Young Bear

Check out these sweet pictures of my buddy Cody's band Young Bear. If you're into ultra pretty, heavy and oppressive drone/ambient stuff, listen to Young Bear. And if you live in Seattle, go see him live. I mean it.

Vhernen - Vhernen

To anyone that may remember, last winter i put up some albums that i thought were great to listen to in winter time. Soundtracks to the bitter cold and all the beauty and desolation that come with it. I'm gonna start that back up now that's getting real cold here in chicago.

This is Vhernen's only full length, simply called 'Vhernen'. Vhernen is from the Faroe Islands (part of Denmark, i believe) and he/she makes gorgeous, droning, (mostly) mid-tempo black metal. Big deal. Here's the kicker - as far as i know, there's no guitars, just cello's. And a harp, i guess, but i haven't heard it. It's probably hidden underneath the veritable army of reverb soaked orchestral strings and soar throat-inducing anguished wails.

Here.

Current 93 - Of Ruine or Some Blazing Starre

Current 93 have gone through a lot of changes throughout their/his (david tibet's) history: being, in the beginning, an industrial band of the early/mid eighties type (and my personal favorite, at least of the small amount of industrial that i've heard), then, as if purposely changing his pace to usher in the new decade, grandfathering the very ambiguous genre of 'neo-folk' alongside other famous changeling Death in June. This particular album came out in 1994 and is a great starting point for anyone that doesn't know Current 93. My mind changes all the time, but i currently think that 'Of Ruine...' is his most beautiful, most organic, most real and most haunting album. Not very experimental (at least compared to some of his output), just simple acoustic guitar passages played by michael cashmore, and stephen stapleton (of nurse with wound) providing all other musical decorations and din. Tibet's vocals, although beautiful in their own right, can be a bit surprising and maybe even grating to the uninitiated, so be prepared. He doesn't really sing, so much as speak semi-melodically. His lyrics are what do me in, though. He's like watching a crazy corner prophet who believes in what he says so desperately that he winds up convincing you that it's all real; and it is real, every last word.

Here.

*repost from 3/29/10*

Nadja - Bliss Torn from Emptiness

I got to see Nadja about two years ago open up for Asunder in Seattle. I haven't listened to them since then, mostly because their live show was so impressive and utterly crushing that i didn't think they're recorded output could match it. But then i found this. I wasn't prepared for what was to come. It's a sasquatch of a record - giant walls of sound, lurching percussion, completely fuzzed out, frightening and beautiful at the same time. Totally recommended.

Here.

*repost from 2/5/10*

Nox Inferi - Adverse Spheres

Part two of my 'great music to listen to in the snow' series. Dictator's 'Dysangelist' was the first, now Nox Inferi. Like Dictator, this is a recent aquisition of mine, and fits the winter time perfectly. Bleak, heavy, slow, sad. Nothing more needed to say, really. Winter time rules.

Here.

Dictator - Dysangelist

I'm starting a new series of albums right now, called 'great music to listen to in the snow'. It finally got cold and snowy here in Chicago, which, despite being uncomfortable sometimes, is totally awesome.

My first choice is Dysangelist by Dictator. I have listened to this album only twice, but each time it has hit me like few other albums have. It's four tracks, each between 15 and 20 minutes long. It's totally crushing, saddening, inspiring, and horrifying. I get lost in it. I hope that you enjoy this as much as i do.

PS - I do not own this yet, but i plan to soon. You can buy it from pale horse recordings. It has some of the best packaging i've ever seen. It includes human bone. Check it out.

Here.