Rowland S. Howard "Autoluminescent" trailer

Back in December, the world lost one of it's visionary guitarists and a true rock legend. Rowland S. Howard, best known as primary screech-noise guitarist for the Birthday Party, died, but not before this documentary was filmed. I don't have details on release dates or anything (just did a bit of a search), but this extended trailer shows what looks to be something worth looking into...



Rowlandspace

"We Fun - Atlanta GA Inside/Out" DVD (director: Matthew Robison)

As a survey of ATL's present-day indie scene, "We Fun" covers a wide array of modern acts, including Deerhunter, Black Lips, the funky and memorable King Khan & The Shrines, Mastodon, the Coathangers, Mourdella (with the amazing fireplay of frontwoman Jessica Juggz), and others. Interviews with fans, promoters, club owners, and many a drunken reveler are sandwiched between live clips. We see the homespun indie rock scene complete with sweaty bars, yard parties, Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, and a nicely diverse selection of rough and rowdy rock. Atlanta seems to love to party. And drink. And play (or listen to) music. It's an endearing and gritty/candid documentary that sums it all up with the title. It's all about fun. I found this brief (65 minute) film to be an inspiring look at the individuality and character that, without a doubt, fuels the independent scenes not just in Atlanta, but around the world. (See Of Sound.com via MVD Visual)

Hammock - "Chasing After Shadows...Living With The Ghosts" CD

This Nashville ambient duo's 4th album is easily their most realized, and most structured, release to date. With Tim Powles (of Australian psychedelic rock act The Church) at the mixing helm, Andrew Thompson and Marc Byrd summon great swells of lovely organic ambient sound, with droning, shoegaze-soaked guitars and deftly-mixed strings. They weave spacious melodies into their instrumental songs, and the results wouldn't sound out of place on an Eno or Sigur Ros recording. The album's single, "Breathturn", utilizes reverb-soaked distant vocals ala Slowdive, and is certainly a sweet treat for the ears. Other cuts, like "In The Nothing Of A Night", wrap dark edges into the blissed-out atmospheres. But it's never a heavy-handed or ponderous approach. Hammock's music, like their name, stretches out in a most relaxing fashion. It's a breath of fresh air in a sea of pretension and attitude. "Chasing After Shadows..." is a journey worth repeating, functioning either as effective background listening, or as an enveloping headphone experience. Monumental, multi-layered sounds for anytime of day or night. (Hammock Music)

Hammockspace

Hammock - Breathturn from David Altobelli on Vimeo.

A look back at April's beers...ginger, white, and Sam's stunning pils!

Ah, a little late this installment, but I hope you enjoy this brief look at some craft brews. I will have yet more beer reviews coming quite soon, so expect a treasure trove of tastes this month! Remember to support non-corporate artisan and local breweries, and do like Nancy Reagan and "Just say no" to lowest common denominator beer. Prost! Reviews are scored on a 5-point scale, with 1 being toilet swill and 5 being the nectar of Mount Olympus itself.

MICHELOB - GINGER WHEAT (St. Louis, MO) - 2.5

An unusual blending of citrus and spice with a zingy ginger flavor, this cloudy amber wheat ale boasts of a warm ginger aroma and a well-balanced taste. It's not harsh or complex in any way, though not offensive either. In fact, this one seems too tame and lacks personality. A promising idea, but not fully delivering.

TWO BROTHERS - MONARCH WHITE BEER (Chicago, IL) - 3.5

This hazy golden Belgian-style wheat ale pours with a big frothy head and a lovely spicy citrus aroma (according to the label, it's orange peel and coriander). Tastes rich and sweet, with a nicely-balanced tartness. Quite a pleasant drink, and this one doesn't need the orange slice to give it that zesty, crisp flavor. Solid.

SAMUEL ADAMS - NOBLE PILS (Boston, MA) - 4.0

I anticipated this well-advertised pilsner, as it's a seasonal lager from the always dependable (though never flashy) Samuel Adams. Brewed with 5 different Noble hops from around the world, this pours a golden yellow, with little discernable aroma, oddly. The abundance of suds subsides to reveal a clean, floral hoppy character (not a shocker, there) that's light and smooth, with a nice "flavor roll", which is the mark of a complex, quality brew to my taste buds. Superb.

Aosoth - "Ashes Of Angels" CD

French satanic/black metallists Aosoth's second full-lengther is a bold and even atmospheric triumph for the genre, combining an unusually progressive sense of atmosphere to accent the unholy attacks within. The title track is a sturdy and unforgiving storm of epic wall-of-sound guitars that seem to carry the track's more stereotypical blastbeats and hellish vocal torrents. It's a blistering assault, and the wonderfully chaotic, churning guitars even remind me a bit of Killing Joke, which is an endorsement from me. "Path Of Twisted Light" combines the ferocity and sorrow endemic of most (good) black metal with varied tempos and funereal breakdowns. I like that the group balances their dissonant and violent tendencies with a deep sense of melancholy and mood. Perhaps the album peters out more towards the end, but the ominous closer, "Inner War", makes up for it. This one begins as a tormented ambient nightmare that brims with malevolent spirits before exploding into a morass of tight death metal riffs and screams. "Ashes Of Angels" is an unusually good release by a group that dares to stretch the black metal boundaries yet remains reasonably faithful to its original spirit. (Agonia Records)

Aosothspace

"I Need That Record! - The Death (Or Possible Survival) Of The Independent Record Store" (director: Brendan Toller) DVD

Having not grown up with iTunes or Amazon (or even eBay) at my fingertips, it's easy for me, at my age, to understand the ideals and importance of the independent record shop. I credit certain amazing, thoughtful, and creative record shops for helping me find my niche(s) in music, both as a (debatable) musician and as a collector and fan. Having a central location to find (and discuss) obscure, unknown, and amazing recorded music has been a blessing to those of us who live and breathe music. This full-length documentary examines the reality and relevance of having an indie record shop in your hometown, and the alarming reasons so many have dropped off and closed over the past decade. To make his case, director/editor/writer Brendan Toller assembles a worthwhile and knowledgeable base of interviewees, from indie musicians like Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), Ian Mackaye (Minor Threat, Fugazi, Dischord), Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith), Mike Watt (Minutemen, Stooges), Glenn Branca, Patterson Hood (Drive-By Truckers) to writers like Legs McNeil and actual record store owners themselves. Did the corporate record industry kill the indie shop scene? Do chain music stores that cater only to the lowest common denominator ultimately hurt indie shops? Is the increasing homogenization of radio also to blame? Or is it technology's ever-changing grasp at fault? These topics are debated and discussed intelligently and with a hopeful nostalgia, and they make a compelling case to go local and indie. As if you'd consider otherwise, right? Right? (See Of Sound via MVD Visual)

Portal - "Lurker At The Threshold" picture disc 7"

Veteran Australian death/grind group Portal here unleash a reissue of their 2006 cassette demo, pressed on tasty (and highly-limited) picture disc 7" vinyl. The two tracks here remain somewhat muddy, but the sinister, blackened Lovecraftian vibe is intact. The A-side, "13 Globes", begins things off with an insane blast of grindcore that resembles a multi-tentacled leviathan battling a huge pirate ship, weapons flailing and hacking demonic flesh. Side B, "Omnipresent Crawling Chaos", is a frenzied lawnmower of sludgy grindcore madness with unintelligible gargled/grunted vocals. There's nothing lovely or melodic about Portal, not in the least. This is energetic death grind at it's best.
(Chrome Leaf)