Tuesday, November 13, 2007

The Deep Sea Goes - Épater Le Bourgeois

Its good to see that there are still people that have not succumbed to the last ten years of music and that are still able to record a strain of pure emotion in the form of three minute blitzkrieg-style tracks that make up The Deep Sea Goes new EP. This record is packed with sounds that could have come from any number of groups that are hailed today as punk legends. The parts are simple, the vocals slightly out of tune a good portion of the time, and enough distortion to satiate any Ramones junky.

The overall sound of this album is deliciously lo-fi and the vocals are reminiscent of late nineties hardcore and punk standards. The musicianship on this album shows an authentic disregard for most dynamic levels, but in that disregard they convince the listener of their musical purpose, or lack thereof. This group could have been absolutely praised about ten or fifteen years ago, but today their sound might incline listeners to write off this band as a relic of a genre that has all but died. That would be a serious mistake, as these guys show a real talent for songwriting and a taste for progressiveness that doesn't over power their music. Check these guys out!

8.7/10 more information at www.thedeepseagoes.com

Helvitica is the Perfume of the City - Swallowing Stars

Helvetica is the Perfume of the City is the new group featuring Phil Todd, Ben Reynolds, Andy Jarvis, and David Hayward. Their new full-length is a collection of live recordings from various performances around England. It is chock-full of beautifully dense drones and almost meditative percussion. The performances are recorded exceptionally well and stand as a powerful statement for the direction of drone music.

Ben Reynolds, who is the most widely recognized musician featured, plays with subtlety and restraint, demonstrating a distinct musical wisdom. However, it becomes apparent in the first track alone that this album is not a "Ben Reynolds Band" album of any sort and that he is playing among musical peers who share similar wisdom in their crafting of the dense textures and timbres in this recording. This album is very strong and is one to pick up if you want to hear the future of drone music.

9/10 more information and ordering at www.labelledamesansmerci.com