Svarte Greiner Kappe:
Dark eerie ambient music, that could easily be integrated into a horror movie. Cool for what it is, but I can’t see myself wanting to put on this record too often, unless I’m reading H.P. Lovecraft or performing a human sacrifice.
Rating: 11/15 Halloween sound effects
Kaylan and Sambodhi Prem Cello Cirlces:
Cellos, guitars, keyboards, and various wind instruments drift through these pieces, an album consisting of two musicians taking on various forms of world music. Its a pleasant listen, and these two guys obviously know their stuff. It leans a bit too close to New Age music for my liking, and its unfortunate that some of keyboard lines couldn’t have been played by different instruments. It isn’t without its flaws, but overall this a solid release. Worth picking up for fans of various world music’s and those who want something mellow to relax to.
Rating: 11/15 cellos
The Moore Brothers Aptos:
Two dudes who played with Joanna Newsom making folky indie-pop. The music is pleasant and filled with tinkling acoustic instruments and sincere tender lyrics. Gets a little boring, but each track is decent in and of itself. Not bad, but they could pick up the tempo sometimes.
Rating: 11/15 Sidewinders
King Crimson Red:
If not for John Wetton this might have been the best album ever. Fripp’s guitar playing and composing is at its heaviest, most lyrical, and most direct. He flirts with metal, Stravinsky and jazz, but still manages to add something that is definitely him to the mix. Bill Bruford’s drumming is tasteful, but powerful. Its just Wetton. His lyrics and vocals are terrible, and his bass playing isn’t anything to write home about either. Worth it for the incredibly powerful instrumentals.
Rating: 11/15 Fallen Angels
Ikue Mori Myrninerest:
Short phrases produced by acoustic instruments, and be Mori’s laptop computer flit in and out of silence. An interesting collection of her works that held my interest for the most part, but theres no real distinguishing features between most of the tracks. For better or worse its an albums worth of cool sounds which bubble up from nowhere and disappear almost as suddenly.
Rating: 11/15 songs about paintings
Gerald Cleaver/William Parker/Craig Taborn Farmers by Nature:
Mellow, almost organic free jazz. A good disk to sit down and study, but one can’t help notice the absence of a leading voice. Nowhere does on instrument soar above the rest, theres no climaxes here. While thats an interesting concept in practice it takes away from the listening experience. Good and interesting overall, but it could have been a fuller listen.
Rating: 11/15 egalitarian free jazz pieces.
Trey Gunn Music For Pictures:
Short dark pieces of modern progressive rock. Heavy on droning synthesizers and polyrhythmic electronic percussion, Gunn decorates these pieces with his absurd collection of string instruments, including his beloved bajillion string tapping guitars. An interesting disk of short pieces, but the album suffers for lack of cohesion.
Rating: 11/15 Crimsos
Pete Dello Into Your Ears:
Psychedelic folk music. Sounds like Syd Barrett but sane. Dello’s lyrics are pleasant as is his mild croon. The arrangements, are solid, and sometimes go to unexpected places. Overall a good listen, but nothing groundbreaking.
Rating: 11/15 Honeybuses
Makeshift Reviews 