With this, the third and final piece of a trilogy entitled Ceremony, Steven R. Smith has woven the threads of the Ulaan Khol mythos into a shimmering, maximalist tapestry. Taking cues from heavy psych and other not-so-Western song forms, Smith and his guitar roar, dance, meditate and laugh across these eight untitled, instrumental songs. This third act serves as a binding agent, summing up the ideas Smith has been exploring with this project since its inception a couple of years ago. Sure, the moments of blown-out guitar shredding are welcome, but Smith is kind enough to lay down a few contemplative drone pieces as well. These quieter passages, which linger in the air like wafting incense smoke, serve to heighten the anticipation for the next freak-out. III is a stunning collection of songs, a clever exercise of tension and release. (Soft Abuse)
Steve Kaldestad -
Blow-Up 5276
Mississauga, ON-born, Vancouver, BC-based tenor saxist/composer Steve Kaldestad wields his axe with authority. With a robust tone and swinging, rhythmic propulsion, his lines unwind fluidly, extending into the altissimo register without the clichιd torture of so many modernists. His solos are
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Excepter -
Presidence 2694
Former No-Neck Blues Band member John Fell Ryan and his colleagues in Excepter have been honing their feverish brand of synthesizer symphonies since early last decade. While most of the past Excepter releases have been reasonably singular statements, double-disc Presidence draws from many
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Scott Pilgrim may be targeting today's 20-something hipster, but the videogame-inspired book-turned-movie-turned-videogame franchise is embedded with references to creator Bryan Lee O'Malley's late '80s and early '90s youth.
So no surprise then that the game adaptation, which...Full Review
Ray LaMontagne & the Pariah Dogs - God Willin & the Creek Dont 2272
As reticent as he can be, Ray LaMontagne has established himself over his previous three albums as one of the most compelling singer-songwriters in the world today. His country-tinged soul is often compared to Van Morrison's classic early work, something (as was the case with Morrison) that can be...
Full Review
The Sound Of The Drums
"Right now I am on a plane from Tokyo to London and I have no idea what day it is," says Jonathan Pierce, singer, songwriter and co-founder of the Drums. He and his band-mates have been forced to deal with a ridiculous level of demand as of late ― the kind of demand that fuels meltdowns, self-doubt and splits....
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Mississauga, ON-born, Vancouver, BC-based tenor saxist/composer Steve Kaldestad wields his axe with authority. With a robust tone and swinging, rhythmic propulsion, his lines unwind fluidly, extending into the altissimo register without the clichιd torture of so many modernists. His solos are
...
Former No-Neck Blues Band member John Fell Ryan and his colleagues in Excepter have been honing their feverish brand of synthesizer symphonies since early last decade. While most of the past Excepter releases have been reasonably singular statements, double-disc Presidence draws from many
...
Scott Pilgrim may be targeting today's 20-something hipster, but the videogame-inspired book-turned-movie-turned-videogame franchise is embedded with references to creator Bryan Lee O'Malley's late '80s and early '90s youth.
As reticent as he can be, Ray LaMontagne has established himself over his previous three albums as one of the most compelling singer-songwriters in the world today. His country-tinged soul is often compared to Van Morrison's classic early work, something (as was the case with Morrison) that can be...
"Right now I am on a plane from Tokyo to London and I have no idea what day it is," says Jonathan Pierce, singer, songwriter and co-founder of the Drums. He and his band-mates have been forced to deal with a ridiculous level of demand as of late ― the kind of demand that fuels meltdowns, self-doubt and splits....
