15 albums you've probably already listened to, but just in case you haven't...
 

Figured it was about time I posted something worthwhile around here. Feeling inspired by a recent resurgence of these type of threads, I think I'll dive right in. I haven't planned this out much and I'm just typing whatever comes to mind, so if it seems like I don't know what I'm talking about... I probably don't.

15. Alcest - Écailles de lune (2010, Shoegaze/Blackgaze/Atmospheric Black Metal/Dream Pop/Post-Rock)

http://image.betamonline.com/sdimage...4388710627.jpg

This band has garnered quite the array of genre tags over at rateyourmusic, and I believe that's exactly what initially prompted me to investigate into what Alcest really sounds like... they couldn't possibly be sticking Black Metal and Dream Pop on the same album, could they? For the most part, yes, that's precisely what's going on here. "Écailles de lune, Pt. 1" and "Solar Song" wrap haunting metalgaze around the ethereal black metal of "Écailles de lune, Pt. 2" and "Percées de lumière", two songs that feature some of the most bone-chilling vocal screeching I've yet heard. "Abysses", a short interlude, is perhaps perfectly descriptive of its namesake. The closing component of the album, "Sur l'océan couleur de fer", ties things together with shoegaze so dreamy, it's hard to imagine you're still listening to the same album, and yet it all flows beautifully.

Neige, the vocalist/guitarist/bassist/synthesizer/all-around-badass of Alcest, has some fascinating thoughts swimming around in his head. "I would say that Écailles De Lune is different from Souvenirs (their previous effort) mainly because these albums don't share the same concept. Souvenirs was a description of memories I had as a child about a luminous far away dimension, to summarize it is a musical testimony dealing with an esoteric experience of life in another plane of existence which has nothing to do with the world we know. Écailles De Lune could be seen as a metaphor of how I manage to live with this experience now in my everyday life. As I sometimes feel that nobody really understand and grab what I am speaking about, in some moments it's like if I was a stranger here, and speaking for nothing."

Écailles de Lune is one of the standout albums of last year. It took me a little while to get into it at first and I didn't think it was as good as Souvenirs de Autre Monde but when it finally clicked it sounded incredible. It has more depth and variety than Souvenirs and is probably my favourite of the two now. This will be an album I'll be listening to in years to come.

I'm still on the fence when it comes to this whole "Blackgaze" movement cropping up in France. While I'm not opposed to musicians using black metal as a basis but progressing the sound beyond the conventional sound (I mean two of my favourite bands are Solefald and Emperor), I just haven't been as "wowed" by this sound as others. I thought Écailles de lune was a nice album and gave me the incentive to check out a few of the others (Lantlos' .neon (2010), Austere's To Lay Like Old Ashes (2009), and Les Descrets' Septembre et ses dernières pensées (2010)), but none of them convinced me that this is going to carve itself a permanent niche and become more widespread.

It's nice to see that others are making these list threads, definitely breathes some life into these forums, and seeing as how you've actively made it a habit to post in mine I will return the favour.

Awesome album that I really need to listen to again. I don't listen to a lot of black metal, but I appreciate its atmosphere and vibe, and this album does a perfect job of making those two aspects more... available? Best word I can think of. :p:

way to start off a list with something i've never heard of :)

blackgaze huh....i think i really should look into this

I'd actually heard Lune before Souvenirs, and in my opinion Lune is the far superior album. But I was in the same boat as you, more or less. I listened to Lune once and only half-payed attention (a mistake I now regret), and it hadn't clicked until recently.

You know, I haven't delved any deeper into Blackgaze so I guess what you just mentioned is probably a solid starting point. Thanks :thumb:

Great. I do realize that these kind of threads get the most attention early on, and then as the creator keeps adding to them, either interest wanes or people don't feel compelled to keep replying even though they might still be reading. So I appreciate anyone who has input for me, at any time.

Yeah I know what you mean. I definitely think this is one of the most interesting interpretations of black metal, and perhaps one of the most accessible.

I've managed to recommend something Bob hasn't heard? :yikes:

Listened to that first song , good stuff definitely gonna get that album

Exact same case with the journals. Every time someone comments (within it, or out) that they enjoy mine, I'm shocked that it has readers. You've just got to derive your satisfaction from the writing of it, rather than the reception it gets. ;)

I hate when people use terms like 'blackgaze' to describe them, it's best just to throw all labels out the window when listening to them.

If you want to investigate similar bands you definitely have to listen to the self-titled album by Amesoeurs. They only released one album and Neige was their guitarist and shared lead vocals with a female vocalist. Amazing stuff.

14. Cap'n Jazz - Burritos, Inspiration Point, Fork Balloon Sports, Cards in the Spokes, Automatic Biographies, Kites, Kung Fu, Trophies, Banana Peels We've Slipped On, and Egg Shells We've Tippy Toed Over (1994, Emo/Post Hardcore)

http://static.rateyourmusic.com/albu...2e/o441851.jpg

If you've ever been a teenager, as I'm assuming most of you have at some point, and you've ever had emotions (particularly lust and frustration), I think you'll find Burritos quite agreeable. You've got some kids banging away at their instruments and one dude absolutely effacing everything humanity has ever learned about singing. There's nothing fancy here. No gimmicks, not very much technical skill, not a whole lot of polish... and I think that's exactly what makes this an essential Emo album. Rather nonsense and surrealistic lyrics combine with frequent shifts in tempo best described as "spazz attacks" to create something raw and real. And from what, a bunch of 16 year olds? Impressive.

Kitty kitty cat, kitty kitty cat...

accessible is the word you are looking for.

My personal favorite is the "The World Comes to an End in the End of a Journey" split. Well, not unless you include Amesoeurs' album.



I know ... and Shyy are coming out with a split, and I guess ... have adopted this new sound as well. I was quite surprised, needless to say, considering how they used to sound.

i downloaded and listened to the Alcest album a few times the other night.....at first it kind of made me think of what Sigur Ros might sound like if rather than starting to make crappy pop albums they started making more "metal" sounding albums but kept the unique style they had......i love the mixture of harmonious metal and jarring "black" style screams and guitar....loved this actually

thanks :)

If you like Alcest you might like Heretoir? They do a similar thing, but they're one of the better bands in the scene.

Since this was at the bottom of the page, I'm assuming some people missed it. Shameless self-quote for bump

Lmao, that's a great way to describe Alcest, I'll keep that one in mind. You're welcome, I hope you can find something else you enjoy from the upcoming albums.

I'm assuming the "probably already listened to" is meant to be irony, because I've never heard of either of these bands, and Cap'n Jazz sounds especially obscure to most people...at least, I would assume o.O

However, Alcest is awesome. So thanks for making this thread, cause I'm diggin' them

Nah, the folks around these parts have a thumb in every pie. The weirdest stuff mentioned here will probably become staples for you in time, haha.

Well I hope so because I like basically everything you people post haha

Cap'n Jazz are one of the emo elite, if you're into that genre, you know the band, they're pretty fucking fantastic.

Similar to what Pedestrian said, I often feel that everyone on this forum has already listened to everything, ever. That being said, thanks for the input! And thanks for making your thread too. I've been around far too long to not have something like this yet, so I admire your courage in jumping right into the thick of things

I too just assume that if I've heard it, so have they. :laughing:

It's a credit to them, if you think about it.

13. Have A Nice Life - Deathconsciousness (2008, Shoegaze/Drone/Lo Fi/Post Punk/Industrial)

http://images.wikia.com/lyricwiki/im...sciousness.jpg

"There is gloom, and doom, while things go boom..."

What initially intrigued me about this album was the cover: I'd seen it before, in an Art History class that I took as a general education requirement at my school. It's called The Death of Marat and it's a late-1700's oil painting from France. And this is when Have a Nice Life transitioned from "just another small-name band" to "a pair of bona-fide, kick-ass artists" for me. There's something awesome about a band that is culturally aware enough to draw other mediums of art into their own, while at the same time molding these influences to their own liking. And perhaps even more awesome is the apparent fact that the physical copy of this behemoth double album comes loaded with a 70-page booklet about an ancient Christian sect. This album truly is the real deal; loaded with content on all fronts.

But yeah, enough admiration of the artists, what about the actual art? I'm not a big fan of Post Punk, and for the most part, Shoegaze isn't really my scene. And yet, here is a beautiful merger of both genres with a bit of Drone and and Lo Fi thrown in that simply makes my hair stand on end every time the atmospheric "Worms" segways into the gnarled and dirty bassline that kicks off "Bloodhail". It's like... My Bloody Valentine meets Earth meets some dude with all kinds of ****ed up ideas in his head and a depressingly melancholy voice. Just take a look at the... err... colorful song titles: "Waiting for Black Metal Records to come in the Mail" and my personal favorite "Holy ****ing ****: 40,000" being two examples.

If I were pressed to gripe about Deathconsciousness, I would say that it suffers from "double CD album syndrome". At just over 85 minutes, it takes a person better than myself to sit down and appreciate the entire thing, all the way through, in one sitting. I suggest you consume it as two separate albums; you'll find the heavy-heartedness quickly permeating your being, and you might need to stop for a breather.

Wow. That sounds absolutely delicious. Never heard of the band before. Downloading immediately!

12. Opeth - Watershed (2008, Progressive Metal/Death Metal)

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i4XdkAfkkr...-watershed.jpg

"Sings like an angel, growls like the devil, and plays guitar like a madman."

Mikael Åkerfeldt, the driving force behind Opeth's 10-album discography, is a God among musicians. He is one of those rare death metal vocalists who not only has an instantly recognizable growl, but a saintly singing voice as well. With a damn-near spotless discography ranging from genre-defining death metal to the softer side of progressive rock, Akerfeldt and his cohorts released perhaps their most instantly enjoyable album, Watershed, back in 2008.

Incorporating prog metal guitar riffs with delicate acoustic sections is a staple of Opeth's sound, and something they've ostensibly developed into a science. Their new drummer, Axenrot, knows he can't replace Lopez's amazing talent and legacy, and he doesn't try to; he's tight and technical in his own manner, and it spices up the Opeth formula in a perfectly pleasing way. The other new recruit, Akesson, layers keyboard rhythms over acoustic guitars that complement each other seamlessly. Their formula has never been executed in a more tightly excellent fashion, and the epic "Hessian Peel" is perhaps the best example of this-- showcasing every element in one orgasmic package.

Other highlights: the funky keyboard rhythm in "The Lotus Eater", the female backup vocals in "Coil"

11. Jim Croce - You Don't Mess Around With Jim (1972, Singer-Songwriter/Folk)

http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/image...953da110.L.jpg

Jim's story is certainly a sad one; after releasing three amazing albums that spawned two chart-topping singles, he died in a plane crash on his way to a gig, leaving his wife and two-year old son behind. In retrospect, Jim's fate gives his work an almost ominous feel (see the lyrics below); very personal but never syrupy, wistful and introspective without being petulant, occasionally upbeat and silly, but tactfully so... just an absolutely excellent mixture of compositions that make this my favorite singer/songwriter album of the 70's.

10. Earthless - Rhythms from a Cosmic Sky (2007, Psychedelic Rock/Stoner Rock)

http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lg...7496_cover.jpg

If you're a fan of Hendrix, Cream, Zeppelin, or Sabbath, you'll probably love this. Noodly psychedelic cock-rock at its finest, and there's not much else to be said.

LOVE cap n jazz

Great list so far, hadn't listened to Cap'n Jazz or Have a Nice Life (even though this isn't the first time they've been recommended to me) after listening to your links went and immediately downloaded both. hope you get around to finishing this list soon.

Thanks, it's good to have someone breathe life into this sinkhole

9. Venetian Snares - Rossz Csillag Alatt Született (2005, Breakbeat/Drum and Bass/Modern Classical)

http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ls...2733_cover.jpg

“What if, for just one day, we could both be pigeons? Sometimes one moment in time can take on such an important significance that it becomes an endless world unto itself and everything outside of that moment, past and future spots in time, become the folklore of the world. What if we could both fly over the Királyi Palota and see it just as these pigeons do? A beautiful culture of dissimilar angles as donkey angels above the city. But even in the world of the infinite moment, we cannot choose the feather of our bird and so on. Furthermore as our world blossoms out of this romantic flood of euphoric possibility and fascination, for the other an inferior life of ****ting on everyone from the sky, awkward and ashamed, resigning themselves to be the wretched nuisance they are painted as by those they **** on.
Ultimately, as quickly as our world blooms, our world is discordant, and our pigeons are wounded, and as our world dies, we die, and we are extinct. If only we could kill ourselves over and over until we get it right.

So just as an entire genre of music can be born out of one sped up ten second breakbeat, a full symphony orchestra can come together in harmonic unison to create that perfect moment in time, thus every moment can give birth to an entirely new world, and every world can house the recognition, that orchestra may combine to bring forth a dissonant barrage of colossal sorrow, and so the moment disintegrates its world and that world suffocates the moment under its collapse.

These are love songs and grief songs.”

-Liner notes to Rossz Csillag Alatt Született.

How could a bottom-dwelling miser like myself pass up such a tantalizingly dreary bit of art? Answer: I couldn't. If you've ever desired to witness the result of bastardizing Aphex Twin's ridiculous breakbeats and some classical Hungarian folk instrumentation, with a healthy dose of dissonance and despair mixed in for good measure-- this is your best bet, I'd reckon.

Highlights: Öngyilkos vasárnap, or "Suicidal Sunday" - contains an eerie sample of Billy Holidae covering a Hungarian composition that was banned by the BBC in the 1940's, as being detrimental to wartime morale
"Hajnal", or "Dawn" - string samples lead into brass that resembles jazz, eventually building imto a frenzied crescendo replete with a breakbeat panic attack
"Hiszékeny", or "Credulous" - perhaps the most uplifting track (not that any of it is uplifting... so most-not-depressing track) that leads into...
"Kétsarkú mozgalom", or "Double Cornered Movement" - a lonesome violin amidst what can be described as the summation of Rossz' "dissonant barrage of colossal sorrow".

8. Toe - Book About My Idle Plot on Vague Anxiety (2005, Math Rock/Post Rock)

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_le...9d8so1_500.jpg

A four-piece Japanese rock band taking their stab at what might be best described as the second wave of Mogwai-inspired-post-rocking, Toe are unlike the shoulders on which they stand in that their music tells a vivid story instead of conjuring a murky atmosphere. You can clearly detail the plucked, dueling guitar melodies as they weave in and out of sync with each other. And the drummer-- by god, the drummer. He's jazzy and energetic, but never far from grasp. He titters on the cusp of wankery but never seems to overindulge. And on those rare songs where he takes the backseat-- simple, melodic beauty (see "C" below). But that's why I had to immediately replay certain songs when I first listened to this album: you tend to focus on one aspect of the music and miss out on what the other band members are doing, and more importantly, how the overall song is unfolding.

Every time I've relistened to this album, it finds a new way to send chills down my spine. That's a good feeling.

This thread isn't about you suggestions, it's for RVCA to talk about albums that we may want to listen to, and to discuss those. Not to talk about random things that have nothing to do with the discussion.