monthly music report

Another music for the month summary. [And one of these days I'll actually look at last month's summary before I start buying...] Received my copy of The Drink, the Devil, and the Dance, the second album by Melbourne's Graveyard Train; the first album, sadly being unavailable. The Graveyard Train are a very laconic and doom-laden horror-themed country group (currently touring Canada and the NW USA). Now I'm not a great fan of country music but it definitely suits a hellish existence [video]. I particularly enjoyed how The Ferryman, Let's March Boys, and Run Billy Run excellently captured the futility and doom of the genre. Although it is also interspersed with fun songs such as Mummy [video] and Even Witches Like To Go Out Dancing. Musically quite unexceptional, but thematically excellent. Another great find courtesy of Spicks & Specks [video]. My other physical acquisition was A Romance of Ghosts by Bone Orchard (not to be confused with the goth/punk group of the same name). This is a much more Old-Timey style of western band, albeit with more modern instruments (such as electric guitars). Excellent guitar work, great vocals, and driving infectious rhythms. The oft-whispered vocals just set the perfect tone for songs such as Dancing With The Ghost of William Bonny and Ranch of Ghosts. However, unlike the case with the Graveyard Train, it's not doom-laden, but rather a ghostly echo of time's past. It is difficult to select any favourites, as they are all good, although the aforementioned two, as well as One Cut, One Kill and Sea of Storms would have to be some of my favourites. [Actually the last two are pretty brilliant thematically as well as excellent musically.] And then there is the excellent Missouri Raider. One of my new all time favourite bands. This month also featured some acquisitions from groups who aggressively marketed themselves on MySpace (by asking if I wanted to be their friends). Note that this is always a recipe for success, but it worked for Steam Powered Giraffe, as it encouraged me to look at their imaginatively-named first album Album One (and pick up the Honeybee single as well). I think their music is best described as entirely consistent with their stage persona - a steam-powered clockwork vocal orchestra. Some really excellent four-part harmonies with very spartan instrumental backing (a bit of guitar and percussion with the occasional horn and tuba), many of which directly invoke their stage persona (to the extent of getting stuck on a note and needing to be fixed with a a sharp wack of a wrench-bearing wench). Also features an occasional five point harmony with what one presumes is a real human (female) singer (who apparently wields a mean wrench). As such Brass Goggles, I Am Not Alone, Electricity Is In My Soul and both Steam Man Bands are particular favourites. Excellent harmonies. Almost a steam-powered boy's band. Also from a friend request in MySpace we have Luminescent Orchestrii and their album Neptune's Daughter. Now this group tends to feature duelling violins (three I believe), and infectious Black Sea rhythms and songs (such as Strigas the Hunter), so it's not surprising I like them. Also I'm quite partial to women singing in Romanian thanks to Elitsa Todorova and Xena: Warrior Princess. However this group is based in New York, as is clear from the folk-rap that is Nasty Tasty. And much as I detest rap, this I admit does grow on one with each listening. However most of their music is purely instrumental, although there are a number of pieces where they provide vocal accompaniment. Music designed to get up and dance to (admittedly whilst wearing strange folk costumes), rather than stuff you'd find at a Parisian cabaret to smooze to. [I can make up words if I want.] The final "want to be my friend" from MySpace was Catherine Duc, with her album Visions and Dreams. She is an electronic/new-age/ambient composer with a nice layered complexity to her pieces. Her music is definitely something you want to listen to in relaxed isolation and contemplation, not compare to anything else. Next we have The Machine in the Garden's latest album, Before and After the Storm. Given the first track is Cimmeria I wonder if they have done anything on the new Conan soundtrack. I do admit that the primary reason I'm a fan of TMitG is that the lead vocalist is half of one of my favourite musical team ups (Mirabilis), but even if she wasn't, then I'd still be attracted to the complex rhythms and great vocals of the songs on their later albums. And this is filled with plenty, such as Scathefire and In The Vanir, as well as the aforementioned Cimmeria. Although I was slightly disappointed that a third of the album consists of remixes); not because of the quality of the remixes, but because I wanted more new TMitG songs! Speaking of remixes I've finally finished collecting the last bit of Collide's Vortex (a collection of remixes of Collide songs, most of which are excellent electronic covers of other music). Only a couple more albums to go. Also picked up a copy of Something Wicked (That Way Went) from Vernian Process, a single available from their Bandcamp site. Very carnivalesque and highly recommended. And speaking of albums guest-starring Erica Mulkey (aka Unwoman), Voltaire has started the pre-order for his new CD Riding a Black Unicorn. And speaking of pre-orders, both the Eliza Rickman and Galanis Kickstarters were both successful, so I hope to be able to report on both of these in the near future. [I think I've almost lost track of how much pre-order stuff I'm due. Kickstarter is evil that way. And then their is that Tom Smith Album he promised those of us who helped fix his toilet (long story). Not to mention 316BC: Carnage Amongst The Tribes. Both of which are some years overdue. <sigh>.] Anyway, back to music acquisitions for this last month before my brain shuts down completely, I also got the soundtrack to an excellent German vampire film Wir Sind Die Nacht ("We Are The Night"), mainly for the haunting melody of Self-Fulfilling Prophecy. And I finally put the first set of soundscapes (The Orbital) for the Rapture: The End of Days RPG* on my music system. So they can join my explosions special effects CD. Still, they aren't that bad in and of themselves, being background noises for playing the game they are perhaps the ultimate in ambient "music." Whilst they were free, they were good enough to make me consider grabbing the others. Then again, I like subtle. And along with the live-action Space Battleship Yamamato movie I was sent a copy of Blackmoon, the latest (only?) album by Hideyo Blackmoon. Very ambient/jazz/trance electronica. Not as musically complex as the aforementioned Catherine Duc, but the vocal component definitely eases one over the sometimes quite cluttered instrumental base. ETA: Forgot to add the first album by The Fiddle Chicks - Ivory Tower - which is currently sitting on top of a pile awaiting it's transcription into my music system. So I'll leave it to next month. [* Not a Xian RPG, but rather based on what happens if the rapture comes and takes everyone on Earth when most of humanity is out exploring the nearby stars and miss out.] All links to MySpace (or to YouTube for videos). I do hope someone comes up with an uncluttered substitute for bands for MySpace - that isn't geographically limited to the US as the current replacements mostly seem to be at the moment.<sigh>