popwreckoning

It’s been ages since a new Wilco album has been an event, but The Whole Love is the album we’ve been waiting for since A Ghost is Born.  It’s exciting, refreshing, and a reminder of what this band does best. It’s bookended by two incredible songs, and between those is enough to spend the next few months digesting.

The first song, “Art of Almost” is a string drenched upbeat pop song. It bops along for six minutes before descending into a panic of noise and guitar solos. It’s the perfect beginning to a fantastic record.

At the end of the record is “One Sunday Morning, a mostly acoustic thing that feels short even at twelve minutes. In the song Jeff Tweedy sings about an overly religious father in a manner that is gripping, and a little terrifying. You can feel the truth leaking out of Tweedy’s voice, even while the song is quiet enough that it might be easily missed. It’s a brilliant prayer of a song that reminds us of why exactly we love this band.

In between those two songs we have the most experimental Wilco record in years.  It could be a result of this being the first record on the band’s own label, but that doesn’t really matter.  Songs like “Dawned On Me” and “Rising Red Lung” are incredibly captivating and the record as a whole is highly recommended.

Mutemath has always struck me as overwhelmingly talented for how underwhelmingly popular they are.  They had that awesome backwards music video for “Typical” on MTV quite a few years ago; what happened after that? They seemed to fall off the map completely. Of course that’s according to the average music listener, and I would not consider myself to be the latter. The minute I saw that video I was hooked, and the minute I saw them perform at St. Louis’ Pointfest in September 2007 I was floored. I’ve kept tabs on them ever since and am always speechless after their shows.

Yeah, bands can sound great on their recorded albums, but when a band is better in a live setting… that’s how you know they’re truly talented. And can we talk about drummer Darren King, who quite literally Duct -tapes protective headphones on his ears before he begins a set? And quite literally crowdsurfs on his floor tom? And quite literally destroys his kit at the end of every set the band plays? But I digress. What I’m really trying to say is this: Mutemath is awesome and you should definitely buy this album and a ticket to a show the next time they’re in a city near you.

Mutemath seem to produce music at a slow and steady pace, with Mutemath coming out in 2006, Armistice in 2009, and finally Odd Soul in 2011. There are a couple EPs thrown into the mix, but for the most part the band takes their time. And with good reason, too. There is so much depth to every song they produce. With vocals, guitars, bass and drums, and handfuls of synthy beats and ethereal sounds, the attention to detail is warranted. Odd Soul, in typical Mutemath fashion, starts with heavy distortion, thick bass drum beats and Paul Meany’s screaming, soulful voice. I can imagine The Black Keys being a muse for this album; the bluesy vocals and dark, sexy bass lines are enough to make anyone shake their hips.

“Prytania” is an upbeat rocker repeating the words “loaded gun” and “Blood Pressure” repeats its title to the sounds of slide guitar. Next is “Heads Up.” Are you seeing the pattern here? Mutemath has something to prove with this album and they’re using strong words to do it. “All Or Nothing” showcases a softer side, with the talent of Meany’s haunting falsetto. With less distortion on his voice than usual, this song is a little bit sparse and shows the audience a stripped down, personal side. “Sunray,” an instrumental interlude, breaks the album in two, with the first half being a little more organic and the second more spacey and traditional to the band’s typical sound. “Quarantine” rages on for seven minutes before the album comes to a close at a lengthy fifty minutes with “In No Time.” Just as “Odd Soul” is the perfect opener, “In No Time” is the perfect closer. I’m a firm believer in listening to albums from start to finish, and start to finish only. Odd Soul is an excellent example of why – it fits so brilliantly together. Buy it, listen to it, soak it up, dance around and rock it hard.

http://mutemath.com/ - Be sure to check out the music video for “Blood Pressure.”

Blitzen Trapper, with three previous Sub-Pop albums under their belt, have produced quite the wide array of sounds. 2007′s Wild Mountain Nation sounds as if it was thrown together with reckless abandon, a giant mish-mash of sounds and passions. There were indie-rock melodies and folky boot-stomping tunes with a healthy dose of country twang. 2008′s Furr leaned more to the pop-rock side of the spectrum with Americana intertwined through and through. And next was Destroyer of the Void which took on a new sound altogether with prog-rock guitar sounds and a mellower tone. So who could really predict what would be next? At first listen, American Goldwing is a nice homage to Furr with influences of traditional Southern rock. It’s blatantly alternative-country and maybe a little bit indie. If anything, it showcases the band’s versatility to record whatever they want and turn it into an album. And it sounds great.

There’s a flurry of noise from multiple different instruments throughout the entire album – heavy bass, buzzing and sliding guitars, banjos, harmonicas, pianos… you name it, there’s probably an appearance. The album is lively and an entertaining and engaging album from start to finish. Noodling guitars and the southern drawl of lyrics keeps it light-hearted and energetic.  It’s rare to find a songwriter who can take such a large swath of influences and put them together, and it’s exciting when they sound so great together.

“Fletcher” is an ambling blend of backwoods country with its drunken escapade lyrics grounded by Earley’s sweet, Southern Comfort delivery and the guitar sounds by Marty Marquis. Marquis is a great asset to the group,  generating edge and bite in contrast with Earley’s gentleness and flowing songwriting. “Street Fighting Sun” is his best of the album, a showcase  guitar power that growls and shrieks and provides great depth to the song. The chemistry of these two musicians creates a unique sound that paves most of “American Goldwing’s” middle ground, creating an easygoing sound stylistically country but instrumentally classic rock. “My Home Town” and “Girl In A Coat” are a welcome breather from the upbeat frenzy of the rest of the album, with acoustic-y guitars, banjos, and the occasional piano. Things pick right back up though and the self-titled track aptly mirrors the overall feel of the album.

With loads of praise from Rolling Stone and Spin Magazine, Blitzen Trapper are destined for great things in the world of indie, alt-country tunes and American Goldwing is a solid addition to their catalog of tunes.

Track list:

1. Might Find It Cheap
2. Fletcher
3. Love The Way You Walk Away
4. Your Crying Eyes
5. My Home Town
6. Girl In A Coat
7.  American Goldwing
8. Astronaut
9. Taking It Easy Too Long
10. Street Fighting Sun
11. Stranger In A Strange Land

www.blitzentrapper.net 

The third album from English folk songbird Laura Marling is called A Creature I Don’t Know and the approach this time around seems to be a mature one (like Marling’s second, I Speak Because I Can) but more raw and back to basics, more similar to Marling’s 2008 debut and Mercury Prize-nominated album Alas I Cannot Swim. Take, for instance, the opening track “The Muse.” A fast folk guitar, honky tonk piano, and drum brushes were adopted for this song, and the overall vibe is very laid back. Too laid back I think: Marling’s voice is jazzy, and it’s not really the best to showcase Marling’s otherwise beautiful singing voice. Check out “Don’t Ask Me Why” and “All My Friends” for clear evidence of this and Marling’s mastery of songwriting. The only problem I see with this album is that it is uneven in song quality.

The lead single for A Creature I Don’t Know is “Sophia,” which begins with spare guitar chords and a dry vocal from Marling. With beautiful backing singers harmonizing perfectly with her, it’s so gentle, as if you were in a boat going down a gentle river. But this doesn’t last long: confusingly two-thirds into the song, you are jolted back into reality when the song turns Mumford and Sons-ized. It’s a knee-slapper, folks. The first couple times I heard this song this summer on British radio, I was really unhappy with it because Marling is such a talented woman, I felt like she sold out trying to make it more radio-friendly. The song has grown on me since I’ve seen the video for the song (watch it below) because it feels less contrived when you see her and her band playing it in a church. The video is a nice preview of her upcoming tour at home in the UK, as she will be playing churches across the country.

“Salinas” appears to be a nod to John Steinbeck (the Nobel Prize-winning author’s hometown) and possibly his most famous work The Grapes of Wrath. The song speaks of strong women and questions of morality and mortality. Heavy stuff. Then again, no one ever said folk music was for the weak-hearted. Also see “The Beast,” which may be a reference to Satan and viewing sex as a sin. The instrumentation is probably the hardest we’re going to get from Marling – unless she does a complete 180 and completely gives up folk for hard rock, which I highly doubt – and while there have been aggressive tracks like “Devil’s Spoke” from her in the past, this one is a definite ratcheting up on the rockiness.

Unfortunately, if you’re more of a rock than a folk fan like me, the album plods along instead of continuing in a jaunty fashion. Things can get a little…well…boring. Marling is 21 now, has 3 albums under her belt, and has had two high profile relationships with fellow musicians Charlie Fink (Noah and the Whale) and Marcus Mumford. The question now is, how will Marling change as the years go on?

A Creature I Don’t Know will be released in the U.S. on September 12 on Ribbon Records. Catch Marling on tour in North America this month, starting on September 17 in San Francisco. The opener for the tour is Alessi’s Ark, another amazing female English singer/songwriter.

Track Listing
01. The Muse
02. I Was Just a Card
03. Don’t Ask Me Why
04. Salinas
05. The Beast
06. Night After Night
07. My Friends
08. Rest in the Bed
09. Sophia
10. All My Rage

Tour Dates
Sept 17 – Bimbo’s 365 Club / San Francisco
Sept 18 – Masonic Temple / Los Angeles
Sept 20 – Troubadour / Los Angeles
Sept 22 – Lincoln Hall / Chicago
Sept 23 – Great Hall / Toronto
Sept 24 – Corona / Montreal
Sept 25 – Brighton Music Hall / Boston
Sept 27 – Sixth & I Historic Synagogue / Washington, DC
Sept 28 – Webster Hall / New York City

Laura Marling: website | myspace

August 30, 2011 saw Butch Walker and the Black Widows release their first album with Dangerbird Records – The Spade – and if the opening notes are any indication, this is a partnership destined for greatness. I had a huge smile on my face by the time I was 15 seconds into “Bodegas and Blood.”  I’ll try not to go all fangirl while I’m writing this review, but it’s hard for me to contain how happy this album made me. Walker is known for his pop sensibility and high snark quotient when it comes to his song-writing and this album upholds that reputation. Walker beautifully blends his classic sense of humor with an alt-country edge swirled around in a melting pot of great hooks, great harmonies from the Black Widows and lots of potential singalog oohs and ahhs. Those fans looking for the introspective side of Butch that we saw in last years I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart will have to adjust to the high-energy hooks abounding throughout The Spade.

The first single, “Summer of ’89″ leads the listener down a path of nostalgia for his bygone days with several references to growing up in Georgia that would feel just as at home on his first solo release Left of Self-Centered. Classic observances of the innocence of youth such as “Nobody knew Bryan Adams wasn’t cool/The TV just told me he was” take those of us who had our own summer of ’89 down a path of memories, which are a great accompaniment to the record as a whole. We’ve all made fun of our past at one point or another and Walker does it with his usual flair for storytelling and catchy pop tunes. Walker’s ability to write a hook is still strong with standout tracks such as “Bodegas and Blood,” “Every Single Body Else,” and “Bullet Belt” that are sure to satisfy all of the “rocker” Walker fans that are looking for another “My Way,” while tracks like “Closest Thing To You I’m Gonna Find” and  “Sweethearts” will satisfy the fans looking for the tender side from “Letters.”

The truth is that there’s a little bit of something for every type of Butch Walker fan on this record. The rockers, the popists, the folkies. Walker is blending his mastery of many different styles and doing it very, very well. The Spade is sure to become a summer favorite for many fans, and I’m sure will be blasted at full volume out many a rolled-down window well into fall because of the fun oozing out of this record from Walker and his band. There’s even silly Black Widow banter to prove that this band has just as much fun making this music as we do listening to it. Butch’s band, made up of Chris Unck, Fran Capitanelli and Jake Sinclair, have brought their music to a new level and I’m glad that we get to go along on the ride. The number of oohs and ahhs on this record are sure to drive lots of crowd singalongs during the upcoming tour. And I’ll be singing along at the top of my lungs.

Track Listing:

1. Bodegas and Blodd
2. Every Single Body Else
3. Summer of ’89
4. Sweethearts
5. Day Drunk
6. Synthesizers
7. Dublin Crow
8. Closest Thing To You I’m Gonna Find
9. Bullet Belt
10. Suckerpunch

By Rosie Judd

Last.fm is a website I’ve used extensively in building my music collection. I’ve discovered some of my favourite bands there. And based on my general music tastes and most played artists, The Drums is on my list of recommended bands. Seriously, they always pop up. So because this website I so dearly trust told me that I’d like this band, I wanted to love their newest album Portamento so much. I really did.

I gave it several listens to see if I’d like it even more the second time, the third time. But every time, it was as forgettable as the last. Not that I wanted to turn it off. That’s definitely not the case. The album isn’t bad. But it’s not good. It’s just there. It’s stale. Sadly it fades into the background of all the Bloc Partys, Two Door Cinema Clubs, Mystery Jets, Maccabees and all those who came before them in the endless sea of surfy, synthy dance rock.

And I know my synthy dance rock. I’ve seen We Are Scientists seven times in four different states.

The problem with the Drums’ newest effort is that it’s trying too hard to be safe, to fit in with those types of albums. In this day and age, to stand out is to be avante garde, progressive. It’s one thing to be refreshing and reminiscent of prior decades, but to make retro work for you, you have to either do something different with it, or do it really really well.

The Drums started the album off with a rather hollow introductory song. “Book of Revelations” features a monotonous melody, rather nasally vocals, and a guitar line that sounds like an electric guitar that’s unplugged.

Sadly, after that most of the songs flow together in one forgettable indie movie soundtrack. Probably the worst of them is “Please Don’t Leave,” which like the title, sounds whiney and a bit annoying. I seriously can’t get over the sound of the empty electric guitar. Maybe it will sound different live. I was planning on seeing them on their upcoming tour because I know the drummer they’re touring with, but now I’m not so sure about that.

The album’s one saving grace is the charming harmonies from the multiple vocalists. Especially on the fast-paced and quite catchy “Money,” the harmonies exemplify the 80s-esque New Wave feel of the album.

Portamento is minimalist, and a tad sad in some places, but while droning – it makes sense within The Drums career. Hopefully it’s one of those sophomore slump things, because I want to believe in this band. I want them to push through, especially since earlier in the summer they almost broke up. And it could be that Portamento was what came of that – but not in the best way.

Track listing

1. “Book of Revelation”
2. “Days”
3. “What You Were”
4. “Money”
5. “Hard to Love”
6. “I Don’t Know How to Love”
7. “Searching for Heaven”
8. “Please Don’t Leave”
9. “If He Likes It Let Him Do It”
10. “I Need a Doctor”
11. “In the Cold”
12. “How It Ended”

Visit http://thedrums.com/

Organ Music, Not Vibraphone Like I’d Hoped is a strange and mysterious thing. The latest project from Moonface, or Spencer Krug (Wolf Parade/Sunset rubdown) follows up last year’s Dreamland EP with a collection of avant-garde pop songs. They might not appear to be pop songs on the surface, but once they get under your skin, they won’t let go.

To describe the sound of the album – let’s use Krug’s words, from the press release: “It’s music played with an organ, organ beats, organ beeps and bloops, and some digital drums. Music based on layers and loops, the hypnotizing sound of a Leslie speaker, and the onslaught of melody.”

OK, so where the fuck does that leave us? Well, it’s lyrically dense and completely strange. It’s the least commercial thing Krug has done, but it’s also the best. Once you get past the unexpected sounds of the thing, it’s an album you’ll find yourself humming and singing along to. Oh yes.

Organ Music has five tracks, and it’s just under forty minutes long. With that in mind it’s probably best to examine it from a lyrical perspective, and track by track. So we go.

Track one is “Return To the Violence of the Ocean Floor.” Remember, we’re ignoring the music because it mostly serves as a backdrop, and a melody for Krug’s strangely enchanting obscure mumblings. This song has a great (almost) chorus, and approximately a million great lines, but the song culminates in a list. As Krug sings: “One, we got the spirit, two, we got the music, three, we got the past and four, we got the future.” This brings back to chorus: “And five, we got some kind of lust to return to the violence of the ocean floor.” It might look inane on paper, but against the organ beats, and with repeated listens ,it comes across as a litany, and one not to be ignored.

The next track, “Whale Song,” bellows with a subtle noise.  It aches, as Krug sings: “’’this is a song instead of a kiss.’” and is that the saddest thing to know? No, it’s not the saddest thing to know. “He continues on,  he talks of a pond where a whale will stay, he talks of how there will be a garden, and he seems to urge a lover on. It’s odd and plaintive, but also brimming with hope.

“Fast Peter” is a quicker number, in which Krug seems to be relating the stories told by another friend: “he told me all about it on the balcony when we were high on drugs.” It’s the story of Peter, a girl, and why “he held her up to the heart’s perfect’s light.” Krug questions Peter’s motives, but secretly hopes he succeeds. It’s a tender moment in an album full of tender moments you have to dig for.

After that, “Shit-hawk in the Snow” is probably the densest thing here. It’s almost impossible to discern what Krug is talking about here, but it contains at least one great WTF line “smoking cigarettes like it’s two thousand and three.” It seems to be at it the most basic about a girl, and the reminders of a girl. Krug repeats the mantra “and it will hypnotize you,” and somehow, we’re there. It’s a gradual song, probably the most gradual of the five.

The last song “Loose Heart = Loose Plan” might be the most pop orientated thing here, but it’s just as hard to grasp as the rest. The song is a shout out to and against nostalgia, and the fleeting nature of things. The song’s final verse seems to be a sarcastic coda for the record as a whole. Krug sings “lets  leave the revolution to the revolutionaries” and then “come on, let’s kill individual will.” The song ends with Krug pledging that he will over and over. Is this album revolutionary? God, no. It’s new and exciting, but it’s also the sound of a man doing whatever weird shit comes to his brain.

Even with that, it’s hard not to smirk as Krug endorses the death of the individual self. That might lead one to believe the whole thing is a joke, but that would be a false presumption. This is not Metal Machine Metal. It encourages the listener to come in closer, to put their head against the speaker. Organ Music is full of myths, honesty, lies, and humor. It’s something brand new. It’s not the sound of the future, but something better. It’s the sound of something we’ve never heard before, and might not hear again.

I’ve listened to Beirut’s  The Rip Tide several times through and I still feel as if I don’t have a strong opinion about it. I’ve enjoyed every listen, but it’s just not sticking with me and I can’t decide if it’s my own fault or the album’s. It’s good. I don’t have anything negative to say. But then again: it’s good – and that’s about all I can think to say. The Rip Tide is a solid, mediocre album that didn’t live up to  the fantasies I had constructed in my head after so many years of no new releases. Beirut evokes many happy memories and nostalgic feelings for me and the new album seems to have lost a little of the band’s old magic. With all of that said, it’s still an enjoyable album and you should definitely give it a listen. If anything, please prove me wrong and tell me it hits home with you. Because right now it’s just not quite sticking with me, and I really want it to.

“Santa Fe” is perhaps the most upbeat and poppy songs on the album, unlike some of the other eight songs on this short and sweet album that take a little time to unfold. Patience is rewarded though, because after several listens the other songs really come alive. Maybe it’s a reflection of the harsh winter weather surrounding the time of the recording, but it has a slower pace as a whole. “Goshen,” with lines about “never finding home,” is moody and dramatic but springs to life once the snare drum kicks in and gets the listener ready for the wailing trumpets. On “Payne’s Bay,” the sharp trumpets stick around and the album plugs on. I’m finally finding myself tapping my toes. “Headstrong” feels like the peak of the album and the songs become a little less memorable from there on out.

Beirut’s previous albums have seemed a little less focused and maybe that’s how I prefer them. The Rip Tide is only nine songs and a little more than a half-hour, and it is obvious that this is a tightly packed group of songs. Each number in the collection carries weight, and repeat listens slowly opens each of them up. “Port Of Call” showcases Zach Condon using his ukulele as a driving melody, and the title track sways gently just like its names suggests.

All of these elements come together and form a cohesive album, but I’m left craving more. Where some people would see a sign of maturity in this shorter, yet more cohesive album, I’m left craving more wild-and-free. Give it your own listen and see what you think.

Tracklisting:

1. A Candle’s Fire
2. Santa Fe
3. East Harlem
4. Goshen
5. Payne’s Bay
6. The Rip Tide
7. Vagabond
8. The Peacock
9. Port of Call

http://beirutband.com/

“Born in a small house in the country” of Oxford, Miss., Young Buffalo released their first EP, Young von Prettylips, on July 19.

And from this debut, it’s clear this two-year-old band is anything but small town.

They are currently on tour in the U.S. and Canada – opening for the Arctic Monkeys on select dates – and signed to Fat Possum Records, which houses bands like Band of Horses, Dinosaur Jr. and The Black Keys.

While they may not take album or track titles (and probably themselves) too seriously, their music is another story.

As a three-piece band, they each play guitar, bass and drums, and they all sing, a talent that they exploit on all five tracks by stacking harmonies on top of more swelling harmonies.

And they constantly keep the energy alive, even on the slowest track of the EP – the opener – “Only We Can Keep You From Harm,” which starts out with a more simple guitar and low chanting vocals that lead into a schizophrenic layered vocal pattern and guitar riff that I swear gets so stuck in my head, I’ve heard it in my dreams.

They sustain this same building effect over blended various styles, one never standing so far out from the others that you can pinpoint it. They list their genre as “Soul Vibez” – meaning, “If this doesn’t sum it up, you’re thinking too hard.”

So don’t think – just enjoy this assortment of surf rock, pop rock, indie rock – and all of the other little glints below the surface that make Young Buffalo indefinable.

Visit Young Buffalo at Facebook.com/YoungBuffalo.

Track Listing:
1. Only We Can Keep You From Harm
2. Speak EZ
3. Full Metal Whacket
4. Catapilah
5. Bury Me

Lonely Twin starts with a blast of joy: “open up the door and let me in” sings frontman Jordan Geiger, through a nest of strange instruments. The song is a pop bomb, and it leads us into the new Hospital Ships record.

Hospital Ships is primarily Geiger, occasional member of Shearwater, and former frontman for obscure indie rock group Minus Story. Minus Story was a great band, criminally underrated, and sorely missed.  This is his second record under the Hospital Ships name.

The aforementioned track, “Love or Death” starts the album incredibly. It sounds like an outtake from the Flaming Lips’ The Soft Bulletin, while starting a theme of confusion and love that continues throughout the album. The album is at times painfully sad, but the melodies bring the reality of life to the surface, and turn a lot of it into a sing-a-long. The song is quickly reminiscent of the last (and best) Minus Story album My Ion Truss. It’s loud but not loud, and epic, especially for a pop song that lasts just over two minutes.

A few tracks later, “Galaxies” begins with a piano, and an easy to miss acoustic guitar in the background. The vocals kicks in quickly, which brings us to another fantastic thing about this album. Quick notes kick in and out throughout the record, and in this song especially. Even a couple dozen listens in a listener will notice new things. The songs are built with quirky sounds in a way that is a little mind bogglingly.

The next song, “Phantom Limb” is a sweet ballad that is at times a bit tricky. Odd vocal melodies float in, and at one point something that sounds like a train chugging comes along. Geiger begs for a relationship to die, and you feel the heartbreak throughout. The end of the song sounds like a funeral and it’s almost enough to leave a person weeping.

Immediately after, is “Carry On.” This kind of thing has been done before, but unlike “Float On” there is no sarcasm here. The song has an honesty that is missed in most “fuck it, we’ll get by anyhow song.” It feels weary and depressed, but that makes it all the more human.

A couple tracks later is “Old Skin,” a dirge of a pop song, and probably the best thing here. “We always knew these songs would get lost, and they’re gone, but we go on,” sings Geiger, and it’s a kind of manifesto for the entire album. A lot of the songs are centered around the idea of struggling through loss, and dealing with life’s mishaps. Geiger shapes his thoughts through pop melodies, and the random noises could be seen as a metaphor for life’s little struggles. The more you listen, the bigger the album gets.

You should buy this. You should buy all of the old Minus Story records all well. Lonely Twin is one of the best records of 2011, and it’ll provide you years of joy. It improves on the first Hospital Ships record in every way, and it’ll be exciting to see what comes next.

Tracklisting:

1. Love or Death
2. Honey Please
3. Bird in Furs
4. Galaxies
5. Phantom Limb
6. Carry On
7. Anyone Everyone (free mp3)
8. Old Skin
9. Reprise
10. Little Dead Leaf
11. New Life
12. Dani Love of Mine (Bonus vinyl only track)