Velvet Condom - "Vanity And Revolt" CD

Sly electro wave

The name "Velvet Condom" is meant to evoke something smooth, but safe and plastic, and that more than fits here. This French-via-Berlin duo has released several albums since their formation in 2005, and this new one includes 80 minutes of what the band call "dirty pop" or "weird wave". I'd add "robot pop" as another possible description, as these tracks are minimal electronic pop tunes that harken back to the early new-wave days. 

There are a multitude of sly synth grooves, not overly dance-worthy, but definitely of a gritty big-city Euro decadence. Imagine early Soft Cell combined with early Cure, as in "Trash Vaudeville", or the shoegazey Jesus & Mary Chain-styled "Separ-Hate". "Vanity And Revolt" is a very retro-inspired take on post-punk, maintaining a strict melodic slant within the cold and often gray feel of the songs. Solid work, especially for fans of classic wave.

Rustblade

Velvet Condom site

Naevus - "The Division Of Labour" CD

The English post-punk group Naevus, led by  of Lloyd James, has been around for over a decade, and this is his/their seventh album. "The Division Of Labour" is a diverse album combining some seminal influences into a palatable and edgy amalgamation. 

"Man In A Ditch" opens with a dark neo-folk sound, before diving into the Wire-esque "Idiots (Let Me In)", complete with dissonant guitar noise and metronomic rhythms alongside literate vocals. "Bleat Beep" or "Making Hay" feature stark, stylish, and often deadpan vocals in the same realm as Douglas P. of Death In June or Colin Newman (Wire). Other cuts echo this type of sound, hinting at folk and electronic music, but never quite becoming either. Naevus bring the old-school English post-punk back with a fresh coat of paint.

(Klanggalerie)

Zola Jesus - "Conatus" CD

At only 22 years of age, operatically-trained rural Wisconsinite Nika Roza Danilova has already released 3 albums and several EPs of her darkly-shrouded ethereal rock. "Conatus" unveils some richer, less monochromatic textures, and even some (almost) dance beats into the mix. "Vessel" is a crushing assault of industrial-style percussion alongside Danilova's haunting vocals. "In Your Nature" is both stark and anthemic, like a female-fronted Joy Division. The closer, "Collapse", is a dramatic and moving lament, with Danilova backed only by an electronic drone. Imagine a cross between prime Siouxsie, Kate Bush, and Fever Ray, and you'd still be underestimating the wonder of Zola Jesus. Superb work from an artist who's matured well beyond her years. (Sacred Bones)

Zola Jesus website

The Cure - "1985 European Tour" CD

The Cure were once an excellent group. Past tense. Sorrowfully, that was nearly 20 years ago ('Disintegration', to me, was their last great work). I grew up with them, and certain records of theirs helped me through my trying teens. 'Three Imaginary Boys', 'Faith', 'Seventeen Seconds', 'Pornography', 'The Head On The Door'...all greats of dark, mopey, angsty rock. Laugh all you want, but I still have a soft spot for these.

I haven't been able to listen to much of their work since then, unfortunately. But if there's any doubts of the Cure's worthiness, here's a rare live show from their 1985 European Tour, originally released as a bootleg CD in Italy. The files are ID'd as 'At The BBC 1985', as it's been issued under different names by different bootleg companies, but it's the same show. Great sound quality, and some of the band's finest songs...