Nippon.

I'm not sure what it is about Japanese artists half the time, but they always impress me more than their American/European counterparts.  For example, I remember listening to stuff like Don Caballero back in the day and Do Make Say Think and others of the indie/post/instrumental/math-rock variety.  But there were always better bands in this style of music, and they're always Japanese.  Same goes with experimental music.  Weird.
I thought about this while checking out this band Mudy On The 昨晩 (Sakuban).  It's sorta mathrock stuff but it's so much more infectious and catchy and better written than American stuff.  I really don't know why that is.  Same thing goes for bands like sgt., Toe, Mirror, We're From Japan!, Mono, etc.  Sure, we have Don Caballero, Ghosts & Vodka, the Constellation records family of bands, etc. here but they're nothing compared to the Japanese bands in this particular department.  Maybe one day I'll figure this out.  Until then, I'm going to enjoy this more without knowing why. 

Update.

Lately I've been having trouble sleeping unless I'm both 1) under the influence and 2) listening to ambient/electronic music.  The first part has been with me for a while, but after a day or two I snap out of it.  The latter I don't mind having as a crutch, because later on in life it'll be cheaper than getting addicted to ambien or something.  So, as a result of this, I've been listening to Troum's Seeing-Ear Gods a lot at night.  I've been doing this pretty regularly the past couple of years, ever since I first heard it.  I never tire of this album for some reason.  It's really minimal but a bit industrial sounding at times, too.  It's the only record I've ever heard that actually made me think it was affecting my subconscious (well, there was that time I was sick and I listened to Tom Waits' VH1 Storytellers set and basically tripped...but that's different).  

Jóhann Jóhannsson's Englabörn, his newest, is one of those electronic albums I've really been into lately as well as Sigur Rós' Hlemmur.  Both of these records utitlize orchestration well, so it's very soothing and relaxing, but still with some of that experimental "oddness" that both of these artists flirt with.  Thumbs up.

The new Cult Of Luna record, Eternal Kingdom, is surprise for me.  It's not phenomenal or anything, but it's probably their best.  It's actually pretty close to a mediocre release, but it stays just close-AND-far enough from being another Isis-clone album that I find it's intriguing.  There are some interesting ideas on the record they put to good use to avoid the cookie-cutter modern faux-sludge/doom metal format.  

Neurosis' A Sun That Never Sets is still one of the best records of all time.

I've been listening to a lot of Lil' Wayne mixtapes recently, too.  But I always am it seems.  I grabbed some ones I haven't heard before that are pretty sick, like Lil' Weezyana Mixtape Vol. 1 which is with some Young Money rappers and Blood, Sweat & Tears Vol. 2 which is a mixtape for Lil' Wayne & The Game.  I have to say that I actually like The Game.  West coast, holla atcha boy.

Not sure what else is new really.  I'm still rocking The Black Keys constantly, and the new Roots record Rising Down is getting a lot of play.  It's cool to hear a record that, while overall possessing a darker sound, has a variety of MCs like the more gangster Saigon and Styles P to the more positive/spiritual Mos Def and Talib Kweli.  Nice job.

I should do this, too.

I guess I'll also share here (because what's the difference?) some reviews I read that I find either exceptionally enterntaining or well-done.  This one would be of the former.  

P.S.  In general, I hate music reviews with a passion.  Especially in larger media publications.  Nothing but douchebags jerking it to their limited knowledge of the subject material and a half-assed attempt at including SAT vocabulary words into paragraphs of bullshit.  Anyway, this review is pretty cool and even describes the music pretty well!

Surrender to the night, with Clay Ruby at the controls. The persistent mourning ghosts of Górecki and Tavener draped in the blood of martyrs and channeled through a menacing ouija of what-the-fuck electronics that sounds no different than steel pails of extracted molars rubbed indifferently with a contact mic. A weird and jarring sort of “death ambient,” Ruby juxtaposes lulling and lachrymose passages with swathes of oil black noise. Downright orchestral at times, until Ruby dons the jester’s hat and spunks all about the instacomp with a whole lotta white noise mangravy. Horrible and better for it, Initiations is a befittingly cruel form of hazing for those raised on a legion of Michigan “noize” apers. Thank you sir, may I have another.

Credit here goes to Stewart Voegtlin of TheLeftHandPath.com.

Natural Snow Buildings - Slayer Of The King Of Hell [2008]

I don't remember who told me to check out this band.  Might've been someplace on the Internet.  I recall the review/reviewer claimed it sounded akin to some group I really like, and listening to it now, I think that group might've been Pocahaunted.  I'm 20 minutes into the first track, and other than some lo-fi semi-drones, it hasn't done much except turn into a Pocahaunted song.  What I mean by that is now the track is just jangly sleigh bells, sustained guitar notes of the Middle Eastern variety, and slowly chanting female vocals.  Obviously I really like this now.
Second track is even more like Pocahaunted, just not as focused.  Tribal drums are prevalent on this track.  Then it turns into a sort of bored noise track, but not quite.  Almost like if Nadja or Burning Star Core were really drunk and didn't care when they recorded a track.  
Third track is of the black metal ambient nature.  Not bad, not great.  Overall, maybe a generous 7/10?  I'll check out their back catalogue...

Need to post more.

Just something quick to remind myself to write more often...

I heard two new singles from My Morning Jacket's new LP on the radio today.  They blew.  What happened to them?