Music for 2011 - Part 1

Before the first quarter of the year comes to an end here are some nice albums you should be (and probably are) aware of.

C'mon

by Low
6.7/10

They have a new one out and it's actually quite nice but they're playing it too safe. As a whole it doesn't reach the greatness of I Could Live in Hope or Things We Lost in the Fire, obviously. But there are some diffuse melodies that remind us that our Low collective is still able to produce some sparse slowcore gems from time to time. Just not in the concentrated form of an album. One of my favourites can be listened to here. I still advise you get it only if you're a fan.

Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light

by Earth
6.9/10

This is a very slow and dragging record, not in a sense that bores you but in one that soothes you. The laments of the cello are escorted by slow and serene guitar melodies. Works well as a background soundtrack. And as a designer I must also point out Stacey Rozic's illustration work for the album packaging that you can see here with more detail.

Ravedeath, 1972

by Tim Hecker
7.1/10

I was pleasantly surprised by this one because I never really connected well with Tim Hecker's glitch electronics. This one is just pure atmosphere. It seems that 2011 will be a good year for background music.

1000

by Cheveu
8/10

I already introduced this band here in my blog when I saw a short video for their fantastic single Like A Deer In The Headlights (which also features in this album) at a film festival last year. They finally gave birth to another proper album of dirty synths and punk brashness. Oh and they have a song titled Charlie Sheen which is something totally cool at the moment: