soundweave: January 2009

Top 2008 #s 1-10

Yound Widows - Old Wounds
I can't even begin to explain why I love this noise so much... but I can tell you it's fucking brilliant. The perfect blend of heavy and noisy. Just listen.
Download: rapidshare
From: Louisville, Kentucky. Genre: noise-rock, post-hardcore
LIYL: The Jesus Lizard, Shellac, Breather Resist, Fight Amp, AmRep bands
Website : Myspace : Label

Mouth Of The Architect - Quietly
Incredibly powerful music! One of the heaviest cds ever made. The heights they reach are orgasmic. The buildup and climax of the title track is simply mind-blowing. This cd should be held in the same regard as Oceanic or Dopethrone as a pinnacle of heavy music
Download: megaupload
From: Hell, Ohio. Genre: Post-Sludge
LIYL: Neurosis, Minsk, ISIS, Cult of Luna, Corrupted, Rosetta, Year of No Light, Thou
Website : Myspace : Label

Grails - Take Refuge In Clean Living
Brilliant EP containing 2 of their best tracks yet. Especially Take Refuge. Holy Shit. Now come to Toronto for fucks sake!
Download: megaupload
From: Portland, Oregon. Genre: experimental, psychedelic
LIYL: Priestbird, Ghost, Bardo Pond, Faust, Ash Ra Tempel, Tulsa Drone, James Blackshaw, Silver Apples
Website : Myspace : Label

Torche - Meanderthal
Torche have become one of the catchiest metal bands without sacrificing the heavy one bit. Incredible live band too. They should be headlining shows because if I was in a band I wouldn't want Torche opening and completely stealing the show.
Download: rapidshare
From: Miami, Florida. Genre: stoner rock/metal
LIYL: Floor, Big Business, Queens of the Stone Age, Melvins, Baroness
Website : Myspace : Label

Bison BC - Quiet Earth
This year's Red Album. Epic, ass-kicking metal from start to extremely satisfying finish.
Download: sendspace
From: Vancouver BC. Genre: stoner-metal
LIYL: High on Fire, Baroness, Saviours, Mastodon, Motorhead, Kylesa
Website : Myspace : Label

Pocahaunted - Chains/Island Diamonds/Mirror Mics
Think of the Simpsons when Lisa is writing Homer's food critique and has to come up with a word for Homer's drooling. Transcendent. These 3 albums were my nightly soundtrack for most of last year. I'd fall asleep and wake up to Pocahaunted. Groin-grabbingly transcendent.
Download CHAINS: megaupload
From: Eagle Rock, California. Genre: psych-drone, tribal drone
LIYL: Grouper, Religious Knives, Robedoor, Inca Ore, Mouthus, Double Leopards, Lichens, Sunn O)))
Website : Myspace : Label

The Drift - Memory Drawings

Download: rapidshare
From: San Francisco. Genre: dub-jazz-rock
LIYL: Tarentel, Do Make Say Think, Miles Davis, Triosk, Bluebridge Quartet, Jaga Jazzist
Website : Myspace : Label

Circle - Hollywood
Surely their catchiest and most accessible album ever. It may be shocking to some long-time Circle fans but I loved it. Increidbly diverse cd that ranges from krautrock to metal; fun to fucked-up. Only a truly insane band could come up with a track like Mad Man. And Sacrifice is the best Iron Maiden song they never wrote.
Download: megaupload
From: Finland. Genre: psychedelic, krautrock, metal
LIYL: Pharaoh Overlord, Faust, Can, Neu!, Judas Priest, Acid Mothers Temple, Hawkwind, Hammers of Misfortune, Kyuss
Website : Myspace : Label

Earthless - Live at Roadburn
This is extreme rock. Imagine taking the solo from a classic rock song like Dazed & Confused and stretching it out to 20 minutes and that'll give you an idea what's on this cd. 80 minutes of blazing, incredibly dynamic guitar noodling over one of the tightest rhytm sections in rock. Definatly not for most (sane) people.
Download: megaupload
From: San Diego. Genre: heavy psych, instrumental/jam metal
LIYL: Hendrix, Acid Mothers Temple, Mammatus, Kyuss, Blue Cheer, Zeppelin, Ash Ra Tempel, Iota, La Ira De Dios, Ancestors, Tee Pee Records roster, Green Milk From The Planet Orange, Boris
Website : Myspace : Label

U.S. Christmas - Eat The Low Dogs
Take Acid Mothers Temple's swirling, noisy psychdelia, slow it down, add paranoia, insanity, desperation, a psychotic frontman, and a strange heaviness that sounds like nothing else I've heard. It all equals one hell of a mind-fucking album.
Download: megaupload
From: Marion, North Carolina. Genre: psych, space rock
LIYL: Acid Mothers Temple, Hawkwind, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Comets on Fire, Up-Tight, Danava, Crystal Castles
Website : Myspace : Label

Top 2008 #s 11-20

Ancestors - Neptune With Fire

Download: megaupload
From: Los Angeles, California. Genre: doom, sludge, post-metal, stoner
LIYL: Iota, Gonga, Mammatus, Giant Squid, Ufomammut, Capricorns, Kyuss, Boris, Earthless, Pink Floyd
Website : Myspace : Label

My Education - Bad Vibrations
Worst cover of the year. The music within is fantastic though, filled with stirring climactic post-rock. The album is opened and closed with 2 gorgeous mellow tracks (think The Alps or Grails). Fave track is Sluts and Maniacs.
Download: megaupload
From: Austin, Texas. Genre: post-rock
LIYL: The Pirate Ship Quintet, Cue, Neil on Impression, Sweek, Laura, Belle Orchestre, Yndi Halda, Japancakes
Website : Myspace : Label

Neil on Impression - L'oceano Delle Onde Che Restano Onde Per Sempre
Piano, strings, horns, loud guiatars and pounding drums. Sounds like a recipe for some good music. Niel On Impression are Master Chefs. Heard this very late last year but it blew me away and had to be squeezed into this list.
Download: rapidshare(128k)
From: Italy. Genre: post-rock
LIYL: Laura, Samuel Jackson 5, The Jimmy Cake, My Education, Sgt, The Pirate Ship Quintet, Magyar Posse, Belle Orchestre
Website : Myspace : Label

The Samuel Jackson Five - Goodbye Melody Mountain
Incredibly versatile and creative. Played with enthusiasm and a fuckload of talent. How to Evade Your Obsessive Shadow is one of the best songs ever written
Download: rapidshare
From: Oslo, Norway. Genre: post-rock, instrumental
Similar/Related: Tuna Laguna, My Education, Tristeza, Do Make Say Think, We Vs Death, Jaga Jazzist, You.May.Die.In.The.Desert, The Jimmy Cake, Silencio, Tortoise
Website : Myspace : Label

Black Elk - Always A Six Never A Nine
This record fucking destroys! It's ugly, dirty, noisy as fuck and pissed right off. Plus a killer bass-guitar tone.
Download: megaupload
From: Portland, OR. Genre: noise-rock/metal
Similar/Related: Jesus Lizard, Hammerhead, Racebannon, Pissed Jeans, Shellac, Melvins, Todd, Akimbo, Young Widows, Oxbow, Fight Amp
Website : Myspace : Label

Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!
Just got into Nick Cave in the last couple years (since Grinderman) but it seems to be as good a time as any. This has to be one of his best efforts. Certainly a stunning level of creativity, musically and lyrically. especially We Call Upon The Author
Download: N/A
From: Australia. Genre: rock
LIYL: Grinderman, Birthday Party, Dirty Three, Tom Waits, Captain Beefheart, The Stooges
Website : Myspace : Label

Krallice - Krallice
Blistering black metal with epic songs. Mick and Colin's unique (and insane) shredding styles bring a fresh sound to black metal. Drumming is pretty good too.
Download: rapidshare
From: New York. Genre: epic black metal
LIYL: Weakling, Wolves In The Throne Room, Cobalt, Ocrilim, Indricothere, Ghast
Website : Myspace : Label

Daturah - Reverie
Simply put; epic and beautiful instrumental post-rock/metal that hits all the right notes.
Download: megaupload
From: Frankfurt/Main, Germany. Genre: post-rock, post-metal
LIYL: Caspian, Omega Massif, Jakob, Belegost, Mono, Isis, Explosions In The Sky
Website : Myspace : Label

Black Mountain - In The Future
The sweet sound of the 70's. If you like classic rock you'll find something to like here. This is one of the best bands doing a throw-back sound these days
Download: rapidshare
From: Vancouver, Canada. Genre: psychedelic rock, classic rock, stoner, indie
LIYL: Led Zeppelin, Jefferson Airplane, David Bowie, Deep Purple, Witchcraft, Black Angels, Dungen
Website : Myspace : Label

Man Man - Rabbit Habits
Highly energetic and creative (and weird). A truly unique band more people need to appreciate. Plus the music is just plain fun and their live show is killer.
Download: rapidshare
From: Philadelphia. Genre: ????
LIYL: Captain Beefheart, Zappa, Old Time Relijun, Tom Waits, Primus, O'Death
Website : Myspace : Label

Top 2008 #s 21-30

Dungen - 4
Since I don't know Swedish and mostly just ignored the singing (or treated it as another instument), what was left is a brilliant instrumental rock album with all the best sounds from the 70's. Fredag and Samtidigt 2 are just incredible songs where every single note and progression is absolutely pitch perfect.
Download: rapidshare
From: Vastergotland, Sweden. Genre: psych-rock, classic rock, pop, folk, soul
Similar/Related: Caribou, Witchcraft, The Doors, 13th FLoor Elevators, Pink Floyd, Comets on Fire, Kansas, Fleetwood Mac, Chicago, Led Zeppelin, Amon Duul II, Curtis Mayfield, Genesis, Gentle Giant, King Crimson, Yes, Beatles, Beach Boys, Deep Purple, Beyond the Wizards Sleeve, Porcupine Tree, etc..
Website : Myspace : Label

Jacaszek - Treny
This is just stunningly beautiful. Electronically manipulated strings, piano and ethereal vocals in slowly expanding, heart-wrenching compositions.
Download: rapidshare
From: Gdansk, Poland. Genre: minimal classical, ambient electronica
LIYL: Slow Six, Anoice, Avro Part, Deaf Center, Bohren Und Der Club of Gore, World’s End Girlfriend, Max Richter, Burial, Boards of Canada
Website : Myspace : Label

LITE - Phantasia
Lite have become the best band in their genre with this release. Very energetic (aggressive even), instrumental math-rock. Even a catchy, toe-tapping number like Infinite Mirror is played with great intensity.
Download: mediafire
From: Tokyo, Japan. Genre: instrumental rock, math rock
LIYL: Te, Mudy on the Sakuban, Toe, Turing Machine, Maserati, Rosalina Mar, Battles
Website : Myspace : Label

The Evpatoria Report - Maar
The Evpatoria Report write epic length post rock songs with Godspeed-level compositions. Their use of organs/synths give a spacey feel like a GY!BE/Pink Floyd hybrid. 3rd track also kinda reminds me of Procupine Tree's Voyage 34.
Download: megaupload
From: Switzerland. Genre: post-rock
LIYL: GYBE!, Pink Floyd, My Education, Pirate Ship Quintet, Ascent of Everest, Sparrows Swarm and Sing, Mono
Website : Myspace : Label

Gonga - II: Transmigration
Combines groovy stoner-rock like Kyuss/QotSA and epic psych-doom like Electric Wizard. Highlights are the huge closer La Pique and The Greaser, now one of my favorite stoner-rock songs.
Download: megaupload
From: Bristol, UK. Genre: psychedelic stoner/doom
LIYL: Electric Wizard, Kyuss, Suma, Kinksi, Capricorns, Monkey3, Queens of the Stone Age, Hidden Hand, OM, Sleep, Viaje A 800, Ufomammut, Earthless
Website : Myspace : Label

sgt. - Stylus Fantasticus
These guys are really trying to push the instrumental rock genre to new heights. On the epic last 2 tracks they succeed.
Download: rapidshare
From: Tokyo, Japan. Genre: post-rock/experimental
Similar/Related: Sweek, Laura, Cue, Lite, Magyar Posse, Bondage Fruit, Te, World's End Girlfriend, Yndi Halda
Website : Myspace : Label

Earth - The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull

Download: sharebee
From: Seattle, Washington. Genre: western-blues-drone
LIYL: Ennio Morricone, Human Bell, OM, SunnO)), Brightback Morning Light, Bill Frisell, Pink Floyd
Website : Myspace : Label

Boris - Smile: Live at Wolf Creek
My favorite version of Smile if only because I saw Boris play the same set twice last year. Follows the same tracklist as the CD with Boris classics Pink, Floor Shaker, and Rainbow added to the set.
Download: megaupload
From: Japan. Genre: experimental rock/sludge/noise
LIYL: Boris, Acid Mothers Temple, Orthodox, Guitar Wolf, Goatsnake, more Boris
Website : Myspace : Label

Grails - Doomsdayer's Holiday
Not as good as the previous 2 releases. but hey it's Grails so it obviously rules. This is thier darkest yet. Can't wait for the DVD
Download: rapidshare
From: Portland, Oregon. Genre: experimental, psychedelic
LIYL: Priestbird, Ghost, Bardo Pond, Faust, Ash Ra Tempel
Website : Myspace : Label

You.May.Die.In.The.Desert & Gifts From Enola - Harmonic Motion: Volume 1
Both bands bring the goods. YMDITD show a huge progression from their first cd and have the 2 best tracks on here (The Sound of Titans & Mitchell vs Rowesdower). Gifts From Enola haven't changed much but considering they released on of the best cds of 2006 that's hardly a bad thing.
Download: rapidshare
Genre: post-rock. From: Seattle, WA, & Harrisonburg/Charlottesville, VA
LIYL: Caspian, Samuel Jackson 5, Jakob, , Pirate Ship Quintet, Shelter Red
YMDITD Myspace : GFE Myspace : Label

Top 2008 #s 31-40

Fire on Fire - The Orchard
''and if we tear this kingdom down (tear it down!), let it be with a deserving and joyous sound!'' -chorus from 1st track. Another cd I heard late in the year that shot straight to my favorites. Gorgeous (especially the tracks with female vocals)
Download: mediafire
From: Portland, Maine. Genre: folk, bluegrass, gospel, psych
Similar/Related: Cerberus Shoal, Akron/Family, Bonnie Prince Billy, Joanna Newsom, Fleet Foxes, Beirut, Eden Express, Grizzly Bear, Carter Family, Comus, Nick Drake, Pygmy Lush, Brightblack Morning Light, Phoebe Killdeer, Lau Nau, Devendra Banhart, The Decemberists
Website : Myspace : Label

Muga - There Is Nothing Eternal Exists
If you liked Bison's Quiet Earth you'll dig this too. The last 2 tracks are really epic.
Download: megaupload
From: Japan. Genre: stoner-metal, sludge
Similar/Related: Bison BC, High on Fire, Saviours, Baroness, Torche, Buffalo, Mastodon
Website : Myspace(none) : Label

Conifer - Crown Fire
Conifer and Capricorns are very similar bands. If you like one you'd like the other. Crown Fire is more experimental and has great guest vocals from Eugene Robinson (another similarity with Capricorns who had Eugene on their 1st cd) so it edges out River Bear Your Bones. Both are worth checking out.
Download: mediafire
From: Portland, Maine. Genre: Instrumental Sludge, Post-rock, Doom, Psychedelic, Experimental
Similar/Related: Capricorns, Oxbow, Year Of No Light, Mouth of the Architect, Harvey Milk, Isis, Rosetta, Tusk, Minsk
Website : Myspace : Label

Carpicorns - River, Bear Your Bones
see Conifer.^
Download: megaupload
From: London, UK. Genre: post-metal, doom, instrumental sludge
LIYL: Baroness, Bossk, Del Ray, Monkey3, Suma, Omega Massif, Electric Wizard, Pelican, Kyuss, Iron Monkey
Website : Myspace : Label

O'Death - Broken Hymns, Limbs and Skin
Bluegrass played with the intensity of punk and grit of Tom Waits. Saw them play the night Obama was elected. They tore shit up!
Download: megaupload
From: New York. Genre: speed-bluegrass, hillbilly-punk
LIYL: Tom Waits, Man Man, Old Time Relijun, Left Lane Cruiser, Captain Beefheart
Website : Myspace : Label

Beyond The Wizards Sleeve - ARK.1
Never thought a DJ would be on my list but they way he(they?) combines great sounds from the 70's and elsewhere into long psychedelic tracks is great. I don't know how else to explain this. Just check it out. Warning; A couple tracks are horrible and skipped everytime.
Download: megaupload
From: United Kingdom. Genre: Electronic, Krautrock, Psychedelic Rock, etc.
LIYL: Neu!, Dungen, Caribou, Cream, Comus, Erkin Koray, compilations of obscure psychedelic rock
Website : Myspace : Label

Akimbo - Jersey Shores
They turned into an experimental noise-rock band here. These guys can pound with the best of them getting to Young Widows-level sonic-violence at times. If they marry this bruising new sound with the cohesion and shorter songs of their previous effort we could have a killer album.
Download: sharebee
From: Seattle, Washington. Genre: noise-rock, stoner-metal, sludge
Similar/Related: Helms Alee, Young Widows, Jesus Lizard, Melvins, Clouds, Shellac, Fight Amp, AmRep bands, Black Elk, Harvey Milk
Website : Myspace : Label

Mudy on The Sakuban - VOI
Te' better watch out. This band is beating them at their own game. They may even become better than Lite. This is only their first release.
Download: megaupload
From: Japan. Genre: instrumental rock
LIYL: Te, Muddy World, Toe, Lite, Rosalina Mar, Pele
Website : Myspace : Label

Helms Alee - Night Terror
This fit right in with all the other hard-hitting noise-rock influenced stuff I was damaging my hearing with last year. (Young Widows, Akimbo, Black Elk, Todd)
Download: megaupload
From: Seattle, Washington. Genre: metal, hardcore, noise-rock
LIYL: Kylesa, Taint, Made Out Of Babies, Zozobra, Harkonen, Jucifer, Baroness, Melvins
Website : Myspace : Label

Harvey Milk - Life, The Best Game In Town
Fuckin heavy man...
Download: megaupload
From: Portland, Oregon. Genre: sludge
LIYL: Melvins, Thrones, Boris, Goatsnake, Cable, Sabbath, Sleep, Bongripper, Sunn
Website : Myspace : Label

Top 2008 #s 41-50

Grayceon - This Grand Show
Using just cello, guitar, and drums this band has created it's own style between post-rock and prog-metal. Great stuff, though I prefer their 2007 release.
Download: megaupload
From: San Francisco. Genre: proggy post-rock/metal
LIYL: Amber Asylum, Giant Squid, Silver Mt Zion, Audrey, Swans, Neurosis, Tarantula AD
Website : Myspace : Label

Bongripper - Hate Ashbury
Not as good a Hippie Killer which was more epic and psychedelic. This is darker, slower and heavier with more experimental drone/ambient. Their sound is absolutely crushing!
Download: mediafire
From: Chicago. Genre: psychedelic doom, drone
LIYL: Suma, Electric Wizard, Capricorns, Boris, SunnO)), Esoteric, Harvey Milk
Website : Myspace : Label

Zimmers Hole - When You Were Shouting At The Devil... We Were In League With Satan
Take the same band as Strapping Young Lad (Gene Hoglan!) and replace Devin Townsend with a guy dressed as Satan with a big red rubber dick that shoots beer and you have this band. If you don't enjoy this you're taking metal too seriously
Download: megaupload
From: Vancouver, BC . Genre: Heavy Fucking Metal
LIYL: Strapping Young Lad, Slayer, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Death, Dethklok
Website : Myspace : Label

Rhys Chatham & His Guitar Trio All-Stars - Guitar Trio Is My Life!

Download: megaupload (Disc 1)
From: Paris, France. Genre: experimental rock, "minimalist-punk"
LIYL: Glenn Branca, John Cale, Tony Conrad, Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Website : Myspace : Label

El Paramo - El Paramo
So much stoner/doom/psych music coming from places like Spain and South American countries these days. This is the cream of the crop. Tracks like Infeccisn de Escorpisn show huge potential.
Download: megaupload
From: Madrid, Spain. Genre: psychedelic, instrumental stoner-rock
LIYL: Colour Haze, Los Natas, La Ira De Dios, Kinski, Kyuss, Gonga, Pelican, Ancestors, Monkey3
Website : Myspace : Label

Human Bell - Human Bell
Like Earth and Brightback Morning Light this band plays slow, languid bluesy music that is as relaxing as it is engaging. They do get slightly heavier than those 2 bands though.
Download: rapidshare
From: Baltimore. Genre: instrumental blues/folk/post-rock
LIYL: Earth, Brightback Morning Light, 5ive, Balmorhea, Across Tundras, Ennio Morricone
Website : Myspace : Label

A Silver Mt. Zion - 13 Blues for Thirteen Moons
Seeing them live helped me get into this. And to look past Efrim's voice and pretentious lyrics. 1,000,000 Died To Make This Sound and Blindblindblind are powerful songs. The new song they played live, Metal Bird, has me excited for their next album.
Download: rapidshare
From: . Genre:
LIYL: GY!BE, Set Fire to Flames, Ascent of Everest, Sparrows Swarm & Sing
Website : Myspace : Label

Té - Soul and Senses Aligned Create the Greatest Music
Quite a drop from being my number one band in 2006. This album lacks the dynamic range of previous releases (tracks 5,6+7 from the green album is the band's peak), but they're still a great, passionate band well worth following. PS: their live DVD is incredible
Download: rapidshare
From: Japan. Genre: instrumental-rock
LIYL: Lite, Mudy On The Sakuban, Toe, Muddy World, Caspian, Maserati
Website : Myspace : Label

A. Armada - Anam Cara EP
More great post-rock. Love the last 2 tracks. Great melodies.
Download: megaupload
From: Athens, Georgia. Genre: post-rock
LIYL: If These Trees Could Talk, Caspian, Lite, Pg. Lost, Gifts From Enola, Explosions in the Sky, Mooncake, Maserati, Jakob
Website : Myspace : Label

Wooden Shjips - Volume 1
More music my battered eardrums must hate. Druggy ultra-fuzzed-out krautrock. Also loved their version of O'Tannenbaum from their holiday cassette (which you can download from their site)
Download: megaupload
From: San Francisco. Genre: krautrock, psychedelic, noise
LIYL: Faust, Can, Cloudland Canyon, Racoo-oo-oon, Magic Lantern, Pharoah Overlord, Circle, Aluk Todolo, Spacemen 3, Crystal Castles, Comets on Fire
Website : Myspace : Label

	Bohren and Der Club Of Gore - Beileid
	from Wine, Women and Song
	Dornenreich - Flammentriebe
	from Spreading Neurotoxins
	Coil
	from White Dot Music
	Megafaun - Gather Form And Fly
	from Bleeding Panda
	A Certain Ratio - The Graveyard And The Ballroom
	from Know Your Conjurer
	Ghost Box Orchestra - The Only Light On
	from Wine, Women and Song
	Pitom - Blasphemy And Other Serious Crimes
	from The Shadow Kick
	Dadawah - Peace and Love
	from Glowing Raw
	Downfall of Gaia / In The Hearts Of Emperors - Split
	from Spreading Neurotoxins
	Grails - Deep Politics
	from we fucking love music
	Moon Wiring Club - A Spare Tabby at the Cat's Wedding
	from Glowing Raw
	Mordant Music - SyMptoMs
	from White Dot Music
	Hills - Master Plans
	from Wine, Women and Song
	Graveyard - Hisingen Blues
	from Sludge Swamp
	Obits - Moody, Standard, and Poor
	from Elementary Revolt
	Left Lane Cruiser - Junkyard Speed Ball
	from Sludge Swamp
	Gridlink - Orphan
	from Spreading Neurotoxins
	Field Rotation - Acoustic Tales
	from Mirror Shades

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Top 2008 #s 1-10

Top 2008 #s 11-20

Top 2008 #s 21-30

Top 2008 #s 31-40

Top 2008 #s 41-50

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