Top 10s for 2006: It's a trap!

Plain Fade
Aure
Punos Sound

Plain Fade's last album, "Lies, sanctions and cruise missiles", was a little gem of post-rock forward thinking and how the genre's staleness could be nicely complimented by intelligent songwriting and beautiful arrangements. "Aure" takes the band even more forward, into territory where the songwriting is rich and complex and arrangements as elaborate as I have seen on any record I have heard. Plain Fade include instrumentation as varied as didgeridoo, electronic bleeps, crackles and noises, strings and horns for a singular purpose: making the songs go forward. This is a lot less rock and a lot more ambient than "Lies..." but it is also significantly more beautiful and interesting. Great record.
- Simon Thibaudeau

MP3: Plain Fade - Siikamo/Pikkusiikamo

It's new release day here at It's a trap! I quietly added Tsukimono's excellent debut album "Née" to the webstore last week and today am happy to offer up new releases from Consequences, Once We Were and Plain Fade. The first two are preorder only right now (but in-stock, so all purchases will arrive on or before the actual day of release) and I'll be talking more about them later, so let's concentrate on the latter. Plain Fade has been one of my favorite Finnish acts ever since I first heard a demo track a few years ago. Their debut album "Lies, sanctions and cruise missiles" upped the ante even further, cementing them in my mind as one of best, most inventive post-rock acts of our time. Getting a track from them for "Reader's companion volume two" was a no-brainer. It simply had to be done. However, if you heard their contribution "Itä-Aure" you'd already know that the band has moved way far beyond what they were doing before. The band's new album "Aure" is largely improvisational and sounds totally unlike anything/anyone else. From slow-burning atmospheric pieces to loud outbursts of noise and even operatic singing, "Aure" runs through an impressive amount of sonic territory in its 40-minute runtime. One of 2006's best releases? Do you have to ask?

Plain Fade - Siikamo/Pikkusiikamo

Finnish post-rock masters Plain Fade (as heard with an exclusive track on "Reader's companion volume two") will finally release their second album "Aure" on November 15 through, as always, their own label Punos Sound. Can't wait to hear it.

MP3: Magyar Posse - Popzag

First, the good news: Magyar Posse's latest album "Random avenger" is unmistakbly a Magyar Posse album. Their sound is so incredibly distinctive and well... Finnish. I don't know how else to describe it. When I talk about Finnish post-rock (which doesn't happen nearly as often as it should), this is what I'm referencing. I'm sure that band has competition beyond the very-awesome Plain Fade, but I have yet to hear it. Anyhow, I was kind of disappointed by the band's last record, 2004's sophomore slump "Kings of time", so I was really hoping to be wowed by this new one. The bad news: it didn't happen. Don't get me wrong, "Random avenger" is a good record, one that any band should be proud of, but it lacks the power of their debut "We will carry you over the mountains" - the yardstick to which they will forevermore be compared. I'm know I'm probably being unduly harsh, but I want Magyar Posse to blow me away. I think they're more than capable of it, too. They get so damn close and that makes it all the more frustrating. Okay, let's end with a bit more good news: one large improvement this new record has over "Kings of time" is that they've gotten much better with incorporating violin and wordless vocals into the instrumentation. Listen to the song I've posted today and you'll see what I mean.

Magyar Posse - Popzag

MP3: Plain Fade - Itä-Aure

Summer has arrived with full force here in the Pacific Northwest. Yesterday the temperature topped out around 90°F (32°C) and today it's supposed to get even hotter. Mercy! I dunno about you, but my brain ceases to function at that heat level, so I'm taking it easy today by posting a track from the latest "Reader's companion" CD. Plain Fade's album "Lies, sanctions and cruise missiles" was such an impressive monster of a debut that I knew immediately that I wanted them on my next comp. There was never any question about it and in fact the whole project was slightly delayed as I was waiting for their contribution to come in. It was never an option to forge ahead without them. So here's their track for download today, recorded last summer during the band's so-called "summer cottage sessions" from last year. If this is a taste of what to expect from their next record, I can't wait to hear it. Magyar Posse, your position as Finland's leading post-rock act has been usurped!

Plain Fade - Itä-Aure

I'm not posting a new mp3 today because I have something even better for you, the tracklist for "It's a trap! reader's companion volume two". Behold:

01. HELLO SAFERIDE - If I don't write this song, someone I love will die (SWE)
from the album "Introducing: Hello Saferide" (Razzia)
02. RICOCHETS - Cold outside (NOR)
from the album "Isolation" (KongTiki)
03. VIOLA - Invisible revolution (FIN)
from the album "Anyone can stop us" (If Society)
04. BJÖRN KLEINHENZ - Pocket of gold (SWE)
previously unreleased
05. PLAIN FADE - Itä-Aure (FIN)
previously unreleased
06. THE BEAR QUARTET - Birds are singing deep within the greenery (SWE)
from the album "Saturday night" (A West Side Fabrication)
07. MOONBABIES - Take me to the ballroom (SWE)
from the as-yet-untitled forthcoming third full-length album (Moonbabies Music)
08. MUNCK//JOHNSON - Slavesong (DK)
from the album "Count your blessings" (PonyRec)
09. PHONOPHANI - I.F.A. (NOR)
from the self-titled album (Biophan [1998]/Rune Grammofon [2006])
10. MONEY.PAPER.THEPOLICE - Jim Morrison (SWE)
previously unreleased
11. DET GAMLA LANDET - När vi vaknar (SWE)
previously unreleased
12. THE FIRST MILES - The best one around (DK)
from the album "Aim for the heart, go!" (Little Bad Bear)
13. PARIS - Captain Morgan (SWE)
from the album "Secrets on tape" (Parismusic/V2)
14. THE END WILL BE KICKS - Medicine and airbags (SWE)
previously unreleased
15. DON JUAN DRACULA - Run away with you (NOR)
from the album "Young debutantes II" (Switch Off)
16. TIGER LOU - Nixon (SWE)
from the album "The loyal" (Startracks)
17. THE GRAND OPENING - Slow motion (SWE)
previously unreleased

Artwork is still being finalized, but if you head over to my myspace page you can see the cover art and listen to Björn Kleinhenz's track. Exact release date is still tbc, but I expect CDs in-hand by early April.

Not only do I now have Plain Fade CDs in stock, but I also have the new album "Haunts" from labelmates Fume. You want epic rawk from Finland? I got it.

Download the song "Sunday light" from recent Punos Sounds signees Fume: http://www.punossound.net/mp3/Fume_Sunday_Light.mp3
The band's debut album "Haunts" comes out February 1 and it must be noted that Punos Sound is the label run by the folks behind the amazing Finnish post-rock act Plain Fade. I've been raving about them for awhile, so I fully expect that this record is something not to be missed.

Top 10s for 2005: Kevin Renick

Top 10s for 2005: It's a trap!

Podcast: Best of 2005

Dark Dose hypes up the very excellent Plain Fade: http://darkdose.com/?p=88
This just happens to be my album of the month, so if you like what you hear, you should definitely spend some money to get the rest of the tracks.

IAT is now selling mp3s for Carcrash Records. In other store-related news, Plain Fade's excellent debut album "Lies, sanctions and cruise missiles" is October's album of the month.

Podcast: Build it up, break it down, mess it up