It is DIY time folks: quick notes and thoughts about some of la crème de la crème of the independent bands today. I received a lot of submissions, as I got that most of you guys really truly followed my advice about Doing it Yourselves. Now, if you can picture a young woman with a huge fluffy parka, two mugs and loads of Kleenexes, well, you probably are picturing your friendly host in front of the screen at the moment. However, what does not kill you, makes you stronger indeed. So, back to the music, shall we?
Wood Notes – Pots are. the Potter is.
Mixing lounge music, jazz-y trumpets, mellow drum patterns, Wood Notes is the first on the list today. Wood Notes, aka Michael Cormier, is a drummer from Portland, ME and his first solo album is called Pots are. the Potter is. Their album is a blend of appealing caramel-like guitar riffs (Benevolent Moon), falsetto interludes and the general Robin Thicke-esque aura – I am pretty sure that at least a quarter of you remember When I Get you Alone. Hey, don’t look at me like that, everybody has their guilty pleasures. Less poppy, more intimate, the idea is the same: a wide spectrum of instruments (and influences) that swift from tribal spells to country-esque bonfire suites (Steppin’, The State Line). Despite the bedroom quality, this album is quite an unexpected pleasure. The album is produced by the independent label and blog Sally Music.
Robin Thomas Martin – Smile
Again a bit plainer, yet extremely eccentric, Robin Thomas Martin’s Smile warms up just a little bit more our heart, now shivering from the frost. Robin is a singer/songwriter based in London, playing what he calls Olympian Love Folk. From the general vibe of the song, more than the cloudy London, Robin seems to sing in a small cottage, in the middle of Nebraska (I have no idea if Nebraska has cottages, but you got the idea, right?) For once, a song that really does what it promises, and makes you smile.
Luciferi – V
Filthy Italian heavy-post-something, how does that sound? Violent, noisy and so pleasantly wrong, V is Luciferi’s new EP, all revolving around Hell in its various forms: Dante’s Inferno (Cerbero), Goethe’s Faust (Faust?). The wall of sound created in front of the listener is the probably the most vivid peculiarity of the release. However, it has to be admitted that, despite its general fuzz, the quality of the sound is still admirable – and the recordings took place in a wooden kitchen, christianized as the “sonorized kitchen”. From Control Unit to Goblin, the tension is palpable and in a masochistic way, enjoyable.
Just another DIY Music Blog 