Külföldi torrent oldalak What.cd | WCD What.cd's Fourth Birthday: Part V!

Re: What.CD

What.CD's Fourth Birthday: Part V! 15 hours and 39 mins ago
Happy Birthday: Part V!


Happy Halloween, everyone! Like fine wine, we here at What.CD get better with age, and the same can be said of our celebrations. We have a bona fide truckload of surprises for you, so slip into those costumes and dig in! (Special thanks to Wulvaine and NousWanderer for the graphics!)



http://i41.tinypic.com/w8ok1w.png


Two birds with one stone: brand-spanking-new horror stories and a backseat view into the lives of What.CD Staff! Any Halloween worth its salt features rich storytelling. In order to celebrate our birthday and Halloween in one fell swoop, we're happy to present What.CD Behind the Scenes! Inside you'll learn: the truth about the Raveatar Epidemic, what really happens when you're promoted, the future of Drone, and who wins in the analog vs. digital battle. As a bonus you'll get a look at the moderation process from a never-before-seen perspective! Keep your eyes peeled for a video guest appearance from your very own Forum Moderator ipof!

Warning: these stories are works of fiction and satire. They are not meant to be taken seriously. Some content is NSFW.



http://i40.tinypic.com/351sqcj.png


Today brings another installment of irredentia's Top 250 musical artists as chosen by the downloading habits of What.CD users. The thread can be found here. irredentia will be taking us up to the #6 slot today, so remain tuned in!

irredentia is also launching his collection of What.CD statistical trivia today: find it here! Did you know that Maurice Ravel's Daphnis et Chloe Ballet is the oldest album on What.CD? No? Well, all the more reason to explore the thread.



Birthday Picks x3!


Today's picks are all freeleech and will be broken into the following three categories:

A Very What.CD Halloween: Spooky gift-picks from What.CD Staff to you!
2011 Cake-Off Winners: Picks chosen by our culinary experts!
What.CD Questionnaire Artists: Some of our more creative respondents share their tastes!


Please check out this thread to discuss the picks!

steelemix's Special Pick

Morning Teleportation - Expanding Anyway

Genre: Psychedelic, Rock, Indie

Torrents: torrents.php?id=71927175

Review- - Steelemix wrote:

Being taken under the wing of Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock is certainly a nice way for a upcoming band to launch themselves into the music industry, and thus is the case for the psychedelic rock band based in Portland, Oregon, Morning Teleportation. A successful tour with Modest Mouse helped Morning Teleportation get a solid footing, and soon it was followed by the production and release of their quirky debut album Expanding Anyway. Their use of shouty vocals and a mash up of a variety of instruments combined with a lively stage presence and vibrant visuals makes the band different from many of the dull cookie cutter indie rock amateurs trying to make a break through. They have created an image for themselves that is beyond normal, much like a loveable and wacky mental case, and will hopefully establish not only a visual identity for the band but also compliment the great sound that they produce through all the insanity. Morning Teleportation is definitely worth keeping an eye out for in the future





http://i41.tinypic.com/148f9zr.png



Nurse With Wound - Homotopy to Marie

Genre: Experimental, Sound Collage

Torrents: torrents.php?id=12748

Review - Don't be naďve, darling.


-----


Gil Shaham - Devil's Dance

Genre: Classical

Torrents: torrents.php?id=308744

Review - David Hurwitz (for Classics Today) wrote:

There's some first rate music-making in this eclectic collection, including excellent performances of Sarasate's Concert Fantasy on Gounod's Faust, Korngold's Caprice Fantastique, Bolcom's Graceful Ghost Rag, Bazzini's La Ronde des Lutins, and the obligatory (for any "ghosts and goblins" violin compilation) Tartini "Devil's Trill" Sonata...



-----


Bruce Springsteen - A Night With The Jersey Devil

Genre:Rock

Torrents:torrents.php?id=280669

Review Who knew Bruce was so into Halloween? Earlier this week we learned that the Springsteens’ haunted mansion in Rumson has become so popular they had to cancel the festivities this year. He is making it up to us, though. Today the Boss posted a free Halloween song and video on his site. “If you grew up in central or south Jersey you grew up with the ‘Jersey Devil,’” he writes. In the song Bruce sings the blues of an 18th century boy who grew hooves, a horse head, bat wings, and a forked tail, and won the Stanley Cup now haunts the Pine Barrens of southern Jersey. There’s a great looking video too, which opens with Bruce rising ominously from a river. “Sixteen witches cast sixteen spells/ Make me a guitar out of skin and human skull.” Watch out guys, he’s got an axe. -Stereogum


-----


Bobby "Boris" Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers - The Original Monster Mash

Genre: Oldies, novelty

Torrents: torrents.php?id=164694

Review - AllMusic.com wrote:

"Monster Mash" is one of the all-time great holiday songs, resurfacing (and sometimes charting) every Halloween without fail. The Original Monster Mash is the accompanying Top 20 album from 1962, on which Pickett leads off with his big hit before plying his Boris Karloff shtick for another 15 songs. Pickett's other Top 100 monster hit, the Christmas novelty "Monsters' Holiday," is here as well, along with dated jokes about Fabian ("Rabian - The Fiendage Idol") and then-current dance crazes ("Transylvania Twist," "Skully Gully"). "Let's Fly Away" is a brief Stan Freberg send-up that replaces "John and Marsha" with Dracula and Vampira. The Crypt-Kickers were an all-star band that counted Leon Russell, producer Gary Paxton, and other famous folks among its members, and the album remains a fine Halloween party platter year and years later. Unfortunately, the album was remixed for CD release in 1991, and the vocals are obscured in the mix so that the generic rock backing often prevails over the "spooky" dialogue and singing, which defeats the point for a novelty effort such as this.




-----


The Elm Street Singers - Freddy's Greatest Hits

Genre: Rock, Comedy, Pop

Torrents: torrents.php?id=240593

Review - So bad, it's GOOD.


-----


Nash the Slash - Thrash

Genre: 90s, Electronic, Experimental, Indie, Rock, New Wave, Pop

Torrents: torrents.php?id=178063

Review -

After a period of inactivity, Nash returned to the studio in the late Nineties to produce this 1999 release, featuring 53 minutes of unbridled sonic fury in the form of kick-ass rock'n'roll.




-----


Scott Walker - The Drift

Genre: Rock, Art Rock, Experimental

Torrents: torrents.php?id=67784

Review -

The Drift is like little else in music. The melodic austerity, somewhere between plainsong and operatic recitative, may shock fans of Walker's lush 1960s records but, gloriously, The Drift is a record that demands a lot of work and repays tenfold.



-----


Rob Zombie - Hellbilly Deluxe: 13 Tales of Cadaverous Cavorting Inside the Spookshow International

Genre: metal, rock, alternative

Torrents: torrents.php?id=66890

Review - Just as White Zombie was on the verge of becoming the most popular metal band in the land, Rob Zombie decided he was an auteur. Stopping short of breaking up the band, Zombie set out to make sure everyone know that he was the main force in the band, as if there were any doubt in the first place. He did extracurricular animation, managed a band, started a record label, drew a sequence in Beavis & Butt-Head Do America, appeared in films, wrote the script for The Crow 3 (which he planned to direct), and most tellingly of all, he recorded a solo album, Hellbilly Deluxe. Since White Zombie was always his baby, it seems a little strange that he had the need to break away from the group, especially since the album sounds exactly like a White Zombie record, complete with thunderous industrial rhythms, drilling metal guitars, and B-movie obsessions. For most listeners, it doesn't matter if Hellbilly Deluxe is technically a White Zombie or Rob Zombie album, since it delivers the goods, arguably even better than Astro-Creep: 2000. To outsiders, the entire schlock enterprise may seem ridiculous or sound monotonous, but even the weak cuts here hit hard and give fans exactly what they want.


-----


Damon Albarn & Michael Nyman - Ravenous

Genre: Film Score, Folk, Dark Ambient

Torrents: torrents.php?id=113139

Review – Jason Verlinde @ Amazon - Michael Nyman teaming up with Blur's Damon Albarn? Yes it's true, and--as odd as it sounds--the collaboration works. With its eerie mix of symphonic orchestrations and clunky ragtime, Ravenous delivers Gold Rush-era instrumentation with all the eeriness of Deliverance. Stephen Foster's "Welcome to Fort Spencer" is transformed into an off-kilter (and off-key) romp by Foster's Social Orchestra. "Colquhoun's Story" is a meditative squeezebox ditty that sounds downright otherworldly once a meditative flute kicks in. It's not all banjos and jew's harps, however: The Michael Nyman Orchestra does its best imitation of Copland's Appalachian Spring with "Trek to the Cave." The movie may have gotten mixed reviews, but this score is definitely worth hearing.[/quote]The score for the film was written and performed by Damon Albarn and Michael Nyman (by agreement, Albarn credited first on the album and Nyman credited first on the film credits). The score was actually not a collaboration, according to Nyman: "Ravenous was a joint composition in the sense that Damon Albarn composed 60% of the tracks, and I did the rest." It features Nyman's first writing for banjo since his 1981 self-titled album.


-----


Jerry Goldsmith with Lionel Newman & National Philharmonic Orchestra - Alien

Genre: Film Score, Ambient, Electronic

Torrents: torrents.php?id=175271

Review – Roger Feigelson @ http://www.intrada.com - For this monster film set in deep space, Goldsmith composed one of his most complex scores, relying on acoustic instruments to deliver the chilling, otherworldly atmosphere of the alien ship and its monstrous occupants. It was akin to his approach to PLANET OF THE APES, where Goldsmith eschewed electronics in favor of unique acoustic instruments to illustrate the foreboding landscape and upside down society. To achieve this effect in ALIEN, Goldsmith augmented the National Philharmonic Orchestra with didjeridu, serpent, and conch shell, with additional eerie effects courtesy of the echoplex, a process Goldsmith deployed previously to great effect in his score to PATTON. The result -- a masterful sci-fi/horror score that would influence genre movie scores for years to come.


-----


Ennio Morricone - John Carpenter's THE THING

Genre: Film Score, Classical, Electronic

Torrents: torrents.php?id=112149

Review – Ted Mills @ Discogs - Those familiar with John Carpenter's own minimal soundtracks for his films Halloween and Assault on Precinct 13 probably would have credited the soundtrack of The Thing to the director as well. After all, the recurring theme -- a dark, heartbeat-like pulse that circles in on itself without release -- gives the film its particular tension and foreboding. But it's credited to Ennio Morricone, as is the rest of the album. The soundtrack is notable for being one of Morricone's earliest electronic scores and for acknowledging the influence of Carpenter's seminal work in music (and those who influenced him, such as Goblin). It also opts for an atmosphere of dread without punctuating the darkness with obvious scary orchestral bursts. Not a soundtrack for a casual listen, but an important release nonetheless.


-----


Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party

Genre: Rock, New Wave

Torrents: torrents.php?id=24852

Review @ Sputnikmusic - If you take Elfman and put him together with a seven piece new-wave/pop outfit then you basically have Oingo Boingo. The music is comprised of groovy guitar hooks, funky bass slapping, and a whole brigade of jazzy trumpets and saxophones. There is really no astounding instrument playing, the guitar riffs and scales are catchy, the bass playing has a nice groove to it and is mildy funky while the jazzy trumpets weave their way in and out of the dance/new-wave style. Elfman adds onto this with his upbeat and joyful yelps and wails. You won't have much trouble deciphering the lyrics, his voice is easy to understand but his strange and creepy tone gives the music a darker edge. If you guys are into new-wave comparison an easier description would be that Oingo Boingo are a jazzier and darker version of Devo.


-----


Philip Glass - The Music of Candyman

Genre: Soundtrack, Modern Classical

Torrents: torrents.php?id=589541

Review - AllMusic: For the inaugural release of his Orange Mountain Music label, Philip Glass chose the long-sought-after score to the flawed 1990 horror film Candyman. Producer Don Christensen took all the music composed by Glass as well as the remixed versions used in the sequel and came up with an album sure to satisfy the film's fans. Those who appreciate the arpeggios and wordless choruses of Glass will also find much to enjoy in this album, even if you haven't seen the films.


-----


Tommy heavenly6 - Gothic Melting Ice Cream's Darkness "Nightmare"

Genre: gothic, pop, rock

Torrents: torrents.php?id=417675

Review - The title says it all! Oh, and this.


-----


Various Artists - Ghostbusters

Genre: soundtrack

Torrents: torrents.php?id=44798

Review - The soundtrack for the 1984 blockbuster comedy Ghostbusters, which starred Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis as a New York-based team of spook exterminators, follows the most common soundtrack formula for summer blockbuster hits: throw on a bunch of pop songs that were heard in the movie only for a few seconds, combine them with a couple of excerpts from the original score, and -- voila! -- you have a soundtrack album.


-----


Current 93 - I Have a Special Plan for This World

Genre: Experimental, Tape Music, Spoken Word, Dark Ambient

Torrents: torrents.php?id=298289

Review - A Thomas Ligotti poem read by David Tibet, with background music by Current 93. Seemingly recorded on tape. Really, really creepy. Recommended to be listened with headphones on a room with all lights off. The rare vinyl version contains a bonus track on side B, the eighteen-minute Excerpts From Bungalow Tapes.


-----


Sunn O))) & Boris - Altar

Genre: Drone, Drone Doom Metal, Ambient

Torrents: torrents.php?id=6777

Review - 4/5 by Thom Jurek of AllMusic wrote:

Altar is a bona fide collaboration between powersonic drone throners Sunn O))) and Japan's experimental rockist thunderhead Boris. Outfitted by the Southern Lord label (Sunn O)))'s vanity plate) in an oversize digipack with a four-color, 12-page booklet, with black ink on gold metallic pages, it's a handsome package to say the least. When looking through the credits one sees not only the bandmembers from Boris -- Takeshi, Wata, and Atsuo -- listed alongside the Sunn O))) boys Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson, but a surprising array of guests as well, including Joe Preston of Thrones, High on Fire, Earth, and Melvins fame; Earth's Steve Moore; Alan Dubin from O'Malley's other gig, Khanate; Rex Ritter of Jessamine; Kim Thayil (formerly of Soundgarden); and -- of all people -- Jesse Sykes and her bandmates Phil Wandscher and Bill Herzog from the Sweet Hereafter. For starters, five of these six cuts are meant to be listened to at spine-dislodging volume on a decent-to-great set of headphones, or at least a set of speakers cranked to Valhalla with your head placed firmly between them. This baby is really, really slow. All of it. Slower than any record by O'Malley and Anderson's main project. Metalheads may be outrageously bummed at how turtle-like the pace of this set is. But the point is HEAVY, not necessarily "metal." It's drenched in weight and needs volume to lift it off the ground -- and so you can hear everything in this dense mix. When joined together in all their downtuned glory, these guitars and synthesizers actually emit new microphonic tones. The low, pulsating frequencies hack out a space in the wall of drone and offer a new set of tonalities. (Glenn Branca and Rhys Chatham did something akin to this with their guitar-and-bass orchestras, but they were going for the high end of the sonic spectrum and used anywhere from 15 to 100 guitars, all tuned differently and strummed in staggered chord progressions, to get those new sounds.) [...]





http://i42.tinypic.com/149uro8.png




Magical's Pick

Blue October UK - Walk Amongst The Living

Genre: electronic, pop, synth.pop

Torrents: torrents.php?id=309006

Review - The official review given with the album is a bit whimsical but certainly does cover the general feel of the album

Blue October UK returns with their eagerly awaited 4th album. This pioneering British band presents a unique, eclectic mix of electronics and acoustics, hurtling them into the 22nd century. Flashes of yesterday, today and tomorrow tenderly wrapped in every emotion to startle the senses. Real songs brimming with passion, angst and sadness. The band blends their loved and revered trademark sounds with the highest standard of musicianship and sound production. Lose yourself in memories. Think. Reminisce. Dream.......let Blue October UK touch your very heart, mind and soul. Come on, take a Walk Amongst the Living.

It's relaxed and laid back - easy on the ears but never boring - I love it!


Maelia's Pick

The Idan Raichel Project - ??????? ?? ???? ????? (The Idan Raichel Project) Anthology

Genre: World music, ethnic folk

Torrents: torrents.php?id=257658

Review - Christina Roden wrote "...Idan Raichel sought out seventy multinational musicians and began recording with them in his basement studio. As he set about mixing Ethiopian and other African Jewish traditions with home-grown Hebraic, Yemenite, and Arab styles, Old Testament Psalms, and even Caribbean vocals and rhythms, he initially had little hope of ever seeing the sessions released commercially. But he ended up with not one but two precedent-setting, huge-selling albums, from which the present CD was deftly cherry-picked. Opening with a majestic, multi-voiced Ethiopian chant, the 12 selections here make ample use of ethnic-based traditions and instruments. But although the songs share an edifying spiritual depth, they are nonetheless modern pop in the best sense, accessible and chock-full of catchy melodies..."


oni9n's Pick

Easily Embarrassed - Tales Of The Coin Spinner

Genre: Downtempo, Ambient

Torrents: torrents.php?id=72021947

Review - Extoplazm wrote:

Tales Of The Coin Spinner is the third full-length downtempo and ambient album by Easily Embarrassed, a Dutch group formed by brothers Jeffrey and Nick van der Schilden working alongside Peter Spaargaren. Since 2006 they have been exploring the emotional depths of electronic music, drawing inspiration from a wide variety of retro and contemporary styles while crafting their own distinct sound. Now releasing independently on their own EE Records imprint, Easily Embarrassed invites music lovers everywhere to experience the magic and enchantment of their latest symphonic fable.

"Tales of the Coin Spinner is released under Creative Commons license... Pay what you like for the format you like. Free options are included! Remember: sharing is caring too " ~ Easily Embarrassed ("Wow these guys are super-bros!" ~ oni9n)


aberystwyth's Pick

Chalices of the Past - 2 RUDE

Genre: electronic, tropical, pop, 8.bit

Torrents: torrents.php?id=72071809

Review from Abe Rystwyth - The winter is coming - let this EP be your electric blanket. Distortion on every bit of sound turns this beat driven music into a fuzzy form of pop; of which the lyrics, almost indecipherable from pitch shifting, are cheery with complimenting melodies. The flow of the EP is a true cosine wave (0 - 2?), a bumpy lil ride. Leading with 2 RUDE, volume at a maximum, the sunny magic begins. The cool down of Superior Gem and Fabric Fortress lead to a chipmunk'd Michaelangelo sample, and as the TMNT Phasin' trance sets in, Br00tal Krew pokes you right the belly button. Finish giggling bro, cause a slow song is'a comin'. Slow Dance (Slow Dance) gives way to Farewelling, the AOL dial-up internet days return, and like that, *poof*, it's over.


Twansparant's Pick

Autechre - Incunabula

Genre: Electronic, IDM, Ambient, Techno

Torrents: torrents.php?id=6647

Review - For me personally, this album is one of the reasons I got so interested in electronic music in the first place. I had never experienced such strong emotions listening to an album before. After more then 10 years I still get goosebumps listening to this masterpiece. The final track '444' is a pure translation of heaven... I hope you enjoy it as much as I still do!


AtomikPi, ebjo, & momozinette's Pick

Nicolas Jaar - Space is Only Noise

Genre: Electronic, downtempo, experimental, idm

Torrents: torrents.php?id=71887830

Review -

Beautiful album.
Religious experience.
It's my happy place.

There once was an idea that all music did not need to forcibly blast its way through your eardrums. And in a time when dubstep aligns itself with the idea of more, Nicolas Jaar eliminates the excess and constructs a series of chilled out beats submerged in a haze of percussion and sub synths. Turn on the sub, relax, and allow Jaar to enter you.

I write a review,
No one reads this anyway,
Nicolas Jaar rocks.


lux0r8728's Pick

Trampled by Turtles - Palomino

Genre: Alternative, Bluegrass, Country, Folk, Indie, Speedgrass

Torrents: torrents.php?id=740885

Review - Minnesota Public Radio, Chris Roberts - The Duluth band Trampled by Turtles gained a national following for its passionate, frenetic, spontaneous acoustic music. Critics are praising their new cd, "Palomino," for capturing the band's driving energy.
It was Paul Westerberg who in a Replacements song said he hated music because it's got too many notes. So he must loathe Trampled by Turtles, which strums, plucks and picks more notes per nano-second than seems humanly possible.
Trampled by Turtles features banjo, mandolin and fiddle players but no drummer. It's built like a traditional bluegrass band, but that isn't how guitarist and songwriter Dave Simonett sees it. Simonett suspects a more purist bluegrass musician or fan wouldn't either.
"A lot of people in that world have a real strict and confining...view of what a band that has a guitar, bass, banjo mandolin and fiddle has to sound like," he said. "I would love myself to be in like a one-Friday-a-month bluegrass band," said mandolin player Erik Berry, "That tries to sound like 1946. But it could never really be Trampled by Turtles."
So if Trampled by Turtles isn't bluegrass, what is it? Of all the hybrid genres that have been bandied about, from new grass, thrash grass, slam grass and speed grass to non-traditional string music and indie folk, maybe rock grass or even punk grass is the most accurate.


KPenguin's Pick

This is a Standoff - Be Disappointed

Genre: Punk, Melodic - Hardcore

Torrents: torrents.php?id=431275

Review -Being from Calgary, being a huge punk fan and adding 2+2 together and LOVING Belvedere, my natural progression was to get into This Is A Standoff. Joining ex-Belvedere members Steve and Graham with 40Cent Fix's John Meloche and The Johnson's Nick Kouremenos created the type of punk band that throws me right back into the late 90's early 2000's. Melodic, intricate and fast paced, it's clear that Steve and John have really progressed from their last bands. If they are ever in your town you'd be doing yourself a disservice not to check out these guys live as well. Check out "Face the Sun" or "Go With Me" if you want to ease yourself in, if not throw the album on and enjoy 30 minutes of punk bliss.



http://i44.tinypic.com/213iusj.png




commathe's Pick

Whitehouse - Asceticists 2006

Genre: power.electronics, noise, industrial

Torrents: torrents.php?id=63859

Review

What's a good way to introduce Whitehouse? I could call them one of the most shocking bands of all time and I wouldn't be lying. You'd probably think I was just hyping it up. How many times has someone said this album or that album is the most shocking ever? I could mention that they pioneered the genre of power electronics to the point where it was them who coined the term. That would waste your time too. How many times have other albums and albums been help up as the pioneers of this or that style? None of these things will really get across the impact that makes Whitehouse the band they are. There are no melodies or harmonies, though it is rhythmic. The lyrical content is best left undiscussed. Whitehouse is sort of like the musical equivalent of a Gaspar Noe film. If you enjoyed Irreversible's rape scene, I Stand Alone's beating of a pregnant woman, or Enter the Void's car crashes then you might get into Whitehouse. When I say "enjoy" I don't really mean that in the traditional sense of course.




LordSpamulon's Pick

Mew - A Triumph For Man

Genre: Indie, Shoegaze

Torrents: torrents.php?id=64277

Review - Debut album of Denmark's biggest export to the indie world, Mew's A Triumph For Man is often overlooked but easily one of their greatest works. Showing more of their shoegazing influences in tracks like 'Web' and 'Panda', the darker atmospheres they'd later integrate more strongly into And the Glass-Handed Kites with 'Then I Run', a greater fragility than they've ever done since in 'Snowflake', general derangement in the nonsensical 'No Shadow Kick', and the beautiful and graceful original version of 'She Came Home For Christmas', this album is almost an indicator of their later directions, but without the production values and pop/prog rock they'd bring - more acoustic instrumentation and simple and lo-fi synthesizers (sparsely used). Originally only released in Denmark, limited to 2000 copies, the 2-disc reissue brought the album to a wider audience and is worth checking out for the demo of 'Say You're Sorry', which didn't make it to the final album but is otherwise absolutely brilliant. This album's a fantastic little gem, basically.


amareus's Pick

The Head And The Heart - The Head And The Heart

Genre: Folk rock, Indie, Pop, Singer Songwriter

Torrents: torrents.php?id=805723

Review - This is a rather recent band, with only one album under their belt, but they have quickly earned a reputation for making great music in their genre. This is autumnal music, good for singing along to and feeling nostalgic! Give it a try.


Hootch's Pick

Sexy Sushi - Tu l'as bien mérité

Genre: Electroclash, electronic, electropunk

Torrents: torrents.php?id=479162

Review: N/A in regular media. Captivating record which energizes listeners thanks to great synth work by Mitch Silver and extreme vocals courtesy of Rebekka Warrior. Listeners who like Lesbians on Ecstasy will love this.


rhubarb's Pick

Ludovico Einaudi – Divenire

Genre: Classical, Piano, Modern Classical

Torrents: torrents.php?id=53542

Review

I initially found Ludovico Einaudi through Last.fm's similar artist feature. I cannot describe how happy I am to have discovered such lovely music! As an ex-piano player I've always had a soft spot for beautiful pieces like these. I find that much piano music has a sad ring to it despite how happy or hopeful the music is meant to be perceived, and this is no different. Despite some of Einaudi's songs having a hopeful tone, I can't help but feel a satisfying sadness when listening. Perhaps it's just how I react to beautiful things. Either way, when I'm in the mood for classical I never hesitate to put on some Einaudi and bathe in the gorgeous sounds he's created.



daazninvazn's Pick

ATB - Distant Earth

Genre: Electronic, Trance, Vocal Trance, Dance

Torrents: torrents.php?id=71964324

Review - This is ATB's 8th studio album, and I feel that it is one of his best. Similar in style to his last album, but I feel that he has further developed his unique sound. My personal favorite tracks on this album are Twisted Love and Move On. This album really exemplifies how ATB is still popular after over a decade in the trance scene. This also happens to be my first 100% FLAC. .


TheDaftMonk's Pick

Nils Frahm - Wintermusik

Genre: Neoclassical, Ambient

Torrents: torrents.php?id=519843

Review - The way in which this album pushes past the contemporary classical/neoclassical genre into a visceral soundscape—emerging as if from a copse of grey birch into a snow-covered field somewhere in northeastern Canada—has the effect of rendering the listener oblivious to genre. This truly is winter music, calling to mind desolate, snow-covered landscapes; feelings of cold, loneliness, and darkness; but in the midst of such melancholy, an abiding respect for such forces. Humbled by the necessity of winter, we let our fantasies die in order for the truth to be reborn. Thanks to this album, I have a love affair with the cold season. It has, like a great book or film series, generated countless worlds inside me. I hope it provides you with the same level of appreciation.


Chewchoo's Pick

Richard and Linda Thompson - Shoot Out the Lights

Genre: Folk Rock, Rock, Experimentalism, Alternative

Torrents: torrents.php?id=23978

Review - It’s shocking to me how few people know who Richard Thompson is. For my money, he is THE best guitar player in rock history—and I obviously don’t say that lightly. He is also one of the greatest songwriters ever. He started out in the seminal band Fairport Convention--one of the all time great bands of the 60’s. Then he and his wife decided to form their own band—Linda and Richard Thompson. Out of a body of work that is all for the most part astounding, their final album, “Shoot Out the Lights” is also their most realized.


NousWanderer's Pick

Philip Glass - Mishima

Genre: Film Score, Classical

Torrents: torrents.php?id=83890

Review – Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters is easily my favorite Glass score. Some find Glass hard to stomach, others find him hopelessly boring and others still are uniquely moved by his signature style: music with repetitive structures. I find Glass infinitely gratifying, perhaps because I appreciate creativity born under extreme constraints. It’s not that Glass makes simple music, but that his music is tightly controlled. As for this film, Glass himself considers his work on Mishima to be a "musical turning point". The film’s themes – narrative constraint over reality’s variations, life as art, death as a brushstroke – are mirrored in the precise techniques Glass employs in his compositions.


mbvglider's Pick

Kenickie - Catsuit City

Genre: Pop Punk

Torrents: torrents.php?id=71831506

Review:
Warning: The recording quality is very poor on this 7" vinyl release. I could have been kind to normal people and recommended their debut LP, At the Club, which is a great pop album that sounds like a million dollars. Then again, I thought about it, and as much as I love the debut, my favorite Kenickie moments are on Catsuit City anyway, and it does have a legendary status among Kenickie fans, so why bother recommending anything else? Plus, what an amazing sleeve!

You know when you watch teen movies and some high school girls are in some garage band playing their dads' guitars and they got one of their brothers to play drums? Kenickie is that band. Marie was something like 15 years old on this mini-album, and the other members weren't much older either. Quite removed from the lovely but angry punk that American girls were busy churning out, Kenickie is all joy and power chords.

If you don't love this record, I completely understand. Just be happy that it only took ten minutes of your time. At the same time, if you find that you love this record, we might need to be friends.


(Discuss this post here)