Hard hitting choruses burrow their way into your brain and make for quite the memorable rock album from February. The bass guitar throughout is a force to be reckoned with, carving out repetitive, stomping patterns low in the mix. The growls and howls of lead singer Reid Bateh are the star of the show here. He is a frontman in the mold of Michael Gira, particularly when Bateh lets out a loud emotive grunt similar to the noise a tennis player makes as they serve. Other times, he channels Nick Cave in his world-weary manner and booming voice. Backup singer Ana Ivry-Block only accentuate and flesh out these songs, the lone beauty in the murky, bass heavy songs. Great record that mixes elements of punk, goth, krautrock and blues without fitting neatly into any.
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I stumbled upon this record last September when it was released by a stroke of luck, as it ended up being one of my favorites of the year. I won’t pretend that I listen to Brazilian music often, but regardless this is such a fun, well executed, jazzy little album. The call and answer interplay between Ana and the instruments that so often is key to the song structures are the highlight, as well as the arrangements. The songs progress in an interesting manner and take many unexpected twists and turns. Sometimes the songs will swell into a joyous, cathartic moment and other times, the tracks are more mellow, drifting along at a leisurely pace. At its best, the songs contain both elements, of lofty peaks and sweet valleys, such as on Promessas e previsões, Se no Cinema, or Devia Ter Ficado Menos. Throughout the record, the sprightly horn section adds some spice and pizzazz to the songs. This is sure to put a smile on your face.
Fat White Family further the proud and storied history of British alternative music with a clever tribute to punk anarchist Mark E. Smith of The Fall that descends into guitar dissonance and entropy towards the end of the song. Of course, The Fall once famously released a song titled I Am Damo Suzuki where they pay homage to the eccentric frontman of the legendary German band Can. While I Am Damo Suzuki was clearly crafted in a style that imitated Can's signature rhythm-centric style, Fat White Family instead stick to their formula of swirling neo-psychedelia and post-punk. Mark E. Smith rattles off the line "Speak it, says Damo's spirit" at the end of the I am Damo Suzuki, suggesting that he is channeling music history and the spirit of Can into the Fall's own music. I really get a kick out of when artists reference or interpolate other artists in their music. I admire Fat White Family knowing that we both get a kick out of The Fall and Can, as they continue to create unconventional tunes in the spirit of the trailblazing path of their predecessors.
While the slowcore band Duster have been rightly celebrated for releasing a few landmark records in the genre, not too many people listen to or know of its connection to its more upbeat sibling band Helvetia. Helvetia was formed by two members of Duster, Jason Albertini and Canaan Amber. On The Acrobats, released in 2008 on The Static Cult Label, Helvetia are not trying to be Duster. This lush music is a far cry from slowcore, it keeps up an admittedly idle and laid-back groove. The trance-inducing drumming of Amber keeps the songs chugging along dutifully, without a lackluster song in the batch. The backbone of this album are the soothing intertwining guitars and mellow dream-pop singing that are sure to lower the pulse-rate of any listener. It is a shame that Helvetia remains in the shadows despite creating sumptuous sunshine pop.
If you're a fan of Ariel Pink's more lo-fi records House Arrest, Worn Copy, and The Doldrums, then I would deem this faintly gothic tape from 1999 a must listen. I love the general aesthetic and silly vibe, the whole record is coated in the usual velvet slime and woozy haze that made me fall in love with Ariel Pink's music in the first place. The whole mess - and it really is a mess - just oozes creativity. Ariel does his usual thing of creating vocal drum patterns (somewhat similar to beatboxing), and adds texture DIY style with found sounds and field recordings, not to mention playing every instrument. Odd spoken word interludes and sound-collage experiments slot in between some pretty damn groovy and fun indie-pop songs featuring Ariel's garbled, sheer vocals. There are also long ambient passages to get lost in that have since been dropped from his repertoire, but these moments fit in cohesively given the extremely unfocused nature of the project. There is even an early version of the chorus of Dayzed Inn Daydreams, an earworm of a track that resurfaced some 15 years later recorded with a full studio band on the album Pom Pom. Ariel Pink was clearly honing his musical chops back when he recorded Welcome 2 Our World, his songwriting abilities have certainly improved, but the inimitable avant-pop sensibility and charisma cannot be mistaken. From a lauded musician, an unpolished, forgotten album like this truly is a hidden gem.
A blast from the past today! I'm talking about Tyrannosaurus Rex's whimsical freak-folk record from the summer of '69, Unicorn. This is hippie music straight out of the 60's counterculture, without a doubt. Purely joyous and lovely melodies abound over lightly tapped bongo drums. I can easily visualize the band sitting cross-legged in a circle creating these ditties as the music floats from the speakers and could listen to the wonderful golden chords of Marc Bolan twirling around an acoustic guitar until I die. This truly is one of my deserted island album choices. Upon first hearing this album, as soon as Bolan’s trembling, elfish vocals appear on the first song, Chariots of Silk, I was completely astonished and infatuated. Animal Collective is one of my favorite bands, and a large part of the reason that I fell in love with their music was because it is so childlike and idiosyncratic. Often, Animal Collective are said to be influenced by the Beach Boys due to the style of multiple vocalists harmonizing at once, singing notes rather than words. Tyrannosaurus Rex utilize this style as well to great effect, just in an eccentric, peculiar manner. I had never heard anything like Animal Collective before or since, until listening to Tyrannosaurus Rex. This record is a spiritual predecessor to Sung Tongs and Campfire Songs, and one cannot listen to Devendra Banhart without hearing echoes of Bolan as well. Unicorn is one of my favorite albums of all time, an underappreciated landmark record in psychedelic folk music.
Triángulo de Amor Bizarro (strange love triangle) craft heavy, physical music that rips as the songs progress, often ending in a crashing burnout of guitar distortion. I can really feel these songs, they fill me with a rush of adrenaline, they're pure rock songs that buzz along and away into the ether in the spirit of New Order and My Bloody Valentine. Seriously, this music accomplishes the rare feat of feeling like it’s flying along in hyperdrive, full of momentum. Guitars on this record are absolute fuzzed out chainsaws ripping waves of noisy shoegaze. The alluring vocals of lead singer and bassist Isabel Cea are low in the mix, sometimes being drowned out by the guitar swells, other times rising above the fray and shining. The drums pound away a relentless rhythm for the entire run time of the record, with not a second wasted. This band is clearly intent on making quite a heavy racket, but the end result is a catchy, sweet as honey cacophony of red hot noise.
Billy Woods is quite an enigmatic figure in today's hip-hop and music community. Woods hides his identity from the public, blurs his face in his music videos and doesn’t even bother with social media. Hiding Places is a consistent batch of thought-provoking, addictive songs which are highlighted by mesmerizing lyrics. Woods generally has distaste for society in general, dropping the line "No man of the people, I wouldn't be caught dead with most of y'all." The producer, Kenny Segel, delivers a set of varied beats that feature an impressive palette of instruments, samples, and grimy electronics. The rhythmic bass tones are superb and dense while not overwhelming the listener or drowning out Woods. Woods focuses on dark, personal themes, topics that the majority of folk would prefer out of sight, out of mind. Woods utilizes his incredible grasp of language and creating narratives that immerse the listener inside his bitter, paranoid, unsettling mind. The dark subject matter ranges from such far reaching topics and themes as nihilism, strained racial dynamics in this country, crime, poverty, and even the disturbing literary classic Great Expectations. The record remains an enthralling and fun listen due to the complete conviction Woods has in his craft, ability, and world-view. This is the type of album that grows on you and becomes more enjoyable with each listen as you see inside the mind of Billy Woods. I gleaned more meaning and appreciation with each repeated listen, a hallmark of a quality record.
Back today with another record from this year, Ian William Craig's Red Sun Through Smoke. This is a great album to be listened to as the sun is rising or setting, peaceful and somber. Manipulated piano with ambient static noise reminiscent of the ocean set the stage for Craig's bare, angelic vocals to soar. His voice is given space to shine due to the record's minimalist, uncluttered nature absent of percussion. While this seems to be the description of a singer-songwriter album, I would argue it is more of an electronic album featuring a pianist and vocalist, with faint strings adding another sonic element at times. The piano is manipulated in a way that provides the ringing sound with more reverb and texture. The naked vocals contrast excellently with this alien soundscape. For example, the track Condx QRN is a stunning electronic composition, a droning, haunting piece of noise that would not be out of place on Swans' Soundtracks for the Blind. Every so often, a jagged, buzzing synth will descend into the mix naturally, which it does to exquisite results on the song Open Like a Loss. Red Sun Through Smoke is aptly named, it represents Craig's gorgeous piano playing and voice (the figurative 'red sun') cutting through the fuzzy 'smoke' of ambient hiss. Truly an overlooked album, one of the best of 2020 so far, with beautiful cover art to boot.
Cindy Lee's What's Tonight to Eternity is a melancholy, slumbering hypnagogic pop record that moves at a snail's pace. The songs are buried deep beneath layers of reverb and droning, distant, otherworldly synths . Lead singer Patrick Flegel's voice is warped pleasantly into an androgynous, childlike sound that functions more as an instrument than a messenger of discernible words. Multiple vocal takes sequenced together harmonize and flesh out the songs, making them tough to pin down, disorienting. The guitar playing is a highlight, cutting through the fog delightfully, sounding thick and crisp, playing a head-bobbing, repetitive melody on the track The Limit until serene strings give the song a fairy-like, timeless feel. The guitar also crunches along on the most accessible song, One Second to Toe the Line. Not coincidentally, Flegel's vocals are clearest on this song, while a funky piano lifts the album into happy, fun territory for the first time. Often this surreal record drifts by unpinned by much percussion, and when it ends it is as if it was never there at all.
Bruno Pernadas LP - those who throw objects at the crocodiles will be asked to retrieve them4/22/2020 "Wait by the water, and everything will be okay." This lyric from the end of the track Valley in the Ocean perfectly epitomizes what a delightful album those who throw objects at the crocodiles will be asked to retrieve them is to listen to, pure ear candy all the way. Relaxing and filled with waves of bass guitar laying down a Krautrock rhythm as constant as waves crashing onto shore. Everything about this record is dreamy, from the male and female vocals complementing each other to the jazzy instrumentation, with an electric piano, saxophone, flute and the occasional synth fluttering into the mix. The arrangements are simply fantastic, with the full ensemble of instruments combining with effervescent vocals hovering in the clouds to create something not far off jazz-fusion mixed with dream pop, as if CAN collaborated with Sweet Trip. The melodies throughout are the record's strong suit, so catchy as the songs transition into different sections and rhythms seamlessly. Songs are so varied that a track may change throughout to the point of being unrecognizable later on while still maintaining quality and engaging the listener. I would be remiss to not mention Ya Ya Breathe, a mammoth 13 minute long psych rock odyssey that reaches such a cathartic peak late in the song that all feels perfect in the world, for that golden moment, culminating in a guitar solo worthy of Eddie Hazel's approval.
While Animal Collective is certainly not lacking for recognition, their record Campfire Songs is often overlooked due to its avant-garde, ambient nature. Nevertheless, it is a magical acoustic journey, filled with harmonies that brighten the room and settle my nerves. The guitar speeds up and slows down, being played in a quiet and melancholic manner or strummed loudly and aggressively. The guitar serves as our only guide and constant throughout, often playing what sounds to be the same chord strummed over and over to delightful, mesmerizing effect. While Campfire Songs may not have the pop songs that other Animal Collective records do, in the right frame of mind, a listener will be floating on a cloud. At the end of the day, Animal Collective always sprinkle their music with magic, and this record is no exception.
A cerebral listen, The Age of Immunology sounds great, with twinkling guitars intertwining over upbeat piano playing, faint horns, delicate strings and rapid drums that form an almost tribal, jazzy rhythm once the band gets going. Glitchy and twisted electronic effects often warp the voice of the lead vocalist, Cathy Lucas, who glides in and out of these tracks in a wispy, feathery manner. Electronic details, beeps and clicks are scattered throughout the album delightfully. Some parts of the album feature more aquatic, ambient sections that feel nocturnal, almost as if Lucas is guiding you in a boat on a tranquil lake at night. Other, more rhythm oriented songs induce the listener into a trance as the hypnotic grooves take over. The record gives the sense of being extremely organic, songs seem they may have been born of jam sessions. This is a celestial album. It seems out of this world to myself, at least.
Sheesh, everything about this record is dripping with big time sensuality, if you catch my drift. Not that it sounds anything like Bjork's song Big Time Sensuality, but everything about this record is sexy. The deep, velvety basslines and the sultry French female vocalist perfectly complement Baxter Dury's own deep British baritone. The songwriting and arrangements are concise, tight, and measured, with Dury offering witty storytelling and evocative imagery. All the mark of a musician in complete control of their art. The terse string section adds a sophisticated and tasteful touch, without it the album would seem incomplete. A fun and clever record.
Listening to Avantdale Bowling Club is to be immersed inside the mind of Tom Scott, a rapper from New Zealand. Scott's lyrical content is introspective and dark, with subject matter including damaged and lost relationships, poverty, substance abuse, and mental health issues. Scott has a nihilistic, at times defeatist worldview that is nonetheless fascinating and relatable. Backed by a fantastic jazz band, this is a record that can be compared to Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly in many ways, except recognition.
Lighthearted, nostalgic house music with a soulful singer-songwriter slant is what comes to mind to describe the three tracks on this EP. The upbeat groove of the song Flowers is juxtaposed cleverly with pessimistic, glass half empty lyrics such as "the prettiest days can sour" and "sunshine turns to rain." This is sweet sounding stuff, with sticky synths and bouncy bass. An acoustic guitar or piano will pepper the songs with a more organic, human feel that is sometimes absent in electronic music, but even without the instrumentation, nobody could miss the life-affirming vocals that give so much personality to these songs. Ashong has a light, airy presence that accentuates the somewhat muted and breezy dance music.
This record starts off sounding like a quiet piano is at the bottom of a well surrounded by swirling synths. Slowly, IDM inspired percussion and dreamy female vocals drift out from the well. This is music that creates its own space to live in, always anchored down by that solitary piano. The album flows between beautiful ambient passages that build into percussion breakdowns and pop-adjacent dance tracks. The atmosphere throughout is ethereal and cerebral, a record you can get lost in as it flows past.
A kaleidoscopic mix of hazy music that fuses elements of hip-hop, jazz, soul, and psychedelia into shimmery, ill-defined pop songs. A distinguishing trait of music that I really enjoy is that it doesn't seem to fit clearly into a genre. Well, this record certainly satisfies that criteria. This is truly a lush collage, meshing live instrumentation and vocals with samples and electronic elements, stocked to the brim with pleasing sonic vignettes. Soulful, detailed, clearly labored over and loved by its creators, Standing on the Corner is certainly a record that deserves more attention than it got back when it was released in 2016 and has since.
I decided to start a blog because I love music, and I love to write. This blog will feature records that may have slipped by the wayside or deserve more exposure, in the form of short blurbs highlighting what I love about the music.
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