*e* - Zarkouwee

Ahhhh... another refreshing release from good friend *e*. Amazing voice. Amazing lyrics. Amazing songs. This particular release proves to be slightly more "hi-fi" and "band-oriented" than previous endeavors and, consequentially, is diverse as hell in style. From rock to instrumental keyboard loops to Velvets type drone pop, this CD is pretty different from other *e* releases. It seems like these songs might be a sort of collection of recordings from over the last year or two. I can personally attest as to when two of these songs were recorded since I played bass on them. *e* released a demo tape earlier this year called "Reverse the Negative" with an early version of "Aquarielle." I was quite pleased to hear this fantastic song reworked reworked for this album here. Zark.

Handmedown Satellites - Meanders Afoot

Handmedown Satellites is the moniker of the ongoing solo efforts of another Dekalbian friend of mine. He has a treasure trove of a blog called You're Sitting On It where you can find previous HMDS releases as well as many other gems. This latest release ventures into krauty synth territory. It's chalk full of extended digital hazes that build on themselves and develop uniquely organic rhythms that sound like they are about to shred the tape they were committed to in the first place. This is definitely one of my favorite HMDS releases thus far. The song "The Music Room" is a particular treat, invoking a repetitious drum machine loop with nothing but layers of gorgeous, tremolo-soaked melody dripped over the top. Swelling and soothing all at the same time. There are other moments on this album that almost feel pseudo-industrial, but ya know, in a good way. See the the song "Bite the Beat" to hear what I mean. The Meandering.