At first glance – YouCrane just perform quality pop-rock with a variety of electronic admixtures. But we'd better not generalize, because, as known, the devil is in detail – to which the band definitely pays a lot of attention. Therefore, that results in a rather peculiar and interesting atmosphere, in which the positive charge does not block the sun for indie moods. Plus – the transparent lyrics, sometimes not without irony (special gratitude, for example, for the song "Forest"). This combination of a friendly worldview and the ability to not limit oneself to pop clichés, enhanced due to the skill of creating light melodies – makes YouCrane's music both nice, and recognizable. Figuratively speaking, there is sort of almost childlike wisdom in the arrangements – saturated simplicity, joyful surprise, and nothing superfluous. You listen – and you believe, and that's so... cool. To me, their aesthetics originate from the 1980s – but they are multiplied by the experience of attentive listening to very diverse music created during the recent 50 something years. Creative listening. As a result, we may have one of the best debut albums of 2013 in Ukraine. This can be argued about, of course. But first – listen..
Anton Yozhyk Leyba (Hedgehog)
Publisher: Nash Format Year: 2013
See all albums and songs of the musician(s) on our site:
- YouCrane
Domestic price: 348.60UAH
International price: $24.90USD
..it sounds as if somewhere at a rather strange intersection of indie/alt-rock/dark cabaret, without going into any of these territories explicitly, fully. And this is how, one step away from the clear line, they are forming their own space: broken, stormy and muffled, painfully sharp and – seemingly conscious of its mirages.
Domestic price: 320.60UAH,
International price: $22.90USD
Postman reserves the right, being a participant of certain events, to step into the shadow behind the light boards and become an observer. A light man. The one who asks: why? at what price? what for? The one who answers: in the turmoil of trifle things, in random intersections, in uncertain movements of our hearts we remain ourselves..
Domestic price: 306.60UAH,
International price: $21.90USD
..In musical terms, this is clearly stemming from what Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, Donovan, and others were doing some long time ago. Stemming from – but not copying, it is just that in Postman's songs there are the same ease and the content that make it possible to anticipate the extra depth, without any prejudice to the beauty.
Domestic price: 250.60UAH,
International price: $17.90USD
..this is a marker album and thoughtful preparation for the next step – at least, it sounds like that. Indie rock in Ukrainian is still not the mainstream in Ukraine, but 5 Vymir is just one of those bands that are able to change this situation for the better – there is enough musical and literary sense, charismatic manifestations, and they are not lacking ambitions. Let them just not stop..
Domestic price: 250.60UAH,
International price: $17.90USD
The first studio album by 5 Vymir is like a rough mixture of the psychedelia of the 70s and the Brit pop of the 90s, inspired by our local dreamlike lifestyle, but flavored with a green, bouncy charge of sound (and it's not about sounding) insolence. It turns out to be very atmospheric..
Domestic price: 306.60UAH,
International price: $21.90USD
Brevity, clarity of lines, softness of accents – sometimes even on the edge of being toylike. Transparent, like light shade. Add a bit of a bare nerve – and this would be "disruption" music, but for the time being The Elephants offer indie-pop-tronic with elements of fabulousness. And they do it so that one wants to believe it.
Domestic price: 222.60UAH,
International price: $15.90USD
..this music it saturated with some pristine but conscious magic. Vivienne Mort do not force themselves to release long-plays – but you would never say that their releases are unfinished, incomplete. On the contrary – these are really holistic, non-accidental expressions. Concise, yes – but is it a vice?
Domestic price: 278.60UAH,
International price: $19.90USD
It's nice when a musician has something to say. The value of what is said is not determined by its amount, of course, but more than 70 minutes of high-quality music – that's still good. And Babkin produces quality – both in his music, in lyrics.
Domestic price: 222.60UAH,
International price: $15.90USD
..intertwining love for the music of the 1960-70s, and the ability to speak modern, at the intersection of styles. With the taste for styling tricks – to speak one's own language. Actually, Pianoboy manages to combine in one bottle magnitude – and seclusion, intimacy.
Domestic price: 348.60UAH,
International price: $24.90USD
A powerful work – as expected. In terms of the music – colorful, with interesting arrangements, careful consideration of each track. No "pass-through" pieces – one can hear that. Voluminous, "visual" music – it feels like you can touch it with your fingertips, taste, and inhale its aroma...
Domestic price: 250.60UAH,
International price: $17.90USD
Pay attention at the title of the album – it displays its content and its essence very well. The composition of the album and every of its songs, as well as their forms and content, strive to logical harmonicity, adjustedness of every musical move, every note.
Domestic price: 250.60UAH,
International price: $17.90USD
"Brutal pop power" – so they call it. But there is a great temptation to also add other words: post-rock plus acoustic acid jazz with trip hop education – something like this, probably. However, all these names do not contradict each other – because music like this as it is means going beyond the limits of specific style...
Domestic price: 306.60UAH,
International price: $21.90USD
...these musicians have always preferred travels deep inside. This time as well – if one wishes, he/she can discern in the fresh songs by the group political pamphlets and just a poignant evaluation of our historical nowadays. And if one does not – it is quite possible to let it go, because their symbolism is obviously deeper than the waves of our routine..
Domestic price: 320.60UAH,
International price: $22.90USD
How many people, having first heard the songs "In the Country of Illusions" and "No", decided that they should certainly buy-listen to the new disc by Dymna Sumish? I think, more than one thousand. How many of them will be disappointed having bought-listened to this disc? I think, none – Dymna Sumish, sure, is one of the most interesting groups on the Ukrainian independent scene.
Domestic price: 446.60UAH,
International price: $31.90USD
Johnny Bardo is a solo project, a sort of an alter ego of Louis Franck, the leader of Esthetic Education. A bright, interesting project – no doubt. You should listen to one or two tracks only to make sure: everything is made in a talented, delicious, high-quality way. The project found its realization after Louis' return from a trip to India..
Domestic price: 306.60UAH,
International price: $21.90USD
The cultivation of taste must simply be carried out - it must continue, and it must be carried out not in a separate point of space or in the framework of a certain musical style or trend.
Domestic price: 306.60UAH,
International price: $21.90USD
It seems that Antytila have finally discovered and tamed their wave: the new album is almost entirely composed of "blockbusters" – one imagines the picture where these songs sound at a stadium scale.
Domestic price: 250.60UAH,
International price: $17.90USD
What has changed since the release of this album? It immediately strikes that the sound of Fiolet has become noticeably heavier – and this, along with the rather significant insertions of electronics, creates a slightly different background for perception of the lyrics. Not that it is more aggressive, but there is a nuance..
Domestic price: 208.60UAH,
International price: $14.90USD
The first thing that catches the eye is the musicians' regard to the pop rock aesthetics of the 1980's and the 2000's. It's not about copying as such – but this almost-retro flavor works as a properly selected spice: it helps to open up the base. Well, and the base is the ability to create good melodies and expressive arrangements..
Domestic price: 208.60UAH,
International price: $14.90USD
"Fiolet" traditionally offers listening to not only pleasant music, but also – smart, witty lyrics. About what is and what will be. About that everything passes. About that everything changes – and remains invariably-incomprehensibly-incredible. Even when it hurts. However...
Domestic price: 306.60UAH,
International price: $21.90USD
The second album by YouCrane clearly shows that the band has found its own voice, and that this voice is easy distinguished from the crowd. A certain very nice mix of romance with a touch of the 1980s, latent lo-fi-aesthetics, healthy carelessness in intonations – all of those create a new fairy tale atmosphere..
Domestic price: 208.60UAH,
International price: $14.90USD
The new disk combines songs about a variety of facets of our life – there is blues and loneliness, exciting gospel and sex, punk and showing off, trip-hop and anger, poignant tango and war. The world is changing every day, dogmas keep replacing each other, but we hope...
Domestic price: 222.60UAH,
International price: $15.90USD
...a semi-acoustic recording that allows one to fully experience the inner poetics of the space. The guitar, percussion, bass, occasionally keyboards – well, and, sure, singing (complemented with recitative). Actually, one does not need anything more – at least, one does not perceive any shortage.
Domestic price: 250.60UAH,
International price: $17.90USD
The first thing I noticed when I started playing the album was that I was intently listening to the lyrics. It's nice because it does not happen that often. This is important – because not only the sound matters, because semantic vibrations also weigh, and emptiness is very different from pauses. Moreover, one immediately notices the quality..
Domestic price: 250.60UAH,
International price: $17.90USD
It's nice that there are still bands that undertake performing just rock, without flirting with unclear definitions of style, without the pop aplomb or pretended mystery. And the cello as part of it does not interfere. Just honest music, straight and simple (but not empty) lyrics – you know, not that much is needed...
Domestic price: 250.60UAH,
International price: $17.90USD
In fact, this album is a folder containing two debut pieces at once. The main one – from the WhaTsup project, while another third of the volume is their side project "Fekaladka". Well, Kharkiv musicians like doing it differently from the rest – thus, the title of the album can be viewed as banter...
Domestic price: 250.60UAH,
International price: $17.90USD
"NedaremnO" tries to sound different. Not too "trimmed" – and it has its advantages, because lack of syrup makes the taste much more honest. There is some special drive – that young groups had in abundance 10 to 20 years ago, but which many of the current "novices" often lack.
Domestic price: 222.60UAH,
International price: $15.90USD
...the sound appears really clear, light, and sometimes almost fragile. Actually, it is possible to compare – because, in addition to new songs, you'll find here several songs from the previous album "In You". This is not yet homely comfort – but this is not desperate thunder of large scenes either, definitely.
Domestic price: 306.60UAH,
International price: $21.90USD
As far as we know – this is the first album in Ukraine (at least, among officially released ones) dedicated to bikers. Dedicated not only formally, but also thematically. However, the disc "Biker Sich" has been released just recently – but it was a collection of favorite songs, not the author's dedication album. A significant difference.
Domestic price: 208.60UAH,
International price: $14.90USD
In spite of the love and respect of the group participants for works by "Beatles" stated in the autobiography, this is not about copying, imitation – and it is good. Perhaps, the only common feature is that the "Asymmetry of Emotions" also plays pop-rock. Maybe, with the prefix "indie". And, of course, very emotional.
Domestic price: 152.60UAH,
International price: $10.90USD
Although musicians of the group define their style as pop rock – we should note that "rock" here weighs obviously more than "pop". To the extent that in the sounding of "Role Model" it is possible to discover, for example, elements of punk rock in the American style...
Domestic price: 222.60UAH,
International price: $15.90USD
...sounding of the disc looks like illustration of the conclusion that the core of a person consists of feelings. Strong – and far not always lyric ones. Hence tension, speed, harsh emotions – but these are still paints. Because from within that very lyricism looms – it is impossible not to notice it.
Domestic price: 250.60UAH,
International price: $17.90USD
"Opium" honestly searches for its own rock language in texts and in music, and this is nice. In our opinion, "Opium" plays simple classic rock – and this, you should agree, is not that easy. Besides, the song lyrics do not resemble a simple set of rhymes and meter at all – the experience lived through, live thoughts and feelings are obviously inlaid into these words.
Domestic price: 208.60UAH,
International price: $14.90USD
..the debut disc by the group "Dalai Lama" is a mouthful of cheerful hope indeed. Not least of all – due to diversity of the material. Dalai Lama switches from alternative rock to grunge, mixes up punk and disco, changes the internal tension of trip-hop for the seeming transparency of post-rock, quotes funk inside out, just has fun with the sound – and does it confidently.
Domestic price: 208.60UAH,
International price: $14.90USD
Just rock. Lyrical, young, sometimes dreamy – but, the main thing, honest. One never stops being surprised that during the recent years appearance of this sort of groups has become really rare – therefore one is happy to see every fresh figure. The more so – when, as in the case of Znak Vody, everything develops harmoniously.
Domestic price: 208.60UAH,
International price: $14.90USD
Motor'rolla, disregarding obstacles, has managed to make a step ahead in quality – it seems that right now the group has finally found its real sounding, has reached a sort of their own standard. This is important – because, having such a work in one's reserve, it is possible to freely experiment in any direction. Durable foundation – is there.
Domestic price: 250.60UAH,
International price: $17.90USD
The guys from the Chernigiv group ShyZO define their own music as sweet rock. At least, it refers to the debut album, which you now see in front of you – the musicians quite consciously decided to sweeten it, so that the way to the audience did not become too difficult and thorny. The position is, certainly, clear, thank you for warning – but let us disagree.
Domestic price: 222.60UAH,
International price: $15.90USD
Extremely fast, really – it seems that there are yet no analogues to such speed on the Ukrainian scene. Just a few months have passed from the moment when Rura released her debut album – and here we already have the second album, and active work on the third album is in process. Surprising, but also nice capacity – isn't it?
Domestic price: 208.60UAH,
International price: $14.90USD
It is exactly such music that practically the whole Europe listens to now – the young part of population, accordingly. It is exactly such music that Ukraine lacks at present. At least, such bright cocktails of punk, pop, grunge, Brit-pop – practically nobody does that. And it is worth trying...
Domestic price: 180.60UAH,
International price: $12.90USD
...having changed the vocalist, recorded a bright album and dramatically altered their image (playing true rock in neat suits – that is well-aimed, indeed)) – Motor'rolla has presently became one of the most interesting Ukrainian alternative teams. I mean alternative not as the music style, but just as a method of self-expression, world perception.
Domestic price: 306.60UAH,
International price: $21.90USD
In order to make it a bit clearer at once, we will say the following: the group Rura was assisted in preparation and release of this album by, among others, the groups Perkalaba and Pan Pupets. And not only (im)morally but also physically...
Domestic price: 208.60UAH,
International price: $14.90USD
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