Posts Tagged: service bell ep

2009 / 4 stars / autorotation / reviews — No Comments
12
Oct 09

Everything is Everything (2009) by Autorotation

autorotation everything is everything

Autorotation
Everything is Everything
2009, TeknoStan Records
electronic dreampop
4

I’ll admit that I’m a hesitant electronica listener, at best – I fancy guitars and pianos way too much to give them up. But there are times where an electronica album will come out of no where and basically hit me upside the head, which is what I experienced with Autorotation’s Everything is Everything. I don’t claim to completely understand the lyrics nor do I completely get the medley of sounds that are melded to form each song. However, there’s a difference between not understanding lyrics and not having them at all, and with each listen it’s obvious that Autorotation falls in the former category. Every song is intricately crafted and the minimal production quality gives it a delicacy that emphasizes lead singer Robyn Sellman’s voice instead of drowning her out. It might take you a few listens to ‘get’ this band too, but knowing the lack of brilliancy in most of this year’s album releases, that would be time well spent.

“Green Army Choir,” “Metal and Wood,” “Mittelschmertz – Norway Pumpkin Remix.”
myspace, last.fm
Portishead’s Third, Years of Rice and Salt’s Service Bell EP

Disclosure: A free copy of the album was given to me by Igor Olejar of the band. Please see my review policy for more.

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2006 / 4 stars / reviews / the appleseed cast — No Comments
25
Mar 09

Peregrine (2006) by The Appleseed Cast

Peregrine by The Appleseed Cast

The Appleseed Cast
Peregrine
2006, The Militia Group
post-rock, alt rock
4½

While one could argue that The Appleseed Cast always create concept albums, Peregrine is probably their most cohesive and conceptual album to date. Centered around the story of a young girl who is murdered by her father and returns to haunt him, this album is filled with bare-boned rock and soaring lyric-less pieces. Peregrine is patterned more on Two Conversations than their older albums, but it showcases a maturity of sound. With lead singer Chris Crisci’s abrasive voice and their cryptically spare lyrics, Appleseed Cast probably ensnared more listeners with Peregrine than with any of their previous work.

“Here We Are (Family in the Hallways),” “Silas’s Knife,” “Sunlit and Ascending.”
myspace, last.fm
The Appleseed Cast’s Two Conversations, Years of Rice and Salt’s Service Bell EP

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2008 / 4 stars / reviews / years of rice and salt — No Comments
27
Feb 09

Service Bell EP (2008) by Years of Rice and Salt

Service Bell EP by Years of Rice and Salt

Years of Rice and Salt
Service Bell EP
2008, independent
post-rock, folk
4

Okay, so I won’t deny that I’ve been on a ‘post-rock’ craze recently. After hearing about five different bands/artists, I have to say that if you’re heard one you’ve pretty much heard them all. That assumption could be attributed to Years of Rice and Salt as well, except for one key factor: they’re far more folk than they are post-rock. Their Service Bell EP is supposed to be a story of a shipwreck in four songs, but it really sounded like a story about life with its poignant memories of the past and hopes for the future. That’s a bit flowery for something that’s pretty much lyric-less, but this EP stands out amongst the rest. Here’s another saying of mine: I can’t wait until they mature a little more. For once, I really mean it.

“(Rearranging) Deckchairs,” “Splendid Isolation.”
myspace, last.fm
Explosion In the Sky’s The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place>, Amy Macdonald’s This Is The Life

Disclosure: A free copy of this EP was obtained via the band’s last.fm page. Please see my review policy for more.

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