Link: Porcelain Raft Official Site

The music of Mauro Remiddi sounds as much timeless as it does immediate. Good luck in pinpointing where on the linear path this music fits in because it’s really an encompassing adventure that will be one of the best things you will hear all year.

Remeddi has a voice that comes from the fog, exhaling humidity through ghostly tales. You as the listener has to let go and trust Remeddi as his view of dream pop will hold you up into the sky and let the sounds encompass you. His travels through Europe and experience from it may be what makes this album an expansive suite of atmosphere and architecture. Who knows, but I suspect it was the tight space in Brooklyn that gave him the focus.

What this album does to me is uncertain. Strange Weekend will take more than casual listening to really get to the arteries of emotion that emit from songs like “Is It Too Deep For You?” or “The End of Silence.” These are three-minute pop songs turned into epic journeys through our awakened reality while following you into dream time.

I feel like I have been here before. To me, Porcelain Raft has always been in my subconscious and I’m back experiencing that journey. I swore Remiddi has had an accomplished career releasing album after album of mind-blowing sincerely made modern electronic pop and not Strange Weekend his debut release.

We got a taste of the Italian-born songwriter last year with his Gone Blind EP, but it was nothing as perfect as this album is. And if you don’t think “Backwords” is one of the most beautiful songs you have heard in your life then you have lost your mind.

What I can conclude from all of this is that I feel a calm with Remiddi’s music than I do with anything else. It’s not about ambient meditation and an escape, and more like the moment you become aware of every breath you take. These songs tingle the senses, and Strange Weekend is metaphysical in every sense.

Hospitality
Hospitality
Merge Records

Link: http://hospitality.bandcamp.com/

Chalk it up to years of experience, Merge has an amazing panache for seeking out bands to not just expand the roster of the illustrious label, but also to complement the style of them churning out amazing quality.

Hospitality is no exception. This is a band who creates lovely pop music that we all have grown to love  from the label while creating an identity that lures you to want to get to know that band more.

Like with the story of “Betty Wang.” Not just some fictional character, she is a real woman who worked in the same investment firm who employed singer-songwriter Amber Papini. Her strength as a woman and unbending will to conform inspired Papini to write the song. The song is catchy in a way that an early ‘60s girl pop song is catchy.

Then there is “Sleepover” that sounds like one of the greats from the Absolute Grey catalog.

Each song is presented like a snapshot, where Papini cleverly writes beautiful indie pop that you want to wrap your arms around. That sensation could also be easily attributed to Nathan Michel and Brian Betancourt. The three’s conceptualization of musical pop compositions are absolutely tasty.

For me, “Argonauts” acts as background music to a leisurely afternoon while “Birthday” is the soundtrack for a happy occasion. I love their harmonies and am infatuated with the way everything blends together.

I cannot help but want to listen to this album over and over and excited at the potential Hospitality has.

Links:

• Tumblr Page
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Dana Falconberry’s modest EP is interesting in the way that you find a nature program interesting. You feel its familiarity weigh down on you, but there are just enough intricacies to make you have to look a little closer and listen a little more intently to pick up the delicacies that are within.

The Michigan/Austin singer/songwriter has sent tremors into the indie music world with her eclectic serenades. From childhood to mortality, she explores the wide gap within a four song stretch. There is a lot to take in so don’t feel amiss if the first go around does not latch on to you.

But it’s all of the little things that add up. The harp on “Petoskey Stone” might come out of some country store in the middle of a mid-America tourist destination. But the way it all comes together—the minimal drums, the guitars, the strings, and Falconberry’s rich vocal tale—lies like an awakening. Upbeat turns harmonic intimacy as the tempo shifts to a Sunday morning come down. And when the strings tremble, you realize just how intense the composition of this piece really is.

“Possum Song” changes the mood to a nighttime back porch fragility. A guitar and vocals leads to haunting contemplation about the philosophy of life.

“Muskegon” is the most experimental in song structure, drifting off to try various avenues. It’s not as arousing as the first two songs, but still keeps in with the mood of the EP. And with “Maple Leaf Red,” it’s a childlike departure for Falconberry’s project. A toy piano shatters the mantra of whistling and the great story-teller closes another chapter in her book.

Link: Asteroid Galaxy Tour Website
With the hoopla of hype that has surrounded this band (they experienced a sold-out U.S. tour, they have shared the stage with several modern pop icons like Amy Winehouse and Katy Perry, and they are a well talked-about band), I expected something cosmic.

What I got from this Copenhagen band is a group of musicians trying to be cutting edge with a strange concoction of reverential sounds from the ‘70s through the ‘90s. And instead of cosmic, Out of Frequency is pop slop.

Trying to capture the reactionary essence of Sly and the Family Stone with their jagged-edged funk and remaining true to the foundations of Swedish pop, it sounds more like No Doubt covering Abba. Song after song, I feel like I’m watching a bunch of cheerleaders adorned in go-go outfits trying to conquer a pop paradigm that is linear and directionless while the band spends too much time in transition.

“Heart Attack” is their vortex of silly tween pop that bounces around with very little effect,making you cross-eyed from the stench of Abercrombie and Fitch and sterile mall sweat that emanates from the sound of something Ash did years ago. At least Ash had ballsy and fierce guitar progressions to back them up where their pop punk came with a punch in this face.

I want the title track to sound like Blondie, not Gwen Stefani. I want “Cloak and Dagger” to sound like something out of The Avengers, not Austin Powers. I want to have the horns make me react, not start a pep rally.

Unfortunately, Out Of Frequency is an appropriate title for this band as they spend more time fabricating pop music.

Link: Ralfe Band Website

For a minute, let’s forget that Bunny and the Bull is a soundtrack because more than likely, this is how you will be viewing this album. Just listen to the songs as if it was an instrumental album in the way you would Tipsy or maybe even Combustible Edison.

There is a degree of swankness to the songs and lush poetry in the way it is all delivered; a Mr. Bungle meets Danny Elfman for the Lawrence Welk generation. Be it the Yann Tierson piano serenade of “Stephen,” or the ghostly saloon-gypsy romp of “Atlantis Rising,” it’s hard not to fall in love with the adventurous way multi-instrumentalist Oliver Ralfe composes these simply timed numbers (you would have to, cramming 22 songs on this album).

Even the somber moments paired with creepy experimental values, it’s like a haunted house for the surrealist child-like dreams. Even in its most whimsical (“Fairground Waltz”), you get a feeling that something is not of this world. It could be the easy association to what Danny Elfman has done for Tim Burton, but you will find it hard not to associate with.

As for a film score, Ralfe is really good at it. He recently won Best International Music Video for his song “Women of Japan,” at the SXSW Film Festival, and has had his hands as both an accomplished composer and independent filmmaker.

I think where Bunny and the Bull gets to me is that this is indie film scoring while not being blatantly so. You hear soundtracks for something like Squid and the Whale or Juno or one of those iconic millennium indie darlings and you feel the soundtrack being shoved in your face. I don’t need knitted and fabricated indie fashion crammed into my ear holes. What Bunny and the Bull does is present an organic approach that compliments the moment and is also fun listening to in a separate reality beyond the fact that these songs are the backdrop of two characters who have an adventurous journey through Europe.

Using Old World style with a paired-down recording, it’s how you get the ghosts of the past to entertain your brain and enjoy an album that is more enticing than most indie film scores I have heard in the past.

If this is a glance at Oliver Ralfe’s mind, I want to dig in deeper and analyze his creative force. I feel like Bunny and the Bull and myself will be in a long-term relationship of listening for the pure enjoyment and determination as to what exactly makes these songs tick. It’s not something I can pinpoint within this review, but I am excited that finding my personal answers will be just as much the adventure as the songs themselves.

Link: Rob Crow on Temporary Residence Ltd.

Many people may not know of Rob Crow and his overabundant laundry list of projects that his name is associated. I’ll shamelessly admit I hadn’t either before I listened to his new solo album He Thinks He’s People. Very similar to Faith No More front man Mike Patton, Rob Crow embraces a passion for the bizarre and never content in one project or even one genre for long. His unorthodox musical approach is only matched by his gift to mold a fun house mirror of intricate pop.

The intertwined placid keyboard of “Scalped” with Crow’s perceptive voice displays an emotional if not depressing outlook to the album. “Tranked” follows suit using proficient electronic beats to continually forge the somber ambience. Not all tracks are for the cause of being immersed in tranquility. “Sophistructure”, with its clever math-rock layering in post grunge vogue, brings an immediate focus to its catchy rhythm that never gets abandoned from low verse to high chorus. “Locking Seth Putnam in Hot Topic”, a dedication of sorts to late front man of Anal Cunt, gives Crow his driving metal/punk fix that he usually reserves for side project Goblin Cock. The material for He Thinks He’s People is essentially rejects when composing songs for Pinback (Crow’s original and premier project). Rarely does this become too evident as each track is cerebrally crafted.

Whether you enjoy the sonic experience presented with He Thinks He’s People, most would agree Rob Crow unleashes a curious musical mindset. Content-wise, the album can be unbalanced and pompously spastic. Tracks like “Build”, “Pat’s Crabs” and appropriately named “Unstable” seem to lose focus and seem more filler than killer. Overall, He Thinks He’s People may be an impulsive record but beyond enslaving in its hooks and melodies. If these are the rejects, then the forthcoming Pinback album can only be stellar.

Link: Waters Official Site

WATERS is a concoction of internal discovery for lead singer Van Pierszalowski. After the demise of the folksy Port O’Brien, Pierszalowski traveled Norway and everywhere in-between back to the Bay Area to find inspiration. Unintentionally, he discovered his muse was music once again. Port O’Brien aimed for a polished sound, while WATERS is more rugged in production but delicate in its overall context.

Out In The Light begins with the deformed crunch of “For The One”. Van wails with melodic angst throughout the song, sending a paramount message of contrast between WATERS and O’Brien. Tracks like “O’ Holy Break of Day” and “Out In The Light” display the true affliction of Van’s self reflection on his travels. Lyrically, the evidence builds that this personal journey has taken its toll on his already fragile soul.

“I never imagined I could be a free man this soon,
Take my warnings just to find my way back through,
Home isn’t waiting,  Oh Lord I am overdue.”

Van Pierszalowski feels rejuvenated with WATERS and it is apparent. From Port O’Brien to WATERS, Pierszalowski has evolved as a profound song writer. Out In The Light is a selfish album, almost too much in spots. Each tracks leaks of self-importance and intimate reflection but the album stays modest in nature. For those who can relate to the lyrical honesty, WATERS divulge their heart for all to see with unbridled passion.

Nihiti
Faced With Splendor
lo bit landscapes
Rating: 3 out of 5

Link: Nihiti’s Official Site

For Nihiti and Faced With Splendour, this was an experiment for a band acclimated to electronic landscapes. They ditched the gadgetry and recorded in an acoustic environment. For an acoustic album, the results are intriguing. For a Nihiti album, it’s hit or miss.

“The Kind Ropes” starts us out promising. A cello backs up the strumming guitar that instantly turns into some coffee shop hippy folk accolade. It’s in the structure of intimate British folk, without the British and without the countryside tales. It may be more of something you will find draping the backdrop of an Anthropologie store and an act of escape, unless you find the inflated prices and strange items at Anthropologie therapeutic.

But just when you like a song, it repetition is heard, just in another song context and for me, it’s not something my attention span can take.

For “The Devil,” it’s a song I really like. If you want stripped down and raw, you have it in all of its Nick Drake glory. But for “Golden Pavilion” you get a sense of deja vu. It’s like they find a good concept and replicate it. For an EP, that tells me the time they allotted for creative concept was limited. Nonetheless, the songs on here are an interesting twist to the band, and decent to the ears.

With the band coming back around to electronic form next year, Faced With Splendor will feel like a subtle diversion.

Link: Graveface artist, The Marshmallow Ghosts

As a child, Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of The Haunted House was a staple soundtrack in the house. Not just for Halloween, the spooky sounds and ghastly groans would echo throughout the rooms. “The Chinese Water Torture,” “A Collection Of Creaks,” “The Birds,” “Things In Space,” this Disney album delighted and frighted many kids in the ‘70s so much that it became an inspiration to many, including the Graveface collective. And luckily for us, this is third in what is now an October tradition for the label.

The Marshmallow Ghosts is a self-titled release in coordination to a feature film they call  Corpse Reviver No. 2. The album spins like the Chilling, Thrilling Sounds, even with “Shrieks” paying homage to the immense ghastly ghoul that howls in the dead of the night (if you know of this album, you would be able to decipher exactly which sound effect that is from my description).

The self-titled album features the best in collaborative efforts including Graveface’s Black Moth Super Rainbow, Lady Lazarus, Casket Girls, Hospital Ships, and Dreamend. As the album unfolds, you hear distinctions by the bands, but a cohesive trend of strange noises and ethereal soundscapes work together to conjoin it all into a strange aura of horror movie soundtrack freak-outs and abysmal haunting. What really pops out in the album is the estranged dissonant pop the label is known for as we transcend from creepy background music to the forefront and its ‘60s wig-out on “The Hearse Song.” It’s as if Herschell Gordon Lewis made ‘60s pop with David Lynch, while “The Attic” sounds more like Shoegaze loveliness converted by ‘70s existential realities than simple horror movie fodder.

“Trick” may be striped with bouts of spookiness, but “All Skin And Bone” is more ethereal in a Love and Rockets breathy montage. It does not bode well for the horror element of the album, but songs like this are nonetheless a good thing. By adding in these pieces, or avant-garde ambient noise collages like “Shall I be ‘anna’ or ‘anna’ be I?,” you can enjoy it beyond the witching hour.

The Marshmallow Ghosts present Corpse Reviver No. 2 Trailer from Graveface Records on Vimeo.

Links:

• Official Website
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It’s not often one can throw jazz and electronic music in the same description of a band’s style of music, but Body Language incorporates these vibes with a disco soul grove in their latest release, Social Studies. Comprising of four New Yorkers, this quartet is simply visionary when it comes to laying down eclectic sounds that include pieces from all different musical genres. Breaking the mold, Body Language is a very complex band and hard to categorize in any particular musical genre.

One constant throughout the album is that it is pure genius. Part playful, part sensual but constantly visceral, the music flows from peaks of high energetic bliss to valleys of sultry grooves. The vocals of Angelica Bess and Matt Young blend together in each track where it seems their voices are playing a game of pure unbridled love.

Though the whole album is awesome, tracks of note are the sadistically happy title track “Social Studies,” to the disco fueled “Falling Out,” and the 80’s Synthpop-inspired “Running,” which is very reminiscent of a Killers song. However, the most catchy and straight-up poppy track of the record is the final song, “Holiday.” The video is below.

The band is currently on tour. Location and dates for upcoming shows can be found on their FaceBook page or the official website.