2008 Review: Top 20 Underrated Albums

20. Aim- Spirits of Your Tide
(ViaAudio Records)
Italy





19. Chemtrail- Terminals
(Self-Released)
New Jersey, US





18. Spokes- People Like People Like You
(Everyone Label)
United Kingdom





17. No One Wished to Settle Here- Constant Slapstick and Traveling
(Consouling Sounds)
Poland





16. Presence of Soul- Blinds
(Wheel Records)
Japan





15. Time. Space. Repeat.- Lost Transmissions
(Self-Released)
United Kingdom





14. Hualun- Silver Daydream
(Fox Tail Records)
China




13. Wembly Shadwell- Pieta
(Self-Released)
Illinois, US




12. Coma Stereo- Binary Endings
(49 Manekinow Records)
Slovenia





11. Glissade- Further
(Deep Space Recordings)
North Carolina, US





10. Coup de Grace- Coup de Grace
(Self-Released)
Utah, US





9. Hadoken- The Ancient Machine
(Self-Released)
Massachusetts, US





8. Dawn Chorus Ignites- Signs
(Self-Released)
United Kingdom





7. Shapes Stars Make- Shapes Stars Make
(Self-Released)
Texas, US





6. Forgot Your Case- 19th Again
(Final Kid Group)
Thailand




5. Laymar- In Strange Lines And Distances
(Tenor Vossa Records)
United Kingdom





4. Kaneda- Gallantry Bower
(Self-Released)
United Kingdom





3. Deepset- The Lights We Shed Shall Burn Your Eyes
(KittyWu Records)
Malaysia





2. Mimas- The Worries
(Big Scary Monsters Records)
Denmark





1. Brainbow- Brainbow
(Self-Released)
Ohio, US

Albums of the Week: Highlighted Albums of May 2008

Coup de Grace
Coup de Grace
Myspace

Comprised of thirteen tracks and around 70 minutes of music, Coup de Grace represents the epic self-titled debut from this intriguing Utah-based quartet. While the album is centered around standard post-rock structure, often weaving between solemn, downtrodden passages and up-tempo bursts of reverb-laden intensity, Coup de Grace stand out in their execution and knowledge of the genre's subtleties. Crucial to the band's success is the frequent and efficient use of atmospheric guitar lines segueing into energetic layers of tremolo and heavy distortion; all the while a relatively subdued production value adds to the album's collective theme. By no means groundbreaking in composition or experimentation, Coup de Grace nonetheless stands as a particularly enjoyable release stationed within the boundaries of the post-rock genre.


De La Mancha
Atlas
Myspace

On their debut album Atlas, Swedish two-piece De La Mancha achieve a sound diverse in approach and influence while maintaining a cohesive property between tracks. On display within Atlas are portions of heavily distorted guitar as well as moments of stripped-down acoustic work, both of which are positioned amongst manifestations of varying musical influences. In specific, tracks such as "Lotus Seven" and "Superstoned," exhibit De La Mancha's considerable psychedelic-rock component, while other pieces ("Newfoundland", "Being a Hero Is Easy") skirt from ambient guitar and electronics to shoegaze-like passages of reverb and melancholy. At times reminiscent of Holler, Wild Rose! in mindset and sonic structure, De La Mancha continue said band's tendency of meshing somewhat contrasting genres into a single unique and cinematic sound.


Followed By Ghosts
Dear Monsters, Be Patient
Myspace

With 2007's self-titled debut album, Iowa quartet Followed By Ghosts introduced themselves to the post-rock scene in exceptional fashion, garnering attention from genre pundits and newcomers alike. While Followed By Ghosts was indeed well-deserving of its relative notoriety, the album was not without flaw, dragging a bit due to a possible lack of recording experience, and in some cases, musical substance. On their sophomore outing Dear Monsters, Be Patient, however, Followed By Ghosts fail to repeat any rookie missteps. Instead, the band expertly dish out piles of distortion atop gloomy melodies and elegant chord progressions. Dear Monsters, Be Patient also marks a shift towards more compact song structures, further highlighting the band's refined textures and triumphant mastery of the quiet-loud dynamic. In short, Dear Monsters, Be Patient represents what every avid post-rock listener yearns for but rarely sees accomplished: a fledgling band honing their craft and fulfilling the seemingly limitless potential of a solid debut release.

Albums of the Week: Highlighted Albums of Spring 2008

In the Wake of Giants
In the Wake of Giants
Myspace

On their self-titled debut, Pittsburgh quartet In the Wake of Giants offers up a well-executed, aesthetically intriguing study in traditional post-rock soundscape. Ranging from delicate, chiming guitars to crashing and distorted melodies, In the Wake of Giants is additionally marked by the group's tendency to incorporate periods of angular and chaotic breakdowns. Penultimate track "Were Not Our Hearts Burning Within Us" demonstrates legitimate potential: driving piano is layered against guitar, drum, and bass until giving way to a surprisingly intense resolution. While all the tried indicators of post-rock are present, In the Wake of Giants ultimately succeeds due to their attention to detail and ability to merge chaotic and textural passages.




Midsummer
Inside the Trees
Myspace

On Inside the Trees, California act Midsummer demonstrates the benefits of placing three and a half years of effort behind a debut album. In a similar fashion to Pooma's 2007 debut Persuader, Inside the Trees highlights a band mature in composition and instrumentation, having progressed considerably from previous EPs This Ageless Night and Moon Shadow. Midsummer's forte on Inside the Trees lies in striking a balance between melody and sonic exploration, ultimately producing a pleasantly restrained and deliberate album. That being said, Midsummer does offer up a number of varied structural approaches, ranging from condensed pop-informed pieces to winding epics highlighted by strings and choral harmonies, all culminating in an especially majestic and rewarding release.




Shapes Stars Make
Shapes Stars Make
Myspace

Hailing from Dallas, Texas, Shapes Stars Make crafts emotionally-rich indie rock heavy in post-rock influence. As a result of this now somewhat commonplace blend, Shapes Stars Make draws its fair share of comparisons to The Apleseed Cast; indeed, some similarities are evident as the two groups share John Congleton (Explosions in the Sky, 2006's Peregrine) as producer. Evident on the band's debut EP, however, is a sound unique in its atypical condensation of genre techniques. Where as most indie bands experimenting with post-rock textures tend to develop around mellow, restrained build-ups and finishes, Shapes Stars Make represents six tracks equally gentle and melodic as they are massive in volume. In specific, opener "Let It Be Morning" concludes in a distortion-filled cacophony of layered guitars, synth, and drums reminiscent of the epic climaxes of Mono and early Mogwai. In the abbreviated span of thirty minutes, Shapes Stars Make have announced themselves to indie and post-rock purists alike as a group to watch for in the near future.

Upcoming Releases: February/ March 2008

2008 kicked off with several strong January releases, ushering in albums from veteran and newcomer groups alike. Additionally, the year promises to strengthen as early spring continues. As usual, this crop of releases is marked by the inclusion of a variety of styles and experience: highlights will undoubtedly include sophomore albums from Daturah, Bitcrush, and Our Brother the Native as well as debuts from a variety of acts (Glowworm, Strangers Die Everyday, etc).

The Big Sleep- Sleep Forever (FrenchKiss Records)
The Big Sleep in Search of Hades- Ownland (Self-Released)
Bigmouth Strikes Again- Ascender/Descender (Self-Released)
Bitcrush- Epilogue in Waves (n5MD)
Camping- Politics of Love (PuPilo Records)
Daturah -Reverie (Graveface Records)
Elika- Trying Got Us Nowhere (Fiercely Independant)
Experimental Aircraft- Third Transmission (Graveface Records)
Glowworm- The Coachlight Woods (Self-Released)
Hadoken- The Ancient Machine (Arghh! Records)
Hinterland- Pan Pan Medico (Submerged Records)
Io- Monolith (Arghh! Records)
Kyte- Kyte (Kids Records)
Our Brother the Native- Make Amends, for We Are Merely Vessels (FatCat Records)
Our Sleepless Forest- Our Sleepless Forest (Resonant Label)
Pacific UV- Longplay 2 (WARM Records)
Pale Man Made- Oh, My Treasured Things (Self-Released)
Ports of Call- Like Thieves (Self-Released)
Resplandor- Pleamar
Startle the Heavens- Find Yourself Here (Self-Released)
Strangers Die Everyday- Aperture for Departure (This Generation Tapes)
SubtractiveLAD- Apparatus (n5MD)
Suffocate for Fuck Sake- Blazing Fires and Helicopters... (Escucha! Records)
Televise- Secret Valentine (Distant Noise Records)
The Very Hush Hush- Evil Milk (Sao Bento Music)
::Tin Tin::- Dry Light (Sao Bento Music)
TSMZ Memorial Orchestra- 13 Blues for Thirteen Moons (Constellation Records)
Wembly Shadwell- Pieta (Self-Released)