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3 Jahre nach 'Nine Types of Light' kompensieren TV on the Radio den Tod von Multiinstrumentalist Gerard Smith mit einem Album voller vorsichtigem Optimismus und ihrem wahrscheinlich eingängigsten Werk bisher. Allerdings auch ihr paradoxestes: wo 'Seeds' eigentlich gar nicht so viel falsch macht, zieht der immanente Sicherheitsgedanken der Platte diese aber geradezu irritierend in die wohlige Langeweile.
Thou from Baton Rouge are the mightiest doom force on the planet for some time now, as their spotless, overwhelming discography impressivly proves. And still, 2014 will be remembered as a unprecedented peak in the bands history, with one stroke of genious after the other: 'Heathen' and 'The Sacrifice' and 'Released from Love', the first of two epic collaboration with The Body, which will find it's imposing continuation in 2015. And while a visit to Europe seems to remain a pipe dream for now, Thou do the honors and take care of day 24 in the Heavy Pop advent calendar: guitarist Andy Gibbs presents some of his albums of the year.
It is known that there might be up to six years between records by The Notwist; also that each and every second of waiting time between them is probably worth it. 'Close to the Glass' is another demonstration for this, by not only being a prime example for all their strenghts, but also being their most diverse and layered work to date. This isn’t the only thing that is nourishing for the next few years, The Notwist stay present even outside of their album: the so far limited edition only collection '[amazon_link id="B00QG15R6Y" target="_blank" ]The Messier Objects[/amazon_link]' gets a regular release soon, and on top of that there’s another tour pending (including a visit to Graz on March 25th 2015). Meanwhile, Markus Acher tells us his recommendations of the past months for the Heavy Pop advent calendar.
Dass sechs Jahre zwischen zwei The Notwist-Alben verstreichen können weiß man mittlerweile; dass jede einzelne Sekunde davon die Wartezeit auch wert ist ebenfalls. Denn dies führt auch 'Close to the Glass' vor, indem es nicht nur zu einem Paradebeispiel für alle Stärken der Weilheimer gerät, sondern auch zum bisher abwechslungsreichsten und vielschichtigsten Werk der Band. Davon lässt es sich nicht nur problemlos auch über die nächsten sechs Jahre hinaus anstandslos zehren - The Notwist bleiben bis auf weiteres sogar ohnedies präsent: die bereits unlängst in limitierter Auflage veröffentlichte Nebenschauplatz-Sammlung '[amazon_link id="B00QG15R6Y" target="_blank" ]The Messier Objects[/amazon_link]' kommt demnächst regulär in den Handel, dazu begeben sich die Deutschen wieder auf ausgiebige Tour (samt Graz-Gastspiel am 25. März 2015) - und Markus Acher erzählt am vorletzten Tag des Heavy Pop Adventskalender, welche Veröffentlichungen der letzten Monate er empfiehlt.
Thanks to Carla Bozulich her workshops and frenetically celebrated concerts Graz will remember 2014 as a great year. And of course there was 'Boy', her most accessible - and probably best – work to date. An impressive, skin-crawling spectacle in any case, which blurs the lines between avantgarde and pop (!) in an intense way. For day 22 of the Heavy Pop advent calendar, Bozulich told us which records left a similar impression to her.
Um vorherzusagen, dass die Zusammenarbeit von John Grant mit dem Philharmonischen Orchester der BBC von vornherein eine sich gegenseitig perfekt ergänzende Performance hervorbringen würde, dafür musste man kein Hellseher sein: die ehrwürdigen Songs des ehemaligen The Czars-Vorstande sind einfach für einen derartig edlen Rahmen geschaffen.
"We once were another band, and now we're a better one". That’s what it reads on Cult Leaders Facebook page. No empty words, as 'Nothing For Us Here' makes clear in merely 18 minutes. While the debut EP of the Salt Lake City four piece could have happened in the shadows of the almighty Gaza all too easily, the six songs effortlessly demonstrate that Cult Leader will have no troubles leaving the precursor band in the rearview mirror. So their first full length can't come soon enough. In the meanwhile Cult Leader told us which records left their peers in said mirror in this past year 2014 for the Heavy Pop advent calendar.
After the impressing EP marathon of the past years and a spontaneus detour into the business of brewing, Gnarwolves – probably the most outstanding hit machine on the gateway from pop to skate punk – let themselves be talked around to releasing their first full lenght. In our interview during their visit to Vienna, the Brighton three piece recommended us some records for the Heavy Pop advent calendar.
Melt-Banana did not promise too much: with 'Longhena' Gridlink released the best grind record of the year, and maybe also the last act of their peaking carreer. Jon Chang not only found the time to tell us about his favourite records of this past year 2014 for the Heavy Pop advent calender, he’s also giving out presents left and right: countless demos from all phases of Gridlink are on his Dropbox – and his Facebook page is always worth a look.
„It’s awesome to hear the future of heavy rock music existing in a place that appeals to a metal aesthetic but doesn’t involve guitars“ Kayo Dot mastermind Toby Driver told us, referring to 'Want', the second LP by Wreck and Reference. Indeed the California based duo of Ignat Frege and Felix Skinner succeeded in perfecting their incredibly independent sound, and creating a maelstrom of an album that is as schizoid as it is unsettling, and gives of a fascinating disturbing atmosphere. Maybe 'Want' is a bit ahead of its time, right here and right now it works as the lurking, hautingly beautiful beast in the darkness under the bed of genre boundaries.
