Caspian - Dust and Disquiet

Over the years, post-rock has lost much of that shine that it was originally known for. A great deal of instrumental bands today are using that basic post-rock formula of quiet to loud, back to quiet, with reverb painted within. Beverly, Massachusetts Caspian took on a whole new approach in 2012 with their release of Waking Season. Waking Season helped place Caspian alongside the innovative legends of the genre. They went beyond the atmosphere and textures, and expanded their approach with the addition of rhythm, melody, beats, and synthetic vocal effects. While Waking Season took the band higher up in the genre, their newest effort Dust and Disquiet takes them even higher. This album shows that there is an unlimited musical palette with post-rock, and that it doesn't have to be limited to a rehash of previous pioneers.

The album starts off with "Separation No. 2", a beautiful and soothing opener that combines a repetitive guitar piece with strings, keys, and even a saxophone, evoking the emotion that Caspian are always great at delivering. "Rioseco" and "Arcs of Command" are very similar in format and well over seven minutes. "Rioseco" has a softer, more ambient approach while "Arcs of Command" has a more aggressive, hard-hitting feel. My favorite track on the album, "Echo and Abyss", brings these looping and vocal effects center stage. It is a hauntingly beautiful gem. Caspian takes a quick breather with "Run Dry", which combines acoustic guitar with some of the most heartfelt vocals that I've heard in recent years. "Darkfield" is rich with electronic pulses and could easily be used as a hard-rock soundtrack for outer space. These are easily the standout tracks for me, but the remaining songs on Dust and Disquiet are just as innovative as the ones mentioned.

Dust and Disquiet is a monumental record and Caspian's best to date. It is a hopeful and peaceful record, even at its heaviest moments. These six genre-bending geniuses are in a league of their own,  and Dust and Disquiet is their greatest achievement (that is... until their next one).

Hear Dust and Disquiet in its entirety here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCbDtgbWZAs

Vessels - Dilate

Hailing from Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, Vessels have been known in the past for creating masterpieces that rely heavily on the post-rock side of music. The group was formed in 2005 and have released three full-length albums to date. Their last record, Helioscope, was released back in 2011, and during that time they gained a new found focus, which gives us Dilate, their newest effort which was released in 2015.

Dilate takes the listener to brand new landscapes, and Vessels have created one of the most euphoric sounding landscapes that my ears have had the pleasure of hearing. Their interest in down-tempo electronic/ambient music is clearly evident on Dilate. Yppah, Tycho, Bonobo, and Four Tet are just a few artists that come to mind when describing the overall feel of Dilate. I'd even say that Vessels took a very similar approach to Mogwai, where Mogwai took the more electronic route with Rave Tapes.

Don't get me wrong, though, the post-rock structuring is still there on Dilate. The consistent layering is right there, just like it was on their previous albums, and each song has its own monumental mark. While the guitars are not present on Dilate, Vessels have created a beautiful and textural experience with the use of electronics.

The weakest moments on the album are the vocal tracks 'As You Are' which features vocals by Isolde and 'On Monos' which features vocals by Snow Fox. The tracks aren't bad by any means, and the vocals give a unique twist, but they act as more of a distraction than an essential element. These tracks don't compare to the instrumental tracks, which have so many interesting twists and turns.

Despite the vocal tracks, Dilate is definitely a strong follow-up to Helioscope, and although the music isn't as up front, it makes for the perfect background or soundtrack music. Vessels has changed direction but in a new, fresh, and exciting way, which is one of my favorite things about this style of music. Each album that they have created takes the listener on a unique journey and I am beyond excited to see where this next journey will take us.

Hear Dilate in its entirety here:


https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJpTOskHtiumaSrLawxxNSyHLgauGl85u

 

The Amazing Mongooses - Blue Sky Blues

Decatur, Georgia based The Amazing Mongooses are a Blues, Classic Rock, and original Rock 'N' Roll power trio consisting of members Chris Iconis on guitar/vocals, Mike Young on bass/vocals, and David Young on drums/vocals. Their newest release "Blue Sky Blues" is a collection of eight songs that contain many different influences throughout the album. The trio has influences that range from The Beatles and Led Zeppelin to The Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd. "Blue Sky Blues" also has a little bit of Grunge Rock thrown into there for good measure, which is something I really dig. These guys have the talent that a lot of Classic Rock bands have and deserve the recognition for this, because the majority of music today is very programmed and simple, and not just straight up Rock 'N' Roll with talented musicians playing their instruments with soul. The Amazing Mongooses have soul and are here to share it with the world on "Blue Sky Blues". Go buy it on Amazon or iTunes. You will not be disappointed.

Caspian - Waking Season

In recent years, post-rock has become somewhat stale and every time I turn around, there seems to be another Mogwai or Explosions In The Sky clone popping up. In 2009, Beverly, Massachusetts post-rockers Caspian released their second full-length album Tertia, which was an album that brought a completely new feel to the genre, but just didn't receive any of the recognition that it deserved. Tertia was a groundbreaking album that should have put Caspian on the map right next to post-rock pioneers Mogwai and Explosions In The Sky, but the album didn't receive much attention, which is essentially what held the band back. All of this has changed, however, with the release of Caspian's newest effort Waking Season, which was released this past Tuesday, September 25th, 2012 through Triple Crown Records.

On previous Caspian records, the band called all of the shots when it came to recording and mixing. On Waking Season, however, the band recruited the notable and legendary Matt Bayles (Isis, Minus The Bear, Russian Circles) to mix the final product. Caspian's music has improved significantly since Tertia, but the most noticeable improvement is in the production on Waking Season. Caspian has never sounded better, clearer, or more mature since their formation in Autumn of 2003. While some of this epic sound can be praised due to Matt Bayles' skills, the majority of it comes from a band that has continued to mature throughout their nine years of existence.

Waking Season is, without a doubt, a mature and patient album. Caspian focused much of their attention on patiently crafting Waking Season. They've developed and perfected the slow-build dynamics, patiently layering the highs and lows of their instrumentation. The steady and patient builds are what make the album's crescendos hit harder than ever. This patience in song development is best displayed in 'Gone In Bloom And Bough', a ten minute track that is positive, haunting, heartfelt, subtle, consistent, and most definitely heavy. While listening to this track, I began to notice chills forming on both of my arms and thought to myself, "this is truly uplifting and heartfelt music if it is touching me so heavily...heavily enough to send chills up my arms".

The quality of instrumentation on Waking Season is outstanding and contains some of the best sounds that I have heard in years, not only in post-rock, but in all genres. Waking Season also contains many more advanced sounds and techniques than previous Caspian efforts, including drum and vocal samples, organic ambiance, acoustic arpeggios, and classical ambient piano arrangements. Tracks like 'Akiko' and 'Halls Of The Summer' contain very trance-like loops and industrial drum beats, while the second track 'Procellous' contains a live string quartet. All in all, this album is absolutely beautiful. Caspian are currently at the top of the genre and definitely pushing the boundaries of post-rock. They were not afraid to branch out from the ordinary on Waking Season, and this is one of the many reasons why it is one of the best records of 2012.

Stream Caspian's Waking Season in its entirety here:

http://www.spin.com/#articles/caspian-waking-season-full-album-stream





Pray For Sound - Monophonic

Massachusetts based Pray For Sound is a solo post-rock project that was started by Bruce Malley in 2011. After a great amount of time was spent searching and struggling to find musicians serious enough to help develop the project, Malley decided to go at it alone. Fast forward to about one year later and Pray For Sound's debut album, Monophonic, will finally be released on September 25th, 2012.

Pray For Sound's Monophonic was inspired by Malley's struggle with hearing loss and is composed of five tracks that take the listener on an emotional adventure. In 2005, doctors found a destructive and dangerous cyst called a cholesteatoma growing inside of Malley's left ear. Although doctors surgically removed the cyst and reconstructed Malley's ear, he was left with severe hearing loss, tinnitus, and reoccurring ear pain. This emotional journey is what made up the underlying theme for Monophonic and inspired Malley to follow through with his dream.

Malley's mission is that no one should ever give up and will passionately pursue their dreams, no matter what hurdles are thrown at them. He never gave up, even after such an emotionally tragic experience, and he has created a truly inspiring post-rock album, from start to finish. There is still hope around every corner, and one place that you will find this hope is on Pray For Sound's Monophonic.

Listen to Pray For Sound's Monophonic here:
http://prayforsound.bandcamp.com/

Dedleaves - Dedleaves

Dedleaves are a four piece instrumental rock band hailing from the outskirts of Baltimore, Maryland. Their self-titled debut LP was recorded, mixed, and mastered in one month and released on August 20, 2012. The band consists of Michael Gugliotti and Greg Lewis on guitars, Adam Segal on bass, and Shane Stanton on drums/percussion. The entire LP was written and recorded by the band themselves and produced by drummer Shane Stanton.

On their debut LP, Dedleaves covers a wide variety of sounds and these sounds definitely speak to the listener emotionally. A great amount of heart and passion can be heard throughout this album, especially in the complex, melodic guitar tones, as well as in the irregular time signatures. Dedleaves have proven themselves as true instrumentalists on this debut LP and I cannot wait to hear what they come up with next.

You can listen to Dedleaves self-titled debut LP here:

http://dedleaves.bandcamp.com/

Favorite Albums of 2012 (Part One of Three)

The New Law - The Fifty Year Storm The New Law's 2012 release The Fifty Year Storm is one of the best instrumental hip-hop albums that I have heard in quite some time. The album takes the listener on an adventure of cinematic soundscapes, beats, electronics, and horns, and remains this way throughout its entirety. I would say it sounds very similar to DJ Shadow meets post-rock meets ambient. As a fan of hip-hop and post-rock/ambient, The New Law's The Fifty Year Storm is hard for me to not listen to every day, even though I have been listening to it since it came out in January.

The Invisible - Rispah The first two things that came to mind when listening to The Invisible's Rispah was Nine Inch Nails' song structure and Radiohead's vocals. While obviously being a fan of these two acts, I was bound to like Rispah. Well guess what? I did, and still do. The Invisible combine a variety of different styles on Rispah including afrobeat, industrial, jazz, and electronica. The Invisible have discovered undiscovered territories on Rispah, and this groundbreaking sound is something this trio can call their own.

Thavius Beck - The Heavens Bleed Sunshine Thavius Beck has been and always will be one of my favorite rappers/producers. His newest offering The Heavens Bleed Sunshine is comprised of five instrumental tracks that range from hip-hop and electro to jazz and classical. Thavius Beck has always been a master of his craft and The Heavens Bleed Sunshine gives the listener a nice sample of what is to come on Beck's upcoming full-length The Most Beautiful Ugly, which is due out this fall.

Ab-Soul - Control System Top Dawg Ent. rapper Ab-Soul might have been the last member of Black Hippy to release a full-length, but he makes up for this by putting himself on the top with the release of Control System. Ab-Soul is not just some rapper that is going to be in the limelight for a minute and then disappear. Instead, I feel like Ab-Soul is going to gain the type of respect that 90's rappers like Dr. Dre, Tupac, and B.I.G. gained. Ab-Soul's Control System is the true return of 90's rap and since its release, rap is stale no longer.

Ancients - Star Showers On The Euphrates Ancients is a new group that is made up of certain members of UK acts Rinoa and *Shels. Star Showers On The Euphrates is a post-rock album with vocals. Did I say a post-rock album with vocals? I absolutely did, and many post-rock fans are quick to blow vocals off. However, the vocals on this album don't stand out as much as other vocals, but instead act more like an additional instrument. The vocals give the already beautiful instrumental peaks more sonic beauty. Ancients Star Showers On The Euphrates bridges the gap between Sigur Ros-esque ambiance and Caspian style guitar work/instrumentals, but with a very unique atmospheric production. Ancients may very well be one of the next best things in post-rock with the release of Star Showers On The Euphrates. I believe it and I'm sure you will too. This album is pure, atmospheric gold.