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.

Bitcrush - In Distance

I have always had a love for electronic/ambient and post-rock music. Sometimes so much, that I passionately search for artists that combine these two styles. If done right, there is so much depth and emotion behind each genre, so combing the two would be like a piece of heaven for me. Bitcrush provides this heaven, and he does it well.

After the San Francisco based electronic, post-industrial group Gridlock disbanded on March 24, 2005, member Mike Cadoo began working on his solo project Bitcrush. While Gridlock relied heavily on electronics, Bitcrush focuses more on the unique blend of electronics and live instruments such as guitars and drums. If there was an easy description for Bitcrush's music, I would say it is almost like a mix between Gridlock and post-rock acts like Explosions In The Sky, Caspian, and Sigur Ros. The ambient, beat-laden tracks are often infused with rich, post-rock-esque guitar sweeps, giving Bitcrush a sound that is hard to beat. Many times, the songs change styles completely throughout, making the music all-the-more interesting. The songs have a similar feel to the low, heavy, low, heavy progression of your traditional post-rock, but instead of layered guitar build-ups, there are textural ambient build-ups that lead into crushing guitar and drums, then back into softening ambiance.

Bitcrush's In Distance is a journey in-and-of itself. The music on this album demands the listeners full attention, and it's very hard not to pay attention, given the genius sounds presented. Mike Cadoo is a master at his craft and not only spends time making music as Bitcrush, but also makes music under the aliases Dryft and m.cadoo. He is also the owner and operator of the n5MD record company.

Check out the track 'And Triage' from Bitcrush's In Distance:

The American Dollar - Awake In The City

The American Dollar was formed in August of 2005 by fellow New Yorkers and long time friends John Emanuele and Rich Cupolo. After sharing their first recorded track on the Internet, it was licensed right away for television production and the duo knew that their compositions were suitable enough for the film and television industry. Soon after, The American Dollar released their first full-length record. Since 2005, the duo has been hard at work, releasing 5 full-length records, 2 remix full-lengths, and numerous EPs. They have also had their music featured on CSI:Miami, Infiniti Automobile commercials, the television trailer for Up In The Air, and numerous other network and cable features. The band is currently touring areas spanning from Canada to Russia and plan to continue touring throughout Russia, Europe, and China during the Spring of 2012.

On March 24, 2012, The American Dollar released their newest effort entitled Awake In The City. While the band has become a big name in the post-rock genre, you don't hear any gigantic, climaxing guitar tones for 10 minutes at a time. Rather, you hear thought provoking, well structured synth and piano-laden melodies that play a huge role in establishing their unique sound. These melodies, of course, are accompanied by smooth guitar riffs and ambient percussion. Awake In The City sees the band continuing down the path that they are most comfortable with. Tracks such as 'Faces In The Haze' and 'Heavy Eyes Ignite' bring out that familiar The American Dollar sound with nostalgic piano melodies and warm guitar leads. There are also tracks such as 'Ether Channels', 'First Day', and 'Steeltown Part One' that have the more electronic/beat-oriented vibe.

Whether it's their beautiful, piano-laden tracks or their electronic-laden tracks, The American Dollar never seems to disappoint. Awake In The City is the duo crafting already familiar work at its best. This album is one that is good for gloomy, rainy days or beautiful, relaxing days. Either way, this is instrumental music that needs to be listened to and felt from the inner core.

Check out the track 'Crossing Asia' off of The American Dollar's Awake In The City: