The Advantage - Elf Titled (2006)

For a blog that came to be from a video game website, I think it would fitting to put up an album that does some math rock-esque style covers of classic video game soundtracks. They have covered songs from numerous video games, including Mega Man, Batman, Castlevania, Contra etc. The cover of the album also does the justice of what you would expect.

There is little intrinsic cheesiness to the original compositions - most of the songs are wiry and ambitious on bass and guitar with interesting counterpoints, such as the extremely frantic bass and high, graceful guitar soloing of the Batman stage 1 music, or the stumbling, disorienting time changes of the Contra themes.

Overall this is a fun release from some dudes that love their childhoods enough to form a band and cover some of their favorite songs from their NES/Super Nintendo games. All of the albums tracks are fun with the second half of the album owning more standout tracks that seem to fit the Math Rock mold almost perfectly. The songs are all translated quite well and there is almost no way of telling a difference, for better or worse.

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Natural Snow Buildings - The Dance of the Moon and the Sun (2006)

The sole idea of listening to 160 minutes of music by any one band can seem like a daunting task. There aren't too many artists out there that I'd want to listen to for 2.5 hours in one continuous sitting. With that much music, you'd expect there to be a decent amount of filler material, but not so in this case. There are 25 tracks, with 4 of them topping 10 minutes long and only 2 are less than 2 minutes. However, this longevity of the songs is well-suited for the drone-heavy post-rock-folk they make. The band is consistent of two French men, one on guitar another on cello. They can be folky, more often ghastly, but there's never a doubt that they're talented.

Opening track "Carved Heart" sets the mood of what's to come over long journey ahead. Electronic whirs and wheezes then fill the room with "Cut Joint Sinews and Divine Reincarnation," making way for the trance inducing raga that lays ahead. Hand drums and finger cymbals are used to great effect, while the ominous drone in the background becomes louder and more threatening. It's definitely the most intense track on the album, and at 15 minutes long, by the end of it you can't help but feel a little scared. This is not the last of the rage-esque tracks on the album, but none of them are as fervent as this initial example. This release may

be hard to find, but if you like having your ears caressed and soothed for hours on end, seek this out at all costs.

If someone is looking to buy this album I can't find anything really. As far as i can tell, The Dance of the Moon and the Sun is out of print, and was supremely limited to begin with...

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Disc 1 Moon

Disc 2 Sun

The Heads - Under The Stress Of A Headlong Dive (2006)

Straddling Stooges-inspired fury and droning, Hawkwind-esque deep space exploration, the Heads churn out a psych-punk maelstrom that answers the rhetorical question “What would Sonic Youth sound like if it sported a massive set of hairy balls?” The Heads bash out careening, catchy heaviness on “Earth/Sun,” the conga-driven “pass, the void” and “Your Monkey Is My Master,” Factor in some loopy, mind-warping psychedelic interludes and a couple of thoroughly engaging extended freakouts (the nearly 20-minute epic “Stodgy” and “Creating in the Eternal New Is Always Heavy”) and you have a quality album that stands on its own.


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ShinSight Trio-Shallow Nights Blurry Moon (2006)

This is a Hip-Hop goup consisting of Insight (emcee), Shin-Ski (producer) and DJ RYOW (turntablist). They do have a new album out(leaked I should say), although on their new album the first half is nice but it starts getting tedious quickly halfway through when they just spam choruses nonstop and nothing else really happens.

Back on track, The production is very jazzy boom bap-ish circa 93-95 but still they keeps things original. Shin-Ski on production shows himself to be a very able jazz rap producer, influenced a bit by Nujabes no doubt. Insight is a good mc, has a good flow for the most part and this is another nice addition to his already excellent discography. The turntabilsm is very nice as well.

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Sample

William Fitzsimmons - Goodnight (2006)

I think it was the beard that did it.

I first found out about William Fitzsimmons while searching through music videos on youtube and was drawn to his massive beard. He grew up as the (non-blind) son of blind parents, so he learned to communicate more with sound than with sight. His parents divorced when he was in college, and this seems to have heavily shaped his musical style, which is smooth, emotional folk.

Goodnight is pretty standard as a Fitzsimmons album (they all sound pretty much the same. The guitar and half-whisper/half-singing that he does is very relaxing. Sometimes he teeters dangerously close to being corny/cliche (with titles like "I Don't Love You Anymore" and "Never Let You Go") but it's still a blast to listen to.

If you want to chill out or cry over a break-up, you could do much, much worse. His other albums The Sparrow and The Crow and Until When We Are Ghosts are also great listens.


Try It! (.rar)

Buy it!($12.50)

Ecstatic Sunshine - Freckle Wars (2006)

Ecstatic Sunshine is a creative outlet for guitarist Matthew Papich. What originally began as a duo (with Dustin Wong), it has now become a solo project for Papich. Freckle Wars was recorded when ES was still a duo, which makes this album different from the other albums in ES' discography.

From the beginning of this album until the end, the album make the listener really pay attention, as the music is a canvas for something so much better. While listening to the music, your mind is free to wander and wonder during each song. Some songs may take you back to your childhood, while others make one think about their future. I think this is why I beginning to love instrumental music more and more. You know what the song is about, and no one else. This album is also very happy album, which makes it all the more beautiful. The actual music on this album is some of the finest guitar work I've ever heard. The guitars also have a fantastic tone, which sets the mood for what you are listening to. I feel like taking this to some of my friends who think guitarists who shred are good, and say "This is what real guitar playing is like!" The guitars also have a fantastic tone, which sets the mood for what you are listening to.

Freckle Wars is an amazing album, the best in ES' catalog, and serves as a canvas for who ever is listening to it's mind to be free and have a fantastic time (being high while listening to this is great too!).

Try It.

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