Capital Cities – In a Tidal Wave of Mystery

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            Everyone knows the guy who hates “pop” music.  That guy that doesn’t acknowledge the radio exists and doesn’t have a TV.  He scoffs at any album that even hints at a good time, and tells you how whatever it is that you’re listening to around him sounds like these 10 other bands that you’ve never heard, that broke up ten years ago…and how they did it better.  If you’re that guy, I apologize (kind of).  It is great to be knowledgeable about music history, and there is something to be said for understanding the bands that may have influenced the current generation of music, but lets not knock other peoples musical tastes.  Plus (yes this is the part where I explain the rant) I’m pretty sure that even the “anti-pop” guy couldn’t resist the quirky charm and self awareness of Capital Cities…and is probably secretly listening to their album “In a Tidal Wave of Mystery” right now.

            Capital Cities is indie-synth pop duo Ryan Merchant and Sebu Simonian from Los Angeles CA.  Soon after meeting through an open ad for Simonian’s production services, they began writing jingles for commercials together.  After three years of success in commercial composition, they formed Capital Cities.  Already this is an impressive resume for musicians in general.  Most musicians are always looking for work in their field, and few get the chance to make money off their craft.  But commercial composition was merely a gateway for the duo that has now achieved (ahem) commercial success. 

            Their debut full length “In A Tidal Wave Of Mystery” seems like it took every facet of the indie-pop genre, and used the catchiest elements of each.   12 songs later they have an album chock full of (college) radio ready hits.  Their drums are appropriately large, their hooks don’t ever really stop happening (even when they aren’t being sung, they are provided by the instrumental surround the current vocal). They employ every trick in the (proverbial) production handbook, and their experience in the industry shows.

            There are moments on the record where I found myself thinking “are they serious?” and that is the best part.  They aren’t.  They are just making fun pop music, and they know that.  They embrace it.  That is the joy of Capital Cities, they aren’t trying to be something they’re not.  They are not an art-rock band, they’re not trying to reinvent the wheel.  They just put huge rims on it…WITH SPINNERS!  So when critically thinking about the album as a whole, keeping that in mind makes a difference. 

            Every single song on the album could be played on a mainstream radio station, and still keep its merit as a legitimately good song, but be accessible to the masses as well as the “anti-pop” guy (assuming he understands the amount of self awareness involved in the album…lets assume he does, and since he refuses to acknowledge the radio as something that exists, we’ll assume he stumbled across Capital Cities during a visit to his friends house, while Conan O’Brian was on).  Their songs surf the dance beat wave of the 80’s with updated sounds, and employ clean staccato funk guitars and horns in addition to their sizable synth arsenal.  They would be right at home in an early 1980s dance club.   Do you like Andre 3000?  They got him too.  There is a song on the album about things that are awesome, titled “Farrah Fawcett Hair” in which a male NPR sounding announcer says all the things that Capital Cities thinks are awesome.

            If you want a great time, with no pretense or just a feel good album to make shoveling your car out of 6 feet of snow feel okay, pick up Capital Cities “In a Tidal Wave Of Mystery”.

Get your copy of "In A Tidal Wave of Mystery" on Vinyl 

Listen to "I Sold My Bed, Not My Stereo"

The Snowed In Post Rock Playlist

 

Ever find yourself cancelling plans because you can’t shovel your car out from the snow?  The snow that has piled up around all four tires of your rear wheel drive 4 cylinder car?  You could say thanks to the man that plowed half of the one way street you live on…but you wouldn’t…Cause in reality, he has only trapped every car on your street in a 3 foot high ice wall of inconvenience.  So, you could get pissed.  You could try to shovel yourself out to no avail.  Or you could go back inside, admit defeat to your friends that you were going to hang out with, and listen to some moody post rock to take the edge off.  Nothing warms the soul like an atmospheric build.  So when you inevitably find yourself in this EXACT situation, here are 3 songs (or a half hour in post rock time) to patiently listen to while the salt you scattered around your tires works to melt your car’s ice prison.

1.     Sigur Ros - Hoppípolla (Takk) – Hoppipolla is Sigur Ros at their most delicate and beautiful.  The song opens with a fragile piano line that slowly opens up into a gorgeous string arrangement with a textural reverse delay that takes off as soon as the drums are introduced.  This is a song that to this day, every time I hear it, I get goosebumps and a warm feeling in my chest that I can only describe as the pure embodiment of hope.  Despite not knowing what Jonsi is singing about, the music bridges the language gap with its elegant movement.  Two minutes and fifteen seconds into the song, after dynamically dropping to almost nothing, everything comes back in with so much power and grace that it seems to stop time around you.  

                                                                                Buy Sigur Ros

2.      Explosions in the Sky – Postcard from 1952 (Take Care, Take Care, Take Care) – EITS is a band that is continuously evolving and pushing themselves to do different things with the signature sound they have developed.  From giant noisy effected guitars with huge drums, to ambient room sounds with traces of tinkling piano, EITS is moody, but in the best kind of way.  They set the mood, and they take their time doing so.  In Postcard, you get a little bit of everything that makes EITS so cool.  Clocking at a little over 7 minutes (a shorter song for them) Postcard is a good introduction to the prolific post rockers.

                                                            Buy Explosions in the Sky

3.      Godspeed You! Black Emperor – We Drift Like Worried Fire ('Alleujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!) – Godspeed’s most recent album gained them recognition on multiple levels.  Obviously the most important being that the album is fantastic and won critical acclaim on almost every major review.  They won the Polaris Music Prize (a 30,000 dollar check) and promptly mocked the very notion of music awards and the “culture money” that funded it.  They are more punk rock in nature than the most devoted punkers.  'Alleujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! is a journey (as are most of their albums),  but We Drift Like Worried Fire is my personal favorite.  In a similar fashion to how EITS showcased their characteristic elements in Postcard, Godspeed has a similar showcase on Worried Fire.  If you’ve never listened to Godspeed You! Black Emperor, this is the song to start with. 

 

                                                                         Buy Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Cage the Elephant - Melophobia

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We had a gentleman come into the store last night as I was getting ready to leave.  He asked me “What has come out this month that you really like?”  I felt a little hard pressed to answer with something really new and interesting.   He was pumped to talk to us about stuff he had bought last month from us, (Man Man and Mister Heavenly) which I am proud to say I recommended to him.  However, in that vein of music, it is really hard to find bands like that beyond Islands.  So I told him to let me think about it and get back to him.  Hopefully sir, you are reading this, and can see what I am recommending.  This week’s pick is Cage The Elephant – Melophobia.

I have to put this out there before I start actually talking about the album.  When I heard Cage the Elephant’s first album, I hated it.  It didn’t appeal to me at all and even though there were cool things about it, I had a hard time actually listening to the songs.  They seemed green and uninspired, and quite honestly relied to heavily on studio tricks.  Melophobia is not like that at all.  I would say it sounds like a cross between Islands (on The Arm’s Way) and The Black Keys (as far as vocal sounds and production goes) with a little Dr. Dog sprinkled in for good measure.  There aren’t any remnants of what I disliked about their debut.  It seems like they learned how to be in a band, how to own their sound, and how to write a cohesive album over the course of the past few years.  The vocals sound great, a little overdriven, and kinda dirty.  The guitars are fuzzy and still sound tight despite the noisy approach that their engineer took to recording them.  I enjoyed the way the songs flowed into one another as well, it seemed very honest and not contrived or forced.

                  In short, I would recommend Melophobia to any fans of the doom-wop-indie genre, even though it is slightly outside the realm, it has a lot of what is cool about that type of music.  Namely the production, playing style and subject matter.  It lacks the 50’s-ish Marty McFly at the “Enchantment Under the Sea Dance” chord progressions favored by bands in the genre, but I like the tonality of the record as a whole.  There is an overall similarity to bands like Alt J, but without the (excuse the judgement) cheezyness, and is textural without being too layered to the point of self indulgence.  Melophobia is a great example of learning from experience, which is exactly what Cage the Elephant has done. 

Listen to Spiderhead

Buy Melophobia NOW!!

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - The Speed of Things

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            So first things first, lets talk about this bands name.  It’s awesome.  Somehow it also fits the band perfectly.  Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.’s blend of power pop and synth-y dance tracks seems perfectly appropriate under the namesake of an American sweetheart…Jr. 

             Supposedly, the band emailed Earnhardt Jr. to assure him they weren’t making fun of him, and sent him samples of their music before it released.  He approved.

            Their full length “The Speed of Things” does seem as though it came a little late to the indie-synth-pop party, but had it showed up on time it would’ve dominated amongst bands like Foster the People and Grouplove.  This doesn’t mean that this band can’t have some long-term success though.  D.E Jr. Jr. is a band that seems like it has grown quickly (having started in late 2009 as a recording project in singer Daniel Zott’s basement).  After releasing two EP’s prior to their first full length, and gaining national recognition on Conan and various other mainstream avenues, the band could go anywhere.  Hopefully they can keep up momentum and continue to be creative in a genre that is (arguably) waning. 

            As songwriters, DE Jr. Jr. excel at the tired and true verse-chorus-verse-bridge-big last chorus formula.  They do a nice job of peppering in ambient intro’s that reference whatever the main melody is going to be in the upcoming song, and the blend of real instruments and synthesizers is tasteful. 

            Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. is the perfect holiday gift for fans of Phoenix, Passion Pit, M83, Grouplove or Empire of the Sun, and is a good companion to our long winter to come.   There is really nothing like a happy song in the wintertime.  

Listen to "If You Didn't See Me (You Weren't on the Dancefloor)"

Buy "The Speed of Things" By Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.

Iron Chic - The Constant One

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It is hard to believe, but sometimes I find myself hard pressed for something new to listen to.  Before anyone goes off the handle with things like “you work at a record store!” or, “you have the internet!!” or “you have a phone!” keep this in mind…We listen to music all day long, mostly music that we haven’t heard (‘cause we all like to stay informed), and its great.  It’s the bee’s knees.  It’s the dog’s tuxedo (that’s a thing right?).  But, when you have so many choices available to you, sometimes its difficult deciding on just one CD.  Long story short, this week I have been pretty musically indecisive.  So instead of trolling the internet for what is trending right this second, or what the current charts say, I took a chance and grabbed a CD at random out of our listening booth selection for the month.  The album was “The Constant One” by Iron Chic.

Iron Chic is a throwback pop punk/hardcore band in the vein of Polar Bear Club, with a little Dave-Grohl-yell-singing thrown in for good measure.  You (probably) don’t know this, but I love pop punk.  I grew up listening to bands like Operation Ivy, Rancid, Less Than Jake (yes, I know technically ska) and eventually moved on to the pop punk/emo wave that swept up every fourteen-year-old kid that wasn’t on a sports team like a tsunami of loud guitars and tight pants. 

Iron Chic brought me back to the summer of 2001, when walking through the halls with my headphones blasting was the highest form of rebellion I could achieve, without really knowing what I was rebelling against.  They are angst-y, loud, boisterous, and seem to like to swear.  It’s been a while since I heard a band that sounded genuine in this genre. 

During the whole 2007-2009 scenester-all-time-low-four-year-strong-a-day-to-remember-warped tour craze, none of the bands that played this type of music seemed to really mean it.  A lot of them would just play pop punk choruses with nu-metal guitar chugs and scream breakdowns.  The pieces that felt “pop punk” really just seemed like filler till they could do another breakdown to get their crab-core stances of and shake their straightened hair around.  This is not the case with Iron Chic.  Its like they somehow missed that whole fad (to which I say kudos) and just make strait up, feel good, Long Island pop punk. 

As far as songwriting goes, Iron Chic doesn’t break the mold, but damn they are good at what they do.  There is a naiveté to their lyrics that feels at home with the music surrounding them, but they don’t seem contrived.  I believe what they are saying.  That isn’t a phrase I feel like I get to say enough about lyrical content, especially in a genre that (for a while) was overwhelmed with songs about popping bottles, laying under the stars, and how awesome summer was.  Yes, summer was awesome, the stars look great, and sure, everyone loves champagne, but I don’t need to hear about any of those things from someone in painted on neon pants and a v-neck…I doubt their credibility.  I do not doubt Iron Chic’s.

            Sonically, you couldn’t ask for a better pop punk record.  The guitars are appropriately massive, the snare drum is punchy as hell, and the vocals aren’t tuned in post-production.  Sure “The Constant One” probably isn’t for your parents.  It probably isn’t for you little brother or sister either (again, lotta swears) but if you want a good pick me up from a band that really f***ing means it, get your frostbitten New York hands on Iron Chic’s “The Constant One”.  If you hate it, its okay, they don’t care anyway.

Buy your copy of Iron Chic's "The Constant One" TODAY 

The Bloody Beetroots - Hide

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I looked through some of the artists I have reviewed in the past 5 months, and realized I have yet to review any kind of EDM.  It is not a genre I am particularly knowledgeable about, so I have been hesitant to throw in my two cents when I am not as versed in the “rules” (for lack of a better word) of the songwriting or sonic structure associated with it.  But it was brought to my attention that it is such a new genre (in comparison to “guitar music”) that there are far more frontiers that can be explored and considered new or original.  That being said, since the genre is relatively new to me, I wasn’t looking for something that reinvented the wheel, just something different and interesting.  Enter the Bloody Beetroots.

            Before I get to any kind of review or nitpicking on my part, let me start by saying it is important to not judge an album by its cover art.  I hate everything about the Bloody Beetroot’s cover art on their new album Hide.  It looks like a roller derby poster with a middle aged (venom masked) Spider-Man with razor teeth holding what seems to be a reanimated dead woman with a bloody baseball bat.  Seriously, looks like it could be a grind-core cover.  There was one glimmer of hope on the album art, which was a little red circle in the upper left-hand corner that says “Collaborations with Paul McCartney, Peter Frampton, Theophilus London, Sam Sparro and Tommy Lee.” 

            So bypassing my reservations about the ridiculous cover art, and the potential of hearing Tommy Lee on something willingly, I listened to the album.  The Bloody Beetroots are laughing somewhere because I’m pretty sure they are making fun of my inability to take chances.  The album is super interesting.  I have a suspicion that I might not be the only one the Beetroots are making fun of.  I think higher on the list than me might be Skrillex and company.  Or American dub step in general.  Hopefully this is coming across as a good thing to anyone reading.  If it doesn’t seem like it yet, its totally getting there.

            I admit, at first listen I went right to the McCartney collaboration.  I really wanted to hear what he had contributed to the album.  Not in any way what I expected.  McCartney has been a busy man, with his own album NEW coming out last month (which sounded like a solid years worth of work in and of itself), and his track on this album, one of the two remaining Beatles has worked hard to stay current, and it shows.  To me (and I’m sure plenty of other skeptics) the inclusion of McCartney’s vocals (which were sang specifically for this album and not sampled) was a huge boost in credibility.  Not to mention a great song and selling point for the album.

            Sonically The Bloody Beetroots are a mixture of deep bass warble, arpegiated high end, and top tier production, specifically the mixture of real and sampled drums, which is really interesting.  Obviously there is more to their sound then those two sentences, but again, EDM is pretty new to me.  The songwriting is impressive when one looks at the breadth and scope of songs written for this album. It is as self indulgent and diverse as Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories, but totally its own creation.  Where it seems like Daft Punk got in their Delorian and went back to the 70’s, it sounds like The Bloody Beetroots went to 2070 and came back with this CD full of crazy-twisted-Back-to-the-Future-tangent-universe songs.  I truly enjoyed the album as a whole, and I am curious how their next release will up the ante on this album.

            Listen to the McCartney collaboration “Out Of Sight”

Get your copy of The Bloody Beetroots - Hide

Arcade Fire - Refelektor

I still haven’t read other reviews about The Arcade Fire’s newest full length Reflektor, but what I’ve been hearing are words like “dancey, Bowie-esque, dense, and self indulgent.”

            I am here to dispel these rumors, minus the Bowie one.  He totally does sing on the first track.  Now the weird thing is that those aforementioned adjectives were used with a negative connotation (at least as they were relayed to me).  However, I wanted to wait till I listened to the album all the way thru in my office at home on vinyl uninterrupted (with the exception of flipping both records) to review the album myself.  I changed the color of the lights in the room to a pale blue and green, dimmed the over head lights and sit dead center in my office and just listened.

            My first thoughts were something like “Oh my god, they have defeated other bands at being bands, they have done the unthinkable with so much elegance.  They managed to get dancey without being lame.”  So let me rewind a little bit.  I reviewed the single Reflektor that was released as a 12” back in September as a teaser to the album.  If you scroll up a few reviews back you can see the optimism and excitement for this album that fanboy-ed its way out of me.  I can say now that it wasn’t misplaced.

"Going to Haiti for the first time with Regine was the beginning of a major change in the way that I thought about the world. Usually, I think you have most of your musical influences locked down by the time you're 16. There was a band I [feel] changed me musically, just really opened me up to this huge, vast amount of culture and influence I hadn't been exposed to before, which was really life-changing." (Win Butler). 

Butler cites Haitian music as a major turning point in his work.  To me it is tough to say if he did have a musical epiphany in Haiti, but the band does seem to be at their grooviest.  If you listen carefully to the drums, you can hear that in some places on the album they are actually tuned to the root notes of the chords to thicken up the bass and reinforce the melodic bass lines in the songs.  It took me two listens to the whole album to take in the full depth of just how involved this album is.

            The album sparkles in a way that would normally scream big budget, but for the Arcade Fire, beginning at their humble first EP up through Reflektor, the movement to a larger than life sound is natural.  They have earned the right to put out something grandiose and impressive.   The cool part is, rather than becoming overwhelmed by the restrictions that normally come with such a high risk release (in terms of budget) the band actually embraces it.  With James Murphey (LCD Soundsystem) and Markus Davis at the console they mix a poignant blend of fuzzy layered guitars, BIG drums, thick bass, powerful lyrics and the most confident vocal delivery of Butler’s career.  At times employing the “lo-fi/hi-fi” trick of dirtying up the vocal tracks to great effect.  Reflektor moves quickly, keeping the listener interested with transitional ambiance, screeching feedback and dub-ed out spoken announcements introducing the band. 

The biggest departure from previous albums that I noticed is the lack of their traditional instrumentation.  On previous albums, accordion, strings, trumpets and a layer of other melodic instruments that moved together to provide melodic reinforcement are gone.  Yes, here and there they will toss in something that is doubled with one of those instruments, but it is no longer a big focal point.  Reflektor is much more subtle and understated but somehow saying more than any previous release.  Much closer to Neon Bible than Suburbs.  It is hard to say what this album means long term for a band with a Grammy for Suburbs in 2011 under their belt already.

If you haven’t given your ears some sweet sonic pleasures lately, I urge you to do so with Reflektor.  I also urge you to send your feedback to our facebook page, as I am curious about the thoughts that everyone has on this eloquent departure from a band who has consistently put out quality music.

Buy Arcade Fire's Reflektor on Vinyl

An Open letter to Sir Paul McCartney Regarding “NEW” (and the corresponding blog)

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Dear Sir Paul,

I know you don't need it from me...but KUDO's to you Sir McCartney. Your "NEW" album not only sounds modern, it captures the magic that has been missing from your music since The Beatles. I am not only impressed, but a little sad, since I feel like you will never be able to top this. With a little something for a fan of every Beatles era, and a modern touch to the production, "NEW" is an appropriate name for this modern miracle of an album. No cheesy Wings nonsense, no old standards, just the things that made you what you are. Great job Paul, and though you will never meet me, or know my name, know that you have made me feel like I just listened to Revolver on vinyl for the first time.

-Doug

(now to continue to the rest of the blog)

Oddly enough, I can hear a touch of Sparklehorse, Man Man, and second album Dear Hunter in the production (yes, I’ve been listening to those bands extensively so maybe that is still lingering in my ears).  The acoustic guitar is almost always present, and the drums sound larger than life.  These are two traits that (to me) make a great sounding album.  Not to mention the fact that Sir Paul’s voice hasn’t sounded this incredible since his Beatles years.  

There are weeks I struggle to write about a new release, but this album has topped my expectations (which to be honest, after Kisses on the Bottom, weren’t very high) and made it easy to write this blog first thing in the morning.  Sir Paul’s forward thinking has been showing with age (and that is a positive).  Recently, he sang on a track with The Bloody Beatroots of all people, and kills it.  That songs is the reason I listen to the Beatroots album.

The buzz surrounding this album has been more among the demographic I would say my Dad falls into.  He has always been a huge Beatles fan, and introduced me to their more pop friendly albums at the age of 5.  I remember the day we listened to songs off the White Album on vinyl in our basement at my parent’s first house in Henrietta on my Dad’s disc jockey system.  It was life changing, I didn’t know what it was, but to me, it was what music was supposed to sound like.  I remember him saying “There will never be another band like this again, no matter where you look, no matter what you hear, the Beatles did it, and everyone else tried to follow suit, but no one could.”  As a 5 year old, those words didn’t really resonate with me, because I wanted to play with my Batman action figures and run around the yard.  Now I understand.  Sir Paul helped invent the genre that almost everything we sell in the store is based around.  Defining modern pop, rock, progressive, sonic experimentation, and acid sound-scapes that have been much copied, but never effectively emulated. 

Hopefully the youngsters that are listening to Arctic Monkeys a little too loud can step back and dig through their parents back catalogue for original Beatles albums, learn a thing or two about the songwriting and their significance, then listen to “NEW” and understand just why it is so impressive.  With The Arctic Monkeys citing the Beatles as an influence, releasing a new album (that has sold unexpectedly well) and reinventing themselves yet again, I almost hope this is Sir Paul’s way of saying “Guys, I know you’re trying, and I’m not going to be around forever, but let me show you how its done.  Also the skinny jeans and leather jackets are so two years ago.” (personal note, really hope that is how Sir Paul talks)

I’ll wrap this up without getting overly nostalgic again.  Listen to “NEW”, you won’t be disappointed.  It isn’t a gimmick, it isn’t trying to be something it isn’t, and it leaves you wanting more of a side of Sir Paul we haven’t gotten to see for far to long.  

Buy the Deluxe Edition of NEW before it is gone!!! 
Listen to "Road"

Islands – Ski Mask

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After Man Man’s release a couple months back, I began asking myself when Islands’ Ski Mask was going to be unleashed on the unsuspecting masses and how this journey down the rabbit hole would compare to their indie darling cousins’. Nick Thorburn’s keen knack for melody has resonated recently through his collaborations with members of Man Man in the doompop outfit Mister Heavenly as well as a surprising appearance on El-P’s latest release; with such diversity behind the wheel, I couldn’t wait to hear the latest effort from the former Unicorn. The most notable of its accomplishments, is how seamlessly the one compliments the other in a strange (and possibly intentional?) way.  Where Man Man’s album opts for a darker, 50’s-inspired back beat, Islands challenges its avid listeners with slightly more straightforward pop sensibilities- tinged in an elegant Flaming Lips-esque acid-mindedness.  Despite previous Islands efforts being arguably hit or miss, “Ski Mask” is unabashedly a band taking a step in the right direction with their best foot forward.  Thorburn’s attention to sonic layers is most prevalent on the ghostly “Winged Beat Drums”, mashing subtle B movie textures with familiar echoes of summertime indie pop harmonies that may very well melt the hearts of even the most caustic naysayers.  

Buy SKI MASK on Vinyl

Listen to Winged Drum Beats

Justin Timberlake the 20/20 Experience 2/2

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           After a 4 year hiatus, Justin Timberlake returns with not 1, but 2 full length albums.  I will get this out of the way early on, I am not typically a fan of the type of music that Timberlake has released in the past.  I have always respected him, because he is a true talent, but until 20/20 experience 2/2 I wouldn’t have actively listened to his records. That being said, if Justin continues to experiment with sounds, song structure and production techniques like he does on 2/2, I will be keeping up with what he does in the future.

            The first track “Give Me What I Don’t Know (I Want)” begins with huge vocal harmonies outside of the typical pop chord structure.  If Michael Jackson or Prince were young again and creating music in this generation, this seems like the integrity-pop they would have made.  I can’t imagine pop music ever being the same again after this record gets into the hands of the masses. 

Timberlake throws caution to the wind and has the budget to back up a project this ambitious.  He has created a delightfully self-indulgent romp through experimental pop.  The shortest song on the album is 4 minutes and 33 seconds, with the longest clocking at 11 minutes and 29 seconds.  In a world of pre-historic label executive mindsets, uninspired “how would Usher do it” songwriting, and producers that follow the 3 minute 30 second rule of the radio, Timberlake is making a statement…The bar has been raised, so Robin Thicke, Ke$ha, Miley Cirus and all the other big money creature factory puppets find every ladder you can and start climbing.

Not only is the production on 2/2 top notch, the songs all stand on their own as tasteful and creative, in or out of context of the record as a whole.  Mr. Timberlake may be the last great major label performer.  His growth as an artist and his back-story are legendary, his staying power is unparalleled, and most importantly, unlike his other radio peers, he continues to evolve and refuses to be pigeon holed as a one trick pony.

Get The 20/20 Experience 2/2 on Vinyl!
Listen to "Give Me What I Don't Know (I Want)

Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Alleujah! Don’t Bend, Ascend

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            It was early yesterday when I read the statement that Godspeed You! Black Emperor posted in response to winning the Polaris Music Prize.

“3 quick bullet-points that almost anybody could agree on maybe-

-Holding a gala during a time of austerity and normalized decline is a weird thing to do.

-Organizing a gala just so musicians can compete against each other for a novelty-sized cheque doesn’t serve the cause of righteous music at all.

-Asking the Toyota motor company to help cover the tab for that gala, during a summer where the melting northern ice caps are live-streaming on the internet, IS FUCKING INSANE, and comes across as tone-deaf to the current horrifying malaise.”

I instantly have a ton more respect for a band I already respected.  Not because they dissed the people that gave them a 30,000 dollar prize for their album Don’t Bend, Ascend, but because they did it so well.  If you read the whole statement from the band (which will be posted below) it is almost impossible to restrain laughter.  A band that is characterized by their dark post rock sound and soundtrack-ish vibe has a hell of a sense of humor and phrasing. 

It was partly due to the sentiments expressed in the statement that made me think I want to listen to Godspeed You! Black Emperor again, like right away.  I remember listening to their new album when it came out, but it was more background music than it was a focused listen.  After a more focused second listen and a (guilt worthy) lack of attention to anything else, I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed Don’t Bend, Ascend.  It was well put together on so many levels.  Definitely not for the faint of heart, since the whole album has their signature shoe-gazey, melancholy, not-quite-angry-but-festering feel and gets really dark at times (actually for most of the record, but to varying degrees).  Almost in defiance of these qualities, Don’t Bend, Ascend seems to serve a greater purpose in general. A completely feel based experience, the string arrangements have qualities that can only be compared to Explosions in the Sky at their absolute best, and Moving Mountains at their most melodic, which is ironic because I am almost positive that the latter was heavily influenced by Explosions and Godspeed You!

This record is also incredibly in depth and stripped down all at the same time, showing a musical prowess that is award worthy, especially the bagpipe introduction and use of the texture as an ambient layer the whole way through Mladic (but don’t tell Godspeed You! Black Emperor that, I don’t want an internet smack-down because of my praise…Don’t worry Godspeed You! I won’t be offering you a prize check).  What I will offer is this; a thank you on behalf of America for being so damn entertaining on your albums and so wonderfully aloof in your off stage antics.  Here is hoping you get more awards with money attached so you can rip the “culture-money” backers to shreds once again. 

Buy Alleujah! Don't Bend Ascend
Godspeed You! Black Emperor On Their Polaris Award

The Reflektors – Reflektor 12”

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(SPOILER ALERT) The Arcade Fire got us good… They released the single “Reflektor” from their upcoming album under the name The Reflektors on a limited edition 12 inch single.  I won’t waste precious internet-space speculating why they did this, but for the sake of this blog I will be referring to them as The Arcade Fire.  That being said, the song is great.  All seven minutes and thirty three seconds of it is pure gold.  It is also a huge departure from their previous albums.  Starting with a similar feel to Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” but then getting decidedly darker tonally, this dance-ier incarnation of the band works on a whole different level and still has everything that makes The Arcade Fire so awesome.  Interesting form, great sounds, catchy but intellectual vocals, and well arranged instrumentals.  The count down till October 29^th when their full length is released is underway, but if you are like me and can’t wait for a preview of what is to come (maybe), stop in and pick up “The Reflektors” single on vinyl.  They were kind enough to throw in the instrumental to the song on the B side, and a digital download code.   Get them while they last, because unlike Garth “Chris Gains” Brooks' “Greatest Hits”, this limited edition won’t keep popping up in bargain bins and Goodwill’s across America for the next decade.  

Come in and pick up your copy of REFLEKTOR...SUPPLIES ARE LIMITED!!

Man Man – On Oni Pond

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            I’ll be honest, up til this morning I hadn’t listened to Man Man.  I had heard of the band, but it was something I just hadn’t made time for.  Yesterday we received an advanced copy of On Oni Pond , and this morning I put it on when I was by myself and able to give it a majority of my attention.  To start out with, within the first 3 minutes, it encompassed a lot of elements I value in music.  A well placed instrumental introduction that didn’t last too long lead into a really strong and obviously thought out first song.  The vocals were the right amount of interesting, characteristic and polished to be just what the band needed.  Not knowing this band’s history or body of work, this album took me by complete surprise.  However I now have something new and interesting that I will be playing for months to catch all the subtleties that were tastefully worked into the album.

On Oni Pond is an album that you listen to in it’s entirety.  I enjoyed the first full listen however now I find myself wanting to go back and sit down and really listen to all the textures.  This album sounds like it took months to perfect, just based on the tones and textural elements.  If you like Portugal the Man, Cursive, or Foxy Shazam then Man Man’s On Oni Pond is a must.

For your listening pleasure, treat your ears to Sparks from On Oni Pond

Make Man Man Yours!!! 

Cursive - I am Gemini

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          On their seventh studio album I Am Gemini (released 02/21/12) Cursive sounds just as verbose and melancholy as they did with The Ugly Organ.  That isn’t a veiled criticism, as a matter of fact it is a huge compliment.  Over the years, Cursive has taken on many faces, worn many masks, and written about a litany of concepts.  This newest album is no exception.  Written around the concept of twins separated at birth, this is the heaviest Cursive album that I’ve heard in years.  Tim Kasher (singer/songwriter) sounds younger by some strange miracle as well.  It is wonderful to hear so much energy from a band that has been around for 18 years. 

            There is a step up in terms of production as well.  Cursive has always released interesting sounding albums, but the songs on I Am Gemini sound huge and still retain the strange sonic textures that have come to define the band as much as their songwriting. 

            Right away “This House Alive” (the first track on the album) starts out strong.  Throwing in minor 2nds as interjections to the otherwise relatively major chord progression.  As the album goes on we hear the friction and tension that these interjections provide start to be a characteristic of Kasher’s voice.  Towards the end of the album there is almost a low baritone crooning more akin to The National (although it would not shock me to find out that The National was influenced by Cursive’s vocal style).  At the end of the album, my one complaint is that I wish it lasted longer.  Hopefully Kasher and company follow up this album soon.

Listen to “This House Alive”

Get your copy of I Am Gemini on Vinyl!!

Manchester Orchestra - Mean Everything To Nothing

 
Manchester Orchestra – Mean Everything To Nothing

           Summer is winding down, and that can only mean that the back to school angst that surrounds the end of August is surely approaching.  So rather than tag someone’s garage or slash a tire, why not listen to some ballsy guitars?

            Manchester Orchestra’s 2009 release Mean Everything to Nothing is still just as relevant as it was when it was released.  It has the right amount of bite, thoughtfulness, and wanton twenty-something coming of age lamenting to be your end of summer sonic companion.  The second studio album from Andy Hull and company is filled with hooky riffs that will make you air guitar all the way back to your dorm room, and while your suitemates are listening to synthesizers and programmed drums, you can sit pretty knowing these Atlanta GA based rockers are the real deal.

            They’re later releases (Fourteen Years of Excellence, Simple Math, and Live from Park Ave *Record Store Day Exclusive*) are all on sale at lakeshore.  Mean Everything to Nothing is a solid starting point, and a good car ride back to campus worth of late 2000s indie rock.

Buy Everything to Nothing