The Rock Blogger

Nahvalr. Nahvalr. 2008. Enemies List Recordings. 4.5 stars.

Nahvalr, described by its founders as “open source black metal”, is nothing less than a landmark in originality. Dan Barrett and Tim Macuga from Connecticut’s equally brilliant Have a Nice Life have taken submitted noises, samples and instrumentals from across the web and melded them together into 8 terrifying movements that shift between ambient, doom, drone and black metal styles. These impenetrable walls of sound are as compelling as they are suffocating, rich with grotesque detail and atmosphere. While numerous dark ambient acts have touched on the same blackened corner stones as Nahvalr, both the innovative creative process and the density of this album is remarkable.

The idea of having many so disparate sounds compiled may seem daunting, even counter productive in the creation of music, Nahvalr moves far beyond mere bursts of noise and finds a common, sinister and even spiritual thread that runs through their collections. Their compositions, whether they are cavernous, bass-driven processions (”Blood Flood”) or ghostly, free-floating ambiance (”Swallower of Bile”) are given ample room to stretch out and breathe, uncovering a powerful emotional center in each.

Music this experimental, haunting and visceral demonstrates the often neglected potential the Internet has for collaborative projects. It may be overlong in some segments, but the dark energy within Nahvalr is impossible to ignore and shake off, making it a masterpiece of devastatingly bleak reflection. I can only hope that projects like Nahvalr, with all their promise and dynamism, will continue to take shape and flourish in our digital culture.

Yet another badass video from indie legends Guided By Voices. This video is unique because it actually has two songs in it, both from their Alien Lanes album. While the intro to this is a little confusing, I still get goose bumps when “Motor Away” kicks in. I wish I was cruising down the highway right now, blaring that song on the stereo. What a great driving tune.

This is “The Official Ironman Rally Song” from Under the Bushes Under the Stars, the 7th Guided By Voices record I now own.

This is easily one of the better GBV releases, featuring some of the more focused and memorable efforts from their extensive discography. Also check out these other GBV Videos

Teenage FBI Live

I am a Scientist

Have a Nice Life. Deathconsciousness. 2008. 5 stars.

Sometimes, the conditions are just right for the appreciation of new music. I first started exploring Have a Nice Life’s double album debut as I was leaving my house at 5:45 am last Saturday, still in a somnambulist daze, feeling the cold winter night across my face while overlooking the city lights of Toronto from the lonely hilltop leading my street to the empty road heading south. It was in those moments of dreary isolation, where it felt like the only living souls were miles away in the distance, that the early moments of Deathconsciousness began to seep in. This is record, though far from perfect, delivers an emotional wallop that seems unparalleled. A mysterious synthesis of post-punk, shoegaze, metal and post-rock, Have a Nice Life’s ghostly ruminations aren’t just careful homages to their favorite genres and influences, they instead push the boundaries of them to get to their dramatic core, presenting a perfect summation of where the underground has been and where it will be going.

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No Age Weirdo Rippers 2007. 3 stars.

What the hell is a Weirdo Ripper? Perhaps its a loose moniker for No Age’s surreal brand of punk rock, relishing in lo-fi noisiness and ambient textures. If I were to make a rock equation, No Age’s first LP is a combination of scrappy slacker rock like Pavement and Sebadoh with the hazy ambient of Deerhunter, making for a listening experience that is strange and obtuse yet ultimately satisfying in its concision.

The overall tone of Weirdo Rippers is one of restrained excitement, where the band is conscious of their revolutionary artistic potential but is ultimately limited by their lack of technical savvy and thin production values. Still, the lo-fi element is probably what makes this work so unique and appealing in a market saturated by punk bands overcome by their devastating sameness. The roughness of it all has a certain charm to it, like the derelict building on the cover.

As it is the holiday season, things are typically hectic around here, so I haven’t had much time to write any new feature articles, but I’ll be sure to post something substantial this weekend. In the meantime, check out this live Guided by Voices performance of their hit “Teenage FBI”.
You can find this track and about 31 others on their Greatest Hits album
Human Amusements at Hourly Rates. Take it easy.

Robert Pollard is Ohio’s drunken answer to Paul McCartney. There is something nostalgic about this music. Maybe it has to do with this video’s amateur charm, which like many of Guided by Voices’ songs, has a rough aesthetic that some how adds to the earnestness or freewheeling lyrics and vocals of Bob.This song is from their classic album Bee Thousand.