OFF: Best Of 2014

[Keith Henderson]

Jerry G. wrote...

> I don't do social media either. I've been hanging out at
> hardrockrevolution.com (when I'm not on
> bandcamp).

Will have to check that out...
 
>  Thanks for the links. There's a few I have to check out :)

Hope you enjoy some things there...normally, when I find a "new discovery" on Bandcamp, your name is almost always there already.  :)

> One of my favorites.
> 
> https://mugstar.bandcamp.com/album/mugstar-cosmic-dead

Yeah, I've been listening to Mugstar for four or five years now, since Scott Heller played them for me once.
 
>To listen to Cosmic Dead side
 https://thecosmicdead.bandcamp.com/album/fukahyoocastulah-from-mugstar-split-12

I liked the Easterfaust material a little bit better than that one, and it was one of the several that just missed the cut for my Top 30 of 2014, better known as the "slightly crushing" list. :)

To be honest, I don't know what that really is supposed to mean.

Anyway, as far as Aural Innovations goes, I pretty much retired from reviewing/writing stuff for the 'zine years ago, and only publishing my annual list for whatever reason.  But I managed to actually contribute something of substance lately, which is a review/interview of Atomic Simao, the Ukrainian band that does cool instrumental psych jams with a Hendrix-y flavor, particularly the opening track of their first album (duh...check the title), which was just re-released on vinyl in Greece (on Cosmic Eye, the same label that just released an OSC album recently).  So if you're a vinyl collector, you might want to snag one of these ltd. ed. items (only 350).

Here's the link to the article:  http://aural-innovations.com/blog/2015/01/atomic-simao-review-and-interview/

And I really think Christian (since he's around at the moment) needs to listen to Sleepin Pillow (speaking of Greece; they're from Thessaloniki) and tell me what he thinks of them.  They are not too dissimilar from LPD (the subdued whisper vocals, esp.), but they have a lot of Steve Wilson-ish sensibilities, as well as a bunch of other influences, like middle eastern, here and there.

Their most recent album (which was No. 5 on my 2014 list) is up on Bandcamp via their label, but you can hear all three on SoundCloud here:

https://soundcloud.com/search?q=sleepin%20pillow

I'd check out Superman's Blues (their second one, I think from 2010) first maybe.

A lot of new stuff I hear is really good, but some of it is too much the same as some other band I've heard.  Sleepin Pillow is post-rock, psych-groove rock, krautrock, middle eastern, gothic electronica, space rock all at once.  I'm duly impressed by their inability to be easily pigeonholed (as much as I try...)

Keith H.