Remedy Motel - My Favorite Record

Genre(s) - Country (rock)
Origin - United States of America
Year of release - 2005
Bitrate - 320 kbps
Size - 71.33 MB

I was righteously recommended this by a good friend: some good old-fashioned American home-grown country, and still very unknown too. Let's hope that changes soon, Remedy Motel is a great young band who nails the nostalgia just right. My Favorite Record reminds of long stretches of interstate crossing the mesas, interspersed by dingy roadside bars full of bikers and ladies of the night. It's not totally retrogressive; it has a shiny modern sound and a versatile approach, but the music's soul is old indeed. Wonderful music to kick back to reading road-novels. One of the band members is even called Bart! But you don't owe this to me, so if you like it, say "thanks Lucy!"

1. My kind of story
2. Broken man
3. 49.95
4. Short on time
5. California eyes
6. Elvira
7. No more
8. Let me die
9. Come On Inn
10. Grandpa Joe
11. Face to face
12. The last song
    

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The Tough Alliance - Two EPs

Genre(s) - Electropop
Origin - Sweden

The Tough Alliance are also Swedish, and that concludes the range of similarities to Lifelover. It took me a blonde-quiffed Swede to get to know them. The two dudes play some strange form of electronic music that sounds chaotic and mismatched, experimental and still poppy, and kind of drugged-up catchy. They're hard on vocals and brass and the rhythms are definitely more than simple unilinear doing-doing-doing dance beats. I can not describe it in much more detail without probably missing the mark. This is the only electronic music I know that is inspired by revolutionary politics, even if those are not expressed as such through the music itself as much as in the theory behind the group.

Make it Happen

Year of release - 2004
Bitrate - 128 kbps
Size - 8.65 MB

1. Tough
2. Make it happen
3. Take no heroes
4. Many men
   

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New Waves

Year of release - 2006
Bitrate - 256 kbps
Size - 24.30 MB

1. Kill kill kill
2. Silly crimes
3. 25 years and running
4. Mine was real
   

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Lifelover - Erotik

Genre(s) - Black metal/depressive pop
Origin - Sweden
Year of release - 2007
Bitrate - 320 kbps
Size - 81.12 MB

Still not dark enough for you? Then maybe you need some Lifelover in your life. With a mixture of musical styles even more cynical than the mocking name, they seek to confuse you and fuck with your mind. Compared to the debut Pulver (posted here), the sophomore effort presents a more unified sound, blending the different elements more thoroughly into the whole, although it seems a bit less melodic and more droning. Lyrics seem to be themed around alienation, negativity, death, hedonism and (self-)abuse; you know, all the good stuff. This band has a unique and uncanny way of creeping up on you and inducing all sorts of dark, involuntary thoughts and feelings in your all too vulnerable mind. That is not a warning - it's a warm invitation.

1. Förspel & intrång
2. Sweet illness of mine
3. I love (to hurt) you
4. En man i sina sämsta år
5. Dödens landsväg
6. Välkommen til pulvercity
7. Saltvatten (du + jag vs. Tellus)
8. Besatt
9. Höstdepressioner
10. Humörets bottenvåning
11. Museum of past affections
12. Nitlott
    

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Furia - Martwa Polska Jesién

Genre(s) - Black metal
Origin - Poland
Year of release - 2007
Bitrate - 192 kbps
Size - 59.07 MB

October last year, Polish Furia released a new album that I was very much looking forward to but which ultimately didn't really satisfy the expectations that the debut had set. So I am offering you this, their finest hour, Martwa Polska Jesién ("Dead Polish Autumn"). It is a splendorous monument of black crystal that beckons your unconditional worship. Highly concerted, concentrated destruction, mind-bending in its massiveness and impenetrable in its darkness. An atmospheric depth that is all too easy to lose yourself in. The band's talent, authenticity and confidence are clear from every tone. Those hammering drums, those scathing vocals... here is all that makes black metal wholesome. Big headphones and high volume more than recommended.

1. Nade mną mgła
2. Dzién czarny, noc czarna
3. Krew w kolorze Bursztynu
4. Ślepych dzień
5. Na ciele swym historię mą piszę
6. Idzie zima
   

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Darkthrone - Ravishing Grimness

Genre(s) - Black metal
Origin - Kolbotn, Norway
Year of release - 1999
Bitrate - 128 kbps
Size - 41.22 MB

Darkthrone are beyond legend and require no introduction. This most aptly titled album from their early transitional period is among my all-time favourites by Norway's most loyal, and totally crushes anything on A Blaze in the Northern Sky in every aspect if you ask me. It features some of the most crawling, ominous riffs the band has ever concocted, and the album rings with a triumphant, arrogant sadism. Of course, Fenriz and Nocturno - most charming figures the both of them - have much to be arrogant about, especially with this beast of cold and harrowing beauty... Ravishing Grimness, indeed.

1. Lifeless
2. The beast
3. The claws of time
4. Across the vacuum
5. Ravishing grimness
6. To the death (under the king)
   

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Let's Whisper - Make Me Smile

Genre(s) - Twee pop
Origin - United States of America
Year of release - 2008
Bitrate - 192/320 kbps
Size - 19.61 MB

Here is some unabashedly adorable, lo-fi twee (is there any other kind?) from wonderful WeePOP! Records, because it was such a sunny day today. And if you ask me, Let's Whisper is among the best out there. The Make me Smile EP does not exhibit the deliberate amateurish bedroom recording values and unsteady performance as some other bands make them, which I find a plus. The clarity and simple but capable instrumentation highlight the flawless compositions. Hey Sunshine and Ice Cream are really sunny and will bring a wide smile to your face that's impossible to wipe away. However, Dylan's Song and Tender Circles are brilliantly bittersweet and you'll have to put up a fight not to let them affect your mood just as much. In a nutshell: tender harmonies and happy-sad melodies galore.

1. Dylan's song
2. Open road
3. Hey sunshine
4. When you were eating ice cream
5. Tender circles
6. Dylan's song (demo version)
   

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L'Âme Immortelle - Gezeiten

Genre(s) - Electronic darkwave, Neue Deutsche Härte
Origin - Austria
Year of release - 2004
Bitrate - 128 kbps
Size - 52.69 MB

For those it may concern: L'Âme Immortelle are the closest thing to German Electro I still had pre-uploaded on Mediafire. They're Austrian and sing in English half the time, and like ASP as well they gradually incorporated more rock influences, stapling crunchy angular guitars to the electronic backdrop in places where the sound (apparently) could use some heaviness. Some of the beats also seem to be played on an acoustic kit, so it's really just the closest thing. It's a very enjoyable album all in all, which took me a while to fully appreciate. The band feautures male and female vocals, of which especially Sonja Kraushofer's are very good (she also sings for ethereal band Persephone). There are some slower songs that, save for Ohne Dich, do not become tedious if you take time to learn to enjoy them. Without You, luckily, is not just an English version of the aforementioned song despite the name - which is actually a bit odd if you think about it.

1. Es zieht sich davon
2. 5 Jahre
3. Fear
4. Stumme Schreie
5. Fallen angel
6. Gezeiten
7. Rain
8. Masquerade
9. Kingdom
10. Calling
11. Ohne dich
12. Believe in me
13. Without you
    

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Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio & Spiritual Front - Satyriasis

Genre(s) - Apocalyptic folk, military pop
Origin - Sweden (ORE), Italy (SF)
Year of release - 2005
Bitrate - 192 kbps
Size - 47.41 MB

A debauched carnal encounter between the two most sensual and deviant acts of the neo-industrial era, Satyriasis was destined to be long before it was. The two projects each have a style of their own, but there are no two other bands that are as compatible. This is also reflected in the way the album is structured. Transition from the one band and back again is so seamless there is no reason to call it a transition altogether. Spiritual Front are the folkier, more organic of the two while Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio still take more cues from (martial) industrial structure, but both bands supply great exclusive material. The joint-effort intro and outro could have been more substantial, however. They really just serve as in- and outroduction while I'd have loved to hear some co-written actual songs. No matter, you can handle the setback. Now go get 'er.

If you enjoyed the Italian band you can find more here; ORE definitely warrants a future post.

1. ORE ft. SF - Your sex is the scar
2. SF - Song for the old man
3. ORE - Hell is where the heart is (the gospel of Thomas)
4. SF - Autopsy of a love
5. ORE - Three is an orgy, four is forever
6. SF - Border
7. ORE - Dreaming of my scarlet woman
8. SF ft. ORE - The pleasure of pain
   

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Heidevolk - Walhalla Wacht

Genre(s) - Folk metal
Origin - Gelderland, the Netherlands
Year of release - 2008
Bitrate - 160 kbps
Size - 47.31 MB

From the East of the Netherlands comes this Saxon warband, a nomadic pillaging machine that sacks and burns clubs and venues around Europe without end, posing a continuous threat to the continent's ale reserves while doing so. Their music is just right: competently written, burly pagan metal with a live violinist, aggressive guitar leads and great clean vocals that praise Wodan, vicious battle, and drinkin'. Some tracks like Wodan Heerst are quite slow but even those have a certain catch and flow too well to ever get tedious. There's a new album coming out this month, which I hope is as good as this. Catch these guys live when you get the chance, good times will be had... though for me, half the charm are of course their exclusively Dutch lyrics.

1. Saksenland
2. Koning Radboud
3. Wodan heerst!
4. Hulde aan de Kastelein
5. Walhalla wacht
6. Opstand der Bataven
7. Het wilde heer
8. Naar de hal der gevallenen
9. Zwaarden geheven
10. Dageraad
    

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