MV & EE’s Psychedelic Supernova (Battlemouth)

With a musical collaboration as prolific as MV & EE, it’s somewhat strange not to have heard of them before now. This Vermont pair have worked with a number of artists to accumulate over 30 releases over the past decade, and now bring us their fourth major release Barn Nova under Thurston Moore’s Ecstatic Peace! label. Combining Indian raga-style composition with Appalachian folk and post-psychedelic electrical experimentalism, Matt Valentine and Erika Elder take the listener on a journey through an extraordinary and haunting soundscape. [...]

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This Is No Substandard Fare (Battlemouth)

Standard Fare may be named after a sign spotted on a bus, but their effect is anything but pedestrian. Sounding like the perky younger siblings of the Arctic Monkeys, the power trio’s uncomplicated lyrics of life and infectious beats make for a rollicking good time, and now Emma Kupa, Danny How, and Andy Beswick are set to release their debut album. Recorded in six days with an indie aesthetic that would have made John Peel proud, the album is named for a formative period in the band’s development when they travelled across the channel to play at a festival in Noyelles Sous Lens, France. “It was where we felt our sound came together,” says How, and the collection of songs they were playing became The Noyelle Beat. [...]

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Symphonic Serj Tankian (Battlemouth)

In mid-March 2009, a one-off special concert was performed at New Zealand’s majestic Auckland Town Hall. At this concert, System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian performed songs from his critically-acclaimed solo debut album Elect the Dead, along with some previously unreleased songs, accompanied by the well-regarded Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. Thankfully for those unable to be part of the audience, this unique concert was recorded, and is being released as Elect the Dead Symphony. [...]

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Not a Consolation Prize (Battlemouth)

Every now and then, one comes across an artist that truly reminds you how good simple music can be, and Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten is one of these artists. I came across her music in an odd moment of serendipity, and was immediately taken by the wonderfulness of her work. Recorded under the artist-centric Language of Stone label, Because I Was In Love is her first studio album, and is a clear demonstration that she is a talent to be watched. [...]

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A Boozy Taste of Latin America (Battlemouth)

Anyone who follows me on Twitter knows that I’m fond of the occasional mojito. This traditional Cuban cocktail is a nice light-flavoured drink and is very refreshing on a hot summer’s day. Also popular in our house is the Brazilian caipirinha, which has some similarities to the mojito, and is also very tasty. [...]

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Heavy Rain: First Impressions (Battlemouth)

Heavy Rain is an upcoming single-player video game, developed by the French company Quantic Dream exclusively for the PlayStation 3. The game is a dark film noir thriller, featuring four protagonists being pulled individually into the search for the Origami Killer. Earlier this week, the demo was made publicly available, and I took the opportunity to try it for myself. [...]

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Journey to The Golden Archipelago (Battlemouth)

Shearwater make beautiful music, it cannot be denied. Their albums are critically acclaimed and invoke great passion in their fanbase. Their new album continues this fine tradition with the band’s most absorbing and accomplished work to date. The Golden Archipelago is the third panel of a triptych (preceded by Shearwater’s Palo Santo and Rook albums) linked by themes of environmental and personal decay, and humans’ impact on nature. [...]

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