some reviews

BERU--very Sigur Ros/Bjork-like. Love the use of sounds and how different each track is, and how the vocals dare to be ambient-creepy. Effective use of harmony, very original. Some very well-placed guitars; Viking Warrior is my favourite. If anything, I'd like to see some tracks with some multi-layered tribal drums, the voice really suits it.

S.A. BACH--a little biased here, knowing him in real life, and having listened to his music for years. But I love the guitar in Heart's Way, he makes the most simple chord progression seem very complex with astute finger-picking. I like Title Track best because it's so unlike him (except, of course, for the irony behind the title; haven't forgotten the Hidden Track on the Bachs album). Still impressed he did this on an iphone. Makes me want one.

LOGAN BRADLEY--The Gnashing, so far, is my favourite on Record Time V. Deth Metal without real drums, what a concept. Love the video-game approach to percussion as well as the electro-spokenword interludes. Its epicness reminds me of old Opeth. XI is my favourite track (11 is also my lucky number *little thrill*) because of its guitar layering. I love that he just uses Roman numerals for titles, that's so old-school metal. Someday, when I have the technology available to me (namely a real recording program, plug-ins/a microphone that works) I want to make a record like this. If anything, I just encourage this person to experiment more with different effects, because everything he tried on here works.

ANDREW MILLER--it's nice to hear some old-fashioned heavy metal, there seems to be so much less in circulation these days. I really like the old-style distortion and the real drumming is very ambitious. Reminds me of the band Kylix. I think, as a foundation/backbone these tracks have a lot of potential, but could have really benefited from some vocals or some more pronounced lead guitar licks; very good but to me, these tracks are missing something. Overall: good garage metal that just needs fleshing out.

DAN WALDKIRCH--genre variation on an album always makes it that much more interesting. I like Pinwheel but I don't think it's right as an opening track...but it reminds me a little of Imogen Heap with its tight vocal layering. Love the drumming in East Wind...it's so wierd to hear metal guitars with pop vocals over them, what an original idea. Really like Diamond Shreddies, very sountrack-y, kind of Moby/Radiohead informed. Nerdy Girls is by far my favourite track, love the background vocals, catchy chorus--makes me think he and Sebastian Bach should collaborate; it would be the new face of progressive pop.

MATT COVELLO--excellent harmonies. Love how The Boy comes off, to me, as a metal track pared down to one acoustic guitar. Props for the spanish influence on The Infidel, made me think of old Doors. Crazy Enabler is my favourite track, brilliant on a Thom Yorke level, and reminds me of the Roustabouts in Dumbo (random but nonethless). I hope to one day be able to write songs in a lower register so I could layer vocals the way he does. Excellent minimalism...I'd just like to see what he would sound like with heavy-reverb tribal drums (he and Beru evoke a similar emotion).

BITCHIN BELLTOWER--first of all, radd bandname. Also, it's nice to see someone writing originals in this genre, I hear so little new lately. Dig the psychadelic undertones of This Moment. Love the drums on Heartbreak is Short and Sweet. Reminds me of a lot of different things, but most prominently old Primus.

FRACTIOUS--excellent use of percussion. Very british sounding, reminds me a lot of Thievery Corporation. The use of elevator-music keyboards is a plus. Buzzing Black Rock is my favourite track. Not a complaint, if anything, a compliment: this is the sort of thing I have on as background noise...very ambient by nature.

NICHOLAS WILLY--very 90s, the kind of song i've tried for years to write. The vocals just need some reverb to put them on par with the guitar and drums. Dig the minimalism, very early White Stripes. Any song with "stain my teeth" in it is going to be interesting.

OSMIN--by far the strangest thing I've heard on Record Time V so far, but that's a compliment. I honestly didn't get into this so much UNTIL it went into psychadelics; love the guitar on Mafalda's Quixotic Views of Cthulhu...it reminds me of that Mazzy Star song "Umbilical" except faster. Love the trippy background noises. Love how Day In the Life of Gustavo starts to sound toward the end. Cauliflower Ears is just neato all-around. I would encourage this person to lay on the electric guitarwork thick, it is their strong point.


[more later]