“Ghost Dance Party” is the full length debut from the Knuts, which formed in 2005 by  Brazilians Daniel (Guitar, Vocals) and Tiago Abud (Bass, Vocals), Airton Silva (Drums) and Cezare (Synths) .  Rooted firmly in Deathrock and Punk, “Ghost Dance Party” is clearly a Gothic band for today, yet is far from stereotypical.

The “Intro” is a little over a minute of strange ambient sounds, swirls of electronic layers, rat-like squeaks, and more.    “Ghost Dance Party” is sheer Deathrock joy in the vein of .45 Grave, which could be a virtual anthem for  Goth and Deathrock of the 21st century.

“Just be You” is a bit more post-punk, with a dark, yet fun, twist.  Fine guitar, with a very rousing chorus, and nice little electro twists.

“You Are the Wonder” is sort of Horror-punkish, but not quite as raucous.  I love the layered, spooky chorus, and the horror-film electro effects.

“Ice” is one of my favorites here.  This song has an edge that is addictive.   The chorus is fantastic, sort of punkish with synth loops that area very catchy and guitar that balances things quite well.

“Heaven Outside the Mirror”  is slower and more reflective, alternating with bursts of energy.   It has an indie kind of impact, that is rather charming.

Next, “Fishing Day” blows the dance-floor wide open with a punk flavor.

“Red Sound” has an electro intro that brings Devo to mind, then segues into a fast paced, but with Cure-ish guitar and vocals that are quite exuberant.  Keyboards have a rather carnival tone, that gallops the song along.

“The Hanging Man” reminds me somewhat of the Cure.  Slow, with funereal percussion and edgy feedback, the bass is simply ominous.    Then the song suddenly shifts into a higher gear, with shouted vocals that brim with frustration and anger.  There is a touch of grungy guitar and buzz in the background, then the song slides into a calmer, yet fervent vocal mode before grinding to halt.

“Where Are You Now” is a slow, poignant ballad.  Keyboards and measured percussion carry the song, with guitar being low-key but crucial.  The vocals are slightly layered, regretful and sincere.

“Bern Depois” is another  one of my favorites.  With an eerie sort of intro, it has a New Wave feel.  I can’t understand the lyrics, heh, but the guitar is visceral and  hard hitting.   A great song!

The Knutz  one of the new breed of bands with Gothic sensibilities, yet with all sorts of diverse elements that come together superbly.  “Ghost Dance Party” will satisfy your craving for Deathrock, then turn on the Goth Rock, and add a few twists that will keep the listener coming back for more.

http://www.theknutz.com/

The project of the Ukrainian couple  Alexey Nightchild A. (vocals, guitar, keyboard, programming) and Olga ‘Holy Cat’ (bass), Nightchild is another band who shows that Gothic Rock is by no means the defunct corpse that many people in the electro club scene would have us believe.  “Some Stories and Thoughts”  is a delightful return to the early to mid-eighties era of Goth/postpunk, (the March Violets, Rose of Avalanche, etc.) with a stripped down  approach that also fits quite well with the post-punk revival.  All of the songs on the CD evoke a visceral sort of emotional resonance that is a hallmark of  classic goth.

“Away”, which   begins with a  sort of ’80s pop flavor that is suddenly belied by the cutting vocals that are reminiscent of deathrock.   I love the guttural chorus  on this excellent song.  “Questions”  transfixes the listener like a relentless interrogation.  The stern vocals give way to firm guitar before the song resumes its course.  A spoken segment echoes from the background over thudding bass and electro swirls before a sawing guitar throws you back under the glaring lights.  “With Me”  has exquisite  guitar and female backing vocals that give this hard-hitting song even more depth.    With its edgy guitar and bursts of staccato percussion, ‘Sleepwalker” has a fervent chorus that pushes the song to a rising crest, then suddenly drops,  only to swell  upward again.

“Why Would You Wait”   invokes  a dark sense of regret  that is heightened by the echoes on the vocals, and the steady drumming, offset by sharp guitar interludes.   Fast and quirky, “It is Time”  is an anthem that both beseeches and demands.  I particularly like the way the guitar “drops” in contrast with the speed-of-light percussion.  “Shadows of the Past”  has deeper vocals that are very catchy, with faint echoes.  This song reminds me vaguely of Fear Cult.

“”Through the Night”  is another very powerful song, enhanced by deeper guitar, and percussion that reminds me of a horses’ hooves pounding across the desert bearing its rider to an unknown destination.  “Whispers in the Night” is  faster, with an almost frantic pace  that is underscored by slashes of guitar, but drops to a low urgency before erupting with a guitar solo that flashes like a cavalry saber.   The song grinds to an eerie halt, then leaps back into life.

‘Vampire and Witch”  is a simply  awesome song, with a catchy guitar hook and subtle organ-like electronics in the background.  The vocals give the song its bite, with the fast percussion and a great guitar solo pushing  the track  to its  conclusion.     “Will”  opens with  tribal drumming and well, tribal guitar, if there is such a thing.   The razor sharp guitar in the middle is a fine touch.   The ending is unexpectedly poignant and dreamlike.   This is a  very compelling song that is a fitting end to a fine album.  “Love under will….”   ( That sounds familiar!)

“Some Stories and Thoughts”  is a fine, evocative album, and the production is excellent.    I look forward to hearing more from Alexey and Olga!   “Some Stories and Thoughts” is a worthy addition for anyone who truly appreciates Gothic Rock or music with Gothic sensibilities.

http://www.myspace.com/thenightchildband

http://thenightchild.at.ua/web/homeenglish.htm

Sweden’s The Exploding Boy has been hailed as one of the best alternative bands in Europe, and their debut album was in the top ten on the German Alternative Charts, and voted Album of the Year in the Belgian magazine Dark Entries.     Their second CD  “The Black Album” has proved to be just as hard hitting, rising to number 3 on the German Alternative Charts after its release back in May.    Listening to “The Black Album”, it is easy to see why!

Excellently produced, “The Black Album” has  superbly accessible sensibilities that harken back to the best of New Wave, yet darker, edgy undertones that bring to mind classic Post punk and Goth, with a bit of Rock thrown in.    While this album is definitely guitar driven in the vein of bands like the Cure,  electronics are masterfully used to buttress the foundations in a way that reminds me of Nik Kershaw or Joe Jackson.   Vocals are addictive, whether distant and evocative, or layered and energetic.  Eminently danceable, yet emotionally visceral at the same time, “The Black Album” will keep the listener coming back for more.   This CD is on permanent rotation in my auto and home stereos.

Some of my favorite tracks include “Torn”, with awesome buzzsaw guitar;   “I Am Truth”, a perfect freeway song;  the  amazing anthem “Sweet Little Lies”, that will keep the dance floor going; “Get Out of My Head” with its shades of Joy Division; and “Here Comes The Rain”, with fantastic guitar hooks  that remind me of The Cult.   “The Black Album” is highly recommended for Goth, New Wave,  and Post punk music fans, or anyone who appreciates fine music.

WWW.MYSPACE.COM/THEEXPLODINGBOYSE

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/THEEXPLODINGBOYSWEDEN

“Ballads for the End Times”  is a simply fabulous combination of  Ragtime; Klezmer; Hot Jazz; Cabaret ;  and, you guessed it,  a LOT of Apocalypse Five and Dime.     I hate to make references to other bands in a review, but sometimes a frame of reference can be useful.  Imagine a mix of the Squirrel Nut Zippers, Nitroglycerine, and a secret recipe (from the shed hidden deep in the woods) handed down from your great grandfather.   Imagine  if the Earp Brothers had not moved to Tombstone, but headed east, ran into Scott Joplin in New Orleans and started a stage show.  Evoking images of a dark Vaudeville out of a Peter Straub novel that , “Ballads for the End Times” manages to be anachronistic, yet curiously futuristic at the same time, and winds up being sheer magic.

“Mississippi Ghost Rag”  is a love song of the most macabre, compelling  sort.  This  brass-driven shotgun blast  of a song admirably sets the tone of the album.   The theme of water as a dark release will be revisited more than once during the course of this musical journey.   “Ghost ships are swaying in the river they’re talking to me….” “Tomorrow“  starts out with a bit of violin and quickly turns into a rousing heavy Klezmer stomp, as the violin weaves though like a Spad fighter in the clouds.  The  male/female vocals evoke the Roaring Twenties.  The female vocals are magical:  grainy, alluring, distant, and distorted like a radio station from era.   Eminently danceable, the song ends on a bit of harmony. The next tune  “Addicted to You”  is catchy, and deceptively smooth.    Seemingly simple alternating vocals suddenly emerge into rather complex near-harmonies that are simply superb.

Plaintive gypsy violin combine with rather muted brass  on “Love Life”, backed by ticking percussion and rising horns.  The pace picks up, with evocative  female vocals over a foundation of cadenced male vocals.   I can sense a hint of Swing here, and interestingly enough, even a touch of Soul!   The song ends with a bit of poignant violin. “Broken Chair Waltz” starts out as, the name suggests, a traditional waltz.  Yet the astute listener will quickly discern that this belies the sheer complexity contained here.    “Have you come to stay, my love?” Very moving arrangements include very visceral segments of quiet banjo and violin.  The vocals are magnificent,  with rather epic sounding harmonies and counterpoints.  The song rises to a flourish, then fades to a n almost operatic vocal finish.  ‘Fire It Burns” is a bit slower, a languid journey along summer roads of yesteryear.  Wandering violin and layered vocals are accompanied by steady brass, with  banjo and ukulele cleverly providing sort of a percussion effect. ‘Dance Floor” starts with a bit of vintage radio sounding violin and trumpet, then suddenly bursts into a rousing romp.   Very fetching female vocals pair up with powerful brass and percussion.  The violin reminds me of Stephane Grappelli.

“Surface of the Sand”  is another blast of brass-driven energy.  Vocals and arrangements evoke a careening, no-brakes dash to the nearest speakeasy,  filled with flappers and illicit pleasures.   I particular like the jaunty violin and percussion, with banjo and jazzy horns.   Oh, and be sure to avoid the Coppers.   “Broken Hearted” is an adrenaline fueled love song, with incredible vocals and backing horns that remind me a bit of ska, believe it or not.  Very forceful, with a dramatic ending. With a rhythm  reminiscent  of a marching band, “Do It Again” is another song that hides a complexity beneath a charming veneer.   I love the choppy banjo or ukelele interspersed amid the  strident horns.  Even with the abrupt end, the song is not quite over.   Listen carefully for an alluring  “Yes” at the very end.    One of my favorite tracks, “Only Yours” begins with very cool ukelele and violin before the brass kicks in.  Then rollicking banjo and catchy, yet edgy vocals merge into a fabulous romp that includes unexpected and wonderful breaks and interludes.  Absolute brilliance.  This song somehow manages to evoke a plaintive longing and a sense of raucous abandon at the same time.

Next we have  something totally unexpected, a cover of Justin Timberlake’s “My Love”.  The band pulls this off fantastically.   The fast female vocals have a little bit o soul, and when the song slows down midway through, the sparing  sax is perfect.   Then, everything slows down to an almost reggae sway, before the sultry vocals end.  “Let Me Go”  is another river-themed song, with an ominous beginning that shortly erupt into a Dixieland sort of romp  I love the stark, edgy, yet anarchistic violin, ably assisted by the whole ensemble.   The male and female vocals are magnificent, alternating between counterpoint and a harsh, yet engaging harmony.     “The take me down to the river / and let me go wrap my body tight / so it won’t ever show” The dark imagery of water continues with “Category of Lullaby”, which  resonates with loss and losing.    Starting slow and languid,  the vocals are sultry with a touch of despair.    At about four minutes,  the song rises to a familiar  spirited and dynamic crescendo  and   then subsides.    “you’re gone and nothing matters  alone under the water” “You”  is plaintive and very moving.    Harmonies are exquisite, and the slow-plucking banjo brings to my mind visions of abandoned fields and buildings from along deserted and forgotten byways.      “And you, well you never loved me true“

I feel that I haven’t quite done justice to the music itself.  Listen to this CD  with headphones to fully appreciate the  pure artistry of the arrangements.  As the reader may surmise, I am very partial to violins and vocals, but everything about this CD is excellent.  For a dark yet stirring musical foray into a past as it should have been, and which perhaps actually does exist somewhere within us,  “Ballads for the End Times” is just the ticket.   Hey, Apocalypse Five and Dime,  I’ll be waiting at the station….

http://www.apocalypsefiveanddime.com/

The musical mastery of Eli August needs no introduction.     “I Was Already Too Late” precedes his full length “Let This House Burn Slowly”, so my reviews are chronologically out of order.  As a Librarian, this causes me some discomfiture, and yet, as a Listener it doesn’t suffer for it in the least.    Musically, “I Was Already Too Late” is a bit different than  “Let This House….”     But this is simply another indication of the musical talent of Mr. August, and this EP is truly a wonderful complement to his full length work.

The vocals on “Hide and Seek” are  indescribably poignant.   The slow, languid piano imparts a pleasantly  anachronistic, before suddenly dropping to a lower, more strident level, accompanied by  fierce, rolling percussion.  This lends a great sense of emotional depth,  conveying the roller-coaster of feelings that inevitable accompanies any tragic (or even not so tragic) loss.

‘Atmosphere”  has the typically heartfelt vocals that fans of Eli August have come to appreciate, direct and simple, yet filled with a myriad of conflicting nuances.  There is regret and pain, along with an unflagging hope that we instinctively realize is futile.  But buried deep within lies  a faint glimmer of possibility.    The ukelele is fabulous, with a very evocative Americana/Folk feel that turns into a nearly rollicking, travel ling cadence, enhanced by a faint “whip” in the background.    Meanwhile, the upright bass provides a dark , melancholic undercurrent that is a perfect counterpoint.  “How can I get up again without you here/there’s no dividing lines anywhere in the atmosphere“

“Vanish” changes the pace, with a more ‘contemporary’ sort of stride.  Eli’s vocals are faster, but very visceral and gripping  in their progression.  The echoed soaring vocal in the background is a very nice touch.  The upright bass edgily balances the   guitar, while percussion is steady and sets the pace.  “Let me vanish in the still night/there’s no reprise or reconciliation in your eyes…”

‘I Did Not Leave the Door Ajar”  begins with quiet  riffs that, incredibly, could easily be Punk.  Then they shift into Eli’s very compelling vocals, buttressed by a high, militaristic percussion.  the vocals drop, then reemerge stridently.  ‘Why is there someone in my house?/There are secrets I cannot let out”. The whole song rises to a magnificent percussion-driven cacophony, then suddenly subsides to a low strumming guitar that  ends on a chord change that somehow reminds me of Early Music.

“Lost Control”  is another song of loss.   “And that look in your eyes/I know there is some else on your mind“   The catchy ukelele and the timbre of Eli’s vocals have a tone of resigned acceptance.  They are filled with regret for what might have been, but deep down is the knowledge that it could never have been so.  I love the “chop” of the ukelele on this song.  The clarinet sets the song apart, and is just fantastic, magically weaving along with the vocals and uke, alternately evoking a klezmer an then jazzy air, before the song ends on the final, lingering notes of the ukelele.

“I Was Already Too Late” is a must-have for fans of Eli August and anyone who appreciates well crafted, evocative music that is deeply personal yet not contrived.   To paraphrase a  newspaperman of the late 1800′s, “By all means, get it!”

http://www.eliaugust.com/