Giovanni Rotondo “Exoplanets” 2024. Romanus Records, limited edition splatter vinyl variant. Neo-classical cosmic-inspired piano compositions. Not my usual fare (nor Romanus’) but since one of my goals is to have a copy of all Romanus releases, here I am. I did not spring the extra cash for the very limited Space Dust variant (glow sand and real meteorite dust filled vinyl) though that would have been pretty cool. Since I know nothing about Rotondo and very little about modern/neo-classical piano music, I’m going to quote wildly from Romanus’ and Rotunda’s websites.

From Romanus Records

“Exoplanets are planets orbiting stars beyond our solar system, revealing the universe’s vastness and complexity. Giovanni Rotondo’s music explores these celestial mysteries, transporting listeners to the outer edges of the cosmos…This album came to us via our MFG side of our business. However, the concept and the music was so unique and cool we asked, “why don’t you just let us release it?” Through covid delays & label releases we waited but we couldn’t be happier to share this dreamy space piano concept with you…Giovanni Rotondo is a London-based Italian composer known for his emotional and technically skilled music. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Giovanni’s work spans feature films, TV series, and documentaries, earning him praise and a loyal following. His compositions, such as a symphony blending Neapolitan folk music with orchestral arrangements, have been performed by the Teatro San Carlo Orchestra. He also has done a bunch in the Video game music community which we thoroughly enjoy.”

From Rotondo

I decided to create a space-themed piano solo album. My main goal was to search deep within myself and find a style that wasn’t dictated by what was popular or in demand. I was determined to let my instinct guide the writing 100%. So, I sat at my piano and started playing. After a few minutes, the music started to flow effortlessly from my fingers, and to my ears, it sounded new and exciting. I could describe Exoplanets as a post-modern piano solo album, or call it neo-classical, minimalistic, or new-objectivistic. But to me, Exoplanets is simply the musical reflection of my soul. Each of the 12 pieces was inspired by a unique exoplanet—planets that orbit suns other than our own. Once the writing was complete, I knew I had something special. But it wasn’t until the incredible Romanus Records picked it up for release that I truly felt I had done something right.

I’m not sure I can choose a top pick (and there is nothing rocking nor ass-shaking on the entire LP) but it’s quite lovely, dreamy and super-relaxing and so I can link at least one or two songs, I’ll choose my favorite track names: Track 1 on Sector A (side A) “Proxima B – The Nigh” and Track 7 on Sector B (side B) “PSRR B1257+2 B Poltergeist” (the latter does have a bit of pep to it!).

Habibi “Dreamachine” 2024. Kill Rock Stars Records, limited edition “breezy blue” vinyl. We picked up Habibi’s third LP last weekend from the band after their performance at our neighborhood’s Beet Street festival (hosted by Cactus Club). Habibi is an all-women band with a psychedelic synth sound, super-fun and very danceable. They put on a fantastic show and clearly loved Beet Street’s vibe: alt-kids, aging hipsters, families and dogs on a gorgeous Midwest evening (two of the band members are originally from Michigan and they chatted about how much they loved the non-attitude attitudes of Midwesterners; Habibi are based out of Brooklyn).

Dreamachine, according to Allmusic, “completes their journey from girl group- and surf music-influenced indie pop band to something more nuanced and varied as it adds dance-rock rhythms, loads of synths, and a sense of drama to their still-heavily melodic approach.” I’ll take their word for that as I honestly never listened to Habibi before seeing them at the show, though their aesthetic is clearly up my alley so I was happy to check them out and to add this album to our collection. It mixes dream pop (“My Moon” in particular), 80’s dance synth, lo-fi garage and a more polished riot-grrrl vibe (think Sleater Kinney but a bit more gentle – see the track “Do You Want Me Now” in particular). My top track is “POV,” which is a great ass-shaker. I also really like “Interlude” and “Losing Control” – both songs blend singer Rahill Jamalifard’s Middle Eastern roots and melodies with a trancey psych grooves. The album’s closer, “Alone Tonight” feels snakey and slinky; it mixes funk, 80’s pop (I’m hearing a mix of Michael Jackson, Phil Collins and weirder stuff like Talking Heads) and jazz elements (there’s a horn interlude!) making it super-unique.

Fontaines D.C. “A Hero’s Death” 2020. Partisan Records. Dream-poppy/psychedelic post punk; their second LP. We saw Fontaines D.C. perform this past Sunday at The Sylvee in Madison (I won the tickets from the Sylvee’s Instagram) – our first time at that venue (it’s great!), my first time seeing Fontaines (Joe’s second). The show was….OK. The opener was [yawn] and Fontaines were fine. Both channeling a 90’s sloppy rave kid vibe. I didn’t have that high of expectations because I’ve found their last two releases (Skinty Fia, 2022 and Romance, 2024) to be lackluster and a bit boring. A Hero’s Death is pretty good, though not as exciting as their debut Dogrel (2019). Definitely more psychedelic with some good rocking moments. It went to #2 in the UK and hit #44 on the US Indie chart; it was nominated for a Grammy in 2021 and received widespread critical acclaim including 5 out of 5 stars from The Guardian. As is my preference, my top picks are the rockers. “Televised Mind” is great psych rock, and while pretty messy, I also like the upbeat swirly tracks “A Lucid Dream” and “Living in America” plus the Velvet-esque “I Was Not Born.” They released two singles from A Hero’s Death: the downbeat and angular opener “I Don’t Belong” which only charted in their native Ireland at #86, and the title track “A Hero’s Death” which is one of my other favorites from the LP – it’s an odd pick for a single with a driving beat, fuzzy psych guitars, and some ooo-aaa harmony backing vocals behind more spoken than sung vocals. That track sort of charted – going to #67 on the UK “Download Singles” chart, to #90 in Ireland and #30 in Scotland.