Blog

1. Neutral Milk Hotel- In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

2. King Crimson- In the Court of the Crimson King

3. Slint- Spiderland

4. Swans- Children of God

5. Pink Floyd- Wish You Were Here

6. Modest Mouse- The Moon & Antarctica

7. LCD Soundsystem- This Is Happening

8. Mogwai- Young Team

9. Godspeed You! Black Emperor-

10. Sigur Rós- Agaetis ByrjunLift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven

A Perfect Circle (Zürich 2004)
Acid Mothers Temple (Mode HHH) (Bern 2003)
Admiral James T. (Luzern xxxx; Bern 2006)
Air (Zürich 2004)
Akaten (Bern 2003)
Alice Cooper (Zürich 1997)
amiina (London 2006)
Apocalyptica (Luzern 1999?)
Archive (Montreux 2004, Fribourg 2004)
asana (solo) (Tokyo 2007)
ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION (Tokyo 2005)
Asleep. (Zürich 2007)
audio safari (Tokyo 2007)
Audrey (Luzern 2009)
Auf Der Maur (Zürich 2004)

Beirut (Tokyo 2012)
Binko Swink (London 2011)
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (Tokyo 2008)
Bloc Party (Tokyo 2005, Zürich 2005)
Blüchel & von Deylen (Montreux 2004)
Blur (Tokyo 2003, Lausanne 2003)
Bob Dylan (Zürich 199?; Zürich 2005)
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (Basel 2007)
Boris (Tokyo 2007)
BSK (Zürich 2007)

Cat Power (Luzern 2007)
Caesars (Tokyo 2005)
Calexico (Avenches 2009)
Chewy (Schötz 2000;Luzern 200?)
cokiyu (Tokyo 2010)
Coma* (Tokyo 2008)
Cosy Bottle (Beijing 2010)
Counting Crows (~3xZürich xxxx)
Cuushe (Tokyo 2010)
…

Sun 29 Jan – Amatorski

As one of the most interesting recent bands in Belgian music, it's interesting to see the directions Amatorski decides to take. They started out at Humo's Rock Rally and got widespread attention for their folky popsong "Come Home". Although the other tracks on the ep were already more reminiscent of Scandinavian post-rock.

The first single "Soldier" from their debutalbum TBC seemed a step in yet another direction: postrock with triphop/dubstep flavour. Yet again, the rest of the album seemed to follow a less spectacular genre change. Yesterday evening the spirit of their "idols" Sigur Rós was everpresent. The show was presented as "Concert + film". The film were just visuals projected on two screens, one in front of the band, one behind. This created some nice effects, but I must say I expected a bit more. The screen in front did remind me of Sigur Rós. They started off with Soldier, which sounded good…

Welcome & HNY :)

:▲: †he †øp 0f †he Pøp 20†† :▼:

001. Strom Noir - Dni Stratili Svoju Farbu [ambient, drone]
002. John Maus - We Must Become The Pitiless Censors Of Ourselves [lo-fi, experimental]
003. Earth - Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light I [drone, doom]
004. Tropic of Cancer - The End Of All Things
005. Петля Нестерова - Baвилoнcкaя Бaшня 2xCD
006. Veronica Falls - Veronica Falls [lo-fi, noise pop]
007. Peaking Lights - 936 [psychedelic, lo-fi]
008. The KVB - Subjection/Subordination [post-punk, shoegaze]
009. Pulseprogramming - Charade Is Gold [idm, glitch]
010. Sunn O))) meets Nurse With Wound - The Iron Soul Of Nothing [doom, drone]
011. The Caretaker - An Empty Bliss Beyond This World
012. YoungTeam - Daydreamer
013. Burrrn - Blaze Down His Way Like The Space Show [japanese, shoegaze]
014. Boy Friend - Boy Friend EP [witch, lo-fi]
015. Ringo Deathstarr - Colour Trip [shoegaze, noise pop]
016. Broken Water - Peripheral Star
017. Beequeen - Port Out Starboard Home
…

"Post your top fifteen bands/artists, the first song you heard of theirs, the song that made you fall in love, your favourite album and your current favorite song."

#1:
Sonata Arctica (4,215)

-Replica
-This same one, along with Gravenimage
-Reckoning Night
-It's been a long time since I've listened regularly to them... but I'll say White Pearl, Black Oceans

#2:
Kamelot (3,449)

-Memento Mori
-A Feast For The Vain (fall in love the first time) / Serenade (the second time)
-The Black Halo
-Mourning Star

#3:
Blackmore's Night (2,461)

-Shadow Of The Moon
-Under a Violet Moon
-Secret Voyage
-Mr. Peagram's Morris And Sword

#4:
Dream Theater(2,405)

-Act I/ Scene Two: II. Strange Déja Vu
-Another Day
-Octavarium and Images and Words
-Breaking All Illusions

#5:
Loreena McKennitt(1,770)

-The Mummers Dance
-The same above.
-The Mask and the mirror
-The Star of the County Down


#6:
Cecile Corbel(1,568)

-Arrietty's Song
…

Ordered by date, below are the most outstanding gigs I attended in 2011, along with the occasional video and photo I took at them.

28/01/11
Mélanie Pain
Jazz Café, London
A largely wonderful semi-acoustic set, with just Mélanie, a guitarist and keyboardist/pianist, which made a nice change from a full band and suited the songs well. I loved this gig!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKnvXZJCsik

14/02/11
Jonny
The Deaf Institute, Manchester
Great stuff...Doctor Rhythm seemed a bit temperamental but Norman and Euros were definitely playing up to that which added to the laughs. Fantastic sounding vocal harmonies, good songs and great interaction between the duo. I've never seen so many smiling people at a gig. If you're wondering, Doctor Rhythm is a cheap drum-machine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MjHQdyZeBA

18/04/11
...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead
Manchester Academy 2
Awesome sounding at times. One of the new songs, Summer Of Dead Souls, was a highlight. …

December was a month of discoveries... early on we had I Break Horses, towards the end there was Blouse and in the middle was find-of-the-year Still Corners.

Where to start with Still Corners? I hear David Lynch, Trespassers William, Slowdive, Let Love In-era Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, often within the same song. Album Creatures of an Hour is rammed full of highlights, and I swear if I'd come across it a few months earlier it would probably be top of my album charts by now... Opener Cuckoo sets the mood perfectly: at once it has an autumnal chill similar to Slowdive's Spanish Air AND a hot and bothered American Gothic feel that wouldn't be out of place in an episode of True Blood. Mostly instrumental Circulars picks the pace up, but retains the majesty, and Endless Summer is another stormer, thundering drums not detracting from the mood. Into the Trees then somehow manages to take things UP a gear, sounding like a delicious blend of 80s Cocteau Twins, the Get Carter Ost and a full-on Swallow dream-pop wig out. …

Check out

-Marina & the Diamonds
-Patrick Wolf
-Lana Del Rey
-La Roux
-A Fine Frenzy
-Sigur Rós
-God Is An Astronaut
-J. Cole
-Lykke Li
-Ladyhawke
-Faithless
-Kate Nash
-Dave Brubeck
-Philip Glass
-Ellie Goulding
-Frank Ocean
-Parliament
-Amos Lee
-Ray LaMontagne
-The Libertines
-Glenn Miller
-矢野顕子
-Babyshambles
-Alcest
-Warlock

Listen More

-Katatonia
-The Knife
-Dream Theater
-Marillion
-Manic Street Preachers
-Agalloch
-PJ Harvey
-Carole King
-Los Hermanos
-Bruce Springsteen
-Tori Amos
-Sufjan Stevens
-Björk
-Portishead
-Radiohead
-Dokken
-Archie Shepp
-David Bowie
-Fever Ray
-Beirut
-Doro