The first approach was so and so and I don't know why but I was expecting some sort of "dark/prog metal record" but after a few second I've seen I was completely wrong. Neronoia is a joint venture that marries dark heroes Canaan and Colloquio a band I'm sorry to say I don't like that much. If compared to Canaan this project is more soft and listenable, it's strange 'cause do to the Italian language used by the singer I couldn't but think to some depressed/inspired famous singer projects from here above all to Fausto Rossi (Faust'o) and to early La Crus but take it with a grain of salt. Musically this dark, heavy new wave with a strong emphasis on bass dynamics but I could bet people into My Dying Bride, Moonspell or some Fields of Nephilim wouldn't dislike it 'cause the global effect is that minus loss of the rock guitars. Yes, I think you can hear the Caanan imprinting but as I already told you this is more melodic and melancholic. The lyrics follow in the same direction with this typical "dark days coming" feeling all over the place. If you're into dark music but you despise those plastic-fake keyboards sounds of mid eighties well, this well produced and quite refined.

Formed at the beginning of the new millennium, I Love Ufo is a French powerful psychedelic punk trio. If it is difficult to link punk to pychedelia, well by listening the opening track "Wish" (the album has the same title) I hear traces of Blue Cheer and Sun Dial but filtered through the punk impetuosity. On "White flower" the influences and the sound change, because if the voice sound like Peter Murphy sings the Stooges, the music is a sort of 70s punk with 90s sound. "Like in the movies" (track chosen for the realization of the first video), instead, is noise a punk anthem (they remember me a 90s band I loved, the Green Magnet School. If you don’t know them, check their "Blood music" album on Sub Pop), while the following "Cold" is an hypnotic ballad. I Love Ufo gathers so many influences that it is difficult to name them all. You can hear echoes of 70s psychedelia, had rock, punk (check "Happy birthday" if you like Dead Kennedys, for example), new wave and noise all mixed into a powerful formula that will convince you. They are also famous for having a very energetic and involving live show, so check them if you read their name on the walls of you city!P.s. You can give a listen to the songs at this website http://iloveufo.recordmakers.com

I’m an animal and I get excited when I can have my dirty paws on releases like this. My senses are titillated by the sensual rhythms and by cool melodies. Hypnolove, with their EUROLOVE did a fantastic album and a gorgeous debut. They already released in the past an EP with the same name (released by Confusion Recordings and containing a first version of "Eurolove", "Nights In Blue Jeans" and "Disco Veneziano") and the "Mademoiselle" 12" (containing the original verion, two remixes and an Hynolove version of the "Assault on Precinct Thirteen" main track) and with EUROLOVE they are ready to prove their value. The trio coming from Toulouse is formed by a French, a Portuguese and a German guy and it’s amazing to notice that into their blend electro/funk/italo disco/indie wave they put also somethig characteristic of their original land: the Portuguese language on the final part of "Eurolove" and on "Lembranca", the French on "Etoiles" and "Mademoiselle – edith" and the German on the melanchonic "Deine augen" (its beginning remember me some atmospheres of the latest Franz Ferdinand album). Opening with the Crowleyan sentence "Every man and every woman is a star" (in French "Chaque homme, chaque femme est une étoile"), "Etoiles" is something more of an intro and it introduce the audience to a multifaceted album. The songs are perfectly built with cool melodies and rhythms and the album convinced me immediately. It is impossible to stay immobile when you listen to the punk influence of "Furori sacrum" (there are no guitars but the 4/4 drums and the energy are the same) or "1000 lies", the Italo disco of "Flashy pretty girl", the electro pop of "Get to know the girl" (featuring Bitch Lap Lap on vocals it is a song that Madonna would have if only she knew the Hypnolove!), the indie feels of "Party pooper" or the sensual cover of the 1979 Kiss’ hit "I was made for loving you", here slowed down and still full of charisma. Produced by Julian of Tekel and Renaud Letang (already producer fomr Gonzales, Jane Birkin, etc) EUROLOVE is a perfect album that celebrates late 70s, early 80s with a modern flavour. Perfect!

Despite the name suggested the last of zillions bands playing ambient music or Kranky influenced drone music, The Drones should be filed under "rock-blues, depressed-folk". Their sound infact pays homage to the family tree of american music like many other acclaimed artists did before them, therefore if I say "Gala Mill" is full of reminiscences near to some old episodes signed by Tim Rutili and friends, and of course I speak about Red Red Meat in particular but also to Loftus, Califone, Giant Sand, Rein Sanction (for those who know them). But if you wonna go back to the real root of the sound of these australians you probably should look for the lowest common denominator and the answer is probably Rolling Stones. There's a sick bluesy atmosphere and you know considered they’re coming from the land of kangaroos mentioning the Bed Seeds is quite obvious but probably realistic. Some of the slowest ballad ("Alexander Pierce" for example) reminded me of the great Reiner Ptacek that's great. Professional recording, a good writing skill, a good look and a chart climber refinement, but if you ask me I think this release is a bit too heavily absorbed in its influences and that's probably its biggest limit. If you're into modern classicism you'll probably love it over all it’s a good record, just a bit to "conservative".

Of the different CDs I recently received from Laurent Terrier, the one of his Zonk’t project is the one I appreciated the most. Why? Well, because Zonk’t start from the same elements of the others Laurent’s projects (digital noises, glitch sounds and generally processed sources) but the process work is different: the tracks are shorter and there’s also space for a rhythm structure and also some melody lines are used. These elements make of PURR an album more accessible to the people used to electronic suites or ambient based works. Containing tracks born from re-worked recordings he used for some theatrical choreographies, PURR is divided into nine different parts. As for the other releases the tracklist doesn’t explain that much but this time the tracks are based on a cyclic structure deeply based on rhythm which is enriched by layers of sounds that come and go and by subtle melodies that built a web of sound where alternating bleeps and pulsating waves paint an isolationist landscape that musically is linked to modern ambient music as well to old 70s pioneers like Klaus Schulze or Popul Vuh. Intense and disturbing...