Crossover Potential

Oops

2007-06-04T11:06:00.000-07:00

Click on tracklist to download a digital version.

Also, I ate at Rob Jach's favorite restaurant:

Video Mondays! Mistah FAB - Ghost Ride It

2007-03-13T17:28:00.000-07:00

(I wrote this three times, and lost it twice. Thanks, internet!)

I'll admit it upfront: I have shitty taste in hip-hop. Could it be worse? Probably. Is it so narrow and predictable that it becomes sort of embarrassing? You bet. My likes read like the dorky, white, Midwestern, "I listen mostly to 'indie' stuff but like some hip-hop too" checklist. "Underground" stuff (ie: Def Jux)? Check. "Artsy" stuff (ie: Anticon)? Yep. My favorite album of the genre? GZA/Genius' Liquid Swords. Do I own a copy of it, or even listen to it very often? Ashamedly, no. All that said, I probably don't have any credibility for this post. But here it is.

I love this. This song is great, the video is great, and, to my limited understanding, I warmly welcome hyphy to its future dominance of American airwaves. In keeping the gritty beats and adventurous production of crunk, but ditching the adolescent rage, self-importance, mindless consumerism and misogyny that dominates its lyrics, I think we can hope for a sonically entertaining and all-around fun pop rap. It might lack the social/political awareness of other acts, and it may not be "smart," but it makes up for it in infectiousness and clever wit. Yes, horrendous bling and over the top antics are dumb, but that doesn't mean they can't be fun as well. Admitting that straight away and reveling in it without the pretense that these are Important Things defangs critics. Smart move.

I like this in a similar way to the way I like things like, say, The Unicorns. It has a way of getting past your defenses and going straight to enjoyment, something that current pop rap is completely unable to do (F-E-R-G-A-L-I-C-I-oh jesus christ someone give me a lobotomy). I may be completely late to the [ghost] boat, but I'm happy to climb aboard.

Video Mondays! - The Arcade Fire - Guns of Brixton

2007-02-13T20:06:00.000-08:00

I had absolutely no idea what to expect when I read that The Arcade Fire did a cover of The Clash's classic Bad. Ass. Monster. Groove. "The Guns of Brixton," and was even more skeptical when I found out that it was an acoustic performance in the foyer, rather than a full on, percussive rocker. But the result fucking slays. My only qualm is the poor sound quality, and that I have yet to witness it in person. It starts out a little rough, but by the end, the Fire really start to nail the groove, and Win's bullhorn delivery suits the track very well. Like the last video post, this clip is evidence of that elusive beast: unlikely cover songs done incredibly well.

Video Mondays!

2007-01-22T14:28:00.000-08:00

Given my often stated but little indulged love of music videos, I thought it would be beneficial for all of us to take some time each week to appreciate them. This week, I'm spotlighting my current favorite, Susanna and the Magic Orchestra's cover of "Love Will Tear Us Apart." Yes, I know I linked it in the year end list, LAY OFF ME ITS GREAT.

The combination of band name and song selection should provide a laugh. The actual product certainly does not. An amazing cover of an untouchable song, which is incredibly rare. Also rare is a video that basically amounts to a performance shot being so appropriate and beautiful. The sparse set and fluid cinematics fit the song perfectly.

Nico would be proud.

Silver

2007-01-13T20:38:00.000-08:00

Jesu
Hydra Head, 2006

Sounds Like: A wasteland.
For: Fans of desperation. And shoegaze.
Listen: "Silver"

Jesu is headed by Justin K. Broderick, best known for his work in early industrial sludge metal outfit Godflesh, as well as involvement in Napalm Death, Techno Animal, and Ice. Speaking even as a relatively longtime fan of Godflesh (Streetcleaner is still an absolutely sick record), Jesu stands as his best work to date. Many reviewers like to toss about words like "soundscape" and "atmosphere" when discussing music (especially anything with an electronic tint of any sort), but few musicians, even masters of their crafts, can create environments as tangible, and nearly visible as Broderick in this outfit. Even relatively upbeat tracks (which comprise most of this EP) carry a sense of post-apocalyptic doom.

Yet, this record is still heavy. Sped up 50%, most of these tracks would sound like frenzied, noisy rockers (note to self: play The Locust on half speed sometime), and, while it does not sound like a hard rock record in any way, Broderick's pedigree is still clear. Which is inspirational in and of itself -- most bands have a hard time showing their immediate influences without sounding derivative and lacking in voice, to say nothing of moving on from things they themselves have created. Synths chirp and squeal over rattling bass, thudding drums and guitars aching to drone but forced to rock, periodically giving way to Broderick's now understated, soft, man voice. It is hard to believe that this is the same voice that could spew the gallons of bile as on, say, "Like Rats."

As I mentioned in my last post, this is easily the best EP of the year, and, in terms of quality, more than holds its own with any of this year's top long players. It represents a noticeable growth over last year's self-titled debut, and holds great, great promise for February's Conqueror. Highest recommendation, especially as our wayward winter is finding its way back to us.

A+

Summation

2007-01-07T19:31:00.000-08:00

Here we are again. I know I haven't listened to everything I wanted to this year, but this is as close as I'm going to get before next May.

Top 10 Albums:

1.Rock Plaza Central – Are We Not Horses Alright, maybe the Neutral Milk Hotel worship is a little too obvious, and maybe Chris Eaton too often sounds like Isaac Brock's nerdy little brother, but when the album comes together this well, it just doesn't matter. Beautiful songs, harrowing violin and a perfect atmosphere.
2.Joanna Newsom – Ys At parts, the most beautiful, moving and awe-inspiring album in years. The string arrangements can sometimes sound a little too stale, but never enough to be its detriment. Only #2 on this list because I favor underdogs.
3.Boris – Pink Amazing balance between noise and rock. Above all else, this album is full of great moments. A great introduction, fantastic transitions, the drums dropping out in “Just Abandoned Myself.”
4.Beirut – Gulag Orkestar Effortlessly conjures images of nostalgia and locales this 20 year old one-man-band could not possibly yet know. A brilliant start to what should be a great career.
5.Xiu Xiu – The Air Force Xiu Xiu keeps growing, and becomes more intriguing than on last year's somewhat misstep La Foret. Becoming more traditional art-rock, but, as Trent Reznor has shown, relying on emotional torture can only keep one afloat for so long.
6.Man Man – Six Demon Bag Tom Waits is a schizophrenic band leader putting on the written-in-house musical at a soon to be condemned asylum. In the best way possible.
7.Islands – Return to the Sea Don't call it a Unicorns comeback; the best quirky lo-fi-cum-hi-fi pop album in a year flooded by them. Still the most creative pop song structures around.
8.Kind of Like Spitting – Thrill of the Hunt Hearing a favorite musician getting a second wind and taking full advantage of it is a beautiful thing. Ben Barnett sounds refreshed and more creative here than he has in years.
9.Micah P Hinson – The Opera Circuit Folksy Texan with an amazing voice and vision nails it. Eric Bachmann's saxophone playing and horn arrangements are merely the icing on the cake. The delicious, delicious icing.
10.The Thermals – The Blood, The Body, and the Machine An album of irresistible power hooks, nearly unlimited energy, and one of the few overtly religious albums in recent years to not be lyrically embarrassing (far from it, at that).

Honorable Mention:

Swan Lake – Beast Moans Starts off straddling the line between disjointed and aimless, falls after the halfway mark in an altogether disappointing manner. At least the half that works more than lives up the supergroup potential.

EPs/Singles:

1.Jesu – Silver [Also one of this year's best releases, period.]
2.Micah P Hinson – The Baby and the Satellite
3.Okkervil River – The President's Dead
4.Xiu Xiu – Tu Mi Piaci
5.Sigur Ros - Saeglaopur

25 Best Songs (In no order whatsoever):

Swan Lake – All Fires
The Knife – Neverland
Micah P Hinson - Jackeyed
Islands – Where There's A Will, There's A Whalebone
Asobi Sesku – Exotic Animal Paradise
Alias & Tarsier (ft. Doseone) – Luck & Fear
The Thermals – Here's Your Future
Boris – Just Abandoned Myself
The Lovely Feathers – Photo Corners
Band of Horses – The Funeral

Rock Plaza Central – My Children, Be Joyful
Gnarls Barkley – Crazy
TV on the Radio – Wolf Like Me
The Decemberists – Sons and Daughters
STAR – Switchblade Heart
Belle + Sebastian – Suki in the Graveyard
Beirut – Postcards from Italy
Man Man – Black Mission Goggles
Liars – It Fit When I Was A Kid
Xiu Xiu – Vulture Piano

Joanna Newsom – Sawdust and Diamonds
The Black Heart Procession – Not Just Words
Jesu - Silver
Kind of Like Spitting – Thrill of the Hunt
Human Television – 10 Minutes

One-Offs:

Best Pop Single – Gnarls Barkley - “Crazy”
Best Cover Song – Susanna and the Magical Orchestra - "Love Will Tear Us Apart" (Joy Division)
Worst Cover Song – Rascall Flats - “Life Is A Highway” (Tom Cochrane)
Best Album Artwork – Beirut – Gulag Orkestar
Best Opening Track – The Thermals - “Here's Your Future”
Biggest Letdown – Thom Yourke – The Eraser
Biggest Most Awesomest Sugar Rush of Pure Glee – I'm From Barcelona – Let Me Introduce My Friends
Why. - Lady Sovereign
Highest Catchiness to Terribleness Ratio – Chamillionaire (ft Krazie Bone) - “Ridin'”
Most Horrifically Insufferable Rock Single – Hinder - “Lips of an Angel”
OH DEAR GOD WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME – Gwen Stefani - “Wind It Up”
Most Likely To Give Kevin Shields A Gigantic Erection – Asobi Sesku - “Exotic Animal Paradise”
We Read The Stats And We've Settled For Less - Death Cab For Cutie

2006 was a pretty good year for music, 99% of which was not discussed here. 2007 is already shaping up to be a great year, with new releases by Jesu, Explosions in the Sky, and the Arcade Fire in the next three months, to name a few.

Edit: oops!

2006-12-05T21:16:00.000-08:00

I'm monkeying around with hosting right now; the ASMZ and Say Anything tracks are both working now, but cannot be downloaded directly. I'm going to change hosting for the latter, but the former is too large for my other host, so its going to stay like that for the time being. I'm going to have to find another way to allow downloads for it, possibly by raring it. If anybody has any input regarding ease of use (if any of the two people reading even download things here to begin with) I would be more than happy.

Admit It!!!

2006-12-05T20:12:00.000-08:00

This is the first of a couple new recurring categories for me to masturbate over songs while secretly getting extra off over the thought of people watching. The focus: guilty pleasures. Now, this is far from original (because, you know, the rest of this music blog is grade-A, groundbreaking music journalism), but I do think I tend to have a skewed idea of what this entails. For most, a "guilty pleasure" is usually some cheap pop song (93% of the time from the 80's) that people think they should be above. I'm [generally] pretty upfront about the pop songs I love -- its part of pop's nature, after all. It is admitting love of things that posit themselves as (or actually are) at a higher level of "respectability" than, say, "Toxic" or "Since U Been Gone" Which is why I have no trepidations about Kelly Clarkson showing up on my iPod artist list, but feel a twinge of shame about Mineral.

So, why am I doing this? Fuck if I know. In part to share songs that I think are worth the time in spite of their downfalls, in part to get a better understanding of why I like and/or feel bad about liking them, and in large part to publicly embarrass myself and keep my weight as a blogger (that is to say, my critical mass) to a minimum. So then, to start with this new feature's namesake:

Say Anything - "Admit It!!!"
Doghouse Records, 2004

Well, this really isn't so bad. I mean, for all their embarrassing Blink-182 emulating early days, being signed to MTV whore record label Doghouse, touring with Dashboard Confessional, and post-post-emo trappings, Say Anything really isn't contemptible like label-mates The All-American Rejects. Maybe this is more a case of guilt by association, or its the fact that this album only has two songs that don't make me paranoid that someone can hear me listening to it. But, this song, surpasses that.

This song is by far the most vitriolic critique of hipster, pseudo-hipster, and not-at-all-hipster-but-containing-many-watered-down-concepts-and-pretensions-of-such teenage culture I have ever heard, and put to a tune, to boot. True to form, it admirably points the finger in every direction - us (the listeners and our friends, most likely, at least to an extent), them, and himself (while half of the song is Mr. Bemis extolling his virtues, you can't say that the "I" statements aren't autobiographical to at least some degree -- this John Mayer looking bastard clearly spends his share of time preening. And getting laid.). Many of these critiques may be cliched, but most of them are accurate enough and stated earnestly enough to give them more weight than they would normally have.

Similarly, the music serves as a great accompaniment to the ranted vocals, even if it borrows its best parts from scenes the band was never really a part of. The gang vocals (lifted from basement hardcore), fist pumping riffs (lifted from skate videos), and all the "my car and my guitar" imagery (lifted from folk-punk kids) that carry and sustain the song fit together great, even if the band seems to lack the proper claim to them. The riff change following the "go!" command is just a great moment.

Which is what it comes down to: something about this song as a whole manages to transcend the limitations of its parts to become something grand, an outsider's indictment that comes across as powerful and valid, rather than full of whiny "yeah, fuck those guys"-isms. But not enough that I can stop the pangs of shame whenever I hear this song.

Best Song Ever: "God Bless Our Dead Marines"

2006-11-28T20:33:00.000-08:00

[Thee] Silver Mount Zion [Memorial Orchestra and Tra-la-la Band
Horses In The Sky, Constellation Records, 2005

Listen: "God Bless Our Dead Marines"

For the uninitiated, A Silver Mt. Zion (or whatever cockamamie variant they use with each album) is one of the offshoots of the late Godspeed You! Black Emperor. This, the leadoff track to their 2005 effort Horses in the Sky simply fucking destroys. Much more vocal oriented than most ASMZ tracks (as is the rest of the album), this song finds the perfect counterpoint between the instrumental tension and vocal lead, and also serves as an ideal showcase for guitarist/singer Efrim Menuck's voice and lyric style.

But that, really, is beside the point. The slow crescendo, the style swapping build, the climax, and the epilogue fit together perfectly. The first movement is very sharp and unwieldy; almost cumbersome. As the song progresses, it smooths out subtly and begins building around a European folk figure, before eventually dissolving into the fourth, incredibly intense movement. Maybe I'm just too easily led (or fooled), but it seems almost impossible to keep my pulse from speeding up constantly throughout this section. The percussion here is amazing, despite its simplicity; and compliments the traditional GYBE build nicely.

But its the line "I love my dog/and she loves me/The world's a mess/and so are we" that really just works. Critics and fans have a tendency (rightly or wrongly) to constantly compare ASMZ to its parent group, and here, it works perfectly. To hear one of the faceless musicians behind Godspeed's bleak, fascist soundscape sing about love, of all things, regardless of context, lends it a vulnerability that is almost impossible to achieve otherwise.

This vulnerability is further exploited on the choral round at the end of the song, and implies (however bleakly) survival, and, in that, hope. And shows, for all the droning feedback walls, noise and impossible pretensions, human hearts do beat after all.

The Spell

2006-06-05T12:17:00.000-07:00

The Black Heart Procession
Touch + Go, 2006

Sounds Like: positive melodrama
For: Fans of gloom and gloaming
Listen: The Black Heart Procession - GPS

Downtempo misery all-stars The Black Heart Procession are often criticized for sounding same-y, or, alternately, maintaining a mostly consistent sound through four albums. Despite the tropicalia influences on 2004's Amore del Tropico, this is relatively accurate, though, one could always argue in favor of maintaining a proven formula. The Spell, then, gives the band a counterpoint in the form of its most varied, and best, album to date.

Album openers "Tangled" and "The Spell" seem to find the band in holding position, but at peak form. The former a fairly standard piano-driven dirge, the latter a throbbing slow-burning rocker. The real break comes with the major key, danceable gloomer "Not Just Words," that recalls The Cure, not in sound, but in the way it drives the hips of the depressed to shake (effeminately, of course). This sound is revisited two tracks later with "The Replacement," being separated by the album's centerpiece ballad, "The Letter."

Perhaps the most exciting moment on the album is tangled in the addictive, almost metallic riff driving "GPS," and later revisited at the end of "The Fix." This guitar line wraps itself around the rest of band and drags them behind it to the most satisfying climax on the album.

The Procession has shown a remarkable amount of growth through its career, and, while this album stands as a high water mark, it also hints at even greater things to come.

A-

"I Didn't Understand"

2006-04-29T11:21:00.000-07:00

Elliott Smith - "I Didn't Understand"
XO/Msc. Tracks, Dreamworks, 1998

Elliott Smith is my favorite songwriter, and, as much as I tend to be harsh on XO (despite loving it), it has one of the best album closings I have ever heard. But this post is not entirely dedicated to gushing over this straightforward, haunting, song.

I've been delving into the vast annals of Elliott Smith B-Sides/Demos/Leaks/Bootlegs available to the public, and have taken specific attention to two alternate versions of this song.

The first, a demo recorded between Either/Or and XO, is (predictably) more traditional than the a capella album cut. Based on a simple voice and piano skeleton, this version retains the sadness of the final version, but is almost striking in its simplicity in contrast to the more familiar version. This version also showcases an earlier version of the lyrics, that (among other things) eschews the crass and direct "I always feel like shit" for more standard (but less affecting) fare.

The second, an alternate piano version of the final version, falls between the early demo and the final version. Higher production quality and finished lyrics seem to imply that this song might have been intended as an alternate album version (or favored B-side) that simply lost out.

Ultimately, both songs pale to the lush multitrack choirs of the album cut, but show that the song's craft and power remain intact, even stripped down and more (for lack of a better word) generic.

Listen: Elliott Smith - I Didn't Understand (Demo)
Elliott Smith - I Didn't Understand (Piano Version)
Elliott Smith - I Didn't Understand (Album Version)

Stay Afraid

2006-04-26T10:21:00.000-07:00

Parts and Labor
Jagjaguar/Brah, 2006.

Sounds Like: DFA 1979 meets Neutral Milk Hotel meets...Alkaline Trio?
For: Fans of poppy punk looking for another way of not feeling guilty about it.
Listen: Parts and Labor - New Buildings

I really hate to admit it, but I used to be pretty in to pop-punk when I was younger. I loved NOFX and Pennywise (and, hell, a good portion of the Epitaph roster), cut my teeth on The Offspring, and still own a few Alkaline Trio albums. What's even harder to admit is that I still have a bit of a soft spot for it, even as I have come to really loathe it. I mean, I don't really listen to it anymore, nor do I have much desire, but on the occasions when it happens to be playing, I don't hate it as much as I really ought.

Maybe the three guys in Parts and Labor feel the same way. The bulk of this album feels like an attempt to take that pop-punk base and song structure and transform it into something great, or artistic. Unfortunately, this sort of alchemy doesn't work.

I do give them credit, though: replacing harmony with dissonance, bringing in the laser synths, and focusing on the 'pop' half of the equation (rather than insipidly attach itself to anything 'punk') gives the album much more mileage than it would have had otherwise. In fact, at times, it is downright powerful: the fantastic opening and closing tracks ("A Great Divide" and "Changing of the Guard," respectively) deliver on all the promise that this band has, and help elevate the rest of the album to a respectable level. Interestingly enough, those are also the two songs that deviate most from Parts and Labor's typical sound. Tracks like "New Buildings," "Timeline," and "Stay Afraid," are par for the course, and manage to have a few infectious touches to them, but are plagued by "where have I heard this before, but cleaner?" progressions and melodies.

The chugging guitars, synthy counter-melodies and constantly mashing snare drum may form a good backdrop for summer, and allow for a bit of guilty indulgence being less guilty. However, at its core, Stay Afraid fails to rise above its component pieces, taken from a genre beyond repair.

Greatest Song Ever - "Asleep"

2006-04-14T00:02:00.000-07:00

The Smiths - "Asleep"
Louder Than Bombs, Sire, 1985/1987

It might be cliché to love this song. Even too cliché to warrant idolizing it further. But I'll be damned if it isn't fucking worth it.

The song that got me to give the Smiths another chance (which I am grateful for), and possibly the best thing Morrissey and Marr ever wrote, "Asleep" is a song worth obsessing over. I would argue I have never stopped doing just that -- merely just forgot that I had been doing it for periods of time.

Originally a mere B-side to The Queen Is Dead's "The Boy With A Thorn In His Side," this song has only been released twice since, both on odds-and-sods compilations. And each album pretty much covered the same ground as the other, aimed at different sides of the ocean. This is a crime. Granted, the actual content of the song -- simple, repetitive piano chords set against simply stated, repetitive lyrics, sells the final product short. It works like only simple, direct songs can work, and, unlike many of the bands other great cuts, this one can be attributed almost entirely to the Mozzer himself. His delivery is perfect, the vibrato tasteful and haunting.

What puts this song on the level of idolatry, however, rests with the subtle production tricks during the last third of the song. The echo chamber vocals starting during the bridge/outro, giving way to the gentle breeze that had been carrying the entire song, before dropping it onto a broken box of chimes is simply fantastic. I try not to make sweeping statements like this too often, but his song is a piece of mournful, yearning perfection.

Listen: The Smiths - Asleep

Return to the Sea

2006-04-06T12:25:00.000-07:00

Islands
Equator, 2006

Sounds Like: Mid-fi off-kilter pop
For: Fans of The Unicorns who are not looking for another Unicorns album.
Listen: Islands - Rough Gem

Alright, so I'll admit I was disappointed with this on first listen. The Unicorn's sole [proper] album, Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? is a modern classic, and contains some of the most brilliant lo-fi pop I've ever heard. And that's not even the hyperboleous description. Needless to say, I've been looking forward to any and all post-Unicorns projects since they broke up, and this album in specific for nearly a year.

And, it is not a Unicorns album. I mean, sure, it had the creative song structures, some similar lyrical and instrumental motifs, and Nicholas Diamond's unmistakable voice. But it was a different beast all together (a chimera, perhaps?). Not that I initially thought it was a bad album, or otherwise an unworthy follow-up in terms of quality, but it seemed like I bought an album by a different band. At which point I had to remember that I did.

After that mental hurdle was cleared, there is a lot about this album to love. Jumping through several genres expertly, Islands effortlessly drops some truly great pop gems. "Volcanoes" starts with an apocalyptic spoken word sample over a thumping country intro, before inexplicably exploding into an anthemic second half. "Rough Gem" is a keyboard and string driven jaunt that would make Papa Stephen Merritt proud. But the album's real centerpiece is the dark, synthy "Where There's A Will There's A Whalebone," which not only serves as a tribute to the not-long-for-this-world Mad Corn Gangg, but is also one of this year's greatest songs.

But some things didn't change between bands. The "islands" theme plays a strong part in the album, ranging from the lyrical content (including the winking line in the great intro track, "Swans (Life After Death)," "I woke up thirsty/the day I died" on an island. In the sea.), to the surprising calypso influence on tracks like "Don't Call My Whitney, Bobby," and "Jogging Gorgeous Summer." Sense of humor, while more subtle, remains intact, along with a lyrical interest in the cute and the dead.

The only real mistake on this album is the unfortunate decision to tack on a hidden track, "Renaud." Pet peeves aside (and Christ, do I ever hate the "hey guys lets put 5 minutes of near-static ocean noises between the last two tracks!" mentality), it just disrupts the flow of the album. The song itself is quite good, and is an apt closing track. And so is the listed final song, "Ones." But, together, they merely extend the album beyond its natural conclusion. To play armchair producer, "Renaud" should have been placed between the fourth and fifth songs, or been delegated to B-side/one-off status.

Minor quibble aside, this is one of the best albums to come out this year, even if does not succeed in repopulating the world's unicorn population, and may be the pop album of this summer.

A-

Everything All the Time

2006-03-29T16:16:00.000-08:00

Band of Horses
Sub Pop, 2006

Sounds Like: Indie rock, or what passes for indie rock these days.
For: Fans of The Arcade Fire.
Listen: Band of Horses - Monsters

There is something about this album that irks me, and I haven't quite been able to put my finger on it until now. I mean, I was excited to hear this album for a little while, based on the bits of Carissa's Wierd [sic] and S that I've heard, along with the couple of pre-album songs I've listened to, and the Tour EP that I got around to listening to two weeks ago. By the eve of the album's released, it had garnered a lot of praise, and I was charged to hear it. And, on first listen, I liked it. A lot.

On the second listen, something started to rub me the wrong way. And it took another five to figure out what that was.

The album, for all its good (and great) songs, memorable lines, and pure warmth, is just there. It is an inoffensive singer-songwriter album polished and dressed up to seem a bit more important than it really is. It is more focused and homogeneous than the group's earlier songs would have suggested (the traces of alt-country found in, say, "I Lost My Dingle On the Red Line" are all but completely absent here). Perhaps the blame lies in Phil Ek's (Modest Mouse, Built to Spill, Les Savy Fav) uncharacteristically powersander-and-lacquer production.

In TMT's review of the new Larsen album, Paul Haney jabs at "indie-rock" as "slowly becoming synonymous with inoffensive songwriter pop fluff for jaded yuppies." I think this album, for all its merits, is guilty of this charge. "St. Augustine" might come between Bright Eyes and Sufjan Stevens on the satellite radio Coffee Shop Mix, "Weed Party" could be on The O.C., and "Our Swords" will probably be on the soundtrack to Garden State 2: Jersey Boogaloo. That, however, does not undo the great bass riff driving the latter song, or the soaring majesty of "The Funeral," 2006's requisite mournfully yearning song. However, it does detract from the best moments on this album, like on the homey ballad "Monster," that seems to find the band most in their element. I can only hope that this band stumbles a bit on their way to success; their edges could use a bit of roughing up again.

B-

Greatest Song Ever - "Damage"

2006-03-23T17:54:00.000-08:00

Yo La Tengo - "Damage"
I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One, Matador Records, 1998

Periodically, I (like most other excitable people), will see/read/hear something and exclaim in a feverent, salival manner: "GREATST BLANK EVER!"

This is the first of many of those times to be documented on ye olde weblog.

Now, I'm late to a lot of trains, and by the time I found out about it, the 'Tenga train had not only departed, but had made its way accross most of the country. I'm only now starting to fully grasp what I've been missing out on all these years: this song's full, lush wall of sound uses distortion to sooth as only those in love with their shoes can. A simple, muted bassline carries this song's simple, repeated hook around buried vocals. That is, until the wordless chorus disarms you completely.

Best experienced on headphones in the city at night, or on your stereo as loud as possible.

Listen: Yo La Tengo - Damage

More Deep Cuts

2006-03-15T12:33:00.000-08:00

Thee More Shallows
Turn Records, 2005

Sounds Like: Say Hi To Your Mom recorded an album after finally, like, totally getting Hail to the Thief.
For: People who read the above and thought "oooh!"
Listen: Thee More Shallows - Cloisterphobia

As I mentioned in the Silent Shout review a few weeks ago, online music sites have been pushing hard to get the "scoop" on new bands, and great albums by existing ones. To that end, its hard to believe that albums like More Deep Cuts can get looked over by some of the big guns. Thee More Shallows revolves around singer and songwriter Dee Kesler, and the album carries the air of a fuzzy bedroom pop album on the next level of evolution. Similarly, while there are many influences and contemporaries evident here, it is difficult to pinpoint exactly who (or what) it sounds like without resorting to "a meets b fronted by c with a little m from d produced by i..." trainwrecks. All this makes for one of the most unique (and best) albums of the past few years.

Following the throwaway drum and sound loops of the intro track, "Pre-Present" gives a strong statement of purpose for the San Fransisco band's second album. Deep, wavering basses and stated drums accompany a gentle fingerpicked guitar pattern, giving way to a slow burning build of synths and french horns before the song climaxes to a thick, almost tangible, mass. All the while, Kesler's calm, persistent voice remains steady and anchored low in the mix. This approach to vocals in densely orchestrated instrumentals gives strong images of someone calmly describing their death as they lay dying, or casually strolling through a hurricane.

The album hits its high point around its middle, where the Bedhead-esque "Cloisterphobia" delivers a slow, powerful build, then releases it into the vibraphone-driven standout track "2 AM." Unfortunately, the energy begins to drop at this point on the album, moving into one of its many instrumental interlude tracks before getting to the meandering, toms-and-low-guitar dirge "Walk of Shame." Though album's closing two tracks are good, the loss of momentum hurts the strength they would have had otherwise.

More Deep Cuts is one of last year's true overlooked gems; a very strong album that showcases a tremendous amount of room to grow. With an EP in the wings, and maybe another album not too far off, Thee More Shallows stand to release an album that not only demands attention, but chides you for not doing so sooner. Only in the calmest way possible.

A-

Peregrine

2006-03-08T11:13:00.000-08:00

The Appleseed Cast
The Militia Group, 2006

For: Midwestern emo kids that grew up to despise that word, but will always have a soft spot for "Marigold and Patchwork" and "Parking Lot."
Sounds Like: The Appleseed Cast, desperately trying to find their sound again.
Listen: The Appleseed Cast - Ceremony

In 2001, The Appleseed Cast seemed poised to be the Radiohead of Midwestern independent music. Starting out accessible and largely derivative of their music scene, then becoming more experimental before releasing a near perfect, unique, breathtaking album, which was quickly followed by a leftovers LP. Two Conversations, however, was no Hail to the Thief, especially coming off the heels of a double album as great as Low Level Owl.

This album is filled with the sounds of a band trying to find their footing and craft their own sound, so much so that this sounds more like a first album than a sixth. The album opens strong with the great, dynamic post-rock-y instrumental "Ceremony," before fading into the faux lo-fi beginning of "Woodland Hunter (Part 1)," which recalls a spacey cover of Bright Eyes' "If Winter Ends." The difference between these two tracks is representative of not only the album, but the band's career itself; there seems to be a conscious struggle to figure out whether expressing emotions is best done through impassioned, slightly off-key vocals, or through crushing instrumentals.

The album hits its stride around the middle, with the three song run of "February," "An Orange and a Blue," and "Song 3." Here, AC keeps a consistent, powerful sound, making great compromise between their two M.O.s. "February" is a great example of where emo can lead a band if they are capable and open enough to see it beyond the standard format (and, I wager, would have been a prized 7" if released in 1996). "An Orange and a Blue" drops the vocals and sets up a build reminiscent of Explosions in the Sky's more recent work. "Song 3" completes the synthesis with an instrumentally carried vocal track, with Chris Crisci's vocals getting drenched in reverb and dropped low in the mix.

The conspicuous absence of dynamo drummer Cobra is notable on this album, especially on cuts where AC's new spin on "experimentation" include chopping up sampled drum tracks (most notably on "Here We Are (Family in the Hallway)"). The drumming remains powerful, but nothing that really recalls the pummeling force on their past records.

As a whole, Peregrine is a worthy effort, and a small step up from 2003's unfairly maligned Two Conversations. It may be far away from the greatness of Low Level Owl, but still shows the seeds of another something great in the band's future.

C+

Silent Shout

2006-02-28T22:16:00.000-08:00

The Knife
Rabid, 2006

For: fans of dark, dour, and somewhat challenging synthpop.
Sounds Like: Depeche Mode fronted by Bjork remixed by Xiu Xiu for the club.
Listen: The Knife - Neverland

It appears in the ever-saturated internet music review market, the race for the scoop is about as essential and urgent as it is in mainstream news media. Silent Shout, still weeks shy of a proper release date, has already been reviewed everyone's favoriteindependentt tour de force. So, mildly interested, I have little recourse other than to start checking around. You know how these things go; a quick introduction, one thing leads to another, the album finds its way to my hard drive, and next thing I know its going to start talking about marriage or child support payments before I even have a chance to drop my cash proper. And those imports are expensive too.

So, right. The album. First, I'm going to take a stab at this, and proclaim this album to have the finest vocal manipulations of the year. The only competition I can see coming up is if Kevin Oglive happens to drop an album in some form or another in the next ten months, and even then, it would be close. Vocalist Karin Dreijer Andersson's voice sounds like Bjork got into a fight with Skinny Puppy: alternately gorgeous and harshly menacing.

While the instrumental arrangements on this album openly wear a European house music influence, the prominencece of the vocals in the mix, instrumentation, arrangement, and excellently crafted hooks more rapidly echo the darker side of pop music. "One Hit" shows that having a Depeche Mode influence can actually be a positive trait, while "Neverland" could easily find its way to Xiu Xiu on your next Wrist Slittin' Mix (Volume 7: October All Year), and might even encourage some gothic dancing. In that vein, "Like A Pen" and "We Share Our Mother's Health" sound destined for EBM radio feeds.

Ultimately, Silent Shout is not a groundbreaking, must-have album, and may have trouble finding a niche. Its too house to appeal to Joe Synthpop, the vocal manipulations are too outlandish for most people who are attracted to vocals in dance music, and is too inconsistently dance-able to appeal to connoisseursrs of "obscure Europeanan electro." Especially given the inflated import price, I expect a lot of one-download stands in this album's immediate future, followed by some bastard 12" singles in the months to come. Only, with offspring like this, you'll be glad you forgot the rubber.

B

Statement of purpose

2006-02-26T21:41:00.000-08:00

When I talk to some people who are more passive about music, sometimes it seems I come across as a bit obsessive. Take, for example, my girlfriend. She thinks its odd that the primary source of my disposable income is buying music. I counter (of course) with the statement that I don't really have that much music.

Editor's note: I own (I think) somewhere near three hundred and fifty albums, either on CD, wax, or my lone cassette (my beloved copy of Sebadoh's Bakesale), and have another hundred twenty five or so copied to my hard drive.

Now, this is not yet another "yeah, well [people with habits other than me] spend their money on [something else blah blah blah], which is either just as "bad" or worse [due to your typical record self-important/aggrandizing pretentious reasons] argument.

This is an open love letter to looking through a hundred albums, and a couple thousand songs, and realizing that most of them are good. Good, but not always perfect; this goes beyond the typical Summer_Album;Nighttime_Album arguments (I can still dig Pinkerton in December and Dummy in the middle of a sunny summer day). Then, settling on a selection, and realizing its perfect. Absolutely perfect. Its a happiness that nothing else can really touch, or, at least, with far less frequency. Its a reason to spend money I shouldn't on a few more albums, a reason to update a blog no one will ever read, a reason to troll record stores looking for a single that I can guarantee will not be there, and, above all, a reason to live.

What more appropriate way to start a music blog than with a summation of the previous year?

2005-12-27T15:27:00.000-08:00

( Possibly by staging and filming a circle jerk over a moderate release, but that's out of the question. For now, at least.)

Top Ten Albums:

13 & God – 13 & God. Avant-garde hip-hop ensemble Themselves and lap-pop superstars The Notwist collaborate to create to make an album that utilizes the best aspects of both genres. Ridiculously dynamic, and seamlessly pairing subconscious-quick deliveries and beats with slick soundscapes, 13 & God take the year's title and earn a place in the pantheon of Important Albums.
The Decemberists - Picaresque. As Jeph Jacques said, “Mariner's Revenge Song” alone guarantees this album's position on my list, but tasteful, inventive arrangements backing the best work of the most literate songwriter around make this one of the year's key releases.
Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy. Okkervil River is best known for their indie folk and alt-country work, which manages to be spine-shivering and uplifting, even as Will Sheff sings of brutal murder and war crimes. Black Sheep Boy takes a page from their high energy live show and rocks out a little bit more, and manages to get even darker. Even the dreams of stones sound beautiful.
Why? - Elephant Eyelash. Ever the iconoclast, Why? has expanded his stage name to include the members of his new band instead of just himself. Rather than allowing the band to expand his sound, Yoni Wolf tethers the rest of them to his stream of consciousness, and changes, adapts and creates genres to suit the needs of each song, each sentence. The most creative album I heard this year.
Anthony and the Johnsons – I Am A Bird Now. In an environment where “emotional” is increasingly associated with “whiny,” songwriters like Anthony Hegarty are increasingly welcome. His powerful, unique (and vibrato laden) voice could make songs about kittens and sunshine devastating; by turning his attention to concepts like death, gender, and confusion, however, he can block out all other noise and light from the room.
Dälek - Absence. On the tenth day, darkness came into being, and had a flow like a river of shadows. He made the moon his drummer, and static into his orchestra, and toured like an advancing army. On occasion, he stops to light a candle in the shrine of Kevin Shields.
Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, Its Morning. Conor Oberst has finally grown arms long enough to reach where he can see. His most professional, cohesive, and powerful album to date ought to provide an appropriate closing to the career of Bright Eyes, and usher in the beginning of Oberst's real magnum opus.
Xiu Xiu – La Foret. Xiu Xiu's worst album falls short by being (of all things) too conventional. That aside, the album moves through your ears like water to your lungs: unstoppable even at the verge of silence, occasionally violent, and, above all, deadly.
Sigur Rós – Takk... I will never have a dream as beautiful as this album, and that breaks my heart.
Wolf Parade – Apologies to the Queen Mary. Disappointing and a touch overhyped, Wolf Parade triumphs by being ultimately irresistible. “Shine A Light” has taken up permanent residence someplace in my head, and “You'll Believe In Anything” is a fine candidate for Song of the Year. Besides; this album is everyone's number ten this year; who am I to argue?

Honorable Mentions:

Too High Crap to Great Ratio Division: Cloud Cult - Advice From the Happy Hippopotamus. A mostly very solid album ruined by a good dozen tracks of filler, random tracks of silence, and songs split in half between two tracks. With some restraint and trimming, this would have been a Top 10.

Modern Reissues Don't Count, Damnit Division: Ten In the Swear Jar - Accordion Solo! ; Stars - Set Yourself on Fire ; The Go! Team - Thunder, Lightning, Strike

Top EP's and Singles:

Iron and Wine -The Woman King
Explosions in the Sky - The Rescue
Iron and Wine & Calexico - In the Reins
Xiu Xiu/Devendra Banhart - The Body Breaks/Support Our Troops
The Arcade Fire - Cold Wind 7”

Most Disappointing Album: Bright Eyes - Digital Ash In A Digital Urn. Until this year, the easiest criticism to lobby at any Bright Eyes release was that Oberst couldnt quite do what he was trying to. Along with that success comes this relative failure. To be honest, I was expecting a darker, more compelling, better written, and more original Postal Service to leave Ben Gibbard in the dust. Instead, we get an EP's worth of good songs surrounded by low quality filler, meandering songwriting, second-rate Gibbardisms (“I wish I had a parachute/cause I'm falling fast for you?” What the hell, Oberst?), and electronics by people who don't really like electronic.

Least Disappointing Album: Nine Inch Nails - With Teeth. By the time this came out, I was excited as hell, and just as nervous. By the end of the first track, I knew it was better than I was expecting it to be. It still wasn't as good as I sheepishly hoped, but it was quality enough to not lose (and even gain some) faith in Ol' Gloomy.

Top 25 Songs (Limit: one song per album, in approximate order):

Wolf Parade - “I'll Believe In Anything”
The Decemberists - “Mariner's Revenge Song”
Animal Collective - “The Purple Bottle”
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy + Matt Sweeny - “I Gave You”
13 & God - “Tin Strong”
Sufjan Stevens - “Casimir Polaski Day”
Why? - “Crushed Bones”
Anthony and the Johnsons - “Fistful of Love”
Sigur Rós - “Sæglópur”
Iron and Wine + Calexico - “16, Maybe Less”

Bright Eyes - “Easy/Lucky/Free”
Nine Inch Nails - “All the Love In the World”
Dälek - “Distorted Prose”
Xiu Xiu - “Pox”
Okkervil River - “For Real”
Bright Eyes - “Old Soul Song (For the New World Order)”
M83 - “Don't Save Us From the Flames”
Iron and Wine - “My Lady's House”
Crooked Fingers - “Islero”
Kind of Like Spitting - “Aubergine”

Pelican - “Aurora Borealis”
Explosions in the Sky - “Day Five”
Patrick Wolf - “Teignmouth”
CocoRosie - “South Second”
Stephen Malkmus - “Pencil Rot”

Best Concerts:

Intonation Music Festival, 6/16-7, Union Park, Chicago, IL
Crooked Fingers, Vera Deidre, Mark Waldoch – 11/20, Mad Planet, Milwaukee, WI
The Decemberists, Okkervil River – 4/8, Barrymore Theater, Madison, WI
Anthony and the Johnsons, CocoRosie – 10/7, Pabst Theater, Milwaukee, WI
Say Hi to Your Mom, John Muther – 6/12, Our Basement, Milwaukee, WI

One Offs:

Best Video: Anthony and the Johnsons - “Hope There's Someone”

Best Album Art/Packaging: Sigur Rós – Takk...

Best Song Climax: 13 & God - “Superman On Ice”

Best Referencing That Went Over Target Audience's Head: Nine Inch Nails - “Getting Smaller”

Best Novelty Song Ever: North American Hallowe'en Prevention Initiative - “Do They Know Its Hallowe'een?”

Best Summation of Purpose: “I could have been a famous singer/If I had someone else's voice/But failure's always sounded better/let's fuck it up boys: make some noise.”

Best My Bloody Valentine tribute: Dälek - “Ever Somber”

Award For Efforts in Advancing Nerdkind: Colin Meloy

Worst Album Title: Lou Barlow - Em-oh! (Seriously; what the fuck, Lou.)

Best Musical Trend: Collaborations paying off. Supergroups are almost automatically linked with disappointment, no matter how promising the componant pieces. The one-two combo of Audioslave and Velvet Revolver had effectively destroyed it following the turn of the century. Fortunately, albums like Superwolf, 13 & God, In the Reins, and XXL are starting to turn that tide.

Worst Musical Trend: Return of the God Awful Single. In my opinion, the state of popular music has been in an upward trend since the turn of the century, and there hasn't been a truly loathsome single since “St. Anger” first hit rock radio waves. This year, Gwen Stefani, Jessica Simpson, and The Black Eyed Peas each earned medals of valor in the fight against decent music (and in the case of BEP, Services Rendered Above And Beyond The Call Of Duty Against All That Is Well And Good On This Earth). Pop music in 2006 has only to be simply “bad” to improve from this.