Pet_Sounds

Me too. Your description makes it sound particularly attractive, Neo.

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Everybody's dying just to get the disease

Neapolitan

They recorded fairly young but there is a maturity and sophistication to it. The song, Tenth Planet, is definitely a direct Doctor Who reference, with the title having the same name of an episode. The Cybermen on the cassette cover don't have the same kind of design that are in the 10th Planet.



I hope it meets your expectations.

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Neapolitan

Plastic Girl in Closet - Cocoro

• band: Plastic Girl in Closet
  • from: Iwate, Japan
  • members:
    • Yuji Takahashi (vocals, guitar)
    • Kenji Hayasaka (guitar)
    • Ayako Sugai (vocals, bass)
    • Yuta Ogawa (drums)
• album: Cocoro
  • album released: July 13th, 2011
  • label: Only Feedback ‎– DDCZ-1757
  • time: 49:38
  • tracks:
    1. Pretty Little Bag
    2. Raspberry Plant
    3. Rabbit House
    4. Stomping And Swingin'
    5. Animal Brooch
    6. Pearl
    7. Collage Flowers
    8. Lipstick
    9. Swimmer
    10. Take Me Away
    11. Tiny Tambourines
    12. Kids

Pretty Little Bag


Rabbit House



Plastic Girl in Closet seems like an unusual name for a band, it reminds me of a Japanese movie I saw once, I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK. The music: Shoegaze/ Dream Pop with male/female harmonies, more a sub-due style than other vocal groups of the 60s. The bass player, Ayako Sugai's bass drives the songs along, and provides vocals too. Yuta Ogawa is solid Rock drummer. Yuji and Kenji sound apt at noise and shoegazing. And can be Weezer-like at times. Rabbit House followed by Pretty Little Bag are my favorite. Stomping And Swingin' is a little taxing from repetitiveness. The video for Pretty Little Bag is Beatlesque - it's of them playing on a roof-top.

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Neapolitan

U2 - The Unforgettable Fire

• band: U2
  • from: Ireland
  • members:
    • Paul David Hewson aka Bono Vox of O'Connell Street - vocals
    • David Evans aka Inchicore aka The Edge - guitar
    • Adam Clayton - bass guitar
    • Larry Mullens Jr - drums
• album: The Unforgettable Fire
  • album released:
  • time:
  • tracks:
    • A Sort Of Homecoming 5:26
    • Pride (In The Name Of Love) 3:46
    • Wire 4:15
    • The Unforgettable Fire 4:55
    • Promenade 2:30
    • 4th Of July 2:11
    • Bad 6:07
    • Indian Summer Sky 4:15
    • Elvis Presley And America 6:24
    • M.L.K. 2:30

"We were looking for something that was a bit more serious, more arty." - Adam Clayton.

The name of the album comes from the name of the exhibition members of U2 saw at the Chicago Peace Museum during the War Tour.

The album marked a change of direction, a search for an different sound. With this they employed Brian Eno, the Edge was a fan of his work. Eno is known experimental, and ambient music. Eno was a former member of Roxy Music. Brian Ferry who was lead singer and leader envision the band as a collage of different musical styles, played at once. And even the band image consist of a collage of different fashion statements. It was Eno who portrayed a futuristic alien clad in sci-fi outfit and accessorized with feathers, providing space age sound effects on his EMS VCS. Acquiring it was happenstance for Eno. The eccentric artist Andy Warhol gave it to Eno after he saw the neglected contraption, inquired about it.

recorded at

The songs were recorded at Slane Castle in County Meath, Ireland. Recording in castles is nothing new to Rock bands. Clearwell Castle in Gloucestershire, England was used for quit a few band. It is the architect of Slane with large rooms and high ceilings lend the natural spacious sound to the recordings. They started in the hall and later switched to the library.

gear

The Edge used an aged white Les Paul Custom and a Telecaster, and his main squeeze, a black 70s Stratocaster through a Vox AC30 amplifier. He also employs the use of a slide and e-Bow. Adam played a maple neck Jazz bass. And Larry's drum kit expanded at this point and uses Timbales in lieu of mounted toms and has a floor tom to the left of his snare. While Bono does crazy 80s dancing as he sings.

impressions

The title of the songs seem to have strong ties to American history and culture. The songs come from what Bono saw, read and experienced in America during the War Tour. It is a lovely and moody album. The music is subtle, atmospheric, with a melancholy tone.

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Neapolitan

Model Citizen ‎– Shift The Blame
tracklist:
1. Shift The Blame (0:00)
2. Animal Instincts (1:50)
3. I Am Honest (4:15)
4. You Are What You Wear (6:20)

Model Citizens at Max's Kansas City (1979) - Paul Tschinkel's InnerTube


Suburban Lawns ‎– Suburban Lawns

tracklist:
Flying Saucer Safari 2:12
Pioneers 2:05
Not Allowed 2:16
Gossip 2:29
Intellectual Rock 2:05
Protection 1:54
Anything 1:38
Janitor 2:30
Computer Date 1:06
Mom And Dad And God 1:56
Unable 1:31
When In The World 2:48
Green Eyes 2:53
Jam The Controls 1:06

Suburban Lawns -- Janitor



Lora Logic ‎– Pedigree Charm
tracklist:
Brute Fury 4:00
Horrible Party 3:50
Stop Halt 5:00
Wonderful Offer 4:30
Martian Man 4:20
Hiss And Shake 5:30
Pedigree Charm 4:00
Rat Allé 3:45
Crystal Gazing 4:55

x ray spex - up yours, bondage - early live - Laura Logic


I couldn't find a video of Lora Logic playing songs off her solo album, so I choose to include a video of her playing with X Ray Specs. She played saxophone on the album, but at some point early on left (was fired from) the band. She formed Essential Logic, when the band dissolved she went on to finish the album Pedigree Charm as a solo artist. She was a member in Red Crayola, and she recorded with The Raincoats, Boy George, among others.
My favorite track off the album is Martian Man, it a bit ethereal, dream-like.

LORA LOGIC martian man 1982


(When I make an entry, first I listen to the albums, find pics and videos I want to post, by the time I do all that I have spent all my free time and I never get around to more important part the review. So I have a choice, save the work I did on my computer and eventually forget about it, or post what I did so far. Hopefully I'll get around to explain my picks.)

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Neapolitan

band:Middle Class

album title: Homeland

year of release: 1982

band members:
Jeff Atta - vocals, synthesizers
Mike Atta - guitar
Mike Patton- bass
Bruce Atta - drums

from: Santa Ana, California

tracklist:
00:00 The Call
04:09 A Skeleton At The Feast
08:23 Out Of My Hands
11:59 Listen
15:04 Shaken
17:55 Mosque
20:39 Restless Young Men
23:24 Ritual And Deceit
26:52 Everything

I was stoked when I first found this album on YouTube. Going from one track to the next I knew I found a hidden gem. The album is impressive as it is relentless. By maintaining energy and a sense of urgency throughout I'm sure it keeps you invested from beginning to end. The music epitomizes all that's best of Post-Punk. If colored glass could be bits of sound then it's a mosaic that would made of pieces from Joy Division, Gang of Four, Modern English, REM, and even Sonic Youth (or vice a versa). However as for the last two bands, I am not too certain who influenced, because they were Middle Class contemporaries. It would be interesting though to know if there were any bands that looked to them as an influence. I suspect they could be had been an influence to Post-Punk revival bands. Because Middle Class approach seems to be that more of a band from 2010s. Maybe their music is just timeless.

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Neapolitan

band: Kosmonautentraum

album: Juri Gagarin

released: 1982

language: German

personnel:
E. K. T. - Drums, Synthesizer, Mellotron, Guitar, Voice [Effects], Percussion
Kai May - Guitar, Harp, Electric Piano, Percussion, Effects [Wasserspiele]
Süsskind - Bass, Synthesizer, Piano, Trumpet, Melodica, Xylophone, Percussion, Pedalboard Bass
Ziggy XY - Vocals, Synthesizer, Melodica, Lyrics
information from Discogs

tracklist:

1. Kosmonaut 3:40
2. Stolze Menschen 3:51
3. Schattenboxen 3:14
4. Gierig 1:19
5. Juri Gagarin 2:32
6. Epilog 0:05
7. Hoffnung 3:22
8. Du Bist Nicht Gut 3:19
9. 1971-1976-1981 3:34
10. Deutsche Nacht 2:38
11. Süßes Leben 2:16
12. Neugier 7:51

Schattenboxen - An intro consists of a bass, snare and xylophones. Behind that is what sounds like spaceships taking off. It seems only natural to me to link xylophones and spaceships together from watching Looney Tunes and hearing Raymond Scott tune Powerhouse be the score some character in space. Halfway through it sounds like a singer struggling to breathe. It ends with a classic 50s sci-fi sound effect of a spaceship taking off.
Juri Gagarin It begins with a piano that fades, and then slowly makes a reprise with a ever increasing sound of a bass drum, thumping like a heartbeat. Then a soupy high hat underscores the vocals which sounds from distant, as if Juri Gagarin is singing to himself in his spacecraft, and then there are massive sounding synths switching back and forth from the left channel to the right, giving the impression of the spacecraft in orbit.
Du Bist Nicht Gut - The rhythm guitar and the bass sounds very similar to Boogie Oogie Oogie (1978) by A Taste of Honey.

I believe it is safe to say that Kosmonautentraum was part of the Neue Deutsche Welle. It is place in music history of Germany is after 70s German Rock, which had moved away from Rock and Roll and R&B music idioms. NDW is also inspired by British New Wave and Post-Punk which to some accounts was inspired by 70s German Rock. Not knowing very much about the band influences, it seems Kosmonautentraum gives a nod to Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft. But they do more than than DAF, or Post-Punk bands, at times Kosmonautentraum can be abstract.

I don't know how venturesome the lyrics are, tbh I don't understand them since it's sung in German. But by the delivery there is a bit of personal revelation emotionally. He reveals his mood by the expression of voice. There are times he seems calm, and other times there he seems stressed. In some cases almost to the point of desperation, as if he is struggling to maintain his sanity like at the end of the songJuri Gagarin and in Epilog.

Considering title as the theme of the album, one can assume the singer is exploring the emotional state of a person. Using the cosmonaut in his spacecraft as a metaphor for a person being alone. There different different experiences for being alone. There are times when one finds solace in being alone. Other times where there's that sad feeling of loneliness, and at worst a person anguishing in isolation.

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Neapolitan

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Machine

Subbed, really interesting journal!

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boost my ego

listen to me stroke my delay pedal

ever wanted to hear death grips songs... but they're acoustic? me neither.

Neapolitan

Conduits - Conduits

• band: Conduits
  • from: Omaha, Nebraska
  • members:
    • J.J. Idt - Guitar
    • Nate Mickish - Guitar
    • Sara Bertuldo - Bass, Keys
    • Roger L. Lewis - Drums
    • Jenna Morrison - Vocals
    • Patrick Newbery - Synth, Keys

• album:Conduits
  • released: March 20th,2012
  • label: Team Love Records (US), Beep! Beep! Back Up The Truck (NL)
  • tracklist:
    1. Top Of The Hill 3:59
    2. Misery Train 4:53
    3. Limbs And Leaves 3:58
    4. The Wonder 8:20
    5. On The Day 5:23
    6. Last Dirge 5:57
    7. Blood 5:08
    8. Well 7:09

So I always wanted to post a band that I just found, something out of the blue, not necessarily a new release but brand new to me. Well this is the band found tonight, and wanted to add them to this journal.There was very little information I could find out about them. There were very few things I could find out about them. They released a debut album in 2012, then toured Europe. The band is from Omaha. And I saw on [soundsbetterwithreverb.com] they are comprised of members from Cursive, The Golden Age, The Good Life, Eagle Seagull, Son Ambulance and Neva Dinova.

Top Of The Hill uses tremolo with the usual echo drenched guitar which I think is quite effective for the into to the album. The Wonder has two halves, the first part of the song last till ~2:35, ten slowly builds up again. The song structure make me think of think of them as a Progressive Shoegaze band, no intention to coin a new genre or mislabel them. They are described as Shoegaze and Indie Rock. I am content to think of them as a Shoegaze band capable creating solid song structures with ambience.


Conduits - Top Of The Hill

Conduits - The Wonder

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