This Month In Releases: November 2013

 
Welcome to our favorite local releases post for the month of November!! In this post we loving offer up the 10 EPs/LPs and 3 compilations that constituted our favorite local listens to emerge in the last month. As always, the rules are as follows: all records were released during the month of November by either a local artist or a local record company. They appear in no particular order and singles and 7" were not included (unless they were EP length). If I didn't include your release I either didn't like it, didn't hear it, or one or both of us has the wrong release date. Click the link in the album title for more from each artist. Enjoy!

EPs/LPs:

Paul Nelson, ‘Vortex’ (Medical Records)

electronic, new wave, cosmic disco 
This one and only release from Portland's Paul Nelson originally appeared as a limited press in 1981, but has long since been out of print. Medical Records breathes new life into this lost synth classic. 

=TOTEM=, ‘Nocturnal EP’ (self-released)
electronic, experimental, ambient house 
I don't know where this came from, but I have it on good authority that this is not the last we'll be hearing from =TOTEM=. This ambient house artist is an unending well of interesting loops and carefully crafted themes. 

Sandrider, ‘Godhead’ (Good To Die)
hard rock, stoner rock 
FUCK. Never passive and never PC; 'Godhead' is every bit the sonic assault that you needed.

Geist and the Sacred Ensemble, ‘Beyond This Vessel’ (Moon Glyph)
psychedelic folk, freak-folk 
GATSE follows up their 2011 debut 'In Search of Fabled Land' with a great new record on Oakland's Moon Glyph Records. Experimental psychedelic music with burning hot vibes that redefine the word primal.

Stephen Steinbrink, ‘Arranged Waves’ (Holy Page Records)
indie, experimental pop 
Been waiting for more from Stephen since "Tangerine" first appeared on Antiquated Future's 'Well, I Don't See Why Not Vol. 4' last month. The record bears some similarity to Lake (no surprise since 3 of the 4 members were involved in the production), but I also hear a little bit of Elliot Smith as well. 

Parasol, ‘Not There’ (Lost Sound Tapes)
indie pop, pop-punk
This 3-piece anarcho pop-punk band from MA is all lovable, nasally vocals, and killer hooks. It was so good that we felt we had to break our rule of only featuring one release per label on this series of posts. 

No Statik, ‘Unity and Fragmentation’ (Iron Lung)
hardcore, punk, powerviolence
The bay area foursome return to Iron Lung with a killer full length of harsh powerviolence that takes absolutely no prisoners. Push play and watch the world burn.

Parzival, ‘Pisces Rising’ (self-released)
singer/songwriter 
Check out our interview with this fabulous local singer-songwriter here!

Chants, ‘I Feel Like I Feel It’ (Hush Hush Records)
electronic, nocturnal vibes 
More great night bus vibes from Hush Hush, this time via Madison, WI's Jordan Cohen. Tune in and tune out.

Dogbreth, ‘Sentimental Health’ (Lost Sound Tapes)
indie pop, alt rock, confessional pop 
I fell in love with Dogbreth's 2011 debut 'Chookie' the instant I heard it. It's been a long wait, but 'Sentimental Health' is exactly what I've been waiting for from Tristan and crew. 

Compilations/Mixes:

Various artists, ‘Do You Believe In Magick Mix’ (by Cairo Seattle)

various sounds 
Good local stuff culled from artists that recently have, or will play the space in the near future.

Various artists, ‘Soft Spectrum II’ (arranged by Kyoga)
ambient, chill, electronic 
Sweet compilation of electronic material put together by Olympia's Kyoga to benefit the Bronies For Good Foundation. Downloads are limited, so if you don't wanna donate then grab the release from the link in the notes. 

Various Artists, ‘I Am The Center: Private Issue New Age Music in America 1950-1990' (Light in the Attic)
new age 
Check out our album review here!

Album Review: 'I Am The Center: Private Issue New Age Music In America, 1950-1990'

I was in my late teens before I realized that if I really wanted to enjoy music, I'd have to stop imposing my will and just let it speak for itself. Essentially, I was stuck in a cycle of buying mediocre punk records because they sounded like great records that I knew I liked. Of course there is some logic to the idea; after all, it’s a pretty safe bet that if you like one punk record you’ll like others, but I wasn't feeling incredibly inspired by the lower reaches of Epitaph's catalog. So like most audiophiles, I decided that to get what I want, namely a fresh perspective, I needed to open my mind a little and meet each new genre/artist/work half-way.

Laraaji Photo Credit: Liam Ricketts

This can be a tall order when dealing with a genre like new age music, whose yuppie pandering and re-appropriation of cultural/spiritual precepts for profit left much of the musical community with a sour taste after it’s apex in the 90’s. However, the new comp from Light In The Attic Records, ‘I Am The Center: Private Issue New Age Music In America 1950 -1990’ is more than worth the effort it takes to set aside all of that. Composed of 20 tracks culled from DIY releases outside of the big business sound that “devolved into the spaced out elevator music we know and loathe today”, the scope of this anthology is massive. From meandering synths and natural sounds, to delicate piano pieces, to gongs and pulsing drone, there’s a little bit of everything here. 

However, one of the record's most redeeming qualities is not what it has, but what it lacks. Given the emphasis on private issues and the label’s insistence that you “forget everything you know, or think you know, about new age”, you might expect  ‘I Am The Center’ to be an incredibly pretentious affair--emphasizing fringe musicianship at the expense of quality. Luckily, that’s not the case. For one thing, while some of these artists are obscure (e.g. Alice Damon), others like Laraaji, who was ‘discovered’ by Brian Eno, are well-respected big names. Even the album artwork's unapologetic use of mythical aesthetic (complete with fantastic mountains, glowing orbs, and winged creatures) make it clear that this is a celebration, and not a reaction.

With the path clear, and the mood set, I was free to indulge in the more than 2 hours of loving crafted material presented here. I’ll admit I was a little apprehensive when I first pushed play, but at the end I was actually a little shocked by how familiar it sounded. Clear standouts including “Unicorns in Paradise (excerpt)” by Laraaji (below), “Om Mani Padme Hum” by Constance Demby, “Pompeii, 76 A.D.” by Gail Laughton (which was featured on the Blade Runner soundtrack), and “Glide V” by Peter Davidson showcase the undeniable influence that new age pioneers have had on modern experimental and ambient music. In fact, having owned the record for less than 48 hours I’ve already spent time looking for more from several of the artists. In this way, ‘I Am The Center’ is more than a good comp, it’s a gateway through the nonsense to the core of new age for those brave enough to make the journey.

You can pick up 'I Am The Center: Private Issue New Age Music In America 1950-1990' at Sonic Boom in Ballard, or direct from Light In The Attic here. It's available in all formats including clear vinyl.