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)

2007 Review: Top 20 Underrated Albums

In retrospect, 2007 saw countless transformations of promising young bands into household names within the post-rock arena: ranging from the epic tendencies of Johnnytwentythree and Caspian to the more restrained styles of The World on Higher Downs, Temjiin, and Carta. In truth, a vast majority of these artists received a just level of attention, garnering positive reviews and a blossoming fanbase. In opposition, a few releases equally worthy of praise went largely unnoticed due to a combination of factors. The proceeding represents a collection aimed at highlighting a select few albums that went criminally overlooked and underrated in the year of 2007, but remain more than worth your time.

20. Portrait of a Drowned Man- Portrait of a Drowned Man
(The Automaton Records Media Conglomerate)
Minnesota, US






19. The Enright House- A Maze and Amazement
(A Low Hum)
New Zealand






18. Norma- 1
(Novoton)
Sweden






17. Orbit; Dear Beacon- Flee! To the Mammoth Canopy
(Wooden Idea Productions)
United Kingdom






16. Adolf Plays the Jazz- Day 4/ Urban Fiction
(Self-Released)
Greece






15. Astral- Sleepwalker
(Vibraphone Records)
San Francisco, US






14. I Am David Sparkle- This Is the New
(Kitty Wu Records)
Singapore






13. The Depreciation Guild- In Her Gentle Jaws
(Self-Released)
New York, US






12. Halcyon High- To Be Infinite
(Vibraphone Records)
San Francisco, US






11. Pozvakowski- Microtron
(PopKontroll Records)
Hungary

10. Not to Reason Why- Who Wants Flowers When They're Dead?
(Self-Released)
California, US





9. Thelittlesorryselfyouare- Thelittlesorryselfyouare
(Self-Released)
Belgium






8. Beautiful Lunar Landscape- Alone in this Dark Romantic Night
(Hidden Shoal Recordings)
France






7. Holler, Wild Rose!- Our Little Hymnal
(Backlight Records)
New Jersey, US






6. Things Falling Apart- Disintegrating!
(Friend of Mine Records)
Illinois, US





5. Toma- From Ruins
(Self-Released)
United Kingdom






4. Sleepy Eyes of Death- Streetlights for a Ribcage
(Self-Released)
Seattle, US






3. Tender Souvenirs- Scars & Souvenirs
(Airwaves Music)
Sweden






2. Pooma- Persuader
(Next Big Thing)
Finland






1. Cecilia::Eyes- Mountain Tops Are Sometimes Closer to the Moon
(dEPOT214)
Belgium

2007 Review: Top 30 Songs

As a whole, 2007 marked a continuation in the shift from longer experimental song structures to more condensed, streamlined tracks. The trademarks of epic composition were expertly handled on several occasions however, resulting in a fair mix of both traditional and shorter forms of experimental rock. Additionally, it should be noted that compiling a list of individual tracks is a task decidedly different from the process of ranking whole albums; ultimately, several artists appear on this list represented by songs from short EPs or singles, broadening the spectrum of eligibility. Admittedly, this list focuses primarily on the aesthetic value of each piece, largely ignoring the implications of originality and true experimentation. Presented with due humility, the following is what I believe to be a just summary of the year's top individual tracks within the realms of post-rock and shoegaze.

30. The Depreciation Guild-
Sky Ghosts


4:17
From In Her Gentle Jaws
Listen


29. Portland-
Cosmonaut


4:31
From Adrienne
Listen


28. Film School-
Lectric


4:11
From Hideout
Listen


27. A Shoreline Dream-
New York


5:42
From Coastal
Listen


26. Nic Bommarito-
The Academic (Life & Afterlife)


5:00
From Taciturn
Listen


25. Voices- Don't Let Go

6:54
From The Sound of Young America
Listen


24. Julian Fane-
Jonah the Freak


5:32
From Our New Quarters
Listen


23. Destroyalldreamers-
Her Brother Played the Riot (Part 3)


4:44
From Wish I Was All Flames
Listen


22. Lights Out Asia-
Art Divided by Science


7:25
From Tanks and Recognizers
Listen


21. I Am David Sparkle-
Dance of Death


6:29
From This Is the New
Listen


20. Joy Wants Eternity-
Existences Rust


3:41
From You Who Pretend to Sleep
Listen


19. Sleepy Eyes of Death- Static for Blood


4:38
From Streetlights for a Ribcage
Listen


18. Beautiful Lunar Landscape- Alone in this Dark Romantic Night


5:33
From Alone in this Dark Romantic Night
Listen



17. Things Falling Apart- dB


8:24
From Disintegrating!
Listen



16. Graboids- Tremolo


8:18
From Infinite Delay
Listen


15. Envy-
A Road of Winds the Water Builds


10:02
From Abyssal
Listen


14. Caspian-
Moksha


9:07
From The Four Trees
Listen


13. Grouper-
Heart Current


4:43
From Cover the Windows and the Walls
Listen


12. Cecilia::Eyes-
One Million Whales


5:48
From Mountain Tops Are Sometimes Closer to the Moon
Listen


11. Explosions in the Sky-
It's Natural to be Afraid


13:27
From All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone
Listen


10. Romance of Young Tigers-
We Sing Sin


11:46
From I Have Supped Full on Horrors
Listen


9. Beware of Safety-
To the Roof! Let's Jump and Fall


10:24
From It Is Curtains
Listen


8. Pooma-
Snow


4:57
From Persuader
Listen


7. Mono-
Little Boy (1945-Future)


9:48
From Travel In Constants Vol 22
Listen


6. iLiKETRAiNS-
Spencer Perceval


9:09
From Elegies to Lessons Learnt
Listen


5. Red Light Chamber Choir-
Strangers in Matching Suits


6:23
From WITBWDKWTD
Listen


4. The Angelic Process-
Burning in the Undertow of God


6:46
From Weighing Souls With Sand
Listen


3. Toma-
Two


3:37
From From Ruins
Listen


2. Rosetta-
Monument


13:30
From Wake/Lift
Listen


1. Johnnytwentythree-
Ghost Soldiers


20:00
From JXXIII
Listen