Review and Download links on the blog:

http://nfrblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/download-clair-cassis-luxury-absolute.html

Back from the dead! Josh and Angela (of Velvet Cacoon) have reappeared from nowhere with more Clair Cassis, in the form of Luxury Absolute - another excellent EP of luxuriously fragrant atmospheric black metal, influences by seafaring themes as far as track titles like Antique Sea Smoke and Olive Ink Seahorse suggest, along with the murky burble of the central Soft Castle. To say this is essential is an understatement, even for those of you not so into black metal, just try this and see if you feel it.

More words and download links on the blog:

http://nfrblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/download-joris-januar-liar-paradox.html

here's a bit:

I wrote about the German industrial dark electronica producer Joris J a while ago, and he's now back with a split release for the blog-label Kulturterrorismus. The album is the label's first release, and it underscores their interest in the dark side with imposing conviction. The first three tracks belong to Ratbag - a ghostly presence clanking about in the night with pitch black brain scraping noise, ectoplasmic undercurrents of bass and bottom end drone lurking about making it all dense, slimy and aggressively harrowing.

my first post for the Sonic Routher blog, a review of Peaking Lights 936.

Eagle Rock, LA based label Not Not Fun has been producing the goods for well over a year now with nary a single mistep in its release schedule. Run by Britt and Amanda Brown NNF has been a focal point for heavy lidded lowest-of-the-lo-fi straight to tape bejewelled, silk-screened rumbling and mumblings since 2004, but in the last couple of years has been ramping its output up into the stars with an accelerating trajectory of future household names that has included Abe Vigoda, Ducktails…

This weeks listening stats: This one goes up to eleven

iTunes still insisting it can't recognise my ipod when I plug it in, restoring it to factory default, so this is only plays while I'm at home, nothing from on the move or at work. I HATE YOU ITUNES I HATE YOU I DO!!!

01. Peaking Lights - 101
02. Gruff Rhys - 28
03. Twin Shadow - 27
04. Guards - 23
05. Tim Hecker - 22
06. Vondelpark - 21
07. PJ Harvey - 20
07. Heathens - 20
09. Spirit Spine - 18
10. Radiohead - 16…

More words and DOWNLOAD link after the jump:

http://nfrblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/download-ourobonic-plague-moon-worship.html

New album from Ourobonic Plague and it's his first on a label that isn't his own Theosophical Nightmares - released a week or so ago through none other than this season's blacker than black label AMDISCS (never know if it's full caps or what). Another stunning album to add to the darkened halls of the Czech tastemakers, another excellent release from this Australian atmospheric manipulator.

Here's a pair of videos from a beautifully nostalgic sounding electronic artist from London (by way of California) called Vondelpark, that makes the second of todays two things that maybe shouldn't be seen.

I have been in two minds about posting the video to Hippodrome. The chiming liquid ambience is one part Chillwave, another part electronica from the shores of Forest Swords; 2-step debased through close proximity to a year out in the wilderness of witch house; where the Wirral resident uses the misty sounds ouf Mesyside as the foundations for his sound, Vondelpark uses his childhood relationship…

Since the moon is hanging high, bright and full enough to read by tonight (at least it was when I wrote this) it seems pertinent to post about a band called The Soft Moon.

My KINGS buddy tipped me off to these; an excellent San Francisco band whose self-titled album was released on Captured Tracks (home of Wild Nothing, Beach Fossils and Thee Oh Sees), in November, pressed on suitably blood red vinyl. If you felt cheated out of the last Interpol record, or thought they should really be stepping it up, The Soft Moon have strode…

Neon-neo-gothic, strobescopic video for nu-Grace Jones-like scary-lady fronted two-piece Light Asylum.

Video on the blog:

http://nfrblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/video-light-asylum-dark-allies.html

It's one of the more aggressive tracks off their EP and shows off Shannon Funchess’s range pretty comprehensively, though it's even more intimidating to know that she does have plenty more in her arsenal across the rest of it. She has that kind of rich, classic sounding voice that instantly connects - she does owe a huge debt to Grace Jones and it's kind of weird having two of the stalking the Earth simultaneously, but then it's a voice that brings…

Once more unto the DiS last fm thread twin post:

CIrcles:

Low numbers for another week; iTunes still insists on restoring my ipod to factory setting every time I plug it in which is annoying because A) it takes a little while to reconfigure it every time I plug it in, and B) No goddamn scrobblessszzzz!!!11!!

01. The Soft Moon - 35
02. Voyageurs - 31
03. Gnod & White Hills - 29
04. Velvet Davenport - 24
05. Ducktails - 22
06. Iibiis Rooge - 18
07. Solar Bears - 15
08. Minks - 12
08. Ghost Animal -…

My blogs end of year list is up. Definitive, in as far as all the albums I've heard go. There's too much music around isn't there. Far far too much.

Full write ups on the blog:

http://nfrblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/top-50-albums-of-2010.html

Full 50 in list form here:

50. Clair Cassis – I / II
49. Sleeping Peonies – Rose Curl, Sea Swirl
48. Magic Lantern – Platoon / Sun Araw – On Patrol
47. The Steven Lasombras – A Diamond Eye Shines In Failing Light
46. Drudkh – Handful Of Stars
45. Twin Stumps – Seedbed
44. Winterfylleth – The Mercian Sphere
43. Stag…