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Mike Stagno
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 | Tim Hecker An Imaginary Country
03.16.09 [Mike Stagno]
Since his 2001 debut, Haunt Me, Haunt Me Do It Again, Tim Hecker has been one of Canada's most prolific electronica musicians. The Montreal based Hecker's sound has taken on a variety of different forms, from the subtle drone of his aforementioned debut, to the dark dissonance of Mirages, to the more engaging characteristics of Harmony in Ultraviolet. An Imaginary Country takes Hecker's droning electronica in a new direction, introducing elements of noisy shoegaze in tracks like "100 Years Ago", subdued minimalism in "Utropics", and an overlying sense of naturalism to the album as a whole. That An Imaginary Country is Hecker's most accessible release can be attributed to its free-flowing, natural ambience, which is as effective as it 's been on previous releases, if not more. |
 | Burst Lazarus Bird
12.20.08 [Mike Stagno]
Given the stagnancy of most metal scenes these days, it isn't all that often that I'll scour blogs for lesser known bands. Too much of the material is either a second or third rate clone of already established artists, and searching for unique or interesting artists is just too tedious. This is, in part, what makes an album like Lazarus Bird so endearing. Though Burst's fifth studio album does take a page from the likes of Mastodon and Neurosis, it's a refreshing record none the less. Songs like "I Hold Vertigo" and "Cripple God" convey Burst's song writing prowess exceedingly well, as they effortlessly morph from heavy, riff-based sound to a tranquil, yet still lively endeavour. The nine minute long "City Cloaked" not only does an especially exceptional job in bridging together Burst's multifaceted sound, but also earns the distinction of being on of the year's best songs. |
 | Experimental Aircraft Third Transmission
08.27.08 [Mike Stagno]
It's been seven years since Experimental Aircraft released their sophomore album, but the Texan quartet has hardly missed a beat. The brand of shoegaze featured on the band's third LP, Third Transmission: Meet Me on Echo Echo Terrace is hardly a groundbreaking endeavour, but the record is a superb effort all the same. The album's backbone is a constant buzz of distortion that creates a hazy, yet endearing atmosphere; accented by the ethereal talents of vocalist Rachel Staggs, and the sparse, yet effective passages of clean guitar, Third Transmission simply makes for a beautiful listen. Guitarist T.J. O'Leary adds his own voice to some of the more straightforward rock tracks which gives the album some diversity, but the real story behind Third Transmission lies in the dreamy atmospheres created in the likes of "Paintings in the Attic", "Stellar", and "Remembrance". Third Transmission: Meet Me on Echo Echo Terrace is only Experimental Aircraft's third release in eleven years, but it is the band's most engaging thus far, and easily one of the year's strongest records. |
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