Brian Cook "This World Just Eats Me Up Alive (Ba Da Bing!)"
It has been a long time since we heard a solo-album from New Zealand psych rocker Brian Crook (The Terminals, The Renderers) but The World Just Eats Me Up Alive (Ba Da Bing) erases any time in between with an emotional, noisey, psych garage wonderland. Hushed vocals, Velvet Underground-esque band chugging along, with adventurous, alien guitar lines up front. This is the real deal. Check out the unnerving “Dragged Both Ways.”
Moon Duo "Stars Are The Light (Sacred Bones)"
If you are in the mood for some exceedingly bubbly, psychedelic disco good times, then look no further than the newest release from Moon Duo. Stars Are The Light (Sacred Bones) finds the duo indulging every danceable instinct they’ve ever left off of their prior LPs. The mesmerizing result is a wavey, trippy celebration of grooves and grooviness. I know, this isn’t exactly what we’ve come to expect from Moon Duo, but what fun is being predictable? A heady mix of the aforementioned disco, throw in some 90s rave music, and mix that with their signature guitar lines, and this is a guaranteed good time. Check out the head-nodding “The World And The Sun.”
Alessandro Cortini "Volume Massimo (Mute)"
As the keyboard player for Nine Inch Nails, Alessandro Cortini has done… well… I’m assuming you know what that sounds like. But what of his latest solo album, Volume Massimo (Mute)? Well, if you can imagine an instrumental Nine Inch Nails at their most melodic, pretty, and sensitive, you have a good idea of what’s going on here. Swirling layers of perfectly programed synths with minimal percussion, this is like an otherworldly dream of an album. Check out the haunting tension of “Amore Amaro.”
Beak> "Life Goes On EP (Temporary Residence)"
Just a handful of months since the release of their 3rd full-length LP, Beak> are back> with a blistering> blast> of 4 new tracks on the Life Goes On EP. The trio, consisting of Geoff Barrow, Will Young, and Billy Fuller have, to these two ears at least, never sounded better. There tunes have always been a little strange, but these congeal in a way that feels fresher than ever. Each song quivers in analog brilliance, with hints of vintage reggae, Krautrock, prog-y syncopation, and every other amazing thing that should be in every good record collection. Check out the aching, alien guitars of “We Can Go.”