Proud goth, ex DJ and music reviewer

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Yeah, there was no way I was going to give up the chance to review an EP called Fuck, from a noise artist by the name of Conan The Accountant. Is this all adding up yet and does he get upset by magic? We have not all the answers, but I can tell you that the three tracks on the EP have been woven with whatever noise that Conan (known to his friends as Ben) can push out of a Fender Stratocaster.

There might be a ghost in the machine when it comes to the first track “Of Death And Taxes,” as strange vocalisations issue forth from an miasma of laid back noise. It is off to the demon faire to see the “Clown Girl From Hell,” and she does sound like a sassy lass performing in a circus of heady oddities, where the music see-saws between show time and walking the tightrope. It seems to almost seamlessly slips into “Conan The Accountant And The Cave Of The Cursed 1000,” where our hero shall slay all before him with his calculator as it computes and warbles, plodding down his foe with mathematical precision.

Why is this EP called Fuck? I really have no clue on that one, but hey, it catches your attention in case Conan The Accountant doesn’t. Rock noise with a tortured Fender seems the way to go and it is a fun concept, plus it is pretty amazing how many different sounds can be extruded from the one instrument.

Fuck | Conan The Accountant (bandcamp.com)

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Arguably, Robots In Love is one of the best dark electronic rock bands in New Zealand right now, lead by front woman Elenor Rayner (vocals, synths, programming), with Alex Burchell (drums), Tony Lumsden (bass) and Brett Lemmon (guitar). These very experienced musicians have dropped the new single “Unbreakable” with two bonus remixes.

A slow and purpose filled build up from the start, with the rumbling affirmation of the title, wrapped up in tendrils of a classical edge, enticingly liquid next to the unwavering, steeled vocals of Rayner. Of the two remixes, the first is the EBM remix by Rayner, which has adopted a faster pace, and has a really tribal ambiance with enhanced electronics, while the second, Magnetique remix, happens to be bandmate Burchell behind the desk, creating a second dance track that again exudes an indomitable spirit.

“Unbreakable is about how we feel the minute we walk on stage. It’s about being in the place where you feel at your strongest, and connecting with other people to increase that strength.” – Elenor Rayner

Oh my, for me Rayner exudes feminine power, not to mention wearing that lovely corset, made me think of that other female warrior, Xena, in the video, which makes my heart melt a little more for Robots In Love. This is a boot stomping affair, which I associate with epic anthems such as Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” with its positive declaration that doing something you love with like-minded people can make you “Unbreakable.”

Unbreakable | Robots In Love (bandcamp.com)

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From Athens, Georgia, you can find deathrock roaming wild in the form of Tears for the Dying. The band’s current line-up consists of original member Adria Stembridge (guitars, synthbass, synths, vocals) and Cody  White (guitar, bass) and we thought we would check out the single “Dancing Dead Girl” off the album In the Shadow of the Midnight Sun.

The beginning is reminiscent of Switchblade Symphony, delicate feminine vocals with ringing guitar work that tinkles down, and it mirrors that classic sound throughout. Entrancing in the extreme, the music flows mystically, and it leaving me wondering if the girl was dead before she danced or like the lass in the Hans Christensen tale of the dancing shoes, she expires al la Saint Vitus disease.

“Dead Girl Dancing” is thoughtful and sweet, in that ghoulish gothic way and Adria’s vocals are quite lovely, but trust me when I say that this band can be heavier when they want to be, yet it is nice to hear this side as well. Tears for the Dying are one of those hard working bands, and you will often see them on Facebook, on the road touring, so if you get the chance, get out and check them out

Dead Girl Dancing (single) | Tears for ʇhe Dying (bandcamp.com)

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http://tearsforthedying.com/

https://instagram.com/tearsforthedyingband

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Brisbane based dark rock band, Killtoys, isn’t+ looking for your approval and instead is bringing you a tale of a vampire love story in the form of the new single “My Confession.” Mick Bristow, Stav Tsolakides and Bevan Bancroft are our purveyors of this murky world of the undead.

There is something very 80s post-punk about this track and possibly it is the big soaring jangle guitar that is so infectious, working in conjunction with the thumping rhythm section. An immortal soul in love with a human, unsure whether to leave her be or take her into the dark embrace so she might be his forever.

Recorded, mixed and mastered at King Street Studio by Mick Bristow, and the cover art was created by powerhouse duo Jess and Gary Jones of Obscure Medium Art. The band have again proven that their style never stands still and is always evolving. Quite frankly, I really love this bold sound that reminds me a lot of the early 80s classic goth bands.

https://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/34422377?utm_campaign=a_public_songs&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=page_object_news_item

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It feels like there is so much going on in the world currently and the rest of the planet are watching in horror as wars are popping up like spreading fires. Irish project OWLS was created by Emy Collum back in 2021, where he went from drumming with indie bands to going solo so he could dive into his passion for post-punk and electronic music, and March has seen the release of the new single “Body Bags.”

The style is energetic analogue, like a mash up of Cabaret Voltaire and Fad Gadget. The vocals range from darkwave whispers to barked out cries. The music is punchy and definitely has a punk based approach.

“All of my songwriting up until now has been dealing with internal conflicts and self assessment. It feels selfish looking inwards when being faced with genocide daily. I teach History. I had a Palestinian student join one of my classes recently. They presented a project on the ancient buildings of Gaza City only to highlight the fact that they’re no longer there. That hit hard”  – Emmett Collum

“Body Bags” is an enjoyable track, but at just over two minutes long, it vibes along quite nicely, when it stops. Ah well, this is the punk way and the absurdity of the whole thing is that we shouldn’t have to be talking about bagging and tagging men, women and children that should have lived long and wonderful lives. The OWLS are watching in judgement.

https://owls-emee.bandcamp.com/track/body-bags

O￦LS (@owls_emee) • Instagram photos and videos

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Paul Devine is a wordsmith, a musician, a composer, a scholar, a historian and at heart a humanitarian. The single “Leader of the Free World” (2024) has been born from the stark reality that Donald Trump might win the next North American election, even though he tried to usurp the White House in a coup in front of the whole world and equally is one of the most sexist and slimy humans in the public eye, that has absolutely no remorse for anything he does or says.

The thrumming bass and Devine’s snarled punk vocals, sneer at the propaganda of making America great again through guns, extreme Christianity and perversion of laws. He is the leader of the free world is the sing song chant, because in the end, it as all a joke. Angry guitars and booming drums highlight the truths of how backwards things have become as women have lost rights to their own bodies and racial tension overwhelming.

Not that I think this sounded wholly like The Clash, but I think Joe Strummer is probably sitting somewhere with a smile on his dial. “Leader of the Free World” takes no prisoners and tell no lies. This is a protest, taking a stand against a rising tide of misogyny and intolerance, in the hopes that history does not repeat itself, plus it is an ace song.

Leader of the Free World (2024) | Paul Devine (bandcamp.com)

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One of our favourite songbirds is back. The heavenly voiced, singer/songwriter Madil Hardis has released the latest track called “Melancholia” in March.

The synths are like rays of sunshine, reaching out into the darkness, soft and gently probing, with Hardis‘ vocals tracking along side, a literal angelic sigh almost imperceptible next to the electronics. Even with all that airiness, there is a weight of uncertainty, and maybe this is where the melancholy lays.

The singing is so delicate and yet if it was not there, this track would not even have half the impact. “Melancholia” is a sweet vignette that goes for under two minutes and teases you. Is there something else to come? Wallow in the “Melancholia” with Madil Hardis.

Melancholia | Madil Hardis (bandcamp.com)

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Warning… this is a Guns’nRoses free zone! With that said “You Could Be Mine” is a single from Australian band S:Bahn and the second track dropped from the album Love Songs, that will be released on the 12 of April. The band is made up of Dik Detonic (vocals,guitar), Kristian Brenchley (guitar), Rene Schaefer (bass) and Denis Leadbeater (drums), with
additional vocals by Louise Love.

It has been noted that the start of this track is very much inspired by the Blue Oyster Cult’s “Don’t Fear The Reaper” and indeed it really does have that tone, however it doesn’t stay that way for long, resolving into sounding like The Smithereens. The duet between Detonic and Love was described as Meatloaf like…. mmmm, no. It is decidedly far more like the rugged Aussie intonation of Detonic, dancing with the sweeter vocals of Love. And that might be the crux of this track. It is the Australian indie rock bar song of flirtation and after all, it is from an album called Love Songs. “You Could Be Mine” (back off Axel).

https://sbahn.bandcamp.com/track/you-could-be-mine-3

https://www.facebook.com/SBahnReboot

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Since the late 1990s, Ji Jianhong has been a much vaunted musician of the experimental crowd, especially expressing himself through live recordings, a reflection of his home town Fenghua, in China. Melbourne independent based label, Ramble Records has released Soul Solitary, a two track album which runs for nearly forty-five minutes.

Blasts of chords greet your ears before the free form jazz infused rock guitar leaps forward, sometimes with great vigour causing vocal outbursts. The wave after wave of sound assaults your senses, vibrating and prolonged chords hang in the air searing your brain before becoming a monastic chant, timeless and floating. “Solitary Man” goes from attacking to eerily haunting, with Jianhong the resident ghost heralded by what could be described as Tibetan long horns, yet this is still his guitar. There are moments of listening to the wind that suddenly disintegrate into a maelstrom of noise.

The feedback In “Waterfall” is immense and impressive, stretching forth like a hand searching into the world, and finding thorns and open spaces. Lakes of placid water with creatures below dart around, in their own sphere of existence where the noises from realm filter down muffled and inconsequential. And all the while the waterfall churns the water, oblivious to everything else around it.

What was Li Jianhong thinking about when he recorded these?…well unless you ask the man, then we will never know and I guess this is a part of experimental music. It is mean to provoke and everything is up for interpretation. It is a journey you take with the creator and Solitary Man is engrossing.

Soul Solitary | Li Jianhong | Ramble Records (bandcamp.com)

https://www.facebook.com/Ramble-Records

https://ramblerecords.com

https://www.clear-spot.nl

Vinyl

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US industrial rock band, Warm Gadget have signed to the label Re:Mission Entertainment and soon will be dropping their new album Sorrows, but for now you can get a taste with the second single “Annoyed,” with a b-side remix by Dread Risks.

The drums of discontent lumber forth, herald in the the heavy bass that blasts your senses, while the vocals are violent, directing you to the maelstrom, coated in bombastic floods of tarred frustration. The Dread Risks remix pulsates with an electronic smirk, pulling off a perfect balance of dance and crushing noise.

Tim Vester (vocals, lyrics, samples) and Colten Tyler Williams (guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, programming, production, additional vocals) are bringing on the heavy in a throwback to the late 80s, when industrial metal was taking off and the choice of having Dread Risks doing the remix is the icing on the cake. We are not “Annoyed.”

Annoyed | Warm Gadget | Re:Mission Entertainment (bandcamp.com)

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