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Mi and L'au | review
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blogcritics.com | Nukapaithe music itself is the seed of an epic in the makingNovember 07, 2005 A little while ago, I requested an item for review from Blogcritics, a yet-to-be released music CD. I only had a small description to go by, but something about it grabbed me, so I grabbed it. Imagine my surprise, when it turned out that the CD was, in fact, a half Finnish production! I had obviously homed in on something. And strangely, in the music of Mi and L'au one can find a home, even if there is no Finnish in you. What does the ice-covered brook running through the dark thicket of a Finnish forest sound like at the depth of night when noone is near? What sound does the white ray of sun make when it cuts through the achingly blue sky? How will you whisper to your lover's ears inside a wooden cottage when the storm is beating at the doors? Enter into the world of Mi's soft voice and the instruments and guitar strings of L'au; picking his way through the melody as if slowly pacing on the hand woven rag-rug they are certain to have at home. L'au sings......
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Angels of Light | review
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fussmagazine.com | david ObenourApparently great minds not only think alike, but can also create amazing music together.9.0/10.0 Taking the helm, Michael Gira steps to the front and Akron/Family turns into Angels of Light. Reining in their enthusiasm and focusing it in a more traditional manner, the album takes a turn for the more refined. Playing off each other, Akron/Family serve as an inspiring backing band and bring Gira’s creations to their full eruptious potential. The playful nature of Akron/Family comes out as passionate intensity as Gira¹s baritone vocals bellow from above. Starting off their half, the Angels of Light take a crack at Dylan’s I Pity the Poor Immigrant which resurrects a sincere honky tonk tone not heard since Sweetheart of the Rodeo. Moving in a darker direction, The Provider and Come for my Woman are gothic epics that capture a rapture similar to Gira’s previous band Swans. The songs create a feel and a soundscape, weaving stories both lyrically and sonically. Gira even later revisits Mother/Father, a track he had previously recorded under Swans. So after months on the road that led to months in the studio, Akron/Family has obviously inspired Gira and Gira has obviously inspired Akron/Family. The......
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Akron/Family | Review
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fussmagazine.com | Dave Obenoura record that drips and oozes with the joy and sincerity of which it was madeAkron/Family 8.2/10.0 Building off their tremendously bizarre and beautiful debut, Akron/Family return with the first half of their split record with label head, mentor, collaborator, and enthusiast Michael Gira (of Angels of Light). Their traditional mix of the untraditional continues further as they indulge more and more of their whims making a record that drips and oozes with the joy and sincerity of which it was made. The album starts out with Awake, which introduces a haunting slightly unsettling vibe complete with full-band harmony. The following songs turn into multiple part epics to their credit and fault, mixing and matching with the unbridled energy and attention span of an attention-deficient four-year-old. Dylan pt. 2 reintroduces the "slightly unsettling vibe complete with full-band harmony" only taking the original concept and blowing it to classic rock proportions. Akron/Family's portion is rounded off with Oceanside, which wears it's Gira influence on its sleeve and the gorgeous Beatles psych-jam out complete with a spiritual revival of Raising the Sparks....
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Mi And L'Au | Review
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www.xsilence.netFrench ReviewLabel : Young God Records Sortie : lundi 31 octobre 2005 Format : Album / CD Il y a un coté magique, féerique, irréel dans la musique de Mi And L'Au. Comme si elle semblait nous parvenir d'une contrée lointaine, inconnue. Cela tient assurément à cette impression de fragilité, de cette sensibilité mise à nue qui ne cesse de s'extraire du premier album de ce duo tout le long des quelques 45 minutes. Mi et L'Au forment un couple franco-finlandais uni à la ville comme à la scène, et de cette flagrante union sont nés quatorze titres bercés par les voix de nos deux protagonistes posées sur des lignes de guitares simples et claires. Quatorze titres privilégiant les harmonies vocales et le mélange de ces voix délicatement posées et dénuées de tout artifice. Alors bien sûr, la musique de Mi And L'Au revêt parfois un caractère particulièrement austère et confidentiel ("How", "Philosopher", "Nude" voire même la quasi-intégralité de l'album en fait), mais il ressort de cet album une sincérité non feinte et parfois même envoûtante. C'est d'ailleurs le vrai intérêt de cet opus: Mi et L'Au ont délibérément choisi de mettre l'accent sur une musique rudimentaire puisque l'orchestration est......
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Akron/Family and Angels of light | Review
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www.xsilence.netFrench ReviewLabel : Young God Records Sortie : lundi 31 octobre 2005 Format : Album / CD En bon tenancier de Young God Records qu'il est, Michael Gira propose en 2005 un split composé de titres de son dernier projet en date: Angels Of Light rejoint par les très frais Américains d'Akron/Family. Donc, ici 12 titres flirtant avec le folk, la country et le rock, le tout baignant dans un univers on ne peut plus... "cool"; pour ne pas dire psychédélique (en tout cas, pour le début de l'album). Oui, parce qu'en s'ouvrant tout d'abord par les sept compositions d'Akron/Family, ce split transpire littéralement d'une inspiration bab', comme si ce combo à la Devendra Banhart (la hype en moins et la folie en plus) souhaitait nous faire découvrir sa vision d'un rock planant, le tout en évitant honorablement les écueils caractérisés par cet ennui qui ne cesse de pointer le bout de son nez au bout de longues jams finalement très chiantes. Non, ici, Akron/Family parvient à faire mouche et nous sert même deux superbes titres avec "Dylan Pt. 2" et surtout ce "Raising The Sparks" alliant psychédélisme incantatoire et folie communicative sur fond de riffs électrifiés et refrains imparables.......