Phil Western - "Laborandum" CD

Veteran electronic composer Western has quietly amassed an extensive, widely-varied, and highly collectible catalog of solo work outside of his better-known work with cEvin Key as Download and Plateau. "Laborandum" amicably sums up his solo work (both under his own name and as Kone) into a cohesive 54-minute set. 

Opening with the elegantly lush urban techno of "303", Western's combination of Detroit-style grooves, mellow West-coast psychedelia, and a post-industrial sense of sound manipulation come together splendidly on cuts like "Ke Bop Bop". "I Roll The Nickels" deftly uses samples of Charlie Manson alongside otherworldly electronic blips and beats. "Angels", the exclusive track here, is a dark slice of hallucinogenic electronica that reminds of classic Severed Heads with a modern ambient twist. The remaining tracks don't falter, either, and although "Laborandum" could be packed with more music, and plenty of Western's works remain criminally out of print, this is a superb place to sample his skilled sounds and beats. (Rustblade Records)

Dead Leaf Echo - "Truth" CD

This Brooklyn band's second full-length is a stylish and hazy daydream that harkens back to the classic days of 4AD or Creation Records. In fact, that may be somewhat intentional, as the band recorded this with noted producer John Fryer (Cocteau Twins, Love & Rockets, Xymox, Depeche Mode, etc.). Opening with the gauzy and soft "Half-Truth", the album spins a shoegazey web of moody guitars and passive, androgynous vocals. They lose me somewhat on the silly "Dance In The Light", with its rather redundant lyrics ("Dance In The Light Of Your Soul"? Come on now, folks...) that prove the band is aiming more for mood than poetic realism. The final track is a remix of "Act Of Truth" that goes for a retro-80's synthpop kinda vibe. That said, fans of classic swirl-mope-rock ala Cocteaus, Slowdive, or The Cure, Dead Leaf Echo should be more than pleased by Dead Leaf Echo's dreary and monochromatic goth-shoegazing. (2&1 Records)

Dead Leaf Echospace

School Of Seven Bells - "Alpinisms" CD

From the ashes of indie rock act Secret Machines and the more experimental On!Air!Library! comes this sweet and swirly bit of auditory candy. Elements of shoegaze register quickly on this radar, as does the gentle shuffle of trip-hop/electronica, all gelled together in a melodic and accessible pop framework. 'Face To Face On High Places' is an early standout, with the cooing reverberated vocals of twin sisters Claudia and Alejandra Deheza channeling Liz Frazier without being a knockoff. It's a warm and lilting vibe here, from the minor-key layered textures of the ethereal 'Half Asleep' to the Joy Division-like starkness of 'White Elephant Coat'. Call it 'dream pop' if you want, as 'Alpinisms' certainly scales some otherworldly reverb-friendly heights, yet has a well-pronounced melodic, song-oriented form. Imagine a well-balanced melding of Cocteau Twins, My Bloody Valentine, His Name Is Alive, Postal Service, and Bowery Electric, and, if a few of these are already in your collection, you'll be in for a treat with 'Alpinisms'. A beautiful and enjoyable record. (Ghostly International)

SOSB website

SPC ECO - "3-D" CD

The first non-Collide release from American indie label Noiseplus, this cryptically-named release is, in fact, an alias of Dean Garcia of Curve. With vocalist (and daughter) Rose Berlin in tow, he's tapped into the heart of swirly, epic shoegaze with this splendid 13-song album. Relying less on electronic rhythms than his other recent works, SPC ECO (pronounced 'Space Echo') is by far his most pleasing release in years. 'Shine On Down' takes the template set by My Bloody Valentine and the Cocteau Twins and brings that noise-melody sound screaming/murmuring into the new century. Berlin's lost little girl vox are often obscured in the dense din of Garcia's programming and textured, layered guitars, but they add an ethereal feel to the songs, as in 'Telling You', which begins with a driving bassline and leaves just enough breathing space for her vocals to shine. In fact, SPC ECO is the closest Garcia's been to Curve in some time, and in some aspects, this is the culmination of his various projects. The production is superb -- deep, dense, and thumping in all the right places. Berlin's voice 'oohs and aahs' in a most sensuous way, and the songs flow beautifully. Sure, it's nothing to expand the shoegaze sound (it's pretty well peaked), but '3-D' is a seriously gorgeous listen for anyone who longs for the days of Slowdive or MBV (or Curve). 'You're Alright' is a more driving, rock-angled track, with Garcia's big guitars and stronger, more forward vocals from Rose. Two remixes close out this fine disc, one by Tim Holmes and another by Alan Moulder, which add a more clubby aspect to the tracks. Holmes' mix of 'Telling You' echoes Curve more than anything else here, in fact, and Moulder (who's known for his work with bands like The Jesus And Mary Chain) keeps a more swirly, droney vibe on his mix. A superlative release for those with an inkling for pretty noise. (Noiseplus)

Dean Garcia's social networking site

Dead Leaf Echo - "Pale Fire" CDEP

Soft and pillowy shoegaze-pop from NYC, this 6-song release conjure visions of old UK 4AD act Lush, with shimmery guitars and moody (but male) vocals, especially on 'Thought Talk', which features similarly angelic female harmonies. Dead Leaf Echo create richly melodic veils of sparkly guitars and lethargic vocals that seem to convey both indifference and sorrow. Whether that's a good thing is up to your interpretation, but these folks create some sounds that definitely have few peers in today's musical climate.

A mix of their track 'Pale Fire' by electronica producer Ulrich Schnauss is easily the highlight here, and he shrouds the band in a dense, multi-layered mist of intense sound and holes them up in it - much more to my liking than the lighter, more pop-oriented indie breath the band seems to create on their own. And the climax here is breathtaking, as well. Wow! There are 200 copies of this one, so you may need to act fast. (Dead Leaf Echo)

Atlas Sound - "Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel" CD

Atlas Sound is the debut solo effort from Deerhunter frontman Bradford Cox, and this pretty little ambient pop album was composed and recorded entirely by him at home. There's some nice swirling soundscapes, guitar drones, lots of hazy reverb, primitive electronics, and dreamlike-gauzy vocals, all adding up to a textural post-shoegaze ode to, well, falling in love. But Atlas Sound doesn't sap it up as this may imply. 'River Card' is an introspective and starry-eyed gem, complete with tinkly keyboard accents and a fatalistic outlook. 'Cold As Ice' is drifty and, well, chilly, and 'Scraping Past' has a subtle electronic rhythm present behind the droning vocals and guitar noise. 'Let The Blind...' is a nicely personal recording, and full of sublime sounds to caress the soul. I like it. (Kranky)
Bradford Cox myspace