There is no real theme today, just a collection of artists worthy of attention and support. There is a Lhasa de Sela Bandcamp page, even there is no longer a Lhasa de Sela. Lhasa passed away on the first day of 2010, so I'm not sure who is collecting the money from this page, but the music is too good to not share. Her smoky voice, her songs that effortlessly combine melancholy and hope, and her ability to sing in multiple languages are just part of the picture. Dive in.
Lhasa de Sela Bandcamp page here.
Stig C. Miller used to play guitar for Amebix, and lately has been quietly releasing new songs, a song at a time, on Bandcamp. So far, the only physical release has been a split 7" with Swiss band Excruciation on Auric Records. The new songs are great, and hopefully there will be a proper album in the future. The music is not a million miles away from the work of Amebix, but it's also not a retread of any kind. It's a proper balance of melancholy and snarly. Auric Records is also well worth checking out. Lots of gloomy metal.
Dowth features my old friend Tim Ording. I was in a proto-grindcore band called Backslide with Tim sometime in the late eighties. We were loud and unskilled, but had fun. Dowth is nothing like that. Dowth is a mysterious, atmospheric take on Irish folk, and doesn't really sound like anything else. There is only one album at present, and it is my hope that soon there will be more.
In the past year, I've re-discovered the work of Felicia Atkinson, which led to an obsessive need to buy as many of her releases as possible. I guess she is best labeled "experimental," but that doesn't really cover it. It is delicateness married to the unexpected. Beauty shines through in unusual ways. Just go listen.
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