Altar Eagle are content under layers of gauziness, the duo’s music emitting the type of confidence and nostalgic yearning that triggered attention for Beach House, Cold Cave, and other recent breakouts known for their simultaneous recollection of shoegaze and implementation of electronica. Its two members, Eden Hemming and Brad Rose, have been working together throughout the past decade. Their first project, Corsican Paintbrush, was a precursor to Altar Eagle’s fascination with ambiance, psychedelia, and folk, with tracks like “Bones of Ash” sounding like a procession of spirits around a campfire, amplified with the necessary doses of sitar-like guitars and droning reverb. This campfire-like spontaneity is still present in their work, even if Altar Ego’s efforts supersede both the intricacy and melodic prowess of Corsican Paintbrush. Their music has always sounded like it came straight from a cassette tape, all while retaining the ethereal and otherworldly tendencies of a sound dependent on the collaborative chemistry of two very like-minded individuals.

The whole male-female duality of Altar Eagle immediately brings Beach House comparisons to the table, even if Eden Hemming’s vocals are not as up-front as Legrand’s. Rose allows Altar Eagle to stray away from the automation that many shoegaze/psychedelic inspirations nowadays fall victim to; it bashes an ideology where many seem to think that using an organ and then adding reverb to a drum machine is stylistically inclusive to shoegaze/dream-pop, with no regard at all for the intricately developmental songwriting that is pivotal to the style’s classification. Beach House are one of 2010’s success stories because their production – which actually lacked chords in favor of single-note dualities – treasured melodic songwriting over intricate note placements. This is what made Teen Dream sound so diverse. The production on each of the songs are strikingly similar since aid from beyond the duo was minimal, but they did not languish behind reverb or distortion in fear of repetition or discordance. They wrote songs that encompassed the serenely ethereal tendencies of the genre, all while infusing hooks that sounded majestically cohesive enough to stray beyond dream-pop’s borders into more conventional pop, a fusion that should be embraced more than feared.

Altar Eagle’s success is certainly imminent to some degree. While it would be difficult to expect 7-minute epics like “You Lost Your Neon Haze” to see radio play, it is not the length of their songs that makes it stubborn for widespread exposure. The involved development is actually what will deter most conventional listeners (meaning, impatient listeners) from Altar Eagle. The melody here is a playfully plucked guitar arpeggio, high in pitch to enforce the aloofness, with a very vocal percussive strategy. A “woop” relays several times per verse under a muted snare, not phasing Hemming one bit as her cherubic voice takes on the role of supplementation. Her vocal melody is not exactly powerful, but her pitch variates from crisp-clear resonation to a distorted lead-in, giving way to a carefully orchestrated section of “la-la-la”ing that sounds like a cross of DeVotchKa’s worldly folk and Mazzy Star’s blissed-out representation of dream-pop (a sound that has surged in the past few years; see here). I doubt that conventional listeners will have patience for a track like this without context of Mazzy Star, Cocteau Twins, or Slowdive, but that is only because there is no ego-centric intent from either member to fascinate them. Their roles are established with selflessness.

When attempting to separate Altar Eagle from the likes of Asobi Seksu, Beach House, and the rest of dream-pop-inspired hotspots, the task becomes easier throughout the progression of their debut full-length, Mechancial Gardens. “Honey”, like many of their songs, finds dependence on a series of prolonged and accentuated organ chords, with playful little synth arpeggios comprising the backdrop along with slight percussion that resembles tapping on a kitchen counter more than actual drums. The duet here between Hemming and Rose carries it for the most part, as it does on the pulsating “Monsters” where Rose’s monotone, deep-toned voice is more in the forefront. This track’s more anthemic approach shows some high-charged synths over some dubstep-coordinated percussion, the production being a head-scratcher in its success. Noise, dubstep, and synth-pop are all players here and I applaud the band for going the extra distance. It shows. The nine tracks on Mechanical Gardens – from the lush and beckoning “Breakdown” to the high-charged flamboyance of “Monsters” – are all extremely worthwhile and it remains a mystery why Altar Eagle are not considered the “next big thing” in the dream-pop scene at the moment.

RIYL: Beach House, My Bloody Valentine, Mazzy Star, Cocteau Twins, Slowdive, Asobi Seksu, Cold Cave, Emeralds, Ride, Lush, Galaxie 500, Nite Jewel, Health, No Age, Telepathe, Abe Vigoda

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Altar Eagle – Monsters

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Altar Eagle – Honey

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Altar Eagle – Breakdown

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Digitalis Industries (which Hemming and Rose co-own)

MySpace

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Limited vinyl of Mechanical Gardens is currently the “Album of the Week” at Boomkat.

The post Altar Eagle appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

First off, I want to apologize for the server difficulties this site has experienced the past week or so. Obscure Sound was apparently taking up too many resources to be situated on my host’s server, so they temporarily disabled it until I fixed the issue. To do so, I was forced to delete hundreds of old MP3 files. It had nothing to do with bandwidth or storage capacity; it was mainly that the site was getting hammered with too many requests, whether it was to download a file or use the flash player. As a result, I strongly discourage any web sites from directly linking to my MP3 files or flash player. I am a college student and cannot afford a dedicated server, so I hope to remain on this server because my host has treated me well the past three years (before this hiccup). However, I will begin looking for a new host if this happens for an extended period of time again. But for now, I hope that the issue is permanently resolved and I can continue exposing deserving bands without interruption.

I will move to a lighter and more enjoyable note in this month’s compilation. Although I was only able to expose one band last week due to server difficulties, July still served up an ample amount of great acts. It actually turned out to be one of my favorite months of the year so far in terms of music. I did not have as many worthwhile acts to expose as usual, but the ones that were memorable managed to stand out in a way that was completely unique to their own sound. Salem delivered some of the greatest pop music of the year thus far, Kinetic Stereokids churned out one of the most innovative and impressive albums of the year, and acts like Wild Beasts and Ramona Falls are establishing themselves as new masters of moody alt-rock. Throw in a few electro-pop favorites like JJ and Cold Cave, some irresistible indie-folk mavens like Barzin and Noah and the Whale, and you have one of my favorite compilations of the year.

01. Salem – It’s Only You (Part II) (post)
02. Wild Beasts – Hooting & Howling (post)
03. Barzin – Soft Summer Girls (post)
04. Kinetic Stereokids – Planes with Teeth (post)
05. JJ – Things Will Never Be the Same Again (post)
06. Ramona Falls – Russia (post)
07. Noah and the Whale – My Broken Heart (post)
08. Cold Cave – Life Magazine (post)
09. Kinetic Stereokids – Twisted Thoughts (post)
10. Salem – Twelve Fingers (post)

DOWNLOAD ENTIRE COMPILATION>>> (48.5 MB, .RAR)

The post Obscure Sound: Best of July 2009 appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

Like most stylistically unclassifiable acts, the sheer oddity of Cold Cave can only be explained by dissecting each member’s role. And when each collaborator’s presence is already shrouded in a unique enigma because of creative and somewhat intimidating content from their past projects, the supplied expectations surrounding the lack of conventional focus tends to make the unpredictable and unclassifiable more fun. In Cold Cave’s case, each member’s preceding fan base has come to expect their material to be filled with startling innovation. Consequently, there is no pressure to become increasingly accessible. Rather, with a new project comes a new opportunity to tweak an original formula and work with new collaborators to devise a sound that captures previous fans from all parties while remaining gripping enough to attract new audiences. One of Cold Cave’s main members hails from one of the most acclaimed experimental-pop groups of the decade, Xiu Xiu. Another, under the alias of Prurient, is renowned for his ability to turn even the most conventional of household appliances into a full-blown orchestra. The leader, Wesley Eisold, has dabbled in everything from punk-rock to experimental noise while working with everyone from Karen O to Eric Paul. When attempting to understand which influences and ideas inspired Cold Cave the most, their cumulative experience makes coping with the occasional complexities easier. With a group as diverse as this, it is hard not to appreciate the fusion of creativity found on their debut album.

Despite his original ideas, Eisold has found collaborative consistency to be a struggle. He has fronted numerous projects, all attaining some form of success, but has not yet found durability in a working group. His various projects and aliases, ranging from American Nightmare to Ye Olde Maids, have primarily focused on a mixture of punk-rock and noise-rock. His most popular project was one of his first, Give Up the Ghost; the Boston-based punk group retains its cult following in Boston and many of its members have gone on to form successful groups like Head Automatica and the Hope Conspiracy. Eisold’s recent work has involved more noise and general experimentation, and his most recent foray with Cold Cave shows a dramatic shift in composure for the songwriting veteran. Like a cross between the dance-pop of this decade and the explosion of new-wave and electro-pop in the ‘80s, Cold Cave sits between complexity and accessibility by featuring a style that borrows the unconventional noise-based experience of each member and an infectious grasp of electro-pop that makes it all go down easier. Xiu Xiu’s Caralee McElroy and Prurient (Dominick Fernow) also make their presence known with vocal performances, production ideas, and general song composures. Fans of either Xiu Xiu or Prurient will certainly notice their subtle additions on varying tracks, whether it is prominent like the angelic vocals on “Life Magazine” or the Prurient-like minimalism of “Youth and Lust”.

Despite the individualistic creativity of their past output, Cold Cave serves as one of the most accessible projects for Eisold, McElroy, and Fernow. Nothing suggests it is a cheap shot at recognition though. Industrial dance is hardly a genre filled with eye-catching innovations, but Cold Cave uniquely refine a style that many consider to be still lost in the surplus of ‘80s glamour. Their debut full-length, Love Comes Close, seems to configure the most enduring aspects of ‘80s electro-pop and integrate them into the world of contemporary production where noise, IDM, and ambience are all accepted music genres. Cold Cave’s primary source of uniqueness comes from the variation on Love Comes Close, with each track possessing a different feel and melodic arsenal. “The Laurels of Erotomania” channels evolving IDM with its simplistic synth riffs being backed by aromatic keyboard chirps and deathly croons. Its emphasis on dance-tinged minimalism certainly echoes The Knife with Cold Cave’s vocoder tactics being the most blatant reason for comparison. Similar progressions are found on the eerie “Hello Rats” and “Heaven Was Full”, both tracks that feature quivering vocals with a seductive baritone. The incorporation of ominous synths and booming vocals make both somewhat reminiscent of Dave Gahan and Depeche Mode in general, the latter being present in the mood and overall tone of the track. As the legendary electronic band proved throughout the ‘80s and as Cold Cave do now, sounding undead over the sound of ominous synthesizers can be oddly invigorating.

Tracks like these certainly establish the feel of regret and forlorn loss that dominated ‘80s electro-pop, but Cold Cave go beyond simple imitation with tracks like “Life Magazine”. This one plays like a more upbeat Black Box Recorder, complete with the seductive female vocals and accompanying synths that make this more bubblegum-pop than electro-pop. The vocals repeat themselves in a very distant echo, with the overdubbed reverb acting appropriately as a durable manufacturer of various hooks. In addition to the gloomy industrial tracks and the chirpy allure of “Heaven Was Full”, efforts like “Love Comes Close” perfectly capture the grace and ability of ‘80s revolutionaries like The Psychedelic Furs and Felt. The vocals sometimes seem dry and awkward, but this actually plays off like a benefit because it brightens the impressive arrangements even more with a more personable connection in the vocals. “The Trees Grew Emotions and Died” certainly looks to have a hand from Prurient, mainly because of the unconventional range in pitch and prominent percussion. Like his previous work, the track is unpredictably filled with concise samples and odd rhythm sections that cling and clang over the main arrangement. The difference serves as a stylistic expansion due to the parts of Eisold and McElroy, both of whom contribute an electro-pop edge to his inaccessible yet oddly captivating material. Cold Cave’s debut full-length is definitely worth a look for fans of noise-pop, contemporary dance, and ‘80s electronic. It can occasionally border on mocking a genre that many deem outdated, but for the most part Love Comes Close is a successful debut that showcases the unique talents of the three primary members.

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Cold Cave – Life Magazine

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Cold Cave – Love Comes Close

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Cold Cave – The Trees Grew Emotions and Died

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