Benjamin Kuli - 2012 - Blue Flame Candle

Classical/New Age

[FOR FREE]

http://kuli.bandcamp.com/album/blue-flame-candle/

• 10 songs to download
• You name the price (min 0,-)
• You get the link if you register your email address
• Listening recommendations: Blue Flame Candle, Memories, Shining Of The Blue Flame

Impressions

My love for simple, atmospheric piano music should not be a surprise to any regular of wasfuersohr, and Benjamin Kuli is yet another gem in the rough. Its Bandcamp page sheds some light on the album’s theme: this is a contemplation of destiny and fate, ending with the conclusion that it’s “the journey which matters, not the destination.” As a result, the compositions are fairly sparse, embellished with little instrumentation and focused on simple, intuitive melodies; at times, you wonder what imaginary RPG exists for this album to soundtrack. This direct approach serves Kuli well, though. Look no further than the title track, which takes only one motif and proves less is more through the merits of good songwriting alone. The majority of the tracks here are brief, each finding ways to expand on its central idea and gracefully bowing out when its time is up (though a few tracks suffer from a lack of direction, like the pretty but overlong “Moody Blues.”) When Kuli aims for grandeur, though, he often succeeds with flying colors. “Memories” plays delicate piano against stirring strings before building to a stunning climax (follow-up “Crime City” also utilizes strings to its benefit), while grand finale “Shining Of The Blue Flame” builds a cathedral around its emotionally tumultuous piano melody. Both it and the nine tracks before it demonstrate the importance of showing instead of telling: the destination is absolutely beautiful, but as Kuli would say, it’s ultimately the journey which matters most.

Euphony - 2013 - Mistakes EP

Gypsy Folk/Ska

[FOR FREE]

http://euphonybrighton.bandcamp.com/album/mistakes-ep

• 5 songs to download
• You name the price (min 0,-)
• You get the link if you register your email address
• Listening recommendations: Mistakes

Impressions

I can't believe I don't know how to start this review. The Mistakes EP is kind of rather very good, but I'm drawing blanks on how to properly present it to you, wasfuersohr reader. It's one of the few albums of it's genre-ilk I've come across, and easily the most accessible to those not familiar with the lesser know 'Gypsy' subgenre, in this instance encapsulating “gypsy folk”. I suppose I could say “if you took the unadulterated fun of gypsy punk: inclusion of instruments like accordion, trumpets, violins, fiddles and a love of ska music, and took out the punk, replaced it with songs structured like folk music as tackled by big band”... ...It probably wouldn't sound anything like this, but it's how I would best possibly describe Mistakes to someone else going into this record blind. If they're not drawn in by the time “The House of Love” has hit its stride, I can't help them, as he song encapsulated the energetic fun this music is filled with. “All Your Worth” meanwhile is bit more folk-y ballad (the lone song in that regard), with a chorus that you will absolutely feel in your bones. Another thing Euphony has going for them is the voice of their front woman. She comes at the material not with the bug-eyed over-excitement that I've come to expect from gypsy-subgenre music. No, the vocals here are smooth, bluesy even. A perfect match for the music I feel. The lyrics are also more or less easily discernible (somewhat unusual for this genre), which goes a long way towards giving these songs a lasting appeal. I guess not knowing how to describe it is the best way to jump in. Not easy to nail down, but certainly worth checking out, the Mistakes EP from Euphony.

Drive By Night - 2013 - EP

Pop rock

[FOR FREE]

http://drivebynight.bandcamp.com/album/ep/

• 4 songs to download
• You name the price (min 0,-)
• You get the link if you register your email address
• Listening recommendations: City Alight, Home

Impressions

As far as bells and whistles go, Drive By Night didn't bother with very much embellishment: the cover of its EP, which is simply titled EP, is a picture of four anonymous dudes staring into the windows of your soul. (Yikes.) That take-it-or-leave-it confidence, however, certainly isn't unwarranted, considering the impression this release makes right out of the gate; it's an absolutely polished pop rock confection and an incredibly promising debut. Opener “City Alight” begins with the distant rumble of a song—and then, without warning, rushes into a brick wall of razor-sharp guitar lines, pounding drum beats, and a positively gnarly performance from the lead vocalist. “Home” makes an indelible mark, too, built on a soaring chorus leading into a brief but noteworthy drum section and gang vocals chanting, “I'm coming home!” The band takes seemingly straightforward structures, then twists them to sneak in various motifs and tangents, and this attention to detail makes for a constantly engaging and surprisingly emotional listen. The second half hits just as hard as the first: “Flood Your Soul,” while a touch slower-paced than the first two songs, once again shows the band's knack for navigating between well-crafted verses and cathartic choruses, while closer “Claustrophobia” switches things up just before they get tired by going to 3/4 time in its chorus, the only deviation Drive By Night makes and a groovy touch that keeps the good vibes going as it closes out EP. It’s yet another example of the sturdy grasp this up-and-coming group already has on itself and how much potential it has to offer. The only downside of this rager is that it has to end.

Wolfman Conspiracy - 2013 - AntiVamp EP

Reggae/rock

[FOR FREE]

http://wolfmanconspiracy.bandcamp.com/album/antivamp

• 5 songs to download
• You name the price (min 0,-)
• You get the link if you register your email address
• Listening recommendations: Explosions, Cogs In The Machine

Impressions

Eight-person ensemble Wolfman Conspiracy may hail from the frigid coasts of Massachusetts, but its music absolutely brims with warmth; throughout its latest EP, AntiVamp, it packages socially-conscious ruminations in poignant human stories and an immediately inviting atmosphere. Though a reggae band in name and style, it plays with the attitude of a punk-rock band, and fans of either genre will find plenty to like here. The bombastic, jazzy instrumentation is led by Alex Drenga's rowdy guitar licks and brass trio Kathryn Rapacki (trombone), Taryn Patricia (trumpet), and Ryan Geoffrey Emken (saxophone). Meanwhile, guitarist and lead vocalist Dom Mazzoli wields a bombastic, emotive voice effective in delivering both youthful declarations of frustration on "Explosions" and angry indictments of a cruel society on "Cogs In The Machine" (the latter of which is absolutely visceral, loaded with pounding drumbeats and some of the most effective usage of gang vocals I've heard in years); better still, he understands that resentment and optimism aren't necessarily mutually exclusive. Even in the midst of delivering morbid sentiments, his voice is tinged with hints of sunlight. The difference is small, but it makes Wolfman Conspiracy's music even more relatable.  And ultimately, that relatability is the band's strongest attribute: its strongest empathizers may be the disenfranchised, but the insights found within are ones all of us can find some truth in. That the band has the musical clout to make sobering truths cathartic--and dare I say joyful--is icing on the cake.

BEST YOUTH - 2011 - Winterlies

Indie pop/rock

[FOR FREE]

http://bestyouth.bandcamp.com/album/winterlies

• 8 songs to download
• For free
• Direct Download
• Listening recommendations: Hang Out, Wait For Me

Impressions

Good music takes you somewhere. For a moment, you can rise above yourself in a momentarily heightened state of awareness and see the world from a place where things make more sense. In the end, that’s what makes indie-pop/rock trio Best Youth stand out; its EP Winterlies is evidence of a group capable of finding something poignant even in seemingly shallow sensual pleasures. It’s a simple formula executed with understated but irresistible flair. Opener “Hang Out” begins with the titular question: “Do you want to hang out?” coos lead vocalist Catarina Salinas, her beckoning backed up by a hushed, reserved piano and ambient guitar. Salinas’ wispy, fragile voice packs much of Winterlies’ emotional heft; she’s just as good as tapping into the loneliness of the modern citygoer’s life as she is at indulging in the dirty ecstasy of it all. Sometimes she does both at the same time: “Don’t leave me alone,” she gasps on the refrain of “Wait For Me” in a tone somehow as desperate as it is seductive. The instrumental work is just as exemplary as the lyrical, packed with hints of electropop flavor, weightless guitar licks, and drums that loom like thunderclouds. It all boils down to a release that’s surprisingly stirring for how sobering the thoughts within are.

Octopus - 2013 - Awakening EP

Indie rock

[FOR FREE]

http://octopusbcn.bandcamp.com/album/awakening-ep

• 5 songs to download
• You name the price (min 0,-)
• You get the link if you register your email address
• Listening recommendations: Purple Strangers, Overwhelming

Impressions

There’s a breathtaking clarity to the sound of indie rock group Octopus, no doubt influenced by its romantic location in the heart of Spain, and as a result, Awakening feels…well, like an awakening. “Leftover Dreams” kicks off this five-track effort with the gentle sound of guitars before launching into a first-rate engine, chugging along through sincere harmonies, instrumental solos, and a closing section that tiptoes out at half-tempo—then roars back to life for one last go of the chorus. Though the melodies are a bit too wispy to hold onto, the band keeps a steady momentum that, like the rise and fall of swells of ocean waves, lulls you into a sense of relaxation. Octopus loses little of that momentum throughout, whether on the emo-tinged country ballad “Purple Strangers” (featuring some truly gorgeous piano work) or on the aptly-titled “Overwhelming,” a barren little folk ditty whose hushed verses belie a surprisingly bitter chorus; even when it overstays its welcome a little, the band displays a mastery of progression, changing trajectory just when you’re tempted to look away. Its best effort here is the upbeat, jazzy “Best Of All,” which begins as an unassuming acoustic-guitar session before the drums kick in and the saxophone makes a welcome entrance—Octopus, to its credit, blends together the track’s various influences spotlessly, giving the natural pathos of the brass instrumentation an equal match in the bleeding-heart sincerity of the vocalist. By the time “Times Like These Are Over” arrives to close out Awakening with a rambunctious bang, it’s abundantly evident that, like an octopus, this band has plenty of legs, and on this top-notch effort, it stretches them out in tons of intriguing—and promising—directions.

I Am a Car - 2013 - Sun Will Rise

Ambient Electronic

[FOR FREE]

http://iamacar.bandcamp.com/album/sun-will-rise

• 14 songs to download
• You name the price (min 0,-)
• You get the link if you register your email address
• Listening recommendations: Sun Will Rise, Nocturne Verzeihen Sich, Sea Turtle Dance

Impressions

Ah yes, I do love it when the bandcamp gems rise to the surface for me to find, and then pass along to you. This gem, Sun Will Rise comes to us from Leeds act I Am A Car, and like previous gems I've come across on bandcamp, it's of the minimalist ambient variety. Sun Will Rise sounds distinctly upbeat to me, staying mostly at one end of the scale. In contrast with its track titles like “Big Fucking Nothing”, “The Sudden Death of Everything”, I almost felt like the music may have been mocking that very idea that it sounded happy and that I the listener was content; the opening track's manifesto-lite lyrics, and the title of the last track; “You Are a Good Man” are either meant in earnest or mockingly, depending on how you perceive the record as a whole (I'm still not sure myself). As for the music, Sun Will Rise is chock-full of airy synthesizer lines (“For Hattie, Jasper and Molly” for instance) coming together with minimal percussion and effects creating soundscapes that feel open and inviting, and worth exploring. My ears conjured up rolling meadows in my minds eye as well as the idea of small intimate moments that are over as quickly as they began, but can bring a smile to your face. The one real downside for this album or any album that works a minimalist aesthetic, is that it's overly long. Yes, the worst part of Sun Will Rise is that there is indeed too much of a good thing, as that good thing inadvertently tramples itself  due to the songs melding together after a while. This really is a disservice to the quality tracks on display. If you can point out “The Ocean” from “Plans is Made” or “Rebuild! Please!” without looking at your mp3 player, you're made of sterner stuff than I. Of course the album is all about chilling out and letting the music soak in without focusing on it 100% and on that front, massive success, Cars. ... I'm gonna side with it being sincere... Maybe..