Popdrone

Random pics, blurbs about music and games. Infrequently updated.

[popdrone]

15 great albums I heard in 2015

In alphabetical order, not by merit. If you really need a #1, I can only give you two: Tribulation’s The Children of the Night and Levon Vincent’s Levon Vincent.

Joey Anderson - Invisible Switch

Bosse-De-Nage - All Fours

Earthen Sea - Ink

FFS - FFS

Helena Hauff - Discreet Desires

Iron Maiden - The Book of Souls

Kuedo - Assertion of a Surrounding Presence

Liturgy - The Ark Work

Prurient - Frozen Niagra Falls

Queensway - East West

Swami John Reis & The Blind Shake - Modern Surf Classics

Lana Del Rey - Honeymoon

Tribulation - The Children of The Night

Vhöl - Deeper Than Sky

Levon Vincent - Levon Vincent

[popdrone]

The joy of drumming, with Liturgy’s Greg Fox

Stretching. Laser focus. Then buckets of sweat. For Fox, keeping beat is half speed, half endurance sport.

Greg Fox is a goddamn amazing drummer and his playing on Liturgy’s The Ark Work is phenomenal. 

[popdrone]

Favorite 2014 albums

I already mentioned most of these back in the summer, but I had to add in the Sólstafir, Steffi and Function & Vatican Shadow releases because they're so damn good. Great year for albums.

Against Me! - Transgender Dysphoria Blues

Agalloch - The Serpent & The Sphere

Ben Frost - A U R O R A

Comet Control - Comet Control

Function & Vatican Shadow - Games Have Rules

Gridlink - Longhena

High Spirits - You Are Here

Joey Anderson - After Forever

Kangding Ray - Solens Arc

Kassem Mosse - Workshop 19

Nux Vomica - Nux Vomica

Sólstafir - Ótta

Steffi - Power Of Anonymity

[cinemagorgeous]

Gorgeous sci-fi concept art by the brilliant Martin Deschambault.

[popdrone]

Paula Temple - Deathvox [Official Video]

Relentless mix of blaring noise and tribal beats. Give in.

[70sscifiart]

Boris Vallejo does Buck Rogers. 1979.

[Space 1970]

[popdrone]

Return to the chill-out room: when did ambient music last have it so good?

FACT is the UK's best online music magazine and home to the weekly FACT mix series.

"Vladislav Delay, Kyle Bobby Dunn, Bing & Ruth and timely reissues from the likes of Brian Eno and other early pioneers – ambient music hasn’t felt this in vogue for years. Joe Muggs examines the trend and rounds up some of 2014′s crucial ambient records, asking the big question: is it time for the return of the chill-out room?" - FACT

[popdrone]

We market it as much as we can, so that whether people like it or not, we essentially brainwash them into liking it before it actually comes out.

Call of Duty vet suggests govt. 'brainwash' public, debate soldiers guarding school

This mentality is why I've gladly given up on games for the most part. Good thing Jon Huntsman is in charge of the Atlantic Council. No one will ever listen to anything he promotes.

[popdrone]

Silent Servant: Los Angeles, Hierarchy, and Hard Work in Techno | NOISEY

An interview with the Techno producer currently readying his new split with Broken English Club.

[popdrone]

Listen/purchase: Trevino EP 01 by Trevino

Debut release on Trevino’s Birdie Label. Very well done EP that blends Detroit-ish techno with upfront, insistent beats.

[popdrone]

"It tastes like going down on a My Little Pony,"

[popdrone]

Here Is "J.R." Jim Ross Calling The Brazil-Germany First Half Highlights

How do you improve upon the highlights from Germany's 5-0 thrashing of Brazil in the first 45 minutes? By adding wrestling legend Jim Ross to the goal calls, that's how.

Forget Bret Hart, J.R. is the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be.

[popdrone]

Frozen Icelandic cave illuminated by Northern Lights (Image: Ingólfur Bjargmundsson)

Via New Scientist 

Looks like the view from one of Skyrim's draugr barrows, right?

[popdrone]

Converge Deconstruct "Dark Horse" On Song Exploder

To the untrained ear, the songs of the Boston hardcore legends Converge probably sound like frantic tantrums, but the music is actually made up of intricately

I love hearing musicians really break down and discuss how their music comes together.

[popdrone]

“Our aim with this podcast was to capture the spirit and inspiration behind our collected love of more ambient leaning house and techno – early 90s afterhours vibes, but also tracks with soul and attitude; take Sun Electric’s ‘Up The Drain’, with its constant modulation and ambient undertones, or a modern piece like the Heiroglyphic Being track that features close to the end – just killer, out-there synth programming” - Ed Davenport / Inland

[popdrone]

Game Informer's Far Cry 4 July cover. Gorgeous. If only the actual game box used that art.

[popdrone]

The 2014 Summer Reading Guide

Pack at least one of these before you head out on vacation.

If any of these books sounds interesting to you, don't buy them through Amazon.