Thinking Fellers Local Union 282 - Admonishing the Bishops

Thinking Fellers Local Union 282 were quite an amazing band during their heyday. They formed in San Francisco in 1986, combining lo-fi noise rock with various outsider elements to make their own brand of noisy pop music. This EP of theirs is just perfection.

somehow your hurricane, envelops me in misty rain

АукцЫон - Птица

 Auktyon are very unique in the contemporary music scene in Russia: they just cannot be pigeonholed, this group draws its inspiration from such remote sources as folk, ska, reggae, new-jazz, ethnic music of North Africa and Middle East, beat- and pop-music of the 60’s. Their principal songwriter, Leonid Fedorov, is songwriter whose skills are unparalled as far as Eastern Europe is concerned (to my limited knowledge). 

Best thing out of Russia since vodka. I don't understand a word of what they're saying, but this is the stuff of legends. It's pretty much an incredible journey all the way through, from the opening seconds of "Птица"(one of the greatest openers in music history) to the PA PA PA RA - PA RA RA RA RA breakdown in "Спи, солдат"; not a wasted second on this album; the influences are diverse - ranging from local folk to central asian traditional and a bit of punk/post punk thrown in for good measure, the sound Auktyon have achieved on this works like a paradox; perfectly nostalgic and yet completely original both at once.


Птица

Bailter Space - Robot World

Led by former Gordons guitarist Alister Parker, noise rock unit Bailter Space emerged from Christchurch, New Zealand in 1987. Originally comprising former Clean and Great Unwashed drummer Hamish Kilgour, Pin Group alum Ross Humphries on bass, and Glenda Bills on drums, the group issued their debut EP, Nelsh, on the famed Flying Nun label later that year; both Humphries and Bills departed soon after, resulting in the addition of former Gordons bassist John Halvorsen in time to record the 1988 full-length Tanker. A tour followed, but when the Clean re-formed, Kilgour joined them on a permanent basis; his replacement in Bailter Space was Brent McLachlan, also the drummer in the Gordons. In 1993, they dropped Robot World, what I consider their best. 

Paradoxically enough, this album is really pretty yet completely jagged hard, droning, unforgiving guitar music with occasional lapses into verse/chorus regularity. Wikipedia says it's Beatles harmony blended with Velvet Underground's dissonance. My $0.02 - this is one of the coolest pure noise experiences you'll have with pop music. Full volume with some good headphones is really recommended. 


Orbit