Musikchan Reviews

Official reviews blog of the best music board on the internet™

[musikchanreviews]

Free Nelson Mandoomjazz - The Shape of Doomjazz to Come/Saxophone Giganticus: 7/10

One day I saw an album cover. It was clearly styled on Ornette Coleman's classic album 'The Shape of Jazz to Come', however, in Coleman's place stood a cloaked figure, in Sunn O))) style druid robes, holding a saxophone. I just had to find out more.

This was Free Nelson Mandoomjazz, an oddly named band who were re-releasing their first two E.P.s, 'The Shape of Doomjazz to Come' and 'Saxophone Giganticus', through Rare Noise Records. After a few searches on Youtube, I just had to buy it.

With the robes, the name & the Coleman/Rollins parodies (or homages, depending on how you look at things), this band could be mistaken for a mere gimmick. A degree of novelty clearly exists here, but how does the music stand up?

FNM's approach to 'doomjazz' is quite literal. It's a blend of doom metal & jazz. The trio consist of bass, drums & saxophone, all used to create some excellent doomy atmospheres. Slow paced drums & fuzzy bass provide a backdrop for saxophonist Rebecca Sneddon's eerie melodies. It's a combination that works surprisingly well. And then the solos start. Holy shit can Sneddon play. She finds an excellent balance between crazy free-jazz dissonance & melody, worthy of Coleman & Rollins themselves.

Things take a Baroque turn (almost) for K54, a track inspired by Domenico Scarlatti's Sonata in A minor (K. 54.). I'm not sure that it was what he had in mind when he wrote it, but the free-jazz/doom-metal interpretation works excellently.

The E.P.s end with a cover of Black Sabbath's self-titled song. Again, the jazz interpretation works a lot better than you might imagine it to.

Although the atmospheres work really well, the band can occasionally feel like they're missing something and can lack power. Additionally, it just doesn't seem like something that I'd want to listen to every day.

Overall, these E.P.s are a very interesting listen. If you're a fan of either doom metal or jazz, I would certainly recommend giving this band a listen.

Manyara

http://www.rarenoiserecords.com/free-nelson-mandoomjazz

[musikchanreviews]

Erik Satié - Piano Music: 9/10

Well here is a review of the highly respected and composer of beautiful music, Erik Satié. 

The performance and rendition of Daniel Varsano and Philippe Entremont is a bit faster and with more edge than the other two but in Gnossienne it rewards the listener of how emotional and powerful the playing is. 

The performance of Håkon Austø is an inbetweener of Branka Parlic and Daniel. He plays softer than Daniel but is a bit more harsh than Branka. His playing of Gymnopédies is excellent in all aspects.

But then there is Branka who plays a lot softer and slower than the former two, she almost brings tears to my eyes as to her emotional playing and style.

 Most of Erik’s works are VERY peaceful and beautiful, but i’m not sure of his more fast sounding works are not my cup of tea, for example in Embryons Desséchés. 

What i should also note is that Debussy orchestrated some of his works, i know for a fact that he orchestrated Gymnopédies.

But overall most of everything i’ve heard is wonderful. Although wonderful is a shitty word to describe it i cannot find anything else.

Giving those 3 albums as a whole a solid 9/10.

-Hallmar

[musikchanreviews]

Podcast Episode 6 - New Year Special

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Frankly Maximum - Space Vampire: 9/10

Space Vampire is their self-released debut album, and showcases all of the above through its ten tracks. There is never a dull moment, and the dynamic vocals of Calum Potter always keep things interesting. From the paranoid ramblings of Feelers Out and Giant Sky Rats, to the storytelling of Inspector and Space Vampire from Mars, the lyrics are always very visual and dramatic. It's rather fitting that the album has been released alongside an accompanying comic, featuring interpretations of the lyrics by eight different artists.

Manyara

https://franklymaximum.bandcamp.com/

[musikchanreviews]

Podcast Episode 5

Listening information on musikchan.com

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Podcast Episode 4

Listening information on Musikchan.com

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Podcast Episode 3

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Podcast Episode 2

Episode 2 of the unofficial Musikchan podcast.

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Podcast Episode 1

Episode one of the new unofficial Musikchan podcast.

Login info on Musikchan.com

[musikchanreviews]

The Death of Anna Karina - New Liberalistic Pleasures

Insane! this Album really hits you in the face, highly recommended spazzy as hell, sounds like The Mars Volta on high amounts of LSD  Their new album is up for download on NAR if you want to check that out, it's more post screamo iirc

-avid4channer

http://www.thedeathofannakarina.com

[musikchanreviews]

Wherebirdsmeettodie – I'm Alone in This: 7/10

The first song, 'Lamp Post' starts off with more twinkle than a fairy-godmother named Kinsella before the bass and drums kick in. there's plenty of noodley guitars and adolescence crackled vocals on tap to satisfy anyone's appetite. Even a Catchy-As-Cholera guitar solo at the end that leaves you humming for days. The next 3 tracks follow suit, with enough variation to keep things moving along nicely. While the production certainly leaves a little to be desired, lacking in the exciting energy that many lo-fi emo releases seem to have almost by accident, it certainly isn't for a lack of songwriting chops or execution.

While certainly not the most forward-looking release in this niche genre, Wherebirdsmeettodie offer up a solid EP that will satisfy most fans of the genre. Be sure to pick it up for a 'name-your-own-price' on Bandcamp, or the cassette release on Driftwood Records.

Kisses,

Boracho

http://wherebirdsmeettodie.bandcamp.com/album/im-alone-in-this

http://driftwoodrecords.storenvy.com/products/2069629-wherebirdsmeettodie-im-alone-in-this

[musikchanreviews]

Elesh Norn - All The Pain I Built Up: 8/10

With Love,

Boracho

http://eleshnorn.bandcamp.com/album/all-the-pain-i-built-up

[musikchanreviews]

Penguin Cafe Orchestra - Music from the Penguin Cafe: 9/10

To start, P.C.O can be described as instrumental folk, baroque ambient, etc.  The usage of acoustic guitars and violins makes a perfect setting for the concept the album is intended to bring out, with the album cover showing two penguins, one half-woman, sitting at an umbrella table, talking, in a field probably next to the 'Penguin Cafe'. 

To let a review come to a short stop, there's one description to describe the whole album; cafe music.

exper

[musikchanreviews]

In the Company of Men - s/t: 8/10

Their sound is even more energetic, live, in a small bar with a lot of underaged sweating metalheads with girlishly long hair and with their Orange amps cranked so high it rips your head in two's.

Weird rhythms, catchy as fuck choruses, double kicking, Tommy Wiseau, strange chord composition and solo's that remind you of Dillinger Escape Plan's guitar player Ben Weinman.

It has it all.

Greatly recommended listen.

8/10 from me.

You can get it at a price at your choosing or for free at their Bandcamp site.

Hallmar

http://itcom.bandcamp.com/album/itcom

[musikchanreviews]

Caves of Glass - s/t: 7/10

-Manyara

http://cavesofglass.bandcamp.com/

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Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of The City: 8/10

It's a different Vampire Weekend then we're used to, but we can still tell it's Vampire Weekend, just as a person matures, Vampire Weekend has in giving up its preppy Ivy sound for a more level, and sensical sound.

- Tim

[musikchanreviews]

Asobi Seksu x Boris - Split 7": 7/10

The Asobi Seksu side is a dream-pop/shoegaze interpretation of Boris' doom metal epic Farewell. The song works surprisingly well in the new synthesizer-heavy style. Yuki Chikudate's emotive vocals are an excellent compliment to the track and help to keep the distant feeling of the original.

Manyara

http://boris.bandcamp.com/releases