Various influences make their way into Vesergaard's music. From country to folk and rock and blues, he presents varied instrumentation for similar effects. To be completely frank, this is way overproduced, and some of the arrangements are baffling (for example: timpani mallets on drum cymbals on "Weary eyes" are very out of place.) That said, the song writing is pretty good, if very middle of the road, and sometimes reminiscent of John Mellencamp. A more intimate recording would have been a lot better.
- Simon Thibaudeau
This Stockholm band has close ties to Dungen, which comes as no surprise after a few listens to the dense psychedelia on this debut. Everything about it screams "1967"--the acid rock, the guitar sounds, the album art. Sometimes that's a good thing, like on opener "Everybody", with its rousing chorus and overall feeling of discovery but suitable restraint from solo excesses. The wide-eyed, booming "Speak your mind" is a good showcase for the vocal range of Andreas Stellan. Elsewhere though, hallmarks of bad psych-rock creep in: endless guitar noodling, straying from the melody, even a flute part! If you're into psych-rock and can accept the excesses mentioned above, The Works just might be for you.
- Matthew W. Smith
I wasn't all that impressed the first time I heard The Psyke Project. I thought their first album was a clumsy almagation of somewhat decent riffs, but lacking the kind of big-picture thinking to take them to the next level. Not to mention, I'm generally averse to bands playing their style of brutal metalcore considering all the macho bullshit posturing that's usually associated with it. Thankfully, all that has changed with the new record "Daikini". The band has totally streamlined their sound and songwriting, eschewing all the overly-busy playing that was bogging them down and in process, creating the best heavy album I've heard this year. The song I've posted from them today shows the band at their slowest and most brutal. As I said above, I'm not usually so into chugga-chugga hardcore, but there is no way I deny how awesome this is. I'm especially thankful they don't try to pull any clean vocal parts. It's so unnecessary, but yet so many bands do it even though it almost always drags down the song. If you want to be metal, why mess around? Just go all out darnit. TPP knows what's up. Very recommended - this CD has been on constant rotation for me ever since I got it in the mail two weeks ago.
Slightly off-topic: the new design I made for the Indieworkshop.com website is now online. There's still a few glitches and whatnot that need fixing, but I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out.
Also off-topic: The New York Times praises mp3 blog Music For Robots as they release their first compilation CD: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/06/technology/06blog.html?
Norwegian vegan straightedge hardcore act Purified in Blood has signed with Alveran Records. Look for a new full-length from the band early next year.
When We Fall has signed with The Emo Foundation. Look for a five-song EP to be released soon.
Check out the video for "Uncomplicated and fun" from Uncle's Institution: http://www.unclesinstitution.com/wttm.htm
Check out a stream of The State of Floral Beings playing at Alcazar in Stockholm from May 28: http://www.trewetharecords.com/tsofbgig.m3u
Norway's The Margarets will begin recording their third album on July 4 in a boathouse on their home island of Giske. It took the band ten years to make their first record, three to make their second, and now it seems it will be less than a year for the next one.
The new Latebirds album "Radio insomnia" has been confirmed for a Finnish release date of August 10. The first single should be hitting the airwaves shortly.
The First Miles now have two full songs available for download from their excellent new album "Aim for the heart, go!": http://www.thefirstmiles.com/show.php?page=download&lang=en
If you like what you hear, don't forget you can order the album direct from IAT.
Switchblade reports that they'll be entering Mission Hall Studio on August 1 to begin recording their next presumable self-titled album. "Expect the new material to be a lot slower, heavier and more epic than ever," they say.
Swedish hardcore act Miss Mofet is officially back in business with a new, revamped lineup. Check out the band's new website here: http://www.missmofet.com/
"Stories from the streets" has been selected as the next European single from the most recent Madrugada album "The deep end" in a new version featuring Steve Stevens (Billy Idol, etc.) on flamenco guitar. A video for the track was filmed in Madrid, just before the start of the band's European tour. A different song (possibly "Hold on to you") will be released as the next single back in the band's home country of Norway. Read nore about the band's current going-ons here: http://www.stthomas1976.net/madrugada/news.php