popwreckoning

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.”

Monday was by far the longest of the three days gallivanting around the Seattle Center, as it started at 12 Noon sharp. I met up with some people over at the Fountain Lawn stage for Motopony, one of Seattle’s newer phenomenons. I saw them play live for the first time last summer and recently heard their song “King of Diamonds” on 103.7 The Mountain, which is pretty big actually.

Frontman Daniel Blue can really put on a show, I’ll tell ya. Their early (and I mean early) afternoon show made me wish they played more around the city.

My camera and I moved over to the Free Yr Radio stage for Lake’s acoustic set, since I knew I couldn’t make it to their main set later in the day because of such a full schedule. While I found several times that weekend the people doing the short impromptu interviews at the stage were quite awkward, Lake was so chill that it made the set that much more enjoyable. I’m sure it was easier for the girl doing the interview as well.

Curtains for You was next, and they were one of the main bands I was looking forward to on that Monday. They opened for the Head and the Heart back in January at Neumo’s, and the atmosphere at the EMP Level 3 stage on Monday was just as warm and inviting as the Neumo’s show. It felt so intimate and fun – almost like a living room show.

After that was a trifecta of local talent – starting with Grand Hallway, whose brand of indie pop can only be described as majestic, with the strong instrumental melodies and orchestral quality.

I then headed over to the Free Yr Radio stage again for Ravenna Woods, since I wasn’t sure I’d be able to make it to their set later. I’ve seen them several times, so I didn’t feel that bad. But their acoustic set was fantastic. Again, dealing with the awkward interview, frontman Chris Cunningham laughed it all off with a giant smile, after rocking out to my favourite of their songs “We Want It All.” Which reminds me, I need to see if I can get into that Nirvana Nevermind exhibition, because Ravenna Woods is playing at it.

Back to the EMP Level 3 stage I went, and this time for Lemolo, who had quite a long line waiting to get in to see them by the time I got there, and it was already at capacity. It warmed my heart to see so them – like so many local bands that weekend – get such a strong audience. The two girls put on a lovely show, like always. The best part was when it sounded like everyone in the room started singing along to their song “Open Air.” It was a bit surreal, even for me.

After my heart was thoroughly warmed, I ventured into the Exhibition Hall for the first time that weekend for Eisley’s set. To tell you the truth, I used to listen to Eisley about 4 years ago, but have since moved on with my musical tastes. Because I hadn’t listened to them in forever, I was expecting something completely different at their show. I was not expecting them to rock so much. Thankfully I did see their show, or else I would have gone on thinking that they still did breathy lite indie pop. These girls have come a long way since Room Noises in 2005.

Vendetta Red was also in the Exhibition Hall that afternoon, and even though it wasn’t much of my style of music – this classic Seattle alternative punk band rocked the house. It definitely was nice for those fans to get to see Vendetta Red play live after their four-year hiatus.

The final act I got to see in daylight was Sharon Van Etten, who I had never seen before and didn’t know what to expect. While for the first couple of songs, it was only Sharon and her guitar on stage, her charm commanded the audience for a fantastic, rather stripped-down set.

Then the next hour of my evening went like this – ran over to Phantogram, stayed for a few songs and they were amazing. I was surprised because last year when they played Musicfest Northwest it was a bit underwhelming. After that, a couple of my fellow photographers and I ran across the Seattle Center to see Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside at the EMP Level 3 stage, and she was adorable, even if she admitted to being a little hungover. Then literally as soon as we were done shooting, we skidaddled over to the Key Arena to find some seats for Hall & Oates. Yes, Hall & Oates.

The main reason I saw Hall & Oates was not because I had been dying to see “Maneater” live, but merely the fact that I could say that I’d seen Hall & Oates play. The audience inside the Key Arena was hilarious – the exact opposite of the teenagers the day before. It was a bunch of middle-aged women singing their middle-aged little hearts out, which was endearing to say the least.

So it was the end of Bumbershoot 2011. It was a wild ride, but my week was far from over, as I’d be driving to Portland two days later for Musicfest Northwest the rest of the week. Stay tuned for that coverage coming soon!

For more photos from Monday, go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/abbigshmail/sets/72157627482031965/

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/

As I mentioned yesterday in my Bumbershoot preview for Saturday, Seattle’s own Pickwick is amazing, fantastic, the next big thing. I haven’t changed my mind from yesterday, so I’ll elaborate.

Last weekend I saw Pickwick for the first time at KEXP’s Concerts at the Mural at the Seattle Center (it was free!) and I was flabbergasted. If you take one look at these guys, you wouldn’t expect the beautiful soulful jams that came from this group of white guys with great hair.

They’ve been all over local blogs like Seattlest, Sound on the Sound, Another Rainy Saturday, among many others.

The band started in 2008 when lead singer Galen Disston left Los Angeles and came to Seattle, and he established Pickwick as an alt-country band. Then spending the next couple years bringing themselves into the Seattle folk scene – finding dozens of like-minded artists. Needless to say, in Seattle, folk is the new grunge.

And it was when Disston began playing with his voice after hearing Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come,” that Pickwick made a name for themselves.

In the past year, they’ve been on the heels of the Head and the Heart, in terms of local buzz, and hopefully they can make their way to at least getting signed. It’s blasphemous to me that someone hasn’t picked Pickwick up yet, but I guess in Seattle that doesn’t really matter – seeing that they’re playing Bumbershoot with plenty of other unsigned artists.

Back to last weekend’s show. I cannot tell you how much my feet hurt at the end of their performance. I did not stop dancing. At one point they brought up several other local artists FROM THE CROWD and had a dance party on stage. There was even a little girl with a shaker dancing along to the effervescent soul beats.

I, for one, am glad that Pickwick found their current sound. It’s refreshing. I love the Head and the Heart and all, but we don’t need a dozen clones of them running around Seattle. We’re known for our innovation in this town, and sometimes the most innovative thing to do is to go back to our roots. And that is what Pickwick has done with their music.

One last thing, it’s come to my attention that Pickwick has posted something about “big news” today on my MySpace page. Once I find that out, you’ll hear it first from me.

Catch them at Bumbershoot on Saturday on the EMP Level 3 Stage tomorrow at 6p.m. You won’t be disappointed. And if you are, what’s wrong with you?

*EDIT* Here’s a video of one of my favourite songs from the KEXP Concert at the Mural last weekend.

Visit Pickwick on Bandcamp at http://pickwick.bandcamp.com/

While Saturday is my designated FOLK day, Sunday is going to be non-stop energy. I can’t wait.

1:00: Wayne Federman and the Gregory Brothers at the Intiman Theatre. I don’t really know anything about this Wayne Federman guy, but the Gregory Brothers (otherwise known as Auto-Tune the News on YouTube if you didn’t already know) are sure to be a spectacle. They played at the 2^nd Annual Vidcon in Los Angeles in July. And from what I heard, it was awesome.

1:30: The Lonely Forest on the Mainstage. I may have seen this band way too many times, but I don’t care, because they’re that good. It might be kind of weird seeing them on the mainstage, because they moved the mainstage to the Key Arena this year instead of Memorial Stadium (yeah, that happened).

2:15: Mad Rad at the Fisher Green Stage. This band is an anomaly – I think they call themselves hipster-hop. I don’t even know how to describe them. Their live show is not for the faint of heart, but definitely not one to miss.

3:00: Broken Social Scene at the Mainstage. I missed their performance at Sasquatch 2010 and I smacked myself so many times for missing them, and I’m not going to do it again.

5:45: Das Racist at the Fisher Green Stage. Whether or not this group’s stage antics is alcohol-induced (most likely is), they have so much hilarious charisma that you’ll be laughing through singing along.

6:45: Warpaint at the Fountain Lawn Stage. You don’t see a lot of all-girl groups anymore. Also, I have not been able to stop listening to Warpaint all summer, so I will be getting my fix this weekend.

7:30: Allen Stone at the EMP Level 3 Stage Sponsored by Mission Foods Artisan. Allen Stone hasn’t even recorded a full-length album and he’s already been featured in USA Today. Seriously? How can you not see his live show? I can vouch – he’s awesome live.

8:00: Macklemore and Ryan Lewis on the Mainstage. I was already in awe of his performance at Sasquatch, and I cannot wait to get back into that crowd full of energy once more. Plus, hearing “My Oh My” actually IN Seattle will be even more moving than before.

9:15: The Kills on the Fisher Green Stage. Alison Mosshart is fantastic, and anything she is apart of – I want to see. Plus, their last album released in April is a winner in my book. And since this will be my last show of the night, I wanna go out dancing.

Oh, but that’s not all! Tomorrow the festival starts, but it’s my final preview for Monday. So keep on the lookout for Bumbershoot coverage all weekend!

As Annastasia and I will be attending this year’s Bumbershoot Festival, we’ll be your trusty PopWreckers bringing you all the details about Seattle’s biggest festival of the year.

For now, here is my preview of Saturday’s lineup.

As much as people rave about festival headliners, this year’s mainstage lineup for Bumbershoot is kind of a bust, save Macklemore and Ryan Lewis on Sunday and Hall & Oates on Monday (but really, Hall & Oates is just for the nostalgia factor).

The best part of this year’s lineup is the overwhelming number of local bands playing the festival. For example…

12 Noon: Campfire Ok on the Fountain Lawn Stage. These adorable KEXP darlings released their first full-length this year, and I have yet to see them live. And I call myself a Seattle music geek. Pshh.

12:45: Yuni in Taxco on the Fisher Green Stage. I saw these guys open for the Builders and the Butchers earlier this year, and I’m interested to see where they’ve gone with their live show since then. Very interested.

1:15: Brite Futures on the… MAINSTAGE? What?! How did I not know they were playing the mainstage? Sure it’s at 1:15, but that’s pretty awesome for Seattle’s little band full of art students formerly known as Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head.

1:30: Kris Orlowski & the Passenger String Quartet at the EMP Level 3 Stage Presented by Mission Foods Artisan. One of many local musicians who has gone the grassroots route for building a fanbase – Kris Orlowski is friends with like every other music to grace small stages throughout the city. And he’s the one sending out all his releases, not a publicist.

2:15: Champagne Champagne at the Fisher Green Stage. This is my kind of hip-hop – fun and full of life, easy to dance to, and lyrics about Molly Ringwald. Tyler the Creator can eat his heart out.

2:45: Presidents of the United States of America on the Mainstage. Okay, so Presidents play Seattle quite often, since they do live here. They’re oldies but goodies. And if you haven’t seen them play live yet, it’s kind of like a right of passage in the Seattle music scene. So why not do it at Bumbershoot?

6:00: Pickwick at the EMP Level 3 Stage Presented by Mission Foods Artisan. This band is awesome. Amazing. Soulful. The next big thing. I’ll tell you more later (see my next edition of Fantastically Local…tomorrow).

8:30: STRFKR at the Fountain Lawn Stage. Enough with the name changes already! Thankfully, the whole Pyramiddd/Starfucker fiasco has ended and now we can just focus on dancing our skinny-jean-covered little asses off.

9:15: Minus the Bear at the Fisher Green Stage. For me, this time slot was a decision between Ray Lamontagne and Minus the Bear. For a closing act, I want something to keep my energy up, and Minus the Bear will do that for me over at Fisher Green. I don’t need sleepy folk soul at the main stage, because frankly it’s a bit boring at that point (i.e. Jason Mraz headlining at 10 PM two years ago, why? I don’t know.)

So you can either take my word for it or go build your Bumbershoot schedule over here at http://sched.bumbershoot.org/ But I suggest you take my word for it. More picks coming soon!

I’m always one for hop-hop shows. The energy is high with heavy bass and a sea of people who know how to get down and dirty. And I mean, if nothing else, it’s a great place to people watch. Thursday night’s show of The Cool Kids at the Granada Theater in Lawrence did not let me down with the large crowd and not to mention the killer performance. Kansas City – based publication Ink Magazine hosted The Cool Kids concert and brought in local rap artists Gee Watts, Atilla, Ebony Tusks, and Greg Enemy to open for the nationally known group.

Earlier in the evening I stopped by White Chocolate Skateboards (933 Mass St. Lawrence, KS) for a meet and greet with The Cool Kids. Surprisingly there weren’t very many people there, but I had no problem meeting Mikey Rocks and Chuck Inglish. They were both very friendly and seemed to enjoy talking to their fans. To promote their first full-length album When Fish Ride Bicycles, which released July 12^th of this summer, signed posters, stickers, fish gummy candies, and key chains were in abundance to give away. The Cool Kids also hosted a raffle for a skateboard deck with their album artwork on the underside.

Several hours later, I was ready to get to The Granada and get my dance on. When I arrived the line was out the door to get in, which is never fun. To my surprise the line went by fast with nice, helpful door-guys. Everyone inside was decked out in fresh kicks, crisp hats, and the latest designer tees the repped their favorite labels. The bars were backed up with people, so I figured it wasn’t worth the wait for a gin and tonic. The venue’s energy was high while everyone waited for Gee Watts to open the night.

Gee Watts did a great job setting the mood for the rest of the night with catchy bass lines and several friends rapping alongside him. Based out of Kansas City, MO Gee Watts had a decent following that showed up to the Granada to show the love. Kansas City hip-hop/funk artist Atilla performed afterwards with a good sized following as well. His soul/funk infused beats got the crowd swaying and moving during his set.

Lawrence-based rapper Ebony Tusks involved the crowd in his set with callbacks and hand swaying, which was a sight to see. Hyped on the crowd’s energy, Ebony Tusks was all over the stage engaging with his fans. He definitely held a presence on stage that was a force to be reckoned with.

Capping off the set of openers was Kansas City rapper Greg Enemy. Known for his hit song Fly Ass Glasses Greg has a decent following throughout the Lawrence and Kansas City area. Greg sat poised and relaxed on a stool for half of his set, then engaged with the crowd for the rest. At the end of his set, fellow rappers and supporters stormed the stage while Greg Enemy crowd surfed, making a great end to the opening artists.

By the time The Cool Kids stormed the stage, the venue was nearly packed to the brim with a crowd that was clearly excited in anticipation of the headlining set. Mikey Rocks and Chuck Inglish had great chemistry feeding off of each other’s energy, which reflected in the crowd’s energy. Hands were swaying, bodies were moving, and everyone seemed to have a good time. Even the VIP lounge on the balcony was getting down. The Cool Kids performed a good variety of old popular hits, and newer songs off of their new album. Ink Magazine did a fantastic job with the lineup of this show. I think it’s safe to say that from beginning to end, the show was a hit.

This post was written by Rebecca Dreyfus.

Slave Ambient is the second  album from Philadelphia’s The War on Drugs, and the followup to last year’s Future Weather EP. That EP is important to mention since it was released because Slave Ambient was taking longer to record than anticipated. Slave Ambient boasts new versions of two songs from Future Weather, and another of the songs is predated by an instrumental from the EP. This is all fine. Slave Ambient is it’s own entity, made richer by the hints that were given about what was to come.

The songs on the album meander, and like any War on Drugs record it takes a few listens for the songs to distinguish themselves. The songs are hazy, and jammy, and often completely spaced. It occasionally sounds like a stoner’s dream record, but it’s just as good blind sober.

Not to say this album doesn’t have fantastic eye opening moments, because it does. The first track, “Best Night” opens the album with a general theme that seems to run through the album. “I believe that I’ve been cursed” sings songwriter Adam Granduciel through a mass of freewheeling guitars and keyboards. He continues: “It’s you I hope survive without fighting.” It’s a song about struggling through the frothy bullshit of life, while trying to ignore the fact that you’re doomed anyways. It’s heavy, heady stuff, and the musical atmosphere suits it perfectly.

A new version of Brothers from Future Weather is next, and it’s at least as powerful as the earlier version. Granduciel sings about wondering where his friends went, and why they didn’t take him. It’s all very transitory. The narrator looks around, isn’t sure if he likes what he sees, or where he’s been, but he’s reminiscing nonetheless. “My life is filled with fear, I can’t believe in the truth.” It’s a little terrifying in a way.

Following that is “I Was There,” one of the album’s standout tracks. It’s a ramshackle waltz, breezy, and piano driven, filled with noodling guitars  and Dylan-esque vocals. It winds its way through like a slow train rumbling past some obscure mid-west city.

The best thing here is “It’s Your Destiny.” “I’ve been struggling,” Granduciel sings through guitar and keyboard loops, and we’re right there struggling with him, doing our damnedest to avoid whatever  fate the world has in store for us.

The album continues to float through a few more songs, and short instrumental pieces, before the closer “Blackwater Falls.” It’s a mostly acoustic song, similar to “Barrel of Batteries,” which closed the first War on Drugs album, Wagonwheel Blues. This song is much deeper, however. “There is a train we take downtown,” Granduciel sings. You get the feeling of people hanging out on the outskirts of town. The narrator asks someone to remember him, and he sings about “the smell of defeat,” and how “there is no way to carve your righteous path of rage.” It’s very melancholy, the song is loss, and leaving, and lyrically unsure, but the music is perfect. Once the electric instruments kicks in the song moves at an assured pace, leaving just before it outstays its welcome.

Slave Ambient doesn’t have any monster classic songs like “Arms Like Boulders” from Wagonwheel Blues, and there isn’t an eight minute drone piece like Future Weather’s best song “The History of Plastic.”  These are missed at first, but soon enough the album reveals itself as its own thing. It’s one long jam, best heard as a whole. It takes a while for the songs to differentiate themselves as their own entities but that’s not a bad thing.  The production is incredibly layered. A listener can spend a lot of time picking out strange chord progressions, and other odd noises. This is easily one of of 2011’s best records, and is not to be missed.

Tracklist:

Best Night
Brothers
I was There
Your Love is Calling my Name
The Animator
Come to the City
Come for It
Its your Destiny
City Reprise #12
Baby Missiles
Original Slave
Black Water Falls

In preparation of the upcoming release of her new album Night of Hunters, Tori Amos is premiering the video for one of the album tracks, “Carry,” on her Facebook page. The album will be released on September 20 on celebrated classical music German label Deutsche Grammophon. In the interests of utilizing social networking to spread the word about the new release, Amos’s fans will also be able to unlock a stream of the album’s opening track “Shattering Sea” by sharing the video via Facebook.

Visit Tori Amos’s Facebook page to watch the video.