Videos

I haven't been too well lately, and haven't really felt like writing all too much. Nope, it's not the dreaded media-bating Swine Flu. I've just been feeling pretty sick and dizzy. But anyway, you don't want to hear about that...

Here's some videos i thought people might like, from some of the bands i've linked to so far, and a couple of new ones who's albums i may be posting at a later date. Regular album posts will carry on from tomorrow.

Incidentally, if you like any of these videos and want to download them for use on an ipod, or just to store on your computer, click on the video you want which will take you to the original youtube page, copy the url, then paste it into the box at http://www.savevideodownload.com/download.php. This will convert the video into a downloadable, decent quality MP4 for you.

Nature Living - "Time To Wind It Up"



These guys are one of my favourite bands right now. This song is off their excellent split with Fact, who if you haven't heard yet, you really should. I'll be posting a couple of tracks from their new self-titled LP soon.

Water Weed - "Revelation"



It's Water Weed again! Hehe. Incredible band, and a catchy as hell song.

16reasons - "Can't Bust 'Em!"



As you can probably tell, i'm a huge fan of the Japanese harcore/metal/alternative scene. It's probably because the country has really taken the reigns lately. 16reasons are yet another flag-waver. They're like a more melodic version of Water Weed, and their EP is amazing. Once again, i may post it soon.

Signal Hill - "A Secret Society (Live)"



What a song. The melodies are incredible. The sample they play at the start is from Twin Peaks, which is no bad thing at all. Best TV show ever made.

Crystal Lake - "The Burden (Live)"


Wow. I would love to see these guys live. Check how ape-shit the crowd goes during the beatdown that starts at 4:20. "LIGHT OF HOPE IS REVIVING, THIS IS A SACRED WAAARR!!". Haha, brilliant.

Broadside - "New Day"


Another fantastic band on the Theory & Practice record label (Nature Living, Water Weed, 16reasons, Empress, etc). Fans of Underoath, Alexisonfire, etc should dig this band. I'll post a link to their EP soon.

More to come soon!

Signal Hill - "More After We're Gone" (2009)

Just like what i said about Our Ceasing Voice's album in another post, this is one of those bands that words fail to explain what sound they have, and just how intricate and amazing it is. The closest bands i can relate these to are Tristeza, The Album Leaf, and perhaps in certain places Mogwai.

This has been both a great, and frustrating year for post-rock. There have truly been some fantastic albums released this year into the genre's already expansive ocean, which is also where the downfall lies. There are a terrible amount of bands that really do sound all too similar and strive to sound so alike that they are quite difficult to differentiate from each other.

Maybe it is just to my ears, but Signal Hill run way ahead of that pack, smiling and waving back at them with an all-knowing grin that they have something that alot of the other bands don't: originality, and a clear pallette onto which they paint their fantastic soundscapes, without first laying down foundations of their peers and influences, thus distorting the vision they have. I can honestly say that there is not one track on this album that doesn't have a huge emotional resonance at some point. They really know how to write very, very moving and beautiful hooks.

May i once again ask you to hear this for yourselves rather than letting my ramblings shape your opinions for you. Here are a couple of my favourite tracks from the album:

Men Before Us
Floruit

Buy the CD

Recommended if you like: Tristeza, The Album Leaf, The Pirate Ship Quintet, Tortoise.

Our Ceasing Voice - "Steadied Stars In The Morphium Sky" (2009)

Here we have a fantastic drone/ambient/post-rock band from Tirol, Austria who are not only amazing musicians but fantastic guys. I was amazed upon purchasing their CD not only to find the artwork hand-crafted and painstakingly attended to, but also a small handwritten thank-you note. It is releases like these that will save the music industry and have people buying alot more, let me tell you. Even though they have the MP3 version of their album available to download for free on their myspace page!

Anyway, onto the music. Each song on the EP starts off with a whirring, slowly building drone/ambient soundscape which after a few hypnotic minutes builds up into a fantastic guitar-driven post-rock climax, where the effects pedals are used to outstanding effect. Heavy without the harshness, melodic without being too technical. I find it hard to describe really how beautiful the songs are.

You should really go check the EP out for yourself, especially seeing as it is completely free. I also highly recommend purchasing one of their hand-crafted EPs too. You can't go wrong for just a few Euros, and you'd be helping the band out with future releases, which can only be a bloody good thing.

Buy or Download EP/Myspace

Recommended if you like: Explosions In The Sky, Eluvium, The Calm Blue Sea, Stars Of The Lid.