Melnar Tilromen: Valley of the Withered River

Boris Christoff meets Dead Can Dance

Looking for Celtic/Gothic rock on behalf of a friend (and having received a few very nice recommendations in private, for artists on and outside Jamendo) I discovered this beautiful surprise.

MADFEET: Si l'amour etait de ce monde

To go where?

Okay... I found this album while searching for Celtic rock music for a friend, and I must admit that it attracted my curiosity, given the fact that in spite of the impressive introductions on the group's main page, the one and only review it has got so far is negative to the extreme and without any explanations. I must also admit that I usually write about the music I find interesting and which I hope other people might also like to discover; I have infinite respect for everyone's creative endeavours and their (our) agony of artistic expression, so when I don't like something, I just don't write anything. And I have to confess that this time, I find myself in a difficult position.

Arne Pahlke: flugUNtauglich

Walking on wings

And just when one might have thought that the variability and perfection of form in Suchen would not be easily surpassed, or even equalled, this new album comes to subvert this idea and give an even more intriguing dimension to Arne's already multifaceted work...

Naadir: Synapticollapse

The dynamics of reaction

A four-song EP of energetic funk rock, flirting with punk and jazzy elements and with some beautiful melodic moments. The songs denounce the injustices of life and the vanity of the world, with vigorous, passionate vocals and lyrics that manage to be angry and sensitive at the same time.

Der tollwuetige Kasper: Manchmal kommen sie wieder

God lives nowhere

The new album by Der Tollwuetige Kasper (Arne Pahlke's side project) "welcomes us into our lives" - in a life that we shouldn't feel too happy or privileged to be living... I will not refer to the technicalities concerning this particular musical style - others have done that much better than I ever could - but I will approach this work subjectively and emotionally, based on my impressions after repeated listens of Manchmal kommen sie wieder.

XKTDra: Presentations

The voice of fairies and mermaids

This is an album out of this world... Music that comes from an unknown, seductive universe, and the voice of a mermaid or a fairy, with an almost archetypal sound that speaks directly to the heart.

Arne Pahlke: Suchen

Another face of Arne Pahlke

First of all, the cover is wonderful - both the composition and the colours set perfectly the mood for what is about to ensue... And what ensues is one more panorama of Arne Pahlke's familiar themes and stylistic explorations - this time with more emphasis on the voice and the acoustic arrangements, relying on guitars and the discreet presence of virtual instruments for the most part.

Blood Ruby: Recent Songs

Girl power

Interesting blend of voices, with an echo of something between Nina Persson and Tracey Thorn - not the kind of female voice that appeals to me personally, but with a very distinct timbre and colour that enhances the atmosphere of the songs. Their lower notes are sweet, showing perhaps the real "character" of the voice. Ethereal guitars and keyboards, robust but not overwhelming percussion. The lyrics are beautiful, some of the melodies "difficult" enough to make a difference.

EsprieM: EsprieM

A voice, guitars and a small dark world

An almost entirely acoustic album, relying heavily on guitars. The voice is a very beautiful hybrid of Brian Molko and Kurt Cobain (mostly Molko, especially in the way the voice "slides" on the notes in Angel's Fly), with an edge of its own and a remarkable expressiveness and flexibility. The lyrics are some of the best I heard lately, conveying powerful, dark emotions.

Ralph Buckley: cocoa krispies & lucky charms

The cruel poetry of addictions and obsessions

After his rather self-explanatory album Fuck the War (which included a little jewel entitled Butterflies), Ralph Buckley makes a spectacular comeback with an album that bears a deceptively colourful cartoon figure on the cover, and the equally deceptive title cocoa krispies & lucky charms.