Tag Archives: New Wave

Patetico Records has released Broken As We Are by Panophonic

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Broken as we are by Panophonic


Broken as we are
by Panophonic

That cool indie label Patetico Recordings has released another album that will turn dream pop heads. Broken As WE Are is the new album by Panophonic. It still has that same ‘analog flavour’ as the other Panophonic albums. This means that when you listen to the songs, each one sounds like it’s from a cassette table released in the 80s. And I think that’s the kind of sound the band have tried to emulate since their first album. I think this work. There are those of us who have this nostalgic cravings for all things 80s.

The album starts with a slow track called Your’s to Keep. This one ends with a great electric guitar solo. Served Cold follows with this great drum pattern. It’s raining outside and this is a good soundtrack. If you like early 80s Goth stuff then you will appreciate this one. Especially if you are a big fan of The Joy Division.

The title track Broken as We Are sounds trippy. In fact it reminds me of any Siouxsie and the Banshees song from the late 80s – early 90s. They exploit dissonance in a good way adding something to the bare atmosphere which feels like you are walking in an abandoned warehouse late at night. Nothing Left is quite a surprise as it uses the keyboard as the accompaniment. You would not suspect the singer is American than Brit. The somber melody can really haunt your dreams like any scene from a Sandman comic book.

Understanding Emptiness has that hypnotic drum beats. Perhaps they are channeling The Cure. This is another ‘thriller/suspense’ candidate for any TV series. You know where the main character looks like Johnny Depp in Edward Scissorhands. Haunt My Dreams is too dissonant for my taste but I am sure when you are in the mood for something dark and depressing then this will suit you. Sweetness and Light is another slow scorcher that borrows heavily from Ian Curtis/Joy Division style, while Until the End takes you out from your stupor into a slow dance under the rain. The keyboards are like flapping butterflies tugging at your pained heart.

The Great Manipulator is another nod to the great Gothic/New Wave bands of years gone by. The upbeat As I Rise closes the album. Broken As We Are is a satisfying musical journey into moods, feelings and decades. This is potent and beautiful , all from the awesome Panophonic.

Nostalgia Kisses The Future with Shades of Sadness and Sorrow by Stellarscope

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Yup, nothing could represent the power of indie music that Philadelphia’s own Stellarscope. They are back with a new album called Shades of Sadness and Sorrow. They are improving on the sound that defines them as a band: a combination of 80’s post punk, dream pop and Gothic atmosphere. a2476030429_10

There are 10 songs from this album. Shades of Sadness and Sorrow is their latest release after The End is Near. I’m Not Prepared (March 2014). The album will be officially launched early this March 2015. It is amazing that the Shades of Sadness and Sorrow sounds complex considering that there are only two personnel under Stellarscope: Tom Lugo and Bob Forman.

The recording is so lo-fi you would think you are listening to a cassette tape from some obscure 80s band. And that’s the way I like it. In a way it is a trip to the bast while at the same time the subject is very much relevant to what’s going on in the world. The vocals sound like they could have been recorded inside an abandoned factory as you can notice in the echo.

Dug this Hole greets us with its energetic style plastic through speakers. Perhaps this might be the band’s carrier single. We will see. It is hard to choose which track stands out. There’s Never Hated Like This (which I can personally relate to following the tragic personal events in my life three years ago). Although I think Living in a Haze is my favorite of all. I love the hazy guitar sounds that encircle the song creating a plasma of stellar radiation amidst the pulsing rhythm.

Farewell sounds like an intro from either a Sioux’s or old Cure song. I don’t know how to describe it…but classy could a fitting word. The Mansonisque Eat Your Heart Out sounds a bit chaotic but the drums are crunchy like spicy peanuts. After the aggression and robust sounds of the previous tracks, It’s All Gone Slows the pace. The glorious guitars of Soul Disturbances reminds me a bit of Bauhaus especially that the singing is unmistakably Peter Murphy. I love it! Face the Dirt closes this carousel ride with high notes.

Stellarscope proves that what is beautiful about rock in the 80’s is here to stay. And it is a joy to be showered by music like this at a time when everything feels bland.

EP review : Failure in Many Dimensions by Panophonic

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Panophonic Failure in many dimensions copy

Also featuring Joel Sarakula, Layne Greene etc…

As Halloween creeps up it is great to have a companion soundtrack. The sumber beauty of Panophonic’s Failure in Many Dimensions reminds me of old Joy Division and Cure with that guitar and synth sound. There are six songs and the EP has a (in my opinion) a fantastic artwork. Failure in Many Dimension is released by Patetico Recordings which is an independent  label and promotional company based out of Philadelphia. It is the same label that brought us great music from bands like Under the Wire, Stellarscope and ShiShi.

This is a follow ep to their fantastic EP Sounds of Desolation. Although the arrangements vary per track and the approach evolves per release, you can always expect somber melodies and atmospheric synths from Panophonic. After all these are the things that make their sound unique.

The EP opens with In You I Want to Swim which is a haunting song reminiscent of 80s New Wave/Goth Rock music. What Do You See is mind blowing in its simplicity. The pulsing beats are gorgeous. This brings me to shoegazer heaven. All the tracks in this EP pay tribute to dream pop if you love that style of music. The guitars are ethereal. The singing, sublime. Give it a listen to bring smile to your face despite its somber mood.

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New single by Joel Sarakula

“Hello. I am proud to present to you my new single Northern Soul. This is my first release since I released the ‘The Golden Age’ last year.” Joel Sarakula
Joel Sarakula is a singer/songwriter from Australia who is now based in the UK. This is a new single which will be included in a new album which will be released next year. I don’t have the information as to the title but I know anything from Sarakula is worth a listen! I just left a message to his fanpage saying ‘this is a smile inducer!”
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People of Pictou Country: Layne Greene

Layne Greene geared up to release an album next year.

Got this from People of Pictou County:

He’s a musician. When he was four years old, his mother put him in piano lessons. It wasn’t long before he discovered his love of music. Over the years he’s played guitar, piano, and dabbled with a few other instruments.

But there is one instrument that means the most to him–an acoustic guitar. It’s not just any guitar, though. His grandmother shares his love of music, and one day about 50 year…s ago, while his grandparents were camping, they came across a gentleman playing a guitar. His grandmother wanted it, and his grandfather was willing to buy it. Some bargaining, and $13 later, his grandmother had the guitar she wanted. They kept it, but years passed and it started to collect dust. A few years ago, this young man discovered the old guitar in his grandmother’s closet. He knew it was special, and he wanted it.

The guitar was in need of serious repair, but he saw the potential. When he graduated from St. F.X. he decided to fix the guitar as a present for himself. Just as he’d known, it was an amazing guitar and he’s been using it ever since.

And he’s used it well. Today he has music that has been listened to over 52 000 times online, played numerous concerts, and he’s about to release his first CD.

Watching him tell the story, I couldn’t help but notice how much his eyes lit up. A simple guitar, purchased on the spur of the moment during a camping trip, had been handed down to the best possible person. Someone who saw treasure and memories in a $13 guitar.

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Got this while perusing the web:
Annual UK vinyl sales set to crack the one million mark for the first time since the mid-’90s – FACT Magazine: 

http://www.factmag.com/2014/10/17/annual-uk-vinyl-sales-set-to-crack-the-one-million-mark-for-the-first-time-since-the-mid-90s

Electro in the morning.

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I am posting this cool electronic album for those who  haven’t heard it yet.  It features my friend Paula on I Could Be. Cold Model Records is based in Montreal Canada. Hey does it ever make you wonder why all interesting music are found in Canada? Is it the geography, the climate or the people? It makes me wonder! By the way this is legally free for download.

Great New Music:First Cold Model Records Compilation Out Now!

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Canadian Indie Label has its first compilation of FREE music featuring artists to watch out for this decade!

Artfully crafted, rich atmosphere and stellar melodies to swoon to. Everyone here is in top form! I don’t want to name a  favorite  because everyone worked their best to come out with an amazing track for this compilation. Cold Model Records is an indie label based in Montreal Canada. This also happens to be the first compilation from them.

I have played this album again and again and it just gets better and better. All the artists  are worth your ears and indulgence with their own chosen styles in the electro world.  The artwork is eye-catching. This is a perfect party music. Just bring your cold drinks!

New Wave music isn’t dead. It just  found a new following and created a new freshness through these artists. Although this album is free, I suggest we try our best to support our indie artists so they can make  more music. And this can be done not only through buying their albums but also by making positive reviews of  their works if you happen to be a blogger.

1. Melankolya – Neurotic 03:25
2.Scene Noir – Stranger 05:15
3.Thorn (UK) – Warm Leatherette 03:19
4.John Costello – Blanket Expression 04:27
5. Kid Kasio – The Reason 03:59
6. Neil Gahan – Statements In Digital 04:33
7. Paula – I Could Be 05:13
8. Dark Digital – Precisely, Victoria 04:58
9. Story Off – Again 04:50
10.Dekoder – Shadow Figures 04:16
11. Exit – The Door 05:24
12. Apriorism – Forget The Now 03:54
13. Attrition – Dante’s Kitchen (Shok Remix) 05:42
14. My.Cosmo – Delay Dark 04:36
15. Shh – Inside Every Storm Lies A Dead Thing 07:27
released 15 May 2012

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cold-Model-Records/278842438844315