Venetian Snares - Winter In the Belly Of A Snake

this is one of Snares' darker albums, but unlike the similarly creepy Doll Doll Doll which goes for an extremely heavy approach, this album is more subdued, most likely because Snares created it to deal with the death of his father. it even features Aaron's own vocals on tracks like Dad, which add to the personal feeling and atmosphere of the album.

MP3 256

Mew - Frengers

Mew are pretty standard indie rock, not a great deal of experimentation except for some slight dream pop influence, but they're definitely one of the best bands of the genre. the first 3 songs and the last two are all amazing, the album gets a bit weaker around the middle and so is inconsistent but is overall very good.

MP3 V0

Clann Zú - Rua

Clann Zú are a unique post-rock band that combine crushing melodies and crescendos that the post-rock genre is most well-known for with traditional Irish music (i live in an area famous for Irish festivals, i'm an expert on this shit), achieved mostly through the use of Gaelic lyrics on some songs and a violin. despite the mostly organic feel of the album, there are some trip-hop elements included as well, most prominent on the song Ri Rá.

MP3 320

True Widow - True Widow

one of the more perculiar shoegaze albums i've heard, True Widow don't go for any dreamy qualities. the distorted guitars are there but they have a slow, plodding feel that is reminiscent of stoner rock and the album comes across as quite depressing. this band is for the most part completely unique and i've never heard anything like it.

MP3 V2

Dirty Three - Ocean Songs

amazing post-rock. not overly experimental but it has a bit of a folky edge and it's not just crescendo-core. their violinist is extremely talented and this was released in 1998, way before many bands were doing the same thing. well worth a listen.

MP3 V0

Spylacopa - Spylacopa

Spylacopa is a fairly unknown 'super-group' with members from bands like The Dillinger Escape Plan and Isis. as such, they play post-hardcore with some sludge influence. there are a couple of ballad-y tracks as well, reminiscent of Pink Floyd. also, Julie Christmas sings on one of the tracks, which is pretty awesome.

MP3 V2

United Nations - Never Mind The Bombings, Here's Your Six Figures

United Nations are a screamo supergroup whose details have been shrouded in mystery since the band first came to be. since its members are in various contracts with record labels, the band members are not known (aside from Geoff Rickley from Thursday) and the band's name prompted the actual UN to remove half their websites.

this is their second release, and it is slightly tamer than their original 2008 album (very, very slightly). while i mentioned Geoff Rickley, this isn't anything like Thursday, it's much closer to powerviolence than emo. this is still a great screamo EP, and 2010 needed one. shame it's only 10 minutes long.

MP3 192

Tokimonsta - Cosmic Intoxication

more instrumental hip-hop. unlike the last album i posted, though, this is very similar to Flying Lotus. all kinds of electronic experimentation is present, with some acoustic guitars and trumpets scattered throughout the album.

MP3 320

Rabbit Hole Revelations - EP

Rabbit Hole Revelations is a one-man instrumental hip-hop project. i'd consider it closer to Nujabes than anything as very little electronics are used (aside from sampling, which doesn't really count). instead, the beats are complimented by lovely acoustic guitar and piano.

this is also completely unknown, so TONS OF HIPSTER CRED

MP3 320

Maps & Atlases - Tree, Swallows, Houses

Maps & Atlases are a hectic math rock band from Chicago that, despite being incredibly technical, aren't heavy at all. guitarwork is more focused on tapping rather than riffs, and so the album remains light and fun.

also, don't get their new album, it is really bad.

MP3 V0

Kyte - Dead Waves

Kyte are a relatively new band that create a mixture of post-rock and shoegaze. they lean on the poppier side of shoegaze, as there isn't a great amount of guitar distortion here. with electronics used throughout the album along with a lovely vocalist, this album doesn't fail to disappoint.

MP3 V0

Amen Orchestra - 17 Waves

Rossz Csillag Alatt Született part 2. classical music mixed with super fast breakcore. if you like Venetian Snares' adventures into classical music, you'll love this.

MP3 V2

Coughs - Fright Makes Right

so i'm pretty sure abrasive bands with saxophone players are one of the best things ever, and Coughs have all but confirmed that. this album is a headache waiting to happen, a mixture of punk / noise rock with two drummers, a keyboardist / saxophonist, a bassist, a guitarist and a girl screaming over the top of everything.

MP3 192 (most likely the highest quality link on the internet)

Ödland - The Caterpillar

i don't remember where or how i found this, but it's good french folk. songs range from lovely and upbeat (The Caterpillar) to gloominess, almost bordering on depressing (Les Yeux De L'Oiseau). this is a band that play music i'd consider cute, but it's not overboard obnoxious cuteness. the brilliant female vocalist helps too.

MP3 320

Sieben - Desire Rites

Sieben is a neofolk / neoclassical project created by Matt Howden, who has worked with many similar artists and bands. violin is the most prominent instrument here, with Matt's seemingly Douglas Pearce-inspire vocals scattered throughout the album, along with pounding drums and acoustic guitar melodies on a select few tracks.

MP3 320