Another Basement Tapes alumnus, Wiita was actually the first person to take the trip to the basement. His music is minimalistic in a sense… mostly just guitars and few other sounds on each track. Mandala is different and accessible at the same time. Comparisons to other bands are hard to make, but many of his…
And How might sound familiar to you if you listen to the Basement Tapes podcast. And How’s first album, Endless Winter, was featured in the basement in July. The dreamy alternative songs featured on the podcast can now be downloaded for free at the And How Bandcamp page. Fans of the bands we cover in…
This is probably one of my favorite releases this year. Wovenhand masterfully combines a dark, gothic Americana sound with a whole host of world music influences. I love world music, but I tend to hate the half-baked attempts most American rock musicians make. Wovenhand fully embraces the diverse cultures that they weave into each song.…
I first decided to check out this ep when I read Doug Van Pelt of HM magazine raving about it. At the time it was offered as a free download. One really catchy, well-written download at that. The sound is kind of a gritty garage rock vibe with punk influences throughout (especially The Ramones in…
When you speak of classic Christian albums that inspired countless other albums that followed, Branded is usually at the top of the list. The honesty and emotion on display in this album was pretty rare for this era of Christian music. I actually didn’t first hear this album until 1994, 8 years after it was…
Ever wonder what Rob Zombie would sound like if he got saved? Well, other than probably ripping a hole in the space-time continuum, he would probably sound almost just like Mind Of The Sick. While I am not a huge Rob Zombie fan, I do like to occasionally dive into the heavy industrial goth horror metal…
Old school punk rock. For free. What more do you need to know? You can also buy these songs on vinyl. False Idle avoids anything “pop” and goes for the throat with four songs that will have you shouting along and pumping your fists. There is just enough grit around the edges to make this…
While I am not what you would call a Moby “fan,” I do check out most singles and videos he posts online and find myself enjoying them. But when Moby released the video for “The Day”, I was blown away. Maybe it was the angel slaying the demon, but I really connected with that song.…
When Deliverance first unleashed What a Joke in 1991, fans thought that surely this album was the extent of Jimmy Brown and company’s experimental side. They had no idea what was really in store in the next few years, but at the time this album had a few people scratching their heads. Extremely short songs…
This ep came to our attention through a post on our Facebook wall (yes, we do pay attention). The three songs on their Reverbnation page are of the heavy alternative variety. There is a bit of a modern edge to the music, but not to the point that it sounds like a bland attempt to…