2012, the apocalypse year, should be a promising year for Muzikablog.com music blog.

It’s 2012, the apocalypse year. Please start panicking, shouting, kill each other just for the sake of killing each other, take each others lands and  claim it’s yours before an earthquake or tsunami takes it away, and act like there is no tomorrow. Wait… isn’t the world already in that state? Hasn’t it been like this since the last, couple of centuries?

Here I am, sitting down on the sofa in front of the fireplace and sipping down a scotch with a throw on me, a piece of paper and a pen. That’s the way to write a New Year editorial note for a music blog. Wrong! It’s freezing, cannot afford to switch on the central heating. Just having a cup of tea, and using the laptop fan as a heater. Even my dog is complaining that the flat is cold; hence he tucks himself under my feet.

Let’s be a little bit more realistic. After the festive season parties and kerfuffle, starting a new year everyone feels a little bit more philosophical, and I couldn’t feel less. It’s been almost three years since I started this blog and couldn’t be happier with the progress. While three years ago I struggled to find a band to interview, nowadays my mailbox is over flooded with unread emails from bands asking to be interviewed or have their music reviewed. On this journey I’ve also picked up several guest reviewers, some of whom seem that they are here to stay. Some people might have noticed that we’ve placed a PayPal donate button, hence we couldn’t but expect sarcastic and offending comments, which to be honest, I find funny.

We do this as a hobby during our free time, instead of going to beaches and date sexy hot chicks. We never asked anything from the bands. Sometimes we ask for a hard copy of the album we are reviewing, which we always like to collect to add to our collection of original records. The only reason why we did the donate button, is not to force anyone to pay. If you like reading reviews on this blog and you’re an avid follower and would like to discover more new music and bands, support us by donating any amount you’d like. If your band, somehow benefitted from this blog thanks to a review, interview or mention, feel free to donate what you think it was worth. We don’t even make enough money to pay for the hosting, let alone making profits.

2011 was a great year were I discovered and got in touch with some great bands, such as the Italian trio Shootin’ Stars, British and heavy Vallenfyre, fuzzy Francobollo, the solo project Afterlife Parade and many others. We’ve also received some good news, such as the Black Sabbath Reunion, and some unfortunately news, such as the loss of one of the greatest artists of this century, Amy Winehouse.

I expect 2012 to be even more promising than 2011. Definitely we will get in touch with several other new bands and discover new talents. New music will never stop amusing us, so keep on submitting your work to contact@muzikablog.com. We would like to hear from you. While at it, I’d also like to mention that as always, we are always looking for guest reviewers. We’d like to cover much more music genres, so drop us an email on editor@muzikablog.com if you think you can help us and review music, interview bands or cover some music news.

Let’s sit down and start writing then; have to get rid of the email overflow somehow. Stay in touch and Like the Facebook Muzikablog page to keep in touch or follow the Muzikablog Tweets.

Top ten albums for 2011

Bon Iver – Bon Iver

For Emma, Forever Ago was such a brilliant work of music I figured his next album would be a sad or heroic attempt to recapture it. Thank God he got himself a band and reinvented his sound. This album doesn’t try to touch For Emma, and is made much stronger by that. It’s a wonderful piece of sonic beauty, and proves just how versatile and skilled Justin Vernon is at creating beauty. And I never got the uproar around Beth/Rest, it’s a great track.

Destroyer – Kaputt

This album is so chilled out. I can’t help loving it. Also it name-drops New Order. And has horns and saxophones in it. And deals with the question ‘what’s left for America?’ whilst raising more questions in the same vein. It’s not even a parody of those overly-smooth faux-jazz albums, this rises above that and becomes something much more powerful. Dan Bejar’s dark and wryly witty lyrics and relaxed delivery seal the deal for me here. This is a great album, listen to it.

Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues

I really didn’t want to like this album. I saw them in early 2010 or thereabouts (I can’t actually remember) and they really bored me. Subsequently, so did their first album. I was all set to hate on this one, when I discovered it was actually very much to my liking. It’s mature, questioning, intelligent, and actually very good. Luscious harmonies intertwine with melody and instrumentation to create great folky soundscapes, and Robin Pecknold seems to be going through a very early, laid-back midlife crisis, questioning who he is and why. It may be hard to get in to, but it’s worth it.

PJ Harvey – Let England Shake

The first time I heard Let England Shake, incidentally the day it was released, I loved it. I’ve always thought that PJ was a great artist. But she’s managed to take the mantle of the anti-war movements and create something very English and very relevant, even though it’s mostly about the first World War. It’s a piece of art, this album, and is a guideline to the craft of songwriting. Harvey’s voice is hauntingly beautiful, and the England she evokes is as defiant as it is sad. This album certainly deserved to win the Mercury prize.

Paul Simon – So Beautiful Or So What

I love Paul Simon’s work, and I also loved Surprise, so I was very relieved when it was as good as I thought it would be. Interestingly, it seems to be missing form many of the ‘best of’ lists I’ve read in the past few days, and I don’t really know why. Simon hasn’t lost that beautiful soft voice of his, and his guitar-playing is as understated as it is virtuosic. Lyrically, Simon’s words verge further and further in to free-association poetry. It’s more often than not beautiful and moving.

Radiohead – The King Of Limbs

One of my good friends forced Radiohead on me a long time ago, and I’ve always resented the intrusion until now. This is, interestingly, my favourite Radiohead album. I absolutely adore Tom Yorke’s dubstep (I’m talking Burial and Mala here) influenced musings with the synthesizer, and his alien vocals flowing over the top. It’s an absorbing piece of work. I also like it’s length, clocking at 37 minutes it’s relatively short for a Radiohead album. It’s an album that breaks in to new territory for the band, even though one critic attacked it for being ‘to similar to In Rainbows’. I don’t know what he’s talking about, but there we go. New territory is what Radiohead do best.

Slam Dunk – The Shivers

This album is criminally underrated and unknown. For me, this album is the perfect mix of anarchic lo-fi grunge, and a life-affirming vitality that is incredibly catchy and stirring. This album really grabs you from start to finish, and at the end of the journey it’s a rather cathartic experience. Most of the time this album feels like the band are making it up as they go along. It was a very early release, but it’s a really great one.

Tom Waits – Bad As Me

I love Tom Waits. He’s probably second only to Bob Dylan on the songwriting front for me. I’d loved Real Gone, and was very interested to see what he was going to do next. Typically, he ditched the production-less sound of his last album of recent material for a sleek, sexy and fast moving collection of great tracks. Every one of these songs could have been a single, and every single one is great. Waits continues to be modern, fascinating and very good to listen to.

Tinariwen – Tassili

The rhythms of this album are so primal that I can’t help be entranced by them. Tuareg melodies, I have discovered, tend to be simple, moving and beautiful. Not to mention they’re great guitarists. This album has to be listened to, in order to properly enjoy it, but I would happily say that I regard Tinariwen as incredible. Don’t discard this album as ‘world music’ and put it to the back of the mind. World music it certainly is, universally applicable in any language.

tUnE-yArDs – w h o k i l l

Man, this is a weird album. Laced with reggae and borderline hip-hop beats, Merrill Garbus lets loose her phenomenally unique voice over a flowing and powerful album. With a ukelele. What’s not to love? In all seriousness, she’s really hit something with this album. It’s not lo-fi, but it kind of feels it. It’s not funk, but it kind of feels it. It’s not novelty, but it kind of feels it. It is, however, great. It’s funny, too.

After 33 years of media speculations, gossip and false positive news, the original Black Sabbath line-up who sang about the Devil, Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward are finally back heading back to the studio to record a new album, and then a 2012 tour.

On the 11th of November 2011 (11-11-11) Black Sabbath announced that they are heading back to the studio to record a new album with producer Rick Rubin and will be touring in 2012. The press conference was held at the Whiskey A-Go-Go in Los Angeles, commemorating their 41st anniversary of their first concert at the fabled venue. Last year Ozzy had already announced that he is up to a Black Sabbath reunion in an interview with QMI.

This much awaited reunion will be the first time since the original Black Sabbath line-up has recorded together 1978′s Never Say Die!. They have been on stage together a bunch since Osbourne’s initial departure. But ever since a one-off show way back in December 1997, there have been a number of derailments that have kept Black Sabbath from being together full time. Ozzy Osbourne, now in his 60′s like all other band members said “Well, the timing was right!”. The band confirmed that they will tour the world and they will headline Britain’s Download festival, in June 2012. Below is the video of the press conference when Black Sabbath announced the reunion.

Lavigne has been traveling around on the Black Star Tour since the end of April, starting in Asia, where she had to postpone several dates in Japan due to the earthquake and tsunami. After coming back from the far east, she did only one show in the United States, before jetting off to South America for the next leg of the tour.

Avril is currently on a one-month break from touring, after which she’s heading to Europe for a string of dates in September. October sees her returning to North America, with shows all across the Canadian provinces.

This tour has been a little different from Lavigne’s previous efforts, in that she has focused on a more melodic approach in order to connect with her audiences on a deeper level. Unlike previous tours where the setlist has almost exclusively featured up-tempo rock numbers, this time around Avril has opted for a few more acoustic versions of her songs, putting her guitar down in favor of the piano from time to time.

That’s not to say that the performances lack energy, just that Lavigne is showing that she has grown up a bit, and that her music doesn’t have to be full speed ahead all the time. The audiences on the tour seem to love her as much as ever, and some even have trouble containing their adoration.

In a recent concert in Brazil, an overzealous fan managed to bypass the security blockade, charging across the stage to embrace the singer. Lavigne, who was facing away at the time, was taken by surprise and screamed at the intrusion. Security guards soon swooped in and removed the woman from the stage. No one was harmed in the incident, and Avril laughed it off and continued with the show.

Aside from touring, Avril also has a lot on her plate in terms of her charity work and her work with aspiring young musicians. She recently announced the recipients of four $10,000 grants, awarded by the Avril Lavigne Rockstar Club, to programs that help children with disabilities. The grant money will help assure that the children have recreational outlets that help them develop both socially and artistically.

If that weren’t enough, a television series called Majors and Minors will begin airing in September. It’s a reality show in which several major name music stars, including Lavigne, mentor a group of young artists as they pave the road toward a career in music. Avril made time in her busy schedule to do the show because she felt it was important to give something to the next generation of little rockers.

If you want to catch Avril on the last leg of her Black Star Tour, tickets are available now for the October shows across Canada.

In the meantime, you can also check out Avril’s latest studio album called Goodbye Lullaby;

The new incarnation of Primus features a slightly modified lineup from previous albums – in addition to the essential presence of Les Claypool, guitarist Larry “Ler” LaLonde brings his guitar genius back to the group, and the pair are joined by drummer Jay Lane, whom hardcore Primus fans will remember as one of the original members of of the band. Although Lane left the band before the first formal studio recordings were made, he has wandered in and out of the Primus landscape over the years, and his early work with the band has had a profound influence on their overall artistic direction.

Given the refreshed lineup, the buzz surrounding Primus’ reunion is not only centered around excitement over the new album, but also over the uniqueness of their revamped sound. With the reappearance of Lane, Primus has recaptured some of the raw, gritty energy that made them cult favorites in the first place, and the rapport between the members makes for a charismatic on-stage dynamic. Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips, who recently had the opportunity to play a show with Primus, commented that although he has encountered plenty of bands who have copied Primus’ style, none has come close to duplicating their magic.

But it’s not all about nostalgia and digging up gems from the past. Fans who have seen the reworked Primus lineup at recent live shows will have noted that the band is sporting a fresher and more modern musical style with their new songs, an impressive feat considering that they’ve been making music together on and off for nearly three decades. Innovation and experimentation have always been priorities for Les Claypool, and fans are certainly used to the tangents the band can take, especially during live shows. The group seems to have steered clear of any signs of a musical mid-life crisis, though, gingerly avoiding freakishly uncharacteristic moves that would indicate artistic desperation. Their current sound, no matter how rejuvenated, is still undeniably Primus, and those who pine for the good ol’ days of Frizzle Fry and Seas of Cheese will find just as much to love about the new album as first-time listeners will.

• Provide a platform for the exploration and expression of ambient music, without the limitations of traditional environments and experiences
• Experiments with sound system design and its relationship to music composition
• Offers you the possibility to build a face-to-face and virtual community of listeners and artists who can share their love for the music and forge new friendships
• Creates a music-centered experience for guests that succeeds as both an opportunity for aural contemplation and as a social occasion
• And last but not least, showcases the diversity of venues available for creative experimentation in New York City

If all of the above seems to meet your requirements, then welcome to Auditorium. Auditorium frees composers and performers from the limitations of sound systems designed for traditional band, orchestra and DJ formats. Its audio hallmark is true multi-channel sound immersion. The sound system consists of eight stacks, arranged around the perimeter of the room. Performers, at the centre, are given full control of each element. Every place in the room offers its own sonic perspective. Auditorium’s founders and co-directors are Kevin Balktick and Taylor Kuffner. They have been working together in lofts, warehouses & festivals, conferences, art galleries and other happenings since 2007. After many years of discussing an ambient music project, they are finally making it happen.

There have been 2 events already, which were organized by auditorium. The next NOT TO MISS event is taking place on the Friday, August 12, 2011 from 9am till 2am. If you buy tickets for Episode Three in advance they cost $10, and tickets at the door cost $15. I can guarantee you that there is definitely no better way how to spend $10 – $15 on the 12th of August if you are in and around New York. Episode three will be taking place at Safe Harbor Studios in Soho, 446 Broadway 3rd Floor between Grand St & Howard St, New York. Don’t base yourself on my words; simply check it out for yourself from the Auditorium official website, from where you can stream a number of tracks from previous events artists. You can also visit their Previous section on their website, where you can read more about the performers and musicians which performed in previous episodes.

That announcement came a day after the singer canceled dates in Athens and Istanbul following a disastrous performance in Belgrade, Serbia.

“Everyone involved wishes to do everything they can to help her return to her best and she will be given as long as it takes for this to happen,” Winehouse representative Chris Goodman told the Associated Press at the time. There was no mention of why Winehouse was in the state she was in during the Belgrade show.

Only a few weeks before hitting the road, Winehouse spent two weeks at London’s Priory Clinic, though it was never made clear what she was being treated for.

Remembering her music:

Muzikablog

If you would like to be one of the five lucky winners, simply follow Muzikablog on Facebook. Visit http://www.facebook.com/muzikablog and click Like.

Muzikablog will be hosting several draws for its Facebook followers. You could be just a couple of clicks away from winning FREE guitar lessons to become a guitar hero, or win a new album from a featured band.

The winner will be announced on the Muzikablog Facebook page at the end of August 2011. Spread the word around!

About Muzikablog

Muzikablog is a music blog which reviews music from both upcoming unsigned bands and artists to already established bands and artists. Apart from reviews, on Muzikablog.com you can also find other music related content, such as news and informative music articles.

About Guitar Master Class

GuitarMasterClass is a place where you can improve your musical skills and meet people with similar interests. The main focus is to having fun while learning. We believe that your learning curve is most effective if you’re having fun at the same time. GuitarMasterClass also strives to inspire students to find their own unique style. To help you become a great guitarist, we have collected a crew of skilled guitar instructors from all around the world. They are on and around the site 24/7 to answer questions, give feedback, and show support.

The blog is growing, more followers and visitors every day, more bands and recording labels sending emails for reviews and interviews, but time is always very limited. So we are looking for writers, reviewers, call them what you want. As long as you like music and you know the alphabet, we want you on the team. What do you think of the below advert, sounds promising no?

“Do you like to speak to your friends about music till they are annoyed and start ignoring you? If yes, then you are INTO music. If you are interested in writing reviews, get in touch with band members and the people behind the scenes, drop us an email on contact@muzikablog.com. If you already have experience in writing, well and good. If not, no worries, there is always the first time for everything.”

Having a blog is a great means to get in touch directly with band members and other people from behind the scenes. Most probably you won’t make money out of it (maybe in 200 years time), but you’ll get some free cd’s you review. After all if you are into music, you don’t download pirated music and you’re into your CD collection, isn’t it like that? Thanks to this blog I made a lot of contacts, who share my same passion, music. Unfortunately I’ve also learnt how the music industry works, how evil it can be, sometimes. But whatever, we are here to enjoy ourselves and try our best. If it was something simple to do, and not be challenging, it would be boring, like my food.

And to conclude, thanks again for following, keep in touch and keep playing loud music!

Yours truly,
Octave Shaper
octaveshaper@muzikablog.com

2010 saw Lady Gaga steal everyone’s attention and storm to success like no one else ever did before.  Music awards, sold out concerts, flocks of fans following here everywhere she goes, making news?  Lady Gaga has been there, done that.  She is one of the most controversial artists the last decade saw.  I don’t personally like pop music, but I do have a lot of respect towards her as an artist.  She is a perfectionist, creative and unlike many other commercial artists out there, she knows how to play instruments herself.  Therefore she is not up there by mistake, or simply by luck (although luck plays a major role in the beginning) but she worked hard for it and she definitely knows what she is doing.  She is one of the most determined artists who is ready to give it all to keep on leading the charts.

2010 was also the year where the music industry is fed up of the current boom boom bam bam music scene, and is finally giving more space and exposure to more experimental music.  Time to go back to the roots?  It seems so since La Roux and Hurts also led the charts for some time and managed to establish themselves as top bands.  Are the 80′s back?  This year we received a good amount of emails from bands that are playing electro and dark wave music, and as a personal note, I encourage them to keep it up.  The light at the end of the tunnel does not seem to be that far away anymore.

In 2010 we also received another good amount of emails from bands who are experimenting with psychedelic music, heavy rock music and other similar rock genres as well.  Will we see the likes of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Grateful dead, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple leading the charts in 2011?  The answer is simply NO.  Definitely there are more and more bands playing such music again and experimenting, but rock was never and is never going to be mainstream music, but will always be a secondary controversial music genre.  Rock is like common sense, something which is good to have, but even though common sense should be something that everybody has, hence common, it seems it is not as common as we think it is.  The generic public lacks common sense and unfortunately the charts depend on the generic public.  They only hear to what is played on the radio, songs from people wearing lampshades, lesbians and disturbed teenagers.

There is still hope for 2011 though, because the vibe is that we will see a wider variety of music genres being given airtime on radio stations and television stations.  This year it was the time for electro pop / almost dark wave music of Hurts and La Roux, and maybe next year it will be the time for some other genre.  As long as it is not Nickelback, I’m looking forward to listen to something new and great!