ANTIQUE PONY"Gay Ghosts"(Hikikomori)

This tape was a nice surprise, initially when I picked it out of the pool I didn’t really have high hopes. Neither the band name nor the title of the album really rang with me, but I liked the album art enough to pick it up and I’m glad I did. Antique Pony are from Glasgow (home of other cool noisy rock band Divorce), and craft a dark and moody blend of art rock with a very original composition and execution. “Halloween,” the opener on the tape, is a nod to Slint era post rock with mumbled, monotone vocals buried beneath harmonic waves of guitar. The second track is a total winner, and probably my favorite on the tape, particularly the end portion where they bust out a violin and launch into a killer groove with the plucked strings right up in front. I was a big fan of “Beautiful Atlas,” which starts off the B side with some interesting found audio, and some truly ominous piano drones. The songs on the B side are much less spectacular, but c’est la vie, not every tune can be a winner and I can safely say there are no bad songs on this tape. Antique Pony blend together a lot of familiar indie rock elements, from the Slint-ish vocals to the Sonic Youth guitar squalls, but with a unique aesthetic that never feels like imitation. Highly recommended.

http://antiquepony.bandcamp.com/

----Timothy Johnson

NYSS "Stjeer" c60 (Hikikomori)

This tape is the first I've seen submitted for review that came with a nice hand written note. Jonas explained this tape isn't even part of an edition because he "doesn't think his music is good enough," which is a shame. The music is definitely good enough to be released in more than an edition of zero, especially considering the amount of stuff that's released in an edition of 100,000...

The music is hypnotic 'keyboard' that at times sounds like a budget crap-sio or SK-1 or maybe even a chord organ without the incessant whir of the motor. The hypnotic element is partially due to the semi discordant tones humming in and out and also because of the fact that it's relentless. the wailing of the keyboard is relentless and it makes you feel like yr recliner went too far back and yr head is simultaneously resting on yr favorite chair and the ground.

there are only like two breaks in the whole piece and you get the feeling it was a friggin muscle cramp that made him stop because as quickly as possible it restarts right where it left off.

Hikikomori is based out of sweden and doesn't have a website and this isn't in an edition...BUT if you write to Jonas at : calvinwiththecops [@] yahoo.se and "email a request...i'll record some of it for [you.]" i don't know if that means everyone gets their own unique tape or he'll just dub you a copy of this, either way, it's a good chance to pick up some ambient keyboard jams in a hand-collaged case from a very polite dude in the north east of Sweden.

again, no site, just email:
calvinwiththecops [@] yahoo.se