Rock / Progressive / Indie

Tracklist:

01 Jonquil – Intro (with an edit of 'Lions')
02 Red Stars Parade – Jack O' Knives
03 Jetplane Landing – Why Do They Never Play Les Savy Fav On The Radio
04 Wintermute – Shark Vs. E-Boat
05 These Monsters feat. 7 Hertz – Fleets Of Black Hovercraft Anchored In Space
06 Paul Marshall – The Horsewoman Came Home
07 randomNumber – Crosets
08 Vessels – Clear And Calm
09 Youthmovies – Shh! You'll Wake It
10 Pulled Apart By Horses – I Punched A Lion In The Throat
11 Year Of The Man – Deus Vult
12 Dinosaur Pile-Up – I Get My Direction From...
13 We Vs. Death – Golden Medals
14 Humanfly feat. Rose Kemp – Heavy Black Show


This compilation is released by young label Children No More Records (which name of course is associated with famous hardcore band ‘Faith No More’). And this disk presents for us bands from modern alternative and independent scenes. In accordance with ‘The First Brainwash Compilation’, situation in these scenes isn’t perspective. I remember the well-known cover-album ‘Leaders Not Followers’ by Napalm Death; and I want to give a name to the new compilation from CNM Records – ‘Followers Not Leaders’. Musicians make an all efforts to create a qualitative modern sound, but result is combination of a fashionable musical facilities and worn-out ideas. Of course, compilation has some really great tracks, for example final sludge and psychedelic hymn “Heavy Black Show”, but compilation in general nothing of the kind. Moreover velocity level and record level are floating during the playing time. It is a neglect of compiler’s duties (well-known program ‘True Audio Analyzer’ pronounces ‘MPEG’ sentence on tracks).
The tracks are very different from the standpoint of music styles. Compilation starts from the short intro; and the really full-length first track is an emo-core ‘Jack O' Knives’. It isn’t bad track in its expressions, but sound disappoint. In next two tracks Jetplane Landing presents rapcore/funk and Wintermute presents alternative rock. I think that band have to create really ‘hits’, if it want to work in these genres; but this two track isn’t hits. Fifth track is a good instrumental post-rock composition. I observe that it’s very hard to create interesting full-length post-rock album, but one track is usually successful attempt. Next two compositions present very strange combination: acoustic folk and at once later intellectual electronic (practically ‘fire and ice’). After that very intelligent indie rock track is situated. I think that it is one of the brilliants in this compilation. Youthmovies and Pulled Apart By Horses present ordinary alternative songs. Musicians of Year Of The Man are really worshippers of Isis/Neurosis post-metal. I love these bands too, of course, but I don’t love copies of them (I have even remembered concrete Isis song, in which ‘Deus Vult’ looks like). Twelfth track is a… pop-music, but again it isn’t hit. In the end of the disk post-rock song from We Vs. Death turn to great psychedelic performance. It untwists in four dimensions of space and time.
I have written about every track of this compilation with a view to illustrate breadth of styles in it. I think that there is no need to combine incompatibles. It’s too difficult attempt for ‘The First Brainwash Compilation’ to demonstrate all cuts of independent scene. This is why effect of this disk isn’t very optimistic. More accurate work with material, more well thought-out assortment of musical ideas are needed for creating of really good compilation. "Entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity". It’s only my opinion of course.