Kite Operations

I've been too lazy again.. Sorry. From now on I'll promise just one post/week. Though on occasion I'll probably post more. Yeah... Anyway, here's band I was introduced to through the Pastel Music 3th Anniversary Sampler of my favorite label.



While getting their album, Dandelion Day, distributed by Pastel Music in Korea, Kite Operations actually hail from New York and belong to the small K.O.A. Records label. They're playing some American style indie rock that sounds really good most of the time. The debut came out in 2005 so with three new songs not featured on it available on their MySpace perhaps a new album isn't too far away?

The song below is slow paced and beautiful with a shoegazer-guitar towards the end - I really like it. More downloadable mp3s available from their site and from their MySpace ^^

Effervescence

We vs. Death

Today I suddenly felt a really strong urge to hear Hey Frank of Marybell Katastrophy (that I wrote about here). Visiting her site for the first time in months I found that she has now released another demo, 5 Songs (check it out!), and I also managed to surf my way to today's best discovery of mine.



Despite releasing music since 2001, the Dutch guys that form We vs. Death did not release a full album of their own till May this year. We Too Are Concerned | We Are Too Concerned is the title and Zabel Muziek is the label. I'd like to describe their music as post rock with a trumpet, but then I'm not to good on genres. At least it's instrumental music. And the guy on trumpet gets to play a lot.

This song, the first track from their album, became a favorite as soon as I heard it. Many more songs are available to listen to or download from the band's "Songs" section - all released under a Creative Commons license ^^

And How To Translate It

Addio Dodo

"Oggi doveva iniziare

e invece...

Ti Amo Tanto

Addio Dodo"

Autumn's Grey Solace

I can't help but like the name of American duo Autumn's Grey Solace. I keep seeing their name together with words like "etheral" and "shoegazer". The dreamy female vocals definitly adds to the etheral feeling of their music, but to me the shoegazer part is more in the distance somewhere in the dark backgrounds. Three albums are released so far and a fourth, Shades of Grey, will be released on Projekt on September 19.

The song below is from their 2005 album, Riverine. More songs are available on their MySpace, where you should not miss getting the song Falling Sky, and excerpts from songs from the new album are available at the Projekt audio page.

The Unshakeable Demon

Itta

And that's how it goes when I think everything will work on out it's own... At least two times this week is better than no times at all, but I did say I would to 3-4/week. Anyway, here's more stuff from my favorite Korean site, millim.com



Korean Itta is another millim artist picked up by my favorite label, Pastel Music. Her first EP, 나는…있다, was released in 2002 and in mid-August this year her first full album, 11, was released. Itta's music is somewhat experimental and I've even seen some describe her as an avantgardist.

Unlike most millim artists that has released a "real" album, most of what Itta's had on millim is still on the site. The song below is the one I think is her most accessible, but don't be afraid to check out her other stuff - it just needs some getting used to. To hear what she sounds like nowadays - go check out the video for the title track off her new album at YouTube ^^

바람 (wind) [left click]

Slumber Party

Slumber Party is an all-girl band from Detroit. I can not describe their style myself, but it's some kind of pop/rock with keyboards. Actually I didn't like them much at the first listen, but the more I play those songs I can't help but like Aliccia's singing and this almost strange music. Three full albums have been released so far and a fourth, Musik, will be released September 12 on kill rock stars.

The song below is the first track on the new album - I really like the rythmics of it! Also check out the kill rock stars factsheet to hear what they used to sound like ^^

10-9-8-7-6-5-4

Dive

Towards the end of 2005, alok's label Lona Records began releasing stuff in it's 3" cdr series exploring "the literary aspects of experimental sound". I've been buying them all and this is one of my favorites ^_^



There's plenty of people making music and calling themselves Dive at the same time. This particular one used to spell it "D:ve", works from the US and was born in Hong Kong. Unfortunately his own homepage (cliveleung.hk.st) is gone as is his MySpace. And my memory fails me, so unfortunately I can't tell you about his other works (although I think he had released some music stuff before, and perhaps there was some art/design too?). At least what was on that 3" release, Deconstructed Piano, were simple and enthralling electronic pieces.

Deconstructed Piano is sold out by now, but Lona Records still offers the first, though not the best, track as a full mp3 sample. It sounds pretty much like what the title says :p

Drop

Languis

Already when I read their description in this week's Monitor Records newsletter, I knew I would like these guys.



Californian Languis has since the start in 1992 evolved from a duo to a quartet. "Psychedelically-tinged shoegazing pop" - now how awesome does that sound? Their latest EP, Other Desert Cities, was released on Pehr in April this year and an experimental&ambient album, Monobloc vol.1, is scheduled for release on the same label in 2006-2007.

The song below is the first track on the Other Desert Cities EP and it's really nice. They've got some older stuff up on MySpace that you might wanna check out too, but though it's good I like this more :)

In the Field of (Lonely Fences)