Friday, December 19, 2014

THE DIRE DIARY AND THE TEENAGERS OF THE YEAR

I have always been amazed as to how a good recording came to be. How they choose to find the words to express their thoughts, feelings and aspirations. Some cryptic and some are unnecessarily obvious.  But to all the things which were left untold, unplayed, unsung and unhummed, those are the songs that would stay  stored, locked and hidden somewhere.  Again, like houses in ourselves, for which our hearts are to blame.

Yes, one of the records again that accompanied me on those days I needed to be carried safely away to every hurdle I have to glide or soar through. Like defense friendly mechanisms, one has to use for one or two, or three, to the nth to be amused. 

I quote the New Radiant Storm King
"I am an Architect...toss it back and burn the slack away " (The Opposing Engineer Sleeps Alone)

I hear,  I have ears too.  And eyes that can see and read.  Senses that track my movement.  A heart that speaks from within.  Truth has its consequences.  And for all the things that we hate that goes on around and over again, pretending it does not happen.  I still believe in dreams and though I must say I do falter from time to time, the spark shall and will try remain active.  And if at times I fail, I'd be humbled, and if I succeeded at some point, I'd be honored to continue believing that things could somehow bring to light what's stuck in darkness. 

Mine was a tough one.  I meant the cross I have to carry.  Each and every one of us I suppose have their own crosses to bear, their own calling like molded to be.  The call to be this and to be that.  To find his own self to burn the light that is within.  Looking for your own shadow, chasing your own tail, blazing your own trails,  counting your blessings, thinking big, keeping track of time, making sense of your own existence, and bringing your own beer, lol .  . . 

But to find these, one must have to do it alone.    And one might perceive that its all done and begone, through all of these nonsense, meaningless pursuits, one gets to know who were those who was with you along for the ride.  Some might give up and settled for less. At present, especially when holiday comes, and merry-makings seem to distract.  For once, or should I say I've been doing it all along without even noticing it, myself.  Like blind spots, as what it is called.   And for once again, as we somehow do feel the same I suppose.  

Through all the cheers, jeers, laughter, voice and the cacophony, we as I somehow forget our own promises to do what we're really suppose to be doing.  And as our institutions may or can somehow betray, one must try and stay focused, and stay the same.  And at the same time still hold on to the torch, believing that tomorrow will bring forth another age. 

Nobody is ever perfect, as no country ever is as well.  This reality is reflected continuously and is shown all around everyday.  For whichever way we take and travel through, for every misgivings we have and we mistook for the good, or lesser into the lesser to the lesser evil, as Gods and loved ones could just guide us through, I am an architect of my own destiny as you are all as well,



Thursday, December 11, 2014

THE SMASHING PUMPKINS - MONUMENTS TO AN ELEGY


Corgy
by RC

As of this writing, I am currently trying to download a flash player for this pc, just to play an online radio show from another planet to no avail. I don't know why. Something wrong with their system or something? And as of this writing too I'll be listening to the new Smashing Pumpkins release. I just grab something from Pitchfork which featured Being Beige. And to think that this place or computer shop should be faster than the usual connection considering the services they offered, but then again so what. And I yet have to listen to Billy Corgan's solo release somewhere from from a disc I burned. And whatever happened to Zwan anyways? 'Yes, I don't and I love you." It does made sense after all William H. Corgan.  

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

PITY SEX - DARK WORLD


Pity Pretty
RC

IT is a little sad how some things just need to be so hard to find.  Rare are the times when I get to hear the kind of music I need to hear to get me through the day.  And because it seems that that is just the way it is, then I abdicate if that's the right word.  Though I heard a band from the Philippines who sounded pretty much anear for which I won't mention and leave to those with the candy-eared to search for.   I must say that I read about this band Pity Sex from a column somewhere which was described to sound  close to that legendary band that hailed from Scotland.

This is an EP that was released on the same year they formed in 2012.  And they are from Ann Arbor, Michigan, wherever that is.  Anyway, you might just really need to listen to this.  



Sunday, September 28, 2014

PANDOVISIA - THE LAST MAN ON THE NET


To The Net
By RC
 
I am about to embark to some kind of serious study when I came across this as I searched for an Avant Garde Filipino band that made a song about the most common mode of transportation here, "The Jeepney".
This is unmistakably how some computer enthusiasts might relate to. Let us support kick-ass music..Hints of Bowie, Barcelona, The Rentals, I suppose and Buggles, and Cage?

YouTube Link

Monday, September 22, 2014

EVEN ATOM - YOUTH IN ASIA

Fusion
By RC Avellanosa

Okay now, I'm back and a feeling a little exhausted. For some reason, I could envision that this could turn out (and hit me in the face!/kick my ass!) to be the most challenging year of my life. But perhaps I will try and continue this. Well here is a trio fronted by Sarah Catharine. She's a musician, a disc jockey, an astronomer, a music lover, a painter...and who knows what else she can do. Gorgeous and a beaut, I'd say she'd be thrilled to see these tracks posted here. And because this has got to be one of the most endearing record or music I received, I'd try to be more polite in introducing and promoting this four track.  Should this be called an EP?  A Four-Track EP, extended play?  I don't know what to call this,..but hey, I may just have to listen to this further but months have already passed and I should write about how these tracks somehow left me deadened and stuck at some point.  I learned that this trio disbanded and Sarah may have to pursue her solo career.

 And so without further ado, here's Even Atom from Erie, Pennsylvania. And to quote SC "Love it , hate it, like it, whatever... I know you're out (far away for miles) out there..."

Even Atom on My Space

Ghost
Larva
Salmon
Vicious









Friday, August 8, 2014

BARLOW - FELL ASLEEP EP


Warlow for Rawbar
By RC

This sounds like when your band had a perfect day inside a practice studio or garage with a boombox standing somewhere.  Recording the entire play as everyone was having each and every member of the group deeply engrossed, passionately with the skill.  And though one might find it uninteresting to some who are used to hearing high or stereo mixed sound, the scout types and the prime movers or you might just call the avant-gardster types would find this very adorable and tasty since it is in its raw quality.  Not that 'RAW' anyway and whoever coined that term should be shot since having to define this sound quality as 'RAW' material is an engineer somewhere or just a fellow who needed to make it sound more pleasing or better than how it sounded originally 

Well, an alien shared a link for this EP.  And it just is sometimes confusing for me how some musicians or producers define their outputs as EP LP Studio and Demos,, Albums, Reissues, Rehashed, Versions, Remixed, Rerecorded and bah blah bah.  But there it is BARLOW.  Lower the bar, bar the low, the lowest lows to the lowest lows.  Lofi at its finest.




Monday, July 28, 2014

BARLOW - FOUR CASTLES


Castling
By RC

Well, this band's quite or I should say adorable.  The sound that'll cheer up your gloomy days I suppose.  At par with such lo-fi acts as Sentridoh,  I am eternally grateful.  If you got some headphones, earphones or the usual speakers at home or driving a bicycle, or a  motor car, perhaps this might just calm you down and ease up some nerves.

 My Pick

Monday, July 7, 2014

BOB MOULD - BEAUTY & RUIN


In Bob I Trust
by Ryex Avellanosa

I can still remember the first time I bought one of my most favorite record.  It was Sugar's Copper Blue.  The record just felt right.  The right amount of guitars that go very neat along with its other accompanying instruments.  You get to feel unusually fuzzy or something.  I didn't really care too much about who's behind the music back then.  I later found out of course that Sugar was fronted by no other than the man himself, Bob Mould.  And same as almost all Bobs, Bob Mould'd real name is Robert.  Yes, his name is Robert Arthur Mould.  His was a music I wouldn't mind listening for hours and over and over for days if not weeks. Well and it's not that hard to find that he was associated to some other past and present outfits. Blowoff, Husker Du, Loud Bomb, Sugar and Deep Dish to boot. That's it. Hope you're still soundtripping guys. And I would like to thank an alien from PA for the heads up.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

GUIDED BY VOICES - COOL PLANET



Planet Cool
By RC

This an edited review.  And there's always this thought of having to look for other sources other than the usual record store out from where I reside. Vinyl records seem not to arrive down here anymore. Unless you are one heck of a music collector.   And turntables are hard to find these days.  If only I have saved the classic gadgets before.  But Guided By Voices continues to alarm me.  How do they do it? Look at them. United as one.

Download Link
 

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

PXIES - EP 3

 

Pixies III
by SNDTRPR

The third of a series of Pixies EP releases completing the latest album release "Indie Cindy".  This has got to be the best among the three for me.  You can read  more about the new release on the links below.


Link 1
Link 2
Link 3

Monday, February 10, 2014

GUIDED BY VOICES - MOTIVATIONAL JUMPSUIT


Company Saved
by SNDTRPR

Bob and the gang will keep you preoccupied.  They're practically a non-precarious act to follow.  Robert Pollard has kept Guided By Voices the kind of band that persists on a scene where others would hesitate  This attitude has produced a lot of records, daring and magical in substance, a level unsurpassed by previous and the current generation.  With Toby on the side, GBV has made the appreciation of rock music a daily routine.

NEW Guided By Voices record Motivational Jumpsuit
Album is available for pre-order and will be released February 18th.


Thursday, January 9, 2014

PRESENCE - CLOSER


The Absence of Presence
by SNDTRPR

Just had to say that I just heard about this band from my cousin who's currently somewhere out in Norway.   And just as I was about to dig in to their music, I learned of their frontman's demise. They were apparently releasing this album when Gary Biddles died last April.2013  Biddles also sang with the band Fools Dance and was a former roadie for the band The Cure.  Details of his death was not revealed or may have been withheld for reasons unknown. 

I am immediately drawn in to listen to some of their tunes.  This unreleased album Closer , was shared on Soundcloud last March.  They released their first album Inside in 1993.  They also have some live clips on Youtube.  They were simply neat.


Sunday, January 5, 2014

THE SOUNDTRIPPER - 2013'S TOP 100 BEST FIND


Top 100
by  SNDTRPR

I meant to post this before reaching 2014, but was obviously  preoccupied with something else. And to compile a hundred beautiful tracks really was not an easy task.  But it's only the 5th day of the New Year anyway.  Not that anyone's gonna care, I don't even know how or why I am in a way motivated into doing this. Just the same, and considering that The Soundtripper is thriving on to reach its third year this year, perhaps it still is a necessary chore to do so.

So here are 100 tracks I kept and cherished the whole year of 2013.  Some tracks were haplessly crammed in just to reach the total number of a hundred, but was careful enough to keep the list in its best shape as possible.  If you'd try to categorize them, or wonder how I came up with such list, you'd notice with careful, persistent probe that this was divided into ten genres and mixed into the blender.  Or like preparing ten ingredients and pouring them all into the boiling pot.  Just let it steam for hours to cook.  And if you don't have anything better to do, just play on.  You might just love it.

Part 01
  Part 02
Part 03

Part 04 - http://www.mixcrate.com/ryanavellanosa/sndtrpr-top-100-2013-best-find-prt-04-of-10-1476187
Part 05 - http://www.mixcrate.com/ryanavellanosa/sndtrpr-top-100-2013-best-find-prt-05-of-10-1476470
Part 06 - http://www.mixcrate.com/ryanavellanosa/sndtrpr-top-100-2013-best-find-prt-06-of-10-1476618
Part 07 - http://www.mixcrate.com/ryanavellanosa/sndtrpr-top-100-2013-best-find-prt-07-of-10-1476777
Part 08 - http://www.mixcrate.com/ryanavellanosa/sndtrpr-top-100-2013-best-find-prt-08-of-10-1476868
Part 09 - http://www.mixcrate.com/ryanavellanosa/sndtrpr-top-100-2013-best-find-prt-09-of-10-1476968
Part 10 - http://www.mixcrate.com/ryanavellanosa/sndtrpr-top-100-2013-best-find-prt-10-of-10-1477059
 

METALLICA - 72 SEASONS

I didn't want you to notice that it has been years since I wrote for this blog.  It's been three years since.  I can't believe h...