Walled Horizons

Twenty years since the Berlin Wall came down, there are many places in the world where walls and barriers are still standing (excellent report by the BBC).

Today's post is a short film/documentary about the shameful wall built by the Israeli government at the West Bank, which created a huge prison in Gaza. Walled Horizons is narrated by and features Roger Waters, who visits the Wall in the Palestinian territories and comments on his observations as a musician and a songwriter who has written on walls. The film explores how Palestinians in urban and rural areas have been impacted by the Walls construction since the International Court of Justices Advisory Opinion in 2004, which declared the Wall's route in the West Bank illegal. Several senior Israeli security officials are interviewed in the film, two of whom were directly responsible for planning the Wall route and who explain the Israeli position for constructing it. The film was made by the United Nations Jerusalem.

Part 1:


Part 2:

Zerova - I think we 've lost

Zerova are Polish experimental music band, formed in 2004 in Bialystok. Their music combines soft electronic sounds with a variety of traditional instruments, clearly influenced by the icelandic scene. Calm, cold, sad but beautiful! Recommended!

Artist: Zerova
Album: I think we 've lost
Year: 2009
Genre: ambient, post-rock, electronica

Tracks:
1. Fukka’jo
2. Drift
3. 333
4. Unnamed place
5. Hide away
6. Somebody read my poem
7. Today I’ve passed the barn
8. You won’t
9. Water house
10. Crickets

Herb recordings (great label, buy from here)
Last.fm
MySpace

Check the comments to listen before you buy.

The Zephyrs - When the Sky Comes Down It Comes Down on Your Head

The Zephyrs are Scottish brothers Stuart and David Nicol along with Gordon Kilgour. They make shoegaze and psychadelic infuenced melancholic rock music with obvious influences by bands like Slowdive and Low and some post-rock influences as well. They have released four full-length albums so far. This is their second album released in 2001. Excellent!

Artist: The Zephyrs
Album: When the Sky Comes Down It Comes Down on Your Head
Year: 2001
Genre: shoegaze, post-rock, indie

Tracks:
1. The Buildings Aren't Going Anywhere
2. Modern Beats
3. Mount Misery
4. Setting Sun
5. The Green Tree
6. Paint Your House
7. Murder Of A Small Man
8. Stargazer
9. Ballad Of The Green Tree

Official Website
Last.fm
MySpace

Check the comments to listen before you buy.

Metavari - Be One of Us and Hear No Noise

Metavari are an American instrumental rock-trio from Indiana, formed in the winter of 2006. The contrast of digital elements, like laptop programming and synth processing, along side organic rock arrangements and vintage equipment create beautiful multi-layered compositions. Visualizations and archived footage are edited along side each arrangement and videos are projected live. In 2008, they self-released their first EP ("Ambling"). This is their debut full-length album, released earlier this year by Crossroads of America Records. Excellent compination of post-rock, ambient and electronica. Recommended!

Artist: Metavari
Album: Be One of Us and Hear No Noise
Year: 2009
Genre: post-rock, instrumental, ambient, electronica

Tracks:
1. Kings Die Like Other Men
2. Shimmer Marina
3. Twilight Over Akaishi
4. The Priest, The Shore, And The Wait
5. Be One Of Us And Hear No Noise
6. Io, Apollo, And The Veil
7. Cerulean
8. Maedchen
9. Story For A Song Without End
10. Pacific Lights

Official Website
Last.fm
MySpace

Buy from Crossroads of America Records.
Check the comments to listen first.

Underground (1995)

Emir Kusturica is a brilliant director and Underground is probably the best movie to represent his cinematography. It is based on a play by Dušan Kovačević. The film follows three characters through Yugoslavia's history, from World War II to the Cold War and finally the Yugoslav wars. It uses the epic story of two friends to symbolically depict and satirise the history of Yugoslavia since the Second World War.

In my opinion, the film is flawless! A mixture of black comedy with tragedy, Underground can really touch you deeply. It displays clearly the tragedy of war and the vanity of human nature. Don't get discouraged if you are not familiar with Balkan history. People are all alike; you'll recognise the patterns easily.

Finally, the music is great. Goran Bregović wrote on of his best soundtracks! Some songs, such as "Mesecina" and "Kalasnjikov", are already classic!

A moving requiem for a dying country. A cult film that will probably mark the history of cinema forever…

More info:
IMDb
Kustupedia
Wikipedia
Rotten Tomatoes

Trailer:

Catherine A.D. - The Bedroom Sessions

Catherine A.D. is the work of British multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Catherine Anne Davies. Catherine A.D. has scarlet hair (dyed) and a black throat (real). Her output to date consists of the three DIY EPs she’s been drip-dropping out into the world whilst finishing university. Apparently, this one was recorded in her bedroom ..."whilst I was supposed to be finishing my English Literature degree". A great, dark album that everyone must listen! I've seen her live at Latitude festival a few months ago; great performance!

Artist: Catherine A.D.
Album: The Bedroom Sessions
Year: 2009
Genre: dark, melancholic, indie

Tracks:
1. Long Year
2. Missiveh
3. Crave
4. Grow Out
5. Black Eyed Dog (Nick Drake cover)
6. The Heart is a Lonesome Hunter
7. Ripe
8. The Congregation
9. Bury Me
10. Instrumental #21

Official Website
Other releases@bandcamp.com
Last.fm
MySpace

Download/listen from here (if you like it, buy it):

Soap&Skin - Lovetune for Vacuum

Soap & Skin is the piano-driven musical project of 19-year-old Austrian artist Anja Plaschg. After releasing a string of songs on compilations and a series of live appearances throughout 2008, Plaschg released an untitled EP the same year, consisting of four tracks and including a cover of Nico’s “Janitor of Lunacy.” This is her first full-length album, released on Coach Records. Absolutely brilliant debut!

Artist: Soap&Skin
Album: Lovetune for Vacuum
Year: 2009
Genre: piano, dark, melancholic, experimental

Tracks:
1. Sleep
2. Cry Wolf
3. Thanatos
4. Extinguish Me
5. Turbine Womb
6. Cynthia
7. Fall Foliage
8. Spiracle
9. Mr. Gaunt PT 1000
10. Marche Funèbre
11. The Sun
12. DDMMYYYY
13. Brother Of Sleep

Official Website (buy from here)
Last.fm
MySpace

Check the comments to listen before you buy.

The Weak Men - The Weak Men (Deer album)

The Weak Men is an American post-rock band from Provo, Utah. This is their debut released in 2006, also known as Deer album. Clearly influenced by GY!BE and A Silver Mt. Zion! Really beautiful post-rock music.

Artist: The Weka Men
Album: The Weak Men (Deer album)
Year: 2006
Genre: post-rock, instrumental

Tracks:
1. Concerto in E Minor for Piano, Violin and Guitar (A Waltz)
2. Song for Carl Malone
3. Core
4. Then But Now
5. Please Breathe

Official Website (buy from here)
Last.fm
MySpace

Check the comments to listen before you buy.