Cosmonauts Day - Paths of the Restless

Cosmonauts Day is a rather new Russian Post-Metal/Sludge band. I found them recently on bandcamp and they sounded interesting (and the cover art is gorgeous) so I downloaded it and I'm not disappointed. I got what I expected. They have a very atmospheric post-rock/metal side and they have sludgy qualities. The sludge is actually quite heavy at times, which I like. Some sections can even be pretty fast which caught me off guard at first, but it sounded great. The instrumentation is pretty standard, with the reverb-laden instrumentation. The album by no means treads on unusual or experimental ground. You do get what you ask for but that doesn't mean it's boring though. It has interesting ideas and textures. Certainly worth checking if you're interested in this kind of music.

7 out of 10 cosmonauts will like this.

Bandcamp

Eleanor Friedberger @ Il Motore 05/05/12

Today I went to go see Hospitality, really. Eleanor was an added bonus. I think it's the first time I went to a show were the opening band was the one I really wanted to see. They really a simple but catchy album this year so I wanted to check them out. The first thing I noticed was just how empty the place was. It's a small venue, but still. When Hospitality started playing, there were maybe 5 people there. There were only about 30 by the end of the night. By far the smallest show I've been to.

Both bands played their sets backwards for some reason. Eleanor later explained that because it was a full moon or some shit like that. Whatev. Hospitality was a fun band. Their songs are just as catchy as they are on their studio album. Simple, fun songs. Some of the bass grooves really got my pussy wet. I like how both the guitarist and bassist had solos. Not much else to say. Nice set. I recommend their self-titled release.

It was my first time to really listen to singer/songwriter Eleanor Friedberger. I suppose it was okay, it's just not my sort of thing. I didn't think her songs were all that catchy or memorable, aside one song that had an awesome guitar solo with really solid drumming. I thought the bass was really boring and uninvolved. Even the bassist himself was kind of boring to watch. I can't say they were terrible. It just wasn't for me.

La Dispute @ La Sala Rossa 02/05/12

La Dispute has really caught my attention since their sophomore LP, Wildlife. This was a show I couldn't miss. Three bands were opening for them so let's get right to them. The first was an New York outfit called Sainthood Reps. They were alright to me. Simple songs played with some passion. Their music wasn't my perfect cup of tea. Many songs weren't very memorable and nothing really stood out, aside from the last track they played, which was definitely the loudest and funnest of their setlist. I remember the vocalist got a nasty knock on the head but he shrugged it off. Something also worth mentioning is the lead guitarists pedal board; he had like fifteen different pedals. What.

Next up was All Get Out. They were definitely the most "Indie Rock" of the four bands that shared the stage but they still have their hardcore moments. They started with a rather upbeat song with the vocalist singing in a type of southern accent, which kind of caught me off guard but then transitioned into hardcore. The stand out moment for their set (or hell, maybe even the whole night) was when the vocalist went solo playing softly on his guitar and singing and screaming with such intensity. He even left the mic and simply used his own power for his voice. The room was dead quiet. He let out a huge scream. That feel. At the end of their set, during the climax, he climbed up a few amps and jumped off of them. They were a really entertaining band and I'm really curious to hear their studio work. These guys were easily my second-favorite set of the night.

After them was Balance and Composure. All I can say is that I was pretty disappointed. After a band like All Get Out, these guys were really underwhelming. All of their material sounded the same to me. There were no standout moments, no change in intensity. And the intensity didn't even feel that high to begin with. They had three guitarists that pretty much just made these uninteresting textures that swallowed up everything. The drumming was the only thing that I can say that I liked. Maybe their studio work is better, I don't know. All I can say is that this performance didn't do anything for me and was easily my least favorite set of the night.

And then, the piece de resistance, La Dispute. My favorite part was just of fun the vocalist is, moving like he was having an epileptic episode throughout the show. He also interacted with fans a bunch as well which is something that I like. They mostly played new material from their latest album, but they did play two songs from way back. On one of them, the vocalist actually forgot the lyrics. He was pacing around trying to remember, and finally it came back to him with the accompaniment of the audience. The folk here were hardcore fans (no pun intended) who knew the lyrics to everything. I felt left out. Their live performance sounds a lot like their studio work. Not much difference to note at all. They played King Park for their encore. It was kind of amazing. Anyway, to wrap up, it was an incredibly fun show and I'd recommend anyone interested in Hardcore/Post-Hardcore to try to catch them on the remainder of their tour.

Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. @ Il Motore 27/04/12

Yesterday, I went to go see Acid Mothers Temple. Why? I'm not sure myself. I've never listened to any of their albums. Maybe because they're a experimental Japanese band, and some of my favourite music falls under that category. Or maybe because the band members have great hair. Well I'm glad I went because it was a real blast.

The opening band was a rather obscure Psychedelic Indie Rock outfit hailing from New York known as The Phantom Family Hero. I have literally not heard a single song from them until the show, but boy, did they put on a fun show. It started out with two members of the band going on stage with white tank tops with an upside down triangle on it and they had masks on. They faced away from the audience, got down on their knees and bowed down for a couple seconds. They then got up and went to their instruments as the other members (who are dressed normally) got on stage. There was no explanation for this. They have a great stage presence. The bassist wore Kanye glasses and a tacky Hawaiian shirt while dancing a little while he played. The lead guitarist has a huge afro and an LCD display banner with the band name on his guitar. They looked like they had a lot of fun playing, that's really important since it rubs off on the audience. The music was pretty nice. The second song they played was my favourite, which had a long noise jam section with an improvisational sax solo that just blew up with intensity. I had to buy their CD after the show to check their studio work. I might rip it and post it on this blog.

AMT was up next. Their performance pretty much made me speechless. It was a unique kind of show that I never experienced before. They played with such intensity, especially the guitarist. I'll just post the video of the entire show, save for the encore. I suggest that you watch at least the ending, at 1 hour 15 minutes in. I ended buying their Live as Troubadour LP.

Some people took the opportunity to do some drugs. I remember the faint aroma of marijuana when AMT got on stage. On guy was clearly out of his mind, diving off a crate onto the small crowd. It was sorta funny.

Elsiane @ Club Soda 18/04/12

Elsiane is a local Trip-hop duo playing a show dedicated to the launch of their latest album, Mechanics of Emotion. It's their first album in over 5 years, and the fans have waited patiently. This was certainly not the show to miss. Because I went to this show on a whim, I didn't have a ticket beforehand. When I saw the line outside, filled with people waiting to get in, I was kind of surprised by how many people show up. I was worried that I wouldn't have a ticket, but after a little patience, I got myself a ticket and headed straight for the front. I got myself an excellent spot, right at the front, dead-center. Right in front of Elsieanne, the vocalist. The venue is a two-floor building, a ground floor and balcony. The house was full. You couldn't have fit another soul in that building. I was lucky to get a good spot. Onto the show.

Like I stated earlier, Elsiane is a duo which consists of singer-songwriter Elsieanne Caplette & drummer Stephane Sotto. They weren't alone though. With them was multi-instrumentalist Annick Beauvais who played Bass, Oboe and Keyboard and Cellist Sheila Hannigan. Every one performed very well, but the drumming stole the show. Very energetic drumming through out the night. Annick had some great Oboe solos as well. Sadly, I found that Elsieanne's vocals were a little underwhelming, depending on the song. She has a very soft voice, so whenever a strong climax, a lot of the time, didn't hit the spot for me. They weren't bad at all though, just to soft at certain times. They impressed the fans so much that they didn't just come out for one encore, but two! For the second encore, Elsieanne came out alone and sang an acapella version of one of her songs. My personal highlight of the evening was when the cellist came out. Nothing but Elsieanne on vocals, a cello and Stephane banging on a wooden box instead of drums. Syncopated rhythms on a wooden box. It sounded amazing.

Also bought myself their first album.

Igorrr - Nostril

Just by looking at the album art, you know you'll be getting into something weird. Igorrr, real name Gautier Serre, is a French breakcore artist. I actually prefer to call his music "Baroquecore", since that's what his music sounds like. He's not solely influenced by baroque music either, though. He's also heavily influenced by death metal, funny enough. He has an even weirder Grindcore side project called Whourkr that I recommend checking out. Anyway, let's talk about this album. He likes to use samples. A lot of them. Copious amounts of operatic samples can be heard throughout, as well as death metal growls mixed in with them. The operatic vocals are usually messed with making them sound darker than normal. It's a really interesting contrast to hear, and it somehow works. The drums on this run really fast and are really chopped and fucked with, keeping them always varied. The baroque instrumentation is usually untouched, making another interesting contrast that somehow works. If you're looking for fucked up classical music or just want to see it in a very different light, check this sick Frenchman out.

8 out of 10 people will like this.

[Mediafire]

Japancakes - If I Could See Dallas

Japancakes is an American Post-Rock outfit that have quite a unique sound. They constantly use a steel slide guitar, which gives it an incredibly mellow feel to it. One of the mellowest Post-Rock albums I've ever heard. It should have been called "If I Could See Hawaii", because every song on here sounds like your on a Hawaiian beach, relaxing on a lounge chair and watching the sunset. Eternal bliss. Each song usually sticks to one idea and builds upon. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. It's really worth checking it out.

7 out of 10 people will like this.

[Mediafire]