Void Songs (VULP-0019) is British artist Richey Hackett’s seventh album overall, and third release for Vulpiano Records, the previous two being the single from this album, “Softly, Slowly”, and a compilation of previous material, An Introduction to Richey Hackett. The album as described by Hackett is “an experiment outside my comfort zone to see if I could make an entire album without using guitars” and “an examination of all my worst fears, hence why it’s the darkest record I’ve ever made”, a record of his new exploration of incorporating electronics into his music.

The music here ranges from plodding and industrial-tinged (“Inevitable”, “Bad Dream”) to crunchy, catchy electronics (“Face”, “Softly, Slowly”), dark lyrical themes spread throughout. Void Songs is one of Hackett’s best releases yet, vastly different from his other material not only by virtue of the new electronic element, but the promising direction this work appears to betoken for the future of his music.

Download here: http://www.mediafire.com/?p6a6o6m50lv45p9

Richey Hackett: MySpace | Last.fm

—-Tracklisting—-

1. Inevitable

2. Drowned

3. Face

4. Mute

5. Bad Dream

6. Last Words

7. Softly, Slowly

8. Planes Over Hong Kong

Posted by marilyn roxie 29 September 1 Permalink

Baltic Avenue (VULP-0018) is Italian pop-rock group Tiny Tide’s second offering on Vulpiano Records, the first being the single “The Smiths & The Cure”. The album was originally to be titled Gasoline Alley, says Mark Zonda: “since I was born and I still live in there, but I don’t want to be confused with the Rod Stewart album and song”, which is also pictured on the front cover. Baltic Avenue was cooked up especially for Vulpiano, a charmingly rustic, Beatles-inspired EP.

Download here: http://archive.org/details/TinyTide-BalticAvenue2010

Song lyrics here: http://www.tinytide.com/2010/09/baltic-avenue/

Zonda’s words on the songs’ themes:

“Baltic Avenue” is the name of the cheapest way in Monopoli.
Naming the album as a road familiar to everyone was a tribute to The Beatles’ Abbey Road. The whole EP is, telling the truth, telling in 5 tracks the story of these guys becoming famous, reaching the top to slowly see it fading away. Isn’t it a bit a wider metaphor for life?

“Right Now” is the big hit that made’em famous, a coral song about living our best - still boring - days as well

“I Need Somebody” is from the point of view of John, being sick of celebrity

“Times of trouble” is a sad reflection from Paul with the awareness of losing the great magic that’s about to fade

“… and the stars” Is George having his revenge, reaching his top as songwriter and success.

“Far Away” is about a person (Paul?) living his last days of his life being kissed by a magic song goodbye.

Tiny Tide: Last.fm | MySpace | Blog

—-Tracklisting—-

1. Right Now

2. I Need Somebody

3. Times of Troubles

4. …And the Stars

5. Far Away

Posted by marilyn roxie 23 September 1 Permalink

Microscopes is the latest musical endeavor of prolific Rate Your Music artist Chris Hunter and vocalist and lyricist Fred. The cover may yield a clue to the ‘art pop’ genre tag applied to it, evident in splashes throughout VULP-0017, Points of Interest, though it is more of a curious odyssey in lo-fi electro-blues. Wheeling from eerie to romantic, soothing to jarring, Points of Interest is a veritable buffet of rich textures and emotional outpourings, “This is the Night” and “Those Summer Days” being favorite highlights of the lot. One to watch!

Download here: http://www.mediafire.com/?m5nwuwqj3jz

Microscopes: Rate Your Music | Last.fm

—-Tracklisting—-

1. This is the Night

2. Cloak and the Dirtied River

3. The Strangest Things

4. Pictures

5. Don’t Go Farther

6. Poem 65

7. Babe

8. Child’s Play

9. Wolfman

10. Those Summer Days

11. Dreams Don’t Mean Anything

Posted by marilyn roxie 24 July Permalink

Previously appearing on Vulpiano Records with a compilation spanning his catalog 2007-2010, British independent artist Richey Hackett has just released the new single for his forthcoming album Void Songs (coming September 27th), VULP-0016. Taking an electronica direction, quite a hop from his usual pop-rock style, “Softly, Slowly” is both catchy and unnerving, Hackett’s vocals taking on a haunting quality amidst mesmerizing, hypnotic loops of drums and eerie melodies - one of his best works yet and quite the taster for the album to come! The b-side here is an instrumental, “Years”, mysterious and near-industrial sounding, providing a further glimpse into just how epic Void Songs will be when released in full.

Download here: http://www.mediafire.com/?iivnkfjzdji

Richey Hackett: MySpace | Last.fm

Posted by marilyn roxie 8 July 2 Permalink

VULP-0015 is a compilation of this UK-based independent artist (in every sense of the term, handling all of the songwriting, instrumentation, vocals, recording, and producing of his works), Richey Hackett, who has somehow been flying under the radar since 2007. Vulpiano Records is, proudly, releasing a compilation of the best songs from his catalog, An Introduction to Richey Hackett. The closing remark on his MySpace profile - “Pop music is dead. And I have come to revive it. Enjoy.” sums up much of his mission; the creation of catchy tunes need not leave out thoughtful lyricism, which has become increasingly abundant in his works over time. His wide array of fabulous influences have certainly lent a hand in shaping him as an artist, and I was pleased to see Elvis Costello amongst them, as that’s who I was reminded of when hearing “Sixteen” particularly, a kindred spirit in pop sensibility surely. An Introduction to… is a monument to his changes and growth over time, my favorites of the lot being “Wrath” (optimistic instrumentation blended with sentiments of distress), “Empty Out the Room” (a plodding and dark piece with some rather memorable guitar bits), and the pseudo-folksy, chugga-chugga rhythm “Coming Home”. His whole catalog is available for free on Last.fm, with another album coming down the pike in summer 2010.

Download here: http://www.mediafire.com/?wmwvztjldjz

Richey Hackett: MySpace | Last.fm

—-Tracklisting—-

1. You Have, You Want, You’ll Get (Kicking & Screaming, 2008)
2. I Found My Little Habit (…That I Shall Be Tomorrow, 2009)
3. Wrath (Looking into the Dark E.P, 2008)
4. Sixteen (…That I Shall Be Tomorrow, 2009)
5. Getting Worse (Awkwardly Mobile, 2007)
6. Think Like A Shrink (Suddenly, 2007)
7. By And By The Way (Richey Hackett, 2008)
8. No One Hears Me (Suddenly, 2007)
9. Sad (Kicking & Screaming, 2008)
10. Touch (…That I Shall Be Tomorrow, 2009)
11. Empty Out The Room (…That I Shall Be Tomorrow, 2009)
12. Morning Report (Kicking & Screaming, 2008)
13. Coming Home (Richey Hackett, 2008)
14. Last Chance At Keeping It All Together (Conversations With Myself, 2007)
15. And No Darkness In My Heart (…That I Shall Be Tomorrow, 2009)

Posted by marilyn roxie 30 May 6 Permalink

VULP-0014 is Year of the Tiger’s (from Brooklyn, Henry Ivry from IVRY and Sable Yong AKA Spaghetti Western) debut digital single + b-side, “Electric / Make it Work”. This band is responsible for the first time i used larger font and all-caps to describe an independent artist submission (“WHOA NOW!!!”) in an A Future in Noise review, I was so impressed by the sheer coolness of the demo they sent along! If you want to hear crunchy, tasty electro-poppy goodness, you’re going to want to sink your teeth into “Electric” and b-side “Make It Work”!

Download here: http://www.mediafire.com/?z0ynubze0tm

Year of the Tiger: MySpace | Last.fm | Tumblr

Posted by marilyn roxie 19 March 5 Permalink

VULP-0013 is Natural Snow Buildings’ first release of 2010, the free-for-download double LP The Centauri Agent! On part one, the 41 minute “Our man from Centauri” sets the stage, a cosmic, sprawling opener with themes that continue on into “The accidental remote viewer”, before fizzling out into static. Part two is comprised of nine beautiful and intense tracks (particular stand-outs including “The Psychic Circle/Uchronia”, “The storm of resurrection”, and “Solar flares”). Lovely and intricately woven as ever, while frequently heading off into new and challenging sonic territory, Mehdi and Solange have created yet another very special work of musical art with The Centauri Agent!

Download here (mp3 or FLAC):

http://vulpianorecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-centauri-agent

OR Download here (mp3): http://www.mediafire.com/?ntdmwuu2o5e

—-Tracklisting—-

Part One:
1-Our man from Centauri
2-The accidental remote viewer

Part Two:
1-The Psychic Circle/Uchronia
2-Black holes
3-The storm of resurrection
4-Moscow signal
5-Phantom twin
6-Stuttering probe
7-Solar flares
8-Emergency network farewell broadcast
9-Memories found in a bill from a small animal vet

—-

Cover art is by Marilyn Roxie, designed from Creative Commons images Alpha Centauri and the Batman Nebula (by jah~) and Swirl texture (by ~Essence of a Dream~). Font used is Poilet Taper.

Posted by marilyn roxie 17 March 143 Permalink