The 17th Pygmy
"Ballade of Tristram's Last Harping"

Del Rey & The Sun Kings
"Nosferatu" DVD

17 Pygmies [TOP]
"Celestina"

17 Pygmies latest effort, Celestina is a concept album (remember that term?) about a doomed space flight by a bunch of astronauts getting high on pure oxygen while exploring a giant gas nebula in the constellation Cassiopeia. Really. Thematically, Celestina is loosely based upon the classic 15th century Latin novel La Celestina, a timeless tale of love and betrayal. Celestina is also a musical tribute to all of the unique 1950-60’s era science fiction motion pictures (think The Day The Earth Stood Still) and clearly reflects Jackson Del Rey's recent obsession with late night Twilight Zone repeats. Celestina seamlessly welds classical film scores and 60's era psychedelia with 4AD style vocals to create a simultaneously beautiful and haunting universe of musical splendor.

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Cult With No Name [TOP]
"Careful What You Wish For"

On 'Paper Wraps Rock', the London duo of Erik Stein and Jon Boux sang of 'More of the Same', but 'Careful What You Wish For' is anything but. Sure, the haunting, melodic piano balladry ('oh that') is still in evidence on opener 'Flying Ant Day' (albeit in the guise of a something that sounds like a drinking song), and 'Hands, Two, Touch' (CWNN's very own 'Life on Mars'), but the majority of the album prods your ears with a variety of other influences. 'Context is Everything' hints at Scritti Politti, 'Down the Line' could be Stan Ridgway, whilst 'You and Who's Army' somehow matches the mournful croon of Tony Bennett to the minimalist funk of Shriekback or ESG. And if faux-discaux is your thing, then 'Hurting the ones you love the most' is bound to get your ears a dancin'.

View Cult With No Name's EPK

Smoldering Ashes [TOP]
"Nervous Constellations"

Nervous Constellations isn’t just a new album, it’s a neo album reflecting the recording technology and topography of the times. 17 Pygmies/17th Pygmy stalwarts Jeff Brenneman (guitars) and Dirk Doucette (drums) (both alumni of the White Glove Test) ventured out of their California homes to meet Veronica Ashe (vocals) and Tory Troutman (various), of Oklahoma-based alternative rockers whose latest band, the college favorites judyjudyjudy, expanded upon the musical etherpop terrain laid out by their previous bands, Animated Mayfly Festival and Exapno Mapcase. Somewhere, the twain did meet, and together they drove in the golden spike that is Nervous Constellations. Smoldering Ashes’ debut is a mélange of melody, a cornucopia of concupiscence, flirting with, but ultimately shying away from, cacophony. It’s a place where surfers go to hoedowns and smiling mystics perch above dunk tanks, and all for a good cause.

View Smoldering Ashes's EPK

Cult With No Name [TOP]
"Paper Wraps Rock"

Hailing from Jolly Old England comes Trakwerx’ first international signing and release, Paper Wraps Rock by London’s own Cult With No Name. Self-professed “post-punk electronic balladeers” the London duo of Erik Stein (lead vocals/rhythm piano) and Jon Boux (lead piano/rhythm vocals) have created a unique piano/synth (no guitars to be seen!) sound that uncannily captures both the subtlety and sophistication of Erik Stein’s personal lyrical stylings.

The 17th Pygmy [TOP]
"Ballade of Tristram's Last Harping"

Approximately eight months from their last release (Groundhog Day to Halloween to be exact) The 17th Pygmy has indeed released Ballade of Tristram’s Last Harping, their second full length CD in less than one year. Formerly known as 17 Pygmies, The 17th Pygmy was a name that better reflected the ‘60s Psychedelic -70’s Classic Rock direction of the new recordings. Think The 17th Floor Elevator or perhaps The Exploding Plastic Inevitable Pygmy. The 17th Pygmy have combined their unique talents to create a musical tribute to the style and inventiveness of some of their favorite music, namely ‘60s Psychedelia and ‘70s Classic Rock.

Del Rey & The Sun Kings [TOP]
"Nosferatu" DVD

NOSFERATU is Del Rey & The Sun King's second installment in a planned set of four new soundtracks for classic films made during the silent era of motion pictures. Their first release was a radically re-worked (and surprisingly, highly popular) score for Sergei Eisenstein's 1925 classic film Battleship Potemkin. Nosferatu also pays homage to several of Del Rey's favorite film composers, most notably Tangerine Dream, Popol Vue, Rachel Portman and Thomas Newman.

With a number of live performances planned and a built-in audience composed of (or is that decomposed of?) those who enjoy the death/glam/Goth lifestyle, not to mention the potential of midnight performance for actual vampires, Del Rey & The Sun King's Nosferatu should have no problem building upon and surpassing the strong commercial showing of it's predecessor Battleship Potemkin. Click here to view additional Nosferatu video links!