenged and excited by a new chapter in his book of classic songwriting. Headphones poses a stark simplicity, relying on a limited number of voices - reminiscent of early records by Low. Thematically, Headphones treads dark waters where a certain frankness and antagonism work to confront issues of love, loss and loyalty headon - straight forward, no bullshit, no fucking around.

If you have questions related to booking shows, getting Headphones CDs at your radio station or record store, interviews, on-line mail order, or other business matters, please contact these nice people listed below.

.:: David Bazan, miembro activo de Pedro The Lion y Headphones es una de las voces líricas mas interesantes de la música folk actual. Su fuerte carga emocional, y su particular visión para dar vida a los más mínimos detalles le emparentan con la narrativa del J.D. Salinger de “Nine Stories” o el Flannery O´Connor´s de “Wise Blood” dentro del campo de la música popular.

Bazan es un dotado contador de historias capaz de tejer historias a través de magnéticas canciones en las que tienen cabida el conflicto espiritual, el ambiente urbano, etc... Su álbum mas reciente con Pedro The lion “Achiles Heel” ha estado en los top de las radios universitarias.

download: headphones - headphones

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my brightest diamond - bring me the workhorse

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.:: My Brightest Diamond is Shara Worden, granddaughter of an Epiphone-playing traveling evangelist, fathered by a National Accordion Champion, and mothered by a church organist. Spanish tango, Sunday morning gospel, classical and jazz were the accompaniment to her home life. Her first song was recorded at age three and by age eight she was studying piano and performing in community musical productions.

Shara honed her musical prowess singing along to Whitney Houston music videos and Mariah Carey albums. When pop music wasn’t enough, she enrolled in the music program at the University of North Texas, immersing herself in the songs of Purcell and Debussy. After college, she moved to New York City and fell in love with its cold winters and busy streets. She continued to study opera on the Upper West Side during the day, but at night she frequented downtown clubs such as Tonic, Knitting Factory, and The Living Room, catching performances by Antony & The Johnsons, Nina Nastasia, and Rebecca Moore. She began to spend less time sight-reading Mozart and more time de-tuning her Gibson electric guitar to play her own newly-written songs. Coaxed out of recital halls and onto the small stages of bars and clubs, Shara assembled a coterie of musicians to accompany her with bass and drums, music boxes, wine glasses, and wind chimes.

In performance she showed unusual versatility, channeling the vocal theatrics of Kate Bush, the soulful seductiveness of Nina Simone and the gothic pop of Portishead. Her infatuation with theater and costumes inspired her to wear superhero capes, ball gowns, or Tudor corsets on stage, depending on her mood. Her deeply personal songs transcended the histrionics of opera; Shara was at last singing about what was closest to her heart. She began to see her own music as the most precious gift she could give to the world — as reflected in her namesake, My Brightest Diamond.

Of course, opera never really left her, and Shara’s performance blurred the lines between rock show and recital, setting baroque love songs alongside French carols and Prince covers. Her vocal lines reached for Puccini, but her guitar was pure PJ Harvey. The center of gravity here was the workmanship of a woman whose imagination had no limits. To sharpen her skills, Shara studied composition with Australian composer Padma Newsome (of Clogs) and began to incorporate a string quartet in her live show. The influences of Nat King Cole and Henry Mancini rounded out the edges. A few years later, she met Sufjan Stevens at The Medicine Show, a variety show hosted by New York City’s incendiary poet, Sage, at Arlene’s Grocery. This, in turn, led to a yearlong sabbatical from her work, doing splits and round-offs (not to mention the human pyramid) as one of the notorious Illinoisemakers. Shara was quickly promoted as cheerleading captain.

All of this led to an impressive résumé, but My Brightest Diamond still had no album to show for it. So in 2005, she began work on two records: one featuring songs accompanied by a string quartet (A Thousand Shark’s Teeth), and a more standard rock album featuring a full band (featuring Earl Harvin on drums, Chris Bruce on bass, and, on one song, her father Keith on accordion) titled Bring Me The Workhorse, which will be released in August 2006 on Asthmatic Kitty Records.

Her songs distil stories to their most distressing points of contact: a phone call, an injured horse, a dragonfly caught in a spider’s web. She doesn’t share all the information — just the stuff that matters. The effect is a sensational compression of time, in which an entire event is summarized in a single note. This, of course, is the essence of opera. But My Brightest Diamond is much more than that. There is also the humor one might find in an old TV episode of Wonder Woman or Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. Shara’s songs reconcile all the complex emotions found in each of us: she can grieve as comfortably as she can laugh, sometimes in the same breath.


.:: My Brightest Diamond es Shara Worden, nieta de un guitarrista ambulante, hija de un Campeón Nacional de Acordeón y de una organista de iglesia. El tango español, el gospel, la música clásica y el jazz la acompañaron durante toda su infancia. A los ocho estudiaba piano, actuaba en pequeñas comunidades musicales y cantaba en coros, en Michigan, ciudad donde creció. Perfiló su proceso cantando música pop y cuando no fue suficiente inició un programa de estudios musicales en la Universidad del Norte de Texas, inmergiéndose en las canciones de Purcell y Debussy.

Tras su estancia en Texas, se trasladó a Nueva York y continuó estudiando ópera en el Upper West Side durante el día, pero de noche frecuentaba clubs como Tonic, Knitting Factory y The Living Room, asistiendo a conciertos de Antonhy and the Johnsons, Nina Nastasia y Rebeca Moore. De pronto, empezó a pasar menos tiempo leyendo a Mozart y más tiempo con su guitarra Gibson escribiendo sus propias canciones. Convencida por salas de concierto y pequeños escenarios de bares y clubs, Shara reunió a unos cuantos músicos y se hizo acompañar con bajo y batería, cajas de música e instrumentos de viento. En directo mostraba una inusual versatilidad, canalizando la voz teatral de Kate Bush, la seducción de Nina Simone y el pop gótico de Portishead. Sus líneas vocales alcanzaban a Puccini, pero su guitarra era pura PJ Harvey.

Para afilar sus destrezas, estudió composición con el compositor australiano Padma Newsome y empezó a incorporar un cuarteto de cuerda en sus actuaciones. Conoció a Sufjan Stevens en The Medicine Show, un show variado presentado por el poeta incendiario Sage en el Arlene´s Grocery. Esto fue el inicio de un año sabático de su trabajo, acompañando a Sufjan como una Illinoisemaker y convirtiéndose rápidamente en la capitana del equipo. Hasta entonces, My Brightest Diamond no tenía su propio álbum, así que en 2005 empezó a trabajar en dos discos, el primero de ellos es Bring me the workhorse.

Bring me the workhorse junta todos lo elementos esenciales de la música clásica y el pop para crear un álbum que rompe las barreras de ambos mundos, evocando momentos de tremenda alegría y pena con la magnitud de la ópera italiana y la modestia del haiku japonés. altafidelidad.org

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peter gabriel - up

.:: "The album is a 'bookends' record, looking more at the beginning and the end of life than the middle". This is a personal album, reflecting on the life that grows out of death and recognizing patterns and forces at work above and beneath our normal focus.

Most of the recording and mixing has been done at Real World Studios, although some of the initial recording was done in Senegal, France and on a boat on the Amazon. It's the first time that Peter has taken the full reins of production, except in these last few months when he called in the legendary Tchad Blake to mix the record, with some additional mixing and production help from Stephen Hague on 'I Grieve'. It is also the first time Peter has done a lot of work on the string arrangements, especially on 'Signal To Noise', for which he spent a couple of weeks working with Will Gregory and later Nick Ingman.

There is an extraordinary line up of musicians on the record with Peter's traditional ex-drummer focus on drums and percussion. On that front we find Manu Katche, Ged Lynch, Dominic Greensmith and Will White and on percussion Ged Lynch, Mahut Dominique and Hossam Ramzy. The familiar faces of David Rhodes (Guitar) and Tony Levin (Bass) can be found all over the record with the great Upright Bass played by Danny Thompson. There is also a wide range of singers from the wonderful and sadly departed Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan to the Blind Boys of Alabama and Peter's own daughter, Melanie. 'Sky Blue' is probably the most backward looking track on the album and features some atmospheric guitar from Daniel Lanois and one of Peter's favourite musicians from his teenage years, Peter Green.

So many hundreds of hours of recording have been logged that this album is probably the first to have its own archaeology department.

That Up exists at all is faintly miraculous. Over the past seven years, with guests including Youssou N'Dour, Peter Green, the Blind Boys of Alabama, and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Peter Gabriel has held recording sessions in Senegal, Atlanta, Singapore, the French Alps, and on a boat on the Amazon River, as well as at his own RealWorld studios. Having written and prepared over 150 songs, he's managed to cut this huge body of work down to just 10 tracks.

There's a remarkable consistency and contemporary feel here that springs from a thoughtful layering process, with Gabriel combining tribal rhythms with complex backing vocals, samples, rock guitar, piano and--crucially--electronic effects. Indeed, the opener, "Darkness," begins with an aggressiveness that recalls the Prodigy, before hints of vulnerability and fear surface. Elsewhere, there is the dreamy "The Drop" and the orchestral heights of "Signal to Noise." Throughout, Gabriel uses water metaphors to put forward his positivist message. And it's all brilliant, sophisticated, and soulful. The man's a marvel and Up is a masterwork. --Dominic Wills


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madeleine peyroux - careless love

.:: When Madeleine Peyroux's debut, Dreamland, was released in 1996, its success threw her for a loop. She's taken eight years to create this follow-up, and, at age 30, she brings a confidence and resilience to this dozen-song set. She's able to move seamlessly between songs by writers as diverse as Elliott Smith and W.C. Handy, whose title track was popularized by Bessie Smith.

Though American-born, Peyroux absorbed the language and culture of France growing up in Paris with her French-teacher mother. On her debut, she covered Edith Piaf, and this time out she wraps herself around "J'ai Deux Amours," which Josephine Baker sang to the Allied troops during World War II. --David Greenberger

Boasting an enthralling voice many have regarded as reminiscent of Billie Holiday's, Madeleine Peyroux burst onto the music scene eight years ago with the extremely successful release of Dreamland. Championed by major publications such as The New York Times and Time Magazine, Peyroux was immediately recognized as a remarkably talented singer with a promising future. With the release of her long awaited follow-up album Careless Love, Peyroux's potential as an artist is truly realized.

Her smoky voice and knowing delivery make each song her own, whether she's singing vintage tunes by W.C. Handy and Hank Williams, or contemporary songs by Leonard Cohen and Elliott Smith. Producer Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell, Shawn Colvin) weaves strands of acoustic blues, country ballads, classic jazz, torch songs and pop into a vibrant fabric that is both timeless and thoroughly up to date, with Peyroux's arresting vocals always front and center.

.::Dulzura, como la actitud reposada en la expresión, podría ser una de las características del canto de Madeleine Peyroux (1973,Georgia, USA) quien sin empalagar , suavemente , se nos va revelando al manejar un cúmulo de cándidos matices aderezados con firmeza , como premisas en sus propósitos expresivos para dejar un sabor afrancesado , aunque la mayoría de los temas son cantados en inglés. Es que Madeleine ha sabido beber de la cultura francófona todo cuanto quiso indagar hasta hacerla suya entre chispas de una amalgama pop, country, blues y jazz casi susurrada , magia pertinente de quien ha absorbido con pasión , hasta desentrañar, un modo de hacer suyo el mundo que le impulsa a cantarlo a su manera.

Para quienes no hayan escuchado su primer álbum “Dreamland”(1996) les va a parecer que Billie Holiday ha resucitado ; tal vez pensarán que es “Lady Day” con arreglos actualizados de grabaciones incógnitas. Luego de superar la sorpresa —repitiendo una y otra vez esos temas donde más se parece (cuando se muerde el anzuelo)— por sí misma comienza a destilar sus encantos de intérprete llevándonos a olvidar los parecidos , pues es tal el abordaje de cada compositor que la entrega resulta convincente , no hay esfuerzo en ser otra que no sea ella. La etiqueta de la Billie no le pesará mientras no se proponga imitarla y siga explotando su calidez, su femenina seducción vocal. La Holiday para Madeleine en lugar de ser una marcada sombra es más bien un atributo vocal que la naturaleza le ha proporcionado.

“Careless Love” es un disco apto para esos momentos de introspección con acento noctámbulo o tardes lluviosas , de embrujada voz que nos obliga a seguirla como un buen café hasta su última gota. Son 12 temas sin edulcorado , suenan sinceros , abordando compositores tan variados como Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan , Gene Austin, W.C.Handy, Hank Williams y un hermoso tema en francés (J’ai deux amours)que es todo un relax. Son 12 piezas que fluyen casi inesperadamente entre la contemplación y la nostalgia del no sé qué, apoyada por excelentes y conocidos músicos como Dean Parks en guitarras , Larry Goldings en teclados y David Piltch al bajo. Es de resaltar que esta vocalista ha pasado por un proceso de maduración itinerante entre California, Brooklyn y Paris , comenzando a los 15 años en Europa como cantante de calle y luego con The Lost Wandering Blues & Jazz Band , grupo donde establece las bases para su primer disco con temas de Fats Waller , Billie Holiday y Ella Fitzgerald y que la crítica recibió como un brillante álbum. Jordán Quintero

download: madeleine peyroux - careless love

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skátar - that EP we did and a recording from the radio session thingie

.:: A truly fresh breeze of noise-skronk-rock assault, this 5 piece band throws Captain Beefheart, Trumans Water, Polvo and various glimpses of eighties post- punk into the blender with astonishing results. Skátar was formed in 2001 and current lineup is less then one year old, it's members coming from various underground bands.

Guitarists Benni and Óli, bassist Bjössi, drummer Pétur and vocalist/keyboardist Markús always perform dressed up in white overalls (used by painters to protect their clothing), with hoods over their heads.

Be prepared for ear-splitting screechy guitar sound, often-impossible-to-follow drumming, mostly improvised, nervy vocals by Markús and an improbable mix of truly experimental music that's also fun to dance to!

***...yes, i know, how the fuck did i get these albums ???. Óli (guitar) sent me this album and Graveslime - Rougness And Toughness, some time ago directly from Iceland, thanx man !!!***

download: skátar - that EP we did and a recording from the radio session thingie

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graveslime - roughness and toughness

.:: Iceland´s Graveslime was formed out of a convertsation between three friends in a Saturday-night party, ‘till you puke-party. The reasons for forming this band were two, the first was to play a cover of Vangelis’ “Chariots of Fire” and the other one was to be in a band called Graveslime. Having played together and apart in such bands as the black metal-band Svört Verða Sólskin (Óli was kicked out of the band after vomiting on the drum-kit on a drunken spree during a show), She-Male, Skorpin Tunga, Þrír Hressir and Thundergun (featured Alli on bass, Kolli on guitar, I Adapt’s Birkir on drums and Mínus’ Bjössi on the microphone).

Building on similar foundation as Thundergun, which was heavily influenced by Iron Monkey and Eye Hate God’s feedback laden sludge and Melvins’ accuracy and tight song structures Graveslime rushed to find rehearsal-space in late 2000. As soon the right space was found in early 2001 Graveslime began practicing the first song “Punch Fucking Drunk Fuck and the Fucking Goat” and then “Chariots Of Fire” and the first show was played as an opening act for longtime friends Sofandi (the other band on Grandmothers Records). More songs were written; a few popped of them like popcorn but others were seen the light of day with the same feeling when you’re “crawling from the sewer”. What maybe differs Graveslime from afore-mentioned sludgerockers (excluding Melvins) is their very sound-layered songs who often have more melodic approach to them, f.e. Eborg Ebobleson could be a song written by Nick Drake or Elliot Smith (Kolli wrote it after hearing it in a dream one night and picked it up when he woke up).

Graveslime played shows with mostly friends’ and familiar bands in and around Reykjavík throughout 2001 and ‘till summer 2002. It was not uncommon that they mocked other Icelandic bands during their shows; they often introduced themselves as other bands or had their friends to pretend they were in known Icelandic bands. It was when Graveslime warmed up for Fucking Champs and Trans Am in Reykjavík in the fall of 2001 that they decided they had to make a record and that Tim Green (Fucking Champs, Nation of Ulysses, Young Ginns etc.) was the man for the job. After many convertsations, e-mails and phonecalls the guys decided to contact Tim and ask him if he would like to come over to Iceland and record them. The recording session wasn’t something they look back on in bliss. To begin with they had to borrow or rent almost all the equipment (a broken tape-machine, a mixing board, guitar amps, a drum kit, microphones etc.) carry it to the second floor where the studio is located. Then they had to fix what had to be fixed… yeah, we don’t wan’t to hear about the bad stuff. The good thing is that they managed to put all the hardwork on tape. The band unfortunately didn’t survive to follow this awesome record, it surely is awesome, and they played their final and loudest three shows in late August 2002. Like Big Black once wrote: “Hey, breaking up is an idea that has occurred to far too few groups. Sometimes to the wrong ones.”

ROUGHNESS AND TOUGHNESS was committed to two-inch analogue tape by Tim Green at Studio Veðurstofan, Reykjavík. Tim at his Louder Studios in San Francisco mixed it and John Golden mastered it. J.J. Golden did some additional mastering and editing. Guðlaugur Kristinn Óttarsson (a.k.a. Godkrist, The Third Ear and GKÓ), formerly of one of Iceland’s best post-punk bands Theyr and Kukl added guitars on “American Sleeper”.

What people had to say about them:

“…and they were always drunk and naked” (Tim Green – about the recording session)

“I thought they were called Graveslide.” (Nathan Means of Trans Am)

“See how muscular they are.” (Two fourteen-year-old girls at a show in Álftarmýrisskóli (a Primary School in Reykjavík)

“I need my Graveslime!” (Mark Shippy of U.S. Maple)

Graveslime were:

Alli – bass, vocals
Kolli – vocals, guitars
Óli – drums, percussion

***This album is one of those albums you'd never find in stores at least you live in iceland or you contact the band directly, as i did. I met Óli (drums, percussion) thanx to the internet and we still keep in touch. By the way, i uploaded this album in a blog called musikdesire as a contribution but it was cancelled or something some time ago...***

download: graveslime - roughness and toughness

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la perra - romance con la ira

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.:: Primus + Prog + Avant-Garde = La Perra


.:: Dúo de bajo eléctrico y batería, que hace música de cámara dentro del género del rock (Rock de Cámara). Hacen música instrumental sin grabaciones ni “sampleos”. Su música es original y propositiva, lejos de los estándares comerciales. Han grabado y producido tres CDS: La Perra (Homónimo 1998), Fricción Visual (2001) y Romance con la Ira (2006). Toma su nombre por el amor y el entendimiento que les tiene a las perras y a todos los animales. Se forma por la necesidad de interpretar un rock diferente, original.

En vivo son un dúo de bajo y batería sin utilizar ningún recurso de “sampleo” ó música grabada; son apasionados por su música y logran darnos un rock explosivo y rarísimo. Estos dos músicos están en contra de la superficialidad del rock y se dedican en cuerpo y alma a hacer del rock su arte. Elena Sánchez: Bajo eléctrico (cuatro y seis cuerdas y fretless) y kalimba. Perico (CCB): batería, batajón okonkolo y percusiones.

www.laperra.net

***Es difícil conseguir material de estos señores, pero con un poco de paciencia te puedes llevar una gran sorpresa. Por cierto, si están interesados en algún material de La Perra, indieground podría servir de vínculo... hay una cierta relación con la banda***

download: la perra - romance con la ira

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schizm - in the sleep of death

.:: Since their first backyard show in the late 96, Schizm has played every club and backyard in the greater Los Angeles area sharing the stage with such acts as Youth Brigade, Union 13, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Nerve Agents as well as international acts like 2minutos, and Tijuana No.

From their different musical backgrounds the four piece consisting of Abraham Muñoz on guitar, Rene Delatorre also on guitar, Baltazar Rodriguez (Union 13) on bass & Vocals, and Arturo Ramirez on drums, they were able to combine their talents and produce their own aggressive approach to the hardcore/punk scene. Their loyal underground following lead to the success of their first EP. "Where Is Our Savior??" that was released in 2000.

With the combination of angst written lyrics focusing on their dissatisfaction of the world around them, sung over aggressive guitar riffs and a fast and driving rhythm section, their first release seemed to hit home for a lot of fans. With help from their long time friends Union 13, Schizm was given the opportunity to open up on a northern California tour. Schizm also headed south of the border where the Mexican punk scene seemed to embrace their music and energetic live delivery.

After numerous shows and an introduction of many different musical influences, Schizm returned to the studio to begin working on their strongest release to date, "In The Sleep Of Death". With the lyrical content focusing mostly on their individual struggles and the music combining both more melodic undertones and still managing to stay as aggressive as ever, the new record is both a personal triumph as well as a bookmark to the place in life were the members stand.

With the introduction of guitarist Omar Hernandez and drummer Manuel Limon, Schizm was now ready to broaden their fan base by heading south of the border and embarking on a complete Mexico tour. .

Abraham Muñoz : Guitar, Vocals
Baltazar Rodriguez : Vocals, Bass (Union 13)(a friend of mine by the way)
Manuel Limon : Drums
Omar Hernandez : Guitar, Vocals

download: schizm - in the sleep of death

pass: indie-ground.blogspot.com

hello everybody !!!

it's been a long time...
i know, i promised i would be back blogging and posting new albums and stuff but, believe me, work demands a lots of time.

anyway, i'll keep doing my best. i'll keep posting and re-posting as much albums as i can, ok. so please keep in touch and drop me some messages about broken links, comments or whatever you want to express.

by the way, some bloggers have been taking some links from this blog, which is ok and it helps to keep the link alive but please give this blog some credit AND please say thanx... i know, i'm always bitching about being thankful. but hey!!!, when you find a great album after a long time looking for it / or when you download an album just to find you have been wasting a lot of time with the same stupid music and this album changes your life... you feel happy about it, right? at least i feel that way when it happens to me.

so, in the future, a password will be required for all the posts, starting now (with these great albums). nothing complicated or confusing, dont worry about it.

pass: indie-ground.blogspot.com

bye for now / good luck

thanx guys !!!

neutral milk hotel - in the aeroplane over the sea

.:: Just from the opening seconds of Neutral Milk Hotel's second album, you know it's going to be special: the acoustic guitar strum is catchy beyond belief, and Jeff Magnum's intonation lends credibility even to a line like "When you were young, you were the King of Carrot Flowers."

Listening to In the Aeroplane is like stepping through Alice's looking glass; you enter a fantastic new universe that, while it doesn't always make sense logically, feels like the home you never had. --Randy Silver

Led by Jeff Magnum, In the Aeroplane over the Sea finds the Neutral Milk Hotel assemblage loosely performing a series of narratives backed by folksy acoustic guitar. But from that springboard, a quiver of instruments (horns, organs, accordions, saws, banjo, zanzithophone, etc.) are layered into a sometimes rootsy, sometimes lo-fi, and often psychedelic mix.

Contrary to most pop experimentalists, NMH songs stretch way past the two-minute mark: "Two Headed Boy" transforms from a Guided by Voices-ish romp into a New Orleans big band funeral march, "The Fool" is as catchy as anything Poi Dog Pondering ever produced, and "Holland" builds up to a crescendo of saw, Uillean pipes, a chorus of voices, and fuzzed-out guitar. Simply irresistible. --Jason Verlinde

download: neutral milk hotel - in the aeroplane over the sea

pass: indie-ground.blogspot.com

lila downs - la sandunga

.:: Lila Downs was born in Tlaxiaco, Oaxaca, and grew up there and in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She began singing "ranchera" music at an early age, and later sang at the "fiestas" of the towns in her mountain region, la Mixteca. She sang with the band "Los Cadetes de Yodoyuxi" and later with "La Trova Serrana", a group of folk musicians from the Zapotec town of Guelatao, Oaxaca. At that time she met her musical collaborator Paul Cohen and began to create her own musical compositions.

She also studied the career of social anthropology and voice at the University of Minnesota and at the school of fine arts (Bellas Artes) in Oaxaca.

World musician Lila Downs experienced a career renaissance thanks to her contributions to the 2002 Frida movie and soundtrack . After two well-received solo albums, the Narada label has reissued Downs' dramatic debut album, La Sandunga. The singer released the album independently in 1997, and it still sparkles with the immediacy and passion of a woman completely connected to and excited by her craft.

Every song on La Sandunga, including the album's three bonus tracks, flows effortlessly into the next. It's as if the album was recorded without pause during one very creative recording session. Downs' Mixtec-Indian and American background is an obvious influence on her work. The album is peppered with lush strings and blaring horns. It's all anchored by Downs' wildly diverse vocal stylings, which even manage to spice up the oft-recorded album closer, "Besame Mucho." --Joey Guerra


.:: Lila Downs nació en Tlaxiaco Oaxaca. Creció en Tlaxiaco y en Minneapolis, Minnesota. Empezó cantando desde niña canciones rancheras, en su pueblo natal. Cantaba en las fiestas patronales con diversos grupos de la Mixteca; entre ellos, "Los Cadetes de Yodoyuxi". Cantando en "La Trova Serrana" como corista, conoció a Paul Cohen, y comenzaron a componer música juntos.

Lila Downs estudio la carrera de canto y Antropologia social en Bellas Artes y en la Universidad de Minnesota.

download: lila downs - la sandunga

pass: indie-ground.blogspot.com

dredg - el cielo

.:: Dredg is one of those rare bands who truly cannot be categorized. Gavin Hayes' vocals cascade like a waterfall over a sea of scratching Latin rhythms, dulcimers, guitars in odd time signatures, and prog rock-inspired drums. Hayes shares his penchant for Bulgarian chants in "Triangle" and "Same Ol' Road." "Whoa Is Me" could provide the soundtrack to all things haunted.

Whether it's a piano and strings or Cure-influenced (specifically the Cure's "Fascination Street") guitars, instruments fill the time between songs on El Cielo. They offer a respite from the monotony and the slow-fast-slow style of songwriting. In an odd moment at the end of "Whoa Is Me," a soft-spoken public radio DJ speaks of a jazz number from 1944.

The full-throttle rocker "It Only Took a Day" is one of the highlights. El Cielo is unlikely to become a hit on commercial radio, but perhaps Dredg could find their niche on college stations.

download: dredg - el cielo

ekkaia - sombras del progreso

.:: This CD contains 25 songs and more than 1 hour and 14 minutes of music by one of the most influential bands out of Spain. With their dark heavy aggressive d-beat, crust style they are like no one else. You have to listen to understand why.


.:: Sombras del Progreso es un CD que contiene 3 de sus mejores trabajos. 25 canciones que nos llevan a través de diferentes momentos de la banda, que hacen de este un CD muy completo con alrededor de una hora y quince minutos de duración.

Musicalmente podríamos decir para aquellos que no han escuchado a la banda, que es una combinación entre From Ashes Rise con Tragedy con sonidos, matices y personalidad propia, la música va desde un scremo violento harcorero hasta un crust melódico oscuro con arreglos de guitarra interesantes, y voces desesperadas y desgarradoras.

Escuchando este CD uno puede darse cuenta del por que Ekkaia en estos momentos ha llegado a tener en tan poco tiempo el status de una banda lejendaría, que solo logran bandas con una o varias decadas de trayectoría, y también del por que es en estos momentos, una de las bandas que han tenido una gran influencia en el crust, d-beat, y screamo de la actualidad.

download: ekkaia - sombras del progreso

grails - burning off impurities

The mighty Grails have returned with their fourth and frothiest album, 'Burning Off Impurities.' Beyond epic and absurdly brilliant, this is the album they've been hinting at from day one. All killer, no filler.

Following soon after the critically praised Black Tar Prophecies collection on Important Records, Portland, Oregon's Grails return with their first proper studio album since 2004 release of Redlight. Burning Off Impurities - their debut for Temporary Residence Ltd. - makes good on the promise of those past releases in delivering an album that not only thrusts the group to new heights, but also significantly pushes the instrumental rock genre forward for the first time in nearly a decade.

An increased interest in psychedelic, ambient and world musics is most likely to blame for Grails' exploration of the lesser-traveled paths of modern music. Influenced in equal parts by Ash Ra Tempel, Erkin Koray, Popol Vuh, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and dozens others, this is very likely the closest Grails will ever get to making a classic rock record; the kind of sprawling masterpiece that you savor for years before passing it on to your younger brother so he can repeat the process.

TRACK LISTING
1. Soft Temple
2. More Extinction
3. Silk Rd
4. Drawn Curtains
5. Outer Banks
6. Dead Vine Blues
7. Origin-ing
8. Burning Off Impurities

download: grails - burning off impurities

hey guys, i'm back !!!

hello everybody.

after some months, lots of changes on my life: quitting my job, starting my own business with some old good friends, and so long... indieground is back !!!
i'm finally back, ready to keep blogging and share music that personally find interesting.

thanx for your kind emails and supportive messages.
now it's my turn to be nice, so i'll start re-posting the albums that you guys asked me to (i hope it is not to late).

thanx again and feel free to shoot me an email, i always try to reply as soon as possible.

pelican - the fire in our throats will beckon the thaw

Elemental, seasonally themed heaviness from Chicago instrumental gods.

With their newest epic, Pelican bring on new levels of complexities to their already distinctive auditory stamp. Acoustic guitars take their place beside the group's traditional (read: highly amplified) power-droning and awe-inspiring instrumental anthems. Whether this signals the end of the underground musical landscape as we know it, or the beginning of a new one is anyone's guess. Luckily, it rules either way. They've toured with Low, Tortoise, Isis, Mono, Cave In, Daughters, The Bronx, A.R.E., Weapons, US Maple, and more.

download: pelican - the fire in our throats will beckon the thaw

hey guys !!!

hello everybody !!!

first of all, thanx for your kind comments about this blog.
second of all, "i'm all apologies" but i've been busy, you know: i quit my old job, i'm starting my own business and this is indeed requires a lot of time and money, that's why i couldn't check my blog or add any more album or comments.

but i promise that as soon start running my office, indieground will come back stroger, better and with tons of nice material (i've been getting : ) lately).

by the way, i'll upload all those album you asked me to, just give me some time, ok.
it is promise !!!


bye for now, good luck