I’m not what you’d call an electronic expert and, to level with you guys, this is the only Flying Lotus album I’ve ever heard more than once. Still, that should tell you something about just how impactful this album was at the time of its release, and how influential it remains. I’m not well-versed enough on popular opinions surrounding Cosmogramma to accurately predict what the most popular songs are (although a cursory search of review threads seems to suggest either ‘Zodiac Shit’ or ‘Do The Astral Plane’ [maybe ‘Pickled!’ low-key?]), but I’ve always been drawn to ‘Arkestry’ – a stunning electronic symphony of freestyle jazz elements. Other songs on Cosmogramma offer more layers and textural complexity, but this is always the moment that stops me in my tracks with its sheer beauty. Bubbling electronic effects give way to cascading drums, which eventually split the center of the song open into a gorgeous ravine of jazz horns. As subtle pianos underscore the transition into the track’s final minute, an eerie, apparition-like voice begins to hum in a theatrical-yet-ominous fashion. The way the song fluidly progresses within itself is a thing of beauty, and while it may not be the most popular pick from Cosmorgramma, it’s the one that captured the attention of an indie-head like me. If Cosmorgramma is the album that got me into electronic music back in 2010, then I have to credit ‘Arkestry’ as one of the most influential tracks on my own personal…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of February 21, 2020. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: February 21, 2020 –
Agnes Obel: Myopia
Genre: Folk/Classical/New Age
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Allie X: Cape God
Genre: Indie-Pop/Electronic
Label: Twin Music Inc
The Amity Affliction: Everyone Loves You… Once you leave them
Genre: Metalcore/Post-Hardcore
Label: Pure Noise
Best Coast: Always Tomorrow
Genre: Indie-Pop/Indie-Rock
Label: Concord
Demons & Wizards: III
Genre: Power/Heavy Metal
Label: Century Media
Douglas Dare: Milkteeth
Genre: Indie-Pop/Electronic
Label: Erased Tapes
Greg Dulli: Random Desire
Genre: Alternative Rock
Label: BMG
Music is probably the one field of entertainment that is never lacking in quality content for the early months of a new year, and January 2020 was no exception. Welcome to the first full year of Sputnikmusic’s ‘Album of the Month’; a feature that lets everyone express what their favourite album of the month is. This edition was jammed with numerous albums, but one album in particular really voiced itself loud and by many: the Hungarian avant-garde opus from Thy Catafalque – Naiv.
“A prophet is not without honour except in his own town and in his own home.”
“This is basically my first thought whenever I think about Thy Catafalque, because Tamás Kátai’s unique work is sadly oppressed and overlooked in the Hungarian musical culture. But even though it must be very hard to fully understand each album (both stylistically and lyrically), the reception for his music is encouragingly improving. And that fills me with great joy!
It’s not easy writing about Thy Catafalque, because they’re one of those bands that are so experimental and unique in their own right, and can go through a renewal with each release without forcing anything, that you have to expect the unexpectable at this point. This is the case with Naiv as well, despite the fact Kátai and co. haven’t really changed their sound at all, the results still feel completely fresh and new. For me, Naiv is a very exciting and dreamesque experience. I feel…
Jacob Bannon of Converge performs at Roadburn 2018. Photograph by Wikipedia user Grywnn (Heiner Bach)
Alright, y’all, it’s time for one of Sputnikmusic’s patented giveaway contests. Let’s get down to brass tacks immediately.
THE PRIZE: Two tickets to the second day–April 4th–of the Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Festival at the Fillmore in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. These are $35 each face value and $98.50 total if you purchase them online. Yeehaw. Who will be performing, you ask? Well, Converge is doing Jane Doe in its entirety. And Pig Destroyer is doing Prowler in the Yard. And then there’s fuckin’, uh, Satan, and Necrot, and Night Demon, and Haunt, and Un. Pretty sure that’s all. Please note a few things: this concert is absolutely 21+ no exceptions, so don’t enter this contest if you are under that age maybe. I dunno, can’t really stop you I guess. Secondly, these are not the “Metal and Beer” tickets that cost $85 each face value. If you’re a beer drinker you’ll have to stick with Stella Artois or whatever in this case: no unlimited half pours of Nightmare Brewing Company’s critically acclaimed SCAPHISM beer for you! Oh, and also obviously it’s on you to, like, get to Philly. Sorry everyone, when we’re flush (one day…) we’ll be able to fund the whole experience.
THE CONTEST: The year is 2021. The 20th anniversary joint (that’s right you’re getting them as a package) vinyl reissue of both Jane Doe and Prowler in the Yard is fast approaching, and Relapse Records or Epitaph or…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of February 14, 2020. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: February 14, 2020 –
Archon Angel: Fallen
Genre: Progressive/Power/Heavy Metal
Label: Frontiers Records S.R.L.
BAMBARA: Stray
Genre: Post-Punk/Noise Rock
Label: Wharf Cat
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of February 7, 2020. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: February 7, 2020 –
Aubrie Sellers: Far From Home
Genre: Country
Label: Aubrie Sellers
The Cadillac Three: Country Fuzz
Genre: Rock/Country
Label: Big Machine
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of January 31, 2020. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: January 31, 2020 –
Amberian Dawn: Looking For You
Genre: Power/Progressive Metal
Label: Napalm
Ben Watt: Storm Damage
Genre: Indie Rock/Folk
Label: Caroline
Well, another 10 years have gone by which means it’s time for another music list, and possibly some reflection on the last 10 years. I’ve got the music thing covered, but I’m not going to waste time on reflection. The artwork links to the album review (or the band page in the absence of a review). The recommended track will link to either bandcamp or Youtube. So, be proactive… read some descriptions, click some links, check out some music…
** u kno when a dog dies in a movie and ur hella sad right well this album is like when the dog dies only he instantly comes back on a skateboard with a bong in his mouth and he is wearing a satan shirt and is talking about the benefits of tax evasion and he be mouldin’ young minds similar to pottery— ramon.
The Wake is the album that almost never happened. The band’s guitarist (and main songwriter) of twenty-three years died of Cancer in 2005, which left the remaining members with a pretty tough decision. They could either call it quits or try to get another guitarist/songwriter with the same unique flair and technique that made their original guitarist so special. They went with the second option and released Target Earth. While Target Earth was pretty great, it wasn’t until The Wake…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of January 24, 2020. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: January 24, 2020 –
Σtella: The Break
Genre: Indie Rock/Alternative
Label: Arbutus
Andy Shauf: The Neon Skyline
Genre: Alternative Rock/Indie Folk
Label: Anti/Epitaph
Annihilator: Ballistic, Sadistic
Genre: Thrash/Progressive/Heavy Metal
Label: Neverland Music Inc.
Black Lips: Sing in a World That’s Falling Apart
Genre: Punk/Lo-Fi/Garage
Label: Fire
Bonny Light Horseman: Bonny Light Horseman
Genre: Folk
Label: 37d03d
Breaking Benjamin: Aurora
Genre: Rock
Label: Hollywood
Caspian: On Circles
Genre: Post Rock/Ambient/Post Metal
Label: Triple Crown
Marko Hietala: Pyre Of The Black Heart
Genre: Progressive Rock/Hard Rock
Label: Nuclear Blast
Nero Di Marte: Immoto
Genre: Post Metal/Progressive/Sludge
Label: Season of Mist
Nicolas Godin: Concrete And Glass
Genre: Electronic
Label: NCLS
Novelists FR: C’est La Vie
Genre: Metalcore/Progressive Metal/Post-Hardcore
Label: Sharptone
Pet Shop Boys: Hotspot
Genre: Pop/Electronic
Label: X2
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of January 17, 2020. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: January 17, 2020 –
…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead: X: The Godless Void And Other Stories
Genre: Indie Rock/Progressive Rock/Post Hardcore
Label: Dine Alone Music Inc.
AJJ: Good Luck Everybody
Genre: Folk Punk
Label: Specialist Subject
Algiers: There Is No Year
Genre: Post Punk/Soul/Industrial
Label: Matador
Alice Boman: Dream On
Genre: Indie-Pop/Folk
Label: Play It Again Sam
Anti-Flag: 20/20 Vision
Genre: Punk/Hardcore/Pop-Punk
Label: Spinefarm UK
Bill Fay: Countless Branches
Genre:Folk
Label: Dead Oceans
Bleed The Sky: This Way Lies Madness
Genre: Metalcore/Rock
Label: Art is War
Bombay Bicycle Club: Everything Else Has Gone Wrong
Genre: Indie Pop/Alternative Rock/Indie Rock
Label: Mmm…Records
The Courteeners: More. Again. Forever.
Genre: Indie-Rock/Alternative Rock
Label: Ignition
Deserta: Black Aura My Sun
Genre: Indie-Pop/Indie-Rock
Label: felte
Elliot Moss: A Change In Diet
Genre: Electronic/Downtempo/R&B
Label: Grand Jury Music
Whether you love Periphery or hate them, you can’t ignore them. Well, you can, but where’s the fun in that? 2019 was a pretty huge year for the shitposting meme-lords of the progressive metal world. They started their own record label and released Hail Stan, which is somehow simultaneously their most ambitious, cohesive, diverse, mature, and meme-y record yet. If you don’t believe me just look at the evidence: they named the album Hail Stan [sic]; opening track “Reptile” is an impressively epic and surprisingly engaging seventeen minutes long; they raised the heaviness bar with “Blood Eagle”; they raised the saccharine pop-savviness bar with “It’s Only Smiles”; they threw in a shockingly catchy industrial/synthwave track in “Crush”; and they capped an incredible Spencer Sotelo vocal performance on “Satellites” — Jesus, can that guy hit the notes or what? — the album, and hell, their entire decade, with an impersonation of Eric Cartman saying, “Suck my balls.”
I mean, if you can’t appreciate any of that, it probably means you’re a human being with taste, but it also probably means that you’re more than just a little dead on the inside. –SitarHero
Sailing Narrenschiff (aka “Ship of Fools”) is like getting your ass kicked for 20 minutes straight by a bunch of deranged Swiss freaks. Nevertheless, this massive display of power never really gets out of control, just like an experienced fighter who always delivers his blows at the right moments. Nostromo’s 2019 EP mirrors maturity and capacity for synthesis without ever losing irreverence. It’s a relentless slab of European grindcore, whose lethal riffs, fierce vocals, and tight musicianship should not pass under the radar. –TheNoTrap
A number of lineup changes have warped the Sodom sound over the years. Having once commanded thrash supremacy in M-16 and Agent Orange back in their heyday, there was sure to be a question of unreachable quality thrash when it comes to the band’s new music. If anything, Out of the Frontline Trench adds a glimmer to the hope that Sodom are on the up-and-up, bringing back the same classic edge the band used to live on and redressing old cuts to match their longing, greying hair. –Nocte
Latinx influence on popular music in 2019 is hard to overstate, but most online music discussion seems to circle back to maybe five different artists. Bad Bunny and Rosalia are certainly progress…
Sonic Citadel is a timely reminder of exactly how much colour and joy can be packed into a solid noise rock album. While last year’s big name releases in that field (Daughters and KEN Mode) were harrowing and monochromatic, Lightning Bolt smash their way through every note as though they’re having the time of their lives. It’s still heavy as hell – “Blow to the Head”‘s opening notes mean business from the word go — but Sonic Citadel is less a merciless beatdown than a raucous stomp — along with an open invite for all your friends and family. “Air Conditioning” explodes all over the shop, “Halloween 3” drops riffs like spare change, “Big Banger” does just that, “All Insane” is a cute melodic shuffle, and “Van Halen 2049” is the most conclusive proof since Melt-Banana’s Cell-Scape that a band this proficient can do whatever the hell they like for ten minutes at the end of a solid record without incurring the slightest flack for it. Not from me, at any rate. Anyhow, with its glib track names and distorted deadpan vocals both well placed for a further wry touch, Sonic Citadel is a thoroughly competent album pulled off with a keen sense for craft and consumption alike. –JohnnyoftheWell
In case you couldn’t tell from that gloriously stupid band name, Prince Daddy are a bit of an audacious bunch. Cosmic Thrill Seekers is the most ambitious emo release of the 2010s and can be counted as one of the best, too. Hung loosely on a narrative framework of watching The Wizard of Oz while tripped out on acid, this really just gives the band free rein to try pretty much anything they’d like. The fact that it results in a blissed-out masterpiece instead of a drug-addled mess instantly places Prince Daddy as one of the premier bands to watch in any genre. Combining Weezer-esque power-pop, outbursts of atonal punk outrage, and glistening emo theatrics, Cosmic Thrill Seekers deserves to be just as fondly remembered and endlessly influential as the likes of Whenever, If Ever or Nothing Feels Good Anymore within the always outwardly expanding genre of emo. –Slex
Following on from the growing pains of the transitional Dark Bird Is Home, I Love You. It’s A Fever Dream. might just be Kristian Matsson’s most accomplished release yet. While it isn’t as raw or effortless as the landmark 2011 album The Wild Hunt, it’s exponentially more layered, musically and otherwise. There’s a juxtaposition of warm and weightless wide open space being…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of January 10, 2020. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: January 10, 2020 –
Alexandra Savior: The Archer
Genre: Indie Pop/Dream Pop/Psychedelic
Label: 30th Century
Apocalyptica: Cell-0
Genre: Classical/Metal
Label: Silver Lining Music
Beach Slang: The Deadbeat Bang of Heartbreak City
Genre: Punk/Emo/Indie-Rock
Label: Bridge 9
The Big Moon: Walking Like We Do
Genre: Indie-Pop/Indie Rock
Label: Fiction
Brothers Of Metal: Emblas Saga
Genre: Power Metal
Label: AFM
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