Surfacing In Style Instrumentally

We welcome you to three "surfacing" bands who, in the finest tradition of Surface to Air subjects, have lifted clean-off their terrestrial moorings and produced a new record which sees each of them tear-arse to the front of an otherwise meandering pack of 2011 recording artists and signal that the race for album of the year is gonna go down the very last minute of 2011.  And to have achieved this with records which are largely instrumental in content , design and intent is a testament of to their makers' inherent awesomeness.


First off - From Rare Forms to Mystic Places... WOODSMAN

Having already turned out a rock solid long player in 2011, the lopsidedly underrated Rare Forms, Woodsman insisted on carving their considerable signature one more time into the trunk-like face of 2011.

Where Rare Forms may have looked and sounded a little like an imagined Ozrick Tentacles reformation, the swift and deft Mystic Places showcases a band at the pinnacle of its instrumental and compositional powers.


Woodsman have the rare quality found only occasionally in largely instrumental recordists wherein they produce entire long-players worth of material without ever sounding as though they're jamming and/or looping their way to the end of side two.  The difference between genuine player-composers and self-regarding noodly tweakers it must be said.  Hear Woodsman swing.

Woodsman: Mystic Places by alteredzones


Second off - From Psychic Psummer to Neverendless... CAVE

Chicago's very own wig-out merchants Cave have delivered their first studio record as a four-piece and with the opener, W U J, have catapulted the rythmic clamberings of most other alleged instrumental psych-rockers into outerspace.  


The concept of musical telepathy is taken to a new level with Neverendless and the listener is treated to a suite of interweaving canvass-like works in sonic sublimation.


Step into the cave-neverendless.

CAVE - MUJ by Fuse Group Australia


Third off - From Dos to West via Vol.2 ... WOODEN SHJIPS 

Wooden Shjips of San Francisco have happily indulged their love of warm valves and heavy gauge guitar strings for a number of years now with a modest but potent array of early releases which seem now to serve as forensic forays toward the more substative undertaking that is West.


Ripley Johnson's vocals are so sedatively restrained and pitched so far back in the mix as to allow West/Wooden Shjips to qualify for instant intrumental status.  Indeed, the vocals play an instrument-like role in a glorious, plunging, rock avalanche that always enjoys a soft landing.  Set sail aboard Wooden Shjips.

Wooden Shjips: "Crossing" by alteredzones